The Year in Review...

Top 10 favorite moments on this lil' ol' bloggedy...

10) Being Bloggerized by Tracy Olivera...

9) This edition of Images of the Week...

8) Steve and Matty's Strange night...

7) SGS and Lucky Spinster Reunite...

6) 9/11 remembered

5) The Fire remembered...

4)My real-life Bridget Jones moment in front of a live audience...

3) My shortest part time job ever...

2)My ridiculous paranoia after a spider bite...
and a TIE...
1) My On the Heels of... series, including most recently, Eleasha Gamble.
and
1) My Nemesis...part one and two.

I hope you all have the Happiest and Safest of New Years!
Luv,
SGS

BEWARE OF THE BLOB!!!

This story is just way too funny for words...at least it is to me. I found this while rifling through the paper while home for the holidays...
Only in Pittsburgh, folks. Only in Pittsburgh.

Pumpkins

Ok, folks...it is almost January.
The time for pumpkins on doorsteps expired on December 1st.
But oh no. That's not good enough for you, is it. Noooo....it just cost way too much money for you to throw it out, huh?
I can think of few sights I hate more than pumpkins on a doorstep and a Christmas wreath on the front door. It seems a conflict of interest....Pumpkins signify EVERYTHING that is harvest and Halloween.
That time is long since past.
The power lesbians next door have had their 3 pumpkins out for like 3 god-damned months!!!!!
I swear I am going to smash them if they aren't down by the new year.
Ugh.
ok. Thanks for letting me vent.

My Favorite Movies..."The Devil's Rejects"

" Where the hell you goin'? Damn it. Don't you NEVER turn your back on a fuckin' clown when he's talkin' to you!"

Wow...I just watched my Christmas gift from Filmdom (my roomate, Ryan). He got me The Devil's Rejects. Fan-fucking-tastic. I also watched another DVD Christmas gift from my Mom and Dad, The Phantom of the Opera. It still sucks. So glad I watched this brilliant film tonight to wash the distaste of the awful, I can't sing for shit, yet I'm cute Phantom out of my collective.

"Boy, the next word that comes out of your mouth better be some brilliant fuckin' Mark Twain shit. 'Cause it's definitely getting chiseled on your tombstone."

70's horror was the best of the genre. The filmakers of that decade got it more than any before or since. Much of this is due to the volatile events of history happening around them that served as inspiration. This is why I largely decline new horror...I hate the modern horror film. All techno and quick cut editing. They never allow the audience to SEE the horror.
Now...when I saw Cabin Fever, I got excited by new horror again. That movie was more an homage to 70's horror than an actual movie of its own...I adored it.
When I saw House of 1,000 Corpses, I did enjoy it, though MTV seemed to helm the film...
I had my doubts about The Devil's Rejects. It takes an awful lot to lure me to a cineplex these days.
Ryan raved about the film, and I nodded, and thought, "Sure, bet it's great..."...I am such a picky horror movie fan that I only go to the ones I really am anxious about seeing. This film slipped off my radar. I was so stupid.

The Devil's Rejects is one of the most brilliant horror films of our decade. A mix of Pulp Fiction, Boogie Nights, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, rolled into one. An amazing 70's rock soundtrack, paired with slightly late over-dubbing at times, paired with the best cross cuts and fades...it is indicative of everything that I love about the 70's horror film.
Now, it is definately not for the squeamish...it is excruciating at times...unforgiving in the ways that The Last House on the Left is in its torture scenes. Anyone who has ever been victimized in any way should not see this film. The film is all about victimization, from both side's perspective.
The Thelma and Louise/Bonnie and Clyde style ending is the only fitting one you could end this film with, but what is strange is how you almost want these sick people to get away...
Of course you do, though...you want to see them in another film....they are that engaging. You hate and love them at once...very Natural Born Killers.

"There is no fuckin' ice cream in your fuckin' future. "

I am so glad Ryan gave me this tribute to what the horror genre should be. Few horror films have the balls that this one does...Rob Zombie is a man who knows what he is doing, and the proof is in the carnage. See this film.....but not around dinner-time.

THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED!

Anyone who is remotely NEAR my general vicinity at this time of year gets the Same question from me....
"What's wrong with the little girl doll on the Island of Misfit Toys in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?"
No one ever seems to know.
Every once in awhile, someone is SOOOO sure they know the answer, but then forgets. I have often said that she has the clap.
Or crabs.
But now, thanks to one of my favorite links in the right hand corner, Damon DeMarco, (whom you should truly pop over to- such a great site), comes an article that answers the age old mystery...thanks SO much to TV Party.com...

Broke(back)en hearted....

Merry stuff...
I'm back after a sojourn to P-town....
All was well..got a new set of kitchen tools...new pots, pans, knife, ect.
Got clothes, BAD movies galore...
And I saw Brokeback Mountain...
I am shattered and on the floor.
I have only one word...REPRESSION!
This movie was SO amazing, and yet so depressing...I wanted to scream..."It is 1975...move to NYC...you'll be fine! "
Despite all of the hot straight man-on-man action, the hot point for me was the repression.
GOD!
See it! I don't know about all the Oscar talk for Heath, but I think it is amazing.
Maybe because I have a mild crush on Jake. Oh please...who doesn't?
He was SO AMAZING in the film. This monologue in particular wrought me to a teary pulp...

“Try this one,” said Jack, “and I’ll say it just one time. Tell you what, we could a had a good life together, a fuckin real good life. You wouldn’t do it, Ennis, so what we got now is Brokeback Mountain. Everthing built on that. It’s all we got, boy, fuckin all, so I hope you know that if you don’t never know the rest. Count the damn few times we been together in twenty years. Measure the fuckin short leash you keep me on, then ask me about Mexico and then tell me you’ll kill me for needin it and not hardly never gettin it. You got no fuckin idea how bad it gets. I’m not you. I can’t make it on a couple a high-altitude fucks once or twice a year. You’re too much for me, Ennis, you son of a whoreson bitch. I wish I knew how to quit you.”

I believe his performance to be the better of the two. Not that Heath's was anything to scoff at, mind you...I find it heart-wrenching as well. Both deserve an equal amount of praise for this film, and NO, not because they played "gay" (whatever that is) well....but because they played forbidden love extremely well. The film is a symphony of joy intertwined with longing and pain.
I was so saddened by the film, and found it so gorgeous.
Thank God I don't have to hide who I love...it would kill me.
How was your holiday?

Lotsa Balls...

Thought you might enjoy this cute pic from Damn Yankees. On top of the crate is the dynamic Cindy Marchionda, and surrounding her are my fellow teammates. (That's me far right, squatted down).
The show is going great so far. We are in the midst of Secret Santa, so dubious and sneaky activity backstage is in full effect. Hee-hee.

I had a fun little sneak away to the Lucky Spinster's fly Martini Palace this afternoon.
She was being all grinchy, and hadn't put her tree up yet...
I would have none of it.
I marched down to her house and forced her into the Christmas spirit...
You should see her tree.
I can't wait for her to photograph it and put it up on her blog. It is this cute mini tree that looks like it was made out of pipe cleaners, and then she has these GIGANTIC balls that hang all over it...they almost made it fall over...and then the most enormous star possible...
She also put about 75 balls on the tree...big, small, medium...it is a sight to behold.
I gave her a strand of purple lights from my gay Christmas tree, and a Christmas Cd...
MY FAVORITE Christmas CD...A John Waters Christmas.
I'm sure she will dream of sugar plum fairies tonight. As for me? I gotta be at Arena all day tomorrow...2 shows, the first at the crack of Noon. Yeesh.
So in conclusion, Callie has huge balls.
Merry stuff.

Maria, what is it you....

I saw that the Sound of Music was on last week. I missed it, dag-nab-it.
I remember how much I adored it as a young fag-child. (predictable).
But I never understood the lyrics...so I sang along whatever came out of my mouth that seemed to fit.
While walking a pooch today, I laughed out loud, remembering that in "How do you solve a problem like Maria?", when they say..."Maria's not an asset to the abbey", I always thought they said something like..."Maria's not an Assotouley Abby".
It fit.
I didn't think anything of it.
I thought an Assotouley Abby was some sort of nun-speak for like...a good nun or something. You know, like "so and so is such a Chatty Cathy"...
or "so and so is such an Assotouley Abby".
Years later I found the correct lyric. I didn't find it as fun.
Just a tidbit I recalled along my travels today...

What the F@#? is this, Batman?

OK...I just find this crap way too funny. Here's breaking news on 2 supervillains who plague the planet...
Who thought up these names? Can you hear that discussion going on?
"OK, let's make up scary monikers for these 2, so people really get spooked!"
Between this and "rejectionists", I am SO comic booked out by the US gov these days...

This just in...

Well, the reviews are starting to come out for Damn Yankees...(if you're into that sort of thing). Here are a few...
DC Theatre Reviews
Potomac Stages
Washington Post
Talkin' Broadway
Washington Theatre Review
Washingtonian

Picture of the Moment...

Here's a group shot from the Reale Brothers' new show at The Arden Theatre, The Dinosaur Musical. And there's our own Mrs. Mig far right.
This was just too cute to resist...
For more info, click here.

On Why I've been silent on Theaterboy.net

Because I feel that the current thread of discussion is a very personal matter, and none of anyone's business. I know that we as a theatre community, for whatever that term is worth, LOVE a good piece of dirt...but do we ever stop to think about the heartache, politics, and personal situations involved?
I believe it to be nobody's business, but the people involved.
Period.

On The Heels Of...Eleasha Gamble

Eleasha Gamble...what can I say? My best friend in the world for several years now.
Anyone who has seen either of our cabarets, Ebony and Ivory, Ebony and Ivory 2: The Second Coming, have seen a sneak peek on our strange and codependent relationship.
We are masters of procrastination, as well...this interview being a prime example...this was supposed to be a publicity interview for our last cabaret 2 months ago....she finally finished the questions this past week. Ridiculous.
She is currently out at Olney Theatre in Oliver!
Here's what Mama Boonie had to say...


SGS:Ok Eleasha...no holds barred...Honesty, please...After the last cabaret, which was a hit, but much stress to put together...what possibly made you want to step into the ring again?

EG: Honestly I did not want to do another Cabaret. Period. It makes by brain hurt, but since it was given to us we had no choice really. The cabaret only becomes fun for me when we finally get to do it for an audience. Before that it's hell on earth. Honest enough for you!

SGS:How did you and I meet?

EG: Well according to you we meet one night after I was doing West Side Story at Olney theatre through Matt who was also in the show with me. But as I have told you I don't remember meeting you. The first time I remember meeting you was when we did Grand Hotel at the Sig.

SGS:What do you love about working together on the cabaret process with me?

EG: What do I love?Hmmmm... I love the crazy ideas you get, how neurotic you tend to become, and the way you call my cell phone 20 times a day. You completely lose your mind and it makes me laugh, because you do it like no one else I know.

SGS:Hate?

EG:I hate that it always takes us ages to figure out what we want to do in our Cabaret. We are the worst procrastinators. If only people knew how often our set list changed. Up until the hours before. It will never change. If it ain't broke...

SGS: Funniest Eleasha and Steve story you can think of?

EG:One Friday night when Steve and I were preparing for our first cabaret we were on our way to Kinko's. Now this was like trip number 50 to the Kinko's so we were going a little crazy. Well were in the car and Steven and I are just so candid I turned to him and said, "I have gas." We were both loopy so we started hysterically laughing. Unfortunately also it smelled pretty foul too. So we finally made it to Kinko's and I couldn't stop farting and luckily it was just Steven and I in the Kinko's so we were just cutting up and dying from the stench in the Kinko's on a Friday night. (You had to be there)

SGS: Be glad you weren't there.What are your favorite things in the world?

EG:I have so many favorite things. I love my family and friends, Buddha, and knitting in the nude to name a few! ( That was for you Stevie)

SGS: Yes, she knits in the nude, folks. Explain "Mama Boonie"...

EG:This term comes from the film The Color Purple. At the end when Celie and her children are reunited, her son Adam hugs her and says what Steven and have translated to be, "Mama, Mama Boonie." And one day we started making Mama Boonie into an actual character. And soon it became a joke were we would see people on the street and say, " Hey it's Mama Boonie." So now we try to find Mama Boonie and when there is a Mama Boonie sighting we give each other a call. Mama Boonie has been sighted all over the place. Steven and I affectionately call each other Mama Boonie.

SGS: Thanks, Mama... What was the hardest thing to get used to during our time apart last year?

EG: Well my mom got really sick during my time in NYC last year and then my grandfather passed. So needless to say it was the hardest time of my life, and it's times like that that you need your friends. But luckily we live in the age of cell phones. ( Sorry about your phone bill!)

SGS: My pleasure...Upcoming projects?

EG:I'm in Oliver right now, and then nothing big until Into the Woods at Signature in the fall. I'm excited to play the witch again it's going to be fun to be in a show with you again!

SGS: Yeah, it'll be great to be in a show where your character wants mine dead. Charming. What do you love about our friendship the most?

EG: I love that I can be crazy with you. We can be such girls together when we watch The Color Purple and cry, but then I'll get a call from you while you're taking a dump on the toilet ( my favorite.) I feel I can be open with you, you're my sister. I can just look at you and have a conversation. You can make me laugh or you can make me cry. What don't I love about our friendship?Thanks, baby...I luvvvs you.

SGS: I have NEVER called you while taking a dump...simply for the reason that I cannot get reception in my bathroom...:) Talk soon, M. Boonie.

And with this image...

...time for bed. I'm all tuckered out for the evening, and weary of another long tech day.
Look at my hubby and the pugster...adorable.
I'm gonna carry them both down to bed now...
till tomorrow...

Miss Weston reminices...

This is a picture of the lovely Tracy Olivera as Miss Weston in Damn Yankees at Arena Stage...
She looks like Aunt B, doesn't she? I love it.
Tech is as most techs go...slow but sure. These days are SO long...I have no concept of even what day it is....
I will put more up here soon...and prepare for a return of On the Heels of...
My Matty's show, Nevermore starts rehearsals next week....SO excited for him.
Lots more to come, as soon as I get my bearing back...Do we really start previews on Friday? wow.

And furthermore...

I found this toxic food checklist...no, not toxic to us, just pooches.
Some of these were shockers to me...



Did you know !
That chocolate, onions, garlic, and macadamia nuts are some of the most toxic foods dogs can ingest?
Other potential dangers include:
· Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple core pips (contain cyanogenic glycosides resulting in cyanide poisoning) · Potato peelings and green looking potatoes· Rhubarb leaves· Moldy/spoiled foods· Alcohol· Yeast dough· Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine)· Hops (used in home brewing)· Tomato leaves & stems (green parts) · Broccoli (in large amounts)· Raisins and grapes · Cigarettes, tobacco, cigars

The Grapes of Wrath...

How did I spend my day off?
Well, I didn't have to work, so I spent it lounging around in underoos...me and the hubby had breakfast food, (which he cooked, as always), and then he went to the gym...the snow started to fall...it was lovely...
Lucky Spinster came by...we did pilates, and I helped her memorize her Shakespeare lines...
We watched 50's educational films and laughed...
I played Gwen Stefani CD's and jived around my living room like I was in Risky Business.
The snow kept falling...
Then, Matty was eating a salad...grapes were in it...
Yes, I know everything there is to know about dogs...I take for granted that others don't.
Grapes are DEADLY to dogs...
we give Boo a lot of table food...horrible practice, but...he's a pug...you can't understand this fully till you own one. There is no way around it...you're gonna give a pug table food.
Matt gave him 2 grapes...
I found this out and went into panic mode, calling the emergency vet, ect...
we had to induce vomiting with Hydrogen Peroxide...finally it happened.
Poor boy...his 3rd birthday spent puking.
much like my own 21st...
he is fine, all is good, but it was just enough drama to fill out the day.
I felt the worse for Matty, who lovingly gives all sorts of table food to the Boo, and felt horrible to find out that grapes are toxic to pooches.
All ended fine, though. Jenny Cartney, Lucky Spinster, Ryan, Matt and I finished out the night playing Catch-Phrase.
Tomorrow is 11AM-11PM rehearsal...god bless us everyone...
remember folks...no grapes or raisins to dogs!

Fire!

Exactly 2 years ago, Matthew, Ryan and My house burnt down. It was December 5th, 2003.
It was the night of my Mother's birthday, my pug, Buddha's birthday, and it was the first snow of the season...
I had just decorated for Christmas, and went outside to look at the tree through the window...snow was gently falling. It was gorgeous.
We had our birthday party for Buddha(R.Scott Thompson, Sean MacLaughlin, Matt, and me).
R. Scott left, and Sean stayed. Sean and I stayed up with the Boo, drinking. Matt went to bed , as he had to open up the Luna the next morning.
He left the next morning, and as usual, I stirred awake after he left. The Today show was on...those fucking ALWAYS upbeat cartoons that they are...I glanced out the window to see if any more snow had fallen...I saw what looked like smoke...I took it at first to be steam...thinking that Matt had put some clothes in the dryer, and the exhaust fan was blowing steam...
I continued watching Al Roker assify himself, when I realized that the steam vent for the dryer was on the other side of the house...(just woke up...neurons not firing yet)..
I got up and realized that the smoke was not outside, but coming from the vent inside just below the window...
I had that moment, like in When a Stranger Calls when you realize that the call is coming from inside the house...
I ran to the bedroom door, and threw it open...smoke was everywhere...
Sean was sleeping on the couch, breathing in LOADS of smoke, but still asleep....
I woke him up and we searched EVERYWHERE for the source of the fire, but couldn't find it...
also bear in mind, just for comedic sake, that I was naked...I'm sure that freaked Sean out just a little bit more...
Finally, we heard a crack from behind Ryan's door...Ryan wasn't home that night...I opened the door...
Fire hit Oxygen and burst forth...there was a fire around the outlet/computer...I was afraid to throw water on it for fear of electrical concerns...
Sean dialed 911 and we ran down the street...(with Boo in tow)...
My boss, Kim, lived 2 minutes from my house at the time, so we ran to her house, threw Buddha in the house and ran back to the burning house...(thanks to Kim for throwing a coat on me).
The house was overcome by now...Sean and I were taken to an ambulance for smoke inhalation.
The house burned up well done in the meantime.
Matt and Ryan got there too late...all was lost by then....
Ryan lost EVERYTHING...
We lost a lot...mostly due to water damage...
We could have had it worse...I could have slept through it...I could have lost my Boo...
we were lucky...
I will always remember the Signature Theatre, and the cast of Funny thing...Forum, who donated LOTS of money to get us a new place...
I had to go on for Hysterium in Forum starting the night after the fire...I remember those weeks after the fire as a whirlwind...
Thank God for Eric Schaeffer taking us in...
I find it necessary to reflect every year on this traumatic event in our history...It feels like 30 years ago...but so much GOOD came out of that tragic morning that I firmly believe the old stand by tha things happen for a reason...
Merry Christmas to all...And check your smoke detectors, of which we had none at the time...

Picture of the Moment...

I just had to throw this up here..
look at my Lucky Spinster...wasn't she so ahead of her time?

Lines...

Some of my favorite lines in Damn Yankees...

(probably for the wrong reasons)

SISTER-"And I must say the hot dogs out at the park aren't what they used to be. I had the poorest hot dog yesterday I ever had."

...hmmm

GIRL#1-"Look out! Here comes Mr. Welch!"

and...these other memorable quips...

LOLA- "I'm just a bad hussy"

APPLEGATE-"What was that crack?"

SISTER-"Get your hands off of me, you Republican!"

SISTER-"Doris, you make me sick"

*sigh*
I guess you have to be there. It's the little things that get you through. :)

In the space...

So, we have moved from the rehearsal space at Waterside Mall to the Fichandler Theatre...what a difference!
Even though they say it is the same size as the taped off constraints of the rehearsal hall, it is definately bigger. Much more time needed for entries up the voms...much more traveling done in dances.
We had our first Sitzprobe...the orchestra sounds HOT!!!
Also tried on my uniform....yes, I would be player #13.
Funny.
I chose the number...you see, my baseball player is very superstitous, for one thing, and has a b it of bad luck....when Joe Hardy comes along, he says that he wants to be shortstop...which is the position I play...or played on the team...
So we are working through the show today and tomorrow, and tech starts Tuesday.
Costumes will be added then, which I am looking forward to.
And...as expected...I've already started decorating my station..
:)

Reefer...

Just because you all know I'm obsessed with Reefer Madness the musical, I had to pass along that it was now available on DVD...and my hubby gave it to me early as an early Christmas gift...(we give Christmas gifts starting ridiculously early and continue through January...yes...lots of money is involved.)
Add it to your own Christmas list, and I promise you won't be let down!

Barrel Turns

Ok...so I had a long day at the Arena. Big news.
The show is going great, I am doing a good job in it...I hope...except for one thing.
I have such shitty barrel turns it isn't funny....I never could do them.
Baayork had a pass of barrel turns in Gypsy at Signature 5 years ago (the last time I worked with her), and I never quite mastered them then either.
Not a barrel turner. But barrel turns have SO much to do with one trusting one's self. Trusting one's own balance and strength.
I seem to lack this in my own self....hmmmm....therapy time, perhaps?
This is my situation with dance...I took tap for YEARS when just an urchin.
Tap is NOT a backbone for normal dance at all...it teaches you little..
If this were a tap show, I'd be your guy, but it is unfortunately not...
When I tested into classes for dance in college, I was too good for beginner classes, and too bad for advanced, so I fell in the middle...where most already knew the basics....
I didn't.
I have had to play catch up, learning terminology and posture most of my professional career.
I went to the Damn Yankees audition hoping to be a Smokey or Rocky...singing and being a character actor but not dancing like the dancer boys...
But someone thought I could be ONE of the dancer boys, and hence my tumult.
I AM NOT A DANCER!
I've always been a mover, but that is all.
Is this challenging me and stretching me?
Of course....
Am I doubting myself and terrified at the downbeat of "Shoeless Joe"?
You're damn skippy.

Damn...end of week 3

Well...Here it is, the end of the 3rd week of Damn Yankees rehearsal.
We had a run through today, and it went very well...pretty much without a hitch.
I think that this was a testament to the hard work of the cast, and they all are wonderful.
That being said...
I'm so exhausted. I've been couch surfing since returning home. Seriously. Pass me a bon bon.
Of course part of my exhaustion comes from my Saturday night activities...(see below)
2 more weeks of rehearsal, and the show is running pretty tight. I think it is in a very good place right now.
And can I just say, Brad Oscar is one of the funniest men on the planet?
He could say the word "sponge" and it would probably crack my ass up.
More later...

But it was Saturday night, I guess that makes it alright...

(pictured to the left is Rob)
I had a great evening last night, reuniting with an old college buddy of mine. The last time I saw him was last February, when I was up in NYC...and before that...? It has been quite some time.
My beloved long time friend and roommate, Ryan Dean, Gorgeous ex-Ms. DC, Lisa Ferris, Matty and I went out to the usual digs and had some drinks with him.
It is so funny how there are certain friends that you can go without seeing for YEARS and pick up the page with no hesitation, and like you just saw them yesterday.
I think that is the sign of a real friendship...
I used to go over to Rob's (that's this friend's name) room in college and play Playstation with him and several other guys that were always referred to as "The Boys". I was the token gay one.
We would play for hours, drinking Busch beer and 50's rock-a-billy CD's screamed in the background....(think "Peggy Sue", and "Tears on My Pillow"...that kind of fare).
We played this ....oh Christ. I am such a geek...ok...I'll continue...
We played this game a lot that was called "Star Wars-Masters of Teras Kasi".
This game is basically a VS. kinda game, in which you pick a character and fight it out with another player. I always pick Luke or Darth Vader, simply because I know their power moves.
Most of the evening after the bar was spent looking at this...
I bought an old school Playstation 1 a few years back for this nostalgia's sake. I bought all the games I used to play with the boys, plus some new ones...Rob was so happy to find out that I had both the playstation and the game waiting at home...
We played this game, Ryan, Rob, and I for hours...then Ryan went to bed like a sane person would do...but Rob and I stayed up FAR too late playing the game...it was like we were reclaiming our childhood.
Lisa remarked..."Ok, I feel like you guys have regressed past puberty..."
For a short while, we did.
It was exhilarating.

Yule

Well...the tree is up....
Truth be told, it was up Thanksgiving night, but now it is fully decorated.
What did I watch to get me in the spirit as I decorated?
Kill Bill, Volume One.
Crash
Silent Night, Bloody Night.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Picture of the moment

Glad at least there is no alcohol involved.

Rent...the movie.

OK....Saw Rent tonight. Hmmmm.
I love this show SO much, despite its flaws and sometimes horrible lyrics...( "It was bad, I got mad" or "Think twice before you poo-poo it", or my favourite, "Who do you think you are, barging in on me and my guitar")
Is Chris Columbus the right director for this movie-musical?
NO.
Am I glad I went to see it?
YES.
It is like stepping into a ten year time portal, and being back in college...Rent was such an affirmation of being different in a time WAY before Queer as Folk or Will and Grace.
I remember screaming along the lyrics to the show in defiance..."To faggots, lezzies, dykes, cross-dressers too". With so little voices crying out the fuck you, we are who we are, Rent was a gateway to self-confidence for me...and many others.
I wanted to cry about 6 times towards the last part of the film (the second act).
Now...what were the downfalls of this movie? Well...
Some cast members from the origional were just...well...not suited for this movie.
It felt like someone who didn't understand musicals was directing this film...
I hated the transitions...some of the conventions were corny too.
Why not just let it be a rock opera?
In my order of recent movie musicals, here is my ranking score...
1) Chicago
2) Rent
3) Evita
4) Phantom
YES, I thought that Phantom was FAR worse than Evita.
I am looking forward to The Producers, though.
And now, it seems, that I might be traveling to NYC on Monday to audition for Rent. We shall see...if I can work it out. I haven't been seen by them in about 9 years...and then, Bernie told me "You're just too cute for this show".
Well...here's to hoping that 10 years have taken some of the cuteness off.
More to follow.
Film at Eleven.

Happy Turkey-Lurkey Day!

Well...it's off to the in-laws for the afternoon.
Did anyone watch the Macy's Day Parade? ?Did we really need a number from Sweet Charity? How is that show still open ? Did we need a number from Dirty Rotten? (Hello!-that show is like 2 years old!) -and does anyone else notice how much "Great Big Stuff" sounds like "King Tut"-sung later in the program by Jai Rodriguez)?
Why that particular number from Chitty? yeesh.
Why no Color Purple?
Jersey Boys was cute, though.
Will check in later....after the feasting, going to see Rent. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The new pug poll...

So, the husband and I have decided to adopt another pugg-a-wugga. This time, a black female.
No, her name cannot be Miss Celie. Or Shug. Or Sophia.
*sigh*
(He wouldn't permit this...)
Why are we getting another?
Simple...Buddha LOVES the company of other dogs...but especially pugs.
Whenever he has a dog date over for a night or two (dogsitting for friends), he gets depressed HARDCORE when they leave...
We have wanted another pug anyway, and we just decided to do it. We are getting one from the same breeder as our Buddha.
So...the million dollar question is...
What should her name be?
Should it be another deity? Isis?
Should it be a color? Onyx?
Should it be somethin g totally un-related? Akasha?
what do you think, readers?
Give me some ideas to ponder...

Yinz got no idear how tahred I's fillin'!

UGH....
Who's got the pain? I got the pain, muthafuckas.
SHEESH.
See this photo to the left? That pain filled face I'm making kind of looks like my face during the 63rd push up in warm up class...
These rehearsal days are SO long....I get up, it's dark. I'm at rehearsal, no windows. I get out, It's dark. I come home, pass out for a few hours, wake up...what time is it? 11:30...and I need to get up at 7....*sigh*. Time for a day off...9AM Baayork warm-up is approaching.
My ass hurts just thinking about it.
This year, on Thanksgiving day, I'll have LOTS to be thankful for..
A) That I am in a fantastic show at a fantastic theatre, with fantastic cast members...
B) I've got my season booked with jobs through the next year...
C) That we get a day off for my quivering muscles to rest...
I am waiting for the day when I get back into shape, and this all becomes easier...
I predict it will be February 5th.
(Closing)
:)
Yinz, I HAVE NOT EVEN BOUGHT THE NEW MADONNA CD YET!!!
? What is wrong with me?
I have not had the energy that would make me get off my dupa and drive to the Borders.
*sigh*
Actors are so damn funny...bitch when you're unemployed, bitch when you are employed.
fickle bunch, aren't we?
I am blessed to experience this exhaustion and pain. That is my mantra. I will be repeating that about 400 times tomorrow morning.
Sleep tight...

My New Favorite Website...

www.Pittsburghese.com

Dedicated to the beloved dialect of my old stomping grounds..
Yinz gotta be gowen ther tah check it aht n' at!

Gizoogle.com

Thanto the folks at Gizoogle.com and Nancy for this...
The site basically can translate anything into Snoop Dogg language...
Here would be Snoop's version of Nevermore..
"Nevermore...
Takes a dizzy n mysterious journey into tha life of edgar allan poe now motherfuckers lemme here ya say hoe. this imaginative world premiere musical uses poe’s poetry n short stories as its base n his frontin' obsession wit tha bitchez in his life as its catalyst. wit hauntingly beautiful melodies, nevermore breathes new life into poe’s work n explores a twisted true-life tale tizzy be as bizarre as his classic stories of tha macabre ta help you tap dat ass. "

Priceless.

Goodnight, and Good Luck...

Smoke filters through the black and white air...fuzz disturbs the sound....grainy spots occur throughout the film...
This is the world of Good Night, and Good Luck.
Creepy.
That is the word.
Substitute the word "Communist" for today's "Terrorist" or "Un-Patriotic".
You will feel the ramifications to today.
The whole cast deserves an Oscar.
Go and see it now....the parallels you will find are disturbing to today.
Have we really come that far as a society?
I don't think so.

Cyndi-Unplugged

Just bought the best damn CD...Cyndi Lauper's The Body acoustic.
It is basically a collection of greatest hits, redone acoustically. Time after Time is particularly heartbreaking..And believe it or not, She-Bop, (Yes, the song about compulsive masturbation), is done slower and just with a sultry guitar...SO damn sexy..."I've been looking for a new sensation, I'm picking up a good vibration..." ...wowsers. It made me sweat...
All Through the Night, which has always been one of my favorites, is redone with Shaggy lending some rap support...although it really isn't needed...The song is such a hopeful and gorgeous song as it is.
Sarah McLachlin is also featured several times on this CD...most notably on Time After Time, which she duets with Cyndi on. What a strange, yet sublime mixing of voices.
Well...this CD has been on repeat since I got off work, which was surprisingly early today.

I'm gonna chill this evening, reviewing Damn Yankees shiznit, and stretching my tired body.
I am proud to admit that I haven't put up one single Christmas decoration yet. Kind of.
Well, ok, my lights are up in the back yard...but that is it. Unless I get bored tonight.
Must try to resist....*grunt*...so hard...the Christmas Martha Stewart issue arrived in the mail....the witch is tempting me..."It won't be that hard...just get some pinecones and wire and you have a centerpiece..." *ARRGGGH* I must hide the issue...for at least one more week.
I hope....temptation is a very powerful thing. Martha is evil.
:)
Till later...
Red signing off

Monday, Monday

Had a cool rehearsal day yesterday. We did an improv exercise in which we were supposed to show a turning point in our character's lives where we might have considered selling our souls to the devil.
There were SO many great ones in our class...but an image that sticks out in my head is Tracy Olivera feeding her cat and singing "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?"
HY=sterical...
So...
Then we had a party thrown for us at Gil and Jaylee Mead's apartment after rehearsal was done...It was a great way for the cast to get to know each other and more comfortable with each other...We had a great time, that ended with a sing-along around the piano.
Today, I am working, working, working...till 5:30, or 6ish...depending on my diligence...
More on tap later...

Post Number 100

Well, here it is, my 100th post!
I am absolutely spent.
Every muscle on my body hurts.
Wah.
Shoeless Joe is choreographed, though. One big number down.
Spending the evening in with my pugg-dog. The hubby is at work.
Thought I would take this 100th post to display some pictures from one year ago, when I was doing one of my favorite shows I have ever done, The Highest Yellow.
Enjoy, friends.

Happy Veterans Day

Photograph by Carol Pratt


Well...happy Vet day. Back from a long day at the Arena, with an even longer one to come tomorrow...
Tomorrow will be pretty rough, actually. wah. whatever. I'll be fine.
Spent the evening with Matty shopping and eating.
More tomorrow.

Damn...

OK....almost 4 days in. (to the rehearsal process for Damn Yankees at Arena)
Cast is amazing. MANY familiar faces and friends...
We start choreography for Shoeless Joe tomorrow AM. I am ready for an ass-whooping.
I am actually VERY excited.
I have not truly danced for awhile. I danced in Pacific Overtures this past summer, but that was more just stylized movement. I have not danced in quite awhile.
The last real dancing that I have done would have been Footloose at Toby's, or Street Scene at Wolf Trap. And, of course, Damn Yankees at Toby's. All 3 of those were ass kickers for me, and I loved it.
I have never been the best technical dancer, but I LOVE dancing. It is the utter most passionate expression of emotion one can perform.
I look forward to tomorrow, I embrace it, I fear not. Just because I haven't done it seriously in quite a bit of time, does not mean that I have forgotten how. Hello-I had to do it quite a bit to get into this show! Clearly, I did something right at the audition.
Also went on a bit of a shopping spree....
*sigh*
I love having money....
:)

Another Suitcase, Another Hall...

Well...Today was the first day of rehearsal for Damn Yankees! So many familiar faces in the cast...it was such a nice thing to have those nervous "first day of school" feelings subside when I walked into a room of MANY former cast members.
Today was pretty much a design presentation day....read through, ect. Tomorrow the real work begins.
This is my second show with Baayork Lee as a choreographer, (the first being Gypsy at Signature Theater in 2001), and she does a "warm up class" every morning that is totally optional.
At 9AM.
*sigh* I have NO excuse...I HAVE to go...
I used to work a day job in which I had to be at work every day at 5:30 AM in DC. For 3 years I did this, almost every day. Looking back, I have NO idea how I did it. I am a night owl through and through...Hello! That's why I'm an actor!
Ever since I quit that job, I have had much trouble waking at early hours...I mean...I can do it, but it isn't my favorite thing to do, you know?
Well...I've been pissing and moaning about losing 13 pounds...something I want to do by year's end. I am offered a free 45 minute work-out for free...it's a no-brainer.
I started my diet today. So far so good. What do I do? Increase my exercise, cut back my portions...nothing fancy. It worked this past summer, when I lost the 13 lbs that I just gained back in the past 4 months.
I like to multi-task my challenges...my goals for this show are such:
1) I want to be a better dancer by the end of this show.
2) I want to feel confident about my weight. Don't get me wrong-I'm not obese...I'm not even over-weight for my height. I was at zero percent body fat by the end of Pacific Overtures in July. I liked how I felt then. I want that again. 13 little bitty pounds...no problem.
I am at 168 right now. I will check in one week from today on the weight front. God...this feels SO Bridget Jones...
3) I want to grow as a performer...something I try to do with every performance experience.
OK...goals set...I'll check in tomorrow night...
Good night, and good luck!

OVER.

It's all done.
Thank Christ.
The last 2 shows went over well. The reception was great.
Lucky Spinster AND TheaterBoy were in attendance...
The good news is that I can rest for 2 day before I start Damn Yankees rehearsals...
Plenty of black and white films and pop tarts...

One Night Down...

So...Eleasha arrived on time...all was good.
Stevie Cupo, Kara Tameika Watkins, Callie Kimball, and Donna Migliaccio were in attendance tonight. Nice houses. All were VERY receptive.
When I did the Highest Yellow section, I thought Donna was going to have a seizure, so, I said..."Ladies and Gentlemen, Donna Migliaccio".
She got a round of applause. So funny.
Most of the comments we heard from the audience went something like this....
"Best Cabaret yet"
"Better than last time"
"Our Favorite so far!"
So...
2 more times...have you seen it yet? Tickets are still available!

Cool.

CABARET IS TONIGHT AT 7 AND 9, AND SATURDAY AT 7 AND 9!!!

Sig's link to our cabaret...nice little photos.

PS...Our cabaret was mentioned on DCBlogs through this site!

PPS...the cabaret is also mentioned on Lucky Spinster and TheaterBoy! (It pays to have friends!)

BREAKING NEWS:

My hubby is getting SO famous...
this just in from the folks over at Signature...


Signature Offers Seminar on Making a Musical
October 31, 2005 - As preparation gets more intense for the opening of the musical based on the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, Nevermore, which gets its world premiere at Signature Theatre in January, the theater is offering a five-session seminar for $175 per person. The seminar begins on December 13 with the first rehearsal of the new musical which will include a presentation by the design team and director Eric Schaeffer and a conversation with composer Matt Conner. Two evenings later, the participants will meet with members of the cast who will discuss "Acting & Singing Poe." On December 20, librettist Grace Barnes will discuss her collaboration on the project. Then, in January, the participants will attend both the technical rehearsal and the final dress rehearsal.

Happy Gay Christmas, uh...I mean Halloween!

Ahh....look at my friend Sean, the tool.

Happy Halloween, all....hectic day here for me...thousands of dogs to walk, office work to do, plus cabaret errands to run, and our final rehearsal is tonight!!!!

What am I doin writing this? I should be out getting something done!

Truth be told, I want nothing more than to go home and roll around in Horror DVDs....*sigh* no Halloween for me!

I hope you all fare better!

All I'm Sayin'....I'll sing a ballad about it too...

As related to an earlier post...

Come to the Cabaret!

Well...This Friday and Saturday at 7PM and 9PM each evening is Eleasha Gamble and my Cabaret at Signature Theatre.

I can promise you, if you are in attendance, an evening of laughs, retrospective on some strange theatrical events of the past year, power-belting, props-galore, tear-jerking ballads, and searing toe-tappers.

I thought that we were pretty much sold out, but it seems that we do have available tickets...(how depressing). So, show us the love...jump on over to the Signature website and buy up a few tickets! We would love to see you there.

Tomorrow night is our final dress rehearsal...(how scary is that?) since Eleasha will be busy every other night rehearsing for Oliver at Olney. So...just like last cabaret, much of the evening will be off the cuff, improv-orientated, and ...well...like last time, unpredictable. She made me crack up about 4 times last year during the actual performances...sometimes flying by the seat of your pants is much better than being set in stone.

The show this year is much inspired by 2 of our favorite movies, The Color Purple, and The Wizard of Oz. The show deals mostly with Eleasha and I spending most of the year apart, due to her appearing in Under the Bridge off-Broadway. We track our own individual experiences apart, and then reuniting again.

Touching at times, hysterical and sick at others, I promise you that this one has something for EVERYONE in it. It also features the vocal/musical talents of Steve McWilliams and Jenny Cartney. Please come on out and represent...We all look forward to seeing you there!

Hollow-weenies...

The past 2 days in re-cap go a little something like this...
Well...the Helen Hayes Auction went fine. I sat between my hubby and Brad Oscar, so I had plenty of laughs all evening long between the 2. The crowd was warm...well...as warm as it could be, considering they were drunk, and it was 10PM by the time we sang.
Tonight me and the hubster went to Eric Schaeffer's Halloween Party. You had to go dressed as a musical's title...I went as Zombie Prom...My hub went as Lucky Stiff....
Donna went as several different shows, all relating to a derivative of penis...i.e: Shockheaded Peter, Moby Dick, and Peter Pan...So damn funny.
Here are some photos from the frivolity.
Enjoy.

Funny Trailer of the Week...

Ok, so I'm behind the curve on this one, since I know many people have already seen it, but I had to share this link to a re-cut version of the trailer to The Shining...making it a feel-good movie....One of my favorite horror films turned into a dramedy....I love it!

I'm Back...and still awake somehow...

wow. Jet lag plus lack of sleep plus exhaustion equals me right now.
It started out with me sleeping MAYBE 2 hours the night before we left...then our first day was a blur of gambling, cocktails, and shows...then we didn't sleep much that night...then the second day was more cocktails, more gambling, and MORE shows...then a red-eye home...and I didn't sleep at all on that, either.I came got home at 8AM this morning, and fell asleep*thank god* till 1ish, went to work for a few hours, and here I sit. My time system is all messed up.
OK...the flight...I was doped up on Zanex (sp?) so I neither felt, nor cared about much...I was still a little terrified, but was really fine. I popped in The Light in the Piazza and enjoyed the motion of the plane, combined with the soaring music. I particularly listened to Aiutami and Il Mondo Era Vuoto several times. A gorgeous distraction.

We got to Vegas and checked into The Venetian. Jesus. What an amazing hotel! I was enchanted by the extreme decadence of the whole place...We dropped our stuff in the hotel and went straight down to the casino.I ended up winning about $500 playing Double Diamond, so I was very proud of myself...although, after all the dinners, show tickets, cocktails, I basically spent it all...but still-where else cab you go on vacation and potentially MAKE money to spend on your vacation?As I said, I was extremely lucky in this.
Free drinks ensued while at the slots...and God-almighty, you could smoke EVERYWHERE! I was in absolute HEAVEN!! I have never felt so free to light up...no smoke nazi's anywhere coughing and fanning and acting disgruntled.
By the time we were done with the slots, it was pool time...a heavenly pool and hot tub...so relaxing...We soon after left to go to the Wynn to see Le Reve.
It was utterly fantastic. I would cheapen it by trying to wrap words around as a description. It will be coming out on DVD soon, I hear, so when it does, race for it...
Then we raced over to Bally's to see Jubilee.
heh.
The absolute gayest chorus boys in sequins dancing around girls with feathers and their tits out, singing showtunes. I was in hysterics. The lights were fantastic....but what was under them was questionable. These chorus boys shouldn't have been in thongs. They did NOT have thong bodies at all. There was one chorus boy, who must have been the oldest chorus boy ever, who looked a mess, and looked either A) drunk, or B) didn't give one shit about what he was doing.
The girls...kind of looked like strange insects...multi-colored feathers, tits out, and 3 inch eyelashes...they actually looked like drag queens. I cannot fathom who could get off looking at that.
Then...well...more cocktails and gambling.
The next day we went to Breakfast, which was fabulous...(a fantastic omlette(sp?) chef), and then went walking around Las Vegas Boulevard. We walked through Caesar's and Hurrah's, and many others that I can't recall...after awhile, they all seem the same...Shops, bars, casinos, over and over...all with old women with bouffant hairdos and fanny packs, and cigarette's hanging from their mouths.
After our walk we recharged by the pool...some napped...I could not.
Soon after, we split our group up, and Matty and I went to see Avenue Q.
This was such an amazing evening of theatre. Not only is John Tartaglia, who originated the roles of Princeton/Rod in the show, but so is Rick Lyon, who originated the roles of Nicky/Trekkie Monster! They were brilliant, of course, but the rest of the cast was just as strong...Tonya Dixon, particularly, who played Gary Coleman!
We were in the front row, and were "played with" a lot by the cast...it was my favorite thing on the whole vacation!
Then, we got our things and went to the airport for the red-eye back.
I am SO psyched that I got to see Las Vegas...it was a blast...truly a Sin City...but I'm...well..so glad to be home. This whirlwind couple of weeks continues tomorrow night, when I sing at the Helen Hayes Auction at the Four Seasons....more details to follow.
Pictures from Vegas to follow, but not as soon as I'd like, since they are on a disposable camera...
So glad to be back with pug and laptop. Till tomorrow...

Vegas or Bust!

Ok...here it is...leaving on flight 7 in the morning. Anxious? Yes....
I will report more to y'all on Thursday.
I love you all, and my parents and family...and my pug, Buddha.
This is where we are staying...I could do worse.
Love and peace...talk soon.

One of the best movie titles ever.

Doesn't it just drive you insane???












OK...back from Pittsburgh...more on that later.
Check back tonight for my Pittsburgh trip details, and also for my pre-Vegas chatter.

Strip Nude for your Killer.

Honestly.

Why do the wrong people travel, travel, travel?

Well...I am about to drive to Pittsburgh to see the folks for one night, then back to DC for 2 nights, then to Vegas for 2 nights...AAHHH!

Cabaret is going good. Have rehearsal Monday night, the night before I go to Vegas...Things are coming together well, and I think it will be hysterical.

Had a diva-licious night, between watching the Kylie Minogue concert on LOGO, then watching the new Madonna documentary on MTV...both were incredible.

Just trying to ready myself for all the upcoming travel...still just a hair nervous about flying, but...oh well...I haven't flown since 9/11...so...you know. I'll have a few G/T's and be fine, I'm sure.

I'll check in with you guys on Sunday night...maybe...the book writer of Nevermore, Grace Barnes, is coming in to town on Sunday afternoon from Scotland, and let me tell you...we are like sisters lost at birth, so I might not get the chance to blog on Sunday night...maybe a drunken blog entry??

Well...signing out for tonight...the next few weeks will prove to be quite involved, what with the Vegas trip, singing at the 4 Seasons on the 28th, My Cabaret on November 4th and 5th, then starting Damn Yankees rehearsal on the 8th...stay tuned for all the details on those subjects and more...