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!)