April 5th

Dear blogosphere: Hi. How's it going? I do still exist. And I haven't forgotten about you. You know, just in case you were worried. Are we cool? Good. Thanks.

Anyhoo...

There hasn't been a lot to report as of late - it's been a lot of the same for me: rehearsals & more rehearsals, performances, work. Nothing terribly exciting. But overall, life has been good, and I'm grateful for that.

On to my list. I'm grateful for:

• 2 weekends of Pinafore performances down. Other than a mediocre review in the TNT, the show has been well received, and I'm grateful for that. Pinafore is fluffy and melodramatic but it certainly isn't easy, particularly musically - we've had to work extremely hard on this show. (Two of the other leads and I are singing roles that are out of our usual ranges, for goodness sake!) The thing is, I worry that people focus on the fluff and don't appreciate all that goes into it. As Katie and I discussed backstage the other night, this isn't a show you can just "phone in" if you're not feeling it one day. There's no half-assing Gilbert & Sullivan. So I thank those who have come to the show and laughed, applauded, smiled, and enjoyed. You show us that it's all worth it.
• contemporary musical theatre. I've been listening to a lot of it lately to balance out all the G&S. I never cease to be entranced and inspired by writers like Kerrigan & Lowdermilk, Pasek & Paul, Duncan Shiek, and others. Case in point:
• unlimited text messaging. Especially helpful when freaking out about a REALLY awkward situation involving a castmate trying to set me up with her 20 year old son and referring to me as his bride-to-be. (Update: she's apologized for the whole thing and there have been no further messages from "boyscout," as Sam calls him. Thank god.)
• making plans to hang out with Kim next week after my show. It's long overdue.
• karaoke. I've always avoided it in the past, but it's become a regular past time for the over-21 folks in Pinafore. Singing Lady Marmalade with Katie and Adam - during which Adam sang Christina's part in his diva falsetto - was truly epic.
• working on Pride & Prejudice at my old high school. I'm the assistant-director/acting coach. We've only had our first read-through so far, but I think we have a strong cast and I'm looking forward to getting rehearsals underway.
• the new leather recliners my parents bought. Soooo comfy. I fear they will be the end of all productivity in my house.