Rainin' in Dogpatch U.S.A.

Wow! Has it been soggy here in So Cal or what!? There's one spot in the rehearsal hall that has a little folded towel to catch some drips, but that is nothing compared to the gushing gutters and huge puddles that make driving a bit of an obstacle course. I'm happy my commute is only a few miles (for now).

Li'l Abner is pluggin' right along. It's a deceptively dense show with lots of ensemble interaction, so the days sometimes feel like we're hackin' away at the underbrush. But it's a fantastic group of folks and I'm having a great time. Thank heavens our creative staff and everyone is on the ball.

One little surprise for me is that I'm a part of the dancing ensemble a couple times during the show. In the Sadie Hawkins Day number in particular I'm lifting a girl and boogiein' all over the place. I'm thinking about buying a dance belt and leg warmers.

And more artwork keeps pouring in. I'm working on a logo illustration for a show that's opening soon off-Broadway. This is a rush job, so my down time will be work time. Thank goodness this work load doesn't include Chicago lifts or attitude pirouettes. And I also possibly have a caricature commission in the works which is becoming more and more of a rush job as I wait for photo reference. Hope this one works out. Add it all to the fun Riverside project and I've got a nice work load over the next few weeks. I'm happily busy and grateful.

Oh! Before I wrap this up, here's something exciting for me... Last autumn I drew a sketch of actress Amy Ryan (as commissioned by friend David Quinn). She sent the loveliest note, and I've been wanting to post it, but now – since she received an Oscar nom – I'm just bustin' to show you. She's just fantastic. See her lovely gesture here.

Well, I've got to go run some music stuff and do some sketching. Peace and love, y'all!

Back to work.

Hi all! I've just gone back to work. After my last show closed in early November, it was nice to dig into the freelance work and one shot gigs here and there. Yesterday I started the whirlwind rehearsal process that is a Reprise show. I'm reminded of a couple things. First, I do enjoy being around a group of folks, working as a team to pull off a show. When it comes down to it, I'm a social guy and it's great to have that interaction. And second, I'm so incredibly thankful to be a working actor. The work isn't always consistent, but this past year I've been so thankful for the abundance.

Li'l Abner at Reprise already feels like it's going to be a real hoot. Talented, fun cast – really big for a Reprise show – and a really fresh, creative work environment. I'm really happy to be working with old friends and plenty of folks I haven't worked with before. I'm particularly excited to be working with Fred Willard. I'm constantly curbing my Waiting for Guffman turrets.

And the illustration work doesn't stop. I'm really happy to be getting a lot of work done on my huge personal project. I want to dive into this headlong once Abner is up and running. I also just got a fun new assignment from the Riverside Public Utilities Department. I've really enjoyed these educational projects and with this project, we're really building a full curriculum of "going green" study aids.

Well, that's all for now. I've got to get some sketching done before I'm off to a gig. Peace and love, y'all! Go get 'em.