Buddha Speaks!

Buddha has blogged about his adventures at the pool!Go and give him a sniff!

Here is a little glimpse at the Doggy Dip Day adventure!

More later,
luv,
SGS

Catching Up...

Yeah, I'm still here. I've been spending a majority of my time at Metro Stage rehearsing, and when I'm not there, I'm at home trying to memorize and play piano. The show is going well, I think. I just need lots of repetition, which there is plenty of time for thank god.

This past weekend I got to see and visit with my Uncle Deryck and Aunt Moya, who I haven't seen in 9 years.

(Pictured are Dad, Rusty, Me, Moya, Deryck, and Mom)
They are from England, so visits are not that frequent. Hopefully it won't be another 9 years before I see them again, and I doubt that it will be, since the world keeps getting smaller by the year. It was a lovely visit, and I was so happy to catch up with them, especially since they had never met Matt, nor Buddha, and they also got to see where I lived and worked. The last time they were here to visit, I was living in the Budgetel Inn next to Shenandoah University, still in college. (Some of the upper class men were put up in the Budgetel, which was QUITE lovely, but I digress). So much has changed since then. That visit was merely months before Matt and I began our relationship, which is still going strong almost (and soon to be) 9 years later. Where does time go? Rusty came down to visit as well, and seems to still be doing well. Keep your prayers going strong, they seem to be fueling his fire for life.
Other than that brief and lovely visit, I have spent a majority of my time wandering, muttering, rambling, dancing, screaming, and singing on this beautifully designed (by Adam Koch)set.

Like I said, I am totally psyched for what the show is going to be like, and think that we have gotten a tremendous amount of work done in the short amount of time that we have already had. Matt Gardiner finished blocking the show today. When we finished singing the gorgeous and rising "Actions Speak Louder Than Words", I could barely believe that we accomplished so much already. Everyone in the cast and the production staff is so fantastic, though, that it is no mystery how we got there. I think that we are at a really fantastic place with the piece, and I cannot wait for the next rehearsal to come.
The postcard ad for the show came out today. Here it is...

For ticket info on tick, tick...BOOM!, click HERE.
I will chat more tomorrow night.
G'night Arlington,
SGS

That girl is so funny...

As announced at Signature Theatre's website, I am going to be a part of the cast of Funny Girl in concert. The event is one night only, on November 5th. It stars my former big sis, Jaqui Piro Donovan. This show is a special fundraiser for Signature's outreach programs, so the ticketed price is for a very worthy cause, as Signature's school programs help energize, invigorate and involve youth in theatre.
Come out and see us. You can click HERE for more details. I'll post more details as soon as I know more.
Talk to you all tomorrow evening.
luv,
SGS

Happy Birthday, Chan!

Many Happy returns of the day!

Crazy Guy at OJ Press Conference...

Did anyone else watch this yesterday? This guy is nuts!

Keep on ticking...

(me, Felicia Curry and Matt Pearson)
So, as before mentioned, we've already begun tick rehearsals. Yesterday was our first read/sing through, then we got a peek at the costume sketches.
After that, Matt, Felicia and I went out for a beverage and talked through the show, and how we felt about the different aspects of it. It was a great evening and great rehearsal.
Today we start putting the show on its feet!
More later,
SGS

What's Going On?

Well, The Gil Mead Celebration went great. You can watch it HERE.
It was a fantastic evening, and I got to perform "Not While I'm Around" from Sweeney Todd with Donna Migliaccio, which is an honor and pleasure, considering her history with the piece, and considering that she is the best Mrs. Lovett that I have ever seen. An honor to perform for the celebration of Gil's life.

DC THEATRE REVIEWS wrote a nice piece on the evening. The only one I know of anyways.
The whole evening was amazing, and I got to spend a few fleeting moments with Jaylee, swapping conversation on the nights highlights. I felt privileged and honored to be counted in the number of performers doing their thing last night.

What else?
Buddha has been blogging again...1st a post on helping with household chores, then below that a competition on how to caption a photo the best way. Go and help him!












I started rehearsal for tick,tick...BOOM! today. Can I just say that the three of us sound kind of amazing together? I'm not trying to be cocky, but I am impressed at the blend of three totally different vocal types sounding so interesting and hot!
Carolyn linked the WTR interview to her blog, so check it out if you have not so far.
That is about all for tonight.
Got a full day of rehearsal tomorrow, so I've got to go to bed.
Goodnight Arlington!
Luv,
SGS

Doggie Dip Day

Buddha went to a dog swim day at the pool this evening. Be sure to look for his photo log of how it went over at his own website soon. (He's still working on it now.)

Did it go off yet?

One of those times when someone else takes a picture using your camera, but accidentally hits "video" instead. What follows is an awkward freeze.

Gilbert Mead: A Celebration

I will be a part of the Gilbert Mead Celebration tomorrow evening at 6PM in the Concert Hall of the Kennedy Center. Gilbert was "one of the most prolific Arts Philanthropists in Washington, DC". He was also an amazing man, who I had the pleasure of knowing. The event is free, and will also be online in a simulcast, and then archived on the site. HERE is the link to watch it tomorrow night, and after that.
Hope you can make it to this celebration of the life of a truly amazing and generous man.

Eleasha has been gone for over a month, yet her picture is everywhere...

1st in this photo, taken of her singing Matt's music at last year's Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Labor Day performance (notice Matt's intense stare at the music as he plays it behind her). This photo appeared in the City Paper a few weeks ago to advertise the Page to Stage Festival, and then it also appears in this quarter's edition of the Kennedy Center News Magazine!




Then, I open my handy dandy little Fall Arts Preview guide in this week's City Paper, and there she is again, in The Women of Brewster Place, coming to Arena this Fall! (I would tell you who the other actresses are, but there was no caption in the City Paper) (can you believe that?)
I'm fairly sure that she'll be on the cover of Newsweek any minute now.
And I'll but those issues and scan them into my computer as well, of course.
*sigh* 2 more weeks till she comes home.
:)
G'night all,
SGS

Old Friends

(All Photos By Scott Suchman)
Merrily We Roll Along opened at Signature Theatre's Max Theatre, starring many of my close friends, including my hubster, Matt Conner as Scotty, Tracy Olivera as Mary, Tori Ross as Gussie, and the list goes on...
I thought that it was fantastic. I'd like to give props to my friends who are in the show, who I am proud to call friends, and whose talents I am always in awe of.
Tracy Lynn Olivera as Mary Flynn. Quite possibly one of the most perfect roles I have ever seen her in.


Tracy's nuanced and layered performance of Mary is truly remarkable. Her performance of "Like it Was" was heart wrenching, and something that anyone in any stage of their life can recognize the pain of. Equally as winning is her show stopping "Now You Know", which is tough love from a friend, and that builds to a rousing, stomping, clapping finale to Act 1. Act one is the sadder act, so this rousing number promises a more hopeful future (past?) in act two. And not just her songs deserve praise here. Her acting is impeccable.


Tory Ross is hysterical as Gussie Carnegie, the Broadway starlet who helps make Frank's career. Her line delivery is spot on and she has quite the set of pipes, too. Whenever she is onstage, my eye goes right to her. Let's hope we see much more of her in the DC area in the future!
Chris Bloch as Joe Josephson. He gave what I thought was yet another rock solid turn in this role, especially in act one. How sad to see his knowing conversation with Mary and Charlie about his wife.
Last but not least, the ensemble. They deserve so much credit that I could never write enough on this little blog to suffice. They are the glue that holds it all together, as they dance and sing through the transitions of each era, and double as every other character in the show.


I got sore just watching them, as they hold amazingly intricate frozen poses as scenes go on in front of them. Their concentration and energy are the driving force that leads the show along, and my hat is off to them all. Especially my hubby. ;)
So if you haven't seen Merrily yet, why not? Go and get yourself a ticket!

Some Things Never Change...

When I looked closer at the picture from the post below, I laughed as I had just seen a picture of me from when I was very young a few minutes earlier...in almost the exact same jacket.
Guess my taste in clothes hasn't changed one bit.
Or the way I wear my hair for that matter.
Hmmm...

Flashback-Yard Sale of May 5th

Back on the 5th of May this past year, Matty and I sold an odd lot of personal belongings at the Fairlington Yard Sale. We had a great time, as Nancy was right next to us selling her things. We both laughed at each other's lots of things, me with tons of horror and gore memorabilia, and children's toys, and her with "Judd's" albums, and this awful black and white sweater that I said looked like Rudy Huxtable wore it on The Cosby Chow.
Needless to say, nobody bought it.

(Nancy's sale items)
As the day went on, and the yard sale traffic got slower, we got more and more giddy. I ended up making a sign to try to help sell Nancy's ugly sweater. I wrote on a piece of paper and taped it to the shirt. The paper said, "As worn by Rudy Huxtable on The Cosby Show".
It became hysterically funny when anyone would walk past her sale items. We would giggle and look away, turning red and trying not to scream laugh. I loved to watch people's expressions as they read the sign, considered this random fact, and then moved on like they never saw it.
Nancy just sent me these photos a few weeks ago, so I finally remembered to share them with the class.
I laughed incredibly hard that whole day, and it is a fantastic memory that we made from this past Summer.

Thanks Nancy!

I Stand Corrected...

I have misunderstood the whole shebang here. Apparently, This article will be featured on WTR's website only, as the publication will no longer be out to purchase for subscription. And this will not be in a Stagegram either. Sorry I misunderstood the whole deal. But, that being said, it is still a cool article that you should check out if you have not done so yet.
Over at WTR's website, you can see the article.
HERE it is!

Curp Appeal...

I found this desk in pieces yesterday on the curb. As you may recall, I refurbished another desk at the beginning of the summer, which I truly adore, but when I saw this covered desk, I couldn't resist.
With the help of my friend, James (thank god), We put it together....Look at the finished product...

So...any bids on the 50's desk? ;)

Sunday...

I found this video of Jonathan Larson performing "Sunday" from tick, tick...BOOM!Makes me a little bit sad to watch, considering. But still a great performance of his very funny homage to Sondheim via the Diner.
As we are about to coast into Sunday ourselves, I am taking a much needed break from studying my script and score. I feel like I've been cramming for final exams. I've either been downstairs on the piano, working on "Why?", "Actions Speak Louder than Words", "Come to your Senses", or "30/90" (piano playing wise), or with my nose in my script,(halfway through the thing off book now).
This show compares with nothing that I have ever done before. It extends me in every direction that I can be stretched mentally. In short, it's f*****g awesome.
But I do need breaks from it all now and then. I've been taking in some fantastic movies (on TV), and even seen a couple of fantastic shows (more on that tomorrow).
Right now, I am relaxing by sitting in the back yard and watching the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. (The Original). *sigh* there is a breeze and the fountain is on, and yet I hear the occasional rumble of chainsaw and screams. A perfect evening all together.
Yes, I am a sick little puppy. It is a very therapeutic thing to watch horror films, as they present people in much worse situations than you will ever hopefully be in. I take solace in this. Scream on you crazy kids who never should have explored that abandoned farm house!
Who does that, anyway?
I digress. More on my recent theatrical adventures tomorrow.
G'night all,
SGS

TICK NEWS!

Over at Metro Stage's Blog, some breaking news has just been announced.
Let me tell you a little story.
Erin Driscoll had to back out of the show. I love her, and all is well, but it was heartbreaking. I felt like I broke up with someone.
But she has another opportunity, and needs to take it.
So we (and by we, I mean not me, but Matt Gardiner and Carolyn) have been seeing other girls for the role.
Erin is hard to replace, so this was difficult to come by.
Eleasha was on the phone with me one night from her room in Atlanta (as she rehearses The Women of Brewster Place at the Alliance Theatre), and she says...."Why not Felicia Curry?"
I say..."I don't know...well...there is that one lyric in Green Green Dress that I sing about her that says 'soft Blond hair, baby baby blue eyes'".
She let it go.
I was vacuuming my downstairs the other night, moved my couch and found THIS picture of Felicia and me from Footloose at Toby's Dinner Theatre.
I thought to myself.."there's God".
So I thought...I'll call Matt Gardiner and see if he will see her.
He did.

She of course aced the audition.
She is now the new "Susan" in tick.
You know what is strange about the whole finding the picture thing, what with my dog, Rusty in bad health and all?
Felicia played a character in Footloose named "Rusty".
I can't help but think that this wasn't all meant to be.
And one more thing...
I heard her sing "Come to Your Senses" at the audition last week.
People, you don't know what you are in for.
She is amazing, and the show will benefit from her presence.
So hold tight, the rafters of Metro Stage will be blown off very shortly.

(Here is our set)

Lovely Day...

HERE IS THE LINK to see Labor Day's Page to Stage performance of Signature's New Work Preview.




We has such a great time "Well Done" as Tory Ross would say...
We thank everyone who came out to see us, and everyone who watched us online.
We had an amazing time, and I am honored to be part of this amazing festival for the fourth year in a row.
I could not think of a better way to spend a Labor Day.
Talk to y'all tomorrow.
Luv, SGS

Page to Stage

(2005's cast:Jennifer Soto-Benson, Kurt Boehm, me, Eleasha Gamble, and Jenny Cartney)

You will be able to see more of Matty's music tomorrow at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage at 6PM.
This is the 4th year that Matt and I have been part of this great event on Labor Day.
You can click HERE to see past performances.
Except it doesn't have 2005's Performance on that page...I had to do another search and found it HERE. Just scroll down to September 5th, and that is us.
You can click HERE tomorrow at 6PM to watch us on your computer live.

This year has a new roster of the "B" cast as we like to call ourselves. This year, Matt's songs will be sung by me, Kara Tameika Watkins, and Tory Ross.
Tune in tomorrow as you barbecue and enjoy!

(Kurt, Eleasha, Jennifer, and me).
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
Luv,
SGS