About Rod Harrison

A multi-disciplinary theater artist, Rod Harrison began his professional acting career at 12 years old in Tucson, Arizona. By 18, he had performed on the Joseph Papp Theater in New York, and studied with legendary modern dancers Bella Lewitzky and Rudy Perez in California. An experienced dancer actor and clown, in 1996, Rod created the character Jimmy the Carrot in order to explore solo performance art and stand up comedy. Jimmy the Carrot has performed in many venues, from beauty pageants to burlesque. In 1998, Rod joined the internationally renowned company Theater Grottesco, performing and creating original movement-based theater. He has also worked with Sideshow Physical Theater at UCDavis and Dandelion Dance Theater in San Francisco. In addition to original material, Rod has also performed many of the world theater’s classics, from Molière to Mamet, from Shakespeare to Shepard. He was seen in HBO’s Reel Sex program and his recordings with musician JA Deane can be found on the Xerx record label. His training in theater, dance, stand up, vaudeville, and burlesque leaves him uniquely suited to inhabit the role of Lord Buckley, with his regal physicality, powerful voice, and irreverently reverent brand of storytelling.

About Lydia Clark

Lydia Clark began her musical education at the age of 5, studying privately for 12 years, 3 years of which were at the Santa Fe Conservatory of Music. She played flute and cello from the age of 10 in symphonic, dance and marching band, sang in church choir, accompanied choral groups, and performed in musicals throughout high school.

Her first professional performances were for church for services, weddings and funerals at the age of 10. This progressed into other styles, including rock and roll shows which began at the ripe old age of 15.

She has continued to play and sing in rock, jazz, blues, country, gospel and Dixieland groups for the last 38 years, including “The Fly de High Orchestra” lead by Chris Calloway (Cab Calloway’s daughter), funk/r&b phenomena “Hill & the GT’s”, blues group “The Strange Tones”, gospel group “Bethleham & Eggs”, rock icon “Phil Brown & the Apaches from Paris”, “JB & the Nightflyers”, and many more. She also toured with USO groups throughout Asia, in addition to teaching piano and voice privately.

For the past three years she has worked with the National Dance Institute of New Mexico, as Residency Music Director, accompanist, and part-time vocal instructor. This includes work with the after-school program, School for the Performing Arts, which presents an annual musical and other performances throughout the year. She has also been the Music Director for the Broadway Theatre Workshop for the past two years. Most recently, she began working with the Santa Fe Opera for their school program as a composer.

Lydia composes many styles of music – blues, jazz, gospel, rock and more and performs in night clubs and concert performances throughout the southwest.

Frequently compared to Bonnie Raitt and Etta James, her vocal stylings are varied and exciting and she can belt it out with the best of them, as well as bring a soulful tear to your eye. Her piano playing most often moves people to “shake it up baby”.