The work continues...
Thank you Eric Vetter and No Name for squeezing me in this past Friday. I tested out some more new material for Single What? Female... and it went really well. It is nice to get such great response: laughter and cheers even! Thank you to all who came out for it! Now I just need to find another place to keep this going. There are story telling events, comedy nights, play reading evenings, but I have to do further digging for solo show test evenings. And if I can't find one, I need to create one. I need to keep the momentum going! If you know of anything please feel free to pass on the info.
In the meantime, talked too much yesterday...and last weekend, hence I have put myself on conversation pad status. I can honestly say that this has been the longest six months - mentally - since my father died. The nodes should have faded into nothing some time ago, but I am a talker. And a singer. A talker and a singer who is not allowed to talk or sing, but I need to do both in order to get a job (and do the jobs I have), whether it be performance related or just to pay the bills. And thus I am a bit tense. Which is not good for the chords...and the nodes...hence the reason I am on conversation pad status.
I have a very patient husband and equally patient friends.
IN THE MEANTIME...The Red Sox are in first place!!! Yes, they lost two out of three to the Mets, but Toronto lost and the Yankees remain behind, and the Sox did win last night and today, thus they are in first place and I want it to stay that way :) GO SOX!
Also, I do hope you took some time today and this weekend to remember those past and present in the armed forces. remember them now and all through the year.
and KEEP PAYING ATTENTION!!!
Peace --Alex
Getting there...
Before I start could we have a brief moment of silence for Ryan, my Omaha host last April who was killed in a motorcycle crash a year ago around this time. He was a good guy and like too many, died too young.
...
IN THE MEANTIME...
I've been trying to get back into the audition game again, slowly but surely. I've done a few things at The Network and yesterday went to my first theatre call for the Midtown International Theatre Festival (first half of the monologue felt rough, second half went well). Today I went to my first singer's call in MONTHS. They are trying AGAIN to do a revival of one of my favorite shows
A Little Night Music. I went in, was the first person to sing the last verse of The Miller's Son of the day (I SO need to get some Charlotte Music...unless some director finally decides to make Petra a slightly older woman - Petra: Maid...Cougar - I have got no chance :p). I admittedly was probably thinking more about my sound than the song, hence was not brilliant, but it was nice to hear the sound is stronger and better than it was, thus still felt pretty darn good. Definitely is inspiring me to hit the PA library at long damn last and get some new music - Charlotte is a start, Adam Guettel stuff is next and I will take suggestions...
I still have work to do - hence I have to remind myself "baby steps" - but there has been enough improvement for me to feel ready to at least get back out there. Singing two minutes at a stretch (after proper warm up, not too high, not too low, and certainly not belting) can't be too bad. *was that lightening that just tried to strike me?*
The man and I had to pleasure of seeing Kristin Chenoweth Monday night at a special gala performance for City Center. (thank you to those who need to be thanked for helping us go from Rear Gallery to Rear Mezz). She was wonderful and funny as usual, but had a heartfelt moment when she broke down a bit towards the end talking about how she was so glad to work with that orchestra and to be able to sing at City Center again. "I really just needed to sing again.."she said through tears. ...boy howdy do I know that feeling.
*"baby steps, alex"*
The only other place I am singing these days is the Madison Avenue Baptist Church which is so excellent. If you are a motorcycle person, get yourself and your bike to the church May 31st for "The Blessing of The Bikes" Yes, Reverend Sparks herself is an avid biker and got the permits to do a blessing of the bikes on Madison Avenue. I so can't wait to see this. As well as hear the solo that fellow mezzo Darryl will be doing that day - there will be "riding" in it somewhere :)
Speaking of things to see and be at:
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No Name and A Bag O' Chips - It is a good time no matter what, but tomorrow night one of my favorite storyteller/performer ladies will be there: Michelle Carlo. She has done her own work in comedy, solo shows, and story telling; hosts her own storytelling series "It Came From New York", and is working on a book - Red Sheep Of The Family. She truly is a marvelous artist and so worth seeing. PLEASE go and see her along with one of my fav close up magicians, Lee Alan Barrett, comedy songwriter Sarah Herklots among others. It is going to be a great night so GO!
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BIG NIGHT OUT! - Yes, Dillon's has sadly closed and just as sadly, they did not handle their sudden closing well. It was like a break-up by post-it: sudden, unexplained and makes you feel a little dirty. But this does not stop the Big Night Out! We may not be happening at Dillon's, but we are happening! Just someplace NEW! The San Martin on the east side is taking us in and we have our first show there next week on May 21st. it will be a great night with Featured Composer Robert Rokicki and his fab writing partner Mike Ruby. You gotta come, you just gotta!
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Dance Parade! - yes, what started out mainly as a protest of the cabaret laws in Manhattan, has evolved into a true celebration of dance with all kinds of groups and companies parading and dancing in the streets. Don't get busted by the dance police for just standing there, join the parade and shake your groove thing this Saturday!
All right, the laptop is about to give out and I have to head to work at The Network, but I do hope all y'all are well and remember to KEEP PAYING ATTENTION!!!
Peace --Alex
'Girly Manny'
I gotta say that so far, that is my favorite headline about the Manny Ramirez steroid scandal. And, of course, it was in the New York Post.
If you have not heard, former Red Sox hitter and possibly former Dodgers player, Manny Ramirez got busted for taking steroids not just in the past, but NOW. How did he get past the testing? Female fertility drugs: hence the Post headline. He has been suspended for 50 games and fined over $8 million. It is believed that he started this business towards the end of his career with the Sox, basically starting it up as while he could definitely belt them out of the park without help, he wanted a new contract and was not going to get it unless he proved he was worth the years he had left on his Sox contract in addition to a anything else.
I almost feel bad for Torre having to deal with the nonsense. Didn't he have enough of that with Giambi and A-Rod?
This is Manny being STUPID not just...Manny...
