Proof Theatre Is Not A Dying Art Form

In addition to more young people voting in the 2008 Presidential election, the youth presence was also higher amongst Broadway audiences in 2007-2008.  Of course the difference in those numbers is that a vote for President is for "youth" age 18 and above, and is an individual choice they make; the Broadway statistic is for those under 18 and presumably those tickets are purchased for them by their parents.  Nonetheless, both numbers show that this next generation is growing in both political awareness and theatrical awareness.  In these challenging economic times this is a silver lining of hope and promise for the future of the arts.

P.S.  This also means that the sticky sweet shows ... they create a forum for 9 and 13-year-old audience members, not yet old enough for the deeper shows.  In other words, before rolling our eyes at the "fluff" we should remember that they are reaching an important demographic and acting as a stepping stone for a lifelong appreciate of the art form we love.  So let's thank our lucky stars for Disney and the High School Musical franchise.  (And then be thankful when we get to watch or play the crazy dramatic power ballad too!)

Choked Up & Christmasy ...

... over Texas high school football.

thankful

i just skimmed back over my photos of 2008 thus far & took a moment to remember what i've been especially grateful for in my life this year:

people ...

1. kball
2. stara
3. stac
4. mg
5. kat
6. laur
7. ry
8. d
9. den
10. ash
11. jo
12. rach
13. shuff
14. graz
15. armi
16. gabe
17. tiff
18. adam
19. cor
20. aubs
21. kath
22. steph

experiences & new people ...

23. weekending in ct with the toronto boys
24. j waldman & b cline's classes
25. aubrey's wedding: running of the brides, bridal shower
26. being there for dk & seeing him get better
27. create providence: the progress, the support, the willingness to put it on hold
28. mg on broadway
29. photog friends c & e
30. leading worship with hallal: marca, wendy, kelci
31. dad in nyc
32. "joseph ... dreamcoat": performing, loving it, a renewed passion & energy
33. jeff, colin, shanna & my "joseph" cast
34. trinity grace
35. thomas scott & ddo agency
36. darin adams & my new voice
37. callbacks
38. vp's class
39. the courage to take @ ucb
40. barack obama: hearing him speak in CT, watching him become the president elect
41. "42nd st": working, being challenged, c's direction, m's choreo, life in beverly
42. toph, drew, jo, court, aj, dana, zak, ck & my "42nd cast"
43. traveling to switzerland

blessed constants ...

44. my health
45. my family's health
46. apartment
47. haven
48. bklyn church
49. growth in my career
50. falling ever more in love with nyc

amendments: how did i manage to neglect noting star's wedding & meeting bradley whitford?! so make the list up to 51 & 52 ...

Filling in the blanks

A little exercise from Alyson's blog. The goal is to answer each question with only one word:

Where is your mobile phone? Switzerland
Where is your significant other? Somewhere …
Your hair colour? Brunette
Your mother? Sweet
Your father? Passionate
Your favourite thing? Community
Your dream last night? Unremarkable
Your dream goal? Broadway
The room you're in? Comfortable
Your hobby? Wandering
Your fear? Dissappointment
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Grad-school
Where were you last night? Lecture
What you're not? Perfect
One of your wish-list items? Boots
Where you grew up? Cali
The last thing you did? Groceries
What are you wearing? Jeans
Your TV? Abc.com
Your pets? Someday
Your computer? MacBook
Your mood? Chill
Missing someone? Cast
Your car? MetroCard
Something you're not wearing? Eyelashes
Favourite shop? Anthropologie
Your summer? Nice
Love someone? Many
Your favourite colour? Blues
When is the last time you laughed? Afton
When is the last time you cried? Closing

And some self-interview questions from a design blog I like:

1. Favorite time of the year and why:
• As a New Yorker it’s those first few days between winter and spring when everyone seems collectively giddy, delighted with how beautiful it is, and pouring into parks to revel in it

2. Favorite things to wear:
• Dresses that make you feel flirty, coats in bright colors, anything that has a vintage 30’s-50’s feel to it, great fitting jeans

3. Top 3 favorite smells:
• Something sweet baking in the oven
• Christmas: cinnamon, pumpkin, pine, etc
• Boy’s t-shirts that smell like laundry detergent

6. Favorite animal:
• I was obsessed with flamingos starting in the 4th grade, but I adore dogs most of all

7. Top 3 events in your life so far:
• Living in Heidelberg, Germany for two summers (for the travel & adventures of a lifetime)
• Getting cast on the “42nd Street” tour (for changing the course of my life, taking me to NYC, my Equity card & life changing growth on the road)
• My relationship with R (for what I learned, and the other relationships that came and went as a result, including becoming a part of Haven)

8. Top 3 favorite small pleasures:
• Coffee/tea shops
• A book you can’t put down
• West Wing

9. Top 3 favorite places in the world:

Have visited:
• London
• Heidelberg
• Venice (with Amsterdam & Paris coming close)

Want to visit:
• India
• Thailand
• Australia

10. Top 3 favorite sounds:
• Laughter
• Rain
• Music I want to choreograph to

11. Top 3 favorite things to eat:
• Pizza
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Bacon cheeseburger, fries & a chocolate milkshake

12. 3 favorite favorites right now:
• My NSMT “42nd St” experience: new friends, photos & videos
• Barack Obama really is going to be our President!
• TV show Brother & Sisters

13. 3 small ways someone has made your day lately:
• A girl named Afton introducing herself & calling me her hero
• S telling me again what a difference I’d made on her wedding day
• T looking for pens in Target to replace the one I lost

14. 3 small habits/quirks you have that make you specifically you:
• I throw my head back and/or clap when I laugh
• I readjust the Starbucks lid, cup, and sleeve so they’re all facing the same direction
• I’m really bad at walking and trip all the time

15. Describe your life using 6 words maximum for each time frame past, present & future:

Past: average, healthy, blessed, seeking, faith
Present: possibility, momentum, hope, community, longing, waiting
Future: adventure, success, stability, unknown, family

17. Favorite books, films, and music (3 in each category):
Books: Pride & Prejudice, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland
Films: Eternal Sunshine, Amelie, Sliding Doors + anything Audrey
Music: Josh Radin, Zach Williams, Mark Broussard

18. Name 3 words that you can't stand, and 3 that you love:
Love: delight, winsome, gumption; Not so much: curse words, panties, Achilles tendon

19. What is the best piece of advice you've ever heard?
When my big brother M told me never to let my day job become my career while pursuing theatre

20. What is your favorite quote and why?
Emerson’s quote on success because it truly sums up every aspect of living a full life: joy, relationships, making the world a better place, learning, overcoming disappointment

101 Things in a 1001 days ... (821 down, 180 to go)

Two years & three months ago I wrote this post: 100 Things in a 1,001 days.  I have about 6 months left until I reach that deadline.  

It's interesting to see which goals have shifted.  Applying to grad school, for example, is not something I want to do in the next 6 months.  I thought I would be ready by now, but today I'd say it's 3-5 years in the future.  And I can't expect to get called back for plays if I'm not auditioning for them, which I really haven't for at least a year or two, focusing solely on musicals.

On the other hand, I am remiss to see how few tourist things I've experienced in NYC, and that things like exploring parks, kayaking, and riding a bike have yet to happen.  Or that I still have 4 books I was in the middle of and have yet to complete.  (Having read two dozen others since, I clearly have some follow through issues!)

Then there's something like Star getting married or Ira walking which I had no personal control over, but was on my heart & I'm delighted to have seen come to fruition.

And I'm still a good 11 things short.  

Nonetheless, it's been fun & fascinating to revisit the list every few months.  It's an exercise I highly recommend!

Blogging from Boston

Apparently 2008 is my year in Massachusetts. After performing in "Joseph ... Dreamcoat" at Reagle Players in May/June and then "Remembering the 40's" in Cape Cod in September, I'm now at North Shore Music Theatre for October/November performing in "42nd Street".

The past 6 months have been a whirlwind of auditions, classes, day jobs, rehearsals, and performances, culminating with "42nd Street" and signing with my first across-the-board agent. After a patient 4+ years in NYC, I am so grateful for every good and promising next step that has come my way!

Photos, videos & quotes to come from what is already a phenomenal experience here in Beverly, MA ...

Monday Morning Joy

If you know me, no explaination is necessary as to why this NY Times article made me, in the words of Rachel Zoe, bananas: Aaron Sorkin Conjurs a Meeting of Obama and Bartlet

And as I'm MSNBC politics, obsessed the introduction to these two videos made my weekend too. Matthews is funny. Gregory is priceless. I had no idea I had a crush on him, but now clearly ...





In other news Team Stivitts pulled off a perfectly delightful wedding this weekend! I subsequently lent the bride & groom my camera for their honeymoon, but pics of the gorgeous bride & all her purple maids will follow soon. I am so deeply, richly blessed by what Jon calls our "urban tribe" or my family here in NYC.