Amy Grant - Grown-Up Christmas List

So in my bitterness this morning of being called in to work (back to back doubles is NOT happy time), I wanted to share something happy.  This is probably my favorite Christmas song.  And to my knowledge, Amy Grant was the first person to perform it but, as with any Christmas song, it's possible a hundred people did it before her.  This is one of the albums I remember most listening to around this time of year when I was in high school.  I like the fact that it's a simple little song with a simple message that doesn't try to blatantly rip your heart out like some other "holiday" songs.  Oh, "Christmas Shoes" how I hate thee!

Anyway, enjoy!  Hopefully, sharing this from YouTube doesn't mean you have to sit through the State Farm ad like I did.  Either way though, I hope it puts you in a festive mood.  Five more days until Florida!



Until next time...

When Do Compliments Turn Into Jobs?-Scorecard #6

So things have been pretty slow on the audition front, lately.  This time of year, things slow down for the holidays before they pick back up again in January.  So there hasn't been much for me to go to and talk about but, I did manage an audition yesterday that I almost talked myself out of.

It wasn't until the last minute that I decided to go.  What convinced me was that the theatre is in Jacksonville,  and not all that far from Orlando.  I wouldn't too far from my O-Town gang.

Because I waited until the last minute, I didn't show up at the studio until 11:00 but, figured I would take my chances with the alternate list anyway.  To my surprise, the woman in front of me had just cancelled her 2:50 time slot to take her chance on the alternate list in the hopes of getting seen sooner*. So, I gladly stepped up, took it and filled the extra time with dance class.

When it was time to go in, I sang my song and felt it went really well.  Afterwards, I was told, "VERY good.  BIG tenor voice.  And you know how to control it.  I LIKE that!"  Obviously, I was thrilled to hear that but I've also learned to take compliments, even sincere ones, with a grain of salt.  Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE being told that I did something great!  At least, up to that point where it starts to feel uncomfortable.  You know what I mean?  But a compliment is no guarantee of a job or even a callback.

I guess I'm just ready for someone to follow that compliment with a, "Why don't you come back tomorrow to read for us" or "We just so happen to have a contract for you, right here!"  That second on would be great!  However unlikely it would be.  I guess I'm just getting a little impatient and ready to get away from the survival job for a bit.

But for today, I'll just be happy with compliments and get ready for dance class.  I've almost made it through a full week of that so, I'll have to write up a report for you soon.  But for now, we'll add another success to the scorecard.

Audition Scorecard 2010-2011

                   9 Success

                   4 Fails  (3 Type Out)

A winning record going into the winter break.  Nice!  

Until next time...

*A little side note.  At an EPA, there are about 5 or 6 names per time slot with each actor being allowed 3 minutes to audition.  If not everyone uses the full 3 minutes and there's time before the next group goes, they start calling from the alternate list to fill up the time.  The woman whose time slot I took wasn't so lucky.  She was still waiting when I was leaving.  Oops.  Maybe she shouldn't have been rude to me when she was leaving the line earlier. 

Broadway Blogspot Update 10: Old Friends Doing New Things

So, it's been quite a while since I decided to blog about our doings over at Broadway Blogspot.  I've kind of gotten wrapped up in writing about myself (which I guess is what most blogs do) but, I'm going to try and get these updates going again because the site is really growing and we've got so many past contributors who are doing some really cool things!

So, here we go:

1. If you haven't seen it yet, we've posted our newest video with Travis Kelley.  A dancer who turned to photography, Travis tells us who/what to look for when we need our photos done.  We learn a little about how dancing has taught him to "focus on the image."  He also gives us great advice for taking photos and if there's a "secret pose" when getting your pictures taken.  Check him out.
2. Playwright/Author David Matthew Barnes who wrote an article for us, "The Sky's the Limit", recently had his novel Mesmerized listed as a "Top Teen Read" on Amazon.  Very cool and congrats to him!
3. Producer Dani Davis and composer Jason Howland are currently touring with Handel's Messiah Rock's.  Together they have helped to blend classic rock sounds into Handel's original Messiah to give a little "updated" twist.
4. Our friends at Theatrical Gems have a benefit performance of the Cy Coleman musical Wildcat coming up on December 19.  This one time only performance benefits The Actor's Fund and features several Broadway vets, including Tony nominee, Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde). 

As you can see, there's a lot going on with us and with our friends.  Hopefully, you'll get a chance to check out there interviews and maybe what they're doing now.  Just click on their name or title to check out a video or to get more info about their current projects.  I'm gonna work on being better about getting updates posted on here to keep everyone up to speed about what we're doing at Broadway Blogspot.  Everyone is working really hard so, I hope you'll check everything out.

Until next time...

Black Friday... Why Still?

I just don't get it.  I don't get why people would stand in line for hours in the cold, waiting for a store to open at 3:00am, just to get something they could've easily ordered online and gotten for the same discount.  I've never gotten into the whole Black Friday thing.  I guess there's never been anything that I just HAD to have that I couldn't wait another few days for.

These days, the sales that the stores offer are also available when ordering online.  Wouldn't it be easier just to sleep in the day after Thanksgiving, get up, have your coffee and go to your store's website to get that special discount?  That seems much better to me than waiting in a mile long line for 4 hours, just to finally get into the store (which by now, resembles a war zone full of sardines) just to get into a fight with the hateful witch from across the street because she's trying to take the last Snuggie.  I mean, what's so bad about getting it online?  Sure you have to wait for it to ship but, you'll get it in a couple of days and STILL have all of your teeth and hair.

"But Marcus, it's about the excitement of getting those first deals of the season, in the store, with your friends and family," someone will say.  I don't care.  I'd rather keep my patience and sanity and spend time with my friends and family in a nice setting as opposed to spewing venom at one of them because they didn't get to that last copy of Dance Dance Revolution before the aforementioned witch (who is now missing chunks of hair) has snatched it off the shelf.

Just some random thoughts.  I'm heading to the Express website now.  I need some new sweaters and their sale lasts until noon.  But before that, I'm going to get more coffee.  What do you know?  I'm not freezing and I don't hate anyone, yet?  Well, the day's still early.  I should get it started.

Until next time...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a safe and excellent holiday.  I'm working at the survival job today but, that's ok.  I'm going home to Florida for a week next month so it's a fair trade.  Everybody eat, sleep and watch lots of football!  At least, that's what my family does.  Have a great day!

Dance Magic Dance

This past Friday, I went in to audition to be a part of a scholarship dance program here in the city.  If you were to look at my resume and see that I have zero dance training or performance listed on there, you might laugh and say, "What were you thinking?"  But since I was asked to come in, I decided it would be a good thing for me to try.  And try, I did.

You see, my experience with the dance is limited at best.  Where I grew up, we didn't have any dance schools in my hometown and besides, the guys were supposed to play football and baseball.  So my first experience with any dance class setting came during my apprenticeship at the Flat Rock Playhouse.  A few days a week, Bob "Cookie" Cooke would teach us the basics of Jazz (I think) and eventually taught us the entire opening combination to A Chorus Line.  It was one of the highlights of what is one of the best summers of my life.

I came back from that summer to finish my senior year of college and started a Beginner's Tap class that wasn't too far from campus.  Unfortunately in my haste to get started, I bought tap shoes that were about 2 sizes too small.  Little did I realize how much that would grow to hurt.  Also, I guess, I started in the middle of the term because, everyone else was working on this routine that the teacher had taught them.  Nothing was really explained and she just said, "Follow the others".  I followed as best I could but after about 3 or 4 months, I had chalked it up that dancing might not be for me.

Luckily, I've always had a bit of natural rhythm. Doing most musicals, I didn't have too much trouble picking up the choreography.  Enough ability that, if you'll recall, I did the drag queen back-up dancing.  But anytime an audition call required any serious dance training, I've always shied away.  Needless to say, I wasn't planning on auditioning for any dance programs anytime soon... or ever.

But when I heard that the people in charge of this particular program had wanted me to audition for them, I couldn't help but be intrigued.  I always knew that dancing was my weakest element when compared to acting and singing but, I was always afraid of taking classes for fear of being so far behind the rest of the class and just being told to "Follow the others".  I wasn't looking forward to being behind and not having a clue as to how to catch up.

The interview process was interesting.  I was asked why there was no dance on my resume and I mentioned an intimidation factor about going to classes at the larger places around the city.  That was met with, "That won't necessarily change because you get into this program."  True but, I've grown to realize how much I need to suck it up and get some formal training under my belt.  The interview was pretty simple.  Just a chat about why I hadn't had training before.

There were seven of us on the night of the audition.  I went first and sang my song.  It felt really good and I got smiles back from the people watching so, that was a positive thing.  I tried to hear the others but the sax lesson and karate class nearby were too loud to get a good listen.  The tough part was still to come.

While we had a little time before the dance part started we were sent to another room to warmup and stretch.  Immediately, I noticed I was the only one without dance shoes.  I had on my Skecher sneakers while everyone else had their little Capezios.  It was also fun to watch everyone else throwing their legs over their heads and dance stretching while I was stretching more for a football game.

When the dance part started, they said, "Let's do the scary ballet combo first."  Oh great, I thought, No chance of even faking my way through this.  The next thing she says is, "Ballet is not something you can fake."  Ugh!  Then she looks directly at me and says, "If you have no training, you can't fake it so just do something."  Which is what I did.  I did almost everything the others did but, without any sort of ballet grace.

Next, we moved on to a jazz combo.  I think I fared a bit better at this one but, it was still not easy.  It was a cool combo from West Side Story though and I know I could have gotten it if we had more time.  But I made it through and no one laughed at me but me so, I took it as a good sign. (SUCCESS)

Overall, it was a pretty interesting experience.  Everyone else was far ahead of me as far as dance training but, that's not what the program is about.  It's more for people they feel are already marketable and just need the added help of dance to push them over.  So dancing ability, is not the deciding factor.  Pretty much the interview and singing were.  So, I'm hoping that those went well enough for me to get me in.  I'd love to be a part of the program.  I'll keep you posted as to what happens.

Until next time...

Singing Through Sickness

So, I have a new audition update to share.  This one had me trying not to pass out.

This one was for the theatre, in Florida, that I had auditioned for about a month ago.  No, they didn't call me back.  They were having a chorus call for one of the shows in their season and I figured it wouldn't hurt to go back in.  Plus, I have a friend work is part of the production team so I was hoping that would give me a small advantage.

The problem was that I had gotten a stomach bug the day before that had kept me on the couch for the entire day.  It probably didn't help that I didn't eat anything that day either so, I was feeling pretty weak the morning of the call.  But, I made myself get up and go.  Plus I thought if I did well and got a good word from my friend, I might get to spend a couple of months in Florida.

Other than not going for the really high notes at the end, the song went really well.  As far as my friend putting in a word, I have no idea.  Unless they're THE person making final decisions, I'm not really sure how much pull that kind of thing can have.  Good words are always helpful no matter how high up the production chain someone is but, they can only do so much.  Plus, the show was Guys and Dolls so the people behind the table may have seen the absence of dance on my resume and probably said, "Next please."

You know what though, I still got up and went with a sickness still bugging me and did well.  Auditions are the easiest thing to blow off when you don't feel well since 99% of the time no one has asked you to be there.  So, I'm calling this one a SUCCESS!

I'm going to save another audition for another post since i've got to get going to work.  The next one involves dance.  And believe me, it ain't something I do everyday or that's ver pretty when I do.

Until next time...

Back To Normal

For the past week, I've been without my computer.  I thought I was going to go crazy!  It's always amazing to me when I get these little reminders of how much I've come to rely on technology.  There was a, sort of, comfort level that was missing by not hearing the soft clicking of keys on the keyboard or running my fingers along the track pad to choose a link.

The problem with my computer started well over a year ago.  It started making this little buzzing noise that never seemed to stop.  I finally decided enough was enough and took it in to the Apple store where I was promptly told that "computers make noise".  No joke, that's what he said.  It should be noted that my MacBook had miraculously stopped making the offending buzz noise while I was in the store so, he heard nothing unusual.  Of course I felt like an idiot so, I took my computer home thinking the problem was in my head.

For the next year and a half, the noise would come and go and get louder and louder until it sounded as though someone one using a chainsaw in the apartment.  Finally, I called Apple and the associate, who could hear the sound through the phone, sent me to an authorized dealer because it would be "faster" than the Apple store.  The fan needed to be replaced and was covered under my warranty so it wouldn't cost anything.

The whole thing took about a week to get done but, it felt like an eternity.  I never realized how much I've come to rely on using this thing.  Not just to check my mail but, for Facebook, Twitter, to write this blog, check for auditions, etc.  I know, I know... most of that stuff I can do on the phone but, it's a lot easier to do on here.

Anyway, I'm back and all is right with the world for today.  Not sure I have anything to say but, at least I have the tool to write it when I do.  I've got couple of new auditions to write about from the last week so maybe I'll start writing about them before I forget what happened.

Until next time...

Devil Boys After the Revolution

The past two days I've had the pleasure of seeing two plays that are total opposites.  The first, dealt with family secrets coming to the surface in Amy Herzog's After the Revolution.  The second, was the campy alien invasion piece Devil Boys From Beyond written by Buddy Thomas and Kenneth Elliot.

I had no idea what to expect when I went in to see After the Revolution at Playwrights Horizons.  The only thing I new about the play was that it had Mare Winningham.  So, I was a little surprised that it was a tense family drama about secrets exposed.

You see Emma, played by Katharine Powell, grew up believing that her grandfather was always fighting for the little man.  The types of people who are always being pushed around for not fitting the status quo.

Well, he did that but fifty years before, he was also a spy for the Soviet Union.  Her whole world is turned upside down to learn this and deals with the new knowledge of the man she's always known to be one thing, who now turns out to be someone else.

Overall, it was certainly a show to make you think.  What your hero turns out to be not quite so heroic?  How would you react?  It's easily the kind of play that could head straight down a boring path but, is kept on the interesting side thanks to an overall excellent cast.  My biggest problem was really that we didn't get to see more of the lovely ladies, Mare Winninham and Lois Smith.  The show could have used more of both of them.

On Friday, I got to see something that was the polar opposite of After the Revolution.  That, of course would be Devil Boys From Beyond.  A funny, campy play now playing at New World Stages.

Devil Boys follows newspaper reporter Mattie Van Buren (Paul Pecorino) and her photographer and former husband Gregory Graham (Robert Berliner) as they travel to Lizard Lake, Florida to investigate news of a possible alien invasion and abduction.  Along the way, Mattie is trying to keep the alcoholic Gregory away from booze while not having her story "scooped" by her bitter rival, Lucinda Marsh (Chris Dell'Armo).

This play is high camp of the first order.  In fact, it reminded me of a Charles Busch play and Pecorino's Mattie, reminded me a lot of one of Busch's trademark characters.  That's a true compliment from me, being a big Charles Busch fan.  Everything is played so over the top you can't help but laugh at the situation, no matter how ridiculous it may seem.

Overall, I'd say that both plays were definitely worth a viewing.  They're also a good way to see some diversity in theatre because they are so different from each other.  From the serious realistic nature of After the Revolution, to the over the top camp of Devil Boys.  I'd say depending on what you're feeling, they're both worth it.

After the Revolution runs through November 28th at Playwrights Horizons and Devil Boys From Beyond is at New World Stages for only 36 performances which began Nov. 3rd.

Until next time...

Finding the Funny: Scorecard Update #5

Well, this week brought about a new challenge in the audition world.  I had to do 16 bars of something funny.  You see, they were holding auditions for The Book of Mormon, the new musical from Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the guys from South Park) and Robert Lopez (one of the writers of Avenue Q).  So when they ask in the breakdown for something comedic, this is the time to pull out the hilarious big guns.  Well, I don't have any comedic hilarity in my musical arsenal, at the moment, so this was gonna require a little work.

My original, thought was to do my song from Triumph of Love.  But at my coaching, Michael and I decided that that song wasn't quite the funny that I needed to have.  I didn't have anything that fit the bill so we had two options: learn a new song in one day or change the lyrics on something we already had.  We decided it would be better to change up something already in my book.  The song that we decided on the one that's become my "old reliable", Who I'd Be.  I  already have a 16 bar cut so, we just changed up the lyrics to make them funny and appropriate to the show and got to work on it.

So yesterday, I was off to Ripley-Grier to sing my newly changed lyrics for the music director and casting person.  From my side of the table, everything went great!  I remembered the lyrics, the notes were all there and I made it as sincere as possible.  I figured sincerity would make the humor come out better than forcing it. On their side, I'm not so sure they got that.  I didn't notice their reaction during the song because I was in the moment but after, they weren't exactly wiping away tears of laughter.  They were very nice, don't get me wrong.

I'm not quite sure what I was expecting.  I guess in my head I thought that it would be so hilarious that they'd stand up and applaud after I finished.  But in reality, I was the 50th guy they saw.  Which means 49 guys had gone in before me trying to do their version of funny.  So, it could've been that they were  already tapped out on laughter when they got to me.  Maybe they were just quiet people, laughing on the inside.  Maybe they hated it.  Who knows?  I was happy with how it went and, for now, that's what has to matter.  I went in and did something different so I'm putting this one on the side of success.

So, we update the scorecard:

  Audition Scorecard 2010

                   6 Success

                   4 Fails  (3 Type Out)

Until next time...

Another Type Out, Frustration Ensues: Update #4

I know that I've said before that being typed out at an audition isn't all bad.  It saves you the time of going in and singing when they weren't looking for someone like you in the first place.  But, there are those times when you know that you're right for a particular show and you still get cut anyway.  Those times can be so FRIGGING FRUSTRATING!  As was the case yesterday.

This one was for Catch Me if You Can, the musical based on the Steven Spielberg movie that had Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.  Now I've seen the movie.  I really liked it too but, more importantly, I know that there are people of my type throughout the whole thing.  So, I went to the casting office pretty much expecting to get to sing for it.  Not meant to be.

Of my group of 20, they kept 5 guys and I was, obviously, not one of them.(FAIL)  This is the third time in a row for this particular casting company and it's starting to get frustrating.  What's it gonna take to even get to sing for them anymore?  I just wish that, if casting people are going to type, they would just post, at the sign-in table, a notice saying what they want on that day.  It could say, "40-something African Americans, 6'2" or taller," if that's who they want to see.

I know that they have to say that they'll see anyone with a paid up Equity card but, let's face it, isn't casting the highest form of discrimination (yes, it's a harsh way to describe it but I'm irked, at the moment)?  When a writer and director collaborate on a play, don't they have a pretty specific image of what the characters should look like?  Those mental pictures are what the casting people are using to find actors for a project.  Yes, that's the business and, of course, I understand it but, it doesn't make it any less frustrating sometimes.

So, we update the scorecard:

  Audition Scorecard 2010

                   5 Success

                   4 Fails  (3 Type Out)

Until next time...

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

I think it's such a great experience to see a brand new show that is still in previews!  At that point, barely anyone has heard the music and so you feel like you're being let in on a little secret.  That's how I felt going into the Belasco Theatre, Thursday night, to see the new musical Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

The musical, written by David Yazbek with a book by Jeffrey Lane, is based on the Pedro Almodovar film of the same name.  The show is written in a kind of telenovela format for the stage.  I'm not quite sure that everyone around me really got that concept.

I do have to say, as of now, the show isn't really easy to get into.  The opening number (My Crazy Heart) just felt a little odd as an introduction to the show.  I'm not quite sure what the purpose of it was because, while all the women are there, you don't really "meet" any of them.   Anyway, the story doesn't really get started until after it ends and, from then on, I had no problem getting it.

In fact, my biggest problem with the music was the fact that the songs that started both acts just didn't seem necessary.  The Act Two starter, "Madrid", was an ok song but did nothing to help advance the story and could easily have been cut (it still could be, seeing how there's still two weeks of previews left).  It didn't help that the Act One closer, "On the Verge", was a great ensemble number that left us with a really cool closing image.  It just seemed as though someone thought, "We need more dancing.  Let's hold off on really starting the second act until after we after we've added some more dancing."  And really, the choreography by Christopher Gattelli didn't really deserve its own number.

The impressive and constantly moving set was designed by Michael Yeargan.  There were also projections by Sven Ortel that added to the overall production.  These helped to move the action along and were pretty much characters in themselves.  The night we saw, everything moved smoothly with no stops.

The human characters of the show were played by what has to be, in my mind, the best ensemble on a Broadway stage right now.  Each of them had their moment in the spotlight and grabbed it.  Sherie Rene Scott had what would be considered the lead role of Pepa, the mistress with great gazpacho and a message to deliver.  I was excited to finally get to see her on stage and she didn't disappoint.  Her accent seemed a smidge shaky at the start but, her performance wasn't.  She took control of the stage and everyone around her like the star should.

As great as she was though, she had two ladies stealing the show at every turn.  Patti Lupone (another one I was SO excited to see!) and Laura Benanti both were hilarious playing a crazed ex-wife (Lucia) and a suspicious model (Candela).  I wasn't too keen on Patti's first number, "Time Stood Still", mainly because of the way it was staged but her second, "Invisible", gave her the chance to shine the way she deserves.  Laura's number "Model Behavior", was easily one of the highlights of the show.

As this show is about women, the men were relegated to being off stage for a lot of the time.  Danny Burstein was very funny as the taxi driver but, unfortunately, he's the one that gets stuck with the "Madrid" number.  Brian Stokes Mitchell, easily has the "paycheck" role.  He comes on, sings a song or two and then leaves but, he makes the most of it.  Justin Guarini was the nicest surprise of the cast for me.  Expectations were low for this American Idol runner-up but, he did a very nice job as Carlos.  But then, you'd better do a nice job when you're playing the son of Patti and Brian Stokes!

Overall, I thought the show was great for where it was.  It still has two weeks of previews to gel before opening but, I think they've got it for the most part.  I DO find it a bit unfortunate that, as of now, my two biggest issues with it were the beginnings of both acts.  Also, the ending was a bit abrupt and the audience didn't know it was over until the ensemble came out to take their bows.

I liked the way that the audience is thrown into the story but, I don't think that was the general consensus from the crowd around me.  During the intermission, some were still confused as to who some of the characters were since they weren't really introduced.  Maybe this will work itself out during the rest of previews.  Possibly by fixing that opening number?

Anyway, I think the show is in good shape and would love to go back and see what that cast and director Bartlett Sher do with it between now and opening.

Until next time...

"It Gets Better" (Broadway sings for the Trevor Project)

Since today is Wear Purple Day to bring awareness to teen bullying I decided to share this video of Broadway performers singing "It Gets Better" written by Jay Kuo and Blair Shepard.

Now usually when these "celebrity" group songs are recorded, I roll my eyes to the point of having them fall out of my head.  Because most of them just come across as a way of getting your face on a camera for everyone to see your "good deed".  And I'll admit, I had avoided this song for the same reason before I finally watched it today.  But if you listen to it, it's simple message is about as sincere as you can get.  And the group doesn't come across as trying to be "do gooders".  They look like people who've probably been through the same thing wanting to tell others that things will be ok.  Just stick around to see.

I think the recent stories of suicides due to bullying has finally hit home for a lot of people.  Doesn't matter who you are, EVERYONE was bullied by someone as a kid.  For whatever made you different from them.  Where does that come from?  Is it religion?  Is it family?  I don't know.  My family is a fairly conservative bunch (I'm probably the most liberal of all of them) but, they've NEVER thought it was ok to treat other people without respect.  If you don't like someone, just don't talk to them.  You don't continually hurt them to the point of making them want to kill themselves.

All of this recent news make me sad and angry.  NO one should ever be made to feel that low.  So low that they think the only option is death.  This kind of thing has been going on forever but, I'm glad it's finally getting the attention it, sadly, deserves.  Hopefully, some of the people doing the bullying will actually realize how much it hurts people and stop. Things will get better.  It just takes some time.

Anyway, watch the video.  It really is a great song.  Have a great day!



Until next time...

Les Mis in Concert – The 25th Anniversary Event to Be Shown In U.S.

Here is some awesome news that the special 25th Anniversary conert of Les Miserables is going to be screened in select movie theaters on November 17th.  This musical has a special place in my heart because it's the one that made me decide that becoming a performer is what I truly wanted to do.  So needless to say, I'm gonna do my darndest to get to one of the theaters it'll be showing in so that I can see it.

I do have one reservation for the whole thing.  Really?  They had to get Nick Jonas to play Marius?  What no actor who's got any name for himself was worthy of singing the role?  I beg to differ.  I could probably come up with at least a dozen in the next few minutes who are the right type and age.  Whatever, I still view it as a "MUST SEE!"


Les Misérables in Concert – The 25th Anniversary Event to Be Screened In U.S. Cinemas - Playbill.com

Scary Movie Nostalgia Trip... The Re-Imagining

Back in July, I was playing around on Netflix and came across the original A Nightmare on Elm Street.  I decided to watch it and it brought back the memory of my first scary movie.  I blogged about it on here in Scary Movie Nostalgia Trip.  That first experience is still the gold standard by which I judge all horror movies today.  It's also why I've been so hesitant to sit through the "re-imagining" that was released into theater earlier this year.

The recent trend of horror movie remakes held no interest for me, up to this point.  The original Halloween was a great movie but, I haven't liked any movie Rob Zombie has made so I had no interest in his remake.  The original Friday the 13th is just a terrible movie so why would I want to see a remake of something that was already awful?  Although thanks to streaming Netflix, I'm now going through the entire Friday series so I'll probably watch the new one just to be a completist.  Anyway, I finally gave in to the resistance and ordered the latest Nightmare on demand.

I have to admit, at the start, the movie had a couple of strikes against it.  One was the fact that Robert Englund was not part of the movie.  He's the ONLY Freddy Krueger for God's sake!  How do you do the movie without him?  The other was the lack of involvement by Wes Craven.  He created these characters and directed the original.  Any horror fan can tell you what happened to the series when he left.  But, I was determined to give this new one a fair shake and that's what I did.  Be aware this may be a bit spoilery.

Well, I wasn't a big fan of the changes.  First off, they tried to bring Freddy into the 21st century by making him the ghost of a child molester getting revenge on the kids who turned him in as opposed to just being some crazed child killer.  So now he has a motive but, why give him one?  He didn't need an entire backstory that, while somewhat interesting, is unnecessary.  It just seemed like an attempt at giving sympathy to a character who doesn't need it.   I also think it just reduces him to any other horror movie character.

Plus, another thing that made Freddy such an iconic character was that he was the first of these horror movie killers to actually speak.  And he could be funny, when he did.  This new Freddy is just creepy and has no humor whatsoever.  Jackie Earl Haley is a great actor but the way he speaks his lines just sounds silly, not scary or funny.  It doesn't help that now, knowing he's a pedophile, his "jokes" just come across as gross.  And yes, I know it's a horror movie and he isn't supposed to be sweet but this is a remake of a classic.  It's gonna draw comparisons.

As a whole, the cast seems to have been given valium before each scene was shot.  Ironic huh, for a movie where everyone is supposed to be trying to stay awake.  And the WORST offender of this is our supposed heroine, Nancy.  She's played by Rooney Mara and the only thing that would be less interesting would be watching a snail trying to cross a six-lane highway.  It made me long for original Nancy, Heather Langenkamp, and while she was over the top, she made we want to cheer her on.

Nancy's mom in this one is no longer an alcoholic.  You won't find this one passed out holding a bottle of vodka.  Also, Nancy's father is nowhere to be found.  I guess this is supposed to make her the "tough, single mom" but, she just comes across as a total witch who is hiding the past from her daughter. 

Which brings up the question: How is it that not ONE of these kids has a single memory of what happened back in the day?  Did the parents have them all brainwashed?  This new past involved an entire pre-K/Kindergarten class and not a single one has single memory of ANYTHING that happened?  But, I digress.

Ok, enough of the negative stuff.  There were elements of the new movie I DID like.  First off, the references made to certain scenes from the original were really cool.  The use of the CGI was also pretty effective for the most part.  Especially, when the kids are dreaming awake and the scene is flashing around them from drug store to boiler room in the same second (hard to explain that one).  The only time I found issue with the new graphics was in this movie's version of the bed scene (remember Johnny Depp?) and the final shot of Nancy's mom at the front door.  I think  the CGI actually takes away from these two scenes.  In the first movie, they came across more "real".  In this one, it was a little more obvious they used computer graphics.  I guess it's just one of those times when CGI isn't always an improvement.  But they were still fun to watch for nostalgic reasons.

Another thing this had going for it were the actual scares.  There were a few times I did jump.  That doesn't happen very often anymore.  So I think, if I had seen this movie on it's own terms I would've liked it more.  It's a pretty good scary movie.  But seeing how this was a "re-imagining", I couldn't help but compare it to the original.  I just didn't care for the story changes.  And in 25 years, people are just going to lump this in with all the others from "that period when they remade all the good horror movies".  Whereas the original will be still seen as one of films that helped to shape an entire genre. 

Until next time...

Deep Throat's Abrupt Closing

It's never good when a production has to close unexpectedly due to horrible reviews or low ticket sales.  But when circumstances beyond your control bring about the demise of a show, it just SUCKS!  That's how I'm feeling today regarding the news of the unexpected closing of The Deep Throat Sex Scandal due to a landlord-tenant dispute with the theater.  Read the Broadway World article here.

This is just another way to show that those of us involved in this business must either really love it or be nuts!  I'm guessing it's a combination of both.  We go through so much just to get cast in a show but once that happens, there's always the chance that the producers will decide to go another direction and replace you OR that the production will be cancelled before it even gets to opening.  It can be such a hateful and unforgiving business at times but, for those involved there's nothing else we'd rather be doing.   

My heart goes out to the people involved with DTSS because I personally know some of the people on the production team. The show had JUST had its official opening this past Sunday and had only played two regular performances. This business is hard and shows close all the time but, not usually because the performance space has been seized by the bank.  

So here's hoping that everyone involved in the show will find something new to fall into quickly and that the show itself (which I thought was fun, if not great) will find its legs in another space sometime in the future.  I know they're all professionals and know that this is the nature of our, sometimes cruel, business.  But for today, it sucks!

Until next time...

Squeezin' In - Scorecard Update #3

I usually try to avoid going to auditions on a Tuesday because that's the long day at the survival job.  I get to work at 10:30 a.m. and might not get out until after midnight.  So starting my day a few hours earlier by waiting to be seen by casting people isn't at the top of my list.  But last Tuesday, I decided to make the exception.  A well known theater in Florida was having their season EPAs and I wanted to go so, I sucked it up and went to be seen.

Unfortunately it turned out that this was the only day that they were having musical EPAs so, when I got to the sign-up table, all of the time slots had been taken. At an EPA once all of the time slots have been filled, they put you on the alternate list and call names from that, if time allows.  Depending on the audition monitor, the alternate list can run pretty quickly and I was number 23 so, I took my chance at waiting to see if I could get in before heading to work.

At the same time, another theater out of Pennsylvania was also holding auditions for their upcoming production of Annie.  Now it's been a million years since I've seen Annie and I'm not sure if there's even anything in it for me but, I took the opportunity to use it as a warm-up and try out a new song.  It wasn't  really in the style of the show but I've been told that, if they like you enough, it doesn't matter what style song you have.  I went in, sang the song and it went great! (success)  It was kind of obvious they had no intention of calling me back.  I wasn't what they were looking for and I knew this but, they liked the song so my purpose was still served.

While I was waiting in line to go in for Annie, my name was called off the alternate list for the Florida theater.  So, I got out of the Annie room and got in the Florida line.  In the Florida room, there was a smidge of a rough start.  The accompanist didn't play what I was expecting to hear so, we had to start over.  It's interesting how two pianists can play the same song two different ways.  But once we got into the song, I felt that it had gone better than before! (success)

I left the Equity building feeling great and ready for the long day of work ahead.  I DID show up about 15 minutes late but, that didn't matter.  Even if I had gotten in trouble, it wouldn't have mattered.  I had taken the chance of not being seen by anyone and, instead, was seen by TWO companies.  It was a good day!

So, as it stands:

            Audition Scorecard 2010
                   5 Success
                   3 Fails

I think I have a good shot at getting a callback from the Florida people so, I'll cross my fingers and let you know if it happens.

Until next time...

The Deep Throat Sex Scandal

For the first time, I got to attend my first opening night of an Off-Broadway show.  Now no, I'm not actually in the show but it was still pretty exciting to be a part of it.  Although I have to say, what I imagined in my head, wasn't quite how the whole thing turned out.  But, I still had a great time and got to see and interesting new show that could be the next Off-Broadway hit.

I guess because deals with the film that brought the world "porn chic", I was expecting to see a lot of old school adult film stars in attendance.  Either they didn't show or I just didn't recognize anyone because I don't know of any of them being there.  Plus the stars of the original Deep Throat, Harry Reems and Linda Lovelace, have either moved on from the business or passed away.

Speaking of Reems and Lovelace, the play's action features them both with Reems acting as the narrator.  We meet them at the start of their careers.  Reems (Malcolm Medera) is an actor working in way Off-Broadway plays and trying to make a living and Lovelace (Lori Gardner) is brought in to the adult film world by her abusive husband, Chuck Traynor (Zach Wegner).

The first act of the play deals with Linda and Harry meeting each other and how they both came to be a part of the film that would change their lives.  We also meet Gerard Damiano (John-Charles Kelly), the Queens hairdresser who directed the film.  Aside from those three characters, I'm not sure if any of the other characters are actually real people or just based on them.  Anyway, we also learn that the film was originally a flop before a Tennessee prosecutor decided to have 60 people, including Reems, arrested and tried on obscenity charges.

Act Two focuses on the trial and the defense's attempts to proclaim first amendment rights to protect the subject matter of the film.  As the narrator, of course, the focus is on Reems and what he is going through in trying to stay out of prison.

As a whole, the play is an entertaining "history" lesson.  Deep Throat and its trial were all events that occurred before I was born so, it was interesting to see what happened.  Malcolm Madera and Lori Gardner were both great as Harry and Linda.  In fact, one of my biggest gripes was that Linda all but disappears in the second act.  I realize that she wasn't part of the trial but, I wish they could have found a way to use her more.

My only gripe with the overall good cast was that John-Charles Kelly, the actor who plays director Damiano and attorney Alan Dershowitz, is almost indistinguishable in the two roles.  He was the same character just in different clothes and hair.

Also, I could have done without the the play's beating me over the head with its first amendment preachiness and thought it was pushing it a bit to claim that the film paved the way for every envelope pushing form of entertainment since,  even going so far as to have cast members listing off the names of film and television shows.

More on the positive side though, the costumes by Jeffrey Wallach were great in evoking that 70's porn vibe.  Also, the use of lights and video (designed by Graham Kindred and A2K Productions, respectively) really helped the look of the overall production.

The show may not be perfect but, it was fun to see.  I liked how David Bertolino and Jerry Douglas (the playwright and director) decided to play up the comic levels of the play instead of just trying for drama.  I think the humor and the cast are what save the show from being the total mess that it could have become when dealing with what still seems as a bit of a taboo subject.

Until next time...

Wrong Location and a Wet Mess - Scorecard Update #2

So, I realized that I hadn't done an audition update since the "crack" story and decided it was time.  This time around we have one audition and a "should've been"...

It seems like, lately, no audition day can seem to go as planned.  You know, get up, get ready, go sing and be done.  That would be lovely if I could have a day like that again and soon.  Anyway, these two were part of a double day in which I was doing a chorus call (ECC) for a New York theater company and an EPA for one in Maryland.  The NY company specializes in doing revivals of classics so, it would be my chance to do my R&H/Flower Drum Song again and make up for the crack that happened the time before.  With the other one, I was gonna get the chance to pull something new out of the book that we'd only worked on in coachings.

Since they were both happening in the same place, I could sign up for the EPA and wait for the ECC list to be read at the same time.  The list of names at an ECC are called a half hour prior to its start (if it starts at 10:00, the list is called at 9:30) so, I would be there in plenty of time.

Unfortunately, it chose to be a disgusting and rainy day here in NYC this particular Friday (and if you've read my Umbrella Rant, you know how I feel about rain here) so, the traffic was a little slower getting through the Lincoln Tunnel than expected.  But as long as I was there by 9:30, all was well.  And I was.  I was signed up for the EPA and waiting for ECC list to be read at 9:20.

One small problem though, by 9:35 no one had begun the list and nothing was said about why they were behind in calling names.  It was then that I finally realized I had gone to the wrong location for the ECC.... AAAARRRGGGGHHHH!  This meant a trek down about ten blocks and across an avenue in the nasty rain to try and get to the other studio before my name was passed on the list.

Needless to say, I arrived wet and sweaty to find out my name had been passed so I got at the end of the line which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Seems like the rain kept a lot of people away.  But still, being number 86 meant that I would have to wait until the 5th group before I could sing (we line up in groups of 20).  Luckily, I had some people to chat with which helped to improve my rotten mood and got me into more of a singing mood.  By the time I went in, all I cared about was making up for the crack... and I did! (success!)

The EPA was a different story. Having to go to the other place had thrown off my internal schedule for the day.  I had an appointment at 2:00 and work at 4:00.  My audition time for the EPA was 2:50 which meant everything had to be going smoothly, for the rest of the day, for me to get back in time.  Unfortunately, rain has a way of putting everything behind and this day was no exception.  I never made it back for the other call. (fail)  But, what can you do?  Things happen so, I just choose to believe it wasn't meant to be.  Besides the way my mood had deteriorated, it was probably better off that I missed it.

So that brings the seasonal scorecard total up to 6:

                         3  Success
                         3  Fails

Now as I may have said before, these numbers can change if there are any callbacks involved.  But, I think completely missing the call won't get me called back by these people.  The good thing is, they didn't even know I missed it.  Or is that good?  Shouldn't they have planned for me and been waiting with bated breath for my arrival?  Not really but, I liked the thought of people panting for me.

I've got 2 other auditions to update on the scorecard but, I'll save them for another post.


Until next time...

Umbrella Rant

In my three years of living in New York City, I have come to a conclusion.  It is possibly the greatest city in the world, at least in the US, for just about everything.  But there are two exceptions:

1) Money - Everything is so expensive but, you deal with it if you want to live here.

and 2) RAIN - This one is less obvious but occurs to me every time the weather takes a turn for the wet, which it did during the last week.

Now, I realize rain is an important and helps things to grow... blah, blah, blah.  I grew up in a very rural area of Florida where most people got their income from some sort of agricultural job.  So, I realize rain's importance to the environment.

In New York City though, there is hardly any grass anywhere and the rain just seems to cause people to be more stupid than they already are.  Most of this stupidity comes in the form of one object... the umbrella.

In my opinion, an umbrella is about useless.  In a city like this, the tall buildings serve as a wind tunnel in bad weather.  Umbrellas only seem to act as something to give you problems, hit other people in the face and hardly ever keep you dry.

People apparently have no concept of how to think of others when it comes to using their umbrellas.  They barrel down the sidewalk as if they are the only people out picking off, glasses, hair and eyeballs as they go.  I'm not sure how many times I've walked down the street and been hit the face with someone's 'brella because they don't seem to know how to move it out of the way.  It's really not that hard, I swear.  Maybe I could teach a class on umbrella etiquette.  People teach classes for everything these days.  I bet I could make some money at it.

It's really not that hard.  When another person is coming toward you, simply raise or lower your 'brella to avoid hitting theirs.  If it's stopped raining, close it.  If you walk under scaffolding, close it.  If you can't seem to do any of these things because you're too self involved, move to a city where you can sit in your car and be in your own little world, cut off from everyone around you.  I wonder how much I could get for teaching these 4 simple steps?

Maybe I'm asking too much.  Who knows?  Sometimes I think that common courtesy has gone out the window.  Am I getting old?  Is that why things like this bother me?  I don't know.  I just know it's supposed to rain today and I have to put on my helmet.  I'll be counting the scratches on my face when I get home.

Until next time...

My Broadway Blogspot Hosting Debut

So today, the Broadway Blogspot video about last week's Broadway Flea Market has gone up.  It's my debut as a host!  Unfortunately, I can't post the video here but I can add the link which is here.

Check it out and let me know what you think.  Hopefully, I'll get the chance to do more hosting in the future.


Until next time...

A Drag of a Time

As I was waiting to go into my coaching yesterday, I overheard the girl before me singing the song "Big Time" and it reminded me of a story I've decided to share.  It's about one of the most interesting jobs I've ever had.  This one's a little long but, hopefully worth it...

24th Annual Broadway Flea Market

Yesterday, I got to take a trip over to Shubert Alley and pay a visit to the Broadway Flea Market.  It's an annual fund raiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  I'd never gotten the chance to go in the past so I was very excited to go see everything that was going on.  In the process, I picked up some pretty cool stuff.

If you're thinking, "A flea market is just a booth with a bunch of stuff."  Well, that's exactly what it was.  "One man's junk is another man's treasure", right?  But, all of the stuff here was memorabilia from almost every Broadway show you could think of!  There were playbills, calendars, hoodies, you name it.

Like most of the BC/EFA events the Broadway celebs are always out to help the great cause.  I saw Kristin Chenoweth sitting at the Promises Promises table with her dog Maddie, signing autographs for fans.  At the  "Celebrity Table" there were plenty of people giving out autographs including Sean Hayes, Bebe Neuwirth, Chad Kimball and Montego Glover (both from Memphis), Wonder Years and Who's the Boss? stars Dan Lauria and Judith Light (both starring in Lombardi) and Jordin Sparks were all there.  To check out photos of all the celebs click here.

I spent a lot of my time waiting in line to spin the lucky wheel.  Depending on the amount of your donation, you got to spin the wheel a number of times for the chance to win tickets to a Broadway show.    I didn't manage to get the tickets but, I did get a window card from The Tempermentals (a show I never saw but, heard was great), a cast recording from A Year With Frog and Toad (a show I'd never heard of but, was told was good), a 13 the Musical t-shirt (never had much interest but, it's a free shirt) and a few other small things.  I also got a Broadway Bares calendar and a Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies hat.  I do have to say, my favorite find of the day was my Shrek the musical cap!  I have a big soft spot for that show.

Also, the other part of my day was hosting the video that we were filming for Broadway Blogspot.  I've never hosted any of the videos before so, I'm a little anxious to see how it turned out.  It was pretty cool, though, to get the chance to work with the site in a different way than my usual tweeting and Facebook posting.

Overall, it was a great day for BC/EFA.  The organization was able to raise $476,917 to go towards helping to get rid of a terrible disease!  To find out more about Broadway Cares, got to www.broadwaycares.org.  Also, our Broadway Blogspot video about the flea market will be up this Friday.  I'll keep you posted when I make my hosting debut.

Until next time...

RIP Bergamo's

As most anyone in or out of the entertainment world knows, most performers spend most of their lives working a survival job.  You know, those jobs you have to work to pay your bills?  But, it's not necessarily the place you want to wind up retiring from.  Most performers, like myself, wind up working in restaurants because, not only does it pay the bills but, it's a relatively easy job to learn and schedules are usually flexible around auditions.

Now let's face it, I've never been a fan of working as a server but, I've been fortunate to work in different places where I did my job well enough and liked everyone I've worked with so I didn't need to be changing jobs every 6 months.  But there is one place, in particular, that holds a special place in my heart.  That place was Bergamo's.

I started working at Bergamo's Italian Restaurant in January of 2004.  What made this place unique was that all of the servers were performers.  Not unusual for a restaurant I know BUT, in addition to our serving duties we would also perform 4 sets of music every night.  And I don't mean in that crappy Ellen's Stardust kind of way, I mean, opera and musical theater songs in a fine dining atmosphere.

It was probably, even still, the best serving job I'd ever had.  Not because we made crazy money or anything like that but, because it was the only place of it's kind, in Orlando, that allowed the servers to actually do what they loved to do while they were waiting tables.  It wasn't unusual for your server to drop off your martini and the head to the piano to sing a Puccini aria or something from Les Miserables.  To those of you who never went, I know it might sound cheesy but, believe me, it wasn't.

Anyway, more important than the music were the wonderful people I got to meet and work with over the course of the 3 1/2 years I was there.  Little did they know when they met me, what a handful I was going to be for all of them as I was in the midst of a, kind of, downward spiral.  But they were beautiful and talented people who came to be some of my best friends.

I left the Berg in June of 2007 when I decided it was time to move to New York.  And even though a lot in my life (and theirs) has changed, I've never forgotten any of the people that I've met over my time there.  I still think of them often and the impact they made on me (I'm starting to hear the musical strains of For Good in my head, oy!).

This whole post was brought on by the fact that I learned yesterday that Bergamo's finally closed its doors.  Apparently, due to financial issues with the owner that finally did the place in.  It's not really that surprising because the place had been having financial issues since before I ever started working there.  But it's still sad, many very talented people have now lost another outlet to perform in Orlando.

So, I wanted to take some time to give a shout out to all those people from my Bergamo's days.  I can't list everyone here because there are too many to name and I'd be constantly editing to add people I'd forgotten.  I miss you all and wish you all the best!  Yes, I too can be sentimental when the mood strikes me.

Anyway, that's enough for now.

Until next time...

Ok so screw it, I decided to be a sappy sentimentalist after all.  It's my blog, I can do what I want.  This is the best clip I could find of Kristin and Idina doing For Good.  According to the summary, it's from Kristin's last performance.  Forgive the quality and the subtitles.  This song gets me every time.  Have a good one.

Rock of Ages

Ahh, the eighties!  The decade in music where the guys had longer hair than the girls and if your rock band didn't have a power ballad or a hard driving anthem, no one was gonna listen.  The time of free-wheeling, dirty fun was about to come to an end.  City officials were discovering that cleaning up their streets and catering to the wealthier citizens and tourists would make them more money.  Love was also in the air, amongst the sweat and drugs but, it was a hard thing to find.  You had to watch the band's lead singer to make sure he didn't lure your girl into the bathroom.  All of this is the basis for Rock of Ages, the musical that has been playing the Brooks Atkinson Theatre since March of 2009.

I didn't experience any of this stuff in the 80s because I didn't even reach my teens until the next decade but, I do remember the music from that time.  Every power ballad and rock anthem was such an "important" expression of love and rebellion that even now, you can't help singing along and/or moving your to the beat.  The music is, for me,  the main draw to the show and the biggest star.

It kind of feels like someone said, "This is the music of my decade.  Let's build a show around it."  And that's what they tried to do.  If you want the full synopsis, you can read it here.  Chris D'Arienzo has written a book that incorporates all the songs well and has some funny moments but, doesn't really give any weight to the multitude of plots going on.  Are we focusing on the club's possible closing, the relationship between Drew and Sherrie or... oh wait, they're singing Styx so who cares?

The set, costumes, lights and sound were done by, respectively, Beowulf Boritt, Gregory Gale, Jason Lyons and Peter Hylenski.  Each of them do their jobs of transporting you to that dirty little bar on the Sunset Strip in 1987.  I think the design team here worked hard and did a great job of getting the details just right.

Kristin Hanggi and Kelly Devine take on the tasks of directing and choreography for the show.  They both do well at keeping the action going so as not to get boring.  The dancing certainly had that "music video writhing on the hood of a car feel" although, it did get a little repetitive after a while.

Other than the music, the best thing in the show is definitely the cast.  They're all busting their butts on the stage and look like they're having a great time doing it.  There were some clear standouts for me.  Adam Dannheisser was great as Bourbon Room club owner Dennis. Michelle Mais showed off her powerful vocals as Venus Club owner Justice.  And Derek St. Pierre as the effeminate Franz, took a one-note role and stole the show.  

Unfortunately, these great performances from the featured players overshadowed our two romantic leads, Joey Taranto and Ericka Hunter (in for Emily Padgett) who played, Drew and Sherrie.  Both had the great voices that were needed for the music but, I wasn't all that interested in them.  Although, I think that's more the story's fault than the actors.  But, I kept wanting to see more from the supporting characters and not the ones I was supposed to be rooting for.

And maybe that was my problem with the show.  The music was great, the cast was great and having fun but, there was so much going on that I didn't get chance to care about the central plot.  Or WAS it the central plot?  And did it even matter?  I'm really not sure but, I don't think the main characters are supposed to be the least interesting thing in a show.  I will say though, it was a blast and the audience loved it!  You definitely won't find anything else like it on Broadway right now.

Until next time...

God's Love We Deliver

Recently, I just finished doing a showcase with the F.A.C.T. theatre company that I've been performing with for over a year.  It was a collection of short plays under the title of GAY-Licious: A GLBT Celebration of Six Short Plays.  My particular play was titled, The Memory Book.

As always, any chance to perform is great and the group has become a family of sorts with recognizable faces in every production.  Plus I think, this time around had our strongest collection of plays yet.

But I think the most important part of our showcase was that this time we chose to donate a portion of our ticket sales to the organization God's Love We Deliver.  GLWD provides individually-tailored meals to people who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves.

Since 1985, when one woman decided to deliver food on her bike to a friend who was dying of AIDS, they now cook 3,600 meals per day and deliver to all 5 boroughs of NYC and into New Jersey.  Their services are provided free of charges, regardless of a person's age or income, and they have NO waiting list.  They deliver food within 24-48 hours of first being contacted.

Today, I decided to take a break from my usual sarcasm and random posts to give the spotlight to people who are trying to help others have a better day.  Just a small reminder that regardless of how old we are, how much money we have, whether we're light or dark or if we like boys or girls, we're all humans and should treat each other with some sort of respect.  If people really thought about how they would feel to be on the receiving end of someone's disdain because of "differences", they might reconsider their own thoughts.

Anyway, for more info about GLWD, click here.  Or you could always check out what organizations in your community are working to help others.

Until next time...

The Countdown's On

For as long as I can remember, I've been a sucker for a countdown.  As far back as 2nd grade, I can recall being by the radio so that I can hear Casey Kasem countdown the American Top 40 every Sunday afternoon.  I always knew that it was the way to hear my favorite songs and also, to find out which one was the "most important" for that week.  Anytime a countdown was on, I was glued to the radio to find out who was number one.

Fast forward to my first summer living alone out of college.  I was brand new to Orlando, in my own apartment with cable, no money and nowhere to go.  I happened to be flipping through my channels and came across VH1's countdown of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock 'n Roll.  I decided to check it out for a few minutes but, found I couldn't bring myself to change the channel.  I had to know who was next.  It was important to know who these unnamed music "experts" deemed as the most influential women in the history of music.  Monday would start off with nos. 100-81.  And each night, the next 20 would premiere.  But, they would also marathon each episode of 20 that had already aired.  So by Friday, they had five straight hours of countdown heaven!

Each time they would have a new countdown, I was there in front of my TV watching it.  It didn't matter if it was the 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders, 100 Most Shocking Moments in Rock or 100 Greatest Videos I was there watching them because I was hooked into wanting to know what came next on the list.

In some cases, they didn't have 100 so they cut the number down such as 25 Greatest Power Ballads or 40 Greatest Celebrity Divorces.  These were interesting to watch too but, they didn't hook me in quite the way that the 100 countdowns did.  There was something official about the 100 that made them "must see".

This whole nostalgia trip was brought on by the updated version of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.  Now, I actually remember watching the first airing of this several years back and was interested to see if anything had really changed.  Sure, it had its share of "huh?!?" moments but, I still had to see what was said and where everyone landed on the list.  I can't help it.  It's the geek in me who needs to know this useless information.

Now, I dare you to try and watch one of these shows and see if you can tear yourself away.  The countdown will commence in 5, 4, 3...

Until next time...

The Dreaded Crack

So, my first audition in a couple of weeks was one that I wasn't expecting to go.  It was for a company which is mounting a production of two "old school" musicals, "Panama Hattie" and "Three Wishes For Jamie".  Now to be honest, I'd never heard of "Jamie" and only knew "Hattie" by name and that Ethel Merman was the original star.  But, I was talked into going and knew it would be a good opportunity to try out one of my new songs.

On the breakdown, it was said that they want "traditional Broadway" music for the audition.  Perfect!  It would give me a chance to do my R&H/Flower Drum Song (last time, I only did 16 bars).  Plus, there wouldn't be much pressure since I hadn't expected to go in the first place.

My time in the room came and the thing I was most worried about was getting the lyrics right.  The song moves fast so, any stumble could screw you.  But,  it was a chance worth taking.  So, I go into the room and put my book on the piano.  The accompanist  says, "Good song.  No one ever does it."  That's the second time someone's said that about this song so, I took that as a good sign.  I started the song, had the lyrics coming, movements were solid and clear and then we get to the last note.  It comes out great and then..... CRACK!

Are you kidding me?!?!?  Aside from forgetting the words, I think the most embarrassing thing I could do in an audition is crack.  Ugh!!!!  Now I realize, cracking is hardly the end of your career. But when it DOES happen, the most important thing is how you react.  Which is to say, "DON'T react!"  Drawing attention to something that they may not have even noticed is never helpful.

I finished, smiled and they asked, "Can you do an Irish accent?"  Apparently, the lead in "Jamie" is Irish.  My fail for lack of research.  But, I told them I could definitely work on one.  We parted ways and I felt good but, a little embarrassed.  They actually seemed like lovely people.  It took some of the sting out of the crack.

Oh well, another one down.  I'd love to get a callback because if I do, I'll be running to the Drama Book Shop to get one of those dialect CD's I always see and wonder if they actually help.

Until next time...