Rehearsing Route 66...

Just a quick entry today. Rehearsals are really chugging along here. [Note: Terms in italics are theatre terms that some reading this blog might not be familiar with. I don't mean to sound condescending to those in the know... just educational to those who might not be as familiar.] We've staged the entire show (learned where to go and what to do once we get there), and in the last two days we've stumbled through the whole thing (running the show, speedbumps and all, to see what we still have to focus on). Today, we'll be fixing things and focusing on trouble spots, and then we'll run through the whole show again. Tomorrow, the designers (lighting, sound, costumes, etc.) and theatre staff will watch our designer runthrough.

Then we'll be having dinner in our show venue (the Stackner Cabaret) and watching the closing performance of the current show (Pearl Bailey... By Request). Then we have a lovely day off before hitting tech week when we'll spend long hours putting all the elements together. The show we've been putting together in the rehearsal hall will meet the actual show space and all the collective elements our designers have in store for us. We welcome our first audience next Friday, March 5 (I think), and we officially open on Saturday, March 6. Here we go!

The photo above features (in the foreground) choreographer Bets Malone, director/writer Roger Bean, and stage manager Richelle Calin. And reflected in the mirror are fellow cast members Zach Robbins and Adam Estes. Yes, Zach is modeling cow horns. Ah, the glamorous life we lead! Ha ha!

Now I'm going to review my notes from last night so I don't make the same mistakes again. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Delinquent post... from Milwaukee!

Hello, all! I am SO sorry it has taken me a while to post an entry. I've had a few moments to myself, but they've mostly been spent getting settled in my temporary digs, reviewing music and choreography, catching up on laundry, grocery shopping, and an occasional outing with my show gang (a necessity when most of the days are spent with the nose at the grindstone). The above photo finds me in front of my home until early May – The Knickerbocker on the Lake. In the photo, my apartment is concealed behind the upper right corner of my hat.



Today was particularly glorious in the ways of winter. It really isn't too cold... upper 20s to mid 30s. But last night, a rain froze just before the snow arrived, so the snow stuck to all the trees, and this morning they were cloaked in white, down to the tiniest twig. Wow! Here's a view of the park across the street from the Knickerbocker. Lake Michigan is in the background. And then there's one of the lions that flanks the entrance to the hotel. I think I'll name him Nick. (Get it? Nick at the Knick!)

I haven't thought to take too many photos in rehearsals, but you can catch a glimpse of our cast in an interview here. And you can see our show's title tune in progress here. You might notice that I space out a couple places. Hey, I'm working on it! The footage was taken by local actor and personality John McGivern who, among many other irons in the fire, contributes a video blog to local theatre website (and playbill-type company) Footlights. John, a great guy and an amazing proponent of Milwaukee and the arts, also owns some of the lodgings the Rep is renting for us at the Knickerbocker, including my place.


Today on the day off, the Rep organized a trip to outlying shopping areas for those of us without cars. Our host, Marilyn, shuttled us to Target and Trader Joe's. Oh, how I love TJ's! I think my visit must have provided a bump in their market shares, but it feels good to have a well-stocked fridge full of healthy-ish goodies.

After rehearsal yesterday, some of the gang grabbed a bite and returned to the Rep to catch a performance of The Seafarer, a drunken tale centered around a poker game. The performances were just amazing... a real testament of the talent here in Milwaukee. And I was inspired to capture them in my weekly sketch for my Squigs Knows His Lines page. Here it is:


MILWAUKEE TIP #1:

In my regular (or semi-regular) posts here, I'll offer suggestions for places to visit in Cream City... to grab a bite, to have an adventure, to put the feet up or whatever. While not heeding a particular order of significance, I'll start with the Comet Cafe on Farwell. Everything I've had there so far has been delightful... the baked mac & cheese, the hummus and olive plate, some carefully selected microbrews. It's an old-school smoky dive that has received a facelift (ditching the "smoky" and adding healthier alternatives to their comfortable diner fare). This evening I was on the edge of my seat as we watched Olympic curling.

And across the street is a little hole-in-the-wall called Flipville Records where you must squeeze through cramped aisles to find vinyl of yesteryear and tchotchkes of yore (lunchboxes, action figures, Matchbox cars, etc.). It's a bit of a time machine on Milwaukee's east side.

Well, I've got to go practice my Route 66 moves so I don't look stupider in rehearsal tomorrow. Take care, all! Peace and love.

The road trip of road trips...

Almost 1000 miles. Okay... just over 900. But it's quite a schlep. I'm hauling myself and numerous boxes in my car along the 101 or the 1 north into Oregon. Quite a trek! Here are some highlights so far:

• Getting started – I hit the road around 9am on Wednesday. After grabbing coffee and a banana, I headed north on highway 101.

• Hearst Castle – Wow! It's hard to believe that someone lived like this. On 200,000 acres, there's a private airfield, a commercial dock, a zoo, and an immense mansion. The rooms are styled on themes... gothic, cloisters, baroque, etc. There are two enormous pools, an institutionally-equipped kitchen, and kennels for some 60 dachsunds. I can't even begin to fathom the kind of privilege this sort of ownership would bring.

• Big Sur – I watched the sunset as I drove north into Big Sur. Double wow!

• Monterey – I stopped over in Monterey before hitting up Cannery Row and the Monterey By Aquarium. This place is simply mesmerizing. The Row – as immortalized by Steinbeck – is now quite the commercial property, but you can catch a glimpse of yesteryear if you squint tightly enough. And the aquarium is absolutely spectacular!

• San Francisco – I stopped off briefly in the Frisco before I crossed the Golden Gate for destinations northward. I had intentions to hit up the Rogue brewing pub in North Beach, but they weren't going to open until I needed to be on my way. Oh well. But I got some great shots of Coit Tower and the Transamerica Building.

• Humboldt County – I wish that I saw more of this area during the daytime. As I moseyed into the redwood forests, I saw the bases of some of these giants, but as I passed signs advertising "Grandfather Tree" and "Drive-Thru Tree" I ached that I was missing it all. I was, however, impressed with folks who created peace signs with twinkle lights so I could experience the gist of the vibe in the dark.

Now, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Eureka, and I'm anxious to see the town in the daylight. Tomorrow will bring new adventures in visits to Trees of Mystery and points northward into Oregon. I just hope it will include visits to some spectacular lighthouses. We'll see. By tomorrow night, I'll be sleeping in my folks' guest bed.

The journey is wild. I'm happy to be on the journey, and I love that you're on it with me. Take care! Peace and love.

Oh my word... what have I done?

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Monterey, California. I left my LA apartment this morning with the remainder of my earthly belongings (that isn't on postal trucks around the country). The day's journey has taken me and my car towards Oregon where I'll leave said car and some boxes with my folks as I head east... Milwaukee for three months and then NYC.

My roots have been firmly planted in Southern California for almost 20 years. I've recently realized that I have spent more time there than I have in the place I was born and raised. A great majority of my family of friends are in SoCal, and in addition to packing my life into carefully planned boxed shipments, I've also spent the last couple of weeks saying "goodbye for now" to these folks who have been a part of my life over these years. While it has brought me great joy to be able to see these loved ones together in one place or another, I've also been left with a bit of an ache each time... knowing that life is changing and familiar places are passing into revered memory. Thank goodness that technology has made the world smaller and that a visit to the old neighborhood is just a plane ticket away.

Why have I found the need to make such a drastic change and move? In the gatherings of late, I've been telling many versions of the one main reason... my art needs the validity of being in the middle of the NY theatrical community and potential opportunity needs my presence to grow. I've been contemplating the move for almost six years now, and at this point I have to ask myself, "If not now... when?" It's time. However as free-wheelin' as I like to think I am, change is hard for me. I've actually fallen asleep each night for the past few weeks with anxiety pangs, and I've awoken the last two days with the dry heaves. And then I've had to remind myself that I not only have the support of countless friends and family members and colleagues, but I have a great potential that a lot of hard work has honed and focused upon a big dream. And that dream will come true if I take this leap.

And as the rubber meets the road... I'm following my heart. I value your prayers and positive thoughts. Here I go!


I want to note that this is the first journey I've taken quite a long time on which my feet haven't been shod in my ol' Doc Martins. I broke them in in London in 1994, and they've been on every trip abroad since. But it was time to retire them after many treasured steps over the years.



And finally, I offer a couple recent pieces I've posted over at Squigs Knows His Lines. Time marches on and so does my commitment to my weekly self-assigned project. Here's Scarlett Johansson and Liev Schreiber in A View from the Bridge on Broadway and Norman Large and Debbie Prutsman in Sweeney Todd in Long Beach, California. I may have to cheat in the next couple weeks as travels take me hither and yon around the country, but for now... fresh art weekly. I hope you enjoy.

That's quite a long and rambling message, but that's all for now. Take care! Peace and love, loved ones.

Good strides.

Wow, I needed a day like yesterday. I got so much done. Primarily, I found homes for my desk, tall shelves, and old computers. I sold the desk through an ad on Craigslist, and just a few hours after the initial e-mail, it was on its way out the door. (Thankfully I had finished my last illustration assignment yesterday morning.) The tall shelves went to my friend Mary and a non-profit she has called The Birthday Box Project (giving fully packaged party kits to underprivileged kids). Since the departure of these items kind of crept up on me, last evening was under the time crunch of clearing the desk and shelves... and getting quite a bit of the stuff in boxes. The computers will be literally going across the street to a little computer shop which will polish 'em and resell for low prices. I'm not getting any money for them, but at least they're saving me the cost of recycling.

I also finished boxing up books and music for my media mail shipment to the folks. Right now, I'm off to the post office to send them off. And then I'll swing by the printer to make the spiffy prints of my commissioned piece. This afternoon, I'll pack some more, and then I'm heading south to return a friend's guitar I've borrowed. Back home tonight to pack some more and hit the hay for a busy weekend of coffee and meetings and gatherings. Wheee!

I'm not entirely sure why I'm listing out all the details of my to-do list except that I think it helps my resolve to see what I've accomplished. You just happen to get to have a peek into my whirlwind. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Getting stressed...

Wow, I'm becoming more and more aware of all I need to do before I take off next week.

I've made huge strides already, but I still need to box up my carefully divided piles. It's a big puzzle how everything will go into those boxes and where they will end up, and I think that's the most daunting part of the task.

I still need to find homes for my desk and a couple tall shelving units. I have leads, but it's stressful getting my needs and others' schedules to meet up.

Planning the drive to Oregon is giving me a little stress, but my hope is that once I'm on the road along the California coast, it will be a sort of vacation. My initial plan is to make it to Monterey on the first day, and on the way I want to see Hearst Castle and whatever else I can see. The second leg will bring the Monterey Aquarium, a short stop in San Francisco, and I'm hoping I'll be able to get to Eureka by nightfall. And then the final leg will take me up the coast into Oregon and to my folks in Lebanon. In addition to wanting to see the California and southern Oregon coastline, that route will also help me avoid what could be snowy patches along the I-5 route. I do look forward to being in the car, listening to favorite tunes including my reference CD of the songs that will be in the Milwaukee show. Road trip!

I've also gone ahead with plans to take part in a living room reading as a last (for now) hurrah with my peeps at Musical Theatre Guild. That takes place on Monday, but we have a read-through rehearsal this evening. I'm a little ashamed to say I haven't done much homework and I'm afraid that I will be the weak link. While they are working with me fully knowledgeable of my situation, I still feel bad. Maybe if I can just set aside an hour before rehearsal, I'll feel a lot better.

That's not all... I've taken on a commissioned illustration project that needs to be completed before I leave. On one hand, it's a little stressful, but on the other, it might just be the saviour of my sanity. When my brain gets full with planning and organizing and my body gets tired from lugging boxes, it has been healing to be able to sit at the desk and create something of beauty. The subject resonates with me and I'm finding it a joy to draw. And the fee will be partially applied to packing and shipping and traveling expenses, and for that I'm super grateful.

Add to all of this a steady schedule of meetings and lunches and coffees. I've got to plan a tiny road trip to return a guitar. I'll be attending the opening night of an amazing show featuring dear friends. And I've got to do my best to get my rest. The happy irony of this situation is that even though I'm stressed out, I've still been able to fall asleep when the head hits the pillow. Grateful!

And of course, I'm procrastinating by posting on my blog. But it does feel great to write out what's spinning in the noggin. Back to work! Take care, all! Peace and love.

Purgin' and packin'... but the art rolls on.

In the midst of all this shuffling of my belongings, I've also been keeping the hand in the art. There are still a few commissioned things I'm working on, but the majority of what I've done lately is seen on my Squigs Knows His Lines page (which has been around for one full year now)...







Here are a few recent pieces. There's Ricky Jay who I caught in his latest one-man show in Los Angeles, the three gents who have played Tevye in the current Fiddler On the Roof tour, Elaine Stritch who is playing a limited engagement at the Café Carlyle, and pieces heralding the Broadway openings of Present Laughter (starring Victor Garber) and A View From the Bridge (starring Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson).

I enjoyed a wonderful couple of hours at the Huntington Library and Gardens today, thanks to the benevolence of an anonymous friend. What a beautiful sunny and cool day in Pasadena! I absolutely loved perusing the art and the flora.

This week will be all about wrapping up... boxes, paperwork, time with friends. I have so much to do, but I think the scheduled work load is doable. Here we go! Take care, all! Peace and love.