NYC reflections...

As I've been getting settled here in NYC – exploring, revisiting, catching up – I've been remembering some great times here in this city. My first trip to the Big Apple was just in 2004. It was the first time I was considering the move, but I wanted my first trip to be a vacation, so I got a hotel room at the Ameritania near the Ed Sullivan Theatre.


The first Broadway show I saw was the Roundabout revival of Sondheim's Pacific Overtures. Being a Sondheim nut it was a happy thing that I saw one of his shows first, especially since it features probably my favorite SS song, "Someone In A Tree." The intro to that song began and my face was suddenly a waterfall.


This trip was also incredibly significant because I visited the Margo Feiden Galleries, Al Hirschfeld's dealer. I hadn't planned on it previously, but I ended up dropping a significant amount of cash on Hirschfeld litho. (Read the story behind my purchase HERE.)


I discovered magical Central Park and marveled at how a huge, bustling, city with multitudes of busy folks has this huge green spot right smack dab in the middle of it. Here's the great Hans Christian Anderson statue next to Conservatory Water.

I love this city. I'm so happy to be here, and I'm proud of myself for taking a big step out of my box and shaking up the routine. I know it will pay off with something wonderful. To be honest, it already has. Just the act of making the jump has been a big reward.

I also want to acknowledge the constant evolution of a big city. Things go away. Sometimes this is really sad. A few visits ago (February 2007), my friend Meloney and I had an absolutely wonderful adventurous day. The main reason for the day was the Martin Sexton concert at Joe's Pub. But we dropped into an old bar called Chumley's in Greenwich Village. It has a long history as speakeasy and watering hole for multitudes (including famously many renowned authors). One of the many stories about how the term "86 it" came from originated here. When the bar owners were tipped off about a raid during Prohibition, they would call out "86 it!" which meant that the patrons were to leave out the front entrance which is 86 Bedford Street. F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald had their wedding reception here. Edna St. Vincent Millay occasionally subbed in behind the bar. It was a cozy, dingy old place lined with book dust jackets and graffiti-carved tables and benches. As Mel and I wrote poetry after the amazing Marty concert, the little fireplace took the chill off the place on the very cold day. I'm so glad that we had this magical experience.



Just two months after our visit, the pub management was digging in the basement to clear more space to chill beer kegs. They hadn't sought the correct inspections or permits, and they ended up compromising the foundation of the historic building. Although they're attempting a rebuild, Chumley's as generations have known it is gone. So sad. Here's a shot through the construction fencing.

I don't mean to leave this post on a sad note. Life goes on, and fortunately for this one amazing little nook, there are thousands more in this amazing city. Well, that's all for now. Take care! Peace and love.

More theatre and a doctor visit...

I've been going going going. I've got to say that I'm SO grateful for the Theatre Development Fund. A membership has meant getting some dandy prices on tickets... which means I can afford to see more shows. Monday found me at Rock of Ages. So much fun! I joined Roller and mom Deb as they both got drawn for ticket lottery. On Tuesday, I saw the play Red...


Alfred Molina and Eddie Redmayne are just brilliant! The play (by John Logan with direction by Michael Grandage) is about abstract impressionist Mark Rothko and his assistant during a specific commission. Art. Relevance. Timing. Passion. Perception. Seeing. Really amazing stuff. I also was a bit mesmerized by the post-show milling about on the sidewalk in front of the Golden Theatre. The lights on the sidewalk are red and folks were standing around, chatting about the play. The cop was shuffling cabs along on their way. Really magical in an everyday sort of way.


Last night, I caught South Pacific at Lincoln Center. I had seen it close to the beginning of the run, but this time I was getting to see my pally E (Eric Anderson) in the show that marks his Broadway debut. I'm so proud of him. And the show is still breathtaking and tight and sharp and amazing.


As I said, I'm constantly on the go, and I think it might be getting to me a bit. A sinusy/throaty thing that I've been fighting on and off for a while has once again taken up shop. I made an appointment to see Dr. Irene Shapiro on Central Park West. Bless her, she's pretty ancient. Let's just say, I think her examination table is an antique. The permanent stirrups were a nice touch. She propped my arm on one when she took my blood pressure. It was all good, though. She got me a prescription for a z-pack and I'm on my way to recovery. Fun adventure.

Now, I'm taking the day to draw and update the websites (and of course procrastinate on Facebook and the blog). The next few nights I'll be seeing a few more shows. Such a wealth of stuff to see! Once again, I'm thankful to TDF for helping me avoid bankruptcy. That's it for now. Take care, all! Peace and love.

First big outdoorsy day...

Wiped. Out. [This post will be written in fragmented sentences laboriously typed as if I walked all day on my fingers.]

Up late drawing. Slept in. Drew more. Got ready. Boarded train to West 14th Street. The Highline... old freight train line up the west side. Now beautiful walking paths. Met up with Roller and mom, Deb. Chelsea Markets. Yum. Walked across town. Union Square farmers market. More yum. People outdoors. Lots. Community. Colorful. Joyous (mostly). [There's a photo of the start of the Highline in the Meatpacking District. And then, looking back south, there's the Statue of Liberty shot through the building that houses Chelsea Markets.]



Wandered Hell's Kitchen. Street fair on 9th Avenue. Smelled fried goodness. (Too full from smoked salmon at Chelsea Market.) Met up with Jeffry and Erin for chat and nosh. Gooz joined. Hit the train with Gooz to Brooklyn. DUMBO. NY Photo Festival. Huge potluck and slide show under Brooklyn Bridge. [Must be the day for photographing the sights through other sights. Here's the Empire State Building through the Manhattan Bridge... from DUMBO.]

Gotta sleep. More work to do. But. Must. Wait. Until tomorrow. Unless I get a second wind of inspiration... * Nope. See you tomorrow. Peace. Love.

Boxes and art...

This post might be a little extensive... First off, I finished the majority of my unpacking on Thursday, getting things relatively stowed and settled. The art equipment is ready and rarin' (which I took advantage of this past morning). Here are a couple views of the room. Most of the decor is my roommate Rudy's and the room has a travel theme. I have free reign to change it up, but for now I dig it.


After sketching away this morning, I headed into the City to take advantage of some art museums' free admission day. And to find the Manhattan satellite location of an amazing Oregon-based coffee company, Stumptown. It's in the Ace Hotel on 29th near Broadway and located in the same building is a little sub shop called No. 7 Sub. I just sort of stumbled upon it, and I'm so glad I did. I had their ceviche sub which included rice crackers, yuzu, and cucumber. Amazing. (I shall return.) And in the hotel lobby was this fab sign pointing to Stumptown...


Stumptown is an amazing free-trade company that really knows their coffee. I grabbed a pound of coffee that they ground for me to the specifications of my coffee maker. I ordered a latte which they created for me in this happy little mug. The crema of the shot was just amazing, and the latte art was perfect. There was no way I was marring this drink with any additive. So good. The staff all wore hats and most had tattoos. All the fellows had fun moustaches. A friend referred to the look as "very Brooklyny." I will definitely be back. And one of the perks is that my local R train stops just a block away.


After my jaw hit the sidewalk upon seeing the endless line to get into MOMA on their free Target Friday, I pushed on and got my ticket. But I held off entering right away to avoid the bag check line. Instead, I went next door to the (also free for a couple hours on Fridays) American Folk Art Museum. Their free events include live music, which in this case was a lovely folk singer, Jo Williamson. The collection here is really fantastic.


Once I finally made my way into MOMA, I discovered that the temporary exhibit is that of a performance artist named Marina Abramovic. On the main floor, she sat in a chair (in an enormous taped-off square surrounded by lights) and docents prepared guests to sit opposite her and stare into her eyes and share energy as long as desired. It was being filmed as part of a living exhibit. Interesting! And the exhibit continued on the sixth floor with other exhibits she had created. Fascinating!


It was a great afternoon of art. And then I met up with my friend Kilty to catch up and share a glass of wine. It is so wonderful to meet up with friends! Tomorrow I've got to get some more sketching done, but since it's supposed to be so pretty, I may just have to go experience some of NYC's amazing outdoor spaces... Central Park and something I've just learned about called The Highline, a reclaimed industrial path re-envisioned as an urban park. Sounds intriguing, yes? Take care, all! Peace and love.

A drippy, wonderful day...

I can't make this too long because I'm currently procrastinating on the box unpacking, but the day was fantastic! I walked in the beautiful rain about 20 minutes from my place and met up with Brotha E for breakfast. It's so wonderful to have family in the area!


Then I headed into the City for my first Broadway show during my residency. (Sounds like I'm a doctor.) Since the very first Broadway show I saw was the 2004 revival of Sondheim's Pacific Overtures at Studio 54, I felt it was fitting that this time around I would see Sondheim On Sondheim, also at Studio 54. Back in Ott 4, I wept when hearing my favorite Sondheim song, "Someone In A Tree." This time around, I was particularly moved by songs from Sunday In the Park With George and Merrily We Roll Along... especially some words from the song "Now You Know":

"It's called burn your bridges, start again.
You should burn them every now and then
Or you'll never grow!
Because now you grow.
That's the killer, is
Now you grow."
– Stephen Sondheim

Now, I've not actually burned any bridges, but I am starting a new adventure on a new coast. Nothing new in this situation is insurmountable, but the decision to actually make the change was way out of my comfort zone. I'm proud of myself, and I look forward to diving in with my whole being. Oh, and it made me so happy to hear Barbara Cook sing "In Buddy's Eyes" and "Send In the Clowns."

After that show, I met up with Zach (from the Route 66). We picked up Everyday Rapture tickets at TKTS and grabbed some BBQ. The que was good and the show was fantastic! Thanks Zach!

Now, I'm unpacking boxes and getting things settled. The art supplies and equipment are ready and rarin' to go. "At last... my arm is complete again!!" I really should take the day tomorrow to get all my stuff stowed and/or up-and-running. The weekend might be a little nutty... a couple meetings, Roller's Mom coming into town and possibly wanting an show buddy while Roller works, and some errands to do. I'm hitting the ground running, and I feel like I've started to plug into the energy of this great City. Here we go! Take care, all! Peace and love.

The new chapter...

Well, I'm writing this from my new digs in Astoria, NY. The boxes just got here and I'm cooling off from schlepping them up the stairs. And I'm munching on a Usinger's hickory stick from ol' Milwaukee and finally watching the Betty White SNL on Hulu. This is some funny stuff!

Route 66 closed very well on Sunday. The crowds were strong and on board until the end. We had lots of friends and family and Rep company and staff in the house which was lovely. I'm so glad this show happened, and I'm so grateful for it.

So yesterday... We left for the airport around noon. Zach, his dog Petey, and I made it in time to grab a bite before the flight. (Also serendipitously ran into Lee Ernst as he was returning from teaching in Delaware.) The flight was mostly uneventful (except for one quick drop in altitude) but once we got to NY, Zach directed my attention out the window... We were coming up the western side of Manhattan, a view I'd never seen since this was my first time flying into LaGuardia. There was the Statue of Liberty and then all those tall buildings. Really cool.

The apartment was just a short cab ride from the airport, and once I was there, I stowed my suitcases, and the roommate, Rudy, and I took a walk around the neighborhood. He's been here for 13 years, so he gave me the inside scoop on the good markets and restaurants. I look forward to exploring the neighborhood. Heck, I look forward to exploring so much in this city!

I unpacked the suitcases and then ventured into Manhattan. I grabbed a slice and dropped into a favorite watering hole, Pony Bar, at 45th and 10th. My buddy Steve was playing and singing at Sweet Caroline's a couple blocks away from there, so I stopped in to say "howdy." Then I walked around the block to O'Flaherty's on 46th where I met up with my friend Lisa (the Gooz), her fella Rob, and the gang from Million Dollar Quartet to watch their performance on the Letterman show. It was fun to hang with folks that I had only seen headshots of as I was drawing their caricatures... and super nice to get such a warm welcome from them. Then my peeps Jenn and Luis came by after Jenn had performed in Broadway by the Year: 1966 at Town Hall. What crazy great folks, all! We parted ways, and as I headed to the train to get back out to Astoria, I passed St. Luke's Theatre where my artwork adorns the marquee (not my best work, but still very cool). A homeless man was standing in front of the theatre, eating a pretzel and staring at my marquee. I took it as a sort of friendly wave from this city... my new home.

On my last full day in Milwaukee as I was packing, I ordered delivery from a Chinese/Japanese place where the sushi was actually remarkably good. It came with a fortune cookie which provided this fortune: "To love what you do and feel that it matters – how could anything be more fun?" Indeed. Gratitude.

Now, I'm gonna get cleaned up head into the city. Can't wait to hang out with the other Justin tonight. We had a great time when we were in LA at the same time, and NYC should be even more fun. That's all for now. Don't expect each entry to be this extensive. (Face it... you'd get bored.) But it's my first entry from the east coast. Had to be done! Take care, all! Peace and love.

Closing another chapter...

When planning this whole big move, I had anticipated having a hard time closing the Los Angeles leg of my journey. And that part came true. I had a hard time saying goodbye (at least for now) to my home of almost 20 years. (In fact I'm already considering a return visit in mid-July.) I knew from experience that my time in Milwaukee would be nice, but I had also figured that this leg of the journey would be a sort of means to an end. But I'm finding that I'm a bit melancholy saying goodbye to this chapter. I've had a great time. See a couple posts back for some of the reasons I'm having a hard time hitting the road.


I sent off my boxes yesterday. Suddenly, 424 pounds of my belongings were making their way to Astoria, NY. And the apartment here in Milwaukee suddenly felt empty. I had to go visit a few local haunts to grasp onto the memories. I'm so excited about the NYC move, but three months here in Wisconsin has seeped into my soul... with their friendly folks and vibrant arts scene and fun & funky neighborhoods... and their brats and beer and custard and cheese and... I hope to be back sooner than later.

But my new home is NYC. I'm looking forward to landing in Astoria, Queens, NY. There's a sort of a big blank slate waiting for me... except that I've been writing on this slate for years already. I have a family of dear friends waiting for me. And my work precedes me too. I've been setting up meetings and meals and drinks. And I have three friends from LA who are visiting the city in the next month or two who have already chatted with me about getting together and sharing vittles and/or evenings in the theatre. It's a big transition moving across the country, but I'm feeling an incredible peace... tinged with excitement and anticipation about the new possibilities. Here I go!

Goodbye for now Milwaukee. I'll miss you! Take care, all! Peace and love.