He's Still Got It

Just got home after a delightful evening seeing Billy Crystal with Bonnie Hunt at the MGM Casino National Harbor.  After a 2.5 hour chat, I have to say he's still at the top of his game! He touched on everything under the sun from the current white house, to Robin Williams, to his friendship with Muhammad Ali and Sammy Davis Jr.  He even chatted about his work hosting the Oscars and gave some great backstage stories from some of his movies.  I just love the guy and I'm so happy that in person, he's just as genuine and funny as he's been for the last 30 years from afar.  Such a gifted comedian!

Friday Five

1. Broadway Bakes for BC/EFA - I'm not a huge fan of Schmackary's cookies but I'm hooked on this fabulous idea!  What a great way to raise money for charity and support a bakery that everyone in the community frequents.  Also, I will actually be in the city that week - woohoo! Additionally, I promise I'm mentioning this because I in fact love the idea and not just the amazing people that are participating...

2. I went to see a show I knew nothing about this evening with a great friend.  Not only were we seeing  a new show, but we were also discovering a brand new theatre. The theatre itself was lovely - minus the ridiculous lack of parking.  However, the show was awesome!  I only wish it was still playing on Broadway so I could see it professionally.  Super cool if not just a wee bit confusing.

3. Last weekend I found the coolest bookstore ever.  It's called Books of Wonder and it's a Children's book store in Chelsea.  I swear they had every book known to man.  They had such a great selection that I purchased 3 books even though I had promised myself I'd be good.  Anyway, I can't wait to go back and wander some more.  Such a fun space for kids and adults alike.  Also, right across the street is Paper Presentation which is the coolest stationary store ever, so there's that too. : )

4. I'm not sure why this tickled me so much, but I laughed a lot.  Too funny!

Both of these grew on Dyckman Street
But I think one of them got more sunlight and water#UptownLove pic.twitter.com/uvBjKlK8TD

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) April 28, 2017

5. And this one, falls into the category - True but if you don't laugh, you'l cry.

…He’s been president for HOW long?! pic.twitter.com/JctEY7CUqf

— Late Night (@LateNightSeth) April 27, 2017

On Creativity

Lately, I've been super busy at work.  It's the really, really dull form of busy though.  The kind that forces me to read a computer screen for 8 straight hours a day, editing and formatting tech materials on a constant basis.  It's super boring and I'm getting super tired of it.  However, after work, the creative juices have been flowing.  I've been writing and scrapping and working on projects like there's no tomorrow.

That's the funny thing I've learned about myself.  Apparently, the more bored I get with one aspect of my life, the more excited I get with something else.  And in this instance, it's the writing and the scrapping. I suppose because I don't get to flex those creative muscles as much as I'd like to at work.  And those muscles really need a work out after a full day of editing, so by scrapbooking and writing, I'm working the muscles and getting stuff done.  It's actually quite good for me.  I've never been more tired than I am this week but even with all of that, I've managed to stay up until about 11 every night just working on fun things.

But with the complete and utter boredom at work and the madness of creativity at home, something's had to give. And that something is reading.  For the last year, I've been reading and average of 5 books per month.  This month I read 1.  I'm 20 pages into the second (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) but haven't picked it up in a week.  I think it has something to do with reading ALL day long, that has me avoiding it at night.  But hopefully, this too will pass. I have way too many books (bought 3 more this weekend) to be slacking like this.

But I also have a lot of scrapbooking supplies that need to be used.  Let's just hope I find a way to mix the creativity and the reading together and subtract just a little of that awful work editing.  Life would be fabulous!

Trivia Tuesday (A Little Late...)

~ Apparently, if you are in a plane crash, you are least likely to die if you're in the back of the plane.  Of course, not if the plane is actually hit by another plane. This was a conversation that was had this evening.

~ As an add-on - Would you rather die in a plane crash or live in a plane crash if 90% of the passengers on the plane died?  Also a conversation that was had this evening - one I really didn't want to take part in.  Why tempt fate when I'll be on a plane in a few weeks?

~ The first 2 questions of the evening were on Pepsi (the ad campaign that was suspended due to backlash) and SNL (who plays Sean Spicer on the show?)  The third question was on the largest sea in Europe (the Caspian Sea.) I feel that escalated a little too quickly.

~ Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms.  My only question is who cleans all of these rooms?  Instead of a cleaning service, I think the Queen must have a cleaning army.

~ When the category is The Hills are Alive - I really shouldn't have much faith in myself knowing the answer.  Though it's un-American (or so I've been told) I hate The Sound of Music.  However, even I know that the family she worked for is the Von Trapp family.

~ Daft Punk is from France.  3 things affected my answering of this question.  1. Not sure I could pick out a single member of Daft Punk in a lineup.  2. I wasn't entirely sure they weren't from America. 3. I'm not sure I could name a single song by them.

~ Having a quiz question asker that comes to pick up your answers from you so you don't have to get up each time is ridiculously convenient if not quite lazy on our part.

~ Math says that risking 40 points on a question where you've narrowed down the answer to 2 possibilities, requires that you choose the wrong answer every time.

Something New

Tonight was the very first time I attended an event that was intended for the press.  I've been to other shows on press passes but that just required me to see a show for free.  Tonight was all about interacting socially - in person (not so good...) and online (sorta good...)  I have to say it was a blast and I can't wait to do it again!

I was asked to live tweet a new theatre announcement for a small theatre company in Baltimore City.  They were having a cocktail party, and wanted someone to be there to cover the festivities online.  We settled on Twitter to cover the event, since the people at the theatre would already be Facebook Live-ing.  I'm much more comfortable with tweeting anyway - I was terrified of the prospect of having my voice or my face on camera - even by accident.

For the most part, the live tweeting went pretty well.  If I had to grade myself, I'd give me a 6 or a 7.  I'm not fabulous, but I'm definitely not awful either.  It doesn't sound like it would be, but it's a wee bit stressful.  You need to keep track of hashtags, and handles, then you need to keep track of who's saying what and make sure you're attributing quotes to them.  Also, there's the spelling names correctly and proofreading to make sure everything is spelled correctly and is grammatically correct.  These are all of the thing I'm thinking about as I tweet so if they're not Lin Manuel Miranda-level clever, now you see why.

Anyway, the whole evening from start to finish was a blast.  I was reminded again, of just how much this theatre community rocks and just how kind and open these people are.  I hope opportunities like this keep popping up because they continue to make my heart very happy!

Something Rotten! Takes Baltimore

I saw the hilarious Something Rotten! in New York 3 times.  It's one of my all time faves thanks to the fabulous cast they compiled and the ridiculous number of inside theatre jokes they managed to pack in.  It really is a laugh a minute show!  So I was very excited to see it here in Baltimore with 3 of the fabulous actors that appeared in the Broadway version (just not when I saw it) - Adam Pascal, Rob McClure and John Grisetti.  

Now, I did actually see Rob McClure as Nick Bottom, my last time seeing the show.  And I thought he was so great.  He's like a mini Brian d'Arcy James. He's got the singing and the dancing and sounds and even looks a lot like Brian so he was perfect for the part.  I really liked him in this version as well. John Grisetti was a new Nigel to me and while he was no John Cariani, he brought his own neuroses and weirdness to the character that was also perfect.  Nigel wasn't as overly-worried this time around, but he was still very, very funny. 

My main problem with this version was Shakespeare.  Now, before I say anything I want to say that I love Adam Pascal and I loved him in RENT. He's amazing and has an amazing voice.  I just don't think he's so fabulous at comedy.  He's definitely not Christian Borle - who was perfect in that part!  Adam had all the swagger and rock-star-iness but none of the joke-telling.  He was also pretty terrible with his York accent which was a plot point.  In one paragraph, he was from York, then England then Ireland.  It was just a teensy bit distracting.

As for the rest of the cast and the show it was awesome as usual!  All of the fun and eggs were there.  I did notice one song though, changed from the original production which I'm a bit perplexed by.  I've never seen a touring cast just cut a song before.  But it didn't do much to the plot so I suppose it wasn't such a big deal. All in all, Something Rotten!  is the most fabulous way to spend Shakespeare's birthday!

Friday Five

1. The rave reviews that Hello Dolly! is getting is making my wait until next month seem that much longer.  It sounds like Bette Midler and David Hyde Pierce are positively delightful - and really, was there ever any doubt?  I cannot wait to see it in all its glory!

2. This guy has some serious determination.  Andy Karl is a Maryland guy which makes me love him even more than I already did.  And his work in Groundhog day is gaining some rave reviews as well.  But when he hurt his knee 2 days before opening, everyone thought he'd never make opening night.  But somehow - knee brace, torn ACL and all - he managed to sing and dance his way to a standing ovation when the curtain came up. Love it! 

3. Saw someone post a quote on Twitter this week that perfectly sums up my very existence: "I'm sorry for the things I said when it was Winter!" : )

4. Ok, I've been holding on to this one for the last few weeks.  I'm sure everyone's seen it by now, but at the time it premiered, I may have gushed just a little too much and thought that blogging about it would be overkill.  Andrew Rannells singing Smash on Girls.  Seriously. The song is fabulous.  However, what I loved about this episode was the 10 minutes after this when he had to prove that he could not only dance (he can) but dance with basketballs (he can't).  I've honestly never laughed so hard at 3 minutes of television in my life, but I can't seem to find it anywhere online.  So if you have HBO, do yourself a favor and watch it (Excuse the language though, it is HBO not CBS...).  If not, this 40 second snippet of his beautiful voice will just have to tide you over.

5. I sort of love having the chance to learn way cool things about Social Media.  There's something in the works that's pushed me to learn, and I've been having a lot of fun with it.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not Lin Manuel Miranda yet but I'm at least getting a wee bit better!

Trivia Thursday

~ In the great trivia travel tour of 2017, we learned that all bars don't have trivia on Tuesday nights.  So sometimes we have to test other nights.  Thursday nights are good in that we only have one more day of the work week but bad because we have to wait this late in the week to play.

~ Tonight's place was Max's Taphouse in Fells Point.  In the words of my friend Jen "Too much!" The bar was teeny-tiny, super-loud, and chock-full of people.  You had to practically complete a maze just to hand in each answer.  And hearing a single thing your team was saying was out of the question.  The only positive was the beer - for some people.  For me, even the iced tea sucked so it was pretty much a bust.  I suppose it's good that we all hated it equally so there's no chance of making this our new home!

~ Sometimes when you try to compliment someone on their Tardis tattoo that's on their forearm, but you tap your own forearm to make the point, they will think you're asking "what time the trivia starts" and get a little annoyed because it's not their "shindig." 

~ Even Tater Tots can't save a really crappy and loud night!

~ The first 2 questions were on Justin Timberlake and Twilight - I think this says something about me that I hadn't a single clue about the answers. I'm not sure what, but it definitely says something.

~ Connoisseur is the most ridiculous word to have to spell - and the fact that it's a word I've never been able to spell is a pain in the neck. Thanks to our other speller we were so close - just one tiny little "S" off.

~ When the series finale of Girls aired this past Sunday, and there's a category on HBO - you just know it's going to be a Girls question.  Also, yay for some of my Lena Dunham knowledge paying off!

~ Grams of Fat and Calories are 2 very different numbers...

~ When your team wins 2 rounds of shots, and still manages to come in very last place (for the first time ever!) you know that this bar and this trivia-dude and this crowd are not for you.

Life, Lately

Focusing on: Writing a lot.  I've been working to create a portfolio of work on clippings.me which is a cool little site.  I'm not sure I totally get the technology yet, but I've been playing around quite a bit with it, and tweaking things here and there.  So far, so good.  Now if I could make myself not get too bogged down with the details - like I have for the last hour or so...

Crafting: I'm still going strong on Project Life.  Up until this point, my motto has been "get it done." But now that I have a process, I'm starting to focus on quality of pages not so much quantity of photos.  I'm still really enjoying it.  I definitely like some pages more than others, but it's a pretty accurate representation of 2017 right now.  For the record, there's a pretty good amount of griping about Donald Trump - so I'm pretty sure that's what makes it accurate in regards to 2017...

Reading: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in preparation for seeing it next month in New York.  So far, I'm a much bigger fan of this book than I was of Matilda.  But then again, I'm only 20 pages in.

Listening: I'm hooked on Dear Evan Hansen, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Newsies and Come From Away right now.  I know what you're thinking.  A psychiatrist could probably gain a lot of insight from that particular collection of music. But the music is just so good!

Buying: BroadwayCon tickets - woohoo!  I'd say I can't wait, but BroadwayCon 2018 is in January, so I'm not really all about wishing my summer, fall and Christmas away.  Train ticket to NYC for a change in my mode of transportation.  I keep putting it off because the $100 price tag seems like a lot when compared to the cheap-o tickets from Megabus.

Eating: Chocolate Marshmallow and Chocolate Buttercream eggs from the Amish Market that are so darn delicious they should be illegal.  And leftover Lasagna from Easter made by Chef Dad which was pretty much the best food I've ever eaten!  So yummy!

Formulating: I have so many ideas and plans in my head for the future that it's often difficult to focus on the present.  Also, it's hard to pick the best ones to focus on.  But I'm trying. Because - and I'm not just saying this because they're mine - some of these ideas are really good.  I just need to figure out a way to execute them. And I need to be able to sucker some friends that get excited about these things too, to come along with me.

Social Caterpillar

I just spent a good portion of my evening setting up a portfolio for myself online.  In this portfolio I added a few of my favorite articles that I've written.  I also retyped a few things so that I could create PDFs to add to the site - however, I can't seem to find a font pairing that I like so they haven't been uploaded yet. (I spent entirely too much time looking at fonts on Pinterest...)  I've also linked it to my Twitter account so that anyone who visits it can see my Twitter.  I also took the time to change my photo on my Twitter and Instagram accounts so that they all match and look the same.  I also spent a good deal of time trying to decide on a Biography that I could use for my portfolio, Twitter and Instagram so that they would all look and feel cohesive.  This is how I spent my evening.  But in the words of my friend Kevin - I have questions.

Do I now have to be clever on all of these platforms every day?  Must I write long in depth articles on theater or books or travel then figure out a way to make them sound clever in 140 characters or less than add a photo to Instagram that instantly tells my followers exactly what the article is about?  Must I share all of my daily musings on these 3 platforms while also telling close family and friends on Facebook?  And most importantly, how am I supposed to find time to do anything at all exciting to write about if I'm spending my entire day updating various social media platforms?

These are the ideas that keep me up at night and that keep me from sounding the least bit clever on social media.  I try, I really do, but I've decided I'm much more interesting in more than 140 characters....

Podcasts for Dummies

I've never been a huge fan of podcasts.  I'd much rather see action than just hear it.  I never got into the Serial craze.  I knew what it was about but I didn't really care.  My friend on the other hand loves them and feels the need to stock up on dozens of them so she always has something to listen to in the car.  It's so not my thing but she's been trying to get me to listen to a few of them for months, to no effect.

Anyway, that's why it was a bit surprising for me to get sort of semi interested in S-Town after seeing it pop up on Twitter a few times this weekend.  The worst part is that I hadn't even heard of this particular podcast until I saw it on Twitter.  For something with huge following, I definitely should have heard about it before now.  Anyway, because my friend is the queen of all podcasts, I decided to ask her opinion.

It was not what I expected.  She stated that this particular podcast was beyond bizarre.  It started out as a murder mystery - her particular cup of tea - but by the end of the first hour, there turns out to not be a murder, just an Southern dude with lots of strange mannerisms and problems.  Her verdict was "nobody cares and avoid it at all costs."  For some reason, her play by play peaked my interest and I decided to listen to it.

Luckily, all 7 episodes were out on line and I was able to finish them all pretty quickly in one day.  It's good when your Monday includes mindless formatting - it leaves perfect time to listen to the craziness that is S-Town.  So how did I feel after my first podcast trial?  I have to say - I'm not entirely sure.

It was pretty interesting.  The gentleman was such an enigma that I found myself dying to know exactly what he would say or do next.  However, in the end, nothing really happened.  Also, the reviews that originally peaked my interest stated that it was so moving and handled with such class.  The presenter was very good at telling the story and trying to connect but I'm not sure the story itself was moving.  Sad - yes.  Moving - not so much.  In the end, I really should have listened to my friendly podcast expert and avoided it.  But at least I'm now more in the know than I was yesterday.  If only my podcast friend was into it too so we could discuss...

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Hope your days were filled with delicious food, loving family and wonderful weather like mine was! With lots of chocolate marshmallow eggs thrown in for good measure!

Pretty Perfect Saturday

I love Easter!  I'm not sure why but it probably has something to do with the fact that it's finally spring and the flowers are out, and the weather is beautiful.  So every year around this time, I'm incredibly grateful for everything and everyone in my life and getting to share this holiday with them.  Today was no different.  It started with breakfast with my niece than errands for last minute gifts then an entire day spent in the kitchen making yummy food with dad for tomorrow.  What's not to love about this fabulous holiday!?

Friday Five

1. Since the show Waitress opened on Broadway, a friend and I have been trying to get tickets.  However, the price has always been just a bit too high and there have been other shows that have taken priority.  However, when we heard Sara Bareilles was taking over, we knew we had to bite the bullet and purchase. That finally happened tonight!  The second of my 4 trips this May, is finally set.  Of course, I was ok to wait until Betsy Wolfe took over in June, but I think my friend would have killed me if I waited any longer!

2. I happened upon this site after In a Creative Bubble mentioned using her stamps, and I'm so glad I did.  Every single stamp set she has is absolutely adorable!  Not to mention, she also has Hamilton!!!! stamps.  Seriously?  How perfect are they?!

3. After seeing the horrendousness of what Sean Spicer said during his Press Briefing on Tuesday regarding Syria and Hitler, I needed a serious laugh.  I mean, honestly - his entire job is to not say stupid things and he goes up to the podium and says that?  Anyway, this made me laugh - probably more than it should have.

Josh Lyman's secret plan to fight inflation doesn't look so bad now... pic.twitter.com/R9hya8B3r8

— Kristen (@ScrappyTravels) April 11, 2017

4. With the return of the original King George to Hamilton, this video along with the Coro-re-knee-tion of Brian made me so very happy.  Of course, I'd be much happier if I had tickets to see his return!

Thank you @HamiltonMusical Th King has returned. pic.twitter.com/hTiRhqh4Ch

— Taran Killam (@TaranKillam) April 14, 2017

            

5. Spending Good Friday in my usual way - not at work, shopping with my mama.  Great Friday indeed!

Saying No

What is it about saying no that's so difficult?  I've never been good at it at all.  Ultimately I want people to like me so by saying yes to things, I assume they'll do that.  Of course, that's the problem.  They will like you but they'll also continue to ask you to do things for them.  It's a vicious cycle - one that's I still haven't found my way out of just yet.

Last week, after complaining about being a witness in court incessantly for months.  I was given an out. The prosecutor said if we wanted to be out of the case we could, she didn't mind since she only technically needed 3 of us instead of the dozen or so that was there.  When asked, what did I say?  I said, if she really needed me I could be there.  What is wrong with me?!

Today, after that ridiculous experience, you'd think I'd have learned my lesson when another manager assumed I'd work overtime over the next few weeks, doing menial tasks so he could "burn hours that he was allotted." I came prepared to say no - with a calendar of days that I could not work overtime due to other engagements.  And what happened next?  I walked out with a promise to tell him when I would be able to make it work in my schedule.  Ugh!  Don't get me wrong, the thought of extra money for England is lovely, but it's also tiring as heck since I'm already working full days.

All of that being said, I know I need to change, and I'm really trying to do that.  Of course, the flip side of the coin is that by saying yes to most everything, I also happen upon fun experiences as well.  Like volunteering for the Film festival, writing for BroadwayWorld and seeing new shows I'd never think to see.  So all in all, it can be a very good thing.  But after the outcomes of the last week - not appropriate in every situation...

Trivia Tuesday

Back to trivia on Tuesday this week.  Because of this whole traveling team thing - due to the best bar ever closing down - we've had to try new places.  This week's bar was super close to home and had trivia a whole half hour earlier.  That meant with driving and things, I'd be home an hour earlier than usual.  I should have known it would all be too good to be true.  The service was terrible.  The other theater people were a bit redneck-y and the food wasn't even that good.  Ugh!  So much for finding a new home close to home...

~ Our streak of winning first place each week at our travel destinations ended this week, too.  Boo!  Of course, we still managed to make a pretty good showing.

~ My unlimited knowledge of 2017 Master's trivia that I thought for sure was going to be a question this week, did absolutely nothing for me.  Not a single question on golf but a few on basketball.  Why does anyone know anything about that ridiculous sport!?

~ Teamwork makes the dream work as they say.  I knew Katey Segall was in "that motorcycle show." And my friend Kevin knew "that motorcycle show" was called Sons of Anarchy.  How's that for working as a team?

~ The only time I had ever heard the word Rumspringa was on an episode of Bones set in Amish country.  Glad to see that my great taste in television helps out every once in a while.

~ Most people on our team have a top 5 television show list that they'd watch all the time if they had to.  Apparently Dawson's Creek is on that list for one team mate.  Why?  We all judged her pretty hard for that one.  But she did get the question correct so we can't judge her too harshly.

~ I was fairly convinced that Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney sang Ebony and Ivory together.  However, I was wrong.  Turns out that's a whole other song.  You'd think that the Ebony dude on my team to my Ivory would have corrected me since he knew it was wrong, but not so much. I don't think he and I are going to make as good a duo as Paul and Stevie Wonder...

The Not So Friendly Skies

Each day I read the news and think that it can't get any stranger, and then of course, it does. Usually it has everything to do with the current president and his administration, however today's weird news story has absolutely nothing to do with him. Although, he'll probably find himself in the middle of this mess eventually - he usually does. 

Last evening, for some inexplicable reason, the people at United Airlines thought it was a great PR move to forceably drag a doctor off one of their airplanes.  A doctor that had the misfortune of being chosen to "volunteer" to get moved to a later flight.  A doctor whose excuse for not being able to take a later flight was that he needed to be at the hospital in the morning to see patients. As a good friend states - I have questions.

For instance, how in the world did this situation escalate so violently and so quickly?  The doctor was minding his own business and by all accounts was rationally explaining why he couldn't change flights.  At that point, why didn't the United flight crew move on and choose another passenger to volunteer?  The whole thing would have been over, and the economy of the entire company may not be in danger right now. 

Or, why in fact was the plane booked over capacity anyway?  These issues are usually handled at the gate not once passengers are on the plane.  Why was a number that was greater than the number of seats they had allowed on the plane in the first place?  And more to the point, why in the world was the plane sold over capacity in the first place? Is this common place and if it is, how is this good for business?

And lastly, can you imagine being on that plane with a child or even just with friends and witnessing this awful scene first hand?  How does one fly after that?  Or how does one decide to stay on that particular plane after something like that?

The entire situation is just scary and most definitely odd.  Never have I worried about something like this happening on any airplane that I was on - crashes, engine issues, even just being next to a screaming baby - but never being forceably taken from a plane.  But you can guarantee I will be thinking of it the next time I'm on a plane, and I'm sure loads of others will too.  Way to go United - you really made the friendly skies a lot less friendlier...

Unknown Territory

Today, courtesy of BroadwayWorld (look for the review later this week) I had the chance to visit the Vagabond Theatre in Fells Point to see The Odd Couple.  Neil Simon plays are always fun and funny, and this one was no different.  The acting and the setting were great.  Whenever I visit Fells Point, I always ponder why I don't visit there more often.  After the 15th time of rounding the block looking for a parking spot, I usually remember.  The parking is awful!  However, on such a beautiful day it was no wonder - everyone was out enjoying the beautiful weather and being on the waterfront!

Maybe, just maybe I'll get a little less annoyed this summer with the parking and head down there more often.  With all the circling of the block, I definitely found at least a dozen yummy restaurants to try!

Saturday Catch-Up

The reason I've been writing so sporadically is because computers are simultaneously lovely and annoying.  Mine decided to do a nose dive and for some reason black screen every 20 minutes or so.  I have no reason for this other than the gremlins are getting restless.  That's the beauty of working for a tech company - loads of computer nerds to fix things when you need them to.  Of course, when those computer nerds are in the midst of a huge work load, you wait until they have time to fix things.  We're going on 2 weeks now...

Luckily, I do have a work computer which is also having some gremlin issues.  It doesn't actually like to charge you see.  And since my house is built ridiculously annoyingly, no chairs are near outlets.  So it's a bit of a pain to find a spot to write that doesn't require me to be completely uncomfortable while doing so.  That's where I am right now.

Aside from ever present technology issues, everything seems to be going smoothly here.  I've been lucky to see loads of theater this month.  Like I said, some were good and some were odd.  You can find my full reviews of Rent and HT Darlings Magical Musaeum over at BroadwayWorld.  The coolest thing to come out of either of these shows is that my review was quoted in their Press Release.  It was fun to see my sentences there!  Maybe this writing thing is going well?...

Anyway, added to the list for April is The Odd Couple at the Vagabond Players tomorrow.  Love that play so I'm hoping for a great production!  Before that, there'll be some fun time in Annapolis soaking up this beautiful weather.  Then after, hopefully some more writing - as long as the gremlins let me do so...

My Day in Court

A few months ago, my car was broken into. The kid - I'm sure it was a kid - stole a $5 phone charger and an old George Foreman grill. Nothing was broken or damaged. There were signs up saying to be on the lookout for this so I called the police and let them know. Apparently, that is akin to "filing a report". This means I'm somehow involved in this case. Fab.

Today was his court date and I learned a few things during my very first experience in a court room.

~ The courthouse door is guarded by about 10 men over the age of 70 and a broken metal detector.

~ I'm a terrible judge of character. The guy in a suit I thought was a lawyer was a defendant, and the junkie looking guy was actually just a witness.

~ Judges are allowed to drink fancy smoothie drinks through bright orange straws while in the bench.

~ Busy-body witnesses love to use terms they learned on CSI when speaking with lawyers who are just trying to get through their work days

~ Even if you have nothing to add - for instance, if you were asleep when the crime occurred - you can still be called as a witness.

~ If you've fail to appear in court at your particular time, a bench warrant will be issued immediately. This is the only thing I witnessed that was the same as in the police shows I watch.

And lastly, if all courts are run as inefficiently as this one was - based on the system, not the officers and attorneys trying to do their jobs- it's no wonder we have a crime problem in this country!

March Reads in Review

In March, I epically failed in the reading realm.  I only read 2 of the proposed 4 books for the month.  That's not to say I didn't start many books.  I actually started about 5 others, but I could not get interested in them at all.  I'd read about 20 pages, get bored then start something else.  It may have something to do with the amount of reading I've been doing at work in the last few weeks.  I spend my entire day reading student guides and instructor guides, that when I get home the last thing I want to do is read any more.  I'm hoping that changes this month.  I've a goal to hit in the book department.  But the good thing is I'm already ahead for the year based on what I read in January and February so I'm still on track.

What I did manage to read in March are 2 books that couldn't more different from each other.  One is a Girl Power book by a feminist and one is a kids book by 2 theatre nerds.  But both were fabulous!

"Not that Kind of Girl" by Lena Dunham: I was never her biggest fan until I started watching Girls on HBO and realized she's basically a genius.  She's a fantastic writer and is very, very funny.  She's also not afraid to speak her mind and own who she is.  I really admire her for what she's created.

"Jack and Louisa: Act 3" by Andrew Keenan Bolger and Kate Wetherhead: I've said it before and I'll say it again, these books are awesome!  I love that they're about musical theatre but also about real issues facing kids today.  I hope that kids are reading them and loving them as much as I am!

The Me That Lives in 2017

1. Brunette instead of mousy brown
2. Fairly long fingernails that I love painting all sorts of fun colors
3. Reads even more than I used to - all sorts of random books
4. Loves playing "dress-up" even though I don't get to do it as often as I'd like
5. Wears "brainy specs"and totally feels like Doctor Who
6. Makes a trip to NY about once a month - most often more
7.  Feels quite comfortable in the city alone - though goes a bit stir crazy if left to my own devices for too long (as in "snowstorm's length")
8. Has finally figured out how to do Project Life and have kept up with it for 4 whole months so far
9. Loves to eat pretty much anything - especially new things!
10. Angrily yells at news stories online when the ridiculousness gets to be too much
11. So over our President and his insanity
12. Loves creativity and the arts
13. Is head over heels in love with the theatre community
14. Can chat with strangers sometimes better than people I've known forever
15. Haven't yet met Prince Charming - did he get lost along the way?
16. Haven't gotten a dream job yet but have finally figured out what it should be
17. Loves the act of exploring new places
18.  That being said, could get lost trying to find my way out of a paper bag.  Thank god for the "Lady in the Box" (GPS)
19. Fully supports Equality for All
20. Feel like I should have been born in Great Britain instead of the US
21. Tries to be nice to everyone
22. Listens and sings along not so quietly to Broadway show tunes at my desk constantly
23.  Is very, very tired of working with gross boys - where are the lovely cute, polite and non-cursing boys?
24. Is too indecisive to pick something from Netflix to watch
25. Checks Twitter, Instagram, an Facebook an obscene number of times each day
26. Really loves to write
27. Lives for Spring and Summer and Hate, hate, hate Winter
28. Tries very hard to be a traveler and not a tourist
29. Tea - totaller - though sometimes I'll throw in a margarita for good measure
30. Sorta kinda wants a tattoo but is too indecisive to ever get one
31. Totally enthralled with talented singers and tries to figure out how they do that with their voices - I've been completely vexed so far
32. HATES the age that's attached to me right now!
33. Would very much love to move somewhere that doesn't require me to own a car
34. Is looking forward to all sorts of wonderful things in the coming year!

Fabulous & Fun

This weekend was full of all sorts of wonderful things - new things that I've never liked and old things that I always love.  Basically it was a wonderful weekend!

As I said on Friday, I went to see Rent and fell back in love with this beautiful show.  It makes me cry every single time, and yet I still go back for more.  This time around it was a little different.  What always makes me cry, made me cry but once I started I couldn't stop. Some of the songs just hit me harder than usual.  But by the end I was smiling again - through my tears of course.

Then on Saturday, I woke up early to volunteer at the Annapolis Film Festival.  I don't even like films, but for some reason I thought it might be fun, which is strange in and of itself, since chatting with people that I don't know has often been called my nightmare.  But this weekend I discovered something.  Chatting with new artsy people is super fun.  The people that were volunteering with me were positively lovely.  We chatted about theatre, travel, movies, food and everything in between for a good 6 hours.  And it was wonderful.  I was actually sad when it was time to leave, that I hadn't signed up for another block of time.

After that, it was off to paint pottery on Main Street in Annapolis.  Now, painting is definitely not my craft of choice, but I had such a great time.  The best part of this studio is that they don't charge for a sit fee.  After some hemming and hawing, I finally decided on a candy dish that I then painted in a Falsettos-inspired motif.  I loved it before it baked and I'm super excited to see it next week after it gets fired. 

After a busy Saturday, Sunday was spent with family and friends eating the absolute best Mexican food and chocolate-coconut cake.  Like I said, it was a pretty much fabulous weekend and I'm hoping plenty of wonderful weekends like this are in my future!

No Day but Today

Every single time I see Rent, I turn into a blubbering mess. Every time! I know what's going to happen and exactly when it's going to happen, and yet it still kills me each time. Tonight's production was the 20th (!!!!) anniversary tour at the Hippodrome. And while it wasn't my favorite, it was pretty darn great! Even though it wasn't my favorite, tonight's show hit me a whole lot harder than usual. I'm still not sure why that happened but I was pretty much crying straight through the entire second act. I'm sure I'll be looking rough tomorrow...

But it's so worth it to have that experience again and to get the same chills in all the same places in the story. For anyone that's wondering - it still stands up and it's still absolutely beautiful from start to finish!