THE
ELOQUENT ARTIST
I communicate in every art form. I paint, I write,
I sing, I dance, I own two art galleries. I’ve written
books of poetry, and seven musicals, as well as recording 29
albums. I just like to communicate. I think that’s the
best way to say it.
THE POWER OF MUSIC
Music speaks to the soul. Music goes beyond the brain,
it goes beyond your understanding, and it speaks to us, to human
beings on a very basic level, like at a cellular level. What
I love about music is that there is a wavelength: if you put
sound on the computer you see a wavelength; sometimes it is
just small, sometimes it is just big. That wavelength penetrates
and when I sing, whether it is Elvis or Pavarotti, it goes straight
to the soul of the person, to the heart, to the feelings.
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In the Italian
opera Tosca |
THE
ITALIAN HERITAGE
My grandparents were all born in Italy - Bari, Napoli,
and Palermo. And I have been singing in Italian for 30 years
already. A part of my performance will be in Italian, part in
English, and I love the language, it’s the most beautiful
language to sing in, it’s the easiest to sing in as well.
And yes, Janicello is my name, you know, I even have the word
“cello,” it’s a musical instrument, and it’s
in my name.
THE HEALTHY DIET
I believe that the body can heal itself if it is
given the proper materials. And from one day to the next, I
stopped eating all animal protein and I went strict vegan. My
family sees I lost a lot of weight, my skin looks amazing. And,
of course, the longer you're away from animal products, the
more you understand the karma that's involved with it as well.
I'm very happy not to have that be a part of my universe any
longer.
THE INSPIRATION
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Mark Janicello
as “King of Rock and Roll” Elvis Presley |
My father, my two brothers are Pentecostal ministers,
my grandfather was a Pentecostal minister, my mother is a
gospel singer. I grew up in a family that is very aware of
the spiritual nature of man. And I myself have even put my
life on the line for matters of religious freedom and for
human rights issues. Supreme Master Ching Hai’s poetry
is about love, it is about peace, it is about the search for
a connection to a higher power, but it is also about the responsibility
of the individual, their actions. Every action has an equal
and opposite reaction, this is physics. And I believe that
when we as individuals, we as a community, we as a nation,
we as mankind, are willing to take the responsibility for our
individual actions, such as being a vegan, and removing the
suffering from animals, just as one example, then we will as
individuals and as mankind be on a greater and faster path
to peace.
THE FIRST IMPRESSION
Arrived in Los Angeles very late last night. I have
a WONDERFUL apartment and the crew from Loving the Silent
Tears had a huge welcome basket waiting for me in my apartment.
What a lovely surprise. Talk about feeling welcomed!!! Thank
you so much!!!
I was very, very impressed with the lyrics from Supreme
Master Ching Hai. Her words are embracing humanity. And it’s
a story about a search for something more than just our temporal
life. It has a spiritual through line, which I find very appealing.
THE COMPOSER
I sent a few of my songs over to the producers. They
gave the music to Don Pippin, who has won an Emmy and a Tony,
and my God, what all else? He worked with Jerry Herman on Mame.
He worked on the production of A Chorus Line. And this
gentleman listened to my recordings and he wrote a song to one
of Supreme Master Ching Hai's lyrics called “Initiation”
that fits my voice like a glove.
THE DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER
There is such a depth and breadth of talent in this
production, it is extraordinary. You’re working with people
who have reached the pinnacle of what you can reach as choreographers,
as directors. If you work with Michael Jackson for 17 years,
you’re the best there is. And Vincent, he’s a kind
and loving spirit and gentle, a gentleman and a gentle person.
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In rehearsals
with choreographer Bonnie Story and
director Vincent Paterson (right) |
And Bonnie, she’s just lovely! She’s little,
tiny, like a little bird, and she’s got this energy like
a mountain.
For me, the body has to express the emotion of the
text. I’m not a stand-and-sing singer. I like to act a
character. And so I have these two amazing choreographers in
Vince and Bonnie. Vince as a director is looking that every
emotional moment is fulfilled. For me, it’s to make every
single moment as alive and as human and as real as I possibly
can. With Miguel [Perez, the dancer performing onstage for the
“Initiation” song], with Patti [Cohenour] who’ll
be singing Joy. And if we do that, because it’s a quiet
number in the show, it’ll really touch the audience. It
touches me when I’m singing it. So I know if I feel it,
they’ll feel it.
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On
Loving
the Silent Tears
“This
is non-judgmental, non-denominational, and what it shows
is that no matter where you come from, no matter what
language you speak, what deity you worship, or how you
worship, we are all looking for a better life. And it’s
a thrill to be a part of such a show that has expressed
those sentiments so beautifully.”
—Mark
Janicello,
Italian tenor & vegetarian
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THE CASTMATES
This is an assembly of talent that is unparalleled
in my 40-plus year career. I am honored and thrilled to be working
with a cast of professionals of this level. I’ve done
many, many wonderful projects in my life, but I’ve never
worked with such a combination of brilliant talents from so
many different disciplines and different cultures. Jody Watley
and Jon Secada, and Patti Cohenour, and Debbie Gravitte and
my goodness, I’m like a little boy in a candy store going,
“Look, look, look at what’s all around me. Wow!”
THE REHEARSALS
I watched the first run-through of the show. The
choreography was just amazing, brilliant dancers, brilliant
choreography; a beautiful expression of Supreme Master Ching
Hai’s poetry, the lyrics, the music. I can’t rehearse
enough because I like being around them. It’s a joy to
see people who are doing what they do with such passion and
such commitment.
In the theatre, there is generally a lot of "sturm
und drang" (major drama) going on during rehearsals. There
is NONE of that in Loving the Silent Tears. Our producers
have worked so hard to make everyone feel at home. What a JOY
to go to work!!!
THE SONG
I love the song, I love what the song says. The song
that I am singing is called “Initiation,” and as
all the poems are in this musical, it is again an individual’s
search for peace. It’s an individual [saying,] how do
I start, where do I start? What is my initiation? It’s
the becoming, the unity of the individual with God, and where
do I start it? How do I initiate it? Where do I begin? And it
contrasts a spiritual life to a worldly life. The lyrics are
very telling and it is not judgmental, but it does open your
eyes to say, “Look at what we count as success, how does
one define success?”
THE MUSICAL
What I think is wonderful in Loving the Silent
Tears is the poetry of Supreme Master, it speaks about an
individual, a person looking to a relationship to God, to a
higher power, to a universal energy. It’s not just about
love, it’s not just about money, it’s not just about
fame, it’s about something that is larger than any individual
person and it’s about a connection to God, about a connection
to a spiritual enlightenment. And all the characters in this
piece are looking for that, and then I find it refreshing.
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Reading Silent
Tears poetry collection |
All of us have taken on this project to try to communicate
that there is something more than the material universe that
we all see. In this musical, the Supreme Master’s poetry
is talking about “who are you, who is the person inside
of you, what do you want your life to be, what is your plan
for your eternity,” not just “how do I look
today, is my hair right, or my teeth perfect or I have the
perfect body,” which in our society has become more
and more. We are so busy with beautiful things, instead
of becoming beautiful people. And this is what I like about
this piece: [It’s
about] how I can become a better person, how I can become
a more beautiful being, a beautiful soul.
THE LASTING IMPRESSION
I believe that this production was the universe giving
something back to me. It has been from day one the most loving
and generous experience. I have been on stage for 46 years,
I have never experienced a generosity of spirit… from
every detail in this production up until now, as I have with
Loving the Silent Tears. Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
words have obviously touched the minds and hearts and souls
of every person involved in this production.
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You
taught me how to love the world.
Without You I’d never know the real meaning of
Love,
But I wouldn’t tell this to others.
They’d think I am mad!
Indeed, I’ve become intoxicated with
divine Nectar.
 —
Excerpt from Silent Tears poetry collection
By
Supreme Master Ching Hai
Formosa
- 1980s
Mark
Janicello (above) and dancer
Miguel Perez (left) in Loving the Silent Tears |
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