Fever

I am not feeling that great today. My nose has been stuffy for about a week now and today I have serious sore throat issues. So...I cancelled Annie rehearsals for today. I don't believe in getting others sick.

On a happier note, I started (or should say restarted) converting all of my LPs to digital format last night! The first on my stack to convert was "A Little Night Music" the fantastic waltz musical written by Sondheim based on the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night. The current revival starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury won't have a cast recording until later in February; until then this recording will have to suffice. One of my favorite songs in the show is "The Miller's Son", sung by Petra the maid, which offers a look at romance in terms not so far from the truth. I would suggest readers to check out Sara Ramirez performing the song on youtube.

More later on "A Little Night Music" but for now I should eat breakfast, get dressed and go pick up my book shelf from my sister's house. It is one of the final steps to completing my bedroom; for at the moment, I have boxes of books and records stacked in my room completely inaccessible for my reading or listening pleasure.

I can cheat the blogosphere

So...If I start a blog today and save it to my drafts then when I finally getting around to posting it the date will appear as the date I started it... not the day that I post it.

The last posting was made today 01/06/10... I started Annie on monday. Not back in December. Just thought that I would clear that up!

Maybe...

I started Annie yesterday and must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the talent that was chosen for this production. Not being able to be at the auditions caused me some dismay as to how the performs would sing but never fear three of the leads so far are very talented. I meant to start a vlog the other day but was so stressed about it I couldn't focus.

I have been away from my computer for a while and not in the mood to blog but I am back. It might have something to do with the fact that I watched "Julie & Julia" last night or it could be that I want to write. I wonder what kind of a countdown I could do. The Great Operas, an Analytical Approach to the Masters; Broadway Musicals of the 1940's; Listen to my entire musical collection and write about my favorite moments on each recording. The possibilities are endless. So readers, all 5 of you, what would you think is interesting? Besides my daily activities.

Oh, I visited my good friend Ms. Darbus downtown the other day. She is jumping head first into her new job, changing the world! I look forward to getting to sit down and visit with her. Such an optimist and so much fun to listen to her life stories. We always have so much fun gabbing and laughing.

Currently looking for a job...know of any available?

I am going to go transpose "Tomorrow" down a half step to match the performance track orchestrations. Luckily my computer can do that for me without too much fuss!

What to do, what to do?

Last week I finished up my run as Grumio in "Babes in Toyland, Barnaby's Story" by Mark Norwood. I was a lot of fun and really great to work with the author on this production. It will be another 6 months before I have the opportunity to work with this company again.

My next job, Music Director for "Annie". Rehearsals begin in a few weeks but principle music rehearsals begin next week (or as soon as I get schedules out) and it will be exciting.

My truly awesome sister bought me a Flip video camera for Christmas. Soon I will be adding video to the blog! Which will make it easier for me to update this blog. Look forward to some amazing rehearsal footage!

Dude!

Please save all the "Where's my Car!" references to high school students. In my current show I say "Dude" a total of 27 times according to the script. And I am sure that I have added a few extras here and there. It is one of the easiest roles I have had. And the hardest. The other day my scene partner went up on his lines and since he carries the actual plot in his half of the dialogue we froze. Those of you that are actors know how horrifying this can be. There we were with a paying audience, facing each other, with horror written all over our faces. "Dude" doesn't exactly jar any memories when it is said as much as I do. Our only hope was for me to pick a place in the script to jump to that he would be able to find me. Luckily one of those places was just a few lines down from where we were. I told him during rehearsals that he can't screw up since I can't really help him. This was our first big test. Did the audience know that we had screwed up? Maybe, but we kept moving and hoped that they would just assume it was part of the plot.

The next night we ran our entire scene before the show just to make sure we had it under control again. One of the great, and frustrating, things about our theater company is that the show is watched every night by the director and we get notes on how to change things. Blocking is being revised, delivery, characterization, everything is molded until we have a "perfect" show. My scene partner and I try to run our "notes" into our scene before the show each night so that we don't have to worry about them in front of the audience. Trust me it is hard to run a new set of blocking in front of an audience without rehearsing it.

I am rambling but I wanted to get something posted. More on the show later.

When it rains, it pours.

What happened to your car?

Yes, I am yet again without a vehicle. Yay me... On my drive to the theater last week my hood flew open and crashed my windshield. Needless to say, all the funds I had been saving for my big move will now be used to pay for car repairs.

Where are you working?

Oh, no where. That's right, I'm unemployed yet again.

What are you going to do?

Same thing we do every night Pinky; try to take over the world!

Okay maybe that last statement isn't 100% correct. But close. I am going to keep on going. I start job hunting on Friday. Not to worry, you can still see me at the theater doing my thing. That wasn't the job that I lost. Currently I am at my future home. I say future because I don't actually live here yet... I have to find a job and then I can move. My good friend, David Bowie, and I are going to be living together. As soon as I find a job. Did I mention I was looking for a job?

Auditions are coming up rather quickly for Spelling Bee... whatever shall I sing?!?!? If I don't get Spelling Bee then I will be taking a short break from acting. However, I will be producing/tech directing Cemetery Club in January. I have spent the day working on budgets and reports from the last show. I will keep you all up to date as I move along the process.

For tickets to my show visit: www.gcplayers.com/2ndspace.html

Two hours before Call, suppose I should find foodage and head to the theater. Chat at you all later.

My Parents say that my future is on the horizon.

"Tell them the horizon is an imaginary line that recedes as you approach it. "

Thank you Mona Lisa Smile for that great quote! And for squashing my dreams! Just kidding. During my commute to and from the theater each day I have an hour and a half to think about anything and everything.

My drive has become routine and fairly monotonous. The worst part of my drive just happens to be the last 5 miles of my trip home. It is a beautiful sight to be sure, but still that part of the drive takes the most out of me. Let me paint you a picture, as round the last few turns in the foothills coming into town you can see the entire city lit up at night. You can see the city from edge to edge in our little valley and it is a fantastic sight. It looks so beautiful and inviting. But then you get closer and you start to see the "flaws", the "imperfections", the "bad". I have lived here most of my life, sure I went away for school (if you call that away) but this has always been my home. So I started thinking how true that quote from Mona Lisa Smile is: "The horizon is an imaginary line that recedes as you approach it."

I have lost count to how many times people have told me that my career or future was on the horizon... and each time I get closer it slips away. Every time I feel like it is just within reach I blink and it is out there again and I have to begin the journey again. We make plans, we build, we organize, we strategize but at the end of the day things do not always work out the way we wanted. Which can be a real shocker to an actor. I began to ponder why we do it to ourselves; not only as actors but as humans beings, what makes us keep pounding our head on the wall hoping that the wall will fall instead of giving us a splitting headache? I couldn't come up with an answer.

Where did those plans for that show I was writing go? Why am I not a full time actor? Why am I still living in this small town? What happened to my so called "vocal career"?

Oh, how those thoughts have hounded me for the past couple of days! Then the other night, as I was driving home, it came to me. Even though the horizon is an imaginary line that recedes as you approach it the objects don't! CAMP ALERT!!! The goals that we set for ourselves may be "out there" and sometimes you may not be able to see them. Perhaps from lack of trying or maybe because there are new adventures that have loomed on the horizon before you reach your destination. Or maybe they are no longer there because you have gotten there and just haven't looked down at your feet. Or maybe you got there and you were too blinded by the flaws and imperfections that you kept on driving, too afraid to stop.

I do it all the time. I am too afraid to stop. Too afraid to see what would happen if I took a leap. Heck, even too afraid to take a baby step. The great thing about dreams is you can almost always turn the car around and go back...as long as you catch it in time.

So, here is to staying positive and driving towards those dreams...