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!)

BREAKING NEWS:

My hubby is getting SO famous...
this just in from the folks over at Signature...


Signature Offers Seminar on Making a Musical
October 31, 2005 - As preparation gets more intense for the opening of the musical based on the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, Nevermore, which gets its world premiere at Signature Theatre in January, the theater is offering a five-session seminar for $175 per person. The seminar begins on December 13 with the first rehearsal of the new musical which will include a presentation by the design team and director Eric Schaeffer and a conversation with composer Matt Conner. Two evenings later, the participants will meet with members of the cast who will discuss "Acting & Singing Poe." On December 20, librettist Grace Barnes will discuss her collaboration on the project. Then, in January, the participants will attend both the technical rehearsal and the final dress rehearsal.

Happy Gay Christmas, uh...I mean Halloween!

Ahh....look at my friend Sean, the tool.

Happy Halloween, all....hectic day here for me...thousands of dogs to walk, office work to do, plus cabaret errands to run, and our final rehearsal is tonight!!!!

What am I doin writing this? I should be out getting something done!

Truth be told, I want nothing more than to go home and roll around in Horror DVDs....*sigh* no Halloween for me!

I hope you all fare better!

All I'm Sayin'....I'll sing a ballad about it too...

As related to an earlier post...

Come to the Cabaret!

Well...This Friday and Saturday at 7PM and 9PM each evening is Eleasha Gamble and my Cabaret at Signature Theatre.

I can promise you, if you are in attendance, an evening of laughs, retrospective on some strange theatrical events of the past year, power-belting, props-galore, tear-jerking ballads, and searing toe-tappers.

I thought that we were pretty much sold out, but it seems that we do have available tickets...(how depressing). So, show us the love...jump on over to the Signature website and buy up a few tickets! We would love to see you there.

Tomorrow night is our final dress rehearsal...(how scary is that?) since Eleasha will be busy every other night rehearsing for Oliver at Olney. So...just like last cabaret, much of the evening will be off the cuff, improv-orientated, and ...well...like last time, unpredictable. She made me crack up about 4 times last year during the actual performances...sometimes flying by the seat of your pants is much better than being set in stone.

The show this year is much inspired by 2 of our favorite movies, The Color Purple, and The Wizard of Oz. The show deals mostly with Eleasha and I spending most of the year apart, due to her appearing in Under the Bridge off-Broadway. We track our own individual experiences apart, and then reuniting again.

Touching at times, hysterical and sick at others, I promise you that this one has something for EVERYONE in it. It also features the vocal/musical talents of Steve McWilliams and Jenny Cartney. Please come on out and represent...We all look forward to seeing you there!

Hollow-weenies...

The past 2 days in re-cap go a little something like this...
Well...the Helen Hayes Auction went fine. I sat between my hubby and Brad Oscar, so I had plenty of laughs all evening long between the 2. The crowd was warm...well...as warm as it could be, considering they were drunk, and it was 10PM by the time we sang.
Tonight me and the hubster went to Eric Schaeffer's Halloween Party. You had to go dressed as a musical's title...I went as Zombie Prom...My hub went as Lucky Stiff....
Donna went as several different shows, all relating to a derivative of penis...i.e: Shockheaded Peter, Moby Dick, and Peter Pan...So damn funny.
Here are some photos from the frivolity.
Enjoy.

Funny Trailer of the Week...

Ok, so I'm behind the curve on this one, since I know many people have already seen it, but I had to share this link to a re-cut version of the trailer to The Shining...making it a feel-good movie....One of my favorite horror films turned into a dramedy....I love it!

I'm Back...and still awake somehow...

wow. Jet lag plus lack of sleep plus exhaustion equals me right now.
It started out with me sleeping MAYBE 2 hours the night before we left...then our first day was a blur of gambling, cocktails, and shows...then we didn't sleep much that night...then the second day was more cocktails, more gambling, and MORE shows...then a red-eye home...and I didn't sleep at all on that, either.I came got home at 8AM this morning, and fell asleep*thank god* till 1ish, went to work for a few hours, and here I sit. My time system is all messed up.
OK...the flight...I was doped up on Zanex (sp?) so I neither felt, nor cared about much...I was still a little terrified, but was really fine. I popped in The Light in the Piazza and enjoyed the motion of the plane, combined with the soaring music. I particularly listened to Aiutami and Il Mondo Era Vuoto several times. A gorgeous distraction.

We got to Vegas and checked into The Venetian. Jesus. What an amazing hotel! I was enchanted by the extreme decadence of the whole place...We dropped our stuff in the hotel and went straight down to the casino.I ended up winning about $500 playing Double Diamond, so I was very proud of myself...although, after all the dinners, show tickets, cocktails, I basically spent it all...but still-where else cab you go on vacation and potentially MAKE money to spend on your vacation?As I said, I was extremely lucky in this.
Free drinks ensued while at the slots...and God-almighty, you could smoke EVERYWHERE! I was in absolute HEAVEN!! I have never felt so free to light up...no smoke nazi's anywhere coughing and fanning and acting disgruntled.
By the time we were done with the slots, it was pool time...a heavenly pool and hot tub...so relaxing...We soon after left to go to the Wynn to see Le Reve.
It was utterly fantastic. I would cheapen it by trying to wrap words around as a description. It will be coming out on DVD soon, I hear, so when it does, race for it...
Then we raced over to Bally's to see Jubilee.
heh.
The absolute gayest chorus boys in sequins dancing around girls with feathers and their tits out, singing showtunes. I was in hysterics. The lights were fantastic....but what was under them was questionable. These chorus boys shouldn't have been in thongs. They did NOT have thong bodies at all. There was one chorus boy, who must have been the oldest chorus boy ever, who looked a mess, and looked either A) drunk, or B) didn't give one shit about what he was doing.
The girls...kind of looked like strange insects...multi-colored feathers, tits out, and 3 inch eyelashes...they actually looked like drag queens. I cannot fathom who could get off looking at that.
Then...well...more cocktails and gambling.
The next day we went to Breakfast, which was fabulous...(a fantastic omlette(sp?) chef), and then went walking around Las Vegas Boulevard. We walked through Caesar's and Hurrah's, and many others that I can't recall...after awhile, they all seem the same...Shops, bars, casinos, over and over...all with old women with bouffant hairdos and fanny packs, and cigarette's hanging from their mouths.
After our walk we recharged by the pool...some napped...I could not.
Soon after, we split our group up, and Matty and I went to see Avenue Q.
This was such an amazing evening of theatre. Not only is John Tartaglia, who originated the roles of Princeton/Rod in the show, but so is Rick Lyon, who originated the roles of Nicky/Trekkie Monster! They were brilliant, of course, but the rest of the cast was just as strong...Tonya Dixon, particularly, who played Gary Coleman!
We were in the front row, and were "played with" a lot by the cast...it was my favorite thing on the whole vacation!
Then, we got our things and went to the airport for the red-eye back.
I am SO psyched that I got to see Las Vegas...it was a blast...truly a Sin City...but I'm...well..so glad to be home. This whirlwind couple of weeks continues tomorrow night, when I sing at the Helen Hayes Auction at the Four Seasons....more details to follow.
Pictures from Vegas to follow, but not as soon as I'd like, since they are on a disposable camera...
So glad to be back with pug and laptop. Till tomorrow...

Vegas or Bust!

Ok...here it is...leaving on flight 7 in the morning. Anxious? Yes....
I will report more to y'all on Thursday.
I love you all, and my parents and family...and my pug, Buddha.
This is where we are staying...I could do worse.
Love and peace...talk soon.

One of the best movie titles ever.

Doesn't it just drive you insane???












OK...back from Pittsburgh...more on that later.
Check back tonight for my Pittsburgh trip details, and also for my pre-Vegas chatter.

Strip Nude for your Killer.

Honestly.

Why do the wrong people travel, travel, travel?

Well...I am about to drive to Pittsburgh to see the folks for one night, then back to DC for 2 nights, then to Vegas for 2 nights...AAHHH!

Cabaret is going good. Have rehearsal Monday night, the night before I go to Vegas...Things are coming together well, and I think it will be hysterical.

Had a diva-licious night, between watching the Kylie Minogue concert on LOGO, then watching the new Madonna documentary on MTV...both were incredible.

Just trying to ready myself for all the upcoming travel...still just a hair nervous about flying, but...oh well...I haven't flown since 9/11...so...you know. I'll have a few G/T's and be fine, I'm sure.

I'll check in with you guys on Sunday night...maybe...the book writer of Nevermore, Grace Barnes, is coming in to town on Sunday afternoon from Scotland, and let me tell you...we are like sisters lost at birth, so I might not get the chance to blog on Sunday night...maybe a drunken blog entry??

Well...signing out for tonight...the next few weeks will prove to be quite involved, what with the Vegas trip, singing at the 4 Seasons on the 28th, My Cabaret on November 4th and 5th, then starting Damn Yankees rehearsal on the 8th...stay tuned for all the details on those subjects and more...