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.