skip to main |
skip to sidebar
DAY 21
21 days come and gone. I embarrassingly enough never got out of the habit of looking at my messages 2 1/2 hours before curtain to see if it was gonna be a Merry Christmas and I was on.
And luckily enough because that starts again on Tuesday.
I'm so glad we had this time togetherJust to have a laugh or scream at kidsSeems we just get started and before you know itComes the time I'm right back on the skids.
Wheeee! And I actually do love my regular track with all its ins and outs (and I mean that a variety of ways) and emotional journeys (I only mean that one way).
Cue Carol Burnett ear pull...except it will most likely be the ear of a smallish child.
Tons of love,
Me
DAY 20
Yesterday was survived. My only bad moments were while sitting in the dark. Waiting for Cliffy up in the tower before act 1 finale I grew a bit dour. And then waiting for the wedding. There is limited opportunity for me to get upstairs festooned in all my finery, so I must go up early. A chair is set in the dark and I get to listen to a lot of really, really sad songs about really, really dead people.
Let's partay....
Today was filled with family and friends and soooooo much food. And flowers. Delicate roses. An armload of sunflowers the size of my head. And the fancypants arrangements already waiting for me at home.
I love flowers. I do. Little makes me feel as wealthy. Except maybe Baxter. And my really excellent friends and family. And feeling seen.
Ka ching.
**I'm giggling 'cause that's not what I've really written about at all. I guess I meant to. And I will. I think it's important.
DAY 19
This is my day of infamy...a doubly whammy anniversary that usually leaves me in bed for 20 hours.
This happened.
And then this happened.
If I had my druthers (a NaNa word), the day would be cancelled. From the books. Forever. October would only have 30 days...we'd just skip from the 16th to the 18th with nary a word.
But...since that ain't possible and I have to perform tonight, I am rousting myself and leaving this blasted oh-so-comforting apartment with the bed that wails the siren's call of "come to me, bend to me." Before 1 pm. From whence I go to PT, to a movie, to dinner, to fight call, to the show.
I hate this day. So i'm filling it with goodness and utility.
Bite me, whammiversary.
Why is the measure of love loss?
DAY 18
Yup, I'm one of those. Aerie faerie. Edgy granola. I take my seat, watch my breath, witness my thoughts, release them and hope the spins cease.
YOU CAN DO IT TOO!
With the help of Marty @ www.OneMomentMeditation.com . A nifty way to touch home plate...especially when you're flailing in the outfield. (And where the feck did the baseball reference come from?) There are classes. There's a youtube video. THERE'S AN APP.
There is Marty -- my very own Christopher Robbin as I grew.
Give it a looksie. Give it a try. Drop in.
DAY 17
So many friends have come. Soooooo many. And many more to come...
College friends, grad school friends, community theatre friends, high school friends, two lovely friends who saw my final performance (and so many others) as Belle, one who saw my absolute first, the dear friend I won as the best consolation prize ever after a break up, the friends who witness the crazy with you, the friends who help you with your lines, the beautiful friend who convinced me it was time to leave a show that was becoming far too dangerous, the friend who saw the dangerous....
So many wondrous friends...the friends who realize it is a huge hunky deal to be a lead in a Broadway show and that it must be celebrated.
Thank you.
DAY 16
The way I work, always have and then trained to, the characters I play have their creature comforts. Comforts that must be met for them to emerge full force onstage. One loved to needlepoint. Many enjoy reading.
Madame T? Loves. Her. Sugar.
Really.
It just doesn't work without it. And thus I am careful with the rest of my diet, always eat the apple that Cliff gives me in the Act 1 Finale. And Lipitor? Haven't forgotten a dose.
I know Hugo describes her as a giantess but the nice Canadian lady whose costumes I wear? Size 6 tops.
Bitch.
And tonight I have a King size Hershey Bar.
Needs must be fed, my friends.
DAY 15
Today is a day of slugdom. As are many of my dark days.
The theater is dark. I guess I am as well for the majority of it...as my eyes are shut. My ears and mouth too.
Gregarious soul that I am, I do love my own company. And that of my wee dog.
Creative creature comforts.
Xx
DAY 14
Les MiZ Broadway has the best swings in Les BiZ. Hands down. Bar none. No lie.
Fearless. Creative. Exact. Seamless. And fun. Oh yeah...and they sound great.
What more could you ask for?
Okay...chocolate. You could ask for chocolate. And they would most likely have some in their pockets to feed you.
They're THAT good.
DAY 13
There is a thing called knowledge of the world, which people do not have until they are middle-aged. It is something which cannot be taught to younger people, because it is not logical and does not obey laws which are constant. It has no rules.
TH White (The Once and Future King)
Ripped from my friend Alan's Book of Face
DAY 12
A few of my favorite things...
Friends coming to see the skit with delicious drinks to follow.
Birds taking dust baths.
Baxter chasing said birds.
The Imperial stage left petite lady ghost messing with Natalie. YEAH!!!!
DAY 11
Extraordinary in so many ways, yesterday was. I broke bread with a friend who has survived/thrived with the plague for 24 years.
5 little kids nailed a recording session in under 5 minutes.
I watched Broadway dim in honor of the lovely Marian Seldes.
I met and chatted with the delicious Dr. Ruth.
All this from a day that started so stressed that I downed a giant box of Milk Duds in under ten minutes.
You just never know how it's all gonna turn out, do you?
DAY 10
One of my favorite people in the show has been gone. Yesterday she returned. To celebrate, I share with you our song...sung to the tune of "Magic to Do" from PIPPIN.
Join us. Leave all hope behind.
Join us. Give me, that is mine.
Join us. Come and waste an hour or tw...three.
Diddle dee dee
Journey. Journey to the barricade.
Bring a big grenade.
Join us. Don't drink soda, you'll have to pee.
We've got people to kill...some just ill.
We've got run away carts galore.
We've no clothes that are nice. We've got lice.
Jean Val Jean loves Jesus Christ.
I've got chocolate so let's make S'mores.**
**the line was originally "And TiZ plays a slew of whores," but since one of my favorite people is actually only 9, I had to change the lyrics. She's not allowed to say "whore."
;-((
DAY 9
Sometimes you just have to leave town. Sometime you just have to put on a cotton lawn nightgown and tootle about a backyard for a day, napping in the sun, playing with your dog.
Geoffrey Holder died. An artistic King. I did not know him but knew those who did...who cherished their friendship. His son wrote an open letter. Open it, please.
Marian Seldes died. A theatrical Queen. I did know her...for twelve hours.
We did an intimate concert together at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie. For some reason they decided we should share a dressing room. She was grace, she was majestic in her signature purple, she was personable with a wicked sense of humor.
Pre concert I was trying to determine between flats and 4" heels to wear with my LBD. "You could get away with the flats but you'll be cheating the audience of those legs. Heels it is."
Heels it was.
During intermission of the concert she witnessed me STILL looking at a piece of music from Act 1, trying to figure out how to make it work. "Tear it up and put it in the garbage. Let me see you do it. You are glorious and that song it is not. I am not leaving this dressing room until I see you tear it up."
Little itty bitty pieces floated into the garbage as instructed.
That long and lean delight had an appetite as well. We went brownie for brownie that day.
7. We each ate 7. She was 74 at the time. This extraordinary actress had that exquisite ability of making you feel as if you were the most important person in the world. I was so thrilled to play with the woman I saw in my first Broadway play, DEATHTRAP.
Requiescat in Pace you two. The world is a little darker but our ghost lights glow more brilliantly.
DAY 7
Okey doke. So a couple of months ago we had a meeting regarding Carols for a Cure. That is a CD that the Broadway community contributes to and whose proceeds go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
At this meeting I said, I have an idea.
63 hours and 400 photocopies later, I think I'm done. I did a special arrangement for our company. An unprecedented 27 singers shared their talents (including our stage right electrician), 4 musical directors (one of whom orchestrated) and 5 incredible musicians.
I have rarely felt so out of my element. I have rarely felt so in my element. I got edgy. I got forceful. I got a little overwhelming.
I got a little me.
And I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I absolutely love every artist who showed up for this shindig.
Les MiZ...We Show Up.
DAY 6
Okay, so we also had a chat/work session with the two delightful gentleman who wrote this skit...that has been around longer than some of our cast members have been alive.
Really.
And it was extraordinary.
To watch Claude Michel conduct with such passion, clarity and intelligence.
To learn that the opening "uhs" and "look downs" are from a work song from Calabria. And if you rush them, you do not hear/feel/see the toil and anguish.
To be told to let the show breathe.
To hear the all the rubato, the give and take, of "A Heart Full of Love."
To slow down the waltz of deception...making it less whimsical and more...well...deceptive.
We may/may not have gone a skoche past 3 hours...depending on whom you ask.
Whichever, the show was magnificent.
Haroo.
Definite Dear Diary moments.
P.s. I really must raid Alain Boublil's shoe closet. Freaking treasure trove.
DAY 5
Dear Diary...
Last night I got to perform Madame T for the gentilhommes who wrote this beautiful behemoth.
It was fun. And the entities known collectively as NanaPop would have been proud.
Tons,
TiZ
DAY 4
Who's having sex on top of the Thenardier Inn? Who?
It definitely wasn't the usual yesterday. That'd be Tizzy (ME) and Arby (no, I don't call him that really but it sounds good here). But I'm Madame T and he was Marius. And oh what a glorious Marius he was...
So, who was up there doing the dastardly deed?
I know. I know.
But I'll never tell.
Honestly, THAT I do miss. It sounds ridiculous but I love me my Arby and we get SO MUCH DONE UP THERE. We actually plotted and schemed our carol for a cure up there in the midst of all our gyrotechnics. Thrust - themes - thrust - schedules - bump - vocal casting - swivel - orchestrations.
A very creative setting. In fact, it used to be far more creative up there. But we got called out for it once they turned the lights on. I believe the critique delivered via god mic included, "Do NOT give us the entire chicken. Just a feather. Please."
Chickens - delish. Feathers - ticklish.
All I can say is thank goodness Madame T doesn't really have a scene with Marius because yesterday? It might have gotten weird.
Chickens and feathers wouldn't have begun to describe it.
Asunderstudies.
I have no idea how to end this post so I'm just going to stop now.
Yes. That would be best.
DAY 3
My principal contract re-debut...rebut as it were...upstaged by a child.
What's the old stage maxim? No animals...no kids. Is that it?
One of our young male personages (who shall remain nameless because I ain't gonna be held accountable) had to go on for Little Eponine last night. Why? Well...life goes on. And so does the show.
And he hit it out of the park. How did a 12 year old keep from camping it up when every one of his adult colleagues was offstage watching? I will never know.
Pro. Pro. Pro.
Me? I had a great time and made more bobos than ever before. I am a bobo hobo. But who noticed?
No one.
'Cause there was a flipping kid on that stage.
Thanks, kid. I owe you one. I mean it. You're the best. The cupcakes are on me...
Web Directory
Posts
