The Magic of Ordinary Things
Podcast Press Kit
“The Magic of Ordinary Things”
Press Kit Fact Sheet
About “The Magic of Ordinary Things”
The Show
How do you go on when the people you love die?
If you could see them one more time, what would you say? What would you want to hear?
Gina Harris got the chance. An audio drama in seven acts, “The Magic of Ordinary Things” is a musical memoir that tells her story. It is a theatre piece, a dream with original music, a tale that spans 43 years, two parents, a singing teacher, and a lonesome cowboy named Deets. It tells of how moments missed and things once taken for granted become the stepping stones to a new life. It’s never too late.
Everyone you miss is waiting inside you.
The Details
The Webpage:
www.ginaharris.com/the-magic-of-ordinary-things-podcast
Email:
gina@ginaharris.com
Download/Subscribe
The show can be listened to directly from the website, as well as subscribed and listened to on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Spotify Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Podcasts.
Episodes are released bi-weekly, starting October 3rd, 2021.
Social Media
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ginaharrismusic/
Twitter: twitter.com/gina__harris
Instagram: www.instagram.com/gina__harris/
The Production
“The Magic of Ordinary Things” began as a stage show at the Let’s Reimagine Festival in the fall of 2019 and as part of the Marsh Rising Series in early 2020 where the show played consistently to sold-out audiences.
“Uplifting!”
Leslie Katz, Arts and Entertainment Editor, The San Francisco Examiner
“Magic of Ordinary Things Triumphs at Marsh Rising, S.F.”
In “The Magic of Ordinary Things,” Gina Harris creates a solo musical memoir, taking us back to her childhood. Harris’ original songs detail simple pleasures, as she grows from a little California girl into an accomplished young woman… Sublime jazz and dance enhance Harris’ stories with vivid detail and delight… Her voice takes flight, like a flower blossoming…”
Robert M. Gardner
Theatrius
The podcast was adapted from the stage version, with additional soundscapes and music to enhance the listening experience.
Cast and Crew
“The Magic of Ordinary Things” was written and produced by Gina Harris (www.ginaharris.com). All of the voices in the show are hers.
The show was directed by Michael French (www.thehouseoffrench.org)
Music Direction and Sound Editing by Jason Martineau (www.jasonmartineau.com)
Soundscapes imagined by Gina and created by Gina and Jason.
Cover art photography by David Hake (davidhake@mac.com)
Marketing Consultation by Wil Williams (www.hughouse.productions)
The Cast & Crew on “The Magic of Ordinary Things”
“What I love about the show is that, every time I either perform or hear it, my parents and singing teacher are with me again. This is a huge gift. What’s wonderful is they were inside me all the time, waiting for me. We can enjoy life again and laugh together. I’m hoping my journey finding home can help others who have experienced loss. What seems like the very end of things can also be a beginning.”
Gina Harris – Writer, Performer, Producer
“Truth be told, death makes me a little queasy when I think about it, but when I read the ‘Magic of Ordinary Things’ I realized that death was merely a launching point, as the story’s true subject is the journey to a new beginning. As a director, my first inquiry with any script is to find out if it has a story that is authentic, personal, original, and daring, and then is the story told in a voice that is compelling and captivating. The ‘Magic of Ordinary Things’ has all of this and so much more. Gina Harris has crafted an extraordinary story from some of the most painful experiences of her life and reminded us of the strength and resilience we all have to forgive those that may have caused us hurt, to believe again in feelings we thought we had lost, and to look at the future with a renewed sense of optimism. It gives me deep satisfaction to say that I worked on the ‘Magic of Ordinary Things.’”
Michael French – Director
"This production deals frankly, directly, and courageously with the challenges of losing loved ones, and how we contend with the aftermath — things unsaid, unfinished. How to find forgiveness. In this way, a very personal story touches the universal, and presents a journey that can be of great support to us all. I’m proud to be involved in this project, and to help Gina in getting these important topics out into the world.”
Jason Martineau – Music Director, Audio Editor/Engineer
The Creator
“The Magic of Ordinary Things” was conceived of and written by Gina Harris, a singer/songwriter and performer in San Francisco. She did not set out with the goal to write a show.
With so much loss, came a desire to remember and Gina started having dreams in which memories came to light. She began taking notes and songs emerged. Thinking she was working on an album, Gina started performing the songs in clubs around the Bay Area. This was all going fine until the songs tapped her on the shoulder and told her they were a show.
“A what??” Yes, a show. Gina walked around in a daze until her Mother came to her in a dream to tell her how much she loved and missed her and how simple, ordinary things can be magical.
The Magic of Ordinary Things” was born.
Many dreams, many musical ideas, many writing hours later, Gina had a full show. The premiere was at the Let’s Reimagine End of Life Festival in San Francisco in the fall of 2019. The show played to sold out houses and was one of the highlights of the festival. The events of 2020 put an end to live performances but not the desire to get the message of hope – even in the darkest times – out into the world. “The Magic of Ordinary Things,” a podcast audio drama in seven acts, was born.
Audio
Our non-time-stamped trailer and episode 1 have been included in this press kit, in mp3 format.
Transcriptions are included for both files in pdf format.
Video
Our non-time-stamped trailer has been included in this press kit, in mp4 format.
A 30-second promo video has also been included in this press kit, in mp4 format.
Images
Cover Art: (1474 x 1474 pixels)
Head Shot: (3000 x 2000 pixels)
Marketing Image 1: (2550 x 1702 pixels)
Marketing Image 2: (2550 x 1702 pixels)
Marketing Image 3: (2550 x 1702 pixels)
Marketing Image 4: (1536 x 1536 pixels)
Marketing Image 5: (2040 x 2550 pixels)
Marketing Image 6: (2500 x 1669 pixels)
What People are Saying about “The Magic of Ordinary Things”
“Gina Harris’s audio drama captures the profoundness of love, memories, death, and rebirth. Her podcast transports us to a place where truth and honor are at the very heart of things. For it’s not simply Harris’s music that entrances, but her unique ability to share her journey, filled with the exquisite paradoxes of intense vulnerability one moment, and pure joy the next.”
Robin Bradford – Writer, Producer
“Listening to “The Magic of Ordinary Things” is a magical experience. The songs are lovely with delightful quirks, clever turns and ghostly elements embedded in them. The structure and narrative are hypnotizing. I had to listen in one sitting because all I wanted to know was what happens next.”
Claire Hackett – Educator, Director
“I thoroughly enjoyed listening to “The Magic of Ordinary Things.” The audio drama podcast version of the show absolutely captures the feeling of the show which was a hit here at The Marsh.”
David Hirata – Dir. of Artist Relations, The Marsh Theatre
“While Gina's story in “Magic” is a personal one, it speaks to anyone who has been touched by loss. The work is dramatic and moving, but also contains moments of delight and humor. An accomplished writer, composer, singer and performer, Gina deftly balances it all to great effect with her original music that is both memorable and engaging.”
Linda Ayres-Frederick – Executive Artistic Dir., Phoenix Theatre