Who is Tracy Parks?
By Christie Seeley published in Vallarta Tribune
vallartasounds.com
Well, that can be a tricky question as Tracy wears many disguises. His legendary character Aunt Pearl from the hit show 'Greater Tuna' delights eager bingo players afternoons at 4:00 at his upstairs piano bar at Incanto. When Arles Stuvie is in town, there is no seeming end to the characters he embodies. (See the sequal Tuna Does Las Vegas scheduled for early February 2019). And then there is Tracy himself.
Tracy came to Puerto Vallarta from Oklahoma. He grew up on a ranch, helping his family wrangle cattle. Though he never considered himself much of a cowboy, he certainly appreciated his rural upbringing. As a kid, they rounded up the cattle with trucks, not horses and he often ran in front encouraging the herd with whistles and shouts. As most of us from rural settings understand, while the symphony of bull frogs in the irrigation ponds and crickets in the fields are enchanting, something else is calling and telling you there is much more music out there. Tracy heard that call and as a young adult headed to Chicago to pursue a career in the arts.
After a few years managing a Blockbuster Video on the Magnificent Mile while directing theatre on the side and acting in a children's theatre group, Tracy landed a job in arts administration at The Lyric Opera of Chicago where he states he learned most of what he uses today. "College taught me a lot but didn't teach me how to make a living in the arts, Lyric Opera taught me that," Tracy says. After a few years at Lyric, Tracy's boss Paul told him to try visiting Puerto Vallarta on his next vacation. "I spent three nights here in 2001 and literally cried when I left," he recalled. "I finally felt I had found a place where I felt totally comfortable and totally at home, though it was also strange and exciting to be in a new land and new country."
A few years later Tracy took a job back in Oklahoma working with his family's oilfield service company, with the promise of better pay and the chance to have a month off every other month so that he could spend more time in Vallarta. It worked and for a few years he spent his time off here, trying it out, working on projects with friends he'd met and discovering what he could do to be in Vallarta full time. Finally in 2010 or so, here in Puerto Vallarta he got his start managing the popular venue The Palm and after 5 years, realized his true ambition of creating his own venue, and with the help of the much of the team he had established over the years, opened one of our most visited show venues in the Romantic Zone, Puerto Vallarta, Incanto on the picturesque right bank of the River Cuale. It was an ordeal involving much work. Tracy tells me that on opening night in January 2016, they were still installing light fixtures as the audience arrived!
Tracy is a connoisseur of music and theater and a wonderful judge of talent and at Incanto has created the premier venue at which to view new and unusual talent in the Puerto Vallarta area. The shows are varied and always entertaining. He just might be the Ed Sullivan of 21st Century Puerto Vallarta. From Elvis Presley and the Beatles to the best contortionists out of Eastern Europe, Sullivan seemed to have just happened to stumble across, he filled our Sunday evenings with another world that might have otherwise remained hidden from us and he brought it right to the comfort of our own living rooms.
Tracy has done the same just blocks from our homes here in Puerto Vallarta. He possesses that talent and indeed is tireless in his pursuit of great acts. I can guess that many of his characters are created from an entourage of friends and experiences from his exciting artistic past.
Some artists like the young men of Media Luna, just walked in to his place and said we’ve heard of you and want to play at your club. He tells of meeting the talented Lady Zen in San Miguel de Allende late one evening at the end of her show and she actually stayed on to do an extra set just for them. Others he spots in clubs, restaurants and even shopping malls. He really knows how to identify talent and I would say the artists can tell immediately they are in good hands with him.
This year Tracy has lined up a fresh and exciting group of shows for us. Pianist, singer, songwriter Spencer Day, for example, comes out of New York with a smooth, seductive voice and sophisticated jazz ensemble that will leave us all clamoring for more. Day wrote “I hope to create music that is sophisticated but teeming with raw emotion under the surface” and he does.
Media Luna is back showing off their own compositions and renditions of classics with hot guitar music that overflows with youth and energy. They charm with their friendly personalities and one of a kind wit.
The renowned flamenco guitarist Wolfgang “Lobo” Fink back in town for a few performances will thrill the audience with local master flamenco guitarist Esaú Galván on January 13 and again with Latcho (Blond Gypsies) as Primal Groove on January 20 and February 10.
Tracy shocked us all with Naked Boys Singing who played to sold out houses all fall and have been extended into the busy winter season. Taken from the movie and off Broadway show by the same name and made up of a talented group of local entertainers Naked Boys Singing has created a “splash”.
Tracy rounds out his great shows with a more homespun atmosphere late nights in the piano bar where friends and neighbors gather regularly with pianist Dennis Crow to show off their talents at open mic. Everyone is a Caruso there! No where can you have more fun than with Tracy and his wonderful group of entertainers!
So, who is Tracy Parks? Well, drop by Incanto at Insurgentes #109 and see.
Credit J.R. Richardson
By Christie Seeley published in Vallarta Tribune
vallartasounds.com
Well, that can be a tricky question as Tracy wears many disguises. His legendary character Aunt Pearl from the hit show 'Greater Tuna' delights eager bingo players afternoons at 4:00 at his upstairs piano bar at Incanto. When Arles Stuvie is in town, there is no seeming end to the characters he embodies. (See the sequal Tuna Does Las Vegas scheduled for early February 2019). And then there is Tracy himself.
Tracy came to Puerto Vallarta from Oklahoma. He grew up on a ranch, helping his family wrangle cattle. Though he never considered himself much of a cowboy, he certainly appreciated his rural upbringing. As a kid, they rounded up the cattle with trucks, not horses and he often ran in front encouraging the herd with whistles and shouts. As most of us from rural settings understand, while the symphony of bull frogs in the irrigation ponds and crickets in the fields are enchanting, something else is calling and telling you there is much more music out there. Tracy heard that call and as a young adult headed to Chicago to pursue a career in the arts.
After a few years managing a Blockbuster Video on the Magnificent Mile while directing theatre on the side and acting in a children's theatre group, Tracy landed a job in arts administration at The Lyric Opera of Chicago where he states he learned most of what he uses today. "College taught me a lot but didn't teach me how to make a living in the arts, Lyric Opera taught me that," Tracy says. After a few years at Lyric, Tracy's boss Paul told him to try visiting Puerto Vallarta on his next vacation. "I spent three nights here in 2001 and literally cried when I left," he recalled. "I finally felt I had found a place where I felt totally comfortable and totally at home, though it was also strange and exciting to be in a new land and new country."
A few years later Tracy took a job back in Oklahoma working with his family's oilfield service company, with the promise of better pay and the chance to have a month off every other month so that he could spend more time in Vallarta. It worked and for a few years he spent his time off here, trying it out, working on projects with friends he'd met and discovering what he could do to be in Vallarta full time. Finally in 2010 or so, here in Puerto Vallarta he got his start managing the popular venue The Palm and after 5 years, realized his true ambition of creating his own venue, and with the help of the much of the team he had established over the years, opened one of our most visited show venues in the Romantic Zone, Puerto Vallarta, Incanto on the picturesque right bank of the River Cuale. It was an ordeal involving much work. Tracy tells me that on opening night in January 2016, they were still installing light fixtures as the audience arrived!
Tracy is a connoisseur of music and theater and a wonderful judge of talent and at Incanto has created the premier venue at which to view new and unusual talent in the Puerto Vallarta area. The shows are varied and always entertaining. He just might be the Ed Sullivan of 21st Century Puerto Vallarta. From Elvis Presley and the Beatles to the best contortionists out of Eastern Europe, Sullivan seemed to have just happened to stumble across, he filled our Sunday evenings with another world that might have otherwise remained hidden from us and he brought it right to the comfort of our own living rooms.
Tracy has done the same just blocks from our homes here in Puerto Vallarta. He possesses that talent and indeed is tireless in his pursuit of great acts. I can guess that many of his characters are created from an entourage of friends and experiences from his exciting artistic past.
Some artists like the young men of Media Luna, just walked in to his place and said we’ve heard of you and want to play at your club. He tells of meeting the talented Lady Zen in San Miguel de Allende late one evening at the end of her show and she actually stayed on to do an extra set just for them. Others he spots in clubs, restaurants and even shopping malls. He really knows how to identify talent and I would say the artists can tell immediately they are in good hands with him.
This year Tracy has lined up a fresh and exciting group of shows for us. Pianist, singer, songwriter Spencer Day, for example, comes out of New York with a smooth, seductive voice and sophisticated jazz ensemble that will leave us all clamoring for more. Day wrote “I hope to create music that is sophisticated but teeming with raw emotion under the surface” and he does.
Media Luna is back showing off their own compositions and renditions of classics with hot guitar music that overflows with youth and energy. They charm with their friendly personalities and one of a kind wit.
The renowned flamenco guitarist Wolfgang “Lobo” Fink back in town for a few performances will thrill the audience with local master flamenco guitarist Esaú Galván on January 13 and again with Latcho (Blond Gypsies) as Primal Groove on January 20 and February 10.
Tracy shocked us all with Naked Boys Singing who played to sold out houses all fall and have been extended into the busy winter season. Taken from the movie and off Broadway show by the same name and made up of a talented group of local entertainers Naked Boys Singing has created a “splash”.
Tracy rounds out his great shows with a more homespun atmosphere late nights in the piano bar where friends and neighbors gather regularly with pianist Dennis Crow to show off their talents at open mic. Everyone is a Caruso there! No where can you have more fun than with Tracy and his wonderful group of entertainers!
So, who is Tracy Parks? Well, drop by Incanto at Insurgentes #109 and see.
Credit J.R. Richardson