Well, I have contemplated getting rid of my blog. I feel like it is just a place for me to talk about things that no one really cares about. However, I guess the people who don't care, don't have to read. According to Charlie, it's nice to know that someone is listening. I thought about journaling, but I know that I wouldn't keep up with that....not like I really keep up with my blog either, but oh well.
As ALWAYS, when I post, there is ALOT to catch up on.......I will try not to bore with TOO many details. But, hey some exciting things have happened.
When we last left off, I was reading Perks. I finished Perks, its wonderful and I reccommend that every one read it. I also saw the movie last weekend and it was perfection.
Earlier this semester David Spangenthal visited Weber State. David is a Weber alum who has been on numerous Broadway Tours and performed numerous times on Broadway. He did a residency with us and taught us a lot. He talked about his swift move to the city and the hard work it took to get him there. The Friday he was there, he taught us a dance combination that he learned at the auditon for "Cats" which he was later cast in. At the end of his stay we had an "Alumni Cabaret" with some other Alum from Weber that work a lot around the Salt Lake area. 6 students were invited to perform at this cabaret and I was one of them. It was such an honor to be a part of that cabaret and be able to sing for David. After the cabaret I talked to David for a little bit, and he made me feel very secure about my career choice.
Many, many other very exciting things have happened but I would rather not bore you with EVERYTHING right now. So instead I am just going to mindlessly chat about the end of the semester.
TODAY, I finished. I am DONE for the semester. I KICKED THIS SEMESTER IN THE ASS!!!! I am not worried about a single one of my classes, worked my ass off. But before we get to the end of the semester stuff, a couple weeks ago we had auditions for the spring shows. In the spring we are putting on "The Will Rogers Follies" and "The Comedy of Oedipus." I auditioned for both shows. I got called back for both, and even got called back for Oedipus! After auditions, callbacks, and a very long waiting period. I learned that I was cast in the ensemble and the Cowboy Quartet of "The Will Rogers Follies." I honestly couldn't be more excited. I am so stoked for this show. We start rehearsals January 7th....and we open Febuary 7th. Thats A MONTH of rehearsals. I LOVE short rehearsal periods and excited to do it with this show!!
Anywho, yesterday I had my final for Acting for Musical Theatre, a class that has really helped me grow as a singer, an actor, and a person. I know it sounds sappy, but this class really has changed me. Throughout the course of the class you pick and Imagery song, a presentational song, a duet, and a soliliquy to perform, analyze, dissect, apply it to yourself and just ACT and SING. You perform the song and then Jim and the class help by giving you obstacles and other things to improve the heart in the song. It gave me a totally different outlook on acting in a musical. For the course of the class my songs were "Giants in the Sky" from Into the Woods (Imagery) "Mr. Cellophane" from Chicago (Presentational) "Run and Hide" from John and Jen (Duet w/ Lindsea Garside) and "Sunset Boulevard" from Sunset Boulevard (Soliliquy). Then you pick a final song that you perform on the last day of class without any help or guidance. My final song was "Melisande" from 110 in the Shade. I feel so blessed to have shared my songs and my passion with the rest of the class as well as them sharing with me. I have seen some of the best performances I have ever seen in my life in that class and I can't believe the talent that I am with at Weber State. This class has helped me mature as an actor and singer and really helped me expand my repetoire.
Today I had my final for Acting 2. This class, has helped me grow even more. I have never really considered myself and "actor" and I have never really worked with any straight play material until I got to Weber. Last year in Acting 1 I did two scenes. A scene from Cowboy Mouth (Slim) and a scene from Angels in America (Joe). Two very different scenes that helped me grow immensly. This year I had the opportunity to grow even more and I didn't really quite accept the challenge until the last week or so of class. I always thought I was trying my hardest and doing my best but Tracy really helped me realize that I was really just producing what I thought and what I thought my audience would think was the best work. I am a perfectionist on stage. I have always just really had to learn the choreography and learn the music and know my traffic patterns. But here in Acting class it's different. I just have to be real on stage and I tend to make myself "hit the mark." But with my last two scenes in acting 2 I really strived to acheive this. After doing work on Antigone (Creon) and Romeo and Juliet (Romeo) we were asked what else we wanted to work on. I knew that I would to play a rough, tough guy character that was not like me at all. So Niki Waite and I chose to work on Danny and the Deep Blue Sea where I portrayed Danny. Along with my work on Danny... I also got to work with Shauna Ross on Grasmere playing William Wordsworth. Both of these characters were very different. William was a sweet, twisted, selfish eloquent man and Danny is a rough, broken, hopeless guy. With the help of Tracy and my lovely acting partners. I really acheived what I had been striving to acheive. I ended up just simply BEING on stage. Just being a natural guy. Just saying the words and having them be real. I really owe so much to Tracy and I know that I will continue to grow in her hands.
Along with my Acting 2 scenes, I also participated in the Directing 1 scenes where I played Stanley in a scene from A Streetcar Named Desire and also Billy in The House of Blue Leaves. I feel so honored to be part of a department where I get to work on so much in one semester. Just this semester I played: A bellhop, a punk, an optometry patient, a hat salesman, and two different frech waiters (all in Lucky Stiff), Creon, Romeo, Danny, William, Jack, Amos, John, Joe, Starbuck, Stanley, and Billy. THAT IS ALOT!!! I get to do what I love everyday and be so many different people.
SO THERES THE WRAP UP!!!
AHA! You thought it was over. But nope. This is the really blog post part.
Every once in a while I have days where I just want to get up and move to New York. (Like at least once a week) It usually starts with me looking at jobs on Playbill. com. I start to get looking at the jobs and I start to feel like I am missing out and missing my chance. But I know that I am not. As much as I wish I could be there auditioning for everything right this very second, I know that I can't. I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be and that schooling with only help me grow and that Broadway will still be there in two and a half years. I plan to bust my ass and get through school in the 4 planned years and move my little ass right to NYC. I really just want to start living my dreams in my dream city. But, for now I choose to focus on the present. Focus on perfecting my craft and never letting my fire burn out.
I will leave you with that.
Peace.
