Frederick Hammersley Fund for the Arts at the Albuquerque Community Foundation and the New Mexico PBS Great Southwestern Arts & Education Endowment Fund at the Albuquerque Community Foundation... ...New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts.

...and Viewers Like You.

THIS TIME, ON COLORES!

STRANDED IN DEEP SPACE, TRYING TO FIND A WAY HOME... "EDMUND AND THE ASTRONAUT" IS AN AMBITIOUS PLAY BY ALBUQUERQUE'S SARAH LOEPPKE AND ROSS KELLY ABOUT AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP.

THE BEST EXPERIENCE ANYONE LOOKING TO PERFORM COULD ASK FOR...

CELEBRATING THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY, "KIDS FROM WISCONSIN" CREATES A POSITIVE, PROFESSIONAL, ENVIRONMENT TO PROMOTE CREATIVITY AND SUCCESS IN MUSIC AND LIFE.

HEARTBEAT TO HEARTBEAT, EYE TO EYE.

RENO NEVADA KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK WITH THEIR ENTRY IN THE NATIONWIDE CITY SONGS PROJECT.

IT'S ALL AHEAD ON COLORES!

A VERY UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP.

[MUSIC] >> Ross Kelly: The first thought, I guess was just our- our love for sci-fi and wanting to build a cool set, and then the idea of a robot being one of our main actors.

[IN SCENE] >> Robot: It's you!-- >> Astronaut: Holy smokes!-- >>Robot: My apologies-- >>Astronaut: y-you're a robot!?

>>Edmund: -I'm Edmund, it's short for E.D.D.

"Esoteric Diagnostic Droid".

>>Edmund: Acting is strange.

It feels like I am just doing what I've done before, but it can be very fun!

Especially when you get to see all the people smile when you say certain things.

[IN SCENE] >>Edmund: Captain!

You require solid nutrient consumption for recharging, right?

>>Astronaut: As a matter of fact, I do.

You got something?

What do you got?

Protein portion?

You got the nutrient cubes?-- >>Edmund: We have M.O.M!

Or the munch... >>Sarah Loeppke: It was important for us to create this project because it's our project, and it's all ours; whether it goes well, or it fails, or it's something people really enjoy, uh- we know like- we've done this thing and it belongs to us.

It's our art piece and it feels good to create something like that.

[SCI-FI MUSIC] >>Ross Kelly: I come from the film industry and there's plenty of sci-fi stories on film But, we wanted to do something that was interactive, that was for people in a live setting.

[IN SCENE] >>Astronaut: Did you just say "I.G.C"?

>>Edmund: Yes captain!

>>Astronaut: As in, "Intergalactic Cultural Relations Explorations", I.G.C?!

>>Ross Kelly: The story is about a manic depressive, under-achieving astronaut, and a relentlessly optimistic robot that become friends and save each other in the process.

They really need each other.

Edmund needs the astronaut because he treats him like a person for the first time, and the astronaut needs Edmund because he treats him- >> Sarah Loeppke: -like a captain!

>>Ross Kelly: -like a captain for the first time.

They give each other value.

[IN SCENE] >>Astronaut: I want to thank you, Ed.

>>Edmund: I am processing the same feeling of usefulness, captain.

I'm certainly very hopeful!

>>Astronaut: Yup.

This is going to be a blast!

>>Edmund: ...Blast?

>>Astronaut: Yeah, you know it's the- >>Edmund: I haven't known the captain for long.

But I consider him a very close friend.

And also, a little bit of a nuisance.

He tends to drink quite a bit... [IN SCENE] >>Astronaut: Ed!

Don't tell me about songs.

Don't talk to me about music!

You don't know, you don't know about songs!

>>Sarah Loeppke: Edmund is optimistic and logical.

But as you can see, and when you watch the play he also leaves room for a bit of "faith", or whatever you'd like to call it.

[IN SCENE] >>Astronaut: I just hope that all my modifications work out.

>>Edmund: I am definitely certain your modifications will ensure success!

>>Astronaut: Thanks, Ed!

>>Ross Kelly: He is also, -he is kind of a jokester.

He wants to have fun.

>>Sarah Loeppke: Yeah.

>>Edmund: I play practical jokes on captain many times!

And he usually falls for them.

So with that being said, I would assume that I am a very good actor!

[IN SCENE] >>Edmund: I am storing their living brains in blocular cavities in a tank, right through that... door... >>Astronaut: Uhh.. pardon me?

... >>Astronaut: OH, SHOOT!

>>Edmund: Squige, what good timing!

It's a joke captain!

Sarcasm, for the informative conversation!

One of my more playful programming apps if you- >>Ross Kelly: It was a lot of drawing and a lot of processing of figuring out the look of Ed.

>>Sarah Loeppke: We were drawing one night and we were like "yeah, that's him!".

You know, that gut feeling?

Like he's just cute enough, he's just odd enough, and he's a little vintage looking and- there he is!

>>Ross Kelly: I don't really feel like it's a robot.

I mean, I don't know... a "robot" is the wrong word, he is alive!

>>Astronaut: I'm tryna give you an apology here... >>Edmund: I understand "apology".

However, it's the first time I have been given one, so I do think I will need some time to process... >>Ross Kelly: he might be the best actor I have ever worked with!

<Sarah and Ross laughing> >>Sarah Loepkke: He's very reliable- >>Ross Kelly: -not really.

>>Sarah Loepkke: -not!

Except for his head, yeah, not really.

>>Ross Kelly as Astronaut: This is how we spend most of our intermissions... >>Sarah Loepkke: The easiest part was deciding to do this.

Once we were in it, everything has been monumental... >>Ross Kelly: There hasn't been one thing where it was like "oh, that went well".

Every piece of the set is functional, we got lots of things that were operational.

They don't always work all the time, because there is an action to it and a sound to it.

We got two droids.

Luckily, Squige has been absolutely flawless.

Thanks to our Squige operator.

>>Sarah Loepkke: It's sort of interesting and scary, but also enjoyable to be right on the edge of possible failure because you are doing something big then.

And I think it's also a realization that if you do fail, then so what.

So, it is- through this whole process, I feel like we have both become a lot braver in that regard too.

To just be like "well this is what it is no matter what, and here we go!".

>>Ross kelly: For anybody that has got a story to tell.

Don't wait.

Just do it.

Don't find excuses to not do it, but you absolutely have to do it because if you have that story to tell, then it's your responsibility to inspire as you have been inspired.

[IN SCENE] >>Astronaut: Ed!

>>Edmund: Thank you, captain.

If only I had arms and hands... >>Astronaut: ... Yeah, I know... >>Edmund: The future should not be planned, as the future holds many things, none of which we should know.

My plan for the future is to take things as they come, just as I always do!

>>Edmund: It was absolutely wonderful to meet you, but I have to ask... Could you introduce me to your beautiful robot friend?

<rolls up to camera> >>Edmund: I'm Edmund ;) That's short for E.D.D.

"Esoteric, Diagnostic, Droid".

LOOKING SHARP AND SOUNDING GREAT!

[Music] Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2018 Kids from Wisconsin.

It's not every day that you find an environment that's so positive and professional, that promote creativity and success in music and just success in life.

Being able to showcase something that you've worked on for so long and worked on so hard and get positive feedback and positive reactions is a fantastic feeling My name is Emily Jones, and I'm a principal trombonist with the Kids from Wisconsin.

My name is Matthew Gonyea, and I am a tenor singer/dancer in the Kids from Wisconsin.

'Cause everything you heard is true.

Kids from Wisconsin is a very unique training ground for young people throughout the state that are interested in a professional performance experience, to really get a feel of what it's like to be on that stage performing to thousands of people over the summer, and doing the same thing every night to get that true professional feeling of being on the road and what it takes to do that.

Kids from Wisconsin got started back really in 1968.

It was a very turbulent time across the country and in Wisconsin.

So Governor Knowles wanted to start what they called a "Youth Power Project", and he was working with Wisconsin State Fair at the time, specifically with Colonel Mark Azzolina.

And they wanted to put together some sort of youth program to bring the talented youth across the state together to really uplift the youth in Wisconsin and showcase them across the state.

The key things we look for in a Kid from Wisconsin is, number one is talent.

We want to feature the best students on our stage.

We want to show them that this is a quality program.

Student: Kick touch.

Got it?

Going on.

We also expect leadership abilities and being able to get along with other kids all summer long, putting on the best show possible.

So it has to be someone who's dedicated and determined and someone who'll stick it out for an entire summer.

The Kids from Wisconsin will perform to over 120,000 people over a summer in 35 different cities across the state along with 2 times daily at the Wisconsin State Fair.

Approximately 60 to 65 shows throughout a full summer.

It consists of kids ages 15 to 20.

We have 22 singer/dancers, and that's made up of 11 guys and 11 girls.

Let us be.

To be a singer in the Kids from Wisconsin means we're on stage, we get costumes, we have to hold microphones the whole time.

We learn a lot of choreography.

We sing throughout the whole show, dance throughout the whole show.

We have a band that consists of 14 instrumentalists.

The band is performing basically through the whole show.

They're back at the bandstands playing during the company numbers, and then they come out during their band features.

Learning the music, polishing the music, memorizing the music is a big thing.

There's about 6 or 7 pieces in the show that we fully memorize as a band.

These kids really some of the most talented kids in Wisconsin.

But how to be a performer is really what we're trying to teach them.

1, 2, ah ready and.

Once you get selected, you come here and we have a two-week camp.

Within the 15 days of camp that these kids are with us, they will learn a 2-hour, fully staged Broadway production.

Camp is really to solidify everything: get them memorizing everything.

Measure 217.

Uh huh Bee-leave or Buh-leave?

Yeah.

All the dynamics, everything that goes into a piece of music.

Dr. Eric Richards: It's A minor to G over A, right?

Learning all their dance moves.

5, 6, 7, 8.

It's one thing to know the music, it's one thing to know all the dance.

But then it's putting it all together to get everything looking sharp and sounding great.

As a choreographer, it is a little challenging because you wanna do things with both arms a lot of times, but you gotta remember they have those mics and they're gonna be switching from hand to hand.

Knows I'm a rolling stone.

Generally in a show, we do a company number with everybody, and then there's a band feature where they come down.

Well I think it's a lot of fun to get out in the front of the stage and, you know, kinda show off what we've got.

No one expects the band to dance, so when we do, the crowd loves it and that's a good feeling.

They also learn stage presence.

They also learn how to approach the audience.

They learn leadership skills, they learn how to work together, and they learn how to tour.

Welcome to the 50th anniversary season of the Kids from Wisconsin.

Since it's our 50th year, as we decided we wanted to shine the light on the last 50 years of Kids from Wisconsin.

And we do that through basically a decades show.

And the world will be a better place.

Our opener consists of 2 songs that were written in 1969 when the KIDS first came to life.

Then we go into a disco medley to represent the 70s.

We go then into an 80s medley, a 90s medley.

Time of your life.

What you would see on music videos, we try to bring that back.

We have approximately 45 songs in this year's show.

On top.

When we do a company number, we generally have 6- 7 songs that represent that decade.

No, no, no.

No, no, no.

Every single time we do a medley, it's got a little bit of twist to it so that people can recognize the eras.

This year, I wanted to have a throwback song but I wanted to kinda give our twist to it.

Don't push it.

[laughs] 1, 2, 3, 4.

"Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home", which is an old 20s tune and it was one of the songs that the Kids from Wisconsin did the most over all of their years.

It's my birthday.

No it's not.

But I still look good though.

When you're actually on the stage, there's little moments that you kinda just live for on the stage.

There's little, like, a move that you love or like at this point, I get to make eye contact with this person and it's amazing.

Give you up!

These kids just learn from each other and they feed off each other.

They want the best show possible.

It's a celebration for us, but I feel it's a celebration our state's youth when given the opportunities that we give them and give them the possibilities that they can shine.

The professional performance atmosphere that we put them in helps them to go on to bigger and better things.

Let there be light.

Not only am I learning how to become a performer, improving my musical skills but I'm also forming friendships and bonds as well as professional connections in the music community that are really gonna benefit me later on in life.

It's the best experience that I think anyone looking to perform could ask for.

[Singing] We're the Kids from Wisconsin!

JOINING TOGETHER IN A TIME OF NEED.

- Heartbeat to Heartbeat, Eye to Eye From Reno with Love is a song and video production that we created here in town at the direction of Mayor Schieve.

It's basically in conjunction with the nationwide project of city songs.

- We were selected along with Nashville, Austin, Chicago, some really great cities, obviously.

That come from a lot of arts and culture movements.

And so I just knew that Reno could step it up and knock it out of the park.

- Reno's arts and culture scene is vibrant, and it is actually quite a large arts and cultural scene.

Whether you're a rapper, a violinist, a pop artist, or you do Americana or folk, you have a place in not only this community, but in the arts and culture scene.

And that's really the backdrop of what makes this video so exciting, and what made this project so relevant to so many.

Stand strong now together, we're gonna survive - I thought about it, and I said this is something that I wouldn't wanna pass up.

It just sounded like an incredible opportunity for me to work with these musicians, who I follow, some of them I've sang with, and to just be a part of this huge thing where we are presenting hope and, you know, love to the community.

And I was honored to be a part of it.

- As an artist, when you undertake a project, whether it's a solo project or you're producing, you know, a pretty major production like this, of course, we want people to like what it is we're doing.

But at the same time, you can't let that be your goalpost for creation, you have to actually create from a place of authenticity.

It's a long road.

It's a long road out ahead of us - But we're gonna bridge this divide - In March, our lives sort of changed forever.

And we really wanted a message to show people not only across the country, but across the world that, you know, arts and culture is still very much alive, and we can be inspired by it, even though we're in this time where we're separated and things are very different and even stressful.

And so this project really is something that is meant to inspire you and make you want to come together as a community.

And so many of our artists right now are struggling because they are out of work.

COVID has really changed how, you know, we operate daily and especially for our artists.

So to have this opportunity to bring them back together as one was really inspiring.

- The scale of this collaboration is impressive because it brings together not only 53 artists from diverse backgrounds and cultural and musical backgrounds, but it also brought together the city of Reno, the Reno Phil and Art Town all together to do something that helps propel, promote, and support the local arts community during this most critical time.

- Eric and I, we go back all ways, we've worked on a number of projects together.

And he gave me a call, and said that he had this amazing project.

He was commissioned to help write this song, and he needed a music video.

Originally, when he contacted me, he told me that he was gonna be collaborating with a lot of musicians.

I kinda assumed, you know, maybe 15, 20 musicians.

At the end of this, when he was all done recorded, he had about 50 plus artists involved in this music video.

So it cut very large.

- Getting that many artists together in such a short period of time is unbelievable.

We all have different schedules, we're creative, we don't really show up on time.

We, you know, and for him to be able to make that happen in the time period that he did, I am in awe.

- We ended up filming the majority of the artists in different scenarios, different scenes.

And so it was a really collaborative, fun project to be a part of, and it brought out some of Reno's finest musicians.

- It's really shown the diversit of our city, and the different depths of talent.

We have the native American dancers.

And then you have, you know, rap in there, and then you have beautiful symphony.

I was just in awe of the inspiration and the feeling that you get when you watch it from the lighting to the sounds, to the music, to all of the people that participated to the diversity, to all the scenes throughout our city.

Stand strong now together, we're gonna survive - People message me and say, I'm having a bad day, I put on Heartbeat to Heartbeat, and it just makes me feel good, it makes me feel hopeful, it makes me think about being connected to you.

And I think that's what we wanted to do through that song.

We wanted everybody to know that the creatives in Reno are here for you.

We can't be there for you at the bar, or at the restaurant where we play or sing, but we wanted to put something out there to let them know that we're still here writing music, singing music that will lift them up.

- One of my biggest hopes is that when people watch this video, that they are inspired to give back to our arts community, they've been so impacted by this pandemic.

- We thought it would be a great thing to do to provide a fund that would help the base needs of these artists, who've been so affected by the pandemic.

- And 100% of the money's raised from T-shirt sales, and also from downloads of the song, and from streaming revenue go to the artists themselves.

Plus there's the fund itself, and people have been very generous in contributing to that.

And a hundred percent of those proceeds go to the performing arts community.

- It absolutely blew my wildest expectations out of the water.

And I mean, that's a testament to just the cooperation, and the enthusiasm of all the artists.

- People are responding to it in a way that I don't think we really even realized would happen.

- When I watched it, I just felt this sense of incredible pride, and all the artists throughout our city that came together in a time when we all need to be inspired now more than ever, when things are really challenging and tough, and we can feel so disconnected right now.

This video really spoke volumes to who we are as a community and why we do come together in times of need.

It's a long road out ahead of us.

But we're gonna bridge this divide.

Heartbeat to heartbeat, eye to eye.

Cause' love won't let us down.

Heartbeat to heartbeat, eye to eye.

TO VIEW THIS AND OTHER COLORES PROGRAMS GO TO: New Mexico PBS dot org and look for COLORES under Local Productions.

Also, LOOK FOR US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.

"UNTIL NEXT WEEK, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING."

Funding for COLORES was provided in part by: Frederick Hammersley Fund for the Arts at the Albuquerque Community Foundation and the New Mexico PBS Great Southwestern Arts & Education Endowment Fund at the Albuquerque Community Foundation... ...New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts.

...and Viewers Like You.