I'm moving.

I've been gradually getting the word out, but boy do I know a lot of people! I'm so incredibly grateful for so many wonderful folks in my life, but it's a daunting task to get important info disseminated to everybody in a personal way. So while it's a little less than classy, I've been using Facebook and here I am on the blog.

I'm moving to New York City. It's a change I've contemplated for quite a few years, but as the artwork gets stronger word of mouth and more opportunities reveal themselves, it seems as though it's about time to focus my energies on and in the Broadway community. It also might be a good and adventurous thing to broaden the audition net. It's an adventure and there are so many possibilities.

So... I'm thrilled that work will gradually catapult me eastward. My friend Roger Bean has offered me a part in his Route 66 at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. February 2nd, I'll drive to Oregon to leave the car with my folks and then I'll fly to Milwaukee to begin rehearsals on February 9th. The show opens March 6th and closes on May 9th, and then my stuff and I will land in NYC.

Change is hard. I've got my apprehension and worries. I don't know where I'll be living in NY, and I don't know entirely how I'll be making a living. But then I realize I have three months and many resources to find a place, and there are so many possibilities already in the works for paying the rent. Whenever I think of how much I have to worry about, I remind myself how resourceful I am and that I'm not alone. I have so many angels on my side. Change is good.

So here's a random sampling of some of the things on my immense to-do list this month:
• Packing boxes to ship to Milwaukee.
• Packing boxes to store with the folks.
• Packing boxes and bags of donations to Goodwill.
• Packing suitcases for the flight to Milwaukee.
• Learning how to erase the hard drives of two old computers I'm donating.
• Finding the easiest and cheapest way to shred old files.
• Learning the guitar I'm supposed to play in Route 66.
• Learning the music for one last reading I'll be taking part in on February 1st.
• Meeting up with folks to say "goodbye for now."
• Getting ahead on my weekly art postings and commissions.
And much more. Lots to do!

And, boy, I'm going to miss my LA peeps! I've been in California for almost twenty years which is longer than I lived in the state in which I was born and raised. It's a wonderful thing that the internet has made the world so small. And I've got to keep reminding myself that it's just as easy to fly back to the west coast as it has been to visit the east coast. There are so many folks I treasure here. Some of the e-mails and calls I've already received have been so amazing. And I received an anonymous piece of mail today that included a free pass to the Huntington Library and Gardens and a note that said, "Thought you might enjoy an afternoon of sunshine and flowers before you head east." Wow! I'm so grateful for this chapter as I move on to a new one.

So best wishes of peace and love go out to you all in 2010. There's adventure to be had out there. Go find some!

Update: Squigs interview on BroadwayWorld.com...

As I mentioned yesterday Don Grigware's interview with me is indeed up on the Los Angeles section of BroadwayWorld.com. Click HERE to see it.

More Squigs around the interwebs...

Hey all! It was a beautiful day here in Los Angeles, capped off with an amazing sunset. I took a break from all my toiling and split the early part of the day between church, a movie, and a bite to eat at a favorite haunt. The Oinkster in Eagle Rock (Classy name, huh?) will be featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the 18th, so I wanted to drop in before the crowds are too crazy. I really enjoyed The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. I really dig Terry Gilliam's wild visions, and it was really interesting to see how they worked around Heath Ledger's absence. Crazy story about the world not wanting to hear stories any more (and a deal with the devil... as played by Tom Waits). And now I'm at the desk working to tie up many loose ends on the to-do list... e-mails, minor art fixes, paperwork, and planning for the coming week. Argh.


But as I procrastinate, here are a couple of nifty news items. First off, I was contacted by the Stephen Sondheim Society in England asking me about using one of my pieces to help promote an amazing concert that will celebrate Steve's 80th birthday and will raise funds for a charity benefiting children with cancer. Click on the image and look at that lineup. Wow! I'm SO happy to be able to help a little.

And I've been featured in an interview. Don Grigware is a local reviewer here in LA. The interview currently appears on his blog (click HERE to see), but early next week it will also be seen on BroadwayWorld.com since Don is a LA correspondent for that website. I'll post that link when it's available. Thanks, Don!

Now, this coming week must bring oodles of productivity. Lots to do! I rarely give thanks that I'm unemployed, but this would be one of the occasions. So, for now... take care, loved ones! Peace and love to you.

Commissions from late 2009...

I just realized that three big projects I was toiling away at before Christmas have all been presented to their intended. SO... I can show all of you! RuBen Permel commissioned a piece to commemorate his journey on the Oxygen Network's Dance Your Ass Off. We featured all the contestants, the judges, RuBen's dance partner, and host Marissa Jaret Winokur. Joseph Leo Bwarie who is playing Frankie Valli on the first national tour of Jersey Boys ordered a sketch for himself and his cast. And Victor Hernandez rallied his fellow cast members of the new musical Bonnie & Clyde to commission a piece to celebrate their experience.







Well, that's a little update for you. I should really get back to the desk and make some new stuff. Take care! Peace and love.

Roses and rogues...

It's been a full day. Dropped into church for an inspirational sermon and glorious music, then hopped on a shuttle to the Rose Parade float viewing grounds. Wow! I had no idea A) how big the viewing event was and B) how amazing it would be to see the floats up close. All that work for one beautiful weekend!

Then, I grabbed a pulled pork sandwich at one of my favorite haunts, The Oinkster in Eagle Rock. Always so good!

And after an afternoon procrastinating at the desk, I headed to Westwood for a little Christmas gift to myself... Ricky Jay in "A Rogues Gallery: An Evening of Conversation and Performance." This guy has to be one of the most interesting people on the planet. He has been seen in many movies over the years, but his freakish talent lies in his knowledge of the world of mysterious deception. If I think too hard about what I saw him do this evening, my head hurts. Happily, though, if I think back on the enthralling tales he told (of centuries of conjurers and learned animals) I sleep with dreams of playing cards, chess patterns, and handicapable entertainers. It was a mesmerizing evening.

Well, that's all for now. Peace and love!

2009 in review and 2010 in preview...

I'm back in town after visiting the family for Christmas and welcoming the New Year with friends. I have so much to do in the next weeks, so there are huge master to-do lists that I need to jump on. So since I'm in the groove of making lists, I offer you some recap lists. First, a list about the last few days, the end of my year...
• Christmas.
Spent with the family in Oregon. Turkey. All of Mom's good stuff. Grandma's deviled eggs and sweet taters. SO much food eaten in a house that was holiday blinged out prettier than words.
• "Me time" at the coast.
A couple days of refocusing where the waves crash hard. Oh, and I practiced the guitar too.
• Seattle.
Visit with family in a spiffy city.
• New Year's Eve.
Jumped off the plane and reshuffled the bags at home before hitting the road to Vista and my peeps, the Beavers (and Tamburrino). Ate snacks, drank beer, fell asleep before midnight. (Hey! I had a long day. And the Beavers are parents of a newborn! Besides, I heard Dick Clark chunked the countdown anyway. I'm not sure if we're officially in a new year!)
• New Year's Day.
Watched the Rose Parade on the TV as the Beavers tried to get wee Danica to eat and sleep. Hit the road for LA and dropped in on some friends' open house brunch. Now trying to get the mental ducks in a row for a busy month. More on that later.

Now, here are some lists highlighting my busy, productive, labor-intensive, enjoyable 2009...

THE ART.
Oh, how I love what I do! The work is showing grand returns:
• Squigs Knows His Lines.
Facebook "fan" page. Began in January. At least one sketch per week. Celebrating all things theatre.
• Forbidden Broadway.
For the first time, my caricatures adorned the set of a major production. Musical Theatre West, Long Beach, CA.
• MetroStage.
My first gallery exhibit. Followed the theme dictated by the show at the theatre and drew some Broadway composers.
• Signature Theatre.
My second gallery exhibit. Drew many pieces highlighting this Tony-winning theatre's twenty years in existence. Was excited to see some of the exhibit in the background of a photo on the Today Show. Whee!
• Broadway.com.
Finished out the year with an illustration highlighting a year-end feature on this popular website.
• Commissions.
The art magic was hired to celebrate Broadway shows, Broadway tours, regional productions, movers and shakers, art and artisans, a reality TV show, and a partridge in a pear tree. Feel very grateful and honored.

ME ONSTAGE.
Wow, I had some really great gigs this year:
• The Scarlet Pimpernel.
I played Sir Ozzy at the Welk Resort in Escondido, CA.
• Camelot.
Was thrilled to get a crack at King Pellinore at Music Theatre of Wichita.
• 42nd Street.
Helped to inaugurate the shiny new facilities at Moonlight Amphitheatre (as Bert Barry).
• Stop the World, I Want To Get Off.
Had the immense but rewarding challenge of playing Littlechap for Musical Theatre Guild.
• Disney’s Symphonic Legacy.
Played Happy in the Snow White segment under the baton of John Mauceri at Disney Concert Hall. Wow!
• Two By Two.
Jumped into this starry reading at Reprise. Debuted a song cut from the original Broadway production of the show with the lyricist in attendance. What a great gig! Laughed nonstop for four days.
• Workshop readings.
Enjoyed helping along works-in-progress Neurosis the Musical, The Roxy, and Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion.

THE TRAVEL.
It was a jet-setting year for me. This recap kind of blows me away:
• Wichita (for theatre) – twice.
• New York City (for theatre, art networking, and charity contributions) – twice.
• Washington DC (art exhibits) – twice.
• St. Paul (family) – once.
• The Pacific Northwest (family) – thrice.

And beyond all the lists, I was so happy to build on relationships with friends (new and old) and family. I have such a better focus on where I want to go with my varied careers. And most of all, I'm SO grateful that hard work is paying off. I may not be rich and/or famous yet, but I'm living the dream.

2010. Now, in one final list, I offer news for where I anticipate 2010 will find me:
• January.
Purging, packing, and saying goodbye (for now) to many amazing folks.
• February into early May.
Milwaukee. The Rep. A spiffy Roger Bean travelogue of a musical called Route 66.
• May.
I'm taking the plunge and making the big move to NYC. I'm following my heart and my art. Since my pen celebrates the theatre, it's just about time that I spend some time in the community of the heart of the theatrical world. Think good thoughts. It's going to be a little stressful uprooting after almost twenty years, but here I go!

Best wishes of peace, love, and joy to you all in this new year!

So much to say. But this must suffice for now...

Hi all! There is so much to say about 2009. It's been an eventful year. There is also much to say about the year to come. All of this will be said in another entry... most likely in the first few days of 2010. For now, I'm offering a little video I've created that features much of the art I created over the past year. Since the art also highlights many of the adventures I've taken over the past year, I think it's a successful year-end recap. I hope you enjoy... Click HERE to see it on YouTube.

Happy New Year to you all!! Wishes of peace and love are coming your way.