"We had to go through thick and thin..."

(Photo of me, Dan Cooney, and Stephanie Waters and Lauren Williams by Carol Pratt)

Wow. First 5 show weekend of ITW. Quite exhausting. But what a great time. Great houses this weekend...populated with anyone from J. Fred Shiffman to Anthony Rapp.
This show always feels fun to do. That is kind of rare...when a show, despite its work load is enjoyable and doesn't feel like work while you are doing it...While I love Mondays as a day off, I won't lie and say that come Monday night at about 7ish, that I don't think about that prologue starting it's incessant vamp, and the first "I Wish" being sung...
Last Monday, Matty and I had a "date night" and had dinner at The Olive Garden (I am an Italian food addict) and then saw Pan's labyrinth...this Monday...(today actually), we will have dinner....somewhere, and go to see Notes on a Scandal, but we will be joined by Dan Cooney (Our Baker in ITW, also, the former Mr. Poe in Nevermore).
It will be my next to last day off, as I start rehearsals for Meet John Doe at FOrd's on February 6th. (And our day off is Sunday...so...for 3 weeks, I will be running all over town, car pooling with Jim Moye, who is our Cinderella's Prince/ Big Bad Wolf, and who is also John Doe! We will be travel cohorts in this next 3 weeks, as we are not one mile from each other (he is being put up in the new town houses opposite Signature).
I will be enjoying a nice day of house cleaning, blogging, dusting, and grocery shopping tomorrow.
Details to follow.
New "Good Ink" as some of my cohorts call it:
Arlington Sun Gazette
DC Theatre Reviews (Scroll Down)
Washington City Paper
Thanks to Joel for being OVERLY sweet...
So, until tomorrow, I am gonna sign off and sleep easy.
Goodnight, Arlington.
SGS

Out of the Woods...

Photo of Donna Migliaccio and me, by Carol Pratt.

What's up this weekend in the woods?
Well...Funny enough, I have been listed as "gay" for the first time in a Washington Blade review...I mean, not that I am keeping it a secret or anything, but...
It's funny. I always was like "Why is everyone else listed as gay in the cast in a review, and I am not?". Heh. Now I am...and I'm all like...weird about it. Not mad or embarrassed or anything, because I am not in the closet at all, it is just sort of weird to actually feel labeled.
Just weird. Not saying that it is good or bad...it was just a little jarring to read at first. Here is the link to the review.
On another woodsy note, Donna has done a very funny "Photo Essay" on what fairy tale characters do when they're "dead". Here is the link.
I am on break now in between the first 5 show weekend in the new theatre, about to walk the neglected pug, and trying to think about what I am going to eat. Nothing is really coming to mind.
I met a lovely lady with her child who came to see both My Fair Lady, and today Into the Woods. She came with her 6 year old son, who loved the show, and also had loved MFL. He loved the dancing in it so much that he demonstrated some of the "Little Bit of Luck" dance for me. It was so cute! The lady informed me that she reads this blog, so I want to send a special hello to her and her son, and strongly urge her to put her son into dance classes soon, since he is already so talented!
That is all for today...I think.
Off to pug, dinner, nap, second show, in that order.
Love,
Steve

"...and home before dark..."

(Photo by Carol Pratt of April Harr Blandin, Sean MacLaughlin, Florrie Bagel, Erin Driscoll, Donna Migliaccio, Stevie Cupo, Lauren Williams)


There ARE some tickets left for Into the Woods, I have found out. Not for all dates but for some..these tickets will go fast, and I don't think there is any possibility of extension, so if you want to catch this first show in the new Signature Theatre, I would get your tickets soon!

Here is some of the press:
Washington Post
Variety
TheatreMania
Talkin' Broadway
DCist

And now, an Educational Film...

This in from Lynn Filusch.
Thanks, Lynn...I laughed out loud.
Enjoy!
Luv,
SGS

Jack

Photo by Carol Pratt
Well, this is me as Jack in Into the Woods. This costume is awesome. Tickets are almost totally sold out, but there might be one or two left. I doubt it, though. Check Here and see.

Gala Opening...Part 2, or " Prom Pictures"

When folks get really dressed up a funny thing happens. They pose together for pictures like it is the Prom all over again. I guess we never really lose that instinct.
Here are some of my "Prom Pictures"...



First up, Eleasha and I, yes-even complete with the second photo to show the whole dress...What's up with my hair? Ugh...In between growing it out from it being so short for the past year. I wish it would get longer already!



















Next up we have me and Lauren "Little Red" Williams. Notice that I have lost the tie already. (I can't wear ties for long) I would estimate 2 alcoholic beverages at the time of this picture. Hmmm...maybe 3?




















Next up, me and the hubby. Of course, because I get psycho about having good pictures of us together, I insist we take 2, because I wasn't really happy with the face he was making in the first one, then I wasn't happy with the face I was making in the second one. Oh well. Not too bad, I guess.



















Here we have the Lovely April Harr Blandin and Harry A. Winter. Sweet picture.




















Matt and Eleasha. Estimated alcoholic beverages: Questionable. Matt is like this with or without liquor.

















Lovely picture of Priscilla Cuellar and Erin Driscoll. Aren't they lovely?















Lastly, Erin Driscoll and myself. I don't know about her, but I'm not even gonna estimate my own level of beverage intake shown here. Let's just say that we were having fun. So if Helen Hayes is "Drama Prom", as it is called around town, then maybe the Opening of Signature was our own "Winter Ball"...or..."Harry Winter Ball"...? No, that's not it either...whatever it was, it was damn fun. As you can see from this photo below.

Eleasha Gamble in Into the Woods at Signature Theatre

Photo by Carol Pratt

Gala Opening...Part 1 , or " I don't dance"

I understand how Cinderella must have felt at the ball. Last night was a perfect night. The show went well, then the dinner was something that I could actually eat, (amazing), then the dancing...heh-heh.
Ok, I hardly ever dance. (off stage) I don't know why, I just don't anymore. I got so cynical about it, because I would watch others get a little tanked and shake a leg and I would think...wow...they look like total drunken idiots. Isn't that awful? That is seriously how I felt. Jaded at 28...not pretty.
As you can see, my first pictures I took of people dancing was at a healthy distance away.














Then I took this picture, and Eleasha grabbed me and pulled me onto the dance floor as I screamed to her, "I don't dance!" She didn't let that bother her. We danced and danced and danced, and I didn't even care how stupid I looked, because dammit, I had a blast.















I was dancing with Eleasha, then Cinderella (Stephanie Waters), then Matty, and looking out at the view of the illuminated Shirlington village, and before I could think it, Stephanie said it outloud..."We are so lucky."














I agreed. I indeed felt lucky to have been part of this great night. Shows open and close, but the opening of a new state of the art, multi-million dollar regional theatre...that is once in a lifetime. The band was wailing, and the singers were belting, and we danced for hours...and my Matty...we should all take a page from him...he has no inhibitions at all. He was the cutest thing ever, cutting a rug with the best of them...











So for the first time in many years, I danced, and not on a stage, but just for actual fun. Last night's Gala Opening of Into the Woods was about as "happily ever after" as you could imagine, and it couldn't have felt any better.

OPENING WEEKEND

Well, last night was the official press opening of Into the Woods, and tonight is the Gala Opening!
It all has been a whirlwind of activity and excitement, between the Open House, the Cabarets, the show itself, and the parties. I cannot believe all that has happened in the past 2 weeks...all great things, mind you.
So tonight is the night that we all have been looking forward to, and it is hard to believe that in one hour, I will be at the theatre, getting into my Jack suit (an early 6:30 show tonight). The excitement is literally electric down in Shirlington...I stopped by the theatre to drop off some flowers for 2 lady-friend cast members, and you should have seen the hordes of caterers, floral arrangers, bodies in general who were busy at work hours before anyone would arrive.
To be part of this historic event in Washington Theatre is an honor that I will never forget, and will always cherish. I can't wait to make the memories that I am about to...
Photo coverage later...
Have a great weekend everyone.
Love,
Stephen

"I'm chopping down beanstalks...leave a message and I'll call you back..."

(To the tune of No Doubt's "Spiderwebs")Yeah, so I have been up to my ears with Into the Woods, between playing Jack and Dance captain responsibilities.
Sorry if I have not been the most phone responsive, but I only have about 5 brain cells, and they are firing hard with this puzzle piece of a musical.
Plus, I am trying to prep for understudy rehearsal, starting Meet John Doe in 2 weeks, and my general life besides.
I actually had the time to run to the bank, run to the tailor (to get a suit I picked up on monday from a salvation army taken in), and run to the Arlington Treasurer's office to pay personal property tax and get a county sticker.
But then I had no time to do the things that I needed to do for me before the show, so I have been running around like crazy all today and now am a little dizzy from it all...forgive me if I have not answered or returned calls, but I have been up a beanstalk and down and everywhere in between.
I will return to earth next week for about two weeks before I start rehearsals for the next show.
I have still been blogging, to give my family and close friends an idea that I am still alive, but have not much time nor concentration for phone conversations.
I will come back to normal soon, I promise.
I hope.
I wish.
SGS

Image of the Week

This is not a fake photo. This appeared in The Washington Times yesterday. This is an actual giant rabbit raised in Germany. Eight of these were sold to a North Korea delegation as a potential source of meat for the country.
Wowsers.

The Goat Dog

So my dog wakes up at 8 AM this morning (and he is NOT a morning dog) to wake me up and let me know that he wants something.
When this has happened before, it is usually that he wants water, so I go upstairs with and give him water, but he isn't interested in water. He runs to the back door and scratches on it VERY insistently.
So I let him out, thinking that he must really need to pee. He runs out and starts eating grass like a lawn mower on fire.
Oh no, I think, he must need to throw up...his tummy must be upset. Although, Buddha frequently eats grass, and doesn't puke, so...? He just goes to town out back for about 10 minutes, and then scratches the door to come back in. When he comes in, He goes back to bed, never throws up, and is fine.
?
So Buddha feels the urgent need for a morning garden salad, then resumes sleep?
If he keeps this up, I won't need to cut the grass anymore. Who knew this pug was part goat?

"That's all..."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELEASHA!

ALSO celebrating a birthday this very day is one of my best friends on the planet, Eleasha Gamble.
Happy Birthday, Eleasha...enjoy your day off...you surely deserve it!

Happy Birthday, Steve!

I am late on this (God, was EVERYONE born in January?), but I want to wish a happy birthday to Steve McWilliams! He celebrated by doing a cabaret with me and his sexy wife, Amy McWilliams last night. The cabaret was the last event of this past amazing Open House weekend at the NEW Signature Theatre. The house was full, and there was even a line that went out to the grand staircase!
I can think of no better way to spend my birthday than to make a whole theatre full of folks laugh, clap, tap their toes, sing along, and hoot and holler, and I hope he feels the same way.
So happy birthday, buddy.
Love,
Steve

SIGNATURE OPEN HOUSE

So, if you have been under a rock and missed all of the articles, you might want to know that there will be an Open House at Signature's NEW theatre this weekend, starting on Saturday at 11:30.
Among the highlights are open rehearsals, cabarets, master classes, and readings.
My little bluegrass trio of me, Steve McWilliams, and Amy McWilliams (Little River Turnpike) are playing the LAST GIG at the Open House on Sunday night at 10 PM.
45 minutes of Country/bluegrass/Folk. What is Really cool is that YOU can come to Signature Theatre on Sunday morning at 11:30 in the morning and get in line for FREE tickets to see Into the Woods at 7PM on Sunday night...see it and then see our set afterwards...














Also playing this weekend is the Emerging Voices Cabaret, in which 5 of Matt's new songs from "The Underground Railroad Project" will be sung. (I'll be singing 2 of them.) That Cabaret is on Sunday at 1PM. Come and see us this weekend!




Luv, SGS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MATTY!

I didn't have time to post this yesterday, but I wanted to wish Matty a Happy Birthday, and a great year to come.
Love you baby!

Last Garage Hurrah

Here is a picture from the Last Garage Hurrah, as posted by Signture's e-news letter. I love that this picture shows how much weight I have lost!
We were singing "The Riddle Song".

Image of the Week

Buddha and Albert at rest...
I call it Sideshow dogs...NO, they weren't posed at all.
Adorable.

"...there are Giants in the sky..."

Deep into tech rehearsals for Into the Woods. We begin previews next week, and things are going great. Sorry for the lack of posting, but between the holidays, The Last Garage Hurrah, and Into the Woods, life has been pretty crazy for us.
Stay tuned...big stuff is coming up in the next 2 weeks!
I'll try to write more on Sunday...or...actually Monday.
:)
SGS

HAPPY NEW YEAR!