Off to D.C...

I should have hit the hay hours ago. But I'm putting the final touches on the suitcases and all the stuff that has to go in 'em.


I'm heading to our nation's capital to shuffle my art around the outlying villages. The exhibit at MetroStage in Alexandria, VA went over well and I'm thankful to them for their support. I'll be staying in Alexandria with my friend GarrettElise's mother (which I'm endlessly grateful for), but I'll spend the majority of my time moving frames from MetroStage to Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA and getting everything up on the walls and looking pretty.


Eric Schaeffer (and Michael Barron) at Signature has been great to work with, giving suggestions but incredible freedom to create an exhibit that celebrates Signature's twenty years in existence. Such a great story of a theatre... growth and notoriety and success (winning the 2009 regional Tony Award). Really fantastic organization. And I feel honored to be part of the celebration. My work will be hanging in their gallery November 10 through January 17. The original art is available for purchase along with prints. The graphic you see here is a smash-em-up of the pieces in the exhibit. Provided it meets approval, it may be the poster heralding the exhibit.


My time in DC is limited, but I plan to get out and about a bit... seeing my buddy Joe Leo Bwarie in Jersey Boys, witnessing the ooky medical oddities at the National Museum of Health and Medicine, and experiencing the amazing National Cathedral. The latter two were attractions I couldn't get to on my last trip. Between all this and all the time I'll need to spend at Signature, my schedule is packed. We'll see what else I can do.

And once I fly home, I hit the ground running. I've got workshop rehearsals for Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion, and I've got four auditions within the span of a week. Yay! But... sheesh! I also get to go to the LA opening night of Mary Poppins thanks to my new friends at Disney Theatricals. That should be a lot of fun.

Anyway... I should force my fingers to stop typing. I've got to catch some winks. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Floating...

Yesterday I was floating on the Ark. Today I'm floating on clouds.


I joined an absolutely stellar gang the past four days, bringing an obscure musical to the stage. Reprise Theatre Company concluded their Richard Rodgers celebration with this reading of Two by Two, a telling of the Noah story with lyrics by Martin Charnin and a book by Peter Stone based on the play "The Flowering Peach" by Clifford Odets. It premiered on Broadway in 1970 and starred an aging Danny Kaye. As much joy as Kaye has brought us over the years, by this time he was rather difficult and made some rather prickly demands. While the piece has its problems, it's possible it didn't get the chance it deserved because of Kaye's obstinacy.

Our lovely family included (in the above photo L to R): Jason Alexander, me, Shannon Warne, Vicki Lewis, Megan Hilty, Stephen Weber, Faith Prince, and David Burnham. All stars in their own ways. We were directed by David Lee, and Darryl Archibald led us and a 15 piece orchestra. All involved welcomed me with open arms. We had a great time and laughed for four days. The show was very well received.

One of the aforementioned changes Danny Kaye reportedly demanded affected my character. Kaye didn't want any other guy in the show to have a humorous solo, so Ham's song "Forty Nights" was cut. I had the chance to debut it. I was already nervous, but then on Sunday evening, Martin Charnin the lyricist walked in to see the show. I just had to get all those words out! Well, I did relatively well, and he seemed to enjoy hearing it again after almost 40 years.


So, last night I was onstage with this stellar gang and today I was drawing caricatures at a five year old's school birthday party. And, you know?... There was joy and reward in each. After the caricature gig, I went to the art supply store and stocked up. I went to Trader Joe's and replenished the food supply... including coffee. I just tidied the room and desk, and now I'm getting set to put the nose to the grindstone and complete my pieces for my exhibit for Signature Theatre. Ideally I will complete all the work today and tomorrow so I can prep frames and prints on Thursday and Friday. I'm on a plane to DC early Saturday morning.

I need a vacation. But it doesn't look like I'll get one for another couple weeks. Oy. I should just try to get adequate sleep. Anyway... I'm rambling. Back to inking.

Take care, all! Peace and love.

More art and music...

Hey all! I just got back from a really great visit with my brother and his family in St. Paul. We went to the apple orchard and carved pumpkins and had just a great time. Since LA is relentlessly warm lately, I was happy to experience the gamut of weather possibilities... In my four days there we saw rain, snow, sun, and fog. The leaves were ablaze in color. And it was just amazing to be able to give my niece and nephew a squeeze or three.

While in MN, I had to go find some sheet music, something Billy Joel-ish for an audition the day after my return. Well, the audition ended up being a bit awkward. I seriously felt rather un-hip... if I could have had the white man's overbite while singing I'm sure I would have. But I read well (nonshowfolk translation: reading the sides or bits of scenes provided) I guess. I just found out that I booked it. I'll be in a quick reading of a new musical version of Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion directed by Christopher Ashley, artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse (and director of Memphis which recently opened on Broadway). It will happen mid- November and it should be a blast!

In the mean time, I've hit the drawing board running, balancing commissioned pieces with my own projects and the Signature exhibit. I feel like I have a million irons in the fire but I'm getting things done. It's great to be busy and I'm doing what I love.


Here is a sampling of the direction I'm going with regular Broadway illustrations. There are possibilities looming for getting pieces like this out to a broad audience. Once I can share specifics, I will. But in the mean time, here are my impressions of recently opened Broadway shows Bye Bye Birdie, Memphis, and Finian's Rainbow (actually opening in a couple days).

Well, that's it for now. I've got to get some drawing done. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Heigh Ho indeed!

Wow! What an amazing evening it was! I'll keep it short, but suffice it to say that the Disney Symphonic Legacy concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall was incredible. Not only was it very well received and evidently successful. It was also a blast and such a rush. It was the first time the Disney Concert Hall featured an entire evening of Disney music. It featured pieces (including our 50 minute version of Snow White) that featured the original studio film score charts. (In the photo above, from left: Blake Griffin, Rick Wasserman, Harrison White, Ruth Williamson, Jeff Lee, me, Ashley Brown, Bob Bouchard, Jeffrey Polk, Michael Arden, Matt Crabtree.)


Maestro John Mauceri had been curating this collection for years, and Disney Theatricals (Jeff Lee, Dusty Bennett, and Thomas Schumacher) had been working on this project for a year and a half. A wonderful enthusiastic audience included the president of the Disney Company, Bob Iger, the head of Disney Studios, Rich Ross, and many more influential folks in the Disney world. By the time the audience had finally stopped applauding, everyone knew the evening had been a success. It sounds like the project will live on in some form. Whether I'll tag along I don't know. I'm really just thankful to have been a part of it.


I'm incredibly grateful... to Mark Brandon at Binder Casting for picking me, to Jacole and gang at KSR for putting me out there, to John Mauceri for dreaming up this vehicle, to the gang at Disney Theatricals for dreaming up this way of presenting it (and for picking me), and to the amazing gang of musicians and vocalists and crazy actors who made this an experience of a lifetime. I'm still floating and I'll bet I won't touch down for a while. Peace and love, y'all!

Overture! Light the lights...

Hi all! I've been getting some good news and learning of some fantastic possibilities lately. Before I share the new stuff, here's something I've written about previously but am still really excited about...


Tomorrow morning I'll be making the short commute to downtown Los Angeles and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. We're starting rehearsals for Tuesday's big symphonic extravaganza, celebrating the legacy of Disney film scores. The segment I'll be involved in is a 40 minute retelling of Snow White, featuring the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Cal State Fullerton choir, Ashley Brown (Broadway's Mary Poppins) as Snow White, Ruth Williamson (Broadway diva show-stealer) as the Evil Queen, Blake Griffin as the Prince, a gang of wackies as the Dwarfs (Bob Bouchard, Jeffrey Polk, Rick Wasserman, Michael Arden, Harrison White, Matt Crabtree, and me)... all led by maestro John Mauceri. I'm thrilled and grateful to be involved, and I can't wait for the first day of school tomorrow. Event info? Click here.


And I just received my script and score for a reading I'll be taking part in November 1-2. It's kind of blowing my mind, but I'll be a part of an eight-person cast reading the Richard Rodgers/Martin Charnin musical (and vehicle for a difficult Danny Kaye) Two By Two. In this retelling of the story of Noah and the Ark, I'll have the pleasure of sharing the stage with Jason Alexander, Faith Prince, Steven Weber, Vicki Lewis, Shannon Warne, David Burnham, and Megan Hilty. David Lee is directing and is very responsible for pulling me into the project. I'm incredibly grateful and I look forward to playing with this great gang (and having a blast). Event info? Click here.

While I'm genuinely surprised to have gotten direct-booking calls for these two projects, I'm incredibly encouraged that when you work hard and put yourself out there (combined with just the right level of chance), really nifty things can come your way.

I've been chatting via e-mail about a really fantastic opportunity. I don't want to go into specifics until things are more solid, but if it works out, it will be a regular illustration gig with some pretty great distribution. Think good thoughts!


And as I wrap up, I just want to say that I really enjoyed Where the Wild Things Are. I attended a midnight showing last night and just had a great time. There are maybe a few things I had issues with and the reviews have been mixed, but I really liked it and I was rather moved. I recommend it highly!

Well, that's it for now. I've got to take a peek at my Snow White score before I'm in music rehearsal with the Maestro tomorrow. (That's tripping me out.) Take care, all! Peace and love.

Another Broadway sketch and an update...

Hi all! I've been delinquent in my updates lately, but I've been super busy. Among the recent efforts, I've drawn another Broadway show. Oleanna is a David Mamet play currently starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles. Producer Larry Kaye (who was instrumental in bringing my art to DC recently) commissioned it...


I'm also fielding some other commissions, working hard on the Signature Theatre exhibit, and trying to balance it all with a new personal pet project. I'm trying to keep a low profile on the latter because I don't want to jinx anything, but suffice it to say it's a logical (while possibly far-fetched) progression in my caricature career. I'm obsessing a bit, but whatever the case, it's a good exercise that could lead to some great things.

I'm also really looking forward to playing with John Mauceri, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, a huge choir, and a cast of fab folks in a symphonic evening at Disney Concert Hall. We begin rehearsing on Saturday and put on the big show next Tuesday night. Very exciting.

Oh, and I got a flu shot. Happy, Mom?

Well, that's it for now. I'm off to buy more watercolors and illustration board. Then it's back to the drawing board. Take care, all! Peace and love.

My Sunday...

Hey all! Just dropping a quick note about my tomorrow. But first... my today. I spent the day sketching for my Monday Facebook posting and taking steps to finalizing some recent commissions. I've decided to have a curious Sunday.


(The best of life is reserved for the curious as far as I know.) So after the morning coffee and a little "The Swingin' Years" on KKJZ, my Sunday will start with a visit to All Saints Episcopal and soon thereafter find me seeing what's new at independently owned Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena. Then I'll jet to The Stuffed Sandwich or Lucky Baldwin's for a bite before heading to LaVerne for an event featuring four of the foremost wacky minds in childrens' literature (Adam Rex, Mac Barnett, David Shannon, and Jon Scieszka). I'll then head back west to catch a "Where the Wild Things Are"-themed exhibit called "Terrible Yellow Eyes" at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra. I have some inking to do in the evening, so I'll likely head home early evening to prep the drawing board... but not before keeping my own big yellow eyes open and eager to witness something magical. Here we go...