Final Beach Day Photos

I am home now, and am now about to jump into high gear, starting Whore House rehearsals on Monday, going into pre-production and auditions fr NightoftheLivingDead at KAT, and my upcoming cabaret, "Naked" at Signature on the 20th of July...so I have much to prepare for...but I thought I would share these last glimpses of the beach with you. I will continue posting details about all the little silly things in our silly little lives. I have missed writing on here, and this week has reminded me of that. So details to follow about the python loose in Fairlington, the missing woman in NC, all of my show stuff, and everything else we talked about this past week. Till then, friends, xoxoxoSGS

Leaving.

We are packing up to leave The Sleepy Dog. It is very sad to me, as I don't know how an entire week has already passed. But soon we will be back in Fairlington, and on to new adventures. I know that Boo had a good time, and is already har core crashing after a fun filled week. See you guys back in Arlington.
xoxoSGS

Last sleepy night at the Sleepy Dog...

I am the last one awake tonight at The Sleepy Dog. As we spend our last night here, I can't seem to be able to let go and let the night pass into morning.  I seem to want to squeeze every minute out of it that I can. So here I sit, typing to whoever reads this. Our last night at The Sleepy Dog seems melancholic. As every vacation must come to an end, this is a predictable entry into the log kept so far. We work so hard in our field that a week away from all of it seems like a Godsend. And while I look forward to my upcoming projects, from my cabaret on July 20th, to Whorehouse at Signature, to the Open House at Signature, to directing our musical, NightoftheLivingDead at KAT this fall, I look at these last hours through a microscope. I strain to see them closer. How is it that a week passes so quickly? Yet as human beings, don't we say these things all of the time? Doesn't it seem like every 20 minutes we are fixing breakfast at a certain age? (this comment is courtesy of Matt's family).And as we approach "re-entry" into normal life for all of us, Boo included, I look at these last few minutes before bed as a treasure as precious as gold. Every minute that passes between now and tomorrow evening at 6, when we leave, will be a treasure.

Goodnight from the Outer Banks...

xoxoSGS/MJC/BSC

Meanwhile, back in Fairlington...

Accoding to the Twittersphere (when you search #Fairlington), there is a Boa Constrictor or Python lose in our neighborhood back in VA, Fairlington. So...umm...I guess if you live there, be on the lookout for something large, slimy, and terrifying. Geez...can't wait to get home....

Monday Funday

 In the photo above, we see the pug at lunchtime, sunning himself on the porch before we headed to the beach at 1. As the sand is too hot in the middle of the day, he opted to stay home till evening. So we started our journey...

 I tried to tell Matt that the bus didn't stop here anymore...

 And then we arrived...the water is wonderfully warm.

 Later in the afternoon, Boo joined us, and resumed chasing ghost crabs and barking at the sea.He now lies next to me passed out, along with Matty. Who knew vacations could be so tiring? :)

Till later, xoxoxoSGS, Boo, and Matt

August Boating

What have I been up to all August? Work. Work, and nothing but work. But whenever I can sneak away I have been on the Sweet Freedom, enjoying the last of Summer before I start rehearsals at Studio for Adding Machine (in just about 3 weeks).
We have had some great times even just grilling out at the dock. Some nights we have had a mini version of the movie "Arachnaphobia" at the dock with all of the spiders, but other than that, it has been amazing chilling on the water once a week in the evenings.
Kim also adopted a ten year old Mini Daschund named "Honey". It has been great getting to know the little girl, and she is of course the sweetest thing ever. So here are some boating photos from August. Enjoy!
xoxo
SGS

OPEN HOUSE AT SIGNATURE TOMORROW

And don't forget to come and see us at Signature's 3rd annual Open House tomorrow! There seems to be a TON of fun and free things to do and see, and it always is such a good time!
Here is the LINK.

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

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

The Last Gasp of Summer

Well there it went. Labor Day Weekend 2008. As always, we joke with each other - "How is Summer over already?". Yeah. I am asking the same question. What's funny is that every year we end up asking ourselves this, but while Summer is slipping by we hardly take umbrage. When it is early July, it seems like September is FOREVER away. September is not even a thought. How does it happen so fast?
And what have you done with your Summer? We also ask ourselves these silly questions. We put so much pressure on a season that it can never be what we expect of it. When we were young in school our first assignment back in class was usually an essay in which we had to explain what we did with our Summer.
It is a mystical and magical time of year when we all seem to be happier to be alive. Happy to enjoy the sun, and do activities outdoors. Happy to go and get an ice cream cone and not feel guilty about the calories. Happy to grill out and have outdoor picnics. Happy to be content in doing absolutely nothing.
Happy.
Even as August begins, the long and sprawling month of 31 days of dead heated Summer air seems endless. It stretches out and blurs like the horizon of a hot asphalt road.
Then you wake up one day and start to make Labor Day Weekend plans, and before you hang up the phone it hits you. Labor Day.
Where has it gone?
Well for me the Summer has been spent mainly at work. I started working at Alexandria Tanning Salon in May, and also was teaching at Arts Adventure camp in July, plus working my usual Ticket Place job, and also juggling my cabaret, Insomnieoke that ran 4 performances in July and August. Oh, and making candles.
My time spent performing this past Summer is shorter than i would have liked it to be, as I did not have a show to do this Summer. But instead I had many other opportunities that were all different from each other.
I spent the beginning half of the Summer having panic attacks over my cabaret. What to do in it, how to make it funnier. How to conceptualize it. I got so sick of thinking about it. In the end, it came out how it came out. I was not totally happy with it but it was what it was. People seemed to enjoy it.
Then there was the Signature Theatre Open House. That whirlwind of a day that is always a manic rush of a good time. I had a blast and think I liked the Imrov Show hosted by James Gardiner and Evan Casey the most. I don't want to have to wait a year to see and do that again! It was too much fun!
Then the Kensington Arts Theatre Gala last week,which was fantastic and a big success for the company. Matt and I were happy to be able to perform there, and LOVED the chance to see our friends Brad Oscar and Diego Prieto.
And finally this past Monday I had the pleasure of singing in "Where Does East Begin?" a Musical Journey by Matt Conner at the Millenium Stage of the Kennedy Center.
I have sung for the Kennedy Center's Page to Stage Festival, which this was a part of, every Labor Day for the past 4 years. I am always happy to do it, and love the opportunity to sing my partner's gorgeous music. New material was featured from 3 shows that he is working on: Crossing, Senior Moments, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It went very well, and I think was our best showing at the Page to Stage yet.

And in closing, this is what I did for my Summer. At least part of it. I will continue to update with Summer recaps through the week.
Sorry I have been blog silent of late, but I have been working non stop and when my time is free obsessing over the DNC or RNC, depending on the night.
Talk soon,
SGS

Back on Track

We now have a new computer at home. Our new computer is a used computer, so not new, but newish. It is from Hilary Clinton's campaign, and we got it through a friend who knew she was selling them off cheap and we took advantage of it.
I am glad to be back up and running at home, where I write the best.
I am discovering and uploading photos that I forgot I had. I have been offline at home all summer. Hard to believe.
So...
what is up?
Insomnieoke is over. I loved doing it, but am glad that it is done. I got very naked doing that one. Very naked.
Emotionally, that is.
And somewhat physically, I guess.
Thank all of you for coming, and for coming to Signature's Open House.



It was fun, if not exhausting.

















Fred, Kurt, Matt and I went to see Jerry Springer the Opera tonight.
What a funny show. The cast is great, and I laughed VERY hard.
The problems I had with the show are directed at its book, and the direction the show goes in Act 2. That being said, I still had a great time.

We did quick cocktails pre-show at Playbill, then went and had a blast.
I don't think I have had as much profanity in one day since the last tech rehearsal that I have had.
What's up with me other than that?


I will be performing at Kensington Arts Theatre's Benefit, which in their words "Saturday, August 23rd, will be hosted by and starring KAT favorite Diego Prieto (Side Show, Cabaret, Closer Than Ever, The Rocky Horror Show, Company) and Brad Oscar, who originated the role of Franz Liebkind in the Broadway production of The Producers and received a 2001 Tony nomination for his performance. Brad later succeeded Nathan Lane as Max Bialystock for over 1200 performances on Broadway, on tour, in London, and he originated the role in the Las Vegas production at the Paris Casino. "
Matt and I will be appearing there. I will be singing from One Red Flower and 110 in the Shade. A package of my September Candles will be up for auction there.
Check it out HERE.

Also, On Monday, September 1st, we will be back at Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center for our annual Signature Theatre hour. This time it is a little bit more exciting for me, because it is an hour of totally my husband, Matt Conner's work.
New things that no one has even heard yet.
Here is their take:
"September 1, 2008
Signature Theater presents a showcase of three new musicals by one of The Next Generation–commissioned artists, composer Matt Conner—Crossing, Senior Moments, and Sleepy Hollow (with book writer Hunter Foster)"
You can even watch it LIVE on the day of.
My August Candles are doing VERY well.

The smells are amazing, the design is one of my best, and they are flying off of my shelf.


Get yours at my link over there on the right.
So that is what is up right now. Expect to hear more from me now that I have a computer at home now again. I have missed this.
I have MUCH to share with you.
My 1000th post is like 2 away, so stay tuned.
Thanks for reading, and goodnight (morning?)
NIGHT.
Love,
Steve

Tranquility on the Potomac

Matt and I are going out on the boat again tomorrow, and I wanted to share some more peaceful shots I have taken from other boat trips from this past Summer.



Matt loves this one solitary tree growing defiantly off of a rock in the middle of the Potomac. This is located at a spot called "Three Sisters", named so for the three large rocks in the middle of the river. I want to get a better picture of it tomorrow that is perhaps closer, so I will kayak out to the rock and get a close up.







I thought that this picture was dripping in romance. The small boat, the umbrella, the sun on the water. Heaven.
I picture them reading poetry to each other. *sigh*






Light on water is hypnotic.






The river bank of the Potomac is full of many interesting little nooks and areas. I loved this one. It looks magical for some reason.








Summer is winding down, with just one week of July and the month of August left. Enjoy every remaining moment of it.
Luv,
SGS