The Journey Is the Destination

the fantasticks and no, no, nanette

2010-12-08T23:12:00.003-05:00

December 2010/January 2011 finds me as Music Director for TheatreZone's two winter Equity productions of The Fantasticks and No, No, Nanette in Naples, Florida. The Fantasticks runs December 2-12, 2010 and No, No Nanette runs January 6-16, 2011.

in the mood national tour 2010-11

2010-12-02T02:29:00.010-05:00

so, no time to post on my neglected little blog this past fall because i was busy.

*B*U*S*Y*.

just a wee bit.

found out in august after my long hot summer at stagedoor manor performing arts camp in the catskills (where i did 13, and also BIG with richard maltby, jr. coming into rework a few things...) that i got my first BIG time professional gig MDing the national tour of in the mood, a music revue featuring the wonderful big band music of the 1940s.

we were all over the place. the west coast. the east coast. the midwest. on a bus with 23 people. 13 stellar musicians and six awesome singers (3 gals, 3 guys - one of each which made up the dance team) doing this great show for appreciative audiences (sometimes small, sometimes sold out). small venues, big humongous venues - we performed many places that were on the vaudeville circuit and also on a stage that frank sinatra christened (the cerritos center in cerritos, ca)! always playing that great music for two hours. eating deliciously catered meals before shows and seeing some beautiful places (and some no-so-beautiful places). lots of laughs and fun and sightseeing. and tons of pictures taken. some great hotels (we won't mention the not-so-great - whoops, just did!).

every show, we had the opportunity to go out on that stage to begin a show that came to life through the music and our entire company's talents which brought back beautiful memories for our audiences. brought a lump to my throat many times because you could look out in the audience (the band was on stage) and see and hear people's reactions. a rock concert for the older crowd and the young at heart. we were rock stars!

and to have my family see me perform with this caliber of show was thrilling in itself.

i'm so grateful for this opportunity and all i learned on this tour. i became a better, stronger musician and met some great people. i learned alot about others, mainly that we're all here together and whether we know it or not, we're all in the same boat, um, bus, heading in the same direction, more or less.

so . . .

we are now on hiatus until february when we begin our tour again and go until may. rumors swirl around that we are headed to austrailia, too? maybe, but another thing i learned on tour is don't count your chickens until they hatch. or you will go nuts.

looking forward to getting back on the road . . .

2 minutes before curtain at the cerritos center for the performing arts * cerritos, ca

* * *

our tour manager, art, sent us all the statistics of our tour. check it out.

In The Mood 2010 Fall Tour Stats

8 days rehearsal with just cast/MD
4 days rehearsal with cast/band
55 total days (not counting rehearsal days)
10,222.7 approximate miles traveled by bus (or an average of 185.86727/day)
622 miles - Longest city to city travel
57 miles - Shortest city to city travel
40 performance days
32 evening performances
20 matinee performances
12 days with 2 shows
11 travel days
4 days off (***YES, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY***)
30 different hotels
14 multiple day hotels

23 states and the District of Columbia
Performed in MT, OR, NV, WA, CA, UT, AZ, NM, MO, IL, IN, MI, WV, VA, PA, NJ and NC
Rode through ID, TX, OK, OH, DC, MD, and DE

We saw (or slept through) the “M”, Coeur d’Alene Lake, “Hot Poop”, too many opportunities to gamble, Donner Pass, the Pacific Ocean, Mt. Shasta (oops! In the clouds), trip to/and Crater Lake NP, Redwood NP, Humboldt Bay, Napa Valley, Sutter’s Fort, 2 bari’s ((H)Al), Hangtown Fries, Sequoia, Santa Barbara, the Grapevine, NY, NY, the Great Salt Lake, Virgin River Canyon, Kingman, “The Big Unit”, too many “Hooters”, Petrified Forest NP, dinosaurs, largest cross west of the whatever, the “Arch”, the Zoo, Chicago, too much of Ohio, Civil War battlefields, Washington, DC, lots of family, lots of great food, and lots of fun. All while performing a great show that touched the hearts and memories of many across the country.

Unknown/Unable to compute: gallons/vats of alcohol consumed

SPRING TOUR BEGINS FEBRUARY 11th, 2011!

ITW review: Caldwell’s ‘Into the Woods’ concert comes off splendidly

2010-05-23T02:35:00.006-04:00

here's a great review from the palm beach artspaper. keep in mind that we started rehearsals on tuesday and opened friday night! quite a talented cast!

* * *

By Hap Erstein

‭“‬I wish‭ …”

They are the first two and last two words of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s‭ ‬Into the Woods,‭ ‬an audacious and whimsical shuffle of lesson-laden Grimm’s fairy tales.‭

It has long been my wish that a South Florida theater company would take up the challenge of presenting some of Sondheim’s innovative musicals,‭ ‬even though they require large casts of vocally nimble performers and are rarely very popular because of the demands they make on audiences to lean in,‭ ‬listen carefully and think.

Earlier this month,‭ ‬the fledgling Slow Burn Theatre Company produced Sondheim’s‭ ‬Assassins,‭ ‬and‭ ‬for this weekend only,‭ ‬Boca Raton’s Caldwell Theatre performs a concert version of‭ ‬Into the Woods,‭ ‬the brilliant composer-lyricist’s multi-layered fable for our times.‭ ‬It’s the Caldwell’s second concert version in seven months of one of Sondheim’s challenging and rewarding shows‭ – ‬last fall,‭ ‬it was the Pulitzer Prize-winning‭ ‬Sunday in the Park with George.

Like‭ ‬Sunday in the Park,‭ ‬this scores-in-hands,‭ ‬performed-at-music-stands concert opened after an insanely short rehearsal period and the results are nothing less than miraculous.‭ ‬Into the Woods may not be the show to convince those who cannot fathom what all the fuss is about Sondheim,‭ ‬but those who appreciate his complex,‭ ‬emotionally dense work will surely enjoy what director Clive Cholerton and his cast of‭ ‬15‭ ‬intrepid actors are serving up.

It was Lapine’s notion to interweave several familiar fairy tales‭ ‬– Cinderella,‭ ‬Little Red Riding Hood,‭ ‬Jack the Giant Killer and‭ ‬Rapunzel,‭ ‬among others‭ ‬– with a new story about a baker and his wife who yearn to have a child.‭ ‬His aim was to show that between‭ “‬once upon a time‭” ‬and‭ “‬happily ever after‭” ‬is not good and evil or right versus wrong,‭ ‬but a forest of moral ambiguities.

Everyone,‭ ‬it seems,‭ ‬has a wish.‭ ‬Cinderella wants to dress up and attend the festival at the palace.‭ ‬Jack wants to keep his beloved pet cow,‭ ‬who is destined to be sold at the market.‭ ‬Rapunzel wants out of that darned tower.‭ ‬And the baker and his wife want relief from their‭ ‬infertility problem.

It is not too much of a spoiler to note that their wishes all come true,‭ ‬at least temporarily,‭ ‬by intermission.‭ ‬But Sondheim being Sondheim,‭ ‬the characters‭’ ‬happiness proves fleeting,‭ ‬and the second act turns distinctly darker as the old saw about being careful what you wish for is played out.

If the first act ends happily and neatly,‭ ‬it is mere preface for the second act,‭ ‬which takes us beyond the fairy tales into more dense thematic territory as the characters learn about death and the importance of community when they take a perilous return trip into the woods.

Sondheim is in a playful mood in the first act,‭ ‬tossing off a Disneyfied ditty for his title tune,‭ ‬his only ever rap song for a conniving witch,‭ ‬a seductive solo for Little Red’s wolf,‭ ‬a duet for two preening princes and a tongue-twister description of the palace ball by Cinderella.‭ ‬As much fun as they are,‭ ‬however,‭ ‬the score really hits its stride late in the second act with four message-filled,‭ ‬melodic numbers‭ ‬– Last Midnight,‭ ‬No More,‭ ‬No One Is Alone and‭ ‬Children‭ ‬Will Listen.‭

Heading the cast as the Witch is Laura Hodos,‭ ‬who puts a genuinely funny,‭ ‬attitude-rich spin on her dialogue and has plenty of vocal power.‭ ‬Many of the performers are veterans of the‭ ‬Sunday in the Park concert,‭ ‬most notably Wayne LeGette and Melissa Minyard,‭ ‬who were Georges Seurat and his mistress Dot,‭ ‬transformed now into the childless Baker and his wife,‭ ‬the emotional center of the show.‭ (‬If‭ ‬Company‭ ‬was Sondheim’s show about marriage,‭ ‬a subject for which he has no firsthand knowledge,‭ ‬Into the Woods is his parenting musical,‭ ‬another topic for which he has no practical experience.‭)

LeGette and Minyard inhabit the most fully dimensional characters,‭ ‬a nebbish and his pushy spouse,‭ ‬the most likely targets for audience identification.‭ ‬Jim Ballard and Shane R.‭ ‬Tanner are slyly self-centered,‭ ‬creamy-voiced princes and Beth Dimon is back with another maternal role as Jack’s exasperated mom.

Among the new members of this informal musical theater rep company is Margery Lowe,‭ ‬who trills her way through the vocal demands of Cinderella.‭ ‬New to me,‭ ‬but I am eager to see more of them,‭ ‬are John Debkowski as mellow-voiced,‭ ‬but fuzzy-headed Jack and Joseph Reed as the show’s narrator and a role that is necessarily designated‭ ‬only as‭ ‬Mysterious Man.

Surely the hardest working person onstage is musical director and keyboardist Michael O’Dell,‭ ‬whose one-man accompaniment is superb.‭ ‬When the Caldwell wins the lottery,‭ ‬it would be great if they could spend a bit more on a couple of additional musicians and body microphones for the cast.‭ ‬With Sondheim,‭ ‬the lyrics are so crucial,‭ ‬and many of the overlapping nuances got lost with the stationery mikes.

Into the Woods can be a production-heavy show,‭ ‬but illustrator Michael McKeever showed how locations could be established with a few well-conceived slide projections.

Cholerton and company have hit upon a format that is very appealing and relatively affordable.‭ ‬Future concerts will surely investigate other composers,‭ ‬but when the Caldwell is ready for more Sondheim,‭ ‬it should look into presenting his latest musical,‭ ‬Road Show,‭ ‬which happens to take place in part in Boca Raton.

INTO THE WOODS,‭ ‬Caldwell Theatre,‭ ‬7901‭ ‬N.‭ ‬Federal Highway,‭ ‬Boca Raton.‭ ‬Through Sunday.‭ ‬$25-$35.‭ ‬Call:‭ (‬561‭) ‬241-7432‭ ‬or‭ (‬877‭) ‬245-7432.‭

a camping i will go . . .

2010-04-29T23:51:00.005-04:00

this summer will find me music directing at stagedoor manor performing arts camp in the catskills (new york). 250 theatre-crazed kids performing over 39 (!) full-scale productions. i've taught at summer theatre camps before but this is the first "camp" camp. musicals 24/7 for six weeks in the catskills at a former catskills resort. during the two 3 week sessions i will be MDing _______ and ________ (because of contractual issues i am not allowed to tell which shows yet....but they're fun/challenging and ones i haven't done yet!)

btw, stagedoor manor is where the movie CAMP was filmed.

next show: into the woods

2010-04-29T23:36:00.006-04:00

into the woods is the next show i will be music directing! can't wait! here's the details:

into the woods - in concert
may 21 - 23, 2010
the caldwell theatre * boca raton, florida

we've got a mighty talented equity cast assembled to go
"into the woods."

click here for tickets and info.

move on

2010-03-20T22:48:00.001-04:00

holding pattern

2010-03-19T02:36:00.006-04:00

sometimes all you can do is sit and listen . . . and wait.

that's how you'll know.

i'll let you know when i do.

* * *

I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart: I am, I am, I am.

~Sylvia Plath

What can we do but keep on breathing in and out, modest and willing, and in our places?

~Mary Oliver

miss ya

2010-03-03T21:59:00.004-05:00

miss ya in the morning
miss ya in the night
you seem so far away
like a satellite

miss ya so much
it makes me hurt
you should see these tears
my redshot eyeballs squirt

miss ya like crazy
miss ya all completely
miss ya from my headly
down to my feetly

miss ya real bad
and it's a big fat bore
just missin' you
and missin' you
til my misser gets sore

**found it in my boxes of things

dinner and a movie

2010-02-26T22:56:00.005-05:00

finally . . .
no more jammed channels
she was tuned n2 his heart

4 so long . . .
she could only yearn of a chance 2 see the
l o n g - awaited, delirious-making
soul pictures
previewed by his shy
smile

now . . .
any ramifications of full access would
eventually boil over like sordid t.v. dinners
revealing
the scrumptious meal they would savor . . .

2gether

(***a poem i composed for a poetry contest on madelineeastman.com, circa '96 - theme: dinner and a movie).

scanning the horizon . . .

2010-02-26T00:23:00.003-05:00

i am scanning the horizon
looking for something familiar
something that makes my heart
go into a comforting rhythm

i am looking out
i am looking in
i look in between
and under, too

not sure what it looks like
so i've been told
i'll know it when i see it
and see it when do

no time table of what a train would have
unmeasurable and untested
to pull into the station
when is expected

is pushing out better than
holding in?
contracting muscles
muscle memory
when times were easier

looking ahead
but all i see
is what i've seen before
does that make my heart sing?
i cannot tell;
i hear a different voice now
still mine
but unfamiliar

searching the horizon
scanning for milemarkers
i might recognize
but i've never been this way
down this path

do i become excited
with new undiscovered territory
or fall back on hushed
concerned fathoms
that run deep

little steps they say
little steps a day
but are the inches i take
heading in the right direction

i can always turn around
but either way

north

south

east

west

i am lost
i am lost
i am

lost

we interrupt our regularly scheduled programming . . .

2010-02-15T18:44:00.009-05:00

the guarantee or even presence of talent does not always mean flowing money or financial success. yes, hard work will get you somewhere. sometimes it's right in the middle of town square. other times it is out in the middle of a field in the country with a car that won't work and no one around for miles. right now, the later is my current situation. it's where i am, much to my own frustration and questioning.

i am broke, not broken. money is a thing of fairy tales for me these days. i am not sure what my next move is, should or will be. sometimes, like now, it is easier to be paralyzed with confusion than to take that next step. maybe it's breathing i need to do and being right where i am rather than concentrate on moving. oh, how uncomfortable. but being poor and unemployed is a tough invisible battle that takes up mental energy and sponges up creativity - a gift i truly want to breathe in on a daily, hourly, minutely, secondly, nano-secondly etc. etc. etc. basis. but money is a necessity of life. the lack of it can really ruin the party. but lately i've been switching my perception of money. it is good and it allows good things to happen in our lives. yes, but try consoling my wallet and bank account right now. i'm not quite successful on that front.

so this is my blog. i can complain and whine here because it's mine and it's part of my journey. but i have to look for the good and the positive and ultimately coming out of this finagling funky financial fog.

i guess it's not entirely my fault. i have looked for work. i have applied ad nausea for jobs that i normally wouldn't even consider taking. too qualified. ugh.

so UnIvErSe, if you're up there and all in us, send me an answer, a soulution (yes, i meant to spell it that way) and something tangible that i can claw my fingers into for deep survival, sustaining me and holding on so i can move forward. good steps that will be in tune with me and my art and life. i love mountain climbing but sometimes you just gotta have a plateau or ledge to come to so you can rest. i want to be a musician/ actor/ artist. maybe that defines me rather than my lack of money. it has to. i choose to believe that and step into that good energy. and that is what i am going to hold onto for the sanity of making sense of this time in my life.

~michael
musician/actor/artist

making the band: heavy pennies, et. al

2010-02-14T20:29:00.008-05:00

i'm psyched to be in a new band making some incredible music with awesome people. heavy pennies is the name and soul/groove/hip hop is our game. you should know, the band is heavy pennies and our fierce leader is mr. heavy pennies himself. we are one in the same. HP is actually josh levine, hailing from brooklyn with some mad hatter songwriting skill: vocals, lyrics, music, and studio production. so every time we rehearse as a band we are really honing our craft and making major strides to finding our sound. this process has really inspired me to work on my own stuff and to shoot for the stars in making my own music/ sound happen.

check us out on reverb nation: heavy pennies . we're on itunes, too. (a sidenote: i co-wrote the transylvania-ish "oh no" with josh). And we got some major playing gigs coming up. our first one being last month on the 26 of january, and ones coming up on the 19th and 28th in NYC.

oh, no - this is going to be good.

margaret, i hardly knew ye...

2010-02-14T20:10:00.005-05:00

in my old NYC neighborhood, hell's kitchen, on my way to and from my apartment, i always passed this lady sitting out on her chair, looking at the traffic and people watching. she would always give me a smile or wave. i didn't even know her name. she seemed to be comfortable in her setting and her sitting watching the world go by and being in the middle of it all.

one day when i walked by her place, i notice an array of flowers in the place where she sat. i walked closer. the following note was in the midst of a single candle.

i did not know margaret's name until that day. i was happy that we had had the exchanges we had. i was sad that i didn't get to know her better. she was my neighbor and a friendly one at that.

margaret, i hardly knew ye....

poppy bulova tour: vermont september 2009

2009-09-19T00:29:00.004-04:00

Join Poppy Bulova (Lillie Jayne), her ever-faithful pianist and ex-husband Fagen Beauregard (Michael O'Dell), and many many luminaries at the Langdon Street Cafe in Montpelier, Vermont Friday and Saturday, September 25th and 26th, 2009 @ 8PM for a dark and beautiful night of cabaret and burlesque to celebrate the Langdon Street Cafe's 5 year anniversary. With Boston's Axe To Ice and the Gypsy Nomads, hosted by the ancient and inimitable Mary Dolan.

the most frustrating/ rewarding experience (simultaneously)

2009-09-18T00:26:00.025-04:00

childbirth?

ah, no. for me, no. but not that i would know this firsthand (this has only been secondary information).

people who wander aimlessly on the sidewalk or cluelessly take up the entire sidewalk so you can't pass? (they are usually couples conversing or groups of people - damn tourists!). and then finally finding your "window of opportunity" so you can finally pass them and be on your way?

no and no.

then, WHAT??!!

shopping at union square's trader joe's.

i have never been in a store where there have been so many people shopping in such a small space. i have never been in a store that i am so excited to be at because of all the great foods/ prices i'm going to take home with me. ...eventually.

then again, i haven't ever been in a cabbage patch doll or play station stampede at walmart or target. i guess never say never, huh?

everything's got a price.

this trader joe's is so much smaller than the ones i've shopped at in california when i lived there. the size of the union square store is actually half the sizes of those other stores. welcome to nyc.

at least people aren't rude; i am happy to report that civility is alive and well at NYC's tj's. there is a little frustration with climbing over/ around people. the 12 items or less line and the regular line wrap endlessly around the aisle and shoppers. many times you can't even tell where the line is despite the tj workers hanging out with their line signs. the shopping carts do not fit by skinny or fat people when the aisles are crammed on the sides middle and people are trapped because of the traffic flow just because they had to get one item in the nut section.

i feel their pain. i have been that nut in that section before.

"get out of my way!"
"me first!"
"oh, god...just pass already!"
"you and your shopping cart just ran over my toe...again!"
"oh, YOU again. get out of my way...again!"

what - is this kindergarten?

okay. i don't say those things....but sometimes the zeros and ones that make up those thoughts are computing through my mind. but for all my trouble, everything is fine once i get home and start eating my ice cream cake and sesame seed/ honey covered almonds and horseradish hummus and black bean dip and ...and.....and .....and.....

here is a wonderfully cute tj youtube video. it's genius. awesome. and he gets kudos for using one of my favorite jazz tunes: antonio carlos jobim's the waters of march.

remembering september 11th

2009-09-11T02:36:00.005-04:00

in 2001 on this day, i was in florida with my mom, dad at their new house with my aunt, and uncle. i was not feeling well and hadn't been for a while. we were trying to figure out what we were going to do for the day, i mean - we were on vacation. as we tried to get our morning started, mom got a phone call from a friend who told her to turn on the television. mom said, "turn on the t.v. - something is happening." what we saw next was beyond acceptance and belief. we saw smoke and a the twin towers on fire. but that was old news. what we saw next was too much to watch: the footage showed the towers collapsing. it was a rough day for me to begin with because i wasn't feeling well, but when i saw what was happening in nyc, i knew i had been there at the top of the WTC and it was too much for me; i sank down behind the couch trying to take it all in. the rest of the day and week was spent checking in with the television news. i remember listening to the round the clock coverage on NPR. too much information took on a whole new meaning. everyone was looking for hope, but it seemed everyone's worst fears were coming true.

i now live in nyc. i've been to the WTC site. it's sombering to be in a place where so many lost their lives. what happened is still in the back of my head and sometimes i wonder if we will all have to deal with something like this again.

i guess this day was a reminder to be thankful for who and what we have in our lives. everyone was touched by the devastating happenings. i'll never forget where i was.

here are some pics of the firehouse by my apartment. 48th and 9th.

A gig: 23 COINS @ nicu's spoon theatre, NYC

2009-09-11T01:35:00.016-04:00

‘23 COINS’ A WORLD PREMIERE OF A NEW MUSICAL

Written by Mark Abrahams

Direction by S. Barton-Farcas & Michelle Kuchuk

Arrangements & Musical Direction by Michael O'Dell

Ginny Walker is not like other girls. Hiding out in the badlands of southern Louisiana, this genius girl-prodigy and her fugitive mother, Sarah, live precariously. But the law is not the only threat. Both of them dangle beneath a giant question mark—a fatal genetic legacy that may (or may not) strike. Laid bare under such catastrophic shoes about to drop, how does one plow through an average day? As you might’ve guessed, Ginny turns to preaching the gospel. After all, she’s gifted. She’s got fire & brimstone. Healing hands. And somehow, the full text of the bible committed to memory. In the pursuit of soul saving, these gifts are invaluable. To Isaac Thigpen of Christ’s Road Show Tent Revival, Lil’ Gin Walker’s talents are gold. When she preaches—the collection plate doth runneth over. Thigpen has big plans for which he’ll fight if necessary. And he’ll surely bring down hellfire on anyone who gets in the w ay—to make sure that his golden girl-preacher goose keeps the cash comin’. Things may seem hopeless. But this special (and highly motivated) girl isn’t about to leave her fate up to chance.

How will Gin and her mother survive their gods and demons?

this month and next i get the privilege and thrill of Music Directing mark abrahams' new musical 23 COINS at nicu's spoon theatre, NYC. it's extremely exciting for me because i not only get to arrange the music and shape the show's sound, i get to play (and sing) a great character and also play keyboards for the show. who says you still can't be a triple threat when it doesn't involve dancing?

off-off-broadway here i come....

p.s. the cast is amazing.

23 COINS performance times, dates & info:

october 7th - 25th, 2009

wednesdays - saturdays @ 8PM/ sundays @ 2:30PM

nicu's spoon theatre company

38 west 38th street, 5th floor, NYC

tickets: general: $18/seniors & students: $15

click here to buy tickets

GIG ALERT: berta's blue - saturday, september 12th, 2009 @ 8:30PM

2009-09-11T01:28:00.006-04:00

Berta's Bleu is performing at art that rocks @ at the clemente soto velez cultural center (107 sulffolk street, NYC) this saturday, september 12th, 2009 @ 8:30PM.

berta's blue: finding our groove

2009-09-11T00:14:00.015-04:00

our band berta's bleu is newly formed but already we are hitting an incredible groove. the band consists of angelo edwards/ lead vocals, sareve lawson/ backup vocals, carras paton/ sax (and sometimes bass), steve husted/ bass, jonathan sherrill/ guitar, matthew singler/ drums, percussion and me on keyboard. everyone brings some magic to the table to form a truly awesome sound.

check out some of our tunes (in youtube form).

here's one of the great songs Berta's Bleu is gigging with. and this is angelo edwards doin' his thang in this video. CLOTHES THAT DON'T FIT.

here is the LIVE version of CLOTHES THAT DON'T FIT performed by Berta's Bleu at ashford and simpson's sugar bar, NYC 08.05.09. our first gig! we're back at sugar bar ...in october!

here is the LIVE version of GO DOWN performed by Berta's Bleu at ashford and simpson's sugar bar, NYC 08.05.09.

here is the LIVE version of MR. WRONG performed by Berta's Bleu at ashford and simpson's sugar bar, NYC 08.05.09.

beautiful...

2009-09-10T20:31:00.003-04:00

pretty flowers from vermont. 09.07.09

SUBWAY: a little afternoon drummin'

2009-09-06T03:54:00.004-04:00

west 4th street station/ F train: this husband and wife had a sign saying they were drumming to raise money to put their daughter through college

my NYC: a sign

2009-09-06T03:36:00.003-04:00

...waiting for my light to turn on...

UPDATE: the light has finally turned on. help IS on the way.....

my NYC: jay-z vs. the empire state building

2009-09-06T03:16:00.005-04:00

NYC: madison square garden - looks like a fight to me - jay-z vs. the empire state building. and i think i saw the stay puff marshmellow man coming up 8th ave. ready to rumble!

last POPPY! show (for now)....

2009-08-29T15:31:00.004-04:00

POPPY! is completing its 2009 NYC International Fringe Festival run this afternoon. it's been a great run but we aren't through with the show and audiences haven't seen the last of us: we are gearing up for a small tour in VT at the end of the month and we hope to do the show back here in NYC and beyond this fall and on. stay tuned....

berta's bleu: big gig acomin'

2009-08-28T00:11:00.002-04:00

next week berta's bleu has it's first big gig in a line of many coming up this fall. check it out if you can.

our labor of love: poppy! the reviews are in....

2009-08-27T23:30:00.009-04:00

the POPPY! reviews are coming in and our little show is a little darling! read on!

nytheatre.com

Poppy!

Reviewed by Richard Hinojosa

Aug 24, 2009

"It has been a long road for Poppy Bulova. She launched her career as Baby Pops, performing for royalty while still in diapers, and that led her to her first bout with alcoholism and amphetamine addiction as a toddler and a first nervous breakdown in elementary school. Since then she has toured the world performing her cabaret act and occasionally stripping. Her albums have swept the Grammies, her films the Oscars, and her musicals the Tonys—she is the biggest star you've never heard of and she is absolutely hilarious.

The show is pretty straightforward: just a pretentious international cabaret star and her piano player singing mostly silly songs with the deepest conviction. In between songs Poppy talks to us, the wretched masses, filling us in on her life story. Fagen Beauregard tickles the ivories while sipping from a tall glass of "ice water."

Lillie Jayne (Poppy) writes and directs this quirky comedy. She also writes the songs. Michael O'Dell (Beauregard) arranges all the music. He is a fantastic accompanist and they work together like a tight unit.

Jayne is extraordinarily magnetic. She speaks in an outrageous accent that is a bizarre mix of mostly Russian with some French, German, and Long Island thrown in there. Her martini glass never seems to empty, however, she was not allowed to smoke, otherwise I'm sure she would have chain smoked throughout the show. One may think that all the smoking would affect her voice but it hasn't. Her voice is silky smooth. Her songs range from funny and sentimental to funny and jazzy. I especially liked the numbers, "I Don't Drink," "F***," "Gypsy Girl Galore," and "Throw in the Towel." But she sings over a dozen songs so there are plenty of other songs to enjoy.

Jayne's story of Poppy is very funny and her comic timing is dead on. Her outfit is low-cut and sparkly. Half way through the performance she takes some of it off "to keep us interested." That certainly adds to her magnetism. The stage is bare except for a microphone and piano and that's all she needs. Still, I kept expecting Jayne to directly address an audience member and spin off of their comments in her wild character, but she never does. She sticks to her script.

I had a really fun time at this show. Poppy! is non-stop entertainment. She has enough charm and charisma to stand out in a festival as big as FringeNYC. Check her out before she jets off to some far off place"

Producer: Snake In The Boot Author: Lillie Jayne Director: Lillie Jayne

~and~

new york time out

Poppy!

**** [FOUR STARS] "Throughout this show, the hilarious, egomaniacal star Poppy Bulova—played by her creator and the show’s writer, director and songwriter, Lillie Jayne—frequently reminds the audience just how lucky they are to be seeing an actress of such incredible talent and intrigue. And boy, is she right: This charming evening of cabaret entertains from start to finish. The songs, which cover such topics as the futility of life and the best reason to drink (“to get dwunk”), are risqué and rib tickling—as are Poppy’s lead-ins to them. With a martini in hand, she lets the audience in on her fabled childhood and career by offering deadpan deliveries of ridiculous monologues. The best part may be her accent—an unidentifiable mix of Russian, French and plain old speech impediment. Her country of origin is revealed eventually, and it’s a killer punch line, so we won’t ruin the surprise: You’ll have to experience the incomparable Poppy yourself if you want to find out." — Julia Israel, TONY Kids associate editor

~and~

New Theatre Corps Blogspot

Reviewed by Ryan Max

Poppy Bulova, a lighthearted parody of a hardscrabble, down-and-out lounge singer, uses her hauteur and strange life story to charm her audience into the adoring fans she firmly believes she deserves.

Poppy

Ms. Poppy Bulova—a performer of incredible talent, fame, and self-regard—would not have liked the scene just outside of her recent performance. As happens with the venue-sharing turf, a large crowd of theatergoers was huddled in the lobby, waiting for another show. When the lobby had emptied, only a handful of people remained to see Poppy!: An Enchanted Evening with Poppy Bulova. How could they possibly be so near and still resist the powerful allure of Ms. Bulova? As she makes very clear, she is “much more interesting” than just about anyone else.

The lucky few that remain fill the small tables around her stage, and the intimate, lounge-y atmosphere is all the better for it. For Poppy, any sort of captive audience will do. The fairly bare space (a microphone, a piano, and its player) makes sure that when Poppy enters wrapped in a bright Asian gown, all eyes are on her. After some cursory introductions, she launches into a beguiling hour of stories and songs that detail her very strange life. Her ambiguously accented English (think Paris by way of the Ukraine) has a sweet, disarming quality, so much so that you hardly mind when you are lumped in with “all of the small people…who don’t really matter,” as Poppy so gently puts it.

Lillie Jayne—who, in addition to playing Poppy, also wrote, directed, and produced the show—keeps things lighthearted, even when detailing Poppy’s oddly tragic life (“toddler alcoholism and amphetamine addiction”). She also saves Poppy from being a character of Mel Brooksian (that’s a thing, right?) hyperbole. The engaging interludes between songs—in which Poppy explains her experience of puberty (“I make tits”), the origin of her exotic accent (“an island out in the Atlantic Ocean…Long Island”), and her eventual rise to superstardom in films that don’t exist—blend very organically into the show. Songs may be inspired directly by, say, her proclivity to alcoholism (“I drink to get drunk”) or spring from more obscure sources. Basically, whatever Poppy feels like singing about. And throughout them all, it is the clear disconnect between her view and the reality of her situation that makes the show so ceaselessly charming.

The songs that form the backbone of Poppy’s story—tapped out on the piano by her one time lover Fagen Beauregard (a mostly silent Michael O’Dell, who also arranged the music)—consist of simple, catchy melodies. But while the music may be simple and Poppy may be a parody, Ms. Jayne’s voice is legitimately gorgeous. She can alternate from a strong warble on the more rambunctious songs, to an intense Bjork-like whisper on the unexpectedly poignant “Black-Eyed Soldier.”

Toward the end of An Evening with Poppy Bulova, Poppy describes one of her many encounters with obscure (yet impressive, she assures us) Hollywood figures. He tells Poppy that one of her recent shows was awful because it “didn’t seem regretless.” And he is dead on about what makes Poppy so easy to enjoy: it is freeing to surrender your time to someone so sublimely confident and convinced of their own fame and glamour, regardless of whether they deserve to be. She is the beginning and end of the show’s strengths, weaknesses, charm and appeal, and that is why this review will end right where it began: with Ms. Poppy Bulova.

on the fringe of it

2009-08-27T04:16:00.008-04:00

POPPY! is in the home stretch. lillie and i have 2 more shows. this has been a great experience to be part of this year's fringe festival. the audiences have been very receptive to our performances.

so i'm gearing up for 23 COINS, spoon theatre's new musical premiering off-broadway this fall. the next two weeks will be spent writing vocal parts for three numbers. i just found out that i am a character in the show, too! i guess i'm a triple threat on this show!

phoning it in...

2009-08-11T02:03:00.005-04:00

so i'm trying out this phone blogging. my phone (the sprint version of apple's iphone - the istink) doesn't work that well texting wise but it's still nice to be able to drop a blog entry if i'm feeling bored.

today i had a short film to film in central park. my character was simply "man" and interacted with the other characters. fun short shoot.

gearing for hell week with the fringe show. tech this weekend and then we open next week. looking forward to it all. i think this show is going somewhere...

the birth of berta's bleu

2009-08-06T02:00:00.006-04:00

BERTA'S BLEU

tonight was our first gig at the sugar bar on the upper west side. and boy did we have fun. not only did we put our groove on for the show, we were asked back and a few others talked to us about doing other gigs at other venues.

it was a great honor to have moon in the crowd tonight. moon is angelo's producer who helped him get his demo off the ground. he doesn't speak much english and he is on his way back to korea in the morning.

right after the band before us finished their set, many audience members started to leave. but when they heard our opening they stayed and enjoyed the show. it was also a cool gig because the bar gave us free drinks. always cool in my book. but what is cooler to me is the group of guys (and gal) we had in our band and the sound that we made.

Twitter me this...

2009-08-04T01:36:00.005-04:00

okay. i'm finally trying out Twitter.

i decided to use my Facebook for more of a PR thing and my Twitter for random thoughts and musings. the one thing i don't like about FB is that EVERYONE knows everything when you post it and you can read EVERYONE'S conversations. it's like being in a giant room with everyone and sometimes they don't talk to you or you to them. so, i have alot of potential clients who want to check me out on FB and that is why i decided to use it as more of a public relations avenue for me. my wall is organized with music and acting news about me and i've disabled the wall to the effect that they can't initialize a post. of course, they can leave a comment about something i've posted. i mean, come on - it's my face and my book - so it's my way. this way if people really want to chat they can leave me a message via private message or email me. i know this is probably harsh but to organize stuff this way is actually easier for me and helps me not to check my FB account every 3 seconds (which is why i deactivated my account earlier this year - i was spending TOO much time on FB...i have three letters for you: OCD?).

so now that i'm twittering, i can leave snippets of my day. and if friends want to check it they can.

and if not, that's okay, too.

The Path

2009-08-02T02:13:00.012-04:00

today started at 6am for me. as many of you know, i am wholeheartedly NOT a morning person. i am a true and avid night owl. but today i was up and ready for my film shoot on The Path. i was cast as one of the leads and for 15 hours we shot and reshot (and reshot), but what we ended up with at the end of the day was a day full of money making shots where we as actors and crew were pleased with the work and the final outcome of what we did together. an amazingly long day but still amazing. i am so happy i had the chance to be a part of this film and to have the role i did.

New JITD Layout!

2009-07-29T18:26:00.002-04:00

my blog was boring. it wanted to look more attractive and have better self esteem. so i just found this cool template website and i think i'm going to try this new layout out a bit.

also, i am going to begin blogging from my phone. it's fun to send in pictures from the road.

busy week. auditions are going well and rehearsals are getting into full swing!

ta ta!

go on... imdb me!

2009-07-24T01:59:00.006-04:00

it's official. i am now a working actor in film-dom!

check it out: Michael O'Dell

last month, i was a production assistant on the independent film the gate of fallen angels (yes, i found the gig on craigslist). so it was a night shoot. 12am to 11am. ugh. i am not a morning person and to have the night go into the morning without any sleep - ugh x 5. so i'm there moving chairs/ tables/ boxes/ food/ beer (for the extras) from point a to point b and the assistant director asked me if i wanted to be in the next scene. i said yes and changed into my party clothes i had brought and voila! in the closing credits it will look like this:

Michael O'Dell..........................................................Man at Bar

hey, everyone's got to start somewhere. they also know i film score and are interested. ya never know where it's going to lead....

Mr. Whitehead's got it going on!

2009-07-24T01:32:00.007-04:00

Angelo Whitehead is one talented mf. this guy is an amazing singer, songwriter, and lyricist. and one modest, cool, sweet individual to boot. Angelo heads up his band Berta's Bleu. And guess who is the band's new music director and keyboardist?

moi.

this is what i'm talking about - the universe is putting some major people and opportunities into my life. i knew when i heard angelo's music that i wanted to be part of the bb experience. so, after my audition on wednesday he told me i had the gig. i love this music. it reminds me of the brand new heavies or 4 hero. groovy, jazzy, cool vibe. check it out here.

now we get to rehearse and get ready for our first gigs in august. below is the gig list so far. we've actually got some sweetly cool venues to do our thang at.

9PM - Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 @ Soul duo Ashford and Simpson's Sugar Bar, NYC
10PM - Thursday, August 6th, 2009 @ The Delancey Bar, NYC
8PM - Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 @ Ace of Clubs, NYC
8PM - Saturday, September 12, 2009 @ Clemente Soto Art Gallery, NYC

NEW BCM.com NEWS ITEMS ADDED!

2009-07-24T01:28:00.004-04:00

so some stuff is going on in the music and acting world for me. most of these items will be chatted about ad nausea on here but check out the page for the gritty details of the who, what, and when.

http://www.blankcanvasmusic.com/news.htm

Yeah, whatevah...

2009-07-24T01:20:00.004-04:00

okay....

so i've been MIA for the last few months on this blog. if you read the last entry, you know why.

yep.

but hey! ... i'm back.

so, stay tuned to this blog. alot of cool new projects are happening for me. i plan to update you on all the bizness news and some insights going on in my brain. and maybe the two shall meet.

you say, yeah whatevah...

i say heck yeah, whatEVah...

and you'll read it here.

stay tuned....

I LOVE NYC

2009-07-24T00:41:00.006-04:00

things are happening. good things. to me - happening. now. today. tomorrow. i can feel it.

now here's where i might break out into "something's coming" from west side story, but i wouldn't be singing about a girl. well, i guess tony isn't really singing about a girl named maria - yet. he's excited. he can feel something in the air. a vibe that is bringing something good. so if i was singing the song it would be about the opportunities that have been happening and blossoming for me.

as many of you know, this past winter i applied to tisch school of the arts for their graduate musical theatre writing program. it was exciting. i thought it was a done deal. but reality set in when i realized there was no possible way to pay the $65,000 tuition PER YEAR (and it's a two year program). so for 3 months i told myself i knew how the next two years of my life were going to go. but when i realized that all my plans went up in smoke, i panicked and literally didn't know what to.

so, i went back to florida for a month to stay with my parents. this was good and bad - the good was spending time with my parents, the bad - not knowing if i should stay in nyc, keep doing music...i really had no idea or no mental strength to figure it out. so after a month of hanging out with mom and dad, i knew i had to come back to nyc. the moment i got back i knew i was suppose to be here. yeah, i was poor - didn't know how i was going to pay for everything, but at least i was in the city of opportunities.

so when i arrived, i still had no idea what i was going to do. one night i was looking at - what else - craigslist. side note: yeah, people (including me) complain alot about craigslist and all the flakes and the "all too good to be true" sounding deals and opportunities. yep, it's very true. but i started looking at all the categories of jobs and a neon sign went on in my head: i will market each and every last skill i have to make it in the city, all working toward my end goal of being a creative person in a city i love. this is what i did: marketed myself as a freelance mover, a housecleaner, an actor, an errand runner, film crew production assistant, and of course, a musician/ composer.

i knew i had major acting experience but didn't have a resume or headshot. so i decided to whip one up and turn one of my pictures into a temporary headshot (i get my new ones taken next week). i took a deep breath and started answering ads on craigers looking for acting.

i could not believe what happened next. i started getting responses from people wanting me to audition for their films. some independents, some students. so i started going out on auditions and my first audition i landed the LEAD! and 7 films later (all leads i might add) i am now working on getting a DVD copy of the films and creating my film reel so i can show people my work and get an agent and paying gigs. to tell you the truth, this does not seem as crazy as it might have sounded a year ago. what i'm learning from my film roles this summer is that i am a good actor and i have raw talent to become an amazing actor. the film makers i have worked with this summer, crew, and also fellow co-stars have all commented on how great my comedic timing is, but also how i make the dramatic moments shine, too.

so, my goal is to have my reel completed by the end of august and to get an agent and my SAG card by the end of the year. in the meantime i will take any acting roles that interest me, even if they are non-paying. right now my living expenses are somewhat low. i'm cool with that. yep, sometimes i don't know where the $ is coming from for food, but for the first time i believe this is only temporary (tonight i was so poor i only had money to buy 2 mcdonald's hamburgers. good thing this week i am filming and they feed me on the set!]

i love new york. because it is here and allowing me to find my answers in the midst of all its gotham-ism. stay tuned: i've got 4 auditions scheduled for next week.

has it really been almost 3 months?

2009-03-04T02:03:00.005-05:00

wow...guess things have been a little busy...

just ran across this news item concerning the Bernard Herrmann musical manuscript to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. This listing on Bonhams' Auction House's website gives some interesting information about this famous piece of music. Read on:

"Bonhams Printed Books and Manuscripts sale on 24th March includes the score for the film Psycho which upset the sleep of generations of film goers. This sale provides a unique opportunity to acquire an iconic cinematic score appearing on the market for the first time. Bernard Herrmann is widely celebrated as the most distinguished musical contributor to the world of film, especially through his work with Alfred Hitchcock. A collection of Herrmann’s scores, manuscripts and books has been consigned to the sale by his surviving third wife Norma Herrmann, the highlight of which is the original score for Hitchcock’s film “Psycho”, including the(in)famous shower scene. The score is signed and dated on the first page, and is estimated to sell for £30,000 - 40,000.

Bonhams catalogue notes: Lot 198, HERRMANN (BERNARD) £30,000-40,000 BERNARD HERRMANN'S MUSIC FOR ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S PSYCHO, INCLUDING THE MURDER IN THE SHOWER SCENE - 'PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS CUE IN FILM MUSIC' (Steven C. Smith, A Heart at Fire's Center, University of California Press, 1991, p.236). This manuscript comprises the key elements of the original score of Herrmann's music for Psycho as reassembled by him for the concert suite Psycho: A Narrative for Orchestra in 1968. Herrmann's music for Psycho and the Murder in the Shower in particular have been subjected to a great deal of analysis. Stephen Rebello, for example, in what has become the standard study of the film, assesses its overall impact: "For Psycho, Bernard Herrmann was to concoct nothing less than a cello and violin masterwork, 'black and white' music that throbbed sonorously as often as it gnawed at the nerve endings. The score would prove to be a summation of all of Herrmann's previous scores for Hitchcock films, conveying as it did the sense of the abyss that I the human psyche, dread, longing, regret - in short, the wellsprings of the Hitchcock universe" (Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of 'Psycho', paperback edition, 1998, p.139). While Herrmann's biographer, Steven C. Smith, provides us with a detailed account of the score's genesis: "Psycho was their collaborative masterwork, a film that, as Hitchcock admitted at the time, depended heavily on Herrmann's music for its tension and sense of pervading doom. It remains Herrmann's best-known score, unprecedented in its use of strings soli to match the texture of the cinematography, and featuring probably the most famous (and most imitated) cue in film music. At the time of its making, Psycho was hardly considered classic material. Based on a grisly novel by Robert Bloch, it included such sordid elements as mass murder, body snatching, and matricide... Paramount disliked the film, and after editing the final cut with George Tomasini in December 1959, Hitchcock too was disappointed. Fortunately, before recutting the film he screened it for Herrmann. 'Hitchcock...felt it didn't come off,' Herrmann recalled. 'He wanted to cut it down to an hour television show and get rid of it. I had an idea of what one could do with the film, so I said, "Why don't you go away for your Christmas holidays, and when you come back we'll record the score and see what you think."... "Well," he said, "do what you like, but only one thing I ask of you; please write nothing for the murder in the shower. That must be without music."' Herrmann's idea made cinema history. In thirty film scores he had used a wider, more successful diversity of orchestral combinations than any screen composer; but in limiting his Psycho score to strings alone, 'to complement the black-and-white photography of the film with a black-and-white score' (and to accommodate the budget restriction), Herrmann created his most audacious and brilliant challenge. 'In addition to the purely musical problem induced by a limitation of orchestral color,' wrote Fred Steiner in his study of the score 'Herrmann's selection of a string orchestra deprived him of many tried and true musical formulas and effects which, until that time, had been considered essential for suspense-horror films: cymbal rolls, timpani throbs, muted horn stings, shrieking clarinets, ominous trombones, and dozens of other staples in Hollywood's bag of chilly, scary musical tricks'" (Smith, op.cit., pp.236-7, quoting Steiner, 'Herrmann's "Black-and-White" Music for Hitchcock's "Psycho"', Filmmusic Notebook, Fall 1974, part 1, pp.31-32). After conceiving his orchestration, Herrmann devised ways of using it to tighten the film's deliberate pace. First came the credits sequence. 'In film studios and among filmmakers, there is a convention that the main title has to have cymbal crashes and be accompanied by a pop song - no matter what,' Herrmann said in 1973. 'The real function of a main title, of course, should be to set the pulse of what is going to follow. I wrote the main title to "Psycho" before Saul Bass even did the animation. They animated the music... After the main title, nothing much happens in the picture, apparently for 20 minutes or so. Appearances, of course, are deceiving, for in fact the drama starts immediately with the titles... I am firmly convinced, and so is Hitchcock, that after the main titles you know something terrible must happen. The main title sequence tells you so, and that is its function: to set the drama" (Smith, p.238). And then, of course, the murder in the shower, and the shrieking violins that are widely recognized as having become etched into popular consciousness: "Few viewers have ever forgotten after seeing Psycho's much-analysed shower sequence, visually outlined by Saul Bass and requiring seventy-eight camera setups. But as Hitchcock realized after watching the scene in dubbing, its impact was not all he had hoped for with only Leigh's screams and the sound of running water on the soundtrack. Herrmann silently agreed and without Hitch's knowledge wrote Psycho's most celebrated cue, a 'return to pure ice water.' 'Many people have inquired how I achieved the sound effects behind the murder scene,' Herrmann said 'Violins did it!... It's just the strings doing something every violinist does all day long when he tunes up. The effect is as common as rocks.' Yet its usage was unique in film music, linked powerfully to Psycho's visuals: the violin bridge slashes relate not only to the stabbing motion of Bates's knife and Marion's cries, but also to the imagery of Bates's stuffed birds, which hover throughout the film's design (When asked for his own description of what the cue suggested, Herrmann chose one word: 'Terror.')" (Smith, p.239). Herrmann conducted the first recording of the suite, Psycho: A Narrative for Orchestra, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Decca in 1968, as well as a version of the full score for the Unicorn label shortly before his death in 1975. The suite has since been re-recorded by Esa-Pekka Salonen with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and the full work by Joel McNeely with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra."

I'm going to add this to my Bonhams wishlist!

we: hymn white xmas

2008-12-17T19:46:00.004-05:00

writer bobb goldsteinn, a friend of george furth's, contacted me to notate his new song, WE: HYMN WHITE CHRISTMAS.

here's the recording he and friends recorded last week:

hear my song....

2008-12-15T23:28:00.004-05:00

just had my song SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE post on youtube.....sung by Louise V.

DEMO: film score

2008-11-11T00:57:00.004-05:00

i am working on expanding my film score/ composing portfolio. i was asked to compose a sad, slow, reflective snippet of film music by a company in los angeles.

here's what i did tonight:

another gig: THE PAYOFF

2008-11-04T21:26:00.005-05:00

recently, i had the opportunity to compose the music for the trailer of the new film, THE PAYOFF.

here's the blurb from the director Carlos Crooks about his movie:

"THE PAYOFF is a film about how greed can consume us all, and lead us to a payoff that’s not intended. The story involves three men who are mediocre robbers. Their specialty…conning. It is this “skill” that allows them to coincidentally end up meeting each other on the streets. Forming a group, each of them used their unique skills to con anyone of their choosing. Unfortunately, one con goes bad, and ends up leading to a young woman's death- thus marking their untimely deaths."

here's the trailer:

brand spankin' new BLOG

2008-10-26T18:54:00.006-04:00

today is the day i launched my new blog/ business: http://nycsubwayartists.blogspot.com/ which features a blog dedicated to promoting the subway artist and or performer [right now in NYC... and expanding soon to other major cities].

there are so many amazing subway performances that have enhanced my travels deep in the depths of gotham that i have created a "portal" which will feature these artists who give us something to enjoy on our way from point A to point B.

my wish is to bring together a new network/ community where these artists can list their acts, gigs that take place in NYC subway stations.

i plan to start passing out business cards to performers and getting to know the performers as i feature them on the blog.

check back to see how things are going.

my name up in ...um...credits

2008-10-22T22:21:00.007-04:00

recently i composed music for the web show 28 zen, a los angeles-based web program featuring “actrepreneur” brad newman. finding the gig on craigslist, i pat myself on the back and smile seeing recognition in the ending credits.

how the catepiller becomes a beautiful butterfly

2008-10-21T23:24:00.002-04:00

under construction.

the work that is coming my way....

2008-09-20T02:40:00.008-04:00

this past week i was working at colony music and the phone rang, so being the good employee i am, i answered it.

on the other end was a man and he asked how he could get a song in sheet music form. i asked him what song he was looking for and he replied that he wasn't looking for a song but HAD a song that he wanted to be transcribed into sheet music form.

we get alot of people at colony looking for songs that just aren't available in sheet music because they are out of print or a version hasn't ever been released.

so this guy was asking for this, and i quickly said, "i can do it for you" to which he replied, "great! give me your website and contact info and i will send you the mp3."

i said cool and gave him my info. before we hung up he said this song was the theme song from the stand up to cancer telethon that was televised a few weeks ago and that they wanted to give a copy of the music to all the singers involved.

when i arrived home i checked my email and there was the message from the this guy. with the mp3 was a lyrics sheet.

needless to say, i was floored with who sang it! this is the blurb from wikipedia:

"Just Stand Up!" is a song featuring the vocals of an all-star group of pop/R&B/rock/country performers, including Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Natasha Bedingfield, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood, Keyshia Cole, LeAnn Rimes, Ashanti, and Ciara. This group purposely was billed as Artists Stand Up to Cancer to the public. American songwriter and producer Antonio "L.A." Reid conceived the collaboration after a meeting with the founder of Stand Up to Cancer, which will benefit from the proceeds of the record. Reid co-produced the track with American singer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and the single was released on August 21, 2008.

The singers performed the song live on the "Stand Up to Cancer" telethon which aired simultaneously on ABC, CBS and NBC on September 5th, 2008.

here's the video of the song:

and here is my work that is going to be on Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Natasha Bedingfield, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood, Keyshia Cole, LeAnn Rimes, Ashanti, Ciara, Antonio "L.A." Reid, and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds' walls with all of their platinum and gold records:

cool, huh? and for such a great cause...

subways are for ....

2008-08-26T03:23:00.007-04:00

conversations !?!? who knew!?

tonight on my way home [from my terrible awful "alexander" day], i struck up a conversation with a group of ladies and their daughters on the subway. they asked me if they were on the right train and after speaking with them for a minute we figured out we were getting off the same stop.

they told me they were from rochester, ny and were in NYC for a few days because family members work for an airline [they flew for free] and the marriott [free hotel rooms]. they explained how they went all around manhattan on the bus tour [you can get on and get off anywhere - buses run every 10 minutes]. it was exciting to hear them talk about their fun adventures. and it was a nice to talk with nice people after the day i've had [see posting below].

not everyone's mean and crazy on the subway. thank god....

the way i like it: get it written/ get it out there

2008-08-26T03:13:00.006-04:00

tuesday evening is our first rehearsal of the ten-minute musical i am working on with playwright christopher bell. at center stage n y , for their U.S.-ification of america conference showcasing ten-minute plays on the views of america past and present, chris and i are creating a propaganda type piece showcasing variations of 1940s type of music. i answered his post on craigslist.org and we've been ironing out the details of our new show for the past few weeks. so making last minute edits, we have our first rehearsal with our "andrew sister" type actresses/ singers [one of our actresses is jen mcdearman who i worked with on THE END and ANNIE in CA; we are now both based in NYC]. i'm very excited to be composing and to be doing something that will be seen by folks in two weeks!

sometimes i just don't understand....

2008-08-26T02:34:00.006-04:00

this world and the people in it.

i try. i want to.

...but as much time and energy as i invest as to why or how something happened or how someone you thought was a friend suddenly turns on you with an unfornseen twist into the story and you are left feeling blindsided and wondering why this moment is happening at this specific time. i guess i've done alot of that in the past 16 hours as someone who i thought was there to help me is no longer in my life due to a rancid email i received stating "A" & "B" and .... i think to myself, all this could have been cleared up with a simple email. but there is no going back now because this person has exited my life rather loudly and rancidly.

maybe i wear my heart on my sleave too much, but what happened in a series of emails , litterally made me speechless because it came so far out of left field. i am crushed and wondering if i will ever be able to trust like that again. yes, money was involved and i'm learning now that friends and money or family and money do not really work together.

since i have been in NYC, things have been good, some bad. like i said in one of my previous posts, a bad day in NYC is better than a bad day anywhere else because it's NY. what i failed to mention is also a bad day in nyc can cut you deeper than if you were somewhere else. maybe that's why new yorkers are so tough. maybe that's why this is happening - to toughen me up. but if everyone is tough, where do we find those moments where we can help one another? i don't want to be a callous new yorker. what's the fun in being like that?

these past two weeks i have been desperately trying to locate a new place to live. the worst feeling in the world is to be homeless and not knowing where you are going to sleep for the evening and to be totally out of money. both of those thoughts have plagued me over the last week. in searching on CL, EVERYONE wants first month's, last month's, security deposit, utilities' deposit, etc.

i have no money to my name. other than my first check from COLONY music this thursday [it will only be for 3 days], i have no money right now. i had to ask the people where i live if i could have some rice and tuna fish until thursday because of that being payday. they were happy to help. and the money i was expecting from the show i was just doing is not going to happen at all [part of my awful day]. no money. broke. not even money for coffee. feeling bad because here i am an adult and should be able to provide for myself. this entire situation brings up so many issues on so many levels for me, can you tell?

so i've no money to get thru the week and i'm searching for a place to live so i am not homeless on september 1st. so i wrote the following email to send to room posts and i used it in my own post:

$800 I expect NOTHING for free; looking for kind soul to let me pay weekly

Reply to: hous-810337604@craigslist.org ^[?]
Date: 2008-08-24, 3:11AM EDT

Hi Kind S o u l,

Just so you know, I am not looking or expecting anything for free; just a kind soul to hear my story/ situation and give me the opportunity of living in a clean and safe living situation that will allow me to get on my feet during the month of September. I am willing and very much wanting to pay my own way and can do so, but unfortunately, not all at once.

Before we go any further in this post, please know that I have EXCELLENT, GLOWING REFERENCES which I am happy to give to you immediately so you can check out my character and my previous renting situations. I am a good fun person with a good heart and believe that people are good. I would do anything for someone who is in a bind.

If you read on and help me out, I promise to help someone else out who is in my situation sometime in the future when I am able to.

I have a regular job as a sales associate at COLONY music in Times Square [I really love this job]. They will vouch that I do work there and am a hard worker. When not working there, I am a musician [pianist/ composer/ arranger/ orchestrator] and picking up gigs here and there to bring in extra cash.
I have money coming in [slowly right now but give me a month and I will not be struggling any longer].
This Thursday is my first payday and I can pay you $200 toward either a security deposit or my first week's rent for September.

I am looking for a place in Manhattan for $800-$850/ month.

here's my situation: I am good for the $$. Yes, I now you don't know me. But living in NYC and getting established here is very important to me. I am willing to sign a sublet agreement with you. I need a nice clean place to live with good people/ roommates. My references will confirm I am not someone who will leave you hanging.

A little about me:
I am a white male, 42 yr old who is originally from Columbus, OH. I have lived in California for the last 14 years and decided to move to NYC for finding work as a musician. I do not do drugs. I work VERY hard on my music and my career. I am gone most of the days [sometimes 14-16 hours] either working or "pounding the pavement" for music jobs or going to rehearsals or auditions. When I get home I usually go to bed to get rested for the next day.

I am a musician/ actor who just moved to NYC on august 2nd. I have a regular job [at COLONY music - I get a 50% discount on all music!] I just started this past weekend. I have money coming in...just not alot right away.

I am a good person with a good big heart and have empathy for people and I am looking for someone with a big heart and empathy to open their home to me with an any sized room I can rent. I believe it will take me a month to get settled financially but I will sign a contract that I will pay you the money you are charging for rent and security deposit. Unfortunately, i just can't do it all at once. If I do move out, I will sign a contract saying that I will give you 30 days notice.

please check out my website: http://blankcanvasmusic.com for more 411 about me and what I do. you can download a music resume on my home page [just click on the "Michael's Resume" button].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNIVERSE: I pray that there is someone out there to here my plea for help and will give me the chance to fall into a wonderful living situation for all parties involved. I thank you in advance for hearing me and my asking and for whatever comes my way as an answer to my prayer. ~nameste~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

today i got a call from a lady name A. she told me she couldn't help but notice my prayer/ ending to the post i posted on craigslist and she said as a favor to the universe, she is inviting me to live at her apartment [2 blocks from times square on 48th street and 8th avenue! just where i wanted to be! 2 blocks from work!!!!!!]. she has a very nice place and she is a nice lady who works at a bakery. she just returned from a 5 week vacation in india. because of her trip to india she said she kept coming back to my posting because of my prayer and then she called me and said, please come over and meet her and see the place. i did and she said i could live at her apartment with my own room for 3 weeks free [!] so i can get my finances in order. then i will owe her rent, which i will be able to handle.

i could not believe it. i told her i can't believe that someone is doing something so nice for me. i asked why would she just do this for a complete stranger????? she said she felt the universe wanted her to do that for me.

i still can't believe it. usually i have to push and pull and grunt to make things happen. this time it just came to me.

thank you universe for that.

so i guess the universe is doing some house cleaning of what and who i need and what and who i can do without.

in regards to the first situation above, i really shouldn't think about it so much. it hurts my head and my heart. but i guess i'll never understand....

but i know the universe is watching out for me because i now don't have to worry about $$ or where i'm living after the end of august.

most guys think about sex the most during the day. i think about "do i have enough $$" and "what's going to happen to me if i don't secure a place to live?"

thanks for watching out for me, U...even though i don't understand how or why sometimes....

today NYC smelled like ...

2008-08-25T04:55:00.011-04:00

p-i-s-s.

P.U.

O.K. what does that abbreviation stand for anyway?
no, i know what it means, but where does it come from...like origin?
well, whatever or wherever it comes from/ means, all i know is that I was thinking it alot today from the wiffs i got today: NYC smelled like piss.

PEE ME?

okay, yes i did a check to see if it was me and assuredly and thankfully, no it was not.

it must be the combination of warm weather/ no breeze, or because it's the end of a summer weekend when all the tourists are here [i'm not saying tourists are stinky...well they might be, but i didn't see any people with shopping bags in hand peeing on the sidewalk]. it might just be that ALOT of people in NYC cannot find bathrooms at the appropriate moment when nature calls.

a co-worker at COLONY MUSIC told me it took him an hour and 45 minutes to get home last night after we closed at 1AM [about a hour and 15 minutes too long because the MTA was doing their nightly upgrades on the red line]. he said he was "pissed" it took so long and then he told me that because he was stuck in the subway waiting on the number 2 to take him home he couldn't hold it any longer and went number 1 at the end of the subway platform. no one saw his crime. he then went on to smoke 2 cigarettes on the platform [also a crime].

so i'm sure there are hundreds of stories like that to add to the murky cloud of that all too familiar yucky odor.

but that doesn't explain why even the nice neighborhoods and the edge of central park i walked thru smelled like stale urine. on my way home, i had to drop off a music transcription to a client who is staying at the ritz hotel. yep, smelled it there, too. really, i checked and double checked that i was not the culpret.

hmmm....

but just as i arrived home outside the entrance of my loft, i smelled something wonderful: flowers at the flower stand....it made up for all the piss i smelled today.

i sure hope things freshen up a bit for monday or i'm going to have to start carrying a bottle of fabreze with me.

COLONY "Oh, gawd, kill me and cut off my feet now" MUSIC

2008-08-24T05:00:00.005-04:00

as you know i am now working at the famous COLONY MUSIC in times square. just started friday night 4PM-1AM. what a BuSy store!

i love this job. really, i do. haven't been able to say that for a long time for a regular 9-5ish job. but i guess this is a little different since i'm using my knowledge of different genres of music. This really surprises me. the rest i fake or figure out as i go along. i actually look forward to work since the night crew i work with are "old" regulars who have been helping me and answering my stupid questions. crusty old guys who have a good sense of humor and know how to get away with making the job easier and fun. one guy is ted and he's been guiding me and telling me basically what i can get away with and not. the guy who hired me, richard [the owner], is such an unassuming and very nice person that i just breezed in and basically got the job because 1] i'm a musician 2] i have alot of knowledge about many genres of music and 3] i think he liked the fact that i came in and said i wanted to work there. the staff is friendly. for the most part. i get "who is this new guy?" standoffish routine from a few of them. but i'm finding out that all the years i've spent working on music and learning all that music history and being familiar with the different genres has made me a great sales associate. i love to go to work because i know i am using my powers and knowledge for good. and plus, i found out tonight that i get a 50% discount on all music. 50%!!!!! do you understand what this means for a musician??????????? as soon as i learned this, tonight i started making my wishlist of all the music i want: all sondheim piano/ vocal scores, gershwin songbooks, orchestrating and arranging books, and interesting books like a book on the beatles. the list is going to definitely get bigger because COLONY has EVERYTHING [i also applied a padilsons sheet music but they weren't hiring ...yet...]. before this, i probably wouldn't have thought of buying them, yeah, i'd think about it, but tonight i looked at the $100 scores and said, "$50? yeah, i could do that!" a chance to build my library.

tonight i found a 1500 page book/ score of the transcriptions to every single song the beatles ever wrote and recorded. i looked inside and found it written like a professional orchestral score with every note, nuance, instrument, notation, accent, and lyric written for the professional music reading musician to ponder or use. amazing for $110. but for me, $55! west side story score? $110. with discount, $55! i'm kind of nervous because this job is basically for paying my rent and i could just see me going hog wild in the store and at the cash register!

i'm really surprised on how much music knowledge i know and have collected so i can help customers find what they are looking for asap. there are so many types of music that i'm finding it very comfortable switching gears. one customer wants celene dion [usually the foreigners] and then i turn around and find a classical douible bass book for another person. i basically know where all the sections are now. hey! and only the second day of work! well it helps that whenever i have visted NYC in the past, i have spent may hours salivating over the sheet music and books in COLONY.

~AND~ it's a good thing i have my business cards because if i am talking to someone and i hear the song is in the wrong key for them, i very non-chalantly say i do music transcriptions and give them my card. i've already got a few gigs from doing this. so i can market myself while doing my regular job. this is very comforting since i only work 24 hours in a week and if i can get two or three transcription jobs per day during my shifts, this will help immensely with the income i need to make. tonight, a couple bought the schubert version of "ave maria" and it did not have the chords written in [because i guess schubert just didn't do those kind of things back then. go figure!] so i told the couple if they bought the music, i would write in the chord progression above the vocal line so they could play it on piano [the guy doesn't read music] or guitar. so i started doing it and he slipped me $10 on the spot. tomorrow afternoon i deliver it to him and his wife at the ritz carlton. how cool is that? maybe this is the job i was meant to have? i love working with customers because 95% of them are there to find the music that they love, that they can perform or music that will help them become better musicians. i love helping them find the answers/ music to their questions. it's a challenge i like. and work breezes by because i already feel comfortable in what i'm doing.

so dear friends, while i can't abuse the discount, please contact me for you 50% discount on any music. and if you need a transposition, we can talk. check out the website: http://www.colonymusic.com

SIDENOTE: being on my feet for 8+ hours is kilLinG my feet. i have to talk to dr. scholl about hooking me up with some comfy shoe pads. gawd, my feet hurt. ouchie. the floors are hard...they should at least have those spongy restaurant type mats where you feel like you are walking on air....ahhh...that would feel great!

most of our customers are very friendly foreigners with very broken english or no english looking for frank sinatra or barbra streisand kareoke CDS. kareoke CDs are VERY popular.....and anything WICKED. these customers are very nice and we figure things out even if there is a language barrier. i draw big pictures in the air with my figures and hands and use my spanish i remember to figure out if they will understand. i think we do rather nicely bridging the communicatin gap. there is always laughter and smiling involved and that seems to help out.

oh, and in the catacombs of the basement lies the most putrid bathroom i have ever been in. if i had a gas mask i would use it! i'm bringing my windex bottle tomorrow to forge a path to the urinal.

so, come by and see me at COLONY friday saturday or sunday [4PMish to 1AM] if you're in the area. we'll make that 50% discount work.

oh, i forgot...interesting tidbit...COLONY is wired with security cameras all over the place, the guys i work with showed me the blind spots in the store so if i wanted to sit down a minute, no one could detect me doing so. the scary thing about this is one of the employees has access from his computer at home for viewing all the views LIVE and he's been known to call the store and tell so and so to not do something or quit sitting around. big brother is watching, but we are so busy i'm not even worried about it!

RIP, george, my friend

2008-08-16T04:59:00.024-04:00

this past week, my friend george died. he had always taken an interest in me since we met back in 2004. he never hesitated to add his 2 cents about my life or plans [yeah, sometimes i'd role my eyes or be a little upset over some criticism. i guess i now look upon it now as helpful nudging].

i learned alot from him. he led a life where he went for what he wanted. he wasn't afraid to try new things and brag about them to me.

he always asked me questions. more often than not he asked them so he could talk about himself, but that was george.

george always had a funny anecdote that one of his friends said or did. he knew E V E R Y O N E . he'd have a story about so and so and how they had met or what happened to them, not in a gossipy sort of way, but in the fact that there was a story there. then there were his emails: he would always email me forwards of things he thought we funny or outrageous, and most of the time they were. and if he wrote a personal note to me, THE ENTIRE EMAIL WAS IN CAPITAL LETTERS AND WAS SIGNED "XXOO, GEORGE." everytime i saw the capital letters i could hear his voice...sorta like he was leaving a phone message for me...in my head. it also brings to mind when the reader hears writer john irving's character owen meany in their heads from his novel "a prayer for owen meany" [owen only spoke in "capital letters," or at least that's how irving wrote the character's dialogue]. when george spoke he always had something relevent to say or an opinion to voice, but he did it with wit and charm and sometimes concern and urgency depending on what it was he had to say.

i'm sad to know george died alone in a hospital, sedated because of a lung infection. this week when i called his house to hear george's witty outgoing message on his answering machine one last time, the house man [a.k.a. cat keeper guy ] answered and told me that it looked like he was getting better and then he died. he also said george didn't want a funeral or a memorial service, so his friends are throwing him a party. how cool is that?

my friend george is tony award-winning george furth, book writer of his and stephen sondheim's musical COMPANY. i met george back in 2004 when i was hired by my friend mike ward to MD his and doug katsaros' new musical, then called THE END. george took an instant liking to me and i to him. we would chat constantly about musical theatre and he'd try to stump me with trivia questions about theatre. most of the time i'd get them right which seemed to rather impressed george.

i went to visit george several times in beverly hills and had the priviledge of staying in his penthouse apartment. wow. what luxery. but i guess when you are the writer of so many plays and musicals AND an actor who guest starred on just about every sitcom from the 60s all the way thru the 90s, and been in countless but memorable roles in film, i guess he was entitled to live beverly hills.

i remember being at his home and it was around oscar time. all the members of the academy had just received their ballots and george had his on the kitchen counter trying to fill it out. so he read me all the categories he hadn't seen the people's work who were nominated and asked me to fill out the little circles for the ones i wanted to win [i think i got a few of the winners right].

also, i remember it was late one night and george had already gone to bed. i went into his study, not to snoop but to look at the impressive book collection and all the incredible jawdropping [at least for me] memorabilia from the likes of cloris leachman - who starred in the video taped television version of his play TWIGS - and stephen sondheim, who was a dear friend and collaborator...they spoke by phone weekly....there's a wonderful plaque on george's study wall by the door from SS...i wish i could remember what it says and what it was...but the gist of it conveyed a very special heartfelt sentiment from SS to GF on their friendship and their work they did together].

so... as i turned to go out of the room, i saw it there, on one of the highest shelves: his tony award for best book for COMPANY. i took it down and held it in my hands and saw that it wasn't really made very well. just some wood and cheap metal...i mean, come on - even oscar and grammy award winners get gold statues when they win! but here was this tony award with his name on it and i was holding it. well it remains to be seen if i will ever have one myself...i'm not ruling it out, but i'm not going to say it will be a definite thing. just maybe. but for a moment there, holding george's trophy for all of his creativity, sweat, and tears, i felt a surge of joy and hope. joy for george that he had been successful and had something to show for all of his hard work and for me, hope that somehow, someday, maybe i would get to be happy the way he did when his name was called and know that i was successful than i could ever imagine. i just stood there and held it for a while as if i was putting a baby to bed. i kept saying to myself that i was holding george furth's tony award. in my hands. it's real. it's tangible. i feel it in my hands.

okay, i know it's getting a little weird, but that evening was very special for me.

an interesting six degrees of separation sidenote: as a thank you for allowing me to stay with him on one of my visits, i sent him a gift certificate to trader joe's. believe it or not, he had never been [he was a whole foods kind of guy]. so he and his boyfriend, david, went to TJ and didn't buy anything for themselves. they bought an orchid for annette bening because she lost the best actress oscar [she was in the fantastic period piece, being julia] to hillary swank [million dollar baby] for the second time. so in actuality, i gave annette bening flowers. who woulda think it? cool, huh?

so at the end of august, the friends of george furth will gather at his beverly hills penthouse apartment and pay tribute to him and his life. i'm going to try to go if i can find a cheap ticket. if i can't be there, i will imagine that michael finestein will sit at george's baby grand leading debbie reynolds in a medley of songs [michael and george were great friends; they spoke by phone everyday]. and i'm sure shirley macclaine and annette bening and warren beatty will have wonderful things to say about their friend of many years [george played the asshole banker in warren's film shampoo and a few other films].

so every month, sometimes every two or so, i would talk to george by phone. if he called me on a saturday and i didn't answer, he'd ALWAYS say, "oh, you must be at temple." he repeated himself alot. i'm not sure if it was because he was getting up there in years or just because it was his shtick. but it was george and he was funny.

recently we were discussing my plans to move to new york and what i would do to pay the bills. he said if you're going to be rich in theatre, "you've got to make a killing!" like he did with COMPANY and MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. one of the last things he said to me before we hung up was a story about actress ruth gordon [i.e. rosemary's baby & harold and maude]. he said she once told him, "you've got to have a talent for having talent!" i think george was trying to tell me to step into my talent and own it and then it will really become part of me and what i have to offer the world.

i miss george. not because he was famous but because he was a friend and he was an interesting person who genuinely cared for people.

thanks, george for all you gave to me and for making me laugh and think.

George Furth's body of work:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0299149/
http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=5812

i heart subway

2008-08-16T04:08:00.005-04:00

i love the subway. i know people complain about the weird funky smells, the dirt, the people, the heat, the unAC'd cars, the long waits, the packed cars, and making your connection in time. but, i'll take that. there's nothing like standing on the edge of the platform as a train approaches. feeling the roar of the train as it gets closer and closer. for a split second you feel like it will certainly crash into you. and call me crazy, i love that subway smell: oil, diesel, grime, dirt all mixed into one original aroma. not really an oder or ranky smell. okay, not that i'd want to roll around in it...but one that identifies the subway as just part of the city.

and for just $85 a month i can have my independence whether or not i have money in my pocket. no car needed. there are so many free things to explore in nyc and all you need is a MTA pass. i'm thinking of going to the bronx zoo next wednesday on free day. also, the ferries are free [i went to staten island the other day. beautiful ride across the harbor passing the statue of liberty and ellis island]. and having my new york guide to tell me about the different neighborhoods and their history makes me invest more of myself and my time in nyc. even though everything is spread out over the island of manhattan and the other boroughs, i feel like i can get anywhere. yes, i love the subway. love it love it love it.

there's this great website called hopstop.com where you can put in your starting address and the address you want to go to and the website will come up with the fastest route while telling you which trains to take and where to transfer and walk on streets. this is also good for deciding to take a cab ride or not since it gives you the approximate cost.

i also like the subway because i see it as a potential office away from home where i can get work done and be inspired at the same time.

and seeing so many interesting people everyday, no wonder nyc is a pot of creative inspiration for many artists.

now check back in six months and see if i feel the same way. who knows maybe it will all grow old, but i hope not.

interesting side note: i heard once that the subway in nyc is the most democratic place there is. everyone is equal. they paid their fare and are just looking for a seat.

Insert weird freaky music of weird freaky coincidence here (oooooooo...)

2008-08-15T20:50:00.002-04:00

i've noticed lately that when i'm walking somewhere, i see people passing by me going to their own important destinations. What's weird is that on my return trip from where i've been i see these exact people passing by me again from where they've been going to where they were earlier.

Coincidence? It's happened way too much to think it is random.

Or take this situation...whenever i have the t.v. Or radio on, i or someone i'm having a conversation with (sometimes it's just me having a conversation with myself) i or they will say the same exact word at the exact time they say it on the t.v. Or radio. Weird? I think so.

I know you're suppose to say "jinx" when you say the same word in unison with someone in a conversation, what do you say when the universe is the one?

- michael, sweating profusely while listening to the subway drummer on the other platform waiting for the 6 train downtown

:::sent from the iStink phone:::

craigslist.hell

2008-08-15T19:24:00.007-04:00

some you may know that i found a sublet to sublet (i guess sublet to sublet is a bit redundant, huh?) on the upper westside. when i arrived everything was cool, the place was nice even though i had to sleep on the couch for a week ..or So... Until the guy's "friend" left. so yes, everything was cool...i had ac and digital cable with every channel known to man...i guess you could say i was in heaven even though i was on the couch in the living room and it was a 5th floor walkup.

U N T I L . . .

one day greg, the guy i was renting from casually told me that some friends were coming to visit for the weekend. So, cool. No problem.

scene: 5am in a quiet darkened apartment. Michael's on the couch peacefully slumbering, dreaming of "second acting" (sneaking into the second acts of shows at intermission without paying) when all of a sudden greg, butt drunk, and his friends, butt drunker, come banging in at 5am. Bang. Bam. (Insert loud obnoxious drunk speak here). So i'm in the living room on the couch zzzz-ing and they decide to put a cd on at 91 decibels. I say to greg, "hey, umm, i have to get up in the morning pretty early." greg responded for me to get out of the room. The only place was outside in the hallway...so there i went with my pillow because i wasn't about to argue with a dragle of drunks [yes, i know, i invented a word]. So that night i slept on the floor in the hallway.

Scene: morning. I wake up, go into the living room to gather my things for the day and there they all are on the couch, still awake which was probably because of the crack in the crack pipe in front of them on the table.

Oookaaaay...

So i left for the day. And started calling anyone i knew with a couch. sidenote: funny how people say there's no vacancy at the inn when you explain your situation to them and ask for just one night on the couch....but that's another story...

when coming back to get my stuff, i ran into the guy, alex, who was staying in MY bedroom until the 12th. i asked when he was leaving next week and he said he was staying until the 22nd. right then and there i knew things about the living situation had not been expressed upfront with me. So, i confronted greg and he said alex just told him that he was staying until the 22nd...but alex said greg knew all along of his plans. okay, reason #233 to find another place.

Long story semi-long....i slept on a few couches, found a cool artists' loft near the wtc/wall street (with real artists!), got some of money back from greg, and started getting settled.

So i got ac, a room/bed of my own. No tv or cable but yes on the internet, and a subway stop 20 feet outside our front door. And only three flights up. ah, my shangrila...for now.

:::sent from my cheap sprint iPhone imitation i like to call the iStink [instinct]:::

stage manager extraordinaire

2008-08-15T17:31:00.006-04:00

it's official. i can now add "stage manager" to my resume and my talents. i guess when you've done as much theatre as i've done, being familiar with other jobs comes easy from watching them do their jobs.

working on becoming britney for the nyc international fringe festival has been such a positive experience for me. running lights and cues has been easier than i expected. and working with such a wonderful equity cast and director has made this experience a stellar one.

So, good things are happening...i just got my second stage managing gig which starts in september: SM for the play becket here in the city. while britney was a volunteer thing, becket is a paying gig and has me being more of a traditional SM [really running the show since the director will be through with his job]. so, yes...it's cool that i'm gaining experience and adding to the skills i do to live, breathe, and pay for my daily injections of venti iced coffee in nyc.

just what i needed

2008-08-15T16:32:00.012-04:00

yesterday, i was doing too much thinking and wondering, "where will i live [my current lease is up august 31st]? where will i work? how will i eat? how will i make money? where will i live? will anyone hire me as a personal assistant? what will become of me? do these shorts make my ass look big?" ya know, scarlett o'hara stuff like that.

so i decided to force myself to go out and get out of the doldrums of living too much in the future. i went to tkts to see what was on the boards. spamalot...not really interested, although maybe some day...xanadu...just not in the whoopi mood tonight and plus there was only a 25% discount....yeah, i was really being picky! then maybe a play... the 39 steps? maybe soon but not tonight. then i remember i read somewhere that [tos] ...title of show....sold only 48% of their house last week...so i said to myself, "gotta see this now in case it closes in the near future."

so i bought my ticket and headed over to the theatre. the lyceum theatre is a nice intimate theatre and i had a seat on house right.

just before the show started Jane Krakowski [you know, the tony award-winning actress for her work in the musical nine and co-star of 30 rock on nbc] walked down the aisle with her companion/ date/ gay friend and were seated within viewing distance of my seat. well, soon they saw all of their gay friends and ran down the aisle for hugs and kisses....let me tell you, it was one big orgy love fest in the aisle at the lyceum theatre last night. jane is very beautiful. she had her hair just so, like she just walked out of a salon. she looks shorter in real life, but you can definitely tell she's a beauty compared to all the ugly people around her [okay, maybe that was a bit harsh...].

okay...[tos]! i am SOOOOOO glad i chose to see this show. what a simple amazing little show this was. for those of you who aren't familiar, [tos] is a show within a show. it chronicles in a very humorous way what it takes to write a show and get it produced and end up on broadway. there were so many inside theatre jokes, i ate it all up. the audience was smart and savvy and responded to the songs and scenes like they were at a rock concert. they were definitely giving the actors some love.

the performances were so incredible. one actress, heidi blickenstaff, had this singing voice that just floated like melted butter [if butter could float....mmmm...i guess it could if it's in water and floats to the top because it's all oily...okay, i'm not comparing her to oily floaty scum...just go with me here on the floating melted buttah analogy...she had the voice of a pop angel]. then i read her bio and saw that she played "meredith" in the theatreworks' [palo alto, ca] production of bat boy which i saw [btw, molly bell and daya curley who i'm doing becoming britney with here in nyc were in that show, too]. heidi is totally amazing. well, the entire cast [four + larry at the keyboard] were amazing.

but what i liked most about the show is that i coud relate to everything the actors were going thru to get their show up and running and trying to achieve their dreams of being in a broadway show. so this show really kicked ass with its sassyness and wit and at the same time it really hugged heart with its ambition, and dare i say, message.

[tos] inspired me and reminded me of why i am here in nyc. and that's just what i needed on a mild rainy night in nyc.

wonderment and amazement [and a little scary-ment mixed in]

2008-08-15T15:58:00.005-04:00

last week i was walking through the herds of tourists while trying to make my way through times square.

wow. note to self: i sound like a real new yorker!

anywho... i was waiting to cross the street and i noticed this guy dressed up like spideyman and talking on the phone in a phone booth. close by, i noticed this family of four - mom, dad, little girl, little boy - they were all checking SM out. SM then noticed the family and started to go into "SM mode." what i saw next really touched my heart: as SM approached the little boy, the boy's eyes got so big. there were so many emotions registering on that little kid's face: being scared, amazed, worried... he couldn't believe that he was really seeing SM. it was so cute because his dad was talking him thru what was happening: "go on, it's SM, buddy. whaddya think?" the kid looked like he wanted to go to SM but at the same time he held on to his dad's leg while taking it all in.

reminds me of stephen sondheim's lyrics from his into the woods song "i know things now" in which the character of little riding hood describes her experience with the wolf at her grandmother's house....

"...and he made me feel excited -
well, excited and scared."

i wish i had had my camera to take a picture that day to show you the kid's face.

NYC: my daily dosage

2008-08-15T00:24:00.004-04:00

i love the fact that i am here in nyc. i feel its energy and everyday i look forward to going out and seeing what will happen. some days are better than others, but i was just thinking the other day: i guess a bad day in nyc can be bad but i'd rather have a bad day here than somewhere else. there's this overwhelming feeling that i am suppose to be here. i know my parents or family truly understand, though they try...but i guess loving the arts and being creative and being mobile and taking in city life really feeds my soul.

long time, no write

2008-08-15T00:19:00.005-04:00

it's been a long time, dear blog...

sorry that i've neglected you. but there's been so much to prepare and do to get ready for nyc. cool. i knew you'd understand.

so i'm here in nyc and i've got lots of stuff to share. so grab a chair and your favorite beverage and let's chat....

Brit Brit is coming to NYC!!!!

2008-07-07T00:28:00.006-04:00

it's official! we have our dates for Becoming Britney for the NYC Fringe Festival! check out the website for dates and times, y'all!

UPDATE: me

2008-07-04T04:01:00.040-04:00

this blog entry is version of an email i sent out today. i thought i'd also post it here for those who didn't receive it, as a archive for myself, and in honor of me launching my brand new website on july 4th, 2008.

http://blankcanvasmusic.com

just letting people know what i'm up to...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

hi there. remember me? i just took this picture for

my brand spankin' new website which,
by the way, launches today, july 4th, 2008.

3 tubes of hair gel and a wind machine......

... on me, not the website.

<> my website: http://blankcanvasmusic.com | come on in and take a look... even though there's still some construction going on.

<> my blog: THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION

<> ** my facebook.com page/ profile: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=729910864

<> ** my photo albums on facebook.com: http://www.facebook.com/privacy/?view=photos#/photos.php?id=729910864

heading to NYC august 1st to try something new...

i am going to be stage manager [yeppers, you read right] for a new NYFringe festival show called becoming britney. it's about, you know, that girl.

daya curley and molly bell wrote it because they
were bored and now we're bringin' it to the world, y'all!!

a very funny show.

also, while i'm in NYC, my show [written w/ kristen caven] is going to have it's premiere as a staged reading. above is the show's logo
[wonderfully created by the "i have many shoes" kristen caven].

there's a big show number in this shoe.
and yes, i meant to say that.

only in NYC august 4th, kids.

<> kristen's and my one-act musical: http://www.thesoulsofherfeet.com

<> ** 411 for kristen's and my one-act musical NYC reading on august 4th, 2008: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=729910864#/event.php?eid=16166619905

<> kristen's and my blog for our show: http://shoesmirrorrose.blogspot.com/

** these links might require you to sign up for facebook.com. don't worry, FB is very cool and a great networking website [and very addicting!]

making the picture all funky while learning my iPhoto program.

my "official" website photo after being tweaked by daya curley, my website designer.
she says i look like an graphic novel character.

so, daya, now can you make me look like
one of the he-men in 300, please?

my new business card [front].

it makes me smile.

yes, i am in love with a piece of paper.
i alchemized it and 100 emails later,
daya designed it [much to her relief].

oh, and the inspiration for blankcanvasmusic.com?
the constant annoying need for income and ...
*** "white. a blank page or canvas....so many possibilities..."

my new business card [back] of all i get to do.

translation: hopefully, i will be busy...
... soon...... working...
... in NYC...... and beyond...
... did i mention, soon?

[don't worry, this was not an actual eye test.
had it been, you would have totally gone blind by now.]

work of my work: just a little itty bitty bit of SOUL...WHATEVER !!

[come see my show to understand what i just said].

objects appear smaller than they really are.

big orchestral 11" x 17" notation notated note by note by rote by me.

two years ago in VT with my sister, megan, exploring the wonders of macbook.

my niece, abby: a sweetie in her state of bliss. she's smarter than grandad.

anna, my niece, being the birthday cake at her own party.

believe it or not, this picture is really all about me:

back-seat driver/ GPS for Mom and Dad.

pumpkin, my cat. how cute, huh? how unassuming, no?
well, watch out! meow got fangs! dang!

...ouchie...

... and to finish it all off, some on-the-side-of-the-road random cute piggies in VT!

* finé.

* that's fancy for that's all, y'all [...for now].
*** act II "george" from stephen sondheim and james lapine's pulitzer-winning broadway musical, sunday in the park with george [1984].

are you reallying "journeying" if you are "circling the airport?"

2008-07-02T14:19:00.005-04:00

wow...a few days turned into a few weeks. sorry, blog. i must really pay more attention to you.

getting back concerning my previous post.

sometimes the journey presents you with questions it is pressing you to answer. if not addressed, they keep popping up and your journey turns into a circling pattern; you're moving but you're not really traveling. are you? am i?

at least that's what i've found. sit quiet, be still. listen. don't think too much. wait. life will present you with your quest or your answer...or a new question!

i think i got past a major hurdle this week. it's because i took the time to really listen and let life show me what i needed to pay attention to.

more details soon. i'm actually in the richmond airport getting ready to board. hopefully we won't spend any time circling the atlanta airport like i've been doing in my life recently. hurdles are there for a reason. you have to teach yourself to hurdle the hurdle. skinned knees and all.

it's all about the journey, huh?

2008-06-12T19:22:00.012-04:00

i guess i have to keep reminding myself of this concept. it's so frustrating to want to be ten steps ahead when you think or know you can only go one or two, or even a slow crawl that only has you going in a circle at the moment. or sometimes it's three giant steps back! ugh!

so i am working with a life coach right now to help me figure out some things in my life. today was our second session by phone. i think everyone should have a life coach assigned to them as soon as they are spit out or "pronged" from the womb. think what life resources one would have at the age of two! playdates and a weekly session all about picking the right toy to play with!

my life coach is awesome. check out her amazing credentials when you check out her website: http://www.toilynnwyle.com/

so my assignments this week are all about learning to be specific. i don't know about you, but most of the time i am afraid of being specific of what i want: it's scary. what happens if you don't get what you want? plan B? plan D? Plan Z? Plan DD.2? or accept that it ain't going to happen for you. what happens if all your life you've had the wrong dream? is this possible? what about all the girls who dreamed of being a ballerina or all the boys who dreamed of being a professional baseball player [or in this day in age, visa versa]? i guess they realize it ain't going to happen and move on. and then there are those who are stubborn [or persevere - take your pick on which sounds better to you...no, i will be specific: persevere] take two: then there are those who persevere and keep trudging along in the overgrown jungle, looking for the path, only realizing there is no path: we are making our own through the underbrush. we know the ground is there, but the path isn't...yet. we, like those people are extremely stupid or brave. maybe a little bit of both? whoever said don't give up on your dreams was a man [i assume] who was trying to convince himself that if he did give up, he'd die.

i guess it also involves a bit of passion and crazyness. and i'm sure the recipe has a few other elements in it, too.

so when things get difficult, maybe it's because we are in the process of making a new path. our path. but isn't it suppose to look like????...isn't it suppose to be like.... his????...like hers????......like something somewhat resembling a way forward????? a way????? the answer, i'm sorry to say, is no. and maybe that is a good thing? then it is truly ours when we look back on the way we've made. i'm learning that when i hesitate, that is the moment it clicks in my brain, "i am not on a pre-determined way; i am making my own path right now." then i push a little further because if i don't, i will die.

it's all about the journey and path making, huh?

so i get to be specific this week, she says. stay tuned. i'll report back...say....maybe.....um.....tuesday. or wednesday. yes, i'll get back to you....yes.

RAGTIME, the musical OVER/ CLOSED/ DONE/ FINISHED/ fine!

2008-05-30T20:48:00.006-04:00

yes, i have to celebrate finishing the monster show RAGTIME. it was a great production but i'm kind of happy it's over because my brain will hopefully quit singing all the songs and humming when i'm trying to go to sleep!!!!!! i mean, HOW MANY TIMES CAN A PERSON HEAR OR THINK "on the wheels of a dream" each day??????????

so, i've had the pleasure of being in the show [DLOC in 2002] and musical directing the show. learned alot about the structure of the libretto and the songs.

A job well done.

AUGUST PLANS: BECOMING BRITNEY

2008-05-30T20:41:00.004-04:00

okay, let's clarify...not me, personally...

but here's the scoop on the new show i am working on in NYC in august. check it all out. very funny.

************************************************************************************
i am heading to NYC for the month of august or longer to work on a new musical written by daya curley and molly bell.

i will be stage managing [something i've never done but am going to learn real fast!] a show that my CA friends have entered in the NYC theatre fringe festival. the show is called BECOMING BRITNEY. and it's a comedy about, of course, britney spears. here's the website:

http://www.becomingbritney.com/

check out the sound clips. very funny. i know, i already said that. but, really...it's funny!

it's a funny, hysterical show and there is always a chance that it might transfer to somewhere off or off-off broadway. but i guess we got to get to NYC first! i'm looking forward to the new experience of doing something new and challenging like this and all i will learn on the job for my own writing/ composing.

just wanted to share my good news!

*************************************************************************************

RAG-a-Time-a the musical is now open

2008-05-09T01:08:00.007-04:00

FINALLY...the production of RAGTIME i am music directing is open. Whew! alot of work went into this one, more than i had anticipated.

all week in tech i wasn't happy with the orchestral sound so today at 6PM went in and changed all the sound settings. i'm so glad i did. alot of work, but it made the orchestra sound great.

i put "Rag-a-time-a" in the title of this post because it represents the diction work that went into this show. the cast thought i was crazy but everything can be understood with such the big sound of the orchestra.

yea! now i can breathe. Ahhh! g'night!

checkin' in on poundage

2008-04-04T16:06:00.004-04:00

this past week i lost 6.8 lbs. y e s !

that brings my total loss so far to 12.7 lbs. can't believe it after not being able to lose weight for so long.

it's weird to be eating as little as i do [700 calories a day MAX], but i find i am not hungry and the little meals i have throughout the day keep me going. i really don't miss any foods. occasionally i'll think about ice cream [starbuck's mud pie] or candy bars [kit kats], but that's about it. right now it's me and my protein protions and veggies 4 times a day.

this week i plan to add bike riding and weights to my exercise routine [the doctor recommended not doing strenuous exercise until i got used to the diet].

my next weigh in is on tuesday. i feel like i'm on "the biggest loser" gearing up to weekly weighins. i'm just glad i can't be eliminated!

next time you're in sardi's...

2008-03-29T19:16:00.007-04:00

my friend danny goggin, author and composer of all the nunsense shows, finally got his caricature put up in sardi's! [danny and i met when i MD'd his Meshuggah-Nuns! at the willows theatre. danny's always got a funny story to tell about show business]. congratulations, danny!

journeys are started with a single...um...pound

2008-03-29T18:24:00.007-04:00

or 5.9!

i lost 5.9 lbs. this week!!

mom and dad ate pancakes for breakfast today. i was wanting them so bad [i've been known to eat alot of pankcakes]. but instead, i had my egg whites, glass of milk, and 1/2 a cucumber.

i'm drinking my 8+ glasses of water a day. i've never peed so much in my life.

to be continued...

a weighty issue

2008-03-22T16:13:00.016-04:00

for almost a year now, my weight has been ballooning and i have not been able to lose any of it. it's been very frustrating for me. i have been working out like a crazy man since november [weights three days a week/ cardio three days a week] and eating a sensible diet: tons of veggies, lean proteins, and lots of water. so after a year of not being able to lose any of this weight and not knowing what to do, i finally decided to see a weight loss specialist/ doctor to help me lose this weight. last tuesday i went in for my first appointment. the doctor gave me a blood test to check all my basic levels and put me on a low calorie diet of 700 calories [max!] a day. he also gave me an appetite suppressant Rx. let me tell you, after being used to eating a total on average of 2500 to 3000 calories a day, 700 calories is quite challenging. no carbs or fruit for the first four weeks. just four servings of vegetables [no starchy vegetables], one serving of dairy [usually a cup of skim milk], and twelve servings of a lean protein source per day [usually broken up into four meals] is all that's allowed. i must say, it's a little bit difficult getting used to. my brain has been foggy, yet surprisingly focused all week [it must be the combination of the low calories and the appetite suppressant].

this past week the doctor called to tell me that i have a underactive thyroid. wtf!?! i can't believe it. i've had so many blood tests in the past few years and none of them have come back with those results. to tell you the truth, i am a little relieved that it's not my imagination and that there is a real physical reason why i am not losing weight. so, when i see the doctor this week, he will prescribe synthoid, a thyroid Rx. i'm kind of excited because now i have a medical plan in place to help me in lose weight [i am now at 270 lbs. and the doctor told me my goal weight should be in the range of 200 - 215 lbs.]. wish me luck! and please don't eat krispy creams in front of me!

down to "the wire"

2008-03-15T01:35:00.020-04:00

one of the best television shows on t.v. in recent years ended it's five year run on hbo this past sunday. the wire was all about its writing, storytelling, and acting. the story lines explored the underbelly of crime and inner city life of baltimore's inner city. each season the show focused on a different aspect of baltimore life: unions, politics, education, drugs, and the media. told from the viewpoints of city officials and inner city citizens [many of whom had never acted before], this drama never gave simple answers or offered nicely tied up storylines. but the viewers' investment in watching this sprawling series was rewarded with a shakespearian story in scale that never let up in it's compelling storytelling. having one of the biggest cast for a television drama, it was like a great novel you couldn't put down. cheers to the wire for giving us inspired storytelling.

check out the review in the NYT.

NYC: here and there/ this and that

2008-03-13T23:23:00.036-04:00

this is the cool looking dream hotel broadway and 55th street. the outside lights bathing the building start out violet and as sunset happens, the lights turn to blue, washing the building in a blue glow. it is really a beautiful sight to see. i just found out that they have a fantastic rooftop panoramic bar where they have awesome but expensive cocktails. will definitely check this out next time i am in the NYC.

* * *

i found a place to stay on craigslist.org for $70 a night [thank, god for craigslist!]. a bohemian/ hippie/ hipster/ cool couple rented me a room in their loft [30th and broadway]. i was basically just there to sleep since i was out in the city days and evenings. great location [herald square] and where i wanted to be [one subway stop from times square and a short walk to penn station]. this is the picture outside the loft's front door: the empire state building two blocks away.

* * *

on the gypsy marquee.

* * *

times square.

* * *

theatre row - a view down w. 45th street.

* * *

times square.

* * *

colony music: the best music store... ever. if they ain't got it, then no one does!

* * *

times square.

* * *

a wonderful pan chinese restaurant..one of my favorites in NYC.

my sister megan asked me to take a picture of my dinner at ruby foo's, so here it is:
kung pao shrimp with coconut rice. mmmmmm...the best!

* * *

times square.

* * *

in the hershery store on times square, the dresses designed on
this season's project runway were on display. fierce!

* * *

times square.

movie: my front row seat of times square.

NYC: MONDAY 3/10/08

2008-03-13T22:52:00.007-04:00

4:30PM: taping of the late show with david letterman @ the ed sullivan theatre

the cbs ed sullivan theatre marquee.

the audience being herded like cows before entering the theatre.

getting ready to enter the theatre.

the cbs ed sullivan theatre marquee at night on broadway.

my late show ticket.

* * *

8PM: gypsy [starring patti lupone] @ the st. james theatre

* * *

11PM: the village vanguard jazz orchestra @ the village vanguard

NYC: SUNDAY 3/09/08

2008-03-13T16:57:00.022-04:00

NOON: pinkalicious @ the new world stages

since i was trying to fit in as much theatre as possible and with a window of opportunity open before my 2PM show on sunday, i decided to catch a children's show based on the popular children's book, pinkalicious. yeah, it was a show geared toward kids and their families, but i wanted to see it for research purposes as to what children's musical theatre is like these days. pinkalicious is about a girl who loves pink cupcakes so much that she eats them until she turns pink [it also has an underlying message of how important it is for kids to eat their vegetables]. pinkalicious delivered fun and laughs to kids who might be experiencing their first theatrical show. an hour in length, i had just enough time for me to check out the songs and orchestrations. i'm sure my nieces, abby and anna, would enjoy this as did the kids and families in the audience [although i saw a few dads who looked like they wished they were out golfing instead].

afterwards, i had a big pink cupcake with lots of pink icing [and no vegetables]. yummy.

* * *

2PM: sunday in the park with george at studio 54

earlier in the week on wednesday i saw sunday in the park with george. i knew that while on my trip i wanted to see this one twice since it is my all time favorite show. while on wednesday i saw the show from my front row seat, this day i was in the balcony and mainly watched the conductor and orchestra. it was a great experience watching the group of five musicans perform this beautiful score. i learned alot watching the conductor. after the show the roundabout theatre had a question and answer session with the cast members. i really enjoyed hearing about their experiences performing a sondheim show. a perfect afternoon.

* * *

7:30PM: forbidden broadway: rude awakening @ the 47th street theatre

forbidden broadway has been going strong for 25 years. i finally saw the latest installment rude awakening. this was the funniest show! i thought it would be stale but every song is riotously funny. i laughed alot during the ninety minute show. the cast of four is excellent and has great comedic timing. if there is one show to see while in NYC, go see this one. can't wait for the next installment!

* * *

10:30PM: jazz vocalist diane "deedles" schuur @ the blue note

i've seen diane schuur quite a few times in my life. one of my favorite jazz vocalists, ms. schuur gave a incredible performance at the blue note. after doing two shows a night for four days, i could tell that "deedles" [her nickname] was a bit tired. she mainly performed ballads [which was okay with me] including "some other time," and a new barry manilow tune [who knew he was such a great composer/ lyricist?!] titled "life is good." life was good that evening. while the blue note has a food menu, i opted for the belgium beer made by monks which i loved. jazz and beer, a perfect combination.

NYC: SATURDAY 3/8/08

2008-03-13T16:56:00.013-04:00

3PM: adding machine @ the minetta lane theatre

out of every show that i saw while in NYC, i would have to say that adding machine the musical was the one that really impressed me the most. almost an operetta, the music still is fresh in my mind as to being memorable, haunting and beautiful. also, the staging and overall design is amazing for such a little show. i wish i had time to see this one again. here is a blurb about the show:

"Darkly comic and heartbreakingly beautiful, Adding Machine, a musical adaptation of Elmer Rice's incendiary 1923 play, tells the story of Mr. Zero, who after 25 years of service to his company is replaced by a mechanical adding machine. In a vengeful rage, he murders his boss. An eclectic score gives passionate and memorable voice to this stylish and stylized production, which follows Zero's journey to the afterlife in the Elysian Fields where he is met with one last chance for romance and redemption."

* * *

8PM: next to normal @ the new stages

* * *

11PM: justin bond & friends @ p.s. 122

having seen kiki and herb at joe's pub the last time i was in NYC, i decided to check out justin's latest show. this show was incredible. more of a true cabaret show, lustre featured mr. bond and his friends. a funny and touching evening. some powerhouse performances by people who were transgendered, the songs, monologues helped shape the evening into a funny and touching show that i would recommend to anyone who wants to see something different from the regular broadway or off-broadway fare.

NYC: THURSDAY 3/6/08

2008-03-13T16:55:00.014-04:00

10:30PM: the herbie hancock project @ the iridium jazz club

NYC: FRIDAY 3/7/08

2008-03-13T16:55:00.013-04:00

8PM: passing strange @ the belasco theatre

NYC: WEDNESDAY 3/5/08

2008-03-13T16:37:00.013-04:00

3PM: august: osage county @ the imperial theatre

* * *

7PM: sunday in the park with george at studio 54

NYC: TUESDAY 3/4/08

2008-03-13T16:15:00.019-04:00

8PM: the seafarer @ the booth theatre

new york, new york... what a wonderful town!

2008-03-10T01:17:00.009-04:00

i am in NYC this week! i will update this post when i have time; i have lots of interesting tidbits to share about my experience and all i have seen and done...and i've done alot!!!

look what i found!

2008-03-01T03:23:00.007-05:00

here's another cool obsession/ website i've come across: foundmagazine.com [kind of the "sister" website of postsecret] is one devoted to "...FOUND stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework, to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles - anything that gives a glimpse into someone else's life. Anything goes..."

and my fav...

obsession: postsecret

2008-03-01T00:53:00.010-05:00

postsecret is a website [and books] where anonymous people send in their most secret of secrets for the world to read. so every sunday, tune in for a fresh batch of secrets. they might be from someone standing or sitting right beside you and you'd never know. after checking out this website, think about how many secrets are out there...this website reveals them in an unabashed forwardness and beauty. one thing i noticed: people are quite creative when they are secretive.

my evening with andrew lippa

2008-02-28T18:18:00.030-05:00

when i was MDing andrew lippa's musical john & jen at busbarn stage company in 2006, andrew lippa did a benefit for the theatre. in town for a workshop of his new show asphalt beach, andrew showed he was quite the showman for this one man show. he started out with a number called "raise the roof" which he wrote for his musical, the wild party. my friend jennifer went with me. we were so excited to hear someone of such caliber perform from his own repertoire. andrew was also quite the comedian, flavoring his performance with humorous anecdotes about the songs or shows he's written.

the cast of john & jen [kristen stokes and david curley] joined andrew on stage to perform one of the songs from the show. both were nervous [we had only been in rehearsal for about a week or two], but they pulled it off beautifully. the audience loved their preview to john & jen.

and guess who got to turn pages for mr. lippa?

andrew also sang a new song he was working on for the musical big fish [based on the tim burton film - i'm not sure if the musical will ever happen...haven't heard anything of it lately]. he didn't tell the audience what show it was from because it was a secret at the time, but i saw the title of the show on the sheet music. i was a little nervous. but i turned pages flawlessly while admiring andrew's technique on the piano.

andrew [andrewlippa.com] is currently working on the musical version of the the addams family, slated for broadway fall of 2009.

andrew lippa and me at the meet and greet, post performance

here's the proof i've been sitting on my ass doing...um...something

2008-02-28T00:34:00.046-05:00

okay, i'll admit it: i'm a watcher. yes, i love myself a good movie. i tend to lean toward the dramas and independent films, and i'm always up for a sleeper that surprises me. imagine my shock when i went to my account page on the netflix website and found out i've rated over 928 films!! that means i've seen 928 films in my lifetime. but that's only a partial list; i'm sure i've seen more than that because some are not available on DVD yet. and what about the ones i've seen twice, or more [st. elmo's fire...remember that one? one of my guilty pleasure from the 80's].

928 films!! so if we do the math and say that all the films i've seen are an average of 2.25 hours long...that's 2.25 x 928 = 2320 hours. then divide 2320 by 24 [hours in a day] = 96.7 days of my life that i've devoted to film watching. that's over 3 months straight without bathroom breaks or sleep!

96.7 days out of my life, sitting in front of a television or movie screen [that doesn't even count for all the television i've watched!]

hmmmm...maybe i should read more books. i wish i had the time and the desire... well, i guess i'd have time if i didn't watch so much t.v., wouldn't i? [but there are some programs that are guilty pleasures: nbc's the biggest loser and law & order: criminal intent, hbo's the wire, in treatment, and real time with bill maher/ vh1's celebrity rehab/ bravo's project runway/ showtime's dexter, californication and weeds/ the learning channel's jon & kate plus eight and little people, big world/ fx's nip/tuck and rescue me , and cnn's anderson cooper 360...

and yes!...i thank the gods for Tivo and OnDemand or good luck trying to catch all of these programs in a week. yes - in a week, readers. hello!! there, i admit it! in one week! but i forgot to tell you - i fast forward through all commercials so i do save some time, people! yeah, think of all that time i save you "down with t.v." people! okay...chill, michael...

c h i l l .

did i mention i'm a visual person?

okay, um...there is still the truth of the matter that I AM STILL SITTING ON MY ASS.

note to self - compromise: listen to books on CD while exercising
or
get the treadmill out - put the t.v. in front of the treadmill with both the treadmill and t.v. on and me ON the treadmill... preferably moving...forward.