(upbeat music) - Transform Light into Art with authentic Neon by Chris Ortiz, SLOC Musical heater President John Meglino previews their 98th season and catch a performance from Tops of Trees.

It's all ahead on this episode of "AHA A House for Arts."

- [Narrator] Funding for AHA has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT Venture Fund.

Contributors include the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fisher Malesardi, and the Robison Family Foundation.

- At M&T Bank, we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.

That's why we take an active role in our community.

M&T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts and we invite you to do the same.

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Matt Rogowicz and this is "AHA A house for Arts," a place for all things creative.

Chris Ortiz creates beautiful, authentic, neon works of art out of his home in Roxbury, New York.

Now this is not your LED mass produced plastic neon.

This is the real deal.

Check it out.

(upbeat music) - I'm a neon artist, so I bend glass and I fill with a noble gas inside of it.

I like to make things that are reminiscent of Aztec and Mexican indigenous cultures.

And I like to take inspiration from the area around me here in the Catskills.

So bees and trees.

And I just try to make as many things that make me happy and I hope that other people will enjoy it as well.

(upbeat music) All the neon I make is real and authentic with glass and fire and noble gas.

The current trend that is happening right now is plastic LED strips are taking over the neon name, authentic neon, it's very earth friendly and made from everything around us and it's infinitely recyclable.

(upbeat music) When applying for colleges, The School of the Art Institute was one that accepted me and offered a small scholarship, so it made it easier to make that decision.

And one of the things that really pulled me in was the fact that they had a neon class.

And I pursued that.

And the moment I tried it, I came across this new perspective of making art where everything I tried to make, I'd get into my head, but where neon, a lot of it becomes your feelings, the outside temperature, the inside temperature, the the glass itself.

It just took a lot of the inside anxiety of my mind of like trying to make everything perfect and accepting a bits of the imperfection as I'm trying to accomplish the goal that I'm making.

Bounce house blower propane.

(upbeat music) There it goes.

Authentic neon has as much science into it as much as there is art.

The artistry is in the formula of the glass.

(upbeat music) I like to describe it as it turns into a spaghetti noodle.

And then the moment you take it out of the fire, you've got a few seconds before it gets all stiff again.

And then you have to also do it in a way to where you're not heating it and cooling it off enough because it can shatter at any moment, depending on what your pattern is, sometimes you start in the middle.

Sometimes you start on step three instead of step one.

So because sometimes as you're bending, you're gonna run into yourself.

(upbeat music) The other important thing too when you're bending is to keep in mind of the diameter on the inside, 'cause again, gravity's pulling down.

So you have a little blow hose and you just push a little puff of air inside.

And that way it just expands the glass on the inside.

The science part of it is gonna be the whole bombardment process.

The part of electrifying the atoms on the inside.

And what that does is it sucks out all of the impurities, all of the air out of it, and it super heats it to vaporize everything on the inside.

So it's a sterile, complete vacuum like it would be in space.

I fill it with a noble gas inside of it.

And then once that happens, you seal it off and then you attach a transformer and you zap some electricity into it.

And the electricity is what will get the molecules inside to vibrate and react and start to create the glow from the inside.

So with clear glass, you can put neon argon, helium krypton, and xenon, neon will always be red.

If you put argon, it'll be a faint purple.

But with a drop of mercury, you get a wonderful vibrant blue.

So much of it is your understanding of like gravity, the technique, the glass, the fire.

But then the end result is this amazing natural glow, the most authentic version of light that you can accomplish, that the closest thing you can get to the sun or a campfire.

All of those photons and the lights that naturally come from a reaction neon is the closest thing you can get to it.

Neon light is essentially the Auroras borealis within a stick of glass.

It's our ability to harness the Northern Lights for ourselves.

(upbeat music) A lot of the items that I make are based in indigenous motifs from ancient Mexico.

Growing up you don't really hear much about indigenous cultures, especially in Mexico.

A lot of that was kind of suppressed in the process of assimilation, I found a little book that just showed a lot of indigenous symbols and motifs and I've just been in love with that book ever since and been wanting to grab every single item and make them into neon, 'cause each of them, I see them as they were all vibrant, at one point they were all physically available and now they're just in a tiny book forgotten.

(upbeat music) It's my hope that I can bring them back to life and put them in a new light, and that way other people can experience them.

(upbeat music) - SLOC Musical Theater, otherwise known as the Schenectady Light Opera Company, is gearing up for its 98th season.

Jade Warwick sat down with SLOC's president John Meglino to learn more about his journey from actor to executive and to get a preview of what's coming up this season.

- Hey John, welcome to the "House for Arts" today.

- Hi Jade, thanks for having me.

- Yeah, I'm super excited to talk about SLOC.

And what does SLOC stand for before we even begin?

- Schenectady Light Opera Company.

It's a very old fashioned term.

- There you go.

And it is from 1926.

- 1926, yeah.

- Yeah, so what is SLOC and how did it begin?

- Yeah, so we're now known as SLOC Musical Theater.

Light Opera is kind of a term that's like comedic opera that was used kind of at the turn of the century and a long time ago.

So SLOC Musical Theater provides theater opportunities for people around the capital region specifically, you know, we operate out of Schenectady off of Franklin Street.

We've been around since 1926.

And I think what makes us stand out a little bit, 'cause there there's tons of community theater in our area.

We're very blessed with the amount of talent and whatnot.

What helps us stand out, I think is the volunteer aspect.

We are entirely run by volunteers from the board of directors to our leadership.

Anybody that performs in the show, the directors, it's a great volunteer opportunity.

So you know that the people that are a part of it are super passionate about it.

And we came about around the same time as Proctors and Schenectady Civic Theater.

And I like to think that, you know, organizations like ours kind of lay the groundwork for community theater in the area.

And it's because of the volunteers and their passion that, you know, that kind of persevered through world events like World War II we were around for, and as, as recent as the, the COVID Pandemic, to be able to recover from things like that.

You really need to have people that are passionate about it.

And we are, we're very blessed to have been around as long as we have.

We're going into our 98th season.

- Wow.

98 years old.

- Yeah, I know.

- And I know you've been with SLOC, see I think you started off on the marketing committee and now you are the president of SLOC.

- Yeah.

- How did that journey?

- So I started out actually as a performer I was in, was in my early thirties and kind of trying to find some sort of fulfillment in my life to find myself a little bit.

I was single and I wanted something a little bit different.

And my sister Christine really started encouraging me.

She said, I think musical theater's for you musical.

My sister's been involved in theater for years.

She's been with SLOC since the turn of the century, which sounds like a really old fashioned sentence at this point.

I went into an audition for the first time, and I'm not what anybody would call the songbird of a generation.

I, but apparently I did enough that I was, I was cast in an ensemble role.

The rest is history.

Like I fell instantly in love with the idea of community theater.

And with SLOC specifically, just the camaraderie between the cast, the support we got from the board.

And you mentioned the marketing committee.

My profession is graphic design.

After I did auditions and did a couple of shows, I started dabbling in, you know, our social media and helping out with what can we do to promote our shows from there along the way, somewhere I fell in love with my wife.

We met on the, while we were doing the production of "Curtains" in 2018, and then shortly after that I was tapped, I must have done something right, 'cause they wanted me to, for some reason be on the board of directors.

And I'm like, well, that's a good way to give back.

I can see how this place operates and where we can have improvements.

So I joined the board in 2021 and then was elected vice president in 2022, served two terms and was just recently.

- Now you're president.

Yeah.

- Just kind of climbed the ladder unexpectedly.

I'm honestly very humbled.

I didn't think I would be at this point, but it's really just like a privilege to be able to serve the community and to do anything that I can to help out.

- Yeah and it shows you care, you know?

It shows you care and you have the passion there.

So what type of productions and shows does SLOC put on?

- Oh gosh.

We primarily, we do musical theater, so, you know, we kind of rebranded a while back to SLOC Musical Theater, but we do occasionally do some plays.

We did the complete works of William Shakespeare abridged a couple summers ago.

And we're doing this season we're doing kind of a hybrid.

It's a Peter and the Star Catcher.

It's the tail of the origins of Peter Pan.

- Okay.

- And that is, it's a play with music.

So it's not like a full all out musical, but it's kind of like a hybrid type of thing.

But primarily we do focus on musicals.

- And how do you find like folks to direct and put on these musicals?

- Right, so we have an amazing artistic director, Michael Camella, who's been involved with our organization for years.

He assembles a team each year of so a show selection committee.

It's made up of a diverse group of members from not just SLOC, but sometimes from the community, different backgrounds, different experiences.

And they get together and they try to figure out, Hey, what's gonna work for a season?

They put out a call for directors in the area to submit.

They can submit as many shows as they want, and then they kind of pick from there.

But there's just so many variables that come into selecting a season as you can imagine.

You know, we usually aim to have something a little modern, like we're doing "School of Rock" and "Mean Girls" high school version this year, and then you want something classic for some of the older crowds.

So we're doing "Pippen" is closing out our season and then one that tells a story that people may not have heard of before, but has an important message like "Falsettos," which talks about sensitive topics around LGBTQAI rights and the AIDS crisis.

And the exciting thing about this season is it's entirely consists of new directors that are all female.

- Wow.

Okay.

- So step in the right direction.

- That's great.

Definitely excited for that.

So I know you do like a lot of community-based like educational workshops and programming.

So what does that look like to like a newcomer?

Like how do they get involved?

- Yeah, so I mean, one of the productions that we do every season for past decade or so is our youth production.

It's a high school production.

The cast is entirely made of high school students and "Mean Girls."

We just had auditions about a month or so ago, and like 100 local kids came and auditioned.

And the talent in the capital region is absolutely outstanding.

Like, it was really, really tough from what I've heard to really narrow it down.

But aside from that, one thing we started implementing last year was our youth production assistant program.

We've discovered that there are a lot of kids that love musical theater, but they're not really the stage type, but they want to be involved in some way.

Like they just don't want the spotlight on them, believe it or not.

And so we have people assisting with directing, with lighting, with sound, with makeup, stuff like that.

So they get the opportunity to do that.

As far as workshops go, each year we do a series of different workshops.

So this year it's not all set in stone, but we'll usually do something focused on choreography or how to prepare for an audition, how to prepare musically versus acting for an audition, stuff like that.

And it's not always open to just youth that we want you know, put a lot of our focus towards that.

But it's open for adults as well.

Last year we actually had a workshop with Gabby Pizzolo, who, if you don't know her, she played, she was in "Matilda" on Broadway.

"Fun Home" on Broadway.

Two of the shows that we did last season.

She actually has a recurring role now on the show, "Stranger Things" as Suzy, which is Dustin's girlfriend, if you're familiar with the show.

- I do know the name.

- It's Gabby Pizzolo.

She's a SLOC alum.

- Wow.

- Used to be on our stage.

And she was gracious enough to come and run a acting workshop and give some tips to our cast of "Fun Home" and some of the other kids from last season.

So that was really special.

So we're always looking to tap into our alumni and anybody else that can, you know, help educate and promote the community theater.

- That's amazing and I do like how you mentioned like, yeah, how, how do you do an audition if you don't know, like those to me, like.

- I'm still trying to figure that out.

I gotta go to one of these workshops.

- But the career building is so important because you don't know unless you know, and it's not always accessible to get that high knowledge education, you know?

It's really great that you guys are providing that.

- Yeah, we're trying to do it, 'cause you know, there's a lot of passion for it and they gotta go somewhere.

Get a foot in the door and see where you go, 'cause if someone like Gabby can start from Schenectady, New York on our stage and become this, this relatively well-known actress now that means anybody can.

- Exactly.

All right.

So what's some of your upcoming productions and shows that we should look forward to?

What's your new season like?

- Oh yeah, so super exciting season.

I already mentioned it, but I'll get into specifics.

"School of Rock" is our first show.

It opens in a couple weeks.

I got to sneak a little bit of a sneak preview last week.

A little unpolished version.

But it is absolutely outstanding.

It also has a lot of kids in it.

They're the students.

If you're familiar with the movie "School of Rock."

- I am, yeah.

- The musical version I find is even better.

I think it's a lot of fun.

And then we move into our "Mean Girls" High School Version in November, which we're super excited about, followed by "Falsettos" in January.

"Peter and the Star Catcher" in March.

And we close out our season with "Pippen" in May.

And in between there we usually have fundraising events and other things that, you know, kind of develop as the season goes on.

There's always something going on.

- You are always staying busy.

Always staying busy.

Well thank you John for stopping by today.

- Well, thank you so much for having me.

I really appreciate it.

- Appreciate you too.

- Please welcome, Tops of Trees.

(upbeat music) ♪ Hey hey hey ♪ ♪ Hey hey hey ♪ ♪ Hey hey hey ♪ ♪ We left this city oh we left that grind ♪ ♪ Yeah we went to the mountain ♪ ♪ Find some peace of mind ♪ ♪ Yeah we left some money ♪ ♪ For a little time ♪ ♪ Yeah we left those bright eyes ♪ ♪ So we can touch the sky ♪ ♪ Hey hey hey ♪ ♪ Hey hey hey ♪ ♪ Hey hey hey ♪ ♪ Hey hey hey ♪ ♪ We left that concrete ♪ ♪ Oh a little more green ♪ ♪ Yeah we left that high rise ♪ ♪ So we could see the tops of trees ♪ ♪ Well I sure miss the ocean ♪ ♪ But I love now pleasantly sit around campfire ♪ ♪ All night slapping ♪ ♪ And drinking till the morning breaks ♪ ♪ Until they know it's all right ♪ ♪ Until they know it's all right ♪ ♪ Until they know it's all right ♪ ♪ Until they know it's all right ♪ ♪ Until they know it's all right ♪ ♪ Until they know it's all right ♪ ♪ It's all right ♪ ♪ It's all right all right all right ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Well you can laugh now ♪ ♪ See we're living in the sticks ♪ ♪ You can keep your Broadway in Madison y'all ♪ ♪ 'Cause we got the 46 ♪ ♪ If you need some fresh air ♪ ♪ And you are ready to unwind ♪ ♪ The Trailhead is waiting for you ♪ ♪ If you are ready to make that climb ♪ ♪ Until they know it's all right ♪ ♪ Until they know it's all right ♪ ♪ Until they know it's all right ♪ ♪ Until they know it's all right ♪ ♪ It's all right ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ It's all right ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ ♪ See her on tree ♪ ♪ Girl I want you to meet ♪ ♪ The girl got nothing to love ♪ ♪ Yes she always does but ♪ ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ ♪ Everybody knows she's listening ♪ ♪ By the songs we've been missing ♪ ♪ Because everybody tells me so ♪ ♪ Everybody tells me ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ ♪ Everybody knows she's listening ♪ ♪ By the songs we've been missing ♪ ♪ 'Cause everybody tells me so ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ ♪ Yeah that girls feel like ♪ ♪ But you won't run from a fight ♪ ♪ Standing tall for the one feeling small ♪ ♪ She got me love it all ♪ ♪ Don't you ever sing a song ♪ ♪ Come on now sing along ♪ ♪ See her moving ♪ ♪ She got mad love ♪ (upbeat music) - I got mad love for all of you who tune in tonight to watch, "AHA."

Thank you for more arts visit wmht.org/aha.

And be sure to connect with us on social.

I'm Matt Rogowicz, thanks for watching.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Funding for "AHA" has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT Venture Fund Contributors include the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fisher Malesardi, and The Robison Family Foundation.

- At M&T Bank, we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.

That's why we take an active role in our community.

M&T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts and we invite you to do the same.