Sunday Morning Politics...

I am posting these videos for my Mom to watch, but you can as well...I am off to NYC in 45 minutes and will have a full report later! Enjoy!

Catching up....again....

Sorry it's been so long since I posted here, I have just been a very busy boy! I want to share with you all of the things that I am working on and that if you are so inclined that you can come and see me in.
First up we have a reading of a new musical at Round House Theatre that happens tomorrow night at 7pm. Here is their press release:
‘Till The Clouds Roll By
a new P.G. Wodehouse-Jerome Kern musical
at Round House Theatre Silver Spring
Friday, September 26th at 7:00pm

Old songs from musicals by composer Jerome Kern and lyricist P.G. Wodehouse
New libretto: Ernie Joselovitz
Musical arrangements: George Fulginiti-Shakar
Dramaturg & Director: Nick Olcott

With: Florrie Bagel, Ilona Dulaski, Cristina Flagg, James Gardiner, Stephen Gregory Smith, Stephen Schmidt, and Peggy Yates

It's "boy meets girl" times three as a wealthy playboy, a would-be anarchist, and a philosophical elevator operator find true love with a trio of shop girls in a New York department store, circa 1914. Washington playwright Ernie Joselovitz channels the antic spirit of P.G. Wodehouse (best known for creating Bertie Wooster and his butler Jeeves) in this charming musical built around twelve tunes by Jerome Kern (best known for Showboat) culled from the musicals Kern and Wodehouse co-authored in the 1910's and early 1920's.

The Round House Silver Spring Black Box is at 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD (right next to the AFI Silver Theatre)
For information on parking and directions please go to the www.roundhousetheatre.org




Then on Sunday, I will be in NYC singing my partner, Matt Conner's music. He was selected to represent DC as a composer in:
Dreamlight Theatre Co. proudly presents the first installment of it's Bright Lights Concert season!
"The Out-Of-Towners"
Featuring the brightest musical theatre composers from Chicago, Washington DC and Philadelphia.

When: Sunday Sept. 28th at 7pm
Where: The TRIAD 158 W 72nd St. NYC
Directed by Billy Bustamante
Music Directed by Jasper Grant

For tickets visit:

http://www.DreamlightTheatre.org


Here is a promo video for the event, but don't get too excited....no one here from DC is in the video.


Then on Thursday, October second, Matt and I will be participating in a reading of a new play as part of Ganymede Theatre's Fall Festival...


Dysfunction Spelled Backwards...is family
Thursday, October 2nd
7:30PM
Pay What You Can Admission - $10 dollar donation requested
All performances at the Church Street Theater, 1742 Church St. NW
Dysfunction Spelled Backwards...is family
by Carl Menninger, Director of Theatre, Music Theatre and Dance, AU
Directed by Michael Baron, Signature Theatre
Featuring Wendy Rieger, News Channel 4 Anchor
and students of American University
For more information, visit...
http://www.ganymedearts.org/


Then on Monday, October 6th, I will be appearing in...


ONE NIGHT ONLY!
Sondheim: Signature's Signature
ANYONE CAN WHISTLE
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Arthur Laurents
Directed by Eric Schaeffer

Wacky, intelligent, and highly unconventional, Anyone Can Whistle has become a legendary cult classic. An absurdist fantasy-cum-political satire, the musical tells the story of a corrupt mayoress who fakes a miracle to revitalize her bankrupt town, the rational nurse who’s determined to expose the fraud, and the easy going doctor who intends to sit back and enjoy the chaos. With its poignant message about the role of the individual in conformist society, and its still-relevant barbs aimed at government, religion, and science, Anyone Can Whistle is a command performance for any Sondheimaniac.
October 6, 2008

Performed at Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center
For ticket information, visit:
http://www.sig-online.org/special_events.htm




Then next up is a workshop of my partner's new children's show, where I will be playing (much to my honor) the title role in The King of Pizza.
Friday October 10th at 7:30pm and Saturday October 11th at 10:30am.
Adults - $12.00
Children/Senior - $10.00
For ticket info go www.creativecauldron.org

So....all work and no play makes Stephen Gregory a dull boy. I will hopefully be able to keep you abreast on all of these projects and also guide you through my Halloween decorating process coming up soon!
Talk soon!

Palin/Hilary - SNL

The Golden Girls - Election 2008

Les Miserables

My next show, finally announced...HERE.

September Candles Now Available!

September Candles are now available over at Candles By Stephen. This is seriously one of my favorites yet. One of the most dark colors and scents yet!
Go over to the website and CHECK THEM OUT!

30 Foot Spider Attacks Liverpool!

Full story HERE!

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

WRAP UP

I am wrapping up August candle sales and looking forward. September candles are dark, and the most masculine scents so far for me.
Scents are: Mid-Summer Night, Midnight Blue, and Campfire.
Less than one week remains for August orders.

Send your orders to candlesbystephen@yahoo.com

LABOR DAY at Kennedy Center!

For the past 4 years I have spent my Labor Days at the Kennedy Center performing my husband Matt Conner's work. I will be there again on Monday September 1st singing some new music from my husband's new works. His SLEEPY HOLLOW music is amazing, and there are 3 songs from it. This year Signature Theatre's whole hour is showing Matt Conner's music only.
The event is free at September 1st at 6pm. Come out and see new music!

Here are some photos from Labor Days past...

Come and see us! Past Signature Theatre video archives are HERE.

TONIGHT

Matt and I are performing at the Kensington Arts Theatre Gala tonight. Info HERE.

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

Go and VOTE FOR ME!
I am slipping down to 3rd place!!! AAAARRRGHH!
Hurry, before I fall into obscurity!!! Noooooo!
LOL!

3 years, baby.

I just wanted to briefly say that August 20th (now yesterday) is the 3 year anniversary of this blog. I started this blog 3 years ago to explore an online dialogue with anyone who would listen, and try to make you laugh if I could. Try to share with you things that I think are funny, things that I am obsessed with at the moment, pictures of our crazy and scatter-shod life.
I never knew what I was getting in to and it has been a roller coaster of a time.
That said, I am glad I stepped up to the roller coaster and got on.
I love and welcome your constant readership and comments back. I love the open dialogue that we have shared.
I opened this blog 3 years ago with this tragic little photo from college days, and repost it now to commemorate.
I want to thank you all, honestly from the bottom of my heart for reading this and even caring enough to come back the next day and read again.
Stay aboard and keep driving with me, I'll be taking this rig to some fun places this year.
Thanks so much for all of your support...it means SOOOO much to me.
Love,
Steve

KING OF PIZZA - Reading Number 2

Matt, Ryan, and AK had the second reading of their new children's musical, The King of Pizza at our house tonight.

The show was read by me, Kurt Boehm, Kara Tameika Watkins, Felicia Curry and Priscilla Cuellar.








We all gather around a meal first (pizza, naturally) and chit chatted about everything under the sun as Buddha was frantic beneath our feet for pizza bones...
In attendance but not participating were Danny Tippet, Eleasha Gamble, and Jenny Cartney Speaker...













Buddha was mercenary to all of them, putting on his best pouty face and looking pathetic and malnourished and just being heart breakingly cute...









Now it was time to start....We all gathered in the living room and started to read.

























I think Buddha was thinking about playing the part of the cat, and then decided that he would rather chew a piece of rawhide.











In an unexpected turn of events, one of the songs for the show (we simply listened to pre-recorded songs when it was time for a musical number) was not found on the cd. So we all went downstairs and Kurt Boehm sung the song live. Here is Kurt "selling it". :)

















Buddha went and demanded love and affection from Aunt Jenny...



















The show was fantastic, and so much better shaped this time around. And man is it funny! I will keep you updated on all news with this fun show for kids AND adults whenever something new happens with it. Stay Tuned!
Also, you can always hear and see more at MATT CONNER's website!

Kerri Strug

Still my favorite Olympic moment ever...she landed that vault on ONE FOOT y'all!

VOTE FOR US AT DC THEATRE SCENE!!!

Vote for Felicia Curry and I as Audience Favorites as Best actor and actress respectively in a musical in tick,tick...BOOM! at Metro Stage!
HERE IS THE LINK TO GO AND VOTE!

Flowing with Flo

My ex-mom Flo Lacey (from One Red Flower at Signature Theatre)is now in town with ACE at Signature Theatre. We met up with her last night at Cap City, and I took a few photos...above we have Matt squared; Matt Conner and Matt Gardiner.








Here is Kurt Boehm with Flo...











Here is all of our group...(including Tracy Olivera, also in ACE)






And finally me and Momma Flo....




We had a great time seeing her, and are glad that she is back here. Go and see ACE at Signature Theatre!

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

more talk of tick,tick?!

Once again I am going to have to thank Joel Markowitz's kind words over at DC Theatre Scene. tick,tick...BOOM! made his list of best musicals of the past year. Here is what he had to say:

"tick, tick… BOOM! (MetroStage)

I’ll never forget Stephen Gregory Smith, Felicia Curry and Matt Pearson’s gorgeous harmonies at MetroStage in Jonathan Larson’s not-so-well-known show. What a pleasure to watch three of our most talented young performers burn up the stage with their energy and gorgeous voices. And what Felicia did with “Come to Your Senses” would have registered a 5 on the Richter Scale. "

Thank you very much, Joel.


Also, DC Theatre Scene is conducting it's second annual Audience Choice Awards, and tick,tick...BOOM! is nominated twice: I am nominated for favorite actor in a musical, and Felicia is nominated as favorite actress in a musical.
Spider Woman is also nominated for best musical.
Go over to their site and VOTE!