Back in O

Thanks to my procrastination in packing I didn't get to bed until 1am. Then I had to turn around and get up at 3:30am or so to get ready and out the door for car service to the airport and my EARLY morning flight! (Leaving early always pays off once you arrive @ the destination but there is a moment of "why so early?!" when first starting out! ;) )

While I was waiting on the 2nd half of my flight in MN (and chugging a mocha steamer from Dunn Bros.) I complimented an older lady on her turquoise necklace. She flashed the turquoise jewelry that also covered her fingers and wrist and said - "My son owns a pawn shop and he's generous." Later she told me that the necklace actually came from QVC or HSN if I wanted one for myself - she couldn't quite remember which but admitted she spends a lot of time sitting in front of both!

Landed in Omaha to a mix of rain/sleet/snow - ahhh, Nebraska!

A friend picked me up, I dropped off my luggage w/ another friend who works downtown and then treated my driver friend to lunch @ Upstream! :) Mmmmmmmmmm.....dill havarti mashed potatoes!

Then I was dropped off @ 13th Street Coffee to meet another friend. And later Delice to meet another lovely friend and then...it was time for dinner w/ my bro @ Famous Daves! Ugh. I enjoy all those places but not so much when I don't get time to digest in between! ;)

My bro and I headed out to meet a friend @ the MAC in CB to see the FOO FIGHTERS IN CONCERT!!! Yes, I was seeing them in concert again while I could! :)

My friend managed to get inside w/ a camera and took some great pics! And I have to say the audience in CB seemed to be a lot more into the concert than @ MSG. The Foos seemed like they were enjoying themselves a bit more too (maybe the fact that they were being taped @ MSG had something to do w/ that though) - Dave seemed to talk a lot more in CB, and they didn't play less either!

But I'm getting ahead of myself - actually made it there in time for part of the opening act show of Against Me! and my bro got to enjoy Serj - it was nice to have friends there to comment on his antics w/! ;) At times his little dances w/ the combination of the top hat he wore reminded me of Michigan J Frog.

When the Foos hit the stage, Dave apologized that they hadn't been there for 10 years - it was actually 5, but still he knew it had been entirely too long...maybe it felt like 10 years!;) The concert was sold out!

Other moments of note -

Dave dedicating "Big Me" to his "love" - Taylor.

Dave telling the audience to call in sick tomorrow "cause Dave said so."

Dave giving crap to a random audience member that was flipping him off (why would you pay money for concert tickets to flip the band off?!) Needless to say, Dave was using a lot of innuendo dealing w/ calling the audience member - cocksucker - and then apologized to young ears in the audience. Oops.

Afterwards I headed back to O w/ my friend and we stayed up late(r) catching up and checking out the concert pics.

I just realized I've been up since 3:30am and it's pushing 1am the next day! Whoa...sleep would probably be good. Gotta get up @ 6:30am....later this morning. ;)

Wicked

Thanks to a friend of mine I was able to get a ticket (at a discount even!) to see Wicked tonight.

Having stood in lottery lines for friends when they visited to try and get a ticket I knew if I even kinda/sorta wanted to see it now was the time - so I joined the group as we watched what happened in the Land of Oz pre-Dorothy...and post.

I sat between 1 guy that had read the book and 1 guy that was just a fan of the "Wizard of Oz" movie so it was interesting to hear what they liked and what they didn't. The "book reader" said that the musical took out a lot of the underlying politics in the book but other than that he was pleased.

Myself? Having not read the book I liked seeing how all the connections were made and I did not see the "twist" ending coming! It is understandable how this show has become a favorite as it is a good one for fams w/ tweens to see (not entirely a kiddie show - but really, neither was The Wizard of Oz!) Had I been a tourist, I probably would have bought one of their clever shirts but since I'm not, I thought I'd leave the shirt buying to others. ;)

Now to home and packing! I've got an EARLY flight tomorrow to NE!

Elevator Small Talk

Random convo on work elevator this morning (keep in mind that normally the only people you talk to on the elevator is someone from your floor) -

A man I don't know saw my latte in hand and said - First cup of the day?

Yep.

Still tastes good though, huh?

Yep.

(Which made me wonder...do the 2nd & 3rd cups taste better?!)

More Memorizing!

I got called into an audition for a regional theatre in which I (once again) had to memorize monologues in advance. This time it was for characters from The Glass Menagerie and Almost, Maine.

When I got to the location it was a suite they had rented out! Very nice! And since I had an appt - there was no line of actors to wait on and they actually recognized me from my headshot! Woot! :)

So I performed the 2 monologues plus 1 more monologue of anything as long as it wasn't like the characters I read for (fortunately I already had a monologue memorized that fit that description!)

When I was done I couldn't tell from the 3 faces looking at me if I had done good or bad. I asked about callbacks and they said there wouldn't be any as they were going to a regional cattlecall event (my words, not there's - there are conferences actors can go to where lots of theatres show up and potentially find their casts for the season) and then make their decision after that.

I left and a panic washed over me as it sunk in that I really should have followed advice that has been given to me on more than one occasion - read the script your monologue came from. I began to wonder if the way I performed the monologues were even appropriate for that character in that moment in the play. (Yes, that's right...I have not read The Glass Menagerie.) Honestly, I didn't have time to read thru them though - I need to look into SparkNotes for Plays! ;)

Tonight I had an audition at a Children's Theatre in town in which, once again, I had to memorize a monologue. I got there and started to look over their rehearsal schedule and saw that it was going to conflict w/ the show I'm in. Do I still audition?! I was told I could...if I wanted...so at least they would have seen me....I opted to just try it another time and not stick around. Save everyone time and I wasn't wholly confident I had my monologue down anyway. It would have been a possible in-road to a paid gig but as I was looking at the pics of previous casts on the walls, I'm not sure I would have fit the "type" they'd cast before. Perhaps another time, I will find out for sure...

Cat On a Hot Tin Roof

I saw "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" in previews tonight and what a treat it was to see the cast work their magic on stage.

I had never seen the show before (beyond once scene I remember watching Harley Jane Kozak act out for NE Rep when I was @ Theatre Camp @ UNL - random? Yes.) so really didn't have any preconceived notions about the show.

I was blown away by the amount of lines Anika Noni Rose (Maggie) had to memorize for that first Act. It's basically a long monologue with small breaks in between. And she was undressing and redressing and futzing the whole time. Terrence Howard (Brick) didn't really have a lot of lines at first so I felt his character really didn't "click" until his scene w/ James Earl Jones (Big Daddy). JEJ - Amazing!!!! That is HIS role. And Phylicia Rashad (Big Mama) must be having fun w/ her role - no trace of Claire Huxtable here. I was seated in the Orchestra section and saw the director, Debbie Allen, sitting in the side seats above (wonder if she was taking and giving notes still?). As well as the actor that will replace Terrance when he goes on vacation.

The audience I sat w/ was probably the most vocal audience I've been around and it was kind of fun. Howard comes out in a robe for the first scene so when he would shift on the bed to get himself comfy he would occasionally flash some skin to the audience in which hollers went up for those that saw. ;) They also rumbled at some of the back-biting words used.

Howard's daughter is in the show and she is definitely a child on stage w/ her daddy as opposed to an up and coming child actor. It was refreshing but since the other 2 kids on stage w/ her were child actors it didn't quite work.

Another thing that didn't work was the gal that played the maid. She didn't have many lines or stage time but when she did, she tried to work it as best she could which to me, was distracting and took the production quality down a notch. Another friend that went to the show pointed out that she was the understudy to Rose so I guess that explained her behavior a little but still...lame.

The set is fairly simple for the show as it all takes place in in Brick & Maggie's bedroom but the one thing that fascinated me most about the set was the invisible ceiling fan. You can see the shadow of a ceiling fan spinning on the bed but there is not one above. Quite the lighting trick!

The final touch for the show was the music - live saxophone music played during transitions.

Overall it was a show I'm glad I spent my money on.

The Journey to S.I. and back

Spent all last night cramming the monologue into my head for the audition tonight. Skipped lunch today so I could get off an hour early and at 4:30pm, I booked it to the subway.

Things looked good as I finally arrived @ the S.I. stop - was dodging & weaving around people trying to get to a Ferry Gate and then hit a roadblock when I came to stairs. No way to get around people, I was just stuck at whatever pace they were going. I checked my watch - I still had a few minutes til 5pm. I finally got up the stairs and saw others running so I started to run too and then a guy stood at the entrance waving his hands to stop us. The clock flipped to 5:01pm. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! The next one didn't take off for another 20 minutes or so...

Got onto the next Ferry and the trip was agonizing, as much like the stairs, I could only go as fast as the Ferry. Finally got to the other side and had to wait on a bus and I was quickly running late for the start of the auditions. Boarded the bus and met 2 others that were headed to auditions so if I was late, at least they would be too! ;)

Once we got to our stop, it was a big mess to figure out where the building that had auditions was on the fairgrounds area we were instructed to go to. It didn't help that daylight was gone, either.

Fortunately we seemed to be finding our way as we found a gated entrance. We flagged down some cops who shrugged and said they didn't know that area well - eek! What if there was an emergency?! Then we flagged down another car w/ a single driver. He asked if we were actors and we said, yes. He said he thought the place was up ahead and kept driving. An actor in our group wondered out loud if the driver was an actor, too and we all hoped he wasn't, otherwise he should have given us a ride! (Or at least that would have been the decent thing to do...)

Finally find the place and the auditions had started and the driver gives us all a sheepish smile. Nice.

I had about 20 minutes before I had to turn around so I could catch the bus and then catch the Ferry in time for the concert - at this point I didn't care about the opening acts, I just didn't want to miss the Foos!

So I go up to the gal @ the sign-in and apologize for being late but told her that I was told to ask her to get me in as I was rushed for time. 2 people went in after my request and by the time she told me I was to be next, I had to go.

I left a note for the person that had called me back to audition and left only to run into that person while I was hurrying to a bus stop. She called me by name and I think she thought I'd actually been able to audition when I hadn't. I didn't have time to straighten it out and figured she'd see my note - I could also feel tears of frustration building so I just wanted to keep moving.

I made it to the bus stop and in a few minutes the bus came. I ran on only to be told to get off. What?! The bus was having mechanical issues and just quit running. Lovely - I could have stayed for the audition!!!! By this time it was getting COLD out and the bus driver told us we could wait on the bus for another bus to come by but if the next bus didn't see us out there it wouldn't stop. Nice.

So I stood outside and lamented on the phone and FINALLY the bus came and then the painfully slow trip back on the Ferry. Then the subway. Then the dodge and weave around human traffic to MSG and then...I made it!

Whew!

And even saw the last half of the 2nd opening act - Serj Tankian (I had to text my bro as I recognized his voice singing "the terra cotta pie" song in my bro's car but couldn't remember the band he fronted for - System of the Down.) He is quite the showman and says what he wants.

It was my first time in MSG and I'm not sure why, but I expected it to be more than it was. It's just a concert hall. But it's probably more about the history - right?

The Foos finally took the stage and 2 songs in, the middle-aged guys that were supposed to sit next to me finally decided to show up. Since the rest of the row had already spread out the guys hardly had a place to stand so that put me partially out in the aisle and getting bumped into by the up & downers. After another song or two, one of the guys decided he needed a beer - then of course he came back a few song later, but then had to leave again because he had to go to the bathroom. Gah!!!

I had to remind myself why I was there - I was there to enjoy the Foos, I'd actually made it there to see the Foos, so I needed to concentrate on that...

Dave Grohl was his usual quipping self and the band became more than 4 as they split time between the main stage (for rock) and a smaller stage that extended out in the center of the floor for acoustic. Dave used the walkway during his guitar solos and at one point started leaning towards the ground as he played. What is he doing?! Down the walkway was his daughter trying to crawl towards Daddy. Very cute - but I hope she had some earplugs!

It was nice to see Pat Smear w/ the group (I missed the acoustic tour he also joined back up w/ them on) and I was witness to potentially the 1st cowbell solo in MSG to which Taylor Hawkins commented, "If someone just came out of the restroom and heard that they were probably like, 'WTF'?!"

All too soon the concert was over but not really... The crowd clapped and hollered in rhythm to get them out for an encore and then all of a sudden the screens showed their set list from tonight's concert and then Dave's face appeared. No sound was heard as he gestured whether we wanted them back out for 1 song. The crowd cheered. 2 songs?! The cheers were louder. 3 songs? Then Taylor came on and held up 4 fingers and the crowd went crazy but then the camera went back to Dave and he held up 3 fingers again but then kept flicking up his fourth.

No matter what, they were headed out to play at least a few more songs!

Then, for real, it was over.

Posing @ St. Pats

I had President's Day off @ work and apparently so did the rest of the cast of the one-act I'm in rehearsals with as our director scheduled a photo day so we'd have pics for the Phare Play website.

Since the one-act takes place in a church what better place to take pics than St. Pats?! We blended in fairly well w/ the other picture taking tourists - although some would inadvertently get in on our pics causing a do-over.

It reached into the 60s today and after raining, raining it got really humid. I'm not sure, but I'm beginning to think the weather here might just be even more unpredictable than Nebraska's!

Got an email that I had been called back for an audition I went on yesterday. The show is in Staten Island - another one-act show, but they did mention a stipend! All the plays take place on the S.I. Ferry and it is a 24 hr type festival in the fact that the director and cast don't get their scripts until a day or so before the 1st performance. So part of the callback is to memorize a monologue - for tomorrow.

The snag? (besides the whole memorize bit) I am going to the Foos concert tomorrow night @ Madison Square Garden and since it takes about an hour to get to S.I. and back I'll need to take off early and hope that my timing is excellent on all transfers, etc. The person in charge of the theatre told me that they would get me in right away and to let the person @ the sign-in know. So hopefully I can get in & out and get to the concert in time - the Foos FIRST show @ MSG!!! I can't believe they've never been there before and Fuse is broadcasting it live for those that can't be there in person - but since I don't have cable, I have to be there! ;)

I also have to be off book by Friday...hmmmm...here's hopin'!

Oscar, Oscar!

About a year ago I made a trip to L.A. and while I was there I viewed their "Meet the Oscars" display @ the Kodak Theatre. The highlight of course is that you get to pose w/ an Oscar. I knew they had a display in NYC last year too so I wondered if they'd do it again this year....and they are!

The NYC display is @ ABC Studios (the same place Dell was set up w/ their pics w/ Ice T offer) in Times Square. A co-worker & I walked over there during our lunch and had our "Oscar moments".

Now I can say I accepted the Oscar on both coasts! ;)

Surprise Tulips

All the little shops and vendors wouldn't let you forget it's that "Hallmark Holiday" even if you wanted to!

Roses are displayed in massive quantities and spill out the door onto the sidewalk.

One vendor hollered about his 2 for 1 Teddy Bears - Isn't that risky to get those - what if who you got them for recognized them as the 2 for 1s, too? Eh...

A few hours into the workday we got a couple deliveries from 1-800 Flowers and 1 was addressed to me. What?! Oh, I thought, this is probably for the office or something weird since I'm the receptionist.

I open it up and it's tulips...from my brother! How sweet is that?! Totally unexpected and a surprise that it would come from my brother. The note inside said that I deserved flowers today and he also congratulated me on my past accomplishments and my future ones in NYC. I almost cried. Although my bro can be nice, it's not a typically expected gesture (we have our moments)...and because of that, it was very nice and unexpected!

Toasty

The snow turned to rain this morning and caused the snow that hadn't been cleared from the sidewalks to turn into huge pools of slush. Needless to say, my feet were absolutely soaked by the time I got to the subway.

By lunchtime, you couldn't tell it had snowed yesterday and I decided to make the trek to Herald Square over my lunch - hey, my feet were already wet - right?!

Thanks to The Metro I found out that Dunkin Donuts was having a promotion - i.e. free food samples and coffee - in Herald Square (in their "Toasty Tent") to promote their new "toasty" menu items.

Once again I was amused by how in NYC, 1 per person does not apply when it comes to samples (except for Godiva Chocolate samples). Instead, it is as many as a person can hold and it's not even like they are sneaky about it. One gal stood there while the worker held the plate and announced she was going to take "a few".

The toasty samples were tasty but since I obeyed the 1 per person rule - it wasn't much of a lunch. ;)

Tonight I rode and rode and rode to a spot in Brooklyn to audition for a show @ a community theatre there. It was kind of refreshing to mingle w/ people that I would have seen @ a BLT audition. They were there because they enjoyed it - sometimes I think the actors around here are so into the "pursuit" that they forget the fun. It's understandable, but it's sad, too - cause then what is the point? Oh...well, maybe for some it's not about fun but eventually making lotsa money! ;)

No monologues for this audi. We just had to read sides - in front of everybody! Hadn't done that in a while as lately it's just been me in a room w/ whoever is casting.

Anyway, I got done and the director said it was "very good" and that it was up to him now to decide. Yep. He "interviewed" me prior to my read and asked where I lived and how far of a ride it was - I didn't know as I had come straight from work. But I think the distance bit may have done me in. It is a trip but I was willing to do it as it was going to be a full length play and well - I'm kind of itchy to do one of those! Will see....

Make it stop, pleeeeeeeease!

Thanks to that lovely holiday coming up...CNBC has been overrun w/ horrible Valentine's Ideas in the form of annoying commercials.

The runner up that doesn't quite make me want to bang my head against my desk...but close, is the ad for "Pajamagrams" w/ a tagline that tells guys the best way to get her clothes off is to buy her pajamas. Really?! I've heard of people using this as a gift for people when they come home from the hospital but not as a Valentine's gift.

The WORST and MOST ANNOYING commercial goes to Vermont Teddy Bear where they play this catchy little ditty to a series of people getting and giving teddy bears that they just happen to be dressed like! Oh! And did I mention the background music includes the line - check out that boom! Yes.

A co-worker said that they also advertise on Howard Stern and another co-worker talked about how giving teddy bears is high school and that if her boy did that....well, it wouldn't be a Happy Val's Day for him...

So...guys...don't get your ideas from what CNBC advertises. In fact run in the complete opposite direction of those ideas and tell your friends.

In the meantime...I need to ice my forehead before that stupid commercial comes on again! ;)

More Auditions and Actual Snow!

Last night my callback went okay. Got to read w/ some fun guys. Young guys. Newer to NY than I am and asking if I had just graduated college, too. Er.... Also, ran into an actor that I did the Reality Aside Halloween Show w/. He said this was the first audition he'd been on since then...

Not sure when/if I'll hear back on that one but tonight I went to another audition for a short film @ the NY Film Academy. The director wanted me to come in so he could see if I was old enough.
I got there and realized that although he told me what floor - he hadn't told me which room so after a bit of running around I finally found where I needed to be and discovered I would be reading w/ a an actress I met during the Queens Players show I did. We had a scene to read from Garden State and they had us switch reading for Zach Braff's and Natalie Portman's characters - but not just a straight read. For example - they'd tell one of us to read it as thou our dog has just died and we know the other person did it. The other person then had to read it as thou they were coming on to the person w/ the dead dog. It was very interesting to see how the same scene could be played so differently! Not sure how well I did but it was fun and a challenge!
And during all of this it finally started to snow, for real, in NYC! We've had teasings but nothing that stuck - this was definitely sticking and also gave us wind chills of 7 below. Um...I think I'm ready for Spring now! ;)

Panicked and Random

When I went to lunch today I found a message on my phone from a person @ the Drama League that they were confirming that I'd be there THAT NIGHT as a volunteer for their gala. Ummm....

I panicked as I thought I might have missed an email! How could I have forgotten something like that?! I had a callback which I really wanted to go to but if I had committed to this I really should go. And then there was the snag of needing to be dressed up for this and THERE by 6pm! Which meant I'd have to scramble to buy something over my lunch and finagle leaving work early.

I called the person back and found out I had not actually missed an email. It was an oops on their part (I had emailed about volunteering but never heard back). Needless to say I had to pass on the opportunity to mingle w/ Broadway celebs but I did so with a small sigh of relief. Hopefully, I can still volunteer for their luncheon!

After that little panic attack subsided I went back to work and 2 men came in asking for one of the partners. I asked who they were and the older gentleman said he was her father and the other guy...well, the other guy was friendly and kind of acted like I should know him....I let the partner know they were there and then...I started to click...

It was RICHIE RICH! The former Party Boy (i.e. one of the inspirations for Party Monster) and now a designer. Fashion Week had been going on @ Bryant Park down the block but I still wasn't totally sure what the whole connection was.

He seemed nice and perhaps amused that I didn't recognize him as they left. You just never know who you are going to encounter around here I guess...

Applause! Applause!

When I first moved here I read Lauren Bacall's Bio, By Myself and the last part of the book talks about her prep, experience and performance in Applause! (A musical inspired by All About Eve.)

After reading the book, I discovered that I actually had a playbill from that show! (My dad had got a small box of old playbills for me @ an auction a while back and they made the move w/ me.)

Needless to say, I was curious about the show and then it was announced that Christine Ebersole was going to be doing staged concert performances of it @ the New York City Center as part of its Encores! Series.

When I arrived to claim my ticket, the guy @ the booth asked - You're not related to the Pennsylvania Vetters, are ya? Um...no.

I climbed to my seat and found out that those in the nosebleed section apparently didn't rate a "regular" program. We just got a very basic one-sheet print out. Audience members rumbled about it around me, muttering about a class-system. I know we didn't pay as much for our tickets but still...we did PAY! The theatre wasn't even sold out either...

The pic was my original view of the stage. During intermission I moved down but then ended up having an obstructed view and sitting by a couple from Europe (I couldn't place the accent...) that moved down too but wouldn't stay put as they kept taking turns leaving and coming back - it appeared cell phone related.

Needless to say, what I did see of the show was fun and well performed considering the time frame they have to prep for these staged events (see link connected to "staged concert" above) And Erin Davie is really one lucky duck as she continues to get to ride a wave alongside Christine (they were both in Grey Gardens, too.) Of course seeing the show made me feel even more out of it for STILL never having seen All About Eve. I know, I know...I need to get on that....

As I watched, it made me even more curious to see how Lauren would have played the character. And I also wondered if she every came to one of the performances @ the NYCC...

After the show, I was hoping to sneak down and snag a true program to match the one I had but no dice. The ushers made sure we were headed out and not in... :( *sigh*

$5 Entertainment @ UCBT

When I first moved here I was told by the actor that made "Bert" to sign up for classes @ the Upright Citizens Brigade because even if I didn't need help w/ improv it was the up and coming place to network.

Well...I did look into classes there but since it took me over a month to find a job, classes were quickly bumped to the bottom of my list as far as priority expenses...

Needless to say, I've yet to get signed up or even visit the place until tonight. The UCBT was hosting a handful of nights promoting the new book - Things I Learned from Women Who Dumped Me by Ben Karlin.

Originally I had wanted to see the night w/ David Wain but it was already sold out by the time I discovered it - Doh! So...I opted for a couple other guys ( A.J. Jacobs & Sam Lipsyte) that I wasn't as familiar with in hopes that the special surprise guest that night might be worth seeing, too. The host for the evening was Kristen Schaal - who is the lone fan on Flight of Conchords.

It was only $5 for an evening of entertainment so I figured even if the night wasn't smashing I really wasn't out much - and I will have finally been INSIDE the UCBT! The goofy thing about this event (and maybe all their events?) Is that even if you buy a ticket in advance you have to stand in a line outside. Then they let you inside to claim your ticket and then you get to stand in line again outside. Fortunately, it wasn't too horribly cold out!

When we finally got in...we were led to the basement of the building. Seats surrounded 3 sides of the stage. It was mostly open seating but with support columns and camera men (yes, it was being filmed) here and there you had to decide what part of the stage you were okay w/ being obscured.

The space has been well loved. For all the buzz about the UBCT you might expect it to be a little more polished & shiny but perhaps it's worn seats w/ barely any padding and the general feel of being in a basement of a house some college kids were renting is part of the charm? Once again...for $5 though, a person has no room to complain...

Oh! And did I mention that the guest band was "Fountains of Wayne"?! When Kristen came out she had a faux bone to pick w/ them - as apparently she used to be a member before they got all successful. Everyone's intro was sang by "Fountains of Wayne" and the band let Kristen sing along, too - they were trying not to laugh.

Kristen also shared her own personally traumatic experiences w/ dating past. For one story she used a cooking pot, lid and wooden spoon to act it out. Ya kinda had to be there! ;)

At the end of the night (well, actually an hour after it started...) the special guest came out and it was singer, Nellie McKay! I wasn't totally familiar w/ her but enjoyed her mix of tunes and lyrics. She had a rather retro Nancy Sinatra look going, too...

Something to list under "Job Skills"?

Stopped in the Starbucks near my work this morning and witnessed why the Starbucks employee probably doesn't get paid enough....

A homeless person had made himself @ home at one of the tables and 2 workers were trying to usher him out. One (female) was armed w/ a trashbag and another (male) w/ a bucket of sanitizer.

The female asked the guy if he was done w/ his newspaper as she slowly started to chip away at the stash he had brought in. He wasn't responding and finally she was left to keep repeating in a stern voice - "Sir, You've got to pack up and go!"

The guy finally commented on the bucket of sanitizer and asked if they were going to wipe down the table after he left. "Yes." They responded.

I have no idea how long it took them to get him out of there but I wondered if most businesses are left to deal with that on their own or if police do come to assist with that - where's the line drawn? I didn't envy those employees @ all but was impressed w/ how they were trying to take care of the problem anyway.

Super Tuesday

Tuesday was possibly even more super than the Sunday before in New York as the primaries were being held on the same day as the city celebrated their Super Bowl Champs.

A co-worker came in and talking about all the fans in Grand Central headed for the parade- his description actually reminded me of what Lincoln is like every Football Saturday. It made me realize that experience I've been a part of for several years is a lot more special than I realized. The energy that comes from celebrating and supporting a sports team is one of those things you can't do justice to by describing you just have to be there to witness it.

Alas, I couldn't witness the parade in person but CNBC did broadcast parts of it. Many of the players were videotaping the crowds as they passed by on the floats. Would be interesting to see what all they captured...

A bonus "super" was added on for me because I was attending an event @ the Paley Center. Gary David Goldberg & Friends. He was promoting his new autobio and actors from Family Ties - Meredith Baxter & Michael Gross, Spin City - Michael Boatman & Richard Kind, and Brooklyn Bridge - Marion Ross were to also be in attendance.

I had never been to an event @ the Paley and was surprised that my ticket got me a free glass of wine and a choice of some tasty appetizers! Since it wasn't assigned seating for the event though I didn't linger w/ the food for long, as I wanted a decent seat!

Since I don't trust my brain to remember everything I always have a small notebook with me for events like this - when I pulled it out to ready myself for notes a gentleman beside me asked who I wrote for. Uh...the handful that read my blog?!;)

As the time came closer for the event to start Meredith popped her head out the side door and of course everyone started to quiet. Then the celebs started to enter and the audience's buzz began to get louder as everyone started to realize that Michael J Fox was among those sitting down in the front row waiting to step on stage! I was so hoping that he would have a surprise appearance since I knew he had a close relationship w/ Goldberg and there he was!!!

Wine glasses and bottles of Poland Spring Water were at the ready for each guest and the evening began with opening comments informing the audience that the event was being recorded and that besides the sold out room we were in there were 2 other sold out rooms watching the event on closed circuit television in the center.

Goldberg's memoir is titled "Sit, Ubu, Sit". Sadly, Ubu has passed and Goldberg said that he hopes he's in a "frisbee field in Dog Heaven". The familiar pic of Ubu with his frisbee was taken by his wife in front of the Louvre in Paris before Goldberg hit it big w/ Family Ties. They had only $5 to their name @ the time. He used that pic as a reminder to not forget where he came from. He said that Ubu would never allow their heads to get too big anyway - taken care of a dogs needs tend to keep you grounded...

He considers himself to be the luckiest man in America (ironic he should say that considering the title of MJ Fox's autobio). Goldberg sadly recognizes how much things have changed since he was younger. The neighborhood he remembers in Bensonhurst doesn't exist anymore. Nor does the TV industry that he started in.

He said that the TV used to be the national campfire - simple, gracious, something the public trusts. It brought families together - that's not as true anymore...

A highlight reel was shown of the 3 shows - such a shame Brooklyn Bridge didn't last longer!

As the celebs were introduced to come on stage I was impressed that out of all the celebs sitting there, it was MJ Fox who stood up to assist Marion Ross onto the stage. As they made introductions they also pointed out that past crew members and writers that had worked w/ Goldberg were in the audience. And when Marion asked if anyone from Brooklyn Bridge was there it was pointed out that Matthew Siegel (who played the youngest grandson) was in the audience.

Discussing Family Ties - When Family Ties first started filming, their audience would many times consist of overflow from those that had wanted to see "Joanie Loves Chachi".
The story breakdown for a F.T. episode- pre-dance, dance and Alex apologizes.
Michael Gross said that he would often get asked for fatherly advice from fans and he would tell them to talk to the writers.
Goldberg apologized for the London episode saying that the idea was inspired by the fact that "Facts of Life" did a show in Paris. He thought - Well, if they can do a show in Paris we can do one in London!
Goldberg said that everyone had their own style of acting and he would sometimes have trouble catering to everyone's needs- however, when Courtney Cox joined the cast her only complaint was too many big words...THAT he could take care of!
When deciding whether it was time to end the series they said that there was only so many more times Alex could try to get Mallory off the phone especially with cell phones coming onto the scene. They also pointed out the odd juxtaposition of MJ Fox playing Alex while wearing a beeper in case his wife went into labor. Times were changing, it was time to end it - but once the final show wrapped there was a lingering thought...so stupid not to do the 8th season and get the money out of it!
During the 7 year run the crew hardly changed and when it ended it was truly like saying goodbye to family.

Discussing Brooklyn Bridge - Marion Ross's character was based on Goldberg's Grandmother. His grandmother commented that Marion was much prettier than she was and that Goldberg was never as good as the grandkids on the show.
Marion Ross said she used to ask the execs how the show was doing and they told her - With a hit like this, we can go bankrupt!
Ross was asked to come in twice to read for the role of the grandma before they decided she was right for it. She actually was very persistent about being considered for the role as Goldberg thought she may be too young.
When the show was cancelled, Goldberg said it was like his childhood had been cancelled.

Discussing Spin City - The amount of scenes shot for Spin City were above and beyond a standard shoot for a weekly show. Most shows last scene was labeled G. Their last scenes were labeled Double CC.
Richard Kind would ask Goldberg on more than one occasion to not be "Skippy" and to not make him "Skippy".

-Over and over again Goldberg would reference how lucky he was to work with such talented people. No matter how good the writing...if you don't have the talent to convey it, it's not worth much.
- Goldberg quote - You always want your character to have dignity.
- The actors all commented on Goldberg's distinctive laugh and said they'd always listen for it. If they got him to laugh they knew they were doing well!
- Goldberg prided himself on being "The Protector" for his actors. He would not allow network execs to interfere.
- When asked why "Brooklyn Bridge" isn't on DVD - Goldberg had no answer. He said it was a surprise to the cast of "Family Ties" when the 1st season came out as they had nothing to do w/ it.

There was so much more shared in the evening, that at some points I had to give up jotting because there was no way to catch it all.

Managed to snap some pics w/ my camera & cell but they didn't come out all that great. You can tell who people are though...I guess...maybe? In the pic w/ Marion Ross - the young man w/ the blue on his shirt turning away is Matthew Siegel. Then the other non-group pic is of Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter Birney and MJ Fox.

Hopefully footage of the event can been seen on the Paley Center Site, soon!

Super Sunday!

In my infinite wisdom (har) I bought tickets a while back on a date I knew I would have free to see August:Osage County. Of course, it never occurred to me that same date was SUPER BOWL SUNDAY! And of course, the NY Giants would be matched up with the New England Patriots for the big game, too. Doh!

Thankfully, I was going to the matinee - so hopefully, by the time I got to Brooklyn (the location of the Super Bowl party I was going to) from Midtown I wouldn't miss out on much...except maybe some commercials. ;)

August: Osage County has some powerful performances (The Mother and oldest sister, Barbara, specifically) and although the story line does provide for many jaws to drop, some of it is not new territory - for instance...a 40+ year old man making inappropriate advances on a teenage girl. It's odd to say but that story line is becoming a cliche. The "inappropriate old guy" was played by an actor I recognized from the movie "Murphy's Romance". Another actor in the show is best known to tv viewers as Meredith's Dad on Grey's Anatomy. It was nice to see him play a character that was a little more likeable - but not a lot. And for the Seinfeld fans out there, an actress in the show noted in her bio, her appearance in the "The Cigar Store Indian" episode.

The transitions from scene to scene were fascinating and mostly flawless as light would briefly be dimmed and when brought up again all the characters were in place - at least where I was sitting I didn't notice movement during the transition and the lights weren't that dark either.

Since I knew it was a 3 hr show I brought a Twix along to tide me over but alas the treat I'd baked for the party (pork & beans cake - actually a lot better than it sounds!) had successfully melted it. Unfortunately, that meant by the end of the show I was nursing a headache.

Stopped @ the Duane Reade next door to the ESPN Zone to get some water and a snack to hopefully cure myself before I arrived at the party and a line was still waiting to get into "The Zone" with people lamenting that the game had already started. Must hurry!

Finally got to Brooklyn and enjoyed the best plays of the game - I have to say...I'm not a diehard fan of the Giants but the fact that they were representing NY and had the potential to take down the Patriots - I was all for it! :) And for the first time in a while the game was better than the commercials!

And the GIANTS WON!!!!!!!

When I got back to Astoria, I came down the subway stairs and encountered a couple guys in Giants wear lamenting that there was no one out celebrating. Where's the love? I offered a "Go Giants!" as I passed and one guy jogged to catch up with me and gave me a high five w/ his friend adding - "Thanks, Sweetheart."

Close one, Cast in another

It was the last night of the one-act show I'm in and up until tonight they had 2 one-act shows running in rep. Tonight however they ran the shows back to back. Since I hadn't seen the 2nd show yet I stuck around and while waiting for the show to start I listened to a voicemail that told me I'd been cast in another one-act show (Spring Shorts) with Phare Play Productions!

My new director is actually a former co-star from a show I did @ Reality Aside Theatre. The character I'm playing is actually a switch for me as she's actually "normal" and less of a "character". And to make the world even smaller - the playwright that wrote the script, also wrote the script I did a reading for in August! It continues to amaze me how even in this big city - the theatre community world seems to be getting smaller and smaller. You never know who knows who...