Long-winded

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.

Parks and Perks

Time to start blogging again.
Lucky Stiff is going tremendously. It is a super tough show and way out of my comfort zone, but such a great challenge.
I am living in an apartment with my friend Trent in Ogden and it couldn't be better. Trent and I are almost the same person, so we get along really, really well.
I have two new loves in my life. One would be Parks and Recreation. I watched the first 4 seasons in about two weeks so I could catch up with the premier of season 5. It is one of the most brilliant televison shows I have ever encountered. Every character is brilliant and the show only gets better.
The second of the two would be Perks of Being a Wallflower. I am not quite finished with the book yet, but it is the best book I have ever read. Honestly.
I love my friends so much. Every single one of them. I love that I get to see them everyday. There are some friends that I wish I got to see more. Like Lauren, and Matt, and Jake. But I do have my great friends at school that I get to spend endless amounts of time.
I am extremely busy at school and always have something to do. I really like all of my classes at school. Even my english class isn't bad. History and Literature of theatre is an ass kicker, but it'll be good! I am singing some great songs in Acting for Musical Theatre and I can already feel myself improving. I also get to do the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet with Katie in Acting II which I am very excting for!!
Well, peace. I will blog more.
Tanner

Catch-Up Time Again!

Well, it's time again to play catch-up. I do this every once-in-a-while because I forget to post, then things happen and then I want to talk about them. Anywho, when we last left off I left you on a cliffhanger of callbacks. Both "Charm" and "Lucky Stiff" callbacks went great but I didn't really feel great enough that I was going to be cast in either. After "Lucky Stiff" callbacks I went to a "Xanadu" rehearsal then we rushed home and had the AAT Award Show. At this award show, not only was a nominated for a couple awards (did not win) I also sang "The Kid Inside" from Is There Life After High School and found out that next year I will act as the Historian for AAT (Associated Actors and Technicians, ya know, that club that had a cooking contest in my house.) After the award show we had a very fun party at "The Burrow" (The Andersen, Goertzen, Luthi(Now Monday) Residence) After a fun night, the next morning the lists were posted. Katrina Luthi and I walked together up to the callboard and we both saw our names. I am cast!!! I will be in the 4 person ensemble of "Lucky Stiff" at Weber State in the fall. (The show runs November 2-10). So thats that.
I also have been working a full time, 7-3:30 job with Bountiful City. While I thought that I was going to mow lawns, not a single lawn have a mowed. Instead I am assisting the Irrigation Specialist (Sprinkler Guy.) It is teaching me ALOT about sprinklers and ALOT about how I don't want to be an Irrigation Specialist. BUT, the paychecks are nice.
"Xanadu" closed it was a FANTASTIC experience and all ya'll who didn't see it should be sad. I danced around in gold booty shorts and a short purple dress and danced like a go-go dancer in a tube. So...yeah.
Well, I thought I was going to give myself a break after "Xanadu," but like that ever happens. Farmingotn City called me in to play Cornelius Hackl in their community production of "Hello, Dolly!" This process is a real-life "Waiting for Guffman" (which I haven't seen, just heard about!) It is very stressful and it is a pain to work with some of the very unprofessional directing team, but there are some gems in the cast and crew. I LOVE our music directors Amanda and Susan (Susan played Christene in Phantom....ON BROADWAY) and of course the wonderful Dolly herself Kim Tolman and the fantastic Adam West playing Hoarace. And I am lucky to be playing opposite such a talent as well. Julie Kland is playing my Irene Maloy and she is fantastic. So we will just stick together and power our way through this process!! hah!
After I had accepted this role, I got a phone call from Willy Richardson who was in Xanadu and is currently choreographing "Chicago" at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City. They were looking for another guy to dance in the ensemble. I wanted to accept SO badly. But I had already committed myself. HOWEVER, I think Dolly will be a better experience for my career and its another named ROLE on my resume....which I need. I also got a text from one of my favorite people Jenny Barlow, who was curious as to wether or not I would be audition for "9 to 5" which I so badly wanted to do. However, with Hello, Dolly and most imporantly "Lucky Stiff" I would not be able to particpate. I was bummed I couldn't do "9 to 5," but I honestly couldn't be more excited for "Lucky Stiff." I. Can't. Wait.
Other than that, I have been just relaxing. I hang out with my good ol pal Lauren alot. We go to City Creek and go out to dinner alot. Which, I like food. So thats good! Also, last night we saw "Brave" with the one and only Matt Beck and it was truly inspiring. It was one of those movies that you have definitely seen the story a thousand times, but it was o.k. because it was different enough and the film was really just beautiful. But you couldn't definitely just sit back and relax and watch the movie it was really great. Today I am hoping to see "Rock of Ages," or (don't judge me) "Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter." So yeah.
I am looking forward to starting school back up again and starting "Lucky Stiff." Next semester I will be living with Trent Cox. We have yet to find a place, but we will soon!!
Well I belive that is all...
Peace.
*If I have left anything out, please let me know so I can inform the people.*

Never Really Done...

My first year of College is officially DONE!! There are a few things I have learned in my time so far at Weber State: 

1)DON'T take HIST 1500 (pre-historic history) and DON'T take it from Moffett. 

2)DON'T proctrastinate on analysis

3)DON'T do shows outside of school. Practicum hours are a bitch.

4)STUDY!

5)Pay attention in class

6)Go to class

7)Be positive and happy and you will be positive and happy.

All this, and other things I have learned here at the Weeb. I couldn't be more excited to embark on another exciting year in the Theatre Dept. at WSU. I really love it there/here. 

Next fall Weber is doing "Charm" by Kathleen Cahill (play) and "Lucky Stiff" (musical) I have been lucky enough to be called back for BOTH shows. I am currently tunnel visioned and preparing for "Charm" right now. Those call backs are in just 2 short hours. I am trying to prepare to speak in Italian, which isn't easy when you don't speak Italian. But it has been kind of fun, and funny. "Lucky Stiff" callbacks are tomorrow and I will stress about those tomorrow. Hah! 

I really just want to be cast in one of the shows. I don't really care particularly which one, it depends on the moment lately. I just really want to be cast! 

ANYWAY, I just needed a "study break" I will further my preparation at this time.

Peace.

GOOD WEEK

I am loving where I am at right now. Had a fantastic week at school and with the run of "The Cradle Will Rock" which closes tonight. I have had SUCH a blast working on this show and I don't even think I realize how much I am gonna miss doing this show, BUT I am excited to move on to my next endeavour, Xanadu. Anywho, I just wanted to rant about how happy I am right now, as many times as I have said it, I think I am really find out who I really am. I am starting to make friends and meet more people that I just absolutely click with and people who are going to be very important in my life. I really feel, up at Weber, that I am a part of something great and HUGE and that for just a little bit I get to go to class/rehearsal/show and just think about that, and just think about where I am and what I am doing instead of stressing about where I am going for just a few seconds. It really is just a great, good-sized, fantastic program that I can constantly feel myself grow in and I would reccomend it to anybody. Even though these next few weeks are gonna be HELL with Juries(auditions for scholarships, audition only classes, and program admittance), audtions for the fall shows (Charm(play) and Lucky Stiff(Musical)), finals, Xanadu rehearsal, moving back home, and finding a job. Its gonna be HELL. But I think I seek out Hell, I like to place myself in stressful situations. I should stop that. But hey, I'm a theatre major.
Anywho, I really don't post a lot of my true, deep feelings because...frankly nobody wants to read that, so just for the record, there ARE other things that go on in my life besides the shows that I am in...but its all too... uninteresting to post. SO there ya go. Basically I need to hang out with my old pals, namely Jenna and Britny and Matt and my good pal Lauren. That's about all.
Peace.

There's Gonna Be A Party All Over The World!!

After my many, many auditions I got some shitty news.
Playmill said no. Which was kind of a kick in the pants at first. Then I realized I was happier, and better off. I STILL haven't heard from Tuacahn. However, that is fine because at this point I really don't want it anymore. I started to actually get stressed about being cast there. In January I was gung-ho (???) about it. I was totally fine to take Fall semester off and get me some equity points, mostly because I wasn't LOVING school. After I got cast in 3 fun directing scenes, and am working with a KILLER cast and director for The Cradle Will Rock (Playing March 23-31st, no show on Monday, in the Eccles Theatre at Weber State Univeristy) and playing a pretty fun part, AND going through KCACTF (sorry about all of the bad grammar). I realized that I REALLY like Weber. I REALLY like the people that I go to school with, and I REALLY like the professors that I get to work with every day. I have got the opportunity to play two awesome and completely opposing characters in two iconic plays in my Acting 1 class. I am just really having fun and learning SO MUCH, even though I HATE character analysis....and I have to do two. WAH WAH! Anyway, my point. I decided to audition for a show at The Grand in SLC that Jim Christian is directing. I am crewing for a show at school that conflicted with auditions, so I had to do a little special auditon with some other people that couldn't make it. Well long story short. I started to want this REALLY bad. It was perfect. Working with Jim. A paid gig. AND I got to come back to school in the Fall. I GOT CAST!! Wahoo!! I will be playing Hephaestus in XANADU at The Grand this May!

CLICK THE PICTURE TO BUY TICKETS!!!

And I literally COULDN'T be happier. I get to work with a KILLER cast and get reunited with some old friends. Like my old summer show buddy Ashley Carlson. So basically that is just GREAT!! And that way I get to go to San Fransisco with my friends in June and go to Vegas and the Beach House with my family! Then get ready to go back to good ol Ogden in the fall.
I am also making new friends. I have known people for a while, but it is always good when you start to get to know them better. And maybe I have a crush on someone too....maybe I am just super happy. :) Anyway. Just wanted to let you know. COME SEE XANADU!!!!!
Peace.

2012

Long time no see. I presume that it is my fault.
Well, its January. A new year, and the worst month. Back to school. Coming down from party highs, and eating too much. BUT, this January hasn't been too bad so far. But I am getting ahead of myself.
Lets get into what you have missed while I was out.
1. My sister got married. Big deal!! hah!

It was a very fun night and I am so happy for the two of them!!

2. Towards the end of the semester, I started to fall behind on things, those things being math and my practicum hours. There was so much stress at the end of the semester, those things being school work, math practicum, directing scenes, and New York, which we'll get to. WELL, I fell way far behind. I didn't finish math, I will have to finish that next fall. And I didn't finish my practicum. That is a problem. Practicum hours are a requirement for my scholarship. Lucky to a very great man named Jim Christian, along with the rest of the department staff,  I continue to keep my scholarship, and will definitely finish my practicum this semester. So far this semester has been going much smoother.

3.NEW YORK! In December, I finished my finals early and traveled to New York with my friend Matt Davies and my dad, so Matt and I could audition for Newsies! That's right, I auditioned for a BROADWAY show in December. It was one of the single greatest experiences of my life!! Unfortunately, it didn't work out for me this time. This was solidified seeing as the announced the cast a couple days ago! But, still, I am quite proud of myself. Matt and I showed up to Ripley-Grier studios at about 6:30 and sat in the front lobby and waited for a couple hours until they came and let us in at about 9:00. Matt and I were numbers 15 and 16. The first group. They pulled us in, in groups of 21. We took about 15 minutes to learn the short audition piece, then we did it in halves, quarters, and then finally the auditon in groups of 3. Now, I had been told time and time again that these people are mean. Not here they weren't. Not intimidating at all. When the came over to judge us, the didn't sit in a panel behind a table, they came over with all of our headshots and resumes and sat on the floor in front of us. Pretty cool. We auditioned and Matt and I both NAILED it. We weren't lost in this sea of talent, we were staying afloat with all the best in the room. It was really cool. At this point it was time to make cuts. Now Matt and I both could have sworn that they were holding my headshot and resume when they were announcing who got to stay. When all the names were read, Matt and mine's name weren't read. Slightly disappointed, we left the studio. Wish our good friend John, who we happened to run into, good luck! Throughout the trip, I only got more proud of Matt and I. We literally went and auditioned for Broadway, and actually did well. Turns out, they only were casting about 4 new people, so technicially it came down to: Who fit in the costumes, who looked different from everyone else. So I feel really good about it.

4. Just recently (last Thursday) I audition for the summer season of Tuacahn. My initial audition started with my walking in and singing "It Takes Two" from Hairspray (one of the show selections for this summer), I nailed it. After I sang, I was asked to come to the dance call, BUT Deann, the choreographer for Aladdin, asked me to sing another song first. So, I did. I sang "Build a Wall" from Shrek: The Musical. Nailed that one as well. The director even said so himself. Hours later it was time for the dance call. Learned the dance, nailed the dance. Got a callback! 6 people got a callback. 2 guys got a callback! Felt really good! Callbacks were supposed to be held that night, BUT time had run over and there wasn't any time! So, that Saturday morning, Mike, Tony, and I drove out to the armpit of Utah, Provo. And worse, BYU. We did the dance call again, got another callback, read some stuff, then we were on our way. I feel really good about it. Now I just have to wait, and wait and wait and wait. 

Well that is some stuff that has happened to me, I am sure that there is more. But I can't really keep my life straight.....:/

I will post more on life tomorrow.

Peace.