Oh, life...

Hey blog! I miss you. I've been busy with work and rehearsals. Luckily, I had most of the day off to chill, so I thought I'd write a little blog. I'm using the word "little" lightly because I have no idea how big this blog will be.

So yeah, like I said earlier, life life is extremely busy with work and rehearsals. I get up early to go to work for 8. I work until 4. I run home to take care of my dog, Josey, and to eat. I then go to rehearsal with Chase, Kaleb, and Holly, and we usually make it there 5-10 minutes late. Sometimes we make it on time. Rarely do we make it there early. After rehearsal I go home, and I go to sleep because I have to repeat this cycle again the next day. I don't stop, but to sleep.

The weekends, on the other hand, are great. I get to chill with friends on the weekend. These are the best times: dinner, movies, belting in the car, tubing and chilling on the boats (so much fun), and sitting on my house. My only regret is that I haven't been able to see my other friends outside of Li'l Abner. They have tried, but the circumstances have prevented me from hanging out with them and even seeing them. I'm going to work on that. I miss them.

I have to say that I need a break from this rehearsal schedule of daily rehearsals with no breaks. I don't think I can handle 3 more weeks of driving out to Norco every day. Also work is starting to take it's toll on me. I know it has only been 2 weeks, but I'm running out of music to listen to. I feel like I've gone through over 2/3 of my iTunes library. I need some shaking up in my life.

Earlier this week our cars were TPed while we were all inside rehearsing for our show. There were post-its (some with "clever" messages [Yet of all the messages on my car, none were about me. Hmmm....])  and taco bell hot sauce packets. That's a new one. Props to Team Power Hungry. We caught them hiding behind our cars. It's not very smart for a big guy to hide behind a little car. We cleaned up the mess and went back to rehearsing. We find out later that they came back with toilet paper, window paint, and more post-its. Team Fuck Them Bitches Up definitely got Team Power Hungry back.

Random story: Just watched the last couple minutes of Click. The scene where Adam Sandler dies in the rain is so sad. I literally started the movie at that scene and cried. That has to mean something about the acting there. My favorite line in that scene is the message written on the napkin saying: "Will you still love me in the morning?" So good. All real love should be like that. It's a huge sign that that love will last forever (Even though the couple in the movie were actually divorced, they still loved each other.). *Sigh*

Ok. I think I'm done, but since it officially feels like summer, I just want to set a few goals for myself for the summer:

1. Get money

2. Make a plan to visit New York (and hopefully follow through)

3. Do as many musicals as possible

4. Spend lots of time with all of my friends

5. Get a little tan

6. Have a summer fling (that does not cause drama and that may/may not continue into the fall)

7. Find some good songs for my repertoire

8. Live life

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Laura Benanti (The Wedding Singer and Into the Woods) guest starred as Beth on a show on ABC called Eli Stone. Her part wasn't huge, but it was big enough for her to come back for a few more episodes. On one of the episodes, she sits down at a piano (I don't know if she actually played for it) and sings. She sounds simply beautiful. This is the whole scene from the show. The song starts at about the minute mark. So enjoy.

Oliver and Company. You remember that old Disney movie? I don't remember much from that movie except a song. That one song the little girl plays the piano and sings to Oliver. It made a huge impression on me in m childhood. It touches my heart. Listen, and enjoy.

This is Disney's official video (recorded live) of "Step In Time" from Broadway's Mary Poppins. I love a good tap number. They tap with such ease. They make it look so easy. I'm jealous.

BAM!!

My night off

It's 5 o'clock, and I am not rushing out the door. It's my night off! It feels beautiful. Wait. Can you feel beauty? You ponder about that when you have some spare time.

So life has gotten better. Yes, I went to work for my mom. I have to get up really early. It's boring, and it's doing exactly what I didn't want to do (work like an accountant).  The upside is that I have freedom to come in a little late and leave early so I can go home, get food, and go to rehearsal, which is technically, what I wanted. Also, I'm getting paid. Oh yeah! I get to listen to my own music all day. No radio, no soft rock, no bad popular music. I've listened to about 3 CDs a day. Monday it was Next to Normal, Patti Lupone Gypsy, and A Chorus Line. Tuesday was Spamalot, Dreamgirls, and In the Heights. Wednesday was Aida, Scott Alan's Dreaming Wide Awake, Scott Alan's Keys, Spring Awakening, and some other random 90s-present music on shuffle. Today's music was The Drowsy Chaperone, Company, and Il Divo (really random, I know). So I'm fairly happy with the way things out.

Rehearsal has been everyday for the past 3 weeks. I like this part of the process of a show: we've learned dances, songs, and scenes, and now we do it over and over again to perfect it. It's tiring and boring sometimes, but oh so fun! Well, I'm too tired to really go into detail about Li'l Abner, but I will tell you that it's going to be really good and that you should come see it!

So, I've been a bit accident prone these past 2 weeks. Tuesday, for example, I was wearing socks at rehearsal, and the floor is very slippery. I slip and fall, of course. I get up and laugh it off because it was extremely funny. Trust me. It was funny. I look down at my feet a couple minutes later, and I see that my foot is bleeding. The rocks on my friendship bracelet that is conveniently placed on my ankle cut my ankle. Two of the rocks broke, but none were lodged in my ankle (Thank God!). It took 2 band aids and 3 people to put those band aids on.

The other accident occurred last week, actually on Tuesday again. Hmm... I wonder if that is supposed to mean anything. So last week, I drove my car into a ditch. Again, I laughed the whole way through it. Either I must take bad news well or laughing is my way of being in shock. I'll let you decide. So yeah. My car was stuck, but thanks to Adam who called his dad, the fire chief of the area, and Ms. Peyton, the fire chief's wife and assistant director to our show, they got my car out with just a single phone call. Funny thing is that that phone call turned into 5 firemen and a very large fire truck. They even used the big, bright white lights! They got my car out, and it was fine with the exception of some scratches on some insignificant thing that I'm not sure of the name of it (I don't even know what it's use is either). Want to know how I drove into the ditch. Blame Legally Blonde the Musical. Holly and I were ready to rock out, and then I drive into a ditch. Good driving, Jody! I have a feeling that these 2 incidents are the start of me becoming slightly accident prone. I just hope I am wrong and was just having a bad couple of days.

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So I had a night that I watched a lot of Audra McDonald videos on youtube, but I can't show you all of them. I can show you one, though! This is Audra McDonald singing at the New York Marriage Equality Rally on May 17. I'm not sure what the name of the song is or where it is from, but she hits this one out of the park!

We've been listening to some "oldies" in the car to and from rehearsal. This song, although not "old," has been played a few times, and we keep mentioning how awesome this song was from the performance on the 2006 VMA's. Here is Beyonce's "Ring the Alarm."

So FOX's GLEE started on Tuesday, and it was amazing. Lea Michele blows me away even more than she did with Spring Awakening! Matthew Morrison is great too, but we haven't seen mych from him yet. Also, let me just say that black girl is going to be fricken awesome!! I can feel it in my bones. I can't wait to see more episodes in the Fall. I know it has a lot in store for it. I know Kristen Chenoweth has a guest role in the 4th episode and sings "Maybe This Time" from Kander and Ebb's Cabaret. Woot! So here is the amazing New Directions from FOX's GLEE performing "Don't Stop Believing"!!!

BAM!!

What a bum

So since I've been home, I have not been legit happy.

Day1 (Friday): I went to dinner with Burt, Katie, Blythe, and Casi at Superior Grill. We had a great time. But it was kind of a late night with an early morning the next day.

Day 2: Rehearsal at 9:30 in Destrahan. I have to get up early just to make it there on time. Rehearsal ends at 4. Very long day. I get home and nap. I'm pretty much broke and have no gas. I stay home by myself and stay up late, which was kind of nice.

Day 3: Woken up by a phone call from my mom saying that my grandparents were here for Mother's Day lunch and family time. It was fine until mom asks about getting a job. She then pretty much told me that my summer last year was wasted and that I should come work for her or find a job where I can work dealing with music education. I then gave her the cold shoulder for the rest of the day. Sometimes I just want to scream in her face and put her in her place. I have avoided working for my family because who in the real world thinks working for the family is a legit work experience? Plus, I hate working for my mom. She's demanding, persistent, a pain in the ass. She's just a big ol' bitch. I totally understand why her last assistant quit. Also, where is there a job dealing with music education in this city? The summer camps who do have some kind of music program are all full (I'm almost positive). I think she forgot (or, at least, put repressed it to the back of her mind) that I want to perform and that Music Ed is mainly a backup. So my mom's plans suck.

Day 4 (Monday): Woken up early by my mom [I really hate her for that]. I go back to sleep, wake up later, and run some errands for myself. Mom is still bugging me about what I'm doing about getting a job.

Day 5: Mom calls 2 minutes after I've woken up to ask about what I'm doing to get a job. A pain in the ass I tell you! Dad comes home later and asks I can introduce him at his fundraiser for his re-election campaign. Now, my parents have told me about this, but the date change like twice. In honesty, I forgot about it until about late last week. I'm not really sure that I can go. I have rehearsal. I could see it in his face that he is disappointed in me. [I could also see that I am not the son that he had hoped I'd be 19 years ago. Good thing he has my brother...] I tell him that I'm not sure I can even go to my cousin's rehearsal dinner for her wedding the day after, which is being held at my house, because of rehearsal. Thankfully (probably more for them), I can go to the wedding because it is after rehearsal. The wedding is also at my house held by the pool in my beautiful backyard. I am singing "The Prayer" with Monique as my wedding present. There is no doubt in my mind that we will sound fantastic.

So to the outside world and to my family, I have done nothing but go to rehearsal, sleep, and skipped out on family functions. I know I have done this, but is it bad to want to have a few days break after a stressful last 2 weeks of school with finals, moving out of the dorms, moving back home, and starting a new show? In the real world with a normal job, you get 2 weeks vacation. Where is my vacation!?

Oh, funny story. I mention on Mother's Day that I was getting a job because I'm spending so much money and because I want to go to New York. The next day she asks me about it. She assumed that I was saving up to move there. It makes me laugh that my family thinks I am going to move away from them and never come back. Funny thing is that I might end up doing that one day, once I make living for myself.

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Just a warning. I was crunched for time, so I just copied and pasted the video information.

This next video is a trailer for a documentary of the A Chorus Line Broadway Revival. I am dying to see this! "Every Little Step -- the feature documentary that explores the magic of A Chorus Line by following the behind the scenes casting process and the dramatic struggles of the 2006 Broadway stage revival. See how this international Broadway phenomenon has reached audiences in numerous countries in a variety of languages over a span of decades. In Every Little Step, life imitating art truly unfolds."

"'Puttin' on the Ritz' from Young Frankenstein - Pre-Broadway, Seattle Preview Run with Roger Bart, Megan Mullally, Sutton Foster, Shuler Hensley, Andrea Martin, Christopher Fitzgerald."

"'Good Mornin' from MUSKET presents SINGIN' IN THE RAIN featuring Alex Puette ('09) as Don,  Jessica Hershberg ('08) as Kathy  & Andrew Keenan-Bolger ('07) as Cosmo. A Jeffrey Yuan ('07) and Kyle Serilla ('08) Production. Directed by Gina Rattan ('08) & Natalie A. Malotke ('06). Choreography by Natalie A. Malotke ('06). Music Direction by Brian E. Buckner ('08). MUSKET is an all student run musical theatre company at the University of Michigan."
http://www.umich.edu/~uac/musket/

BAM!!

"Didn't I See This Movie?"

Sometimes I really hate going to the movies. Katie, Blythe, and I went to see the Wolverine movie. It was a good movie, but there was one point in which I wanted to beat some bitches. Somehow, I kept my composure, and they stopped because other people in the theater were telling them to shut up. I'm big on movie manners ever since that time I cursed out some young high school bitches when I saw "I am Legend." Grrrr. It just gets me to the core. Like, I can't think of any other situation that has ever really got me so angry.

I've had a breakthrough.  Well, kind of. After being downtown for a couple hours, we thought we were going to call it a night. Man, were we wrong. On the balcony across the street from us were people we knew. I love running into people I know while out and about. So we chill with them, and I meet some new people. It's cool. One person I met, D, introduced me to her friend, whom we shall call G (Idk, just go with me). Now, G needed my help to keep some guys away. Being that I was kind of drunk, it was okay with me, so I just went with it.  We talk, and I learn we go to school together and we live on the same floor but on opposite sides of the building. We also have a few friends in common. We ended up holding hands for a while. He bought me a tequila shot. He held my hand the whole time an old creeper hit on him and me (separately). Life, at that moment, was pretty cool, besides the whole creeper-thing. That is what I mean by breakthrough. Never have I gone to a bar, met a guy, and just chilled and flirted. Ok. Here is where things take a turn. Around 5 AM or so, Katie, Matt and I decide we are ready to go. We are starting to say goodbye to our friends, and G sees Matt. His focus shifted gears and was focused on him. He was so interested that he tried to get his number.  Matt wasn't really interested because he had met someone else that night, so he didn't give it to him. But isn't that kind of a dick-ish move? Then we actually do try to leave, and he invites me to stay with him and some other friends who have a place down the street. What the hell?! Guys can be such fickle assholes sometimes. Ok, so to my surprise, I'm still interested in him. I think I am partially over-thinking the situation. Also, I am trying to make myself believe that I made most of it up. I mean, he's my type, and I am really picky. So, why not think I made it up?

There were more interesting happenings that night, but I'm not going to spill all of my personal info. So I shall leave you on that note.

Does anyone know where the blog title, "Didn't I See This Movie?," comes from? 10 points to the first who guesses right.

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If you have followed my blog, you might know that I am loving the New Broadway cast of HAIR. It just so happens that they sang 2 of my most favorite songs from the show. This is the cast of HAIR singing "Aquarius" with Sasha Allen and "Let the Sunshine In" with Cassie Levy.

Ok. So I am so excited for this new show on ABC called GLEE. It is supposed to have like 2 or 3 music performances in each episode. The best part is that it stars a few Broadway stars! Matthew Morrison plays Will Schuester, the glee club directpr/teacher, and Lea Michele plays Rachel Berry, the wannabe "star" of the club. I can't wait to see the pilot. The music is going to be amazing.

This is "Keep it Campy" from the latest episode of The Battery's Down. If you don't know The Battery's Down, check out their youtube page HERE where you can watch all 11 episodes and the outtakes/behind the scene videos.

BAM!!