HAPPY ROCKIN' 2009 TO ONE AND ALL!!!

Chris Bloch and I backstage at Les Miserables as Axel Rose and Slash, respectively.

RIP - Eartha Kitt

I met Eartha briefly when she came to Signature to see Into the Woods in 2007. She had kind words to say to all of us. Matt even had brunch with her the next day. I treasure meeting this legend who I adore, and it was one of the highlights of my life to perform for her. How sad that she is no longer with us. I will never forget Eartha. God rest her soul.

Home for Christmas - Part 1

I left for Monarch, PA on Christmas Eve at about 2PM. I was hoping to leave by 12 Noon, but with all of my sleep deprivation, and wrapping deprivation, 2pm was the departure time. My parents were saints by agreeing to meet me halfway at Sideling Hill. This was truly a blessing, as I was plagued by horrible dreams of the homeward bound trip.

I had horrific nightmares about driving home this Christmas, which involved losing control of my car and skidding into a Runaway Truck Ramp sign. This dream was passed on shakily to my Mom and Dad, which I am sure helped convince them to meet me halfway.

Fog banks were cruising through the mountains, and I thank God that my Dad was driving. I would have been white knuckling. Dad drove and chatted on to me at leisure as I cringed at the lack of visibility ahead.



I took a few photos of the "Runaway Truck Ramp" signs as we approached them in the dark, and funny enough, they were just as I saw them in my dreams...blurry and approaching fast...


Maybe my dream was not leading me to certain death, but to these photos. Or maybe it lead to my Dad driving, preventing a tired me from a different fate. Interesting to think about either way. These photos are still the images from my nightmares.




But after a wonderful and funny ride home with my Dad in the driver seat, Buddha on my lap, and Mom following behind in her car, we arrived home. And the first thing that made my homesick heart sing was the sight of our family Christmas tree. The same through the ages, it stands as it was in my youth. It looks almost exactly the same. The sight of this tree was the first sign of true home Christmas to me.

Merry Christmas

I am sooooo sorry constant reader...I have fallen slack on posts. Let me tell you why.
LES MISERABLES.
I have been so constantly busy between work/holiday/show that I have had NO time to blog. I still have much to share with you and will continue to. But I will start to do this back on Friday. I am heading off to PA tomorrow (really today at this point). I will talk to you soon, and hope you all have a happy holiday.
xoxoxoxooxoxo
SGS

Video of the Week

Breaking News: EXTENSION!!!

Les Miserables EXTENDS!

Playbill

Les Miserables Reviews

Washington Post

Variety

DC Examiner

Theatremania


DC Theatre Scene

Talkin Broadway


Dcist

Metro Weekly

Washington Times

Merry Christmas from the Barricade!

Some Random Shots...

The main drag of Shirlington, which is now all tarted up for Christmas...






















































The impressive "Poster of Light" for our show out front of the theatre.

















I caught this is a tech rehearsal...it is light coming up through the grates in the set.
















And here are our "light umbrellas" for the Paris scene all neatly hung on the wall.
















And my own Christmas tree, which is white this year for the first time in 5 years.

ABOUT THE BANNER: The Barricade

I love this production photo from Signature's Les Miserables by Scott Suchman of the barricade. This photo is haunting and beautiful at once. When this barricade comes on stage in these lights, it seems like a mass grave working its way slowly to the stage. Which, in effect, it is. Other photos from the show are available for viewing at PLAYBILL online.

and that jazz....

I have not watched the film version of Chicago in several years, and I caught it on TV the other day, or at least part of it. It made me remember what an AMAZING film it is, but especially how brilliant the opening is. Here for your viewing pleasure is that scene...

Dog saves Dog.

This made me cry.

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY, BUDDHA!

Adorable.

Because I can't get enough of walruses lately...here is one playing a saxaphone...too cute.

Joly and Marie - Les Miserables

Photos are of me and Wesley Woodley as Joly and Marie. In the show we are husband and wife of one year. I love this woman and each night on stage with her is a privilege, as with the rest of the amazing cast. I look forward to every night in Paris.

Les Miserables Begins previews Tuseday December 2nd.

Jacqui Piro Donovan sings "I Dreamed a Dream"

I found this on You Tube and had to throw it on here. Here is Jacqui Piro Donovan (who played my big sis in 110 in the Shade at Signature, and has been in several other shows there (Funny Girl, Witches of Eastwick, Nevermore) on tv singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les MIserables. Enjoy!

Word of the Day: Nabs

To all of those who, like me, questioned what are "nabs" when they read the menu at Bil(l)'s Beanery, the very useful Wikipedia has come to the rescue with this answer:


Nabs

Many snack cracker products manufactured by Lance are commonly referred to as "Nabs". The term "Nabs" today is used to refer to any type of snack crackers, most commonly those made and manufactured by Lance, Inc. Many in the southeastern United States prefer the term Nabs to generically mean the specific Toastchee brand of Lance crackers. The term has its origins back to 1924 when the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) introduced a snack, put in a 5-cent sealed packet called "Peanut Sandwich Packet". They soon added a second, "Sorbetto Sandwich Packet". These packets allowed salesmen to sell to soda fountains, road stands, milk bars, lunch rooms, news stands etc. Sales increased and in 1928 the company adopted and started to use the name NAB, which immediately won the approval of the public. This term caught on and is still widely used today.



There you go, curious readers. Mystery solved. Although I have one more unanswered menu question: If you go to the post below and look at the menu, you will see in the bottom left corner of the more hand written menu "Chicken Bake - $2.50".
?
What is Chicken Bake? Is that like baked chicken?
Hmmm...more to ponder...

Inflation at Bil(l)'s Beanery

Last year the prices at Bil(l)'s Beanery at the Conner Auction...





































VS THIS YEAR's prices...













As we can see...

1) Ice(d) tea is gone completely.
2) Coffee holds at 60 cents, as "candy, nabs, chips and ice cream" maintain last year's prices.
3) "Pop" is up 15 cents, as is water and hot chocolate.
4) Hot dogs are up 10 cents.
5) Chili dogs, Cheese Burgers and pizza are up 25 cents.


Thank god even when these prices have gone up they are still amazing prices for what they are. But when you see this increase in prices at even Conner's Auction in Stephen's City, it is surely a sign of the economic times.

Les Miserables Preview - The Washington Post

The WASHINGTON POST has a preview article of the production of Les Miserables at Signature Theatre that I am proud to be a part of. Check it out!

Getting ahead at rehearsal.

During change over of The Lieutenant of Inishmore and Les Miserables at Signature, some of the props from Inishmore ended up backstage in actor's hands...(leave a provocative prop lying around and you can bet your life an actor will pick it up).
Pictured above is Russell Sunday, who we thought the head sort of resembled...not really, but sort of in a comatose way...






Then "comatose Russell" paid a visit to the green room.
















Soon enough, "Comatose Russell" head was available for purchase on the snack bar...

...needless to say, the head soon disappeared after it appeared on the snack bar.
Ah, tech rehearsals. The things you do as you hurry up and wait.

ABOUT THE BANNER

To change up my heading banner every once in awhile, I thought I would start with this throw back to spring's "Kiss of the Spider Woman" at Signature Theatre. This photo was taken by Broadway World during curtain calls...and I am the almost unrecognizable shaved head dude all the way to the left.
Watch for the banner to change to feature other fun images of all sorts in the future!

Thanksgiving at the the Conner's.

We made our annual visit to the Conner's family home in Stephen's City, VA for Thanksgiving this afternoon. With us this time were Kurt Boehm and Felicia Curry. As is the custom of anytime we go there, a tour of the auction house is mandatory.
I love to pay attention to the signage in the auction house...










In case of lawsuits, I guess they warned you...





















I would LOVE to catch this...
















And these speak for themselves...
























































Felicia thought that all of the decor was charming...























Here at the Conner's Auction, commerce is easy...first you select your purchase and make a bid...



















Go to see the cashier...
















Turn in your number and pick up your item...



















Yes, as you can see here at Conner's Auction, "Selling is so exciting".






















After all of the excitement, you can go pick up a bite at Bil(l)'s Beanery. You can't beat those prices. Still, I am not sure what "nabs" are...

















But don't load up on too much "pop", because lines at the restroom can get a little long...






















Happy Thanksgiving to one and all from the Conner's Auction!