Why We Moved to Sonoma: We Wanted to be Artists

A letter from Greg Rank:

I was born at St John's Hospital in Santa Monica California. My wife, Mary Sue
Ulven was born in Beloit Wisconsin and grew up mostly in Rochester New York
(her father traveled working for Kodak). Mary Sue and I met at McCabes Guitar
shop also in Santa Monica California during a performance workshop.

Later Mary Sue and I married and had two children named Spencer and Zoe Rank. I worked various jobs as a parent in the LA while writing songs seeking to
make my mark on American culture via music. Competing among millions of with similar dreams however proved more complicated than I expected.

In 1994 Mary Sue and I learned of the Sebastiani Theater in Sonoma and its
incredible owners Roger and Diana Rhoten. The minute we read about their
annual Halloween show, we packed our bags and left the big city in hopes
of becoming big fish in a smaller pond.

Sure enough our family arrived in Sonoma and were immediately embraced by the Rhoten's and Sebastiani Theater fans who excitedly encouraged the gaseous Count Flatula, Son of Flatula and our daughter, Flatulina Jolie. Instant fame was ours  just for a toot here in Sonoma.

I created a character named Count Flatula for the Halloween show, my son became the Son of Flatula for the show. Later I became the sound man for the show, and the Christmas Holiday show which has featured comedy legend Tom Smothers. My wife became the videographer for each.

My wife performs with Cynthia Tarr's "The Hot Flashes" which performed at the
100th anniversary of the Boyes Hot Springs Post office, 911 memorial on the
Sonoma Plaza and Occupy Sonoma (where they sang "This Land is Your Land")

This year Spencer was Production Assistant for the Black Cat Cabaret featuring
R&B legend Thelma Huston, members of Teatro Zinzanni, Cirque du Soleil and musicians from Nine Inch Nails.

This year Zoe made a cameo appearance at the final Sunday Witchi Poo show as a very uninterested Lady Gaga