IN MY CORNER
Written and performed by Joe Orrach
Co-written by Lizbeth Hasse
Musical direction and Original music by Matthew Clark
A unique solo show of narrative, song and dance, rich in music, movement and personal story.
JOE ORRACH (“Joe”) is an actor, performer, singer, storyteller, sensational tap dancer and former US Air Force welterweight boxing champ. Born into a family dominated on one side by a line of Puerto Rican boxers and sweetened on the other by a tradition of Italian food, gesture and song, Joe presents a personal story in a high-powered evening of drama, music and movement. In this dramatic solo performance, Joe is accompanied by a jazz ensemble, led by musical director and world class pianist Matthew Clark. Joe's coming of age story winds through the riffs and beats of Jazz, Latin and rock ‘n roll. The show is as fun and full of life as the performer who created it.
Since he hung up his gloves as a welterweight champ and laced up his tap shoes, first on Broadway at the corner of 72nd Street in New York City, Joe has taken his energetic performance to theatres and TV throughout the US, Europe and the Far East. Joe has appeared solo and ensemble, in cabarets and large theatres, and has danced with some of the great tappers: Gregory Hines, Jimmy Slyde, Harold Nicholas and Savion Glover. As a screen actor, he has been directed by Woody Allen, James Mangold and Tim Boxell. His narrative performance combining story, song, dance, boxing, jump roping and pure heart is partially funded by a grant from Dance Irvine USA.
MATTHEW CLARK (Musical Director), Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Matthew Clark holds a BFA in Jazz Studies from Oberlin Conservatory of Music. After two years free-lancing as an accompanist and instructor in Cleveland, Matthew relocated to San Francisco. Highly regarded as a pianist and arranger, he has performed and recorded with such jazz luminaries as Bobby Hutcherson, Benny Golson, Eddie Marshall, John Faddis, David "Fathead" Newman, Gene Bertoncini, Joshua Redman, and the late tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards.
Clark has toured extensively throughout Asia, Europe and the United States, including appearances at the Monterey, San Francisco, Vienne, Big Sur, Stanford, and Rochester jazz festivals, in addition to televised performances for CNN Showbiz Today and multiple PBS specials.
Recognized primarily for his tasteful soloing and supportive accompaniment, Matthew is also a respected clinician whose positions have included lecturer in jazz history and ensemble instructor at the Stanford, Oaktown and Cazadero Jazz workshops.
LIZBETH HASSE (Executive Producer) - San Francisco-based entertainment lawyer and producer of IN MY CORNER, Liz Hasse is also the co-writer of IN MY CORNER. She has worked in the legal, creative and financial development of independent films and live performances worldwide for 25 years from the Creative Industry Law Group in San Francisco. Ms. Hasse advises independents, talent and entrepreneurs in intellectual property and media matters and mediates complex business and intellectual property disputes.