The Last Visit

I went to closing night of The Visit at Signature Theatre this past Sunday night.
It was the first time that I got to see the show, and what a night to see it on. The energy in the room was electric, and the audience was unbelievable. John Kander was there, and much of the show I found myself looking at him watch his own show. It was a very special evening.
Many Kander and Ebb shows have an iconic image or moment in them, and the most powerful moment that I experienced was when Chita was alone in the woods, sitting on the bench with her cane. She sang my favorite song in the score, "Love and Love Alone" and it was just one of those moments. I will never forget it. I wish I could remember all of the gorgeous lyrics to the song to post them, but I can't. During that song, you saw through to the heart of Claire, and the pain of her past and impending future. If irony has a sound, then it is this song. It simply drips with it. It is very much like an "I'm Still Here" dealing with aspects of the heart.
And I am not knocking the rest of the cast or George Hearn, who were all fantastic, but this was the moment and song that hit me the hardest.



George Hearn's voice is still an amazing instrument, and his acting was superb. I loved his rendition of "I Must have been Something". To see he and Chita in such a small theatre was an unusual treat. I got to talk to George, Chita, and John Kander after the show at the closing night party.
It was great to speak again with John Kander, as I haven't seen him since Kiss of the Spider Woman. I thanked him for everything, and in typical John Kander style said,"No, thank you."
It is strange to see the Kander and Ebb festival come to an end, and a little bit sad as well. I was lucky enough to appear in 2 offerings for the festival, Kiss and A Smile to Hide the Pain. But all things end I guess. Shaking John Kander's hand and saying goodnight, I walked out to my car thinking how surreal my life sometimes is.
Never would I have guessed while I was in High School listening to Kander and Ebb music, or watching George in Sweeney Todd, or Chita in Kiss of the Spider Woman that I would ever be in a place where all three were in the same room with me. Talking and laughing and shaking hands, and part of a festival that I too was a part of.
It is indeed a small world.

A Smile to Hide the Pain - Photos

As promised, here are a few picture from Lucy Bowen McCauley's Kander and Ebb Dance Suite that Eleasha Gamble and I were in last week at Signature Theatre. Enjoy!

Wigged Out

"The show was delightful. I saw it last night. Was there anything unique about Friday night's performance that won't be repeated in further performances? :D "
writes in Googla Monster, frequent commenter on ye old blog.
yes.
Last night, Eleasha's wig flew off at the end of one of her songs.
Did you just hear what I said?
wig flew off.
I died.
I had to sing the next song, and all I wanted to do was laugh. It was the hardest thing to do ever. When the show was over, I came off stage and collapsed in a ball of hysterics.
So yes, Googla, something happened that WE SURE HOPE won't happen again happened last night!
*sigh*
I'm still laughing about it...
The show, PS, is fantastic. Come and see us!

A Smile to Hide the Pain

I had another rehearsal for A Smile to Hide the Pain, Lucy Bowen McCauley Dance troupe's entry into Signature's Kander and Ebb Celebration today. As I may have told you, Eleasha Gamble and I are singing the music, accompanied on the piano by Jeffery Watson. It was fantastic to sing with the dancers dancing right around us. It has been such a wonderful and collaborative process.
And today we ran through everything twice. It went fantastic, and this is truly an amazing troupe of dancers.



You really don't want to miss this. It really is going to be a special evening!
BUY TICKETS NOW!

CRASH!

MY COMPUTER HAS CRASHED!
We are not sure what happened, and it is now in the hands of an expert, and will hopefully be back soon. I am writing this from my computer at work, where I will post from until the laptop is back.

I wanted to let you all know that June candles are ready, but I have not had a formal photo shoot with them as of yet. This is the June Family preview:



They are several different shades of color, between white, eggshell, beige, and khaki. Not one of these is truly the same. I want them all to have differences, but retain the same theme of color and feel. The scents are Egyptian Cotton, Sun Dried Cotton, and Clean Linen. Prices are listed over at CANDLES BY STEPHEN.
Thanks to all of you for making May the most ordered candle yet! Let's see if June can beat May's record!

I also wanted to let you know that I had rehearsal for Signature and Lucy Bowen McCauley's Kander and Ebb Dance Extravaganza, A Smile to Hide the Pain today, and it went VERY well. To see the dancers dancing this gorgeous choreography to Kander and Ebb's music was truly an experience. Check out the details of it OVER HERE. I am very excited to be a part of it, and Eleasha and I are singing our ASSES off!

Ok...gotta go home to a computer less home...:(
Till tomorrow...
SGS

Keeping Afloat...

Well, as always, life goes on. Katie passed on Friday, and my family has been mourning her loss. In the interim, much has gone on.
I told you all earlier that I was going to start the tanning salon job last Thursday. That got postponed till (today) Tuesday. So I will teach children, then drive straight to the tanning salon. Details to follow.
I am financially in wreckage since SPIDERWOMAN closed, and yes I have several projects upcoming, including A SMILE TO HIDE THE PAIN at Signature in June, and an upcoming cabaret there in July, I am trying to make a living on many part time jobs. This is NO living. I had hoped for employment theatrically this summer, but that has fallen through, so it's CANDLES, teaching camp, Tanning Salon, and TICKETplace for me all summer. Sleep? I'll sleep when I'm dead.
So also adding to this attempt at making what I would were I employed gainfully theatrically, I agreed to do lawn maintenance on a beloved friend's yard this coming Sunday. This was a fantastic development, as I often forget that I know what the hell I am talking about when it comes to landscaping (a career that I careered out of back in 2005). Walking through his yard and observing what needed attention with the trimmers, I was reminded what an eye I do have for lawn care and maintenance, and was actually excited to start work on it Sunday. Anyone need lawnwork? I love transforming something. Whatever the product that I am transforming is: an old piece of furniture that I refurbish, pieces of cloth and rubber into a ghoul, wax blocks into candles, whatever the clay, I love to shape it.
Can I just say that ...wow...gas is almost $4??? Food is more expensive than ever....a clear measure of that is this: I bought 2 ears of corn tonight for $1.00.
This same time last year (I always hanker for corn on the grill this time of year), I could buy 4 ears for a dollar. This is only a small indication of how your money flies out of your pockets. With a piece-meal life like mine, when you are broke one month and barely treading water the next, it gets trickier.
On a movie front, I am REALLY into mutated nature-creature films right now. Mainly from the 50's...(atomic age radiation based terror of giant crabs and spiders attacking a city)...just becuase they make me happy. I feel like this genre of horror is going to make an Eco come back soon. It is the next phase of horror now, as environmental horrors are larger than ever. Horror will go here next. You wait and see. Soon enough giant insects will ravage Washington, DC on the silver screen again.
Eco-horror has been high on my must watch lists of Netflix rentals. More on this soon.
What else?
I saw the Stephen Schwartz Project at Metro Stage, which has one week left. I enjoyed it, and while I had a few issues with staging, thought that the ALL DC CAST sang their ASSES off, and sounded amazing. Go check it out, the tickets are inexpensive.
I also reconnected with another friend tongiht, who recently installed an addition into her house, and a lap pool into her house. (hence the photo at the top of this post). We swam and had a great time tonight. We will surely be going over there more in the future.










Oh, it also has a High Def TV that you can watch as you are swimming...ahh, the life...








SO all in all, life is hand to mouth for me, as it is for most.
I am exploring cabaret themes right now, and have stumbled upon (thanks to Matt and my Mom) a funny premise that I will just say would be a TV show setting. More to come on this hatching idea.
So, in closing on this early Tuesday morning, if you need candles, lawn care, or a man to sing his ass off, call me. I'm free all summer.
;)
Love,
Stephen

Over the Wall

We closed Spider Woman last night. I loved this production and everyone in it. I am blessed to have been a part of it, and am very thankful and grateful to all involved.
I started a the New Visions/New Voices Festival at the Kennedy Center this morning at 9:30AM. The musical that I am involved with is called Dani Girl, written by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond. It is a fantastic and touching piece about A girl grappling with Cancer and trying to understand why what is happening is happening to her. I play a hospital roommate (9 years old) who is also suffering from Cancer, and befriends her in her search for the Why? of their situations. This piece is gorgeous and makes me cry just talking about it.

So I am still a busy boy this week. Details to follow about Dani Girl.
Here are some photos from closing.

One More Week...

You have ONE MORE WEEK to see the brilliance that is KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN at Signature. FYI.

Catching Up...

Between Candle Making and time spent in Prison, I have had barely time to devote to the old bloggedy lately. The candle business is booming and that is fantastic, but also limits my free time to minutes.
I love that I am having so many responses to my April design, and am glad to hear that it smells heavenly and burns well. I love to hear these details from subscribers!
My favorite spot in Fairlington has been looking gorgeous of late and I had to post pictures of it. Here they are...

Opening Night Photos (Belated)

I forgot to post these, but BroadwayWorld.com was at our opening night and took these pictures of the bows and after party. I thought that I would let you see them.
PHOTOS BY WALTER McBride/RETNA

(Stephen Gregory Smith, Danny Binstock, Kurt Boehm, LC Harden Jr, Matt Conner)

(James Gardiner, Stephen Gregory Smith, Danny Binstock, Kurt Boehm, LC Harden Jr, Matt Conner)

(Stephen Gregory Smith, Danny Binstock, Kurt Boehm, LC Harden Jr, Matt Conner)

(LC Harden Jr, Steven Cupo, Stephen Gregory Smith, Matt Conner)

(Channez McQuay, Kurt Boehm, LC Harden Jr, Steven Cupo, Stephen Gregory Smith, Matt Conner)

Sources: www.broadwayworld.com
www.retna.com

Monday, Monday

Well, here it is Monday, and I am running around like crazy trying to get a thousand things done. Laundry, candle making, getting groceries for the week, etc.
I have almost finished my first batch of the day, only 3 or 4 more. wow.
I spent extra time in the shower trying to scrub the dirt from the show that I had missed in the shower last night. I was a tad bit disturbed to find that it would not come off. It is like it is tatooed into my skin now. Yikes.
I guess it will just work it's way out eventually.
I took this photo of one of the "Dirt Rooms". It looks like a murder scene, doesn't it?


I gave Boo his monday bath, so of course, he is mad at me right now. I try to spend as much time as I can with him when not at TICKETplace or the show, and today is one of our days of quality time together. We would have gone to the park, but it is raining, and he abhors the rain so that was a wash.
When I went to the show the other night, he seemed so sad, so I built him a pillow fort on the couch and put his toys in it with him, and also a cookie. He loved it, and was there in the same place when I came home from the show.


So...what else?

CANDLES BY STEPHEN news...
The April Candles will be up and posted later on tonight, or tomorrow morning. This is also the last day that you can order the March Candles, so if you want one, better put the order in in the next few hours! You will see the April design later on tonight or tomorrow, but I can tell you that it is light in color, using faint traces of purple to white to yellow. It is fragranced with Hyancinth, Gardenia, Apple Blossom and Orange Blossom. It is a fresh burst of Spring fragrance and color, and will light up the darkest corners of your home with the vibrant first colors that Spring yields to us. More to follow. And thank you to all of my candle subscribers and customers. Your orders help me to afford to do what it is that I dream of doing. Please pass on my website to your friends who love candles and want to help support local artists. And God knows with the economy being what it is and prices of almost everything up, I need all the help I can get.

So, that's it for me for now. I have to run and pour another level in the current batch of Candles I am working on. Take care, and watch for the April candles later on.
Luv,
Steve

I'm Walking into Spiderwebs...Leave a Message and I'll call you back..

(Photo from Kiss of the Spiderwoman, from left to right, Matt Conner, Kurt Boehm, LC Harden Jr., Natascia Diaz, me, Danny Binstock, and James Gardiner. Photo by Scott Suchman)
Sorry I have not written much lately. Between TICKETplace during the day and then KISS at night, I don't think I have ever been this tired. Two show days are even more grueling. The amount of energy that it takes to keep up the claustrophobic tension and horror, and then to dance these amazing numbers is...welll...it is a LOT of Red Bull, ok?
The show is going well, and I LOVE everyone in it. From the NYC contingent to the DC contingent, EVERYONE is giving it their 210%, and I will say that this is one of the best ensembles of guys that I have ever had the pleasure of dancing with.
What else? Ummm..

Oh yeah, Happy Easter to all. I hope everyone is having a lovely day. My Mom called and asked what I was doing for Easter. I said getting tortured and killed. Twice.
Anyways, I have to run back to the theatre for the second show now. Have a god rest of your day, and I will have the day off tomorrow, so I will hopefully be able to post more stuff on here tomorrow.
I really want to go take a walk in my neighborhood and take pictures of all the gorgeous tress in bloom and flowers that are blossoming, but that largely depends on tomorrow's weather, so...that's a wait and see.
Ok, talk more tomorrow.
Steve

Kiss

Kiss is about to have its opening weekend. The show is fantastic.
We performed for John Kander tonight. He was the first one to jump to his feet at curtain call.
It was kind of surreal.
Don't miss this show.
Luv,
SGS

Caught in the web...

I have really been slacking on the blog posts lately. Sorry. Part of that is this: Spiderwoman is the largest thing going on in my life right this minute, so I have little else to talk about. And I am not allowed per contract to talk about it on the internet, so...(I mean, other than to say come and see it, it's gonna be good). Which it is. I think that it is going to be a fantastic show. We start previews tomorrow, and will still have rehearsals in the day before each preview. Slowly through the week, I will get more time back and be able to write more on here.
Talk to you guys soon!
SGS

i'm still here...

Sorry I have not posted that much, but I have been really busy with Spiderwoman rehearsals, and my ass is thoroughly being kicked. Still here though, thankfully enjoying a day off to rest and regroup. This is my first total day off in three weeks. I forgot how nice it could be. Not that I have been sitting around all day, however. I took Buddha ( who has a new blog post that you can read HERE) to the park for a nice little romp, then brought him home and gave him a bath. I am currently in the "catch up" mode of trying to do laundry, dishes,etc. I am taking a breather from that as I write this.
I plan on making my March Candles tonight, and am in prep for that. I know what design I want them to be, but I am honing details in my head of how I want it to smell, proportion of color, and so on. So I will start that in a little bit.




I am very happy that Marion Cotillard won the Best Actress for La Vie En Rose, which was one of my favorite movies of the past year, and one of my favorite performances on film to this date. If you have not yet seen the film, you should rent it as soon as you get a chance.

What else? Oh yeah, I just watched 30 Days of Night, the vampire horror film that came out last fall, and I was blown away. It now sits in my top 10 favorite horror films of all time. The art direction of the film is stunning, and many of the shots look like they could be framed works of art. That's not to say that it still isn't gory. It is very gory, but not in excess. The film is a very mature horror film that actually has fantastic character development in the script, and wonderful actors as well. If you can stand some fake gore, I would strongly recommend this film. I can't stop thinking or talking about it.




Ok, that's me for right now. I will try to post a little more this coming week, but it will mainly be in the evenings.
Till then,
SGS

tired and sore.

Sorry everyone. I haven't posted much because I have been heavy into rehearsals, dancing most of the day.
Ouch.
I'm sore and have been very tired.
ouch.
More soon.

BREAKING NEWS: KISS FULL CAST ANNOUNCED!

The Full Cast of Signature Theatre's Kiss of the Spiderwoman has been anounced over at Theatremania.com.
HERE IS THE LINK.