ADDING MACHINE: A MUSICAL

ADDING MACHINE: A MUSICAL
by Joshua Schmidt and Jason Loewith
directed by Jason Loewith
opening October 14, 2009

Visit HERE to get tickets to the show I am doing this Fall at Studio Theatre.

Image of the Week

Buddha straddling the couch. So funny. I love the right foot.

Road Trip

Eleasha and I recently packed up Buddha in the car and took a road trip to Charlotte, NC.
Why you may ask? To go and visit with one of our mutual best friends, Sean MacLaughlin, who is playing Raoul in the National tour of Phantom of the Opera.
We had such a great time, and I am so happy Eleasha thought of the whole trip in the first place.
The drive down was spent with Eleasha and I basically having our own talk show in the car about 145 different "hot topics" and also singing our faces off to whatever popped up on her ipod. (Lots of Prince).
Buddha is still adjusting to his strange new life and got a bit nervous about what was happening and why Daddy was packing up things. As soon as he realized that he was coming along for the trip he calmed down and rode on my lap sleeping the whole way there.
The poor little guy has gone through lots of stress trying to figure everything out that he has definately aged in the past several months. He looks much older in just a few months.
Hopefully he will relax into his life a bit more as the summer passes on.







When we got to Charlotte, we met up with Sean and his lovely girlfriend, Elaine. Sean's puggle Albert was there to greet Buddha, as well as Elaine's Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy, Lady. Buddha soon realized that this was basically going to be a "Dogs gone wild" weekend. He played NON STOP while we were there. Lady really wore him out, and Albert who I am guessing was relieved that someone else was there to play with Lady and give him a break, would frequently remove himself to Sean's bed and watch from a safe distance.
In addition, two other members of the tour were staying at this hotel and had dogs of their own. There was an off leash dog area behind the hotel and Buddha, Lady and Albert would then play with Sweet Pea the Morkie (Maltese and Yorkie) and Madison the Golden Retriever. It was dog mayhem. I was so happy to see Buddha running and playing and having the time of his life with his pack of dog buddies.



It was so great to get to spend time with Sean and to get to know Elaine. Elaine and I instantly clicked and ended up giggling and laughing about everything under the sun the whole trip. In fact between Sean, Eleasha, Elaine and the dogs, I have not laughed as much in a very long time. It was a much needed thing.
I got to see Sean be Raoul from the 2nd row center section. It was amazing. He was amazing. I was so proud of him that I cried several times. Phantom is such a big part of many of our childhoods. We all wore that cassette tape out, whether we care to admit it or not. To see Sean up there singing something I used to sing in the shower at age 11 was just all too much. It was like waves of nostalgia and pride at the same time. I'm sure the people around me were like - what's his deal?
I didn't care.
The show is still a great show, no matter if some think it is outdated 80's spectacle (which it is) or not. It still entertains people, it still makes people cry, and it still has brilliant moments of theatricality. It is a grand gothic melodrama, and you know what? I still love it.

The visit was short but sweet and any time that you can spend with those you love is quality time, so I cannot complain.
And as you can see from the photo to the left, I am my usual summer blond, and Eleasha is SUPER SKINNY! She had to change her entire diet due to acid reflux and she has dropped weight ever since. She looks amazing!
So then Eleasha and I headed home, again singing various cast recordings and pop albums and trying to stay awake.
Buddha was clearly no help, as he slept again the whole way home. But having been away from his new home for a few days, it was nice to see him excited to be back home as we pulled up. A feeling that I think both of us shared about the new place. Maybe for the first time.
Good Sunday to ya.
xoxo
SGS

SEVER THUNDERSTORM WATCH TILL 8PM

National Weather Service reports that there is a severe thunderstorm watch in effect until 8PM tonight and a flash flood watch in effect til early tomorrow morning.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch in DC: District of Columbia
Flash Flood Watch in DC: District of Columbia
Severe Thunderstorm Watch in MD: Anne Arundel , Calvert , Carroll , Charles , Frederick , Howard , Montgomery , Prince Georges , Southern Baltimore , St. Marys
Flash Flood Watch in MD: Anne Arundel , Carroll , Charles , Frederick , Howard , Montgomery , Prince Georges , Southern Baltimore
Severe Thunderstorm Watch in VA: Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria , Fairfax , Fauquier , Loudoun , Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park , Stafford
Flash Flood Watch in VA: Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria , Fairfax , Fauquier , Loudoun , Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park , Stafford

Yard Sale: Saturday at 8AM - Mark Center

Yes, shoppers - you have the chance to own crap that I don't want in my house anymore!!! Old shirts, DVD's of things you would probably never want to watch, Decor that looks like it came from some other country, CANDLES - MY GOD - SO MANY CANDLES, and...are those...by God...ACTUAL VHS TAPES!!!
The prices are CRAZY down here at CRAZY EDDIE'S CRAZY SATURDAY YARD SALE....wait...my name isn't Eddie.
Anyway,
Yard Sale
Mark Center Club, Alexandria, VA
Saturday Morning 8AM-11AM
Look for a very sleepy me, who will have got up way too early for a Saturday morning and chugged 2 tall cups of coffee to wake up.
Proceeds from this yard sale will go to feed one very surly pug.
*no guilt intended*
*kind of*
*But please come and buy my stuff? Pretty please?*
luv,
SGS

Image of the Week

Buddha the religious pug.

Signature Theatre's Tony Award Party at Capital City Brewing Company

Thought I would post the few photos I took of the swanky little party that Signature threw for Tony Award night here in Shirlington at the Capital City Brewing Company.
First you were greeted with red carpet...












And the outside columns of the building had these draping on them...














Then as you entered: Voila - a giant Tony Award!










...that was actually a giant cake. It was pretty damn good, too.
Bravo Signature!
Merry Tony!

About the Banner

So since the Civil War is over, I thought it was finally time to take down the lovely Mark Ramont photograph of me and Bligh Voth (much thought I love it) and put something else up. I recently have found a bunch of photos that I don't think I have ever put up on here which I took last summer. Photos of anything from the picture above, which is a sunset view of 395 taken from above it on Wakefield St. in Fairlington, to cloud formations and scenes from the Potomac River.
I will try to change the banner up every week or so to highlight these this summer.
Hope you all enjoy!
SGS

VORTEX2 LIVE STREAM NOW!

Mike Bettes is Live streaming OVER HERE at The Weather Channel's Vortex page right now from 12-2pm. GO WATCH!

BREAKING NEWS: Security Gaurd at Holocaust Museum is dead.

Full Story over here at the DCist. So sad and horrible. And pointless.

UPDATE: And the gaurd apparently opened the door for this sick man. Story HERE.

Breaking News: Shooting at the Holocaust Museum on 14th Street.

Two people have been shot by an 88 year old White Supremacist gunman at DC's Holocaust Museum, 7 ish blocks from where I am working right now.
Full Story over HERE at CNN.

Hump Day Check In

Hey there folks. What's new? What's going on in your lives? How is your summer going?
Mine is off to an interesting start.
I am working at my part time day job for a couple of days a week, but that is about it, so for the first time ever, I have filed for unemployment.
I start teaching camp in about 2 weeks, so I don't plan to be on it for long.
It's just these 2 weeks that will get a bit scary in the wallet department...so if any of you want to cook me dinner, I wouldn't object...haha.
Speaking of which, I signed up to sell some stuff at our community's yard sale this Saturday from 8AM to 11AM. I have been making some candles to sell there, and drudged through many dvds, videos, clothes, etc. I am sure to have a strange, interesting and wonderful sales table. Drop on by and buy some stuff!
My cabaret this summer will be entitled "Mixtape"
and will feature an eclectic blend of folk, pop, gospel, show tunes and more, featuring Gabe Mangiante on the piano. July 15th at Signature Theatre. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
What else?
I am kind of obsessed with The Weather Channel's

VORTEX2: The Great Tornado Hunt
It is an amazing show, fascinating and breath taking all at once. I feel a little heartsick watching it, because I know that I am watching what I truly should have done with my life (career wise). Not just being a tornado chaser, but being a field meteorologist. This show is almost over, but you can catch 2 more days of it on The Weather Channel and also catch their streaming web casts from 12-2PM tomorrow and the next day as they drive to whatever their new chase locations will be. Check it out.

Ok...that's my hump day check in. Hope you are all well and that life is treating you good.
Chat more tomorrow.
SGS

Wyoming Sideway Tornado - AMAZING VIDEO!

The only glimpse of the inside of a tornado ever caught on film. Amazing stuff.

Shots of the New Pad.

So here are some random photos of the new apartment. We are settled in nicely, and every day it is feeling a little more like home. It is taking Buddha a little bit of time to adjust, but he will roll with it and keep barking, as he always does.
First off here we have the breakfast nook in the kitchen.
Black and White plus a hint of Yellow = French Provincial. Martha taught me that.














My bedroom.














































Buddha enjoying dinner next to the fireplace.























And the balcony.
xoxoxo
SGS

The wedding of Lauren Williams and Patrick Byrne