Beaston

Okay, here's some news: During the extension(starting after Feb 6 through March 20) I'll be playing the Beast , and an entirely new and as yet unnamed person (I've recommended some of you who'll be reading this) will be Gaston.

It'll be nice to get an early crack at it, as I already have the potential for a few other BEAST gigs in 2005.

Wow.

In other news... good vibes still appreciated.

No words.

As I woke to read the news this morning, the death toll in Asia and the Pacific "ring of fire" island region stood at 100,000. Yesterday morning it was half that; it's expected to climb. That's absolutely unimaginable to me.

If you are able to do anything, contribute anything to aid, I suggest you do it directly through the Red Cross.

And on an entirely different level, Broadway is dimming its lights tonight in honor of theatre legend (and Law and Order regular) Jerry Orbach, who passed away today.

We all have a very tentative grasp on our planet Earth... so live, love, and make the most of it.

"I'm not even mad... that's... that's amazing!"

I have just stumbled upon the funniest thing I've seen in a long while.

It's the perfect Christmas letters page, because let's face it, we're all tired of children's letters to Santa, and beginning to weary of children's letters to Gil Gerard.

Click here for "Children's Letters to Christopher Walken."

Karaoke Night

Jon (the Gaston/Beast cover) and I have made a habit of singing karaoke as "The Goulet Family" for the past several weeks, on Wednesdays after the show at the Spotlight Lounge. It's a little bar attached to the theatre, we get a discount, and... well, most of the people we see there work for the theatre in some capacity. So tonight we'll be sipping our troubles away with Diablo Martinis and harshly-sung interpretations of poor karaoke choices. It's really about entertaining ourselves, and damn we do that well. Maybe Jacob (The Beast) will join us as... I don't know, Colm Wilkinson... and we can trio on "You Light Up My Life."

That's what gets the ladies, fellas. Debbie Boone standards.

SHAUN OF THE DEAD came out on DVD yesterday, and if I haven't recommended that before you must see it. It's the law.

Making Christmas, Making Christmas is so fine...

Every year at or near Christmas, or any big holiday really, I find myself at some point reflecting years past and seeing how far back I can go with specific memories of each year. Once I hit age 17 in my time travel, it's all a blur and it all happened "in my childhood", because I can't possibly remember which specific Christmas I got the Dukes of Hazzard slot car racing set as opposed to the Star Wars slot car racing set as opposed to the GI Joe slot car set. Truth told, I wasn't all that into slot car racing, but those sets were cool! And there's little bigger than a slot car set to fill a living room on Christmas morning, a centerpiece for all the other gifts Santa left. I had great Christmases as a kid. Ataris to Nintendos, Death Stars to AT-ATs , my family is to be commended on their excellent rapport with Mr. Claus.

This is the first Christmas I've ever not been looking forward to. It's not because of holiday blues or anything like that, but it's the first Christmas that feels a lot like Thanksgiving... see earlier posts on Thanskgiving. I'll spend Christmas with the one or two people who'll remain here for the two days we have off, and I'm grateful for that, but Christmas has always been quite special. Sometimes my family has delayed Christmas for me, because during those years during which I haven't been able to get home for "the day" I could usually get home around the first of the year. I don't expect my family to delay Christmas until late March.

Bah! Humbug! SOOOOO.... what does one do when one wants to make Christmas better?

Beg for more presents? YES!
No!
Well, yes, but no. . . .
What I'm going to do, I have done this before and I am encouraging everyone who reads this to do the same.... is go out this morning, go to the mall (bleah!) and find the "Angel Tree"... it may be called different things in different places, but every place tends to have one somewhere. Essentially it's a tree that is covered in the holiday wishes of kids who, without your help, may not have much of a Christmas at all. It doesn't take much - look around the tree, you'll find something you can fit in your budget, sometimes you can do this for like $20.

What I do is look around the tree until I find a note from some kid that really makes me laugh, makes me think "wow, that kid is just like I was," or in the best case (and this hasn't happened yet), I'll find a note from some kid who really just wants plutonium or kryptonite for Christmas. I know I would understand that evil child.

Anyway, no matter what kind of Christmas you're going to have, go out and do something to make it better for someone else. I know that's a very touchy feely sentiment coming from me, and to those of you who chortle at my three-sizes grown holiday heart I say a hearty "ho ho shut up!"

I am going to be a dangerous Clark Griswold-y kind of figure at Christmas when I have a family of my own. I fear that.

Holiday Perspective

Wow.

That last post, I hinted at some stuff going on, under the surface. Just stuff I've let pile up that I have to deal with, and you all know how that goes.

I was slapped in the face by perspective, and given new affirmation for my recent decision to exponentially strengthen my drive in areas of my life that I care about and feel I've let slide.

See, a very good friend of mine (yesterday I was surprised when I found myself referring to him as one of my best friends) just started a job on Monday at the theatre where I did MUSIC MAN in the fall. Tuesday night he learned his father in Baltimore had died, somewhat suddenly. He hadn't been in great health, but there was no warning of imminent mortality, and ...

Well, you can't get much more perspective than that. Other problems, other issues pale in comparison. To be lucky enough to love and be loved, be it family, friends, or whatever, and spend time with them is ... well, funny how that ties in to everything.

My prayers and sympathies are with you and yours, Thom, and I hope that somehow there will be some merriment in your Christmas.

Christmas and Clarity

Christmas will be here soon, and I have the 24th and 25th off. Not enough time to really go home, though a few people are flying out. That kinda leaves me here with a bit of a ... humbug. Bah!

The show? Still beautiful, still beastly, tale as old as time, etc.

KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC II is keeping us out of trouble right now.

Aside from all that, there's a lot going on right now. Not really in my immediate sphere, but upcoming stuff. I could use some good vibes in my direction, if you have some to spare.

Happy Chanukah to everyone I forgot to say that to last week. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Valentine's Day while I'm at it. Now I'm covered.

ASPCL

I'm afraid LeFou isn't going to survive the run, he takes so much abuse in this production. There's no resolution for LeFou, either - he gets tea sprayed in his face and runs away. If there's a sequel, it'll be "Revenge of LeFou."

I personally outright smack, punch, or kick LeFou at least 7 separate times.

I "inadvertantly" whack him or knock him senseless with a friendly smack at least 7 more times.

I spit at him and knock him over.

I walk on him twice without noticing.

I outright throw him across the stage at least twice.

Once, only once, does Gaston refrain from pummeling the guy when even slightly provoked, and that's because his hands are full of drinks near the end of "Maison Des Lunes"...

And I'm not the only one who abuses him... R.J., who plays LeFou, spends as much time on the floor as he does on his feet. He's a real trouper and deserves every great laugh he gets.

Mistakes were made

Those of you with any knowledge of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will know what's slightly wrong with this, others may not.
Tonight, for no reason I can quantify, I stepped down center and belted "I wear antlers in all of my dec-o-rating" instead of the slightly different line that is supposed to be sung at that point. It was NOT a choice, but boy was I committed to it once I heard it come out of my mouth. "Damned if I DON'T wear antlers," I decided, and moved on from there.
After the show, karaoke and something called "Nut Brown Ale"... now, bed.

"Gaston, I'm a Indian"

A throwaway postshow Polaroid, onstage... featuring (l to r) Me (Gaston) , Rochelle Smith (Belle), random child #64, and Jon Reinhold (the very capable understudy mentioned before as the post-transformation Prince)...
I post this because of a story from last night. See, the three of us often pose for pictures (raising money for charity) that are set up in a very organized way after the show. Last night during our photos, a very excited little boy came up to see "Gaston" and threw his arms around my legs in a big hug. I lifted him up to my shoulder for his photo. We went on with the photos, and a bit later Rochelle pointed out he was trying to get my attention from the house, saying "Gaston!" then turning away to his grandmother (?) or sister in embarrassment. Once everyone else who'd arranged to have their photo taken was done, I went to downstage to see what he wanted. It took some coaxing, but he was convinced to approach the stage. In a very matter of fact and apologetic tone he said, and I remember this very vividly...
Boy: "Gaston... I'm a indian."
Me: "...That's cool, buddy."
Boy: "I mean, a different kind."
Me: "Oh yeah, what kind?"
Boy: "I don't want to talk about it."
Boy's Grandmother: "Tell him (name untelligible), tell him you're a Mayan."
Boy: (retreating to her side) "I don't WANT to tell him I'm a Mayan."
(buries head in her side)
Me: "Aren't you going to shake my hand before you go?"
Apparently he'd expected that once I knew he was "a indian" I'd have nothing more to do with him. His smile when he realized that wasn't the case... well, it doesn't take many of those to keep you going. For someone with the Captain Hook complex I often claim to have, I do seem to have a soft heart for some children. Bah.

Getting Extensions

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has been seriously extended.
Originally closing January 31, 2005, now the show will run until March 20.

That'll be about 150 performances by the end. For me, that's about 150 falls to my death, 300 weight-lifting curls of Belle during "Me", two or three thousand instances of LeFou abuse, and countless manly heroic poses.

Our Beast was delayed on the other side of the big rockslide on I-70 after Thanksgiving, forcing our mutual understudy to quickly fully learn the role (he wasn't required to be ready yet, there'd been no rehearsal) and go on last night. He also went on for today's matinee, and he did a bang-up job if you ask me. I'll explain the only unusual occurance during his two shows with this Note to Jon : It's not your fault the beast wig fell off during the fight, dude. You've worn the costume ONE other time and we never even ran the fight in costume. The way the costume is prepped for the transformation makes it a miracle that hasn't happened already. So no worries, you kicked ass.

Great house today. Leaving in one hour to put on the ponytail for show #2.

Pilgrimage

I woke up early this morning and made a big breakfast for everyone here in the actors' house. Yes, I'm just that amazing.

This morning while cooking I contemplated past Thanksgivings, as I'm prone to do with any yearly occassion, and realized something specific about this holiday. See, as a travelling actor, I haven't been in the same place for any two Thanksgivings since I started this line of work. It's never been a holiday I'm motivated to try to get home for - Christmas, yes, but not Thanksgiving. The last ten years...

In 1995, I spent Thanksgiving at home with the family in Kansas.
1996, California, working at TGAM, while running "A Christmas Carol"
1997... Where was I? On tour. I think we were in Georgia.
1998, Louisville, Kentucky while running "It's A Wonderful Life"
1999, Champaign Illinois while running "Here's Love"
2000, Oceano, California (again) while running "A Christmas Carol"
2001, Richmond VA, on tour with another "A Christmas Carol"
2002, New Haven CT, on tour, yet another different "A Christmas Carol"
2003, Lancaster PA, running a Christmas revue
Today... Grand Junction, CO... running "Beauty and the Beast." Our musical director is having many of us over for the big dinner and etcetera. Every year, some great people whereever I'm working come together and form an ersatz family for this day. Amongst other thing, I'm thankful I've been able to share this day with all those people in the past ten years. I miss my family, but I know they have each other, and I'm lucky to be doing what I'm doing.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Funniest thing I've heard today, on several levels: "In Germany, do they call Thanksgiving 'Danketag'?"

I Wish My Hair Were Actually This Long

A little Gaston love for you. Just some photoshop fun with a first night backstage pic. Better shots on the way after our photo call Nov. 30. Also, if you want Xmas cards (assuming I get to them) make sure I have your addresses.  

Updated: Just to clarify for those who've been asking about the set... in the picture above, that is NOT the set, it's a background I photoshopped in in place of the backstage stuff that was there. We are not performing in front of a big cartoon drop.

It begins...

Tonight, I step into the show... my very competent and groovy understudy has covered every show since they opened (late) last Sunday, and tonight I take over.

Wish me well, because I've never gone into a role like this without ever actually running the show. It'll be a thrill ride.

News forthcoming, change is in the air...

This should be on the Photo page

A shot from MUSIC MAN ... A couple more added to the photo page.  

Ridiculous sell-out.

The online store, in whatever state it is, is up. Right now many items are placeholders - you can get them, but I'll be replacing them in the store with other and better items. This is where you'll go eventually to buy scripts (the amazon honor system worked but was a pain, as many patient people out there know), CDs, and anything else.

There will be a lot of new stuff going in there, better stuff, but anything you buy there now - especially the official t-shirt - helps me toward paying the royalties I need to get out of the way to release my CD. Soon CD pre-orders will be up there.

I think some of you will really enjoy the "melon collie danish" items I made, as well.

Check it out here, or at the permanent link on the sidebar --->

High Gastonic

So, as those of you who know the unusual circumstances of my BEAUTY AND THE BEAST contract already know, my understudy covered the first few performances while I finished up in Kansas. Now, I'm here and gearing up to go into the show. I love this kind of fast-paced stuff, and actually I'll be getting a lot more rehearsal than I'd thought. I'll be doing my first performance Saturday night.

I tried the costumes today, and there will be photos forthcoming. I have a lot of MUSIC MAN photos I'll be adding soon, at least one or two.

In other news, if anyone else has played/is playing HALO 2... I just finished it. My feeling: That's... that's the ending? It's like the Empire Strikes Back of HALO, but without as much closure unto itself. Thoughts?

I was born in the [winter] of my [thirtieth] year...

Don't worry, the modified lyrics post titles are not a permanent thing.

Tomorrow, around eight a.m. CST, I will begin my drive to Colorado. Send good thoughts for a safe and speedy journey, and that I'll be able to step into the show with all good speed.

I've not been in Kansas for so long since... well, since I originally left, way back when. I've gotten used to being here, it's nice to be within an hour of "Home" and for my family and old friends to be able to see me work. Doing MUSIC MAN was really a fine experience thanks to things like that. Hopefully I'll be able to do more work in the area on at least a yearly basis. If you're new to the site here and found it because of MUSIC MAN (or if you're just keen to do me a favor) send a message to Ted at the Crown (316-681-1566 or click here) and tell him how much you'd like to see me back. I'm confident I will be, but a little push from the paying customers can't hurt.

Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to make sure they got to see me in Wichita, I will really treasure this time because of your generosity and kindness.

Now, who wants to come see me in Colorado? BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, I'll step into the show within a couple of days of my arrival.

Coming soon - info on DONCON 2005.

When [she] get[s] older, losing [her] hair(?), many [hours] from now...

My beloved mum will turn 64 on the 10th. I'm so happy I can be nearby and will be able to see her on her birthday. Another perk to having taken this MUSIC MAN gig so close to the Green, Green Grass of Home.

Sitting in Borders watching people and writing. I love my new laptop, I love wireless hotspots.

I've learned my material for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST to the best of my ability, now I just need to maintain it until I'll use it, just over a week from right now. A week and one day from this very moment I'll be driving toward Colorado.

HALO 2 is coming out with all kinds of midnight fanfare tomorrow. Being that I have nothing better to do and the time off, I will be there to pick up my already-paid-for copy at midnight. To watch the show, if nothing else. HALO 2 was going to be my primary time-filler between now and my move to CO, but the week is quickly filling up with other necessaries.

Notice how non-political I've kept the 'blog since the election? Vaguely referencing, at best. I had a couple of e-mails about that. See, I try to keep things here on a certain level because this is the site to which I refer people who might hire me for information. Thus, no comments on **** ******* *** ***** ***** *** *** ***** ****. ******* *******. Right?

New pic or two, new audio sample or two as well.

Yes, I'm endlessly, wildly resourceful

Today was a dreary, cold rainy day in Wichita, Kansas.

I got a few things done, though...

Got some audiobooks for my drive to the next gig...

Studied the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST script as I sat in the Borders coffeeshop...

Paid off my copy of HALO 2 which I'll pick up next Tuesday...

Missed New York and contemplated the direction of my life...

And personally counted every vote cast in the state of Ohio.

Ohio is this year's Florida, and Florida is this year's Missouri.

I don't know what that means, other than that it's landlocked.

One of these things is [just] like the other

Today, I had a nice audition for a TV thing that I really hope works out. Send me good juju.

Tomorrow, I have to go vote. So do you.

Thing is, right now I don't want to vote for either candidate. I will - and I know who I am voting for - but the campaign is such that I feel nothing but contempt for both parties, both organizations, and feel I know little to nothing about the genuine feelings, ideas, or ideals of the men running for office.

"Welcome to American politics," you say. Still, This is the most corporatized, commercialized, pandering, fear-mongering, condescending, mean, spun, outright dishonest campaign in the history of ... at least in my lifetime. No one recognizes any boundaries anymore. There's out and out rage for no good reason. You think things will really, monumentally change if either man is in office? Really? Good for you if you do. I wish I did. Call me jaded, call me cynical, call me anytime really. I'll be here. I'm so desperately lonely. Why won't you call me?

Sorry... got off on a tangent there. Just kidding! Ha ha! [sob]

Seriously, though, tomorrow I will go vote (if not just for the free sticker - hello, ebay!) and hope I make a difference. I do care who gets elected, but only because I appreciate the bad politics of one side more than the bad politics of another.

I think we need to reboot our two-party political system.

Scary, but not in a good, Hallowe'en way.

Warning: Off-track entry today.

This morning, I waS awakened by my housemate calling my cell phone, asking me to please come downstairs and leT her in. She had been unable to get into the house upon getting back late last night, shE had no keys.

She had no keys because she'd left them at them at the club with all her other things. She didn't remember leaVing the club. She didn't remember much, except the guy who was for some reason driving her home screaming at her, and the neighbors (whom we'd never met until this point) noticing shE was having trouble and taking her in.

When I went to open the door for her, I didn't recognize her. She was wearing a blue hooDie over her tinkerbell costume, and the hood was up. Her forehead was so swolled on the right side and her face so red from crying that ... well, it took a moment for me to recognize her. Once I did, it was clEar she'd been badly beaten.

Our other housemate and I convinced this poor girl to let us take her to the emergenCy room, and we spent most of the day there with her. She hadn't been sexually assaulted, FYI. That was a major concern, but perhaps that's why she was hurt so badly. She didn't remember liKely because of a date-rape drug, but as those leave your system so quickly no traces were found so many hours later.

Later conversations with the neighbors brought to light that they'd first noticed the problem when they lookEd out and saw the guy grab her head and smash it into his car door. The guy saw the neighbors then and took off in his white truck. When they
saw she couldn't get in to the house (bedrooms upstairs, no cell phone to wake anyone) they helped her out.

Thing is, the guy in question here - he's "a friend of [her friend's] friends" and we now know his name. We know he's a 40-something married guy who hangs out at this college-age meat-market club on a regular basis. She's not pRessing charges at this point, against the advice of the trauma physicians and everyone else. That may change.

We hate him.

It's The Most Wonderful Time...Of The Year...

Because Hallowe'en falls on a Sunday this year, last night and tonight have become the celebratory evening for many unable to appropriately mark the occasion due to a work night.

Last night I broke my own rule and donned my Superman tights for a party - usually I find such costumes outside the spirit of the holiday. It's not "Costume Day." There is a meaning behind the holiday, and I think it is just as important and relevant as any other. Dress as something scary to scare the bad juju away, basically, though of course it goes deeper than that. Princesses, baked potatoes, and Austin Powers do not fit that bill. Last night, though, it's what I had. I'll do something else tonight, if I go out, and the same tomorrow... probably Ash again, a repeat of my 2000 costume.

I LOVE HALLOWE'EN. Dig it.

Groovy. Let me know what you're all doing for the big night, or nights. Send pictures.

How am I not myself?

Music Appreciation

Go to this link and read one of the best commentaries on the current popular music culture I've read in some time.

http://www.danielamos.com/articles/amas.html

Photo Page Online

Check the links to the right of this post for the newly revised photo page. Setting up the page this way will enable me to update it much more regularly and eliminates pesky formatting issues. Check it out.

Site redux

The Site is getting a gradual makeover... look around over the next week or two, things will be different.

CD information

I've had a number of e-mails asking about CDs. There are a few remaining from the limited quantity I had at the concert. However, due to a bit of paperwork I'm still waiting on, I'm not ready to offer them "for sale" in a wide open way yet on the site. When I do, they'll likely go for about $12.50 including postage. If you want one early we might be able to work something out. Just e-mail me (even if you have already) and let me know.

Positive Energy

Thanks to the many wonderful people who attended the concert last night. It went very well, it was an amazingly positive and energizing experience. Many people bought CDsand absolutely everyone I met there was fantastic.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Thanks especially to one of the best accompanists I've ever worked with - this is the second concert I've done with him , eight years later - Mr. Steve Rue. Check out his new website, www.anytracks.com

Concert tomorrow night!

Just a quick reminder, my concert is tomorrow night, details in one of the posts below. CDs will be available after the concert.

More Powerful Than a Locomotive

I woke this morning to the news that Christopher Reeve has died. The man who embodied Superman on screen and later in his own life is now free of the limitations imposed by his body since the accident that paralyzed him almost ten years ago.

I was inspired by Mr. Reeve as a child when he was the man in the cape, but more so as an adult when he so passionately fought for research that could help others with injuries such as his own. Strides were made becuse of him that might have otherwise taken decades. I hope the work will continue in his absence, in his memory. Rest in peace, Chris. 1952-2004.

Don Aid

The concert is Tuesday at 7:30, and a bunch of songs have been chosen and a brilliant accompanist has been hired. As to the where and other concert info, here's some cut-and-pasted from an e-mail I just got:

430 Eunice in El Dorado. By the way, we are Trinity United Methodist Church. There seemed to be some question on your website. There is also Trinity Episcopal in El Dorado. To get to us: From Wichita on Hwy 254 cross over the turnpike and come on in to town. Several blocks in you'll see Subway and a booth selling Mountain Mudd Coffee. Turn left there....that is Eunice Street. Three blocks more and you'll see us on your right. Phone 316/321-4235.


So, there you have it. MUSIC MAN is going well, improving nightly even. EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES (the kid's show) is rathe rinteresting in that we don't do it more than twice a week so it's almost constantly a surprise. Another of both tomorrow.

By the way, sorry again if I spooked the anonymous commenter with my ill-informed insistence that we had no show on the 13th.

Why has't SHAUN OF THE DEAD played anywhere around here?

They Don't Keep Me Informed.

Erk... Okay, I'd told you to check the dates, turns out I hadn't yet been told that there were workshops on both the 12th and the 13th. Oops. So there you go.

Anon E. Moose

ANNOUNCEMENT: I've been asked to do a concert on Tuesday, October 12, in El Dorado, KS. I don't have any idea what I'll be doing yet and am still looking to hire a competent accompanist. Very hard to find. So, it'll be a Trinity something-or-other church, which I'm told is a largeish place, and if you're interested e-mail me or trinity@powwwer.net with questions. IN OTHER NEWS... Anonymous person, might you be Scott Dispensa? Maybe not. I'm responding this way because unless I'm wrong I don't HAVE a show on October 13th. Check with the theatre, but that's a Wednesday - no show. Still, I'm trying to figure it out. This marks the first post made on the new laptop, which doesn't like my blogger interface and is not allowing me to hit "enter" to begin a new paragraph. Hmph. Later.

I'm a What? I'm a What?

MUSIC MAN rolls on, and we started our third week last night to a small (but friendly) house.

This morning, we open our kids' show, THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, which is simple and fun. No big deal, just a larf for everyone involved, and some extra money.

Someone commented anonymously on my last post and I'd love to know who it was - do I know you?

I sepnt too much money the other day. First of all, My new laptop is now in my hands.... well, not RIGHT now, because I haven't had time to do anything much with it (like putting AOL on it) but I do have it and will be enjoying the magic it do very soon. Also, I now have a moshi pillow, and now wish I had an entire bed covered with moshi. If Osama had a moshi pillow he might not be so tense.

So, it's damned early (in actor world) and its time for a run of the kids show before they open the house. Bah.

Later!

The Circle is Now Complete

So, MUSIC MAN opened last Thursday. The first set of shows went reasonably well. There were definite speed bumps and the Sunday house wasn't as big as I wish I could have been. Still, we're finding it - at least those of us who are looking for it are.

Yesterday we took a trip to the Sedgwick County Zoo and got up close and personal with more really playful lions, gorillas, and bears than I've ever seen at any other zoo. It was amazing.

Saturday we went to the Kansas State Fair, along with my best and oldest friend in the world (the advantage of having a gig so close to home!) and I discovered that some things from your youth should just stay in your memory. We would spend WEEKENDS at the fair as a kid - we'd take the camper on Friday, taking the day off of school, and have three days to take in the magic.

We arrived at the fair at around 10:30 on Saturday, and by 1pm had taken in everything any of us were remotely interested in actually seeing or doing. It was a nice nostalgia trip but that's pretty much all that was nice about it.

Soon! The Cosmosphere.

Currently eating my days: Amazing free gym, FABLE for Xbox, and Star Wars on DVD today.

No one has left a comment since I switched comment systems here. Is there a problem with the new system?

Is This Everyone?

...that could well be the theme for this rehearsal process so far. The show involves a lot of children and their schedules and the ability to coordinate them is not really in the hands of any one person. Some of the adults have priorities here before the show, as well, and thus many rehearsals have been exercises in futility because so many people are missing.

Still, it's coming together and I've been able to get a handle on it much more easily than I'd expected. It's such a GREAT role. I didn't have a lot of fun in BYE BYE BIRDIE this summer, it just never clicked entirely for me. This, however, is really an amazing ride.

Tech starts tomorrow - so I may not post again until after we open (Thursday, if you're sending gifts...)

Later!

Slipping into warm water

Today we started rehearsals for MUSIC MAN. I'm currently on break as most of the cast learns the Shipoopi. They won't get to my part of that number today, so I sit here in the comfortably climate controlled actor's house.

This is already an interesting experience. I mean that in a distinctly pleasant way. Everyone I've met seems very nice and - important and rare - without agenda. It's an older group of people, by and large, which makes me happy. As adult males in the cast go, I'm one of the youngest. No, really. Everyone is very nice, the space is great, and the producer took the entire company to lunch. Apparently he does that every show. I can't speak to what the show will look like, by any stretch of the imagination, but "all signs point to yes" at the outset and that's something.

Had the first musical rehearsal today, our Marian (former Miss Kansas) has a really marvelous voice. A good first day, so far. It could go any which way, I know, but after my most recent experience it's really wonderful to be made to feel comfortable rather than... well, very much not.

Farm Life

Here I am, back on the farm for a few days. It's funny how only visiting home once a year or so has thrown my memory into a time-lapse jumble of events. I have to concentrate sometimes to remember if certain things happened last time I was home, which was seven or eight months ago, or the time before that, which was eight or nine months before that, or a year earlier thant that during the previous visit. Babies are now schoolchildren, children are now married, in many ways it feels like I stepped away for a moment and through some Einsteinian miracle I stepped back into a later time. It's as though now that I'm thirty, plus a month, my twenties have become a mental ZIP file and a good portion of the compressed data is stored in a storage locker near my parent's home. I've spent the bulk of my twenties far away from home but I would always visit, at least yearly if not two or three times a year. I would download my memories of my latest gig and my recent adventures, and often I would drop off a bunch of unnecessary stuff... which has accumulated into a collection of rubbermaid containers that they happily store for me, though one day in the not too distant future I'll have to sort through it all and take it I'm sure. For now, the collections of books I bought on the road, discarded photos (the ones that don't go in the album), and all the various other items weave a web that fills in the trivial gaps between big memories. Some not so trivial gaps. Anyway, MUSIC MAN rehearsals start Monday. I'm in Trouble. I mean it, I am. I'm in Trouble and many other numbers.

FL, GA, TN, KY, IL, MO, KS

Since Monday morning, I've been through five states and started on a sixth. Today, if all goes well, I'll be reaching my destination in a seventh. Wish me well, send good thoughts to my car, and I should arrive this afternoon.

The Open Road

Tonight is the last show of the run here at NDT. Last night we closed TOMMY, tonight BIRDIE.

Within 24 hours, I'll have begun my 1500+ mile journey to visit my family and begin the next gig, so if you can spare a moment and think some good thoughts for a safe and speedy journey I would appreciate it.

I'll be saying farewell to some people I value a great deal today, as is the case so often in this business, though it rarely gets easier. I do have my secrets in how to deal with it, though - I tend to avoid "goodbyes" as much as humanly possible.

By the way, no one has commented since I changed comment systems - I would return to the old setup but haven't figured out how to integrate that into the new template. Anyway, to leave comments you don't have to register with blogger - post anonymously and just sign your posts at the bottom! Next time I post will likely be on the road...

Sometimes I Tell Myself, "This is Not My Beautiful Bowtie"

The other night, the gentleman that played Uncle Ernie for the bulk of our run was dismissed with only a few shows to go. If you'll remember (or read further down in this 'blog) I had to go on for him about a month ago, now I'm finishing the run of TOMMY as the creepy disgusting pervert Ernie. The fired actor was also playing Mr. Macaffee in BYE BYE BIRDIE, and his cover in that role was David Perlman. David plays Cousin Kevin in TOMMY. Now both David and I will have a nice extra something in our final checks in addition to getting something interesting to do for these last few days.

I don't know if I'll blog again here before I leave, but tomorrow night is our last show here and I'll be pulling out as early as possible Monday morning. It's been a long stint here, and I'm really looking forward to what's next. Wish me luck on my long, long road trip from here to Kansas. Now, four more shows - 3 BIRDIEs, 1 TOMMY in the next two days - and packing the car.

Papa's Got a Brand New 'Blog (Template)

Reworked the 'blog, here, if you didn't notice. Also, a revised comments system.

Also, tidbits of info regarding the next gigs. Remember, pen is not on paper here for anything, and I'm not naming places or dates yet. Still, this looks like 'twill be the case...

In the near future, elsewhere in the country, I may be seen as:
Harold Hill in THE MUSIC MAN
Gaston in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
My own Sinatra-lovin' self in MY WAY
Sid in PAJAMA GAME

After that, I have some hopes and ideas, but that's all. This should all be worked out solidly soon, so ... wish me well.

Aycee, The Frost Giant

Our AC is back on. I woke this morning to a cool, artificial breeze on my back. It was like QUEST FOR FIRE or 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY in my room for a minute - I wasn't sure what was going on. I stood up, stared in awe at the strange, magic, metal hole in the wall.

Legend had it that this hole led to the chamber of Aycee the Frost Giant, and in the Oldtymes he would sleep there. His mighty frigid breath would seep through the magic holes to cool all the peoples of the... apartment.

I climbed onto my bed and put my hand in front of the vent, disbelieving the legends of the Frost Giant, the beliefs my people had held for so long. It was cold! The air was downright chilly... I left my room, and opened the outside door. So very hot! I quickly retreated. I was met by a strange, small, darkly tanned man. His cottony tunic read "Maintenance," so I assumed he was French. Our legends spoke of a man from Maintenance (which as we all know is a region in France) who would tame the giant and make him sleep. He had nearly been forgotten, even in legend, it had been so long since he'd been seen. Still here he was - surely one of his descendants, not THE Man from Maintenance.

"Your AC should be working fine," said Maintenance, "you need to go down to the office and..."
Well, I'll leave off there because I don't speak French. It was all gibberish to me.

I quickly got a Sharpei and began to put down the story of Maintenance and the Frost Giant Aycee, but was put off by the puppy's angry yiping. I put down the Sharpei and took up a Sharpie, with which I inscribed the story of the brave French knight's battle with the giant. Our people will be forever grateful for the cooling breath of the mighty giant, and we'll never forget the tiny French hero who brought him back to us. Thank you, Maintenance. We'll not forget you again.

Will have confirmed news of what's up next - all of which is pretty great assuming it all works out - very, very soon. It better be soon, considering I leave here a week from Monday morning.


HURRICANE AFTERMATH UPDATE
So we're still here - haven't been dealt with yet. The AC, phone, and cable were all out until late tonight - now we have cable and phone but still no AC. This is making the soaked room I used to call "mine" smell to high heaven, with wet carpet and walls and whatnot having a lot of trouble drying out in the awesome humidity and heat. Mildew, mold, and who knows what else is growing in there. We've not been moved, and our place has not been fixed. Truthfully, there are many greater problems in the wake of this storm... but not for the apartment maintenance people here, who are apparently not keen on doing anything about any of this. Those responsible for providing for our housing here have at least thrown a token gesture of some fans and air purifiers at us. They tell us they'll be talking to the apartment complex, and if nothing is done tomorrow, it's hotels for us and receipts for them! Really, though - our problems here are all petty stuff, when you think of everything else that's going on.

In the bigger picture there are many other people in Florida who have serious problems in the wreckage this "Hell Storm" (as Drudge Report called it, making me giggle even during the thing) left behind. Today I went to the Sprint store and the customer rep was busy while talking to me, asked if it was okay if he kept doing what he was doing while talking because he had to activate 60 phones for Florida Power and Light because all land lines a little north of Bonita Springs are down. There are a lot of people unaccounted for, and part of the reason for that is that there is no way for many of them to communicate with the outside world at all. We're lucky, here - internet, power, phone... everything. Not far from here, people's entire lives were destroyed. So, you can see that while it is a real pain to live with in this climate it's a little hard to get up in arms about not having air conditioning.

It's late, and I think I'm finally tired enough to fall sweatily to sleep. Blech.

Okay, so Charley came by today.

The eye was a near-miss here, relatively speaking. lots of damage.

The ceiling in my bedroom here at actor housing is now compromised by water. I have to sleep in the common area of the actor housing tonight. My possessions are in jeopardy.

I'm quite sure the company I'm working for will see to my relocation to a comparable safe, dry, private room before tomorrow night where I will stay until either repairs are complete or, in just over a week, the contract is over.

I'm sure there is no cause for concern and that tomorrow I'll be reporting that we've been well taken care of.

HURRICANE!!!

Charley slowed down last night, so it's now due to begin making its impression on us in about an hour. It's turned more east, so it's also going to hit us more dead-on.

The news is crazy, and you're never sure how much they're playing it up and how much is genuine concern. There are areas in more dire straits than we are, but that's really splitting hairs as we're none of us in happy marshmallow funland.

Anyway, send your good energy this direction as we get ready to weather the... weather.

Hurricane Charley is bearing down on us right now.

At the moment, we're awaiting word as to whether we'll be evacuated. Last night the idea of evacuation was reactionary rumor around the company - as most of us have never been through any kind of hurricane - but apparently this morning it has become a very real possibility. We have food, water, and the windows are all taped - Right now that's all we can do.

Say a little prayer that the next 48 hours or so are as easy as possible here in Southwest Florida.

Tonight I got a call from someone I hadn't spoken with in years.

It was really great.

We'll be talking again, soon.

Okay, so I don't have the b-day pics yet. There is much to tell on that score - it didn't end Sunday, it was two full days + of amazing good times. Buca di Beppo = new favorite place.

Tonight I pulled a muscle or something in my back / shoulder during BYE BYE BIRDIE. I was worried - it made most of Act I really interesting but felt much better by the end of the show. The house was great, so that helped. Now I'm home with some dinner and some tea and all is well.

I will post more about this later, but I was blindfolded and kidnapped early this afternoon and taken to a place I had no knowledge of.

I was surprised today by the best, most amazing Logan's Run birthday party I could imagine. I was shot by a Sandman, and there was no sanctuary.

Yet somehow, I feel renewed. Pics and more to come.

Leo 25s, tomorrow is Last Day. Two days to carousel.

From TOMMY last night... As Uncle Ernie a little while before "Tommy's Holiday Camp" 

From last night's TOMMY performance, as Uncle Ernie in "Fiddle About" 

Had to go on as Uncle Ernie tonight in TOMMY, with no rehearsal. Had a ball. Pics to come.

Leo 25s, two days to Last Day. Three days to Carousel.

BYE BYE BIRDIE pics here! First, Albert Peterson has some trouble with the office phone... 

"Put On A Happy Face" - with Jacklyn Arcy as "Sad Girl" 

Debi Guthery as Mae Peterson, Don Winsor as Albert Peterson, Jamie Castiglia as Rose Alvarez 

BYE BYE BIRDIE Company at the end of "Fine Upstanding American Boy" 

Oh yeah, I forgot to shamelessly shill for myself in the post below. Click here.

I haven't spoken enough, at least specifically, about the people I'm currently working with. In a career like this you get the chance to work with a lot of really talented people, and I don't talk about them nearly often enough in this blog. The people you work with can drastically affect your time at any gig - they can make a less-than-perfect situation redeemable, and vice versa. A few of the many skilled people I'm working with right now:

Stephen Agosto - he plays the titular role in TOMMY. I've always been a fan of the music but never been a fan of the show. However, Stephen's work lifts the show above what it really is. He creates, in my opinion, something out of almost nothing, bringing a ... well, I could say something here about an "Amazing Journey" but I'm better that that. He takes you on a ... neat... trip...

Jamie Castiglia, the lovely lady I have the joy of playing across from in BYE BYE BIRDIE. Audiences may vary, things may go wrong, but when I get to end the show by sharing a sweet little number like "Rosie" with Jamie it's almost always redeeming.  It's such a silly little song, but it honestly is so nice to work with Jamie that, for me, it's brought to a better, more genuine level than I thought was possible going in. Shortly before that, Jamie tears it up with a really strong "Spanish Rose" which gets better every show.

Yuri Rodriguez, they're simply lucky to have him. He's a good guy and a great performer. He's a rare find, in my opinion. He's someone who works just as well in an ensemble as he would in a principal role. He's a strong, sure presence with a determined head on his shoulders - he doesn't do enough in either show but in my opinion he's the the center of the male ensemble of both shows. He could probably handle any role in either show, but when you can build an ensemble aroudn someone like him as well.

In the past year I've had the privilege to work with dozens of amazing folks I'd love to have the chance to cross paths with again - Louis Palena and Amy Zanetto, Percy and Marguerite in SCARLET PIMPERNEL... tons of the folks from Bucks County and Poconos... Aaron Lake, Erik from PHANTOM... Too many people to name from the Dutch Apple PHANTOM and JCS... the list goes on. If I didn't mention your name, it's... c'mon, it's late.

I guess I'm feeling kind of reflective due to the time of year. I was writing something tonight that made me realize that I've worked with a lot of people in the past 10+ years, for better or worse... and that it all tends to shade toward the better the farther away you get from it.

Now, I still don't know what I want to do for my birthday. Today was a great, relaxing day spent mostly in watching movies and playing MARIO PARTY 5 with the roomies and other work folk.

One week from today, I'll turn thirty.
 
I haven't decided if I'm going to run or attempt renewal through carousel.
 
Being that the 25th falls on a Sunday, a day when we have two shows, there won't be a lot of time to mark the milestone on that day. Luckily, our "weekend" is Monday and Tuesday and there will bemuch time for festivities then. I think there's a trip to Universal Studios planned for Monday and maybe Tuesday, but I may be wrong. People keep asking me what I want to do, and I don't know. I know that I will be watching "FREE ENTERPRISE" and "LOGAN'S RUN" at some point in the next week.
 
My question is... what do I want to do for my birthday?

Ah, a day off.

The first in some time.

There are pictures from BIRDIE up now, including one spectacularly goofy one of me. I can safely say that photo will not ever replace my headshot.

Plans for the near future, post-BIRDIE/TOMMY rep, were set some time ago but now appear to be in flux. I'll have more on that probably by the next post.

Less than two weeks until the big three-oh. Click this link for big hints. :)

I grow weary of subtlety.

Thank goodness, all the shows are open.

BYE BYE BIRDIE's official opening performance was tonight, after two preview performances during which we (natch) actually encountered fewer difficulties than we did during this evening's show. Still, it went reasonably well, all things considered. Now there will be time to rest and do all the things that don't involve ridiculous amounts of rehearsal. Free time is no longer an abstract concept.

Thanks to a very talented cast, both BYE BYE BIRDIE and TOMMY are really fine productions. Being that Albert in BIRDIE is really quite different than anything I've ever done, I wasn't too sure of myself going in. Now, I'm pretty proud of the work I've put in, and I'm very happy with it. Come see!

By the way, let me know if you can recommend any Gamecube games. The newest vice my entire apartment here has become hooked on is late night Mario Party (4 & 5) - which I first played last summer with my housemates at Bucks County. We got hooked here and I decided I wanted my own Gamecube and found a great deal on one with 11 games on eBay. That's my opening night gift to myself.

16 days to carousel. Renew!

On Wednesday night, BYE BYE BIRDIE opens. Having just opened TOMMY, our rehearsals for BIRDIE have been a little more sparse than I'd like. Still, we have time for several runs of the show between now and our first audience.

After that, everything is open and there will be free time to be had. As of right now, there are 20 days until I'm 30.

Time is running out. Run, runner!

TOMMY is open... my reaction to which is primarily "yay, no more rehearsing TOMMY" as we get ready for tech week 2 in our rep. Now the crunch begins for BIRDIE. Then, eventually, light at the end of the tunnel, a day off.

Today we do a run of BIRDIE, take lunch, then we start tech for TOMMY, which officially opens on Friday.

Last night, the US unexpectedly handed sovereignty to Iraq earlier than was expected.

This past weekend, a deeply affecting film reminding us why we need our own regime change became the first documentary ever to open as the number one film in America.

Tomorrow at midnight, several of my castmates and I will be attending the opening of SPIDER-MAN 2 regardless of how tired we are from tomorrow's tech rehearsal.

In about 27 days, I will turn 30.

Right now my back hurts thinking about how much work is ahead of us as we tech and open these two big shows between now and July 7.

Did I mention my birthday?

Yesterday was my last day off for the next three weeks. Thanks to the fact that TOMMY and BYE BYE BIRDIE will be running in repertory, we have tech for one of them next week and the other the following. Two tech weeks in a row will make me very, very happy when July 12 rolls around. Keep reading this entry for more on the shows.

My 30th birthday is just over one month away. My twenties will be a part of my past... not sure how that makes me feel yet. Maybe you can help ease my pain.

Shameless.

On a side note, we've been watching a lot of "Greg the Bunny" on DVDs which were obtained on ebay. It was such a hilarious show, and FOX people were morons to take it off the air. I hate TV... and not because I don't like TV, but because nothing good ever lasts and it's ever more apparent that they program to the lowest common denominator.

Now for coffee... and rehearsal.

BYE BYE BIRDIE looks to be an excellent show. I'm a bit swamped and anxious trying to LEARN it all, but... Definitely come see it. Anyone who's read this for any length of time will notice I don't say that about every show I do, even most shows I do. I'm especially critical of those shows I do which one might call "fluff", which BIRDIE unashamedly is. So, heed my words! Come see it!

TOMMY has some very strong performances in it, and has some fine moments as well. It's an acquired taste, even if you already enjoy the genre-sub-genre of "rock opera"... it's an interesting piece.

There is a third show in rep here (yes, a third!) which I am NOT involved in but which I will recommend heartily, and that's the already running production of "YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN." It's worth seeing just for the wonderful Anthony Palenscar as Linus. It's a strong cast, but Anthony... well, when he's on stage, it's his stage in that show. That show is presented for "children's matinees" and you should definitely check it out.

UPDATED: I've been getting a lot of hits lately, and I'd like to know who's visiting. If you go to my audio page, please let me know here! It also helps me track my bandwidth, which is at issue right now.

CD NEWS - since someone asked, I've been meaning to mention this:

The CD was to be ready by July 1, and to have them available in the lobby during BYE BYE BIRDIE. The tracks are all done. There will be five tracks on the CD, I believe three are "live" and two are ... not. There might be an early version of one of the tracks on the audio page...

The only issues that remain are manufaturing and printing, etc...

Financially I'm kinda held up on those for the near future. Professional demo CDs are still available by request, but I can't guarantee availability on the "for sale" CD anytime soon, until I can work out getting the actual discs made. Thanks for the interest, and keep an eye out - I might get these done sooner than I think!

Now that we've been rehearsing for what seems like a while (really only a few days) I think I can say that the energy for this process seems much more positive than the energy for the last rehearsal process. Things are never perfect, but certainly the overall dynamic is at present less generally negative than at this point in the previous rehearsal period.

Vacation is over. Rehearsal started today. Wrap-up coming soon.

The audio page is fully updated and ready to roll. Check it out.

The Officers Corps of the 501st marches in the STAR WARS parade. Their uniforms were expensive and... wait a minute, call me un-PC, but... well, having seen the movies, did anyone ever see any female Imperial officers? Here we have one, two, THREE... progress? If they were on track for this kind of equal opportunity advancement, maybe they weren't so bad after all. We never really knew enough about their policies to judge them, I suppose, other than their general unpleasantness. Is being unpleasant a crime? Well, I suppose the mass killings enter into it as well.

There are a LOT of pictures from SW weekend, I'll put them up as times goes by.  

Here, shortly after the big STAR WARS parade as STAR WARS weekend, Darth Vader confronts the lame MC whilst Mike Quinn (Nien Numb), The Emperor, and Warwick Davis (Wicket, Willow, etc.) share an uncomfortable moment.  

Yesterday was my STAR WARS WEEKEND day at Disney MGM. I had a blast and will be poasting som pictures soon, but... I had to leave early.

See, I got massively, violently ill gradually throughout the day and finally had to abandon any attempt at remaining in the park(s) after 3pm. So it was a wonderful day and night of lying miserably in the hotel room wishing I could go to sleep or just stop feeling so wretched. This morning, I feel a good deal better, but then I haven't really moved much yet. I'm probably taking today off from all the fun I had planned, which is no big deal as I was going to take tomorrow off and I'll just switch. Still, this sucks!

CAPTAIN HOOK: HYPOCRITE? Today I saw one of my personal heroes, Captain Hook, signing autographs and generally being a happy guy with crowds of children. I was hurt, disillusioned, and quite angry. Why wasn't he using hook? Why didn't he toss them off the... well, there were no "planks" or "yardarms" per se, but... he certainly could have just kicked them. Why, Captain? Why? 

Beetlejuice meets the Ghostbusters? How much fanboy fun could that have been? But no, it was terrible. It involved no special effects beyond a cheap medley of canned (probably Universal owned) pop music that Beetlejuice "forced" the "Extreme" Ghostbusters to lip-synch and dance to. The Ghostbusters came out, without their proton packs or any resemblance to the recognizable Ghostbusters. Except for the uniforms, and that one had glasses, one was black, and one (as you can see) had a cowboy hat. Oh wait, none of the Ghostbusters wore a cowboy hat. Today one did. At the end, they all simply danced off. This was a terrible, terrible show. Not terribly performed, mind you, this is not Six Flags or the like, this is UNIVERSAL. The performers were solid and credible and commited. The problem was, they were committed to this show. This kind of interpretation of their properties and franchises explains VAN HELSING.  

Today I saw this show. It is not the worst theme park show I've ever seen, but certainly by far the show with the most wasted potential. We saw a sign with the Ghostbusters logo and a showtime; it said "Franchise Demonstration." 

At long last, I finally got to pick up my power convertors from Toshi Station.  

FIRST DAY OF VACATION. 

MATTRESS is over. We're losing a few wonderful people from that cast before we begin this summer. My best to everyone who's leaving, and if I didn't get caught before I left the theatre it's because I desperately try to avoid goodbyes. Immature, perhaps, but... it's not as if I won't be in touch or ever see you again. It's a small world, especially in this business.

Leaving for vacation tomorrow!

I don't like to get too political in the 'blog, but this is a movie parallel that just occurred to me:

See, they released this report earlier this week to worry everyone about a "big terrorist attack" this summer. Today, however, the homeland security department let it slip that they were surprised by that warning, and a couple of other agencies (check the news) said today that after checking into this there was no real evidence of any new plot. Now, of course it is better to err on the side of caution, but it's sad that I cynically have to wonder whether an "attack" happening wouldn't be done to and by... well..

Now, doesn't this happen in The Princess Bride? Prince Humperdinck is planning the murder of Buttercup on his wedding night, and is planning to frame the nation of Guilder for it. His head of security comes in, and the Prince orders him to "increase security" as he has heard through his sources that Guilder has spies everywhere who may plan to assassinate his new bride. The man-at-arms says he and his spies have no such information, but the Prince insists it be done. Thus the groundwork is laid for the "assassination" and a war with Gilder.

If our government is going to ape a movie plot, I don't think it should be The Princess Bride.

The Minstrel and King Sextimus are very unhappy. The air conditioning wasn't working in their dressing room today. (Dick Westlake is the kewlest, by the way. If you haven't seen him as Sextimus, you must see him at Mount Gretna Theatre in PA this summer as Emperor Joseph in AMADEUS. I won't get to. Tell me how it is.  

My first attempt at putting a photo in the blog... a shot from the overture of JCS.  

One more week of performances for ONCE UPON A MATTRESS. It's been going well, generally speaking. I've come around a good deal about the show. I always thought well of this particular production, but I've never been a big fan of the piece itself. It's a good cast, though, and a cute overall design... I've come to the conclusion that while it is not necessarily my cup of tea it's at least diverting fluff of a higher order than some things.

Who says I'm not honest in my 'blog?

Coming soon: Vacation pictures! Yes, some friends and I are spending the entire week of May 31 - June 7 in Orlando. I've had one other vacation in my life, and it was a camping trip to Colorado in college. Time off I've had as an adult has been primarily spent travelling to my next gig or visiting the family in Kansas. This will be the first "vacation" I've ever done, so I want to do it right... and with the new photoblog stuff from my loverly bloghost I'll be able to start posting pictures here. Nifty, it is, full of "nift."

Speaking of "nifty," today BUBBA HO-TEP was released on DVD. We're having a gathering tonight (our last free night of the run) to view it tonight. Come on over.

It's been a bit of a rough week. No posts lately, sorry. The previous couple of posts were sparse as well, but hey... they were funny.

Also, for the sake of us all, it's pronounced "MIZ" Pac Man.

Really, really funny. The whole page might take a bit to load if you've a slow connection.

I have recently had a few notes passed my way from people who wonder why some text is colored differently than other text here in the 'blog. No, really, I got a letter. These are links! These are links intended to make you laugh! I hate to explain my own gimmick here, feels a bit like a "wink to the audience" (which as an actor or audience member I HATE)... but there you go.

For example...

This is unfortunate, but how I feel right now.

The show, it runs.

Florida is gradually getting warmer, lending credence to global warming and the theories put forth by both scientists and the upcoming film "The Day After Tomorrow."

Or it could just be approaching summer.

You know, I hear a title like "The Day After Tomorrow" and I think it's a sequel to the TV movie from my childhood, "The Day After," which (thank you very much ABC) contributed to the fact that the major fear of my youth was nuclear war. Well, that and rampaging devil worshippers - thank Geraldo for that, I think.

Anyway, it's hot, and the show is the show, and ... how're you?

Opening tonight, finally, for ONCE UPON A MATTRESS! It's a funny show - We've been teching all week and tonight we face our first audience. The catch: We're told tonight's audience is entirely made up of visually-impaired non-English speakers. So, we've learned to really put the show across using smells alone. Yes, we really smell funny.

Har har. Yes, I'm here all week. No really, I am, 'cause my car's in the shop. Can I get a ride?

Relating to the previous entry - that's still up in the air, though the "significance" will perhaps be less than I'd first planned.

Break legs MATTRESS cast!

UPDATE: Okay, usually my goofy semi-related links remain unmentioned here, but that last one is really funny to me. I really wish I knew what led to that little note.

Possible significant upheaval in what's to come. Film at 11.

Send good vibes. They are strangely in short supply.

I now possess a definitive collection of Jesus Christ Superstar cast recordings on CD, thanks to a certain groovy person.

How definitive? Well, not as many as some, but I have something between thirty and forty different recordings of the show, plus a few miscellaneous one-off songs from solo albums and collections.

Rehearsals here for ONCE UPON A MATTRESS move on apace. It's hard to keep your energy up for such a long rehearsal period when normally your "cork is set to pop" at ten days or two weeks. It'll be a fun show, not my personal best work, but hey, it is what it is.

The show itself is a lot of fun and we've got a great Winnifred and a fabulous Queen Aggravain.

Get your tickets at 239-514-7827.

As I was sitting and ordering birthday gifts for kith and kin recently, I realized my birthday will be here in only a little over fourteen weeks!

I'm sure preparations are being made as we speak for the grand event, which has been known in years past to feature the surprise "Christopher Walken Party" and the "McDonald's Doesn't Usually Do This For Adults" event.

Shameless advertising of one's own amazon.com wish list is in order.

On another note, I'm still ... in fact, I'm MORE sunburned now than I was before, and now I have a giant innertube to float about on the water.

Saving up for my Disney/Universal vacation May 31-June 7.

It's been a short week. I arrived here almost a week ago and have been mostly either in rehearsal or getting a sunburn since then. Florida sun. Ah.

Ouch.

Ah. Rehearsals are going well, and last night I had the chance to see a lot of friends (most of whom I didn't expect to see) when I travelled up to Ft. Myers to see CAROUSEL at the Broadway Palm. My friend Aaron was pretty much flawless as Billy Bigelow - it's something like his fifth of sixth run in the role, anyway. He gets to perform nightly with his lovely wife Tracy, who is a wonderful Julie Jordan. Lucky bastard! It was great to see a lot of people I haven't seen in a while. A great show, closes today with a double.

Verdict thus far, having not yet seen hurricane season or been bitten by a swamp-dwelling reptile on the way to my car: I like Florida.

Three new letters are entering my vocabulary here: SPF. Ouch.

Well, if you haven't noticed, the site has been updated - new "reviews" and "audio" pages added. They're up and working, but still very much under construction.

After visiting many friends (and unfortunately not getting to see a few) in Richmond VA for a mini-vacation last week, I continued my journey to Florida yesterday and now find myself nearly to my destination. Rehearsals start Tuesday, I ll arrive there sometime early in the day tomorrow.

See Hellboy yet? No? See it.
Seen Jersey Girl yet? No? Seriously, RUN and see it.

Photo essay of my journey coming soon.

I am working on a CD for sale... I need a UPC and don't know where to begin. I could look it up but I'd rather hear it from some of you who might have gone through that. The rights and all that will come once I have the UPC, but what I'm working on NOW is what to call the album.
Best suggestion so far? "Ballad-heavy"
Worst suggestion so far? "Soul Patch"

UPDATED
Hey true believers... I forgot to add this to my post last night.
Site update begun... new pages added, see the scroll bar to the left.

This weekend, when you're making your movie plans, GO SEE HELLBOY. You may not know what the hell it is, the ads may have confused you, you may think that what you perceive the film to be, without having seen it, is beneath your taste.

It isn't. If you've never heard of or read the brilliant, pop-art work by its creator, Mike Mignola, you don't know what you're missing. Check it out. Shades of HP Lovecraft, classic film noir, Kolchak the Night Stalker, and more classic dark European and world legends than you can shake an ankh at.

And for the love of Joe Don Baker, DO NOT go see WALKING TALL.

Click here to find the original film and watch it.

Give HELLBOY the support it deserves - this could be the beginning of a strong sub-set of independent-based genre films. Great people are involved in this. If that means nothing to you, it'll be a hell of a good movie. Ron Perlman! Come on now!

I hate goodbyes. JCS is closed now, as of Saturday night. Usually the end of a run doesn't really phase me all that much - it happens a little too often. But... do you know what I did after our closing night cabaret? When I couldn't take another "so long" or "see ya soon" or "take care of yourself" because I got all unexpectedly emotional at the ending of this, a production I really loved? I hid in the dressing room until the coast was clear to leave. A few people found me out, and did the whole solongfarewellaufwiedersehengoodbye thing. Mainly I avoided public tearing up. Because I'm an American man in the Rumsfeld era, damn it! If we start crying in public, the terrorists will have won!

To the cast, crew, and company of JCS: Thank you for a wonderful experience.

Now I'm on the road slowly making my way South to Florida. In Richmond, VA for a few days visiting friends.

I wasn't kidding about the writing to the management I mentioned in the previous entry.

You can still do that. I'll bake you cookies, cookies enriched with love. That's a figure of speech, by the way. They're perfectly good cookies.

Thanks to all the readers of this blog who came to the show this afternoon - it was surprising, and a huge conicidence, to meet many of you. I was already expecting some people at the show today, several in fact, but ... there were several more. That's great, and hopefully you got a great show. It felt pretty good today.

SO I HAVE A FAVOR TO ASK ALL OF YOU: How many of you, who have seen me in anything (especially here), would be willing to help me with some favorable e-mail or letter-writing to the management here to help me out with getting BEAUTY AND THE BEAST next year? I'd really appreciate it, and positive words to people in charge always help. Seriously, the more positive feedback they get the better.

Thanks in advance. Click here for to e-mail a comment to them via their online form.

I'm bringing back the funny to the blog. Long-time readers will remember my funny, others can check the archives. Funny is now retroactive throughout recent posts listed below... re-check them if you like. Anyway...

PACKING. As JCS (which if you haven't seen you MUST SEE) is winding down this week in loverly Pennsylvania, I am packing up my troubles in my old kit bag, or used blue Dodge Intrepid, to begin the trek to Florida for my next gig. I'll be stopping to visit old haunts in Richmond VA and a couple of other places on the way, so if I haven't already talked to you and you're on the way, give me a shout.

I'm going to miss doing JCS, and it's been a good run with the Prather Family of Theatres, but it'll also be nice to have a change of scenery. Hopefully, I'll return here at some point - perhaps for Beauty and the Beast next year? (That was for you, Brian. Not subliminal, but I have not the technology for that.)

Figuring out what gig I was going to do next was a bit tough this time around, and it's hard to find people who give good advice about that kind of thing. I think I did what was right and what will be best in the long run. Maybe. No sense second-guessing.

So... let me know if you're coming to JCS this week, and I'll step out after the show to say hi.

On the road as of Saturday night, after our post-show closing night cabaret...

Two things...
ONE!
Check out the comments on the Friday, March 5 entry down below. A recent one makes me blush, smile, and do the Arsenio "woof woof" thing. (If you don't remember that "woof"ing, you might not be old enough to read this blog.)

TWO!
Due to some apparent hilarious text-related banner ad linkage on the part of my bloghost, you'll probably see ads for Winsor Pilates above this blog. Don Winsor, Pilate. s.

But "pie-luht", not "pill-ah-tee"... though that's historically debatable. It may have been "pih-lah-tay", or simply a soy mocha with double foam.

Just a little over two weeks left to see this production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR!

Then it's off to Florida for
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS

BYE BYE BIRDIE

THE WHO'S TOMMY
and finally

THE FANTASTICKS

That's the schedule for now, hoping to extend that list soon. That takes me into September.

TWO SUBJECTS! ONE POST!
I was recently offered my first crack at The Beast in Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. I was very excited.

I had to politely decline, the money and length of contract were simply not doable.

Now I have been offered my first crack at The Beast in Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST by a different company. Much more acceptable terms.

A dream role, to be sure. Very close to the top of the deck in cards I want to be dealt. It's Javert, then that, for me. I've gotten to play two other dream roles in the past year. Bully for me. I want to do this one!

And I don't know if I can take it, due to schedule circumstances and other obligations. Art v. Commerce stinks on ice.

Wish me well with this. Decisions must be made soon. I will be offered it again, right?

NEXT TOPIC

You! Yes, you! The person who has said things like "we'll try to make it to your show" and "Sure, we'll make it at some point"strong>

Come see JCS at the Dutch Apple! An amazing show!

The reviews say things like : "...is pitch-perfect as the tormented Pilate; every entrance he makes brings added nuance and depth."

"John Ashley is the perfect Jesus"

"Corwyn Hodge as Judas is magnificent"

"...The best Pilate's Dream I've ever heard"

"Free pie!"

This is not true. There is not free pie.

Seriously, though, if it is at all feasible you MUST see this JCS.

Discovered an amazing trick that will help a lot of you other itinerant actor types.

You know how you sometimes find yourself all phlegmy, clogged up, and generally not up to snuff (vocally, at least) when you go to a new job in a new area?

The difference in pollens, allergens, whatever, just play havoc with you?

Well, pretend you know what I mean. "Yes, Don, of course we understand."

LOCAL HONEY.

It's not the name of a new band. Actually eating local honey, raw as you can get it, helps immunize you to the different things in the area you'll go to. Even better, getting actual honeycombs - which contain even more beneficial stuff - will help. The honey contains such a concentrated amount of the area pollens and airborne allergens, it's really amazing how well it works. Your body is forced to work up an immunity to it.

And the side effects are something less than those of Olestra (TM)

The run is going extra well, it's getting warmer outside, and all is smurfy.

Except I'm kinda broke. Bah.

I love to play in the snow.

I do not, however, enjoy the pointless cold of this time in the winter. There is no fun snow, only dirty iced-up remains here and there of the four-week old snow that refused to melt when the other snow did. Now what we have is a brilliantly sunny day which deceives you indoors into thinking, "hey, look how sunny! Let's spend some time outdoors!"

However, the moment you step outdoors you're the butt of nature's practical joke. Very cold it is. One day it's in the relatively balmy fifties, the next day at the same time - the teens. And we hates the teenses, as Gollum might say.

I haven't had my coffee yet. The world alters with the ingestion of that foul pressed and dripped dilution.

Counting "full-out" tech runs into opening, we did 13 performances of JCS last week. Easily the hardest week, by far.

We made it through that, so logically we should be able to make it throught the "easier" weeks, no problem.

Check out this nifty stuff with images from the show!

www.cafeshops.com/dutchapplejcs

This production of Jesus Christ Superstar is the best I've ever seen, much less been part of.

If you can possibly see it, travel here and do it. It is really wonderful.

I don't say that kind of thing very often - but I've seen a lot of JCS and this is my personal overall favorite.

We preview tomorrow, open Thursday, and run through March 27.

To paraphrase Lando Calrissian, I've just made a deal that'll keep the Empire out of here for a good while.

More on that soon. Nuthin' huge, but some good bookings for the coming year.

Hello again to those of you who've come here in a professional capacity!

Available sound clips onsite right now:

If I Can't Love Her from Beauty and the Beast

Javert's Suicide from Les Miserables

Or Click here to request a copy of my enhanced CD with 10 audio tracks, photos, resume, and more!

I was just reading a post on a friend's site relating how tired many of us are of the newly-coined word "metrosexual."

If that word stands as a valid addition to our language, the pidgeon-English it is quick becoming, I submit the following words and request your definitions and additions! E-mail or comment your answers.

"Invitrosexual"
"Ferrignosexual"
"Hohohosexual"
"Miraclegrosexual"
"Bilbosexual"
"Rolosexual"
"Gothamsexual" (does anyone get that?)
"Hobosexual"
"Cocoasexual"
"Totosexual"
"Robosexual"
"Alpacinosexual"
"Albinosexual"
"Drowsexual"
"Viggosexual"
"KissmygritsFlosexual"
"Rowrowrow(yourboat)sexual"

etc.

This is decidedly not a work-related entry. However, if you are here as a result of a mailing or other inquiry, please feel free to browse around or check the link in the entry below to request a copy of my demo CD.

Home. They say you can't go back again, but you really can. Sometimes I visit home and I feel like a foreign presence in a familiar world that is somehow still not my own.

Other times, the best times, it's like just pulling up in the driveway as though I'd only made a run to the grocery store and can pull the warmth, love, familiarity... and so much of my stuff... around me like a comforter.

I'm home right now, for a beautiful wonderful vacation with the folks.

The pit of my stomach gnarls at the prospect of imminent departure. I don't want to go. Last time I left, someone wasn't here when I came back. That's a childish fear, but real. It isn't the only fear, either. Home is safe(r). Home can be easy... and even the difficulties home might present are tempered by the bonds of family that tug at or support you.

I love my family, and I wish my work didn't keep me away so very much of the time. Still, I chose and still choose this life - it's what I love and my family wouldn't have it any other way.

Pretty soon, I'm going to be Pontius Pilate. That's cool.

This concludes the self-absorbed part of our program.

Oh, who am I kidding...

January 11? How can that be? My vacation is flying away before my eyes. Slowly but surely I've been regaining myself as this little break has worn on.

Also... it's that time of year again. Greetings to those of you visiting this site for the first time thanks to an audition or mailing. I don't know how much more informative this site will be, but if you want to be on the cutting edge of knowing what's up with me, for further consideration or as an introduction...

Click here to e-mail a request for my Enhanced CD featuring 10 audio tracks, photos, resume, and other info here.

Javert's Suicide

If I Can't Love Her

Merry Christmas.

Finally, some sound clips. New headshots and a possible site redesign coming up soon.

You can either listen to the above clips directly or right-click and "save target as" to DL'em.