<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0"
   xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
   xmlns:admin="http://webns.net/mvcb/"
   xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
   xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
   xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
   xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
   xmlns:creativeCommons="http://backend.userland.com/creativeCommonsRssModule">
    <channel>
        <title>official website for Rock WILK and BROKE WIDE OPEN - Rock WILK - 500 NAMES</title>
        <link>http://wilkmusic.com/this_page_is_under_construction.html</link>
        <description>Rock WILK: 500 NAMES</description>
        <generator>Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/</generator>
        <lastBuildDate>Fri, 18 May 2012 22:16:14 -0700</lastBuildDate>
        <item>
            <title>###500 NAMES### INTERNATIONAL FUNDRAISER- &amp;quot;KICKSTART&amp;quot; BROKE WIDE OPEN to a FULLY MOUNTED PRODUCTION!!! It's time.2012, THE YEAR OF BROKE WIDE OPEN!!</title>
            <link>http://wilkmusic.com/this_page_is_under_construction.html#70</link>
            <description><![CDATA[<a href="http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x76/wilkmusic/?action=view&current=RockWilk500NAMESbyEbonyBrown_trans-3.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x76/wilkmusic/RockWilk500NAMESbyEbonyBrown_trans-3.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br><br /><br><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><br /><input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick"><br /><input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="8F75JPQ5TX7UA"><br /><input type="image" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!"><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="https:/ /www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1"><br /></form> <br /><br />$18,728 has been raised toward opening night!!<br /> <br />OUR JOURNEY TO 500 NAMES IS COMPLETE, BUT DON'T STOP NOW, LET'S GET 5000 NAMES!!:<br />1-Ebony Brown<br />2-Anne Hamilton<br />3-Cindy Wolfe Boynton<br />4-Stephen Bishop Seely<br />5-Beth Popik          <br />6-Steven Sachs<br />7-Noelle V Dor<br />8-Cory Morowitz<br />9-Ido Kadman                 <br />10-Jennifer Perez<br />11-Lori Romero<br />12-Holly Long<br />13-Jacob Victorine<br />14-Aisha Douglas<br />15-Sonia Raquel<br />16-Jennifer Crews<br />17-Jessica Molina<br />18-Alison B Levy<br />19-Mae Jeskie<br />20-Vanessa Acevedo<br />21-Alan Reznik<br />22-Vivian Taormina<br />23-Nilki Benitez<br />24-J. F. Seary<br />25-Una McGurk<br />26-Seema Clifasefi<br />27-Michael Geffner<br />28-April Stone<br />29-Lisa Fischer<br />30-Kathryn Alexander<br />31-Mia Roman<br />32-Paula Rodriguez<br />33-Patty Eljaiek<br />34-Will Rivera<br />35-Art Brasington<br />36-Helen Corporan<br />37-Charlie Poems<br />38-Aimee Gabrielle<br />39-Fanny Betances<br />40-Randee Levy<br />41-James Burns<br />42-Saria Idana<br />43-Henry UltimateBoricua Valentin<br />44-Mark Vigo<br />45-Gabrielle Rivera<br />46-Gus Martinez<br />47-Marbella Silverio<br />48-Sue Goodman<br />49-Maya Azucena<br />50-Bettina GOLD Wilkerson<br />51-Emma Diaz<br />52-Shreya Mandal<br />53-Bobby Roman<br />54-Chris Harris<br />55-Carmen Mojica Fabian<br />56-Christine Benjamin<br />57-Wanda Molina<br />58-Mark Baumgarten<br />59-Stephen Young<br />60-Christ Ramirez<br />61-Susan Ito<br />62-Sarah Chandler<br />63-Janice Palmer<br />64-Jon Bates<br />65-Jan Newman<br />66-Alicia Anabel Santos<br />67-Shreedevi Thacker<br />68-Morley<br />69-Amy Daniels<br />70-Bernice Sosa Izquierdo<br />71-Doug Adler<br />72-Kari Abelman<br />73-Nadia Bourne<br />74-Rosa Casarrubias<br />75-Rhonda Elhosseiny<br />76-Edna Lee Figueroa Millan<br />77-Vanessa Vargas<br />78-Shannon Grooms<br />79-Harvey Sherman<br />80-Jennifer Conley Darling<br />81-Jeff Knapp<br />82-Gisele Torres<br />83-Joyce "BRONX" Bradley<br />84-Bill Hawk<br />85-Marcus John<br />86-Naa Akua<br />87-Rob Findlay<br />88-Rob "Simply Rob" Vassilarakas<br />89-Samantha Alethea Inniss<br />90-Stacy Lasner<br />91-Hadas Kushnir<br />92-Kelly Newsome<br />93-Audrey Martell<br />94-Ema Lia <br />95-Christa Victoria<br />96-Aryeh Bernstein<br />97-Heather Hunt<br />98-Bianca Bagatourian<br />99-James "Peach" Mcclory<br />100-Francesca Rollins<br />101-Ava Gaudet<br />102-Joe Ham [Hamit Up Productions]<br />103-Arlene Donovan<br />104-Judy Sickler<br />105-Robert F.Aponte Junior [Leslie Marrero]<br />106-Bobby DeJesus<br />107-Shelly Ramirez<br />108-Greg Demaras [John C. Conover Agency]<br />109-Humble Fyre<br />110-The Craftaholic<br />111-Jakira Torres<br />112-Jeff Bohnhoff<br />113-Elana Rutenberg Hayden<br />114-Ellie Rodriguez<br />115-Tatiana Dellepiane<br />116-Jay Feinberg<br />117-Kenny Mandel<br />118-Zara Phillips<br />119-Nancy Arroyo Ruffin<br />120-John Kaplow<br />121-Lara Morton<br />122-Zhen Xu<br />123-Jani Rose<br />124-Rachel Bernstein<br />125-Michael Raysses<br />126-Victoria Cepeda<br />127-Efrain Nieves [Pa'lante Latino]<br />128-Jessica Moreira<br />129-Sabrina Gilbert<br />130-Latanya DeVaughn<br />131-Michael Sodano<br />132-Steve Peckman<br />133-Amber Summers<br />134-Sabrina Sacks Mann<br />135-Madaline Sparks<br />136-Suzette Eby<br />137-Nathalie Leon<br />138-Stu Smiley [HBO]<br />139-Giorgio Kolaj [Famous Famiglia]<br />140-Ari Levy<br />141-Maya Barros Odim<br />142-Yesenia Bosch<br />143-Daria Jarmel<br />144-Thomas Phillips<br />145-Curtis Wiley<br />146-Suhey Rivera<br />147-Michele Messina<br />148-Angela Malverne<br />149-Meriam Rodriguez<br />150-Amalia Vulala<br />151-David Diaz<br />152-Jay Brandwein<br />153-Jim Victorine<br />154-Gail Hirsch<br />155-Luz Guerra<br />156-Michael Dote<br />157-Arin Maya Lawrence<br />158-Mike Street<br />159-Carol Senavitis<br />160-Ayodele Alli<br />161-Kelly Walsh<br />162-Adam Tendler<br />163-James Walsh<br />164-Suhey Rivera<br />165-Jeffrey Posner<br />166-Christina Mendez<br />167-Hanna Latif<br />168-Jeff Fischer<br />169-Leslie Fischer<br />170-Natalie Ramos<br />171-Mindy Gorlin<br />172-Mardeah Gbotoe<br />173-Moira Storrar<br />174-La Boricua-Goddess<br />175-Julie Bolt<br />176-Justine Hornedo<br />177-Ralph Schwartz<br />178-Ed Toney<br />179-Lloyd Phillips<br />180-Phil Peredo<br />181-Sasa Bella<br />182-Sally Cooper<br />183-Peggy Robles Alvarado<br />184-Mariah Rivera<br />185-Saundra Robinson<br />186-Marcus Robinson<br />187-Dina Kushnir<br />188-Yochanan Kushnir<br />189-J Skye Cabrera<br />190-Debbie Smith<br />191-Julia Goldman<br />192-Dennis Michael Lucas<br />193-Michael McIntee<br />194-Xia Lily Daniel<br />195-John Kolaj<br />196-Paul Kolaj<br />197-Tony Kolaj<br />198-Naima Ince<br />199-Merlene Douglas<br />200-Lorena Rodriguez<br />201-Philip Mangiat<br />202-Michele Sobel Randazzo<br />203-Dymond Dalton<br />204-Carole Proszowski<br />205-George "Urban Jibaro" Torres<br />206-Papo "Swiggity" Santiago<br />207-Eleni Hopkins [Reikes]<br />208-Eleanor Merson<br />209-Stephanie St James<br />210-Michele Friedman<br />211-Raul Brunet Jr<br />212-Jo Murray<br />213-Angel Rodriguez<br />214-Barbara Horne<br />215-Sylvana Opris<br />216-Natalie Sturgis<br />217-Tasha Pierce<br />218-Bernard Garbo<br />219-Helene Ruiz<br />220-Tai Allen<br />221-Kristen Amendola<br />222-Sophie Hurtado<br />223-Kathleen O'Grady<br />224-Stinson O'Grady<br />225-Suhey Rivera<br />226-Yvette Coleman<br />227-Tom Coleman<br />228-Teresa L. Vescera<br />229-Dan Ginsberg<br />230-Natalie Papailiou<br />231-Lourdes Melendez-Gamez<br />232-Rosalia Villanueva Whiteman<br />233-Caridad Svitch<br />234-Chandi Mandal<br />235-Janice Dempsey<br />236-Jomaira 'La Sensacion' Martinez<br />237-Kathy Snyder<br />238-Maria Rodriguez<br />239-LatinosNYC<br />240-Lou Liberatore<br />241-Noah Reitman<br />242-Ronald Brown<br />243-Ellen Mednikoff<br />244-Gladys LaFrossia<br />245-Tiesen Bolero<br />246-Paige Allen<br />247-Suhey Rivera<br />248-Aminta Delara<br />249-Aisha Sidibe<br />250-Jim Wharton<br />251-Norma Wharton<br />252-Hillary Rollins<br />253-Robyn Ellenbogen<br />254-Ron Bernstein<br />255-Richard Isaacs<br />256-Lukisha R. Williams<br />257-Judy Landers<br />258-Randy Isaacs Karsch<br />259-Sien Ide<br />260-Richard Santiago Jr<br />261-Brenda Pabon<br />262-Taisha Rodriguez<br />263-John J Hard Ent.<br />264-DJ Rhythm<br />265-Christopher Garcia [Christbearer]<br />266-Ebony Rivera<br />267-Claudia Whittingham<br />268-Vanessa Williams<br />269-Christopher Kaczmarek<br />270-Natasha Kubis<br />271-Irene Zimmerman<br />272-Passion Lives<br />273-Tia Fortunate<br />274-Caridad De La Luz [La Bruja]<br />275-Arlena Dunn Brown<br />276-Erika Citron Scotti<br />277-Zoraida Figueroa<br />278-Bridget Barkan<br />279-Angela Brasington<br />280-Liz Brasington<br />281-Wonder Lee<br />282-Roland Angerer<br />283-Wanayran Alvarez Angerer<br />284-Rick Fishkin<br />285-Kelly Knaub<br />286-Ilana Brin<br />287-Michael (kidney) O'Grady<br />288-Goldie Lox<br />289-Sally Starin-Rolnick<br />290-Maria Parziale<br />291-Audrey Landers<br />292-Monique Patterson<br />293-Howard Pearl<br />294- Joe "Elemento" Romagnano <br />295-Katrina Wright<br />296-Matt LoGuercio<br />297-Jessical Lawrence<br />298-Klvn Klvn<br />299-Tongo Eisen-Martin<br />300-A Lyric<br />301-Brian Lowe<br />302-Ralphy Tatuxmen Perez<br />303-Evette Gonzalez <br />304-Stephen Guirgis<br />305-Carlos Manuel Rivera<br />306-Bridget Bartolini<br />307-Lisa Marie<br />308-N'DigoDesign<br />309-Jennifer "Dotora" Huse<br />310-Jason Sisino<br />311-Lee Alston<br />312-Yvette Brideau<br />313-Latanya Sweetness<br />314-Susan Rollins<br />315-Lucy War Cry Warsaw<br />316-Brian J. Sullivan Jr<br />317-Dean El Negro<br />318-Maria Rodriguez<br />319-Jessica Kostenblatt<br />320-Renee Fahan<br />321-Red Sirens<br />322-Rabia Noorstani<br />323-Lisa Rothe<br />324-Scheherazade Stone<br />325-Raquel Carmon<br />326-Ted Lambert<br />327-Courtney Aucone<br />328-Kevin Nason<br />329-Monet Cherise<br />330-Bill Tremblay<br />331-Donna Garcia<br />332-Robert Angelini<br />333-Jeannie Irby<br />334-Stephanie Malaspina<br />335-Bitty Bast'rd. Rollergirls of Central Kentucky<br />336-Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory [Phoenix]<br />337-Lisa English-Greenwood<br />338-Leticia Zuniga<br />339-Ingrid Gomez<br />340-Joan K. Hunt<br />341-Sunu Chandy<br />342-Marie Varghese<br />343-Herbert Sobel<br />344-Michael "HighLight" Bertoncini<br />345-Kathleen Moran<br />346-Michael Epstein<br />347-Xenia Sky<br />348-Vaida TamaÅ¡auskaitÄ&#8212;<br />349-Julie Novas<br />350-Anthony Andujar<br />351-Andricka Hall<br />352-Jerome Rogoway<br />353-Marisa Taliferro<br />354-Glenn Rolnick<br />355-Michael Bonilla<br />356-Diane Garisto<br />357-Andy Huenerberg<br />358-Tanya Cunningham<br />359-Edwin Brenes <br />360-Yvonne Espana<br />361-Mel Espana<br />362-Dominique Morisseau<br />363-Gail Gordon<br />364-Sheila Gordon<br />365-Al Gordon<br />366-Louis Diaz<br />367-Phyllis Wilk<br />368-Leon Wilk<br />369-Angelo Fiorenza<br />370-MaryCae Vignolini<br />371-Robert M. Findlay<br />372-Isabel Magnus<br />373-Mindy Gorlin<br />374-Lee Anderson<br />375-Pam Hasegawa<br />376-Pierre Thiam<br />377-Kathleen LoPinto Vignolini<br />378-Robert Vignolini<br />379-Kim Vignolini-Walsh<br />380-Joseph Vignolini<br />381-Breanna Vignolini-DeMail<br />382-Gabrielle Vignolini-Gonzalez<br />383-David T Vignolini<br />384-Gregory Walsh<br />385-Jennifer Vignolini<br />386-Olivier DeMail<br />387-Halberto Gonzalez<br />388-Donella Haywood-Vignolini<br />389-Susan Bertoncini<br />390-Brittany Maldonado<br />391-Wanda Gould<br />392-Angie Turner<br />393-Patrick McMahon<br />394-Iris Wilk-Jacobs<br />395-Luis Lugo<br />396-Cyn Bird<br />397-Chad Copeland<br />398-Ankita Pandya<br />399-Katie Banks<br />400-Jan Mason Kingston<br />401-Kim Possible<br />402-Gerard Proszowski<br />403-D. Wiley<br />404-Lynda Hamilton<br />405-Charlie Poems Sr.<br />406-Alexander Ramirez<br />407-Elsie Cruz<br />408-Ana Josefa Romero<br />409-Eneida Caridad Diaz Stubbs<br />410-Dave Stanley<br />411-Kristin Stanley<br />412-Kelly Bobchin<br />413-Kari Holder<br />414-Felicia Fountain<br />415-Rosemary Wessel<br />416-John Hamilton<br />417-Alison Aguiar<br />418-Laura Wachs<br />419-Yadira De La Riva<br />420-Rain Pryor<br />421-Glendaliz Camacho<br />422-Estelle Wiederhorn [Samah]<br />423-Courtney A. Hollinsworth/US Army<br />424-Hope Hollinsworth Coaxum<br />425-Vicki Zeh Rivera<br />426-Izzy Rivera/Drifters<br />427-Nyko Hackett<br />428-Jessica Brenes McClory<br />429-Shira Singer<br />430-Annette Toutonghi<br />431-Trevor White<br />432-Diana Delgado<br />433-Jeanette Yoffe<br />434-Keith Anthony Fluitt<br />435-Natasha Rabin<br />436-Karen Rossi<br />437-Lynn Diaz<br />438-Shamecca Long<br />439-Bill Bollati<br />440-Natajsha Gonzalez<br />441-Joy Leacock<br />442-Jack Sharkey<br />443-E. Kevin Jones<br />444-Angela Keiser<br />445-Harold Glassberg<br />446-Albert TainoImage Areizaga<br />447-Queen Godis<br />448-Angelique Imani Rodriguez<br />449-Establishing Artists for Tomorrow Media Group [Christina Denise Rodriguez]<br />450-Amelia Keiser<br />451-Jane M. Rollins<br />452-Jack Rollins<br />453-Nicole Ross<br />454-Sivan Hadari<br />455-Richard Ziman<br />456-Leslie Law<br />457-Angela Figueroa<br />458-Alla Antsis<br />459-Lalita LaMonte<br />460-Jim Ford<br />461-Kendall Pettygrove<br />462-Sherie Reyes<br />463-Debbie Rivera<br />464-Jimmy Donegan<br />465-Jimmy O'Grady<br />466-April Lang<br />467-Maureen Cronin Segura<br />468-Glenys Javier<br />469-Kathryn Hoxie<br />470-Danielle D'Ambrosio<br />471-Puma Perl<br />472-Katrina Gurl<br />473-Renee Dillon<br />474-Brett Cohen<br />475-Josie Santos-Chenevert<br />476-Erin Pope<br />477-Karie Gaska<br />478-Fred Guterl<br />479-Alexis Marnel<br />480-Diane Reckner<br />481-Maria Fontanez<br />482-Kararaina Beckett<br />483-Gene Torres<br />484-Joseph Harris<br />485-Nia Andino<br />486-Claudia Guiracocha <br />487-Karan Guy<br />488-John Adams<br />489-Marissa Artzt<br />490-Melanie Katzner Fox<br />491-Diana Ramos<br />492-Maia Amada<br />493-Theresa Marasco<br />494-Antonio Marasco<br />495-Bonafide Rojas<br />496-Simon Valenzuela<br />497-Nan Klein<br />498-Jessica Klein<br />499-Ari Klein<br />500-Richard Klein<br />-----------------------------------------------<br />AND ON TO THE NEXT 4500, WE'RE GONNA GET 5000 NAMES!!!<br />-----------------------------------------------<br />501-Mary Kubik<br />502-DÃªlÃ°is SuÃ±shiÃ±Ãª ÃÃªÃª<br />503-Angel Izquierdo<br />504-Carmen Del Pilar <br />505-Cyn Bird<br />506-Pamela Hernandez<br />507-Melech Meir<br /><br />529-Eva Loayza<br /><br><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mOZSxCX97SA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />In summer of 2006, my friend, Jane Rollins was in a downtown hospital, recovering from a hip replacement, or maybe it was her knee, or shoulder, she's had it all, I can't really remember, but I brought some music in for her to listen to that I had been working on, a collaborative project where I was given some very political poetry, and I was asked to "make these poems into songs", and so I did, and the result was some pretty cool productions. I went all out, from drums and bass to guitars and keyboards, I added some beautiful string arrangements, did all of the vocals myself, including some HUGE background arrangements, a Rock WILK "choir" if you will, and so I was very proud of this work.  I let Mrs Rollins listen, and since she is first and foremost a vocalist, she had been a big band singer back in the day, and also given the fact that she was, and still is, a social activist, she LOVED this work.  One day, her husband, and also my good friend Jack Rollins was visiting his wife in the hospital and Mrs Rollins handed him the headphones and he listened to my music, and he was FLOORED!!!  He LOVED it, just raved about it, which made me feel very happy, obviously, especially coming from a man who was responsible for managing the careers of such great artists as Woody Allen, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, David Letterman, among many others, it was a thrill for me to get that type of response from someone like Mr Rollins.  I mean, I had a very close relationship with him, but it was really about our love for all of the New York sports teams that we both live and die with, The Yankees, The Football Giants, and the Knicks.  This was really the first time, I believe, Mr Rollins recognized me as a serious artist, I never felt it was appropriate for me to approach him in that way, I felt it was better to just remain "friends", and so we did, but this moment changed everything, and it led to a beautiful fall day that October, still in 2006, where Mr Rollins said to me, "Rock, you need to do an album".  <br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/akNYRe2geKk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />I replied, "I have no interest in really doing that, I have nothing to say."  At the time, I was earning my living placing music on some television shows, picking up some sessions around town as a background vocalist, doing quite a few independent productions with some young artists around town, and so I was "good" with that, but Mr Rollins had other ideas.  "Rock, you have a very unusual, interesting story, you need to tell it, and I mean, NEED.  I believe you need to get it out of you, that this is your life's work, and I feel like if you approach it in that way, as ART, and not as "trying to get a record deal", you will do great work, you are an amazing artist, I heard that on the recording I listened to at the hospital".  I told Mr Rollins, I couldn't do it because it would take too much time to engage in that type of work, that my life was not set up that way, and he offered to sponsor me, with one "request"........ "Rock, I'm gonna give you this check, but I want you to promise me one thing.  That you will BLEED all over this music, that you will dig as deep as you can and be willing and brave enough to really REVEAL yourself in this music.  The GREAT artists are the ones who are willing to do that, you KNOW WHO THEY ARE from their work, I believe you are like those artists, very unusual, very special, you have that gift, but the value is only if you are willing to bare your soul like that, and so you need to promise me that you will approach this work in that way, and if you do that, I will support you in this endeavor.  I believe that if you are willing to REALLY open it up, to really REVEAL yourself to those who get to experience your work, they will love you as much as I do.  Also, Rock, my hope is that this work will serve you for the rest of your life.  So... can you promise me that?".  <br /><a href="http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x76/wilkmusic/?action=view&current=IMAG0380-5.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x76/wilkmusic/IMAG0380-5.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vaRWOT4Ycg8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />And so BROKE WIDE OPEN was born, I began writing the songs in October of that year, in 2006, each day riding the subways of New York City all day and all night, which is where I had ALWAYS done my creating, I could be found singing into my little digital recorder all over town, on the G Train, on the A Train, on The D Train, creating songs from the center of my soul, I bled out, I released everything that I had inside of me, and then, at the end of each day I would go visit Mr Rollins and sit in Riverside Park with him, sharing what magic I had come up with on that particular day, and by April, the album had been written and recorded.  I produced and performed all of that work in my little studio in my apartment in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, where I was living at the time, it was the most amazing catharsis, and by August of that next summer, in 2007, BROKE WIDE OPEN was mastered and released out into the universe.  <br /><br />And so now I had this work, this album, and I really didn't know what to do with it, but I began getting feedback immediately, and it was profound, very positive, but also very interesting.  This was not your average collection of songs, this was a series of stories that all directly related to my life, in a genre of music that could really only be described as MY genre, and it was not "easy" to listen to, I was putting some controversial material out there, but what was MOST interesting for me was that I guess it all came out in a way that made quite a few people say to me, "it feels like a play".  <br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QtajrE-auyE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />To make a long story short, I listened, and my first live performance piece was born, called Ma'Plej, which was almost 4 hours of music and poetry and monologue, VERY high energy and maybe just a little bit of chaos.  It was a lot, I'll say it like that, it was all of what I was going thru in my life at that time, I had actually endured a lot of LOSS at that time in my life, my mother had passed away, my marriage had fallen apart, my family was crumbling, I was finally, for the first time in my life dealing with my adoption, being fostered before that, my biological beginnings, and so this was how all of my emotions, my reflecting, began to manifest itself, thru my art, and so I just found places to perform Ma'Plej and began to get more feedback.  Probably the most important day of this entire journey came at a performance down in Asbury Park, NJ, in a small theater called The Showroom, and a friend of mine invited the artistic director of The Revision Theatre to see Ma'Plej and that person was Stephen Bishop Seely.  Stephen seemed to like the piece, and he agreed to sit with me a few days later at a coffee shop and discuss what he had experienced and allow me to pick his brain, share my hopes for Ma'Plej with him, and we sat for 3 hours that day, Stephen told me that he felt Ma'Plej was great, but that it was also about 14 plays, and he felt I should choose one of the stories and develop that into my first play, and BROKE WIDE OPEN had come full circle because in that exact moment.  That day in the hospital when Mr Rollins heard my music for the first time had finally led me to my life's work, and I had finally defined it.  And so the next part of my journey had begun.<br /><br />What feels like a million re-writes later, I have the most amazing completed script now.  After those humble beginnings I have had the opportunity of doing a 3 week workshop of my play in New York City last year, completed a renegade national tour, traveled to London, survived the riots and had some of the most evocative and compelling performances at The Camden Fringe Festival, sold out a performance at The United Solo Theatre Festival almost 8 weeks in advance that was presented on Theatre ROW here in my beloved New York City, will be a part of the 2012 Mainstage season at The Passage Theatre in Trenton, NJ this coming March, which will be my first inclusion in the programming at a legitimate regional theater, and then.......... We have finally arrived as to exactly why I wrote all of this, why I felt I needed to share this entire story with you.<br /><br />It is time for BROKE WIDE OPEN to take this major step toward what has been my goal from the very beginning, which is to open one day on a Broadway stage.  This journey has been the most amazing and cathartic experience of my life, I have completely re-invented myself, my play IS my life, my life's work and my life's joy, and so I am planning to present BROKE WIDE OPEN this spring, after my performances at The Passage Theatre, as a commercial production, right here in New York City.  I am going to do a run, an extended run that, hopefully, will sustain itself, continue to grow, and lead me to Broadway.  BROKE WIDE OPEN at it's core, is RAW, it is ME, naked for all of you to see, and that will never be lost in any production, but also, it is BEAUTIFUL, and from the very beginning of Ma'Plej, I knew this was a combination of many things, and so BROKE WIDE OPEN will have the most amazing and dynamic lighting design, I am commissioning an artist to paint a huge mural that will actually house video and still photos, the music is the most unique and eclectic overture that you have ever heard, a combination of so many styles of music, I come from a jazz background, but my music is also steeped in the roots of R&B and Hip Hop, even some roots music, it is all from deep inside of me, I created it all for BROKE WIDE OPEN, and you will feel my spirit in what, I hope, beautifully complements this story of my search for my identity, where I feel wanted and comfortable, my search for HOME, so to speak.  <br /><br />BROKE WIDE OPEN is actually a very complex story, it includes, as a thru line, my very ambivalent search for my biological mother while also introducing you to my adoptive parents and what incredibly loving and generous people they were.  In many ways, BROKE WIDE OPEN is about how fortunate I was in my life, despite the fact that the first significant moment of my life was that I was given away, this is a story of realization, a "coming of age", of finally being comfortable in my own skin, of loving myself, and releasing all of the obstructions that existed, including the ones that I created, in my life to keep me "separated" from my own happiness for most of my existence.  And so BROKE WIDE OPEN, much like The Wizard of OZ, is the story of me trying to get HOME.  <br /><br /><br />And so here I am, all of this work, all of this life, and it is time for me to take my shot, and so I have found the perfect space here in Manhattan, and I need to raise money to secure it.  I am trying to raise $40,000 to run BROKE WIDE OPEN, to begin this part of my journey.  Part of that money is to secure the space.  Part is to pay my wonderful collaborators, my set, light and video designers, my artist, my director, my publicist, it costs a lot of money to get something like this off the ground, I have laid the foundation, have acquired the most beautiful and amazing core of supporters, have sold out almost every show I have done here in the city for the past year, and although this is a big mountain to climb, I bet my life on BROKE WIDE OPEN 5 years ago, have accomplished everything I set out to accomplish between then and now, and so it is time for me to make this very important step in my progression happen.  This exact moment is what all of this work and dedication, sacrifice and commitment has been for.  I hope that you will consider helping me with my journey to a Broadway production.  It begins here in a small theater in midtown Manhattan where the full production will be put up for the first time, and as they say, and what I fully expect to happen, "if you build it, they will come".  <br /><br />I've been building this for my entire life, and so to honor my parents who saved my life, my Grandmother who made me feel as if she was my "blood", to all of the people who have supported me and my dream both financially and spiritually over the past 5 years, to honor more people than I could ever mention here, I am intent upon finishing this deal, and realizing my dream.  Somehow over the past year, BROKE WIDE OPEN stopped being "all about me", and it has become everyone's story, that has been clear in the consistent response at every performance I have done over the past few years, and so I feel it is my RESPONSIBILITY to fulfill Mr Rollins' wish, that this work will "serve me for the rest of my life".  I love that he used the word "serve".  I will "serve" with this work for as long as I am able, for as long as you all will have me.  THANK YOU for your support, whether it be your love and good wishes or your money, it all feeds me and I am grateful for every drop.  <br /><br />I want BROKE WIDE OPEN to be a play that people WANT to see, that they WANT to be a part of, this story was born on the subways and streets of NYC, then spread across the country and eventually navigated overseas to London, and so I feel like BROKE WIDE OPEN is about COMMUNITY, and even though this story is &#8221;all about me&#8221;, it has really become EVERYBODY'S story, BROKE WIDE OPEN is about ALL OF US, and it would be such a beautiful thing if I could somehow get 500 names on this page to contribute to the continuation of this magical ride, and that you will all continue to fly with me. BROKE WIDE OPEN. The world is our community. Lets begin again with 500 names. Give what you can.  I'll take care of the rest!!<br /><br />Let the fundraising begin.......... The road to $40,000, Dear Universe......... I need $15,000 by the end of December.  I promise you I will use it wisely and continue to work hard for as long as I am alive.<br /><br />See you at the theater!!!!<br /><br />Peace and love<br /><br />Rock WILK<br /><br><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E0MDEcPuO24" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />ALL CONTRIBUTORS WILL BE LISTED AS DONORS IN THE BROKE WIDE OPEN PROGRAM<br /><br />CONTRIBUTIONS OF $50 OR MORE WILL GET YOU 1 FREE TICKET TO A SHOW DURING THE RUN<br /><br />CONTRIBUTIONS OF $100 OR MORE WILL GET YOU A FREE COPY OF MY ALBUM, BROKE WIDE OPEN, PLUS 2 TICKETS TO ANY SHOW OTHER THAN THE OPENING NIGHT GALA<br /><br />CONTRIBUTIONS OF $250 OR MORE WILL GET YOU AN ALBUM AND A SIGNED SCRIPT AND 2 TICKETS TO OPENING NIGHT<br /><br />CONTRIBUTIONS OF $500 OR MORE WILL GET YOU ALL OF THE ABOVE AND YOU WILL BE CREDITED AS CONTRIBUTOR<br /><br />CONTRIBUTIONS OF $1000 OR MORE WILL GET YOU ALL OF THE ABOVE AND YOU WILL BE CREDITED AS MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR<br /><br />CONTRIBUTIONS OF $2500 OR MORE WILL GET YOU ALL OF THE ABOVE AND YOU WILL BE CREDITED AS EPIC CONTRIBUTOR<br /><br />CONTRIBUTIONS OF $5000 OR MORE WILL GET YOU ALL OF THE ABOVE AND YOU WILL BE CREDITED AS PRODUCER<br /><br />[allow 24 hours for your name to appear on the list]<br /><br />THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, WE ARE ONE DAY CLOSER TO BROADWAY!!!<br />LET'S DO THIS!!<br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><br /><input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick"><br /><input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="8F75JPQ5TX7UA"><br /><input type="image" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!"><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1"><br /></form>]]></description>
            <guid>http://wilkmusic.com/this_page_is_under_construction.html#70</guid>
            <source url="http://wilkmusic.com/this_page_is_under_construction.html">official website for Rock WILK and BROKE WIDE OPEN - Rock WILK - 500 NAMES</source>
        </item>
    </channel>
</rss>
