All posts in category Community

WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT AGAIN

WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT AGAIN
A Newly Published Book as a Fundraiser for THE ACTOR’s FUND

In this recently published book, we in the Broadway Community express our Longing for all that we have worked our Lives to do – our Faith that we will rise and do it again, our Hope that we can return not only to the fullest expression of our art, but to a new and better version that honors our time away from it and enables us to express even more fully what we have to share – that which we Love.

“But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13

As Biblical Scholars have pointed out, Love is the greatest because it ensures that the quality of our interactions with others is Life-Giving, or put another way, Faith and Hope are our own – a more personal experience — whereas Love, we share among others. Faith and Hope get us to Opening Night, and after that comes the really good part: we get to share what we’ve created with the final and greatest collaborator: the Audience!

Broadway…that Fabulous Invalid!

Those of us who Live and Work in this Community have taken a Beating!

No audience gathered together in the dark to share our work…

It’s been a rough two years!

(more…)
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by Arnold J. Mungioli on February 12, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in Community, New Beginnings, Theater Life
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Posted by Arnold J. Mungioli on February 12, 2022

https://livethequestionsnow.com/2022/02/12/when-the-lights-are-bright-again/

Living not in Vain

Our second Springtime since the pandemic began is in full bloom…

I once knew someone who kept a stack of poetry books in the bathroom – a busy man, when nature called, he would use the time to nourish his soul with the Magical Gift of Poetry, succinct, easily digestible, and sometimes in a moment, Life-altering. It always impressed me how poets – all writers really — could rearrange those same 26 letters of the alphabet over and over and over again to make us feel such a range of emotions.

A little over a year ago, we were all buzzing about.

We’d probably begun to hear about some virus, and at least in New York, we had survived SARS and MERS, and perhaps we’d seen some Folks from Asian countries on airplanes wearing surgical masks and thought something might be going on that affected people far, far away…

Most of us had no idea what was about to happen, or the scope of the journey upon which we had already embarked.

The Great World Shift had begun – we just hadn’t reacted to it yet or taken it seriously.

And here we are now over a year in, still wondering what we can do.

(more…)
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by Arnold J. Mungioli on April 10, 2021  •  Permalink
Posted in Community, Theater Life, Uncategorized, Writing & Creativity
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Posted by Arnold J. Mungioli on April 10, 2021

https://livethequestionsnow.com/2021/04/10/living-not-in-vain/

World Right Side Up

A dozen or so years ago,
I visited a Shaman.
He waved a large eagle wing back and forth over me.
He took me on a Journey of Soul Retrieval – we did not see the wolf which I am given to understand means that my Soul did not need to be retrieved. Apparently, I have all of it with me – so that’s a relief!
He danced and chanted and drank some green juice from a glass bottle with a long thin neck – then gargled and spit it across my body…
That doesn’t happen every day!
He explained to me that there is a group of Shamans from all over the World who meet in some sacred place — maybe somewhere in South America — once every fifty years to hold sacred ceremonies for several days during which they receive a Message from the gods about the World in the coming Half Century.
He told me that in the 1950’s when they had last met, the Message they received was,
“World Upside Down!”
More recently, just after the start of this Century, they convened once again and received the Message for this Half Century:
“World Rightside Up!”

Events of these past two decades – and in particular, these past three and a half years – may not make us feel that the World is Rightside Up! Quite the contrary, it feels we are through the Looking Glass, especially this past 100 days or so.
And yet… (more…)

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by Arnold J. Mungioli on June 28, 2020  •  Permalink
Posted in Community, Journey, Uncategorized, WorldChange 2020
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Posted by Arnold J. Mungioli on June 28, 2020

https://livethequestionsnow.com/2020/06/28/world-right-side-up/

HAL

HAL PRINCE
January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019

HAL PRINCE and me at the Opening of CANDIDE

I was HAL PRINCE’s Casting Director for the better part of a decade.
We worked together on his revival of SHOW BOAT from its inception throughout its many productions all around the world. Our production of SHOW BOAT premiered at the North York Performing Arts Center in Toronto 26 years ago. I also worked with HAL on the most recent Broadway Revival of CANDIDE, as well as KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and PARADE.

This year alone, we have found ourselves saying goodbye to countless theater luminaries, including DIAHNN CARROLL, CAROL CHANNING, ANDREW ZERMAN, KAYE BALLARD, PHYLLIS NEWMAN, VALERIE HARPER, BILL ESPER, DORIS DAY, E. KATHERINE KERR, KATHERINE HELMOND, MARTIN CHARNIN, MAX WRIGHT, ALAN WASSER, ALVIN EPSTEIN, ERIC LAJUAN SUMMERS, TONI MORRISON, RIP TORN, GLORIA VANDERBILT, ANN CRUMB, TIM CONWAY, GEORGIA ENGEL, LUKE PERRY, ARTIE GAFFIN, MARION MCCLINTON, KYLE RENICK, RON LEIBMAN, RENE AUBERJONOIS, and So Many Others… But even among so many shattering losses to our Community this year, this one stands out.

HAL PRINCE died on July 31st at the age of 91. There will be a Celebration of his Life at the Majestic Theater next Monday December 16th.
I have never known a professional life without him in it, and the loss to the theater community is perhaps the most profound imaginable.

You see, (more…)

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by Arnold J. Mungioli on December 9, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in Community, Legacy, Theater Life, Uncategorized
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Posted by Arnold J. Mungioli on December 9, 2019

https://livethequestionsnow.com/2019/12/09/hal/

Community

CommunityIt has always been one of my Favorite Things!
People Coming Together!
I was a Theater Geek in High School — I think mainly because of the way people came together toward one Goal.
And it was tangible — the momentum of a Group of People
To Create a Show…
To Create a Country…
To Create some Vision of the World…

Lately, I find myself immersed in Community!
And Deeply Moved by its Power!
The Brahman!
The Expanse of one Soul! (more…)

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by Arnold J. Mungioli on September 3, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in Community, Uncategorized
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Posted by Arnold J. Mungioli on September 3, 2018

https://livethequestionsnow.com/2018/09/03/community-2/

Awaken To a Better World

A Meme from the Internet

It was a mere two weeks ago.
We took to the Streets.
For what we Believe in!

I LOVE these Kids!
I LOVE them!
It would be so easy for them to take what happened and feel victimized,
Live their Lives traumatized and unable to move forward.
But they took what happened to them and used it as a Catalyst to
Vault Forward
a Positive Change for themselves and the World!

And just look how it has affected and inspired us!

Now, the question is:
(more…)

2 Comments
by Arnold J. Mungioli on April 7, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in Community, Journey, New Beginnings, Speaking Out
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Posted by Arnold J. Mungioli on April 7, 2018

https://livethequestionsnow.com/2018/04/07/awaken-to-a-better-world/

World RightSide Up

 

An Announcement posted on the Internet

Sometime within the past decade or so, I saw a Shaman for a Healing Session.
It was Fascinating and Full Of Wonder!
He danced and chanted and unwrapped from a colorful silk blanket an enormous Eagle Wing, waving it up and down over my body.
He held a long-thin-necked glass bottle filled with thick green juice and blew his breath into it, playing it like a flute.
Then he gargled the green juice and spit it all across my body. (more…)

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by Arnold J. Mungioli on March 17, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in Community, Miracles, Speaking Out
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Posted by Arnold J. Mungioli on March 17, 2018

https://livethequestionsnow.com/2018/03/17/world-rightside-up/

Christmas Card 2017

It’s Arrived!
For those who may not know, My Christmas Card usually arrives sometime midwinter.
After so many years, it has become somewhat of a Tradition!
I think of it as one way to Celebrate the Values of Christmas the Whole Year through!
As we get deeper into Winter, reminders of Kindness, Generosity, Love, Peace on Earth and Good Will toward Everyone are generally Welcome and Appreciated.
I hope that this story can be that for you.
And So, today, on this snow covered morning in the middle of February, I offer you my Christmas Card.
Feel free to curl up with a  Mug of Hot Cacao, or your favorite Tea, and Enjoy!
Sent to you with Love and Wishing You all the Bountiful Blessings of Winter…

(more…)

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by Arnold J. Mungioli on February 18, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in Christmas, Community, Kindness
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Posted by Arnold J. Mungioli on February 18, 2018

https://livethequestionsnow.com/2018/02/18/christmas-card-2017/

Imperfect and Sweet

Nothing perks up a Winter’s Day like Baking a Batch of Cookies!
This week was a time to delight in Baking!
People have told me over the years that the timing in January is quite ideal, as having gotten through the Holidays and all of the treats that they bring, it is just the time when a new treat may be welcome!
I send Holiday Baking to my Accountant’s office every year!
It feels good to let them know that their hard work behind the scenes is Appreciated! They do such a great job, and are among the many unsung heroes that fill our Day to Day Lives.
I bake a few extra for MOM, my Partner, my Office, the Neighbors…

Baking is always Fun to do! It is also a bit of work!
I find that quite often in Life those two things go together.
(more…)

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by Arnold J. Mungioli on January 27, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in Beauty, Community, Cookie Recipes
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Posted by Arnold J. Mungioli on January 27, 2018

https://livethequestionsnow.com/2018/01/27/imperfect-and-sweet/

My First Diwali

Arrival in Delhi

Annnnnnd… I’m Here!
…In India
For my First Diwali.

In my last post, I talked about how exciting and Beautiful I find this Holiday!
Read about that HERE
And here I am!
And now, let us talk of Miracles…
About the power of Manifestation…
About all that can Happen for you!
As Abraham Hicks says, “It is as easy to create a Castle as a Button!”

Last April, a Very Special Friend was due to have a Very Special Birthday!
Her Husband, another Very Special Friend, told me a year before that he was taking her to India, and he thought it would be Fun to surprise her with a group of her friends showing up for Breakfast at the same hotel where they’d be staying.
This was all meticulously planned for last April,
But a series of events caused the trip to be rescheduled for Autumn.
A week before we left, my friend said to me, “By the way, you know it’s some festival while we’re there next week. There’s something going on in India then. I think it’s called, ‘Diwali.’”
I Gasped with a sound I had never heard come out of me before — It was some kind of Jubilation mixed with Blissful Recognition and AwesomeSauce!
“DIWALI!!!???”
(more…)

4 Comments
by Arnold J. Mungioli on October 22, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Beauty, Community, Gratitude, Holidays & Celebrations
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Posted by Arnold J. Mungioli on October 22, 2017

https://livethequestionsnow.com/2017/10/22/my-first-diwali/

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