Quick recommendations...

I'm wiped out. Tech rehearsals are taking it out of me, but I thought I'd drop in quickly to give my wholehearted recommendation for a recent movie or two. First off, my roommate Rod Keller is in the new blockbuster hit He's Just Not That Into You. He plays one of Drew Barrymore's friends at work (the "pasty" white one). Kudos to Roddy!

I also HIGHLY recommend the amazing stop action animated 3-D Coraline. It may be a bit scary for super young kids, but everyone else should be in awe of this amazing movie directed and screen-written by Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick (based on a book by fantastic writer Neil Gaiman) and executed at Laika Studios in the home state (Oregon). I am enthralled by this movie. It appeals to me on so many levels and so I highly recommend it.

And so, I really need to take a shower and hit the hay. We have another LONG day of rehearsal tomorrow. God grant us strength and stamina. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Eek! And new art...

As I turned into the Welk Resort on the way up the hill to my pad, I saw this sign. It gave me a bit of a heart palpitation. Pimpernel is such a big show and we have so much to do. I know we can do it, but this week is going to be a wild journey. I'm praying for strength and stamina. Here we go!


I'm also getting a wee jump on posting my new Monday sketch on my "Squigs Knows His Lines" Facebook page. In honor of Valentine's Day, this piece features the first couple of the Broadway theatre (back in the day)... Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. From their careers’ heydays in 1928 until their retirement in 1960 they only appeared onstage together and always spent summers hosting friends at their estate, Ten Chimneys, in Genesee Depot, Wisconsin. I highly recommend a visit to Ten Chimneys for a glimpse into the Lunts’ gracious hospitality. They are honored with their names on Broadway's beautiful Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and are even remembered in pop references such as “The Lunts of Blaine” line in Christopher Guest’s Waiting For Guffman.

So that's it for now. Don't expect to hear from me any time soon. Ha! Take care, all! Peace and love!

A wee peep from the weeds...

I'm getting ready for another day of Scarlet Pimpernel rehearsal... staging and cleaning. We had our first "stumble through" last night and it was pretty rough, but we got through it. This week will be arduous as we add elements... set, costumes, mics, musicians, wigs, makeup. We'd better eat our Wheaties.

But it's a nice and talented group of folks to be playing with. I'm so grateful for that. And while it may seem crazy that I'm juggling a couple illustration projects at the same time, I actually enjoy getting back to the condo to let my brain briefly pore over something non-Pimpernel related. I'm sure I won't be posting until Monday when the next "Squigs Knows His Lines" sketch drops. I'm looking forward to that (and you hope you are too). Take care, all! Peace and love.

Monday sketch from Pimpernel Land.

Here's the weekly sketch I'll be posting on my Squigs Knows His Lines page. This week, I've chosen to feature Gerry Vichi who plays the top banana comic at the burlesque club Minsky's in the new musical of the same name. The show just opened a run in Los Angeles with a stellar cast headed up by the fantastic Christopher Fitzgerald in the title role. I'm enamored with the tradition of classic burlesque comics. Mr. Vichi is marvelous at capturing that old school vibe and so I decided to celebrate him. Hope you enjoy.

I'm off to rehearsal at an hour no one in showbiz should be required to be performing – 8am. Fortunately our director has promised not to require too much singing right away. Rehearsals are plugging away and we're hacking away at the huge spectacle that is The Scarlet Pimpernel. We open in a week and a half. Into the fire, indeed!

Take care, all! Peace and love.

Back at the Welk!

I've nestled into my condo at the Welk Resort after a great day of visits with friends and a lovely drive highlighted by a spectacular sunset. It's our first day of "school" tomorrow as we meet our fellow Scarlet Pimpernel team members. From those I've met already, I anticipate having a fantastic time over the next few months.

But for the next few days, I may be a bit MIA. I have to post my Monday "Squigs Knows His Lines" sketch (which is already done and ready to go) but rehearsal should be sucking up a bunch of my time for a while.

So now, I'm going to hit the hay. Exciting day tomorrow. And that sun is gonna be kickin' me outta bed earlier than I'll be ready for it. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Squigs Knows His Lines

I've just launched a new venture on Facebook called "Squigs Knows His Lines." In an effort to get my art out there a bit more regularly and in front of a wider audience, every week (Mondays by noon) I'll be posting a fresh Squigs illustration that celebrates an individual/group/moment/event/etc. in the theatre. You can see my first piece a few posts back. I'm very excited about the possibilities.

Follow this link to see the page. If you're not on Facebook, you'll have to join in order to be an official "fan." If you're not wanting to join up, don't worry... I'll also post the weekly illustrations here on this blog.


Also, I had an interesting day yesterday. I headed to the OC for an audition and on the way down, I passed a pickup hauling a very large rooster. I just had to slow down and take a picture. Texting while driving is now illegal in California, but they didn't say anything about taking photos. And then before the audition, I dropped into Laguna Beach and sat at picnic table near the crashing waves. Well, as I sat there, a hummingbird kept returning to sit on a branch about five feet from me. First off, I don't think I've ever seen a hummingbird not in mid-flight, and secondly, I think it was trying to tell me something because it kept chirping and squeaking like crazy. Anyway... fun and random bird sightings on a Sunday afternoon.

And there you go. Take care, all!

No one mourns the Wicked...

Well, many folks do. My most recent sketch was unveiled in Chicago yesterday for the closing of long-running production of Wicked at the Ford Center of the Performing Arts. Mindy Reid and Michelle London (along with three fellow cast members) commissioned the piece and presented it to their cast. Thank you ladies! Hope everyone liked it!

I'm back at the drawing board this week tackling a couple projects and packing for Escondido. Yes, I'm heading back to the Welk on Friday to start rehearsals for The Scarlet Pimpernel. We'll be rehearsing for a couple weeks for a February 13 opening.

And now, I need to get back to work. Take care all! Peace and love.