The other day I mentioned that it wasn't fair that NOLA had all these fantastic musicians. Another thing that is unfair? Is the amount of things that go on in this city. You really can't do it all. Trust me, I have tried. Last night I really wanted to go and see Paul Sanchez play at the Howlin Wolf. Tim Reynolds (of DMB) was also playing. I ran into a friend at the grocery store and they asked if I was going to the Maple Leaf to see Papa Grows Funk. You know what I did? I went home, cooked a HUGE dinner and watched TV. Bed by 10. It is hard on a "school" night to go out. Especially when you still aren't up to a 100% health level and knowing you have a fun busy weekend ahead. Tonight I am faced with the same dilemma. The choices are again hard. I can either go to the Howlin Wolf to see "Swimming Upstream" which debuted during the V to the Tenth celebration back in April. I missed it because I was working on the big show that was going on in the Arena. It is being restaged with some of the actresses the performed in the Vagina Monolouges included Liz Mikels who filled in for Oprah and did such an amazing and moving piece. Of course this is about what women went through before, during and after Katrina. I was thisclose to buying a ticket this morning. But that $30 is kinda steep for me right now. Also tonight is the recording for Glenn David Andrews Gospel Album. I know Paul Sanchez is playing on a few songs. He has a new song that is being recorded for this and apparently it is pretty moving. This event is free, at the Zion Hill Missionary Baptist in the Treme. Or I can stay home and watch Biggest Loser. I have a feeling I will be a big loser if I don't go to one of these two events. So if you don't live here...which one would you go to? and if you do live here, which one are you going to? (or would want to?)

I have been going and going and going lately. Not everything is work, some things are fun and I shouldn't complain. But I haven't had more than 10 minutes at my house that doesn't involve sleep. Actually that isn't all that true because I have been house sitting for over 2 weeks and I haven't been at my house much to even sleep. And when I do sleep? I get at the most 2 hours of straight sleep. I don't sleep well when I am not at my own house.

This weekend proved be busy with fun things. Friday night was dinner at some friends house. We drank, talked politics, music and played yahtzee. It was really a great evening. Saturday consisted of some cleaning where I am house sitting. Then I went to see Rent at La Petite Theatre. For the first "local" production that I have seen of Rent I was pretty darn impressed. Almost everyone in the cast had a solid performance (okay there was one person that was off) the sets and the lighting were perfect. Too bad the bad audience members nearly ruined a good show. La Petite has general admission which we didn't realize until we got there. Luckily we were able to find two seats in the balcony. They were pretty good seats, only one part of the set was blocked at that wasn't used too much. Well...at least for me the stage wasn't blocked. This "gentleman" in came and sat in front of Kristen with a rather large cowboyish hat on. That he didn't remove at all. Granted she could have asked him to remove it, I offered to ask him for her, but the reality is...you don't wear hats like that inside, especially in a theatre. It is poor etiquitte. Really really rude to the people sitting behind you. The people behind us ended up moving around because of it as well. During the second act Kristen had to really lean because he decided to snuggle up with his girlfriend, thus blocking even MORE of the stage from her. So rude. What else was rude? People TALKING during the show. Just shut up and watch the show!! It is bad at a movie theatre but when someone is in the moment during a scene of a live show and they get dragged out it by your loud whispers??? So not cool. Oh on that note? Just because you know every song of the show (like myself) does NOT mean SING ALONG. Rent is so not an audience particiaption show. If you wanted the chance to sing the songs in the theatre...you should have auditioned....unless you did and didn't get cast. There really is no wonder why I prefer working on the shows than an audience member.

After we left the Quarter, we headed to the Maple Leaf for the first time in over a month. It was nice to be back in the orange glow of that bar. Great to see some wonderful people as well. I spent a tad too much time there, in fact I didn't get to home until 6:30 yesterday morning. Which okay yeah...that is late. Or early rather...but I was going to sleep in my own bed!! Sleep fantastic sleep. Except when your house mate returns from her boyfriends house at 9:00 (I had fallen asleep around 7) and decided to start cleaning the house....LOUDLY. *sigh* so back to the two hours of sleep. I couldn't watch all of the Saints game because well we all know how that turned out. I went down to Frenchmen street and hung out with some cool friends. We all caught Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road show....it was a lovely afternoon. Just perfect.

Errands were run, and I could barely keep my eyes open for Charm School...in fact I fell asleep before the end so I don't know who got kicked off yet....too bad that sleep didn't last! Now we are on to a new week. Tuesday and Wednesday are my only free days!!!

Bullets because otherwise this could be very scattered (like it isn't anyway, humor me.)

* Friday the interview went okay. It is at a temp agency so if and when I need it, they will be there. I am still debating with myself if I just want to trust that they will have enough temp assignments or hopefully a good temp to hire position available. I have a feeling they won't really look for anything for me until I don't have a job. Which reminds me I need to find out when this company is moving. I did head to the Maple Leaf where it was like club night. Seriously such a weird night there with all these really young kids there. I didn't stick around long.

*Saturday I got up and spent the morning reading, I love a good book whether it be chick lit or something heavier. This weekend it has been chick lit. I then went and had a marathon acupuncture session. My friend is licensed and I have been going to her for some time now. This weekend she said she wanted to do cupping as well. I have had this done a few times and it had been awhile. Pretty much what cupping is, they put alcohol in a glass, light the alcohol and then suction it to your back. It sucks out toxins and relaxes the muscles. It leaves some pretty interesting bruises on your back, and I can say it doesn't always feel pleasant. Especially when moving the glass from one spot to another, because they keep the suction going. Some areas however as you feel the tension leaving? Oh man....it is incredible. I could barely walk out the door I was so relaxed. I went home intent on sleeping, but I didn't, I started reading again.

* I decided to brave the Maple Leaf again Saturday night. Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes were playing and I love me some Sketch. The few regulars that were there talked about the weirdness from Friday night and we all just really enjoyed the music. The energy was really high from everyone that night. Everyone laughing and dancing and having a good time. It was a great New Orleans night.

*Yesterday I tried to catch up on sleep. Read for awhile and waited anxiously for the Tony's to start. I now of course want to see every show that is on Broadway. Hopefully I will get to make a theatre run up there someday soon.

Last night I sat down to finally watch the film version of Sweeney Todd starring Johnny Depp. Back when I first moved to Seattle I had been working at a book store, in receiving. So I was in the back office 99% of the time. The store manager was a major fan of the original cast recording and would play it constantly. I mean, it would end, and she would start it over. Every day. For weeks. I loved the cast recording as well, but after so many listens of it, I was tired of it. I was pretty excited when I heard there would be a film version, and was interested to see how Johnny Depp would do. I knew his acting would be superb, but his singing? I knew Tim Burton would have a perfect hand in it. I didn't catch it in the movie theater as time just slipped away and it has been sitting on my Netflix Queue for awhile now. So last night I popped it in. I wasn't disappointed. Obviously not all the music was included in the movie, but what was there was performed so well. It was just as dark as I expected, a little more gory than I had anticipated, so much so that I had to turn away a few times. I was so overly pleased and so glad that I hadn't been driven away from the music forever. It made me wish that I had gotten to see the concert version with Patti Lapone. oh that would have been so wonderful!

To top off the evening of musicals, I started watching Legally Blond, the search for Elle Woods. You know the MTV reality show that started last night. They are holding a competition to find the next girl to star in the Broadway show. Laura Bell Bundy has had the role since the show started (she was the original Amber Von Tussle in Broadway's version of Hairspray, saw that show in previews in Seattle, met her afterwards, she is so a stellar Broadway actress). Now not long ago MTV showed the Broadway show of Legally Blond and it wasn't the best, it wasn't the worse. It was a fun show and Laura Bell Bundy really had some great songs but definitely not a run right out and see for myself. Although I do love to get sucked into a new reality show, and being that this is about a Broadway show I knew I had to watch. It should be a good show, no one really stood out yesterday so I am anxious to see what kind of things they put these girls through for the next 8 weeks or so.

Sit down, relax, grab a drink and get ready to hear all about the spills chills and aches of this past weekend. This will be a long post as I want to put as much as I can remember into as possible. However as I sit here at my desk, I have dozed off once or twice already.

Thursday morning is where we will start. When I got the first of many production schedules, we were to be at the arena for 5:30 AM. I was spared that by a phone call around 7 PM Wednesday night saying, no we get to go in at 9 AM. Well that is a HUGE difference. I kept my alarms set for the normal time as I wanted to pack up my backpack with some things I may or may not need, and as we all know how much I love the public transportation around here, I wanted to get on a bus that would get to the arena at the assigned time. I was out of my house at 7:30 AM, arriving at the arena at 8:00 AM. An hour ahead of the call time. I found a little café across from the Superdome and had the first of many cups of coffee. I made my way to the arena around 8:30 and saw the hustle and the bustle as they were loading in all the lights, sound, and stage. I made my way to the production office where I met some of the PA’s and office staff. I was given a tour of the arena and the rehearsal room. We then sat down with the Stage Manager and the Assistant Stage Manager (ASM). See they brought down their own people to work the show, they knew they would need a few more ASM’s so they hired someone locally who in turn got me the gig. I was the 2nd ASM to the main ASM. At that point they walked us through the show, explaining the set, and how the general flow was going to go. We were then asked to go and mark out the stage in the rehearsal room. Of course the room we were using was smaller than the actual stage, so we scaled down for the purpose of fitting in the room. The purpose of marking out the stage was so when the actresses rehearsed, they had a general feel of where things were. We were in the middle of this when we were asked to come and help sort out the dressing rooms, green room, hair and make up rooms. Basically make sure that there were enough seats in each room. It turned into a small headache, as the saying goes “to many cooks in the kitchen” With that sorted out we finished taping up the rehearsal room. We were waiting for our next marching orders when we were told that we were going to get to go home for the night. It was 5:30 at this point and the reasoning for letting us leave was that we were going to be doing so much more in the upcoming days and they didn’t want us to burn out to fast. Most of the day was “hurry up and wait”, we knew it was about to get crazy. I journeyed off to meet Jessica and the D.C. Krewe at Snug Harbor for a quick bite and then to d.b.a and the Maple Leaf.

Friday morning our call was also for 9 AM. This time I had a ride, as the other 2 ASM’s were showing up on this day and one lives nearby. Again the day started out the same. We gave the two new ASM’s the tour of the arena, gave them the lowdown at what was going to happen. It was more of the hurry up and wait, then the fun started. Turns out that they didn’t have enough talent escorts so we went into a mad dash to track down people we knew who may be available to sit at the hotel and make sure the actresses got in their cars and help them with anything they needed. The one person I did call mentioned she was going to the Quarter, I had forgotten all about FQF for a bit. I was assigned the fun task of going over the Superdome to find some allergy medicine for one the actresses rehearsing in the rehearsal room. We didn’t have medical in the Arena but the Superdome did. Of course the “Super Love” portion of the weekend was happening over there. Every security guard and person with the Dome directed me up the 3rd level to find medical. I get up there and no, it really wasn’t what we needed. I didn’t need the health lounge that was offering free HIV testing, information about pregnancies, free blood pressure test, all the good stuff you would find at a convention. I finally tracked down a medical room and no one was there. As I am waiting for the assigned person to be radioed and told to come up to where we were I get a text message from the arena (my radio wasn’t working over there) that I needed to go section 133 locker room 4. So I head down there to discover that there was no one in that room either, and I knew there wasn’t a locker room on level 1. So back up I went to the 3rd level. Or so I thought. See I had taken the elevator down with a “Super Love” staff member but she was called off to somewhere else. I get back on the elevator and ask for the 3rd level. Yes they have an elevator operator. When the doors opened up it didn’t look right, and I made a comment about it, but the older gentleman working said “no this is right” well it wasn’t, I was up much higher than I had been. Rather than arguing, I found the closest exit and ran down the ramps until I got to the right level. Luckily I was finally able to locate the medical personal just to find out that they didn’t have allergy medicine. So I text back to the arena this news only to find out that they had also sent someone to the drug store. I made my way back down to the Superdome floor where they were just starting the “Super Love” day. Up on stage they had some Native Americans fancy and traditional dancers. I stopped in took in the moment. It was back to the arena for some more “hurry up and wait”. Our next big task was herding in the members of the choir. It was originally to be 200+ choir but ended up being only like 100+. We then joined in the rehearsals of Charmaine Neville, Jennifer Hudson and Faith Hill. We mainly just watched the rehearsals, every once in awhile a few of us were called onstage to take down the names of the choir members that would be onstage. We taped the stairs so that they were more visible, and put names on the choir chairs. We were finally released around 10 PM. I made my way to the Maple Leaf and sold merch for Bonerama. My main plans had been to go, set up the merch, maybe stay for the first set then have my housemate or Jessica sell merch for the rest of the night. However I was having too much fun, there were a ton of people that I knew there. The bar was packed and the sound was awesome. I did take off as soon as it was possible when the band was done. I arrived back to my house around 3 AM. I knew that the next day was going to be long.

Our call for Saturday was for 7:45 AM. My ride picked me up at 6:30. We were able to load up on iced coffee and be there with bells on. This was it. Everything we needed to know about the performance that night was to come at us in a flying manner. We spent the morning getting the chairs for the actresses ready (all the ladies sat around the stage which was in the round) taping their names on the chairs making sure we had enough. Honestly this day becomes a bit of blur. I was on my way back to the production office from running an errand of some sort when I ran into some of my fellow ASMs. They were discussing out to remove the black draping from what was to be Oprah’s dressing room. Why? Oprah was not coming. That is right. The lady who was the biggest draw to the entire event (for most people the event in itself should have been a draw but that is for another time) there was a monologue written especially for her. The official story is she was sick. This wasn’t the case, but it’s not my place to say in a public forum why she didn’t show up. Let me just say that the little respect that I had for her is no longer there. Let me a quick moment to explain something.. All the actresses were there because they wanted to be there. They wanted to take part in this amazing event. To raise awareness on the V-Day organization. They flew themselves out, they paid for their own hotel, they did not get paid to do this. They were committed to being there and supporting Eve and her journey to help women. Anyway. So we are taking down the draping and cleaning out the dressing room so we can put someone else in there. The producer of the whole thing wanders by and asks what we are doing. Turns out he didn’t know that Oprah had pulled out and here we the ASMs were the ones to break it to him. It turned into a controlled mass chaos for a bit, then it was time for the cue to cue rehearsal with the entire cast. In this mad cue to cue rehearsal I kept getting pulled to go over to hair and makeup and see how they were doing, then walk the actresses who were done with their part over there. So in a sense I didn’t do my jobs during the cue to cue. The only things I did do were the mic set ups for the choir, but as soon as I was done it was back to the hair and make up rooms and escorting. The house was to open at 6:30; we finished the cue to cue at 6:00. We had time to shovel food in our mouths, go over our duties one more time really fast, make sure there was water available for the actresses and the next thing you know, we were at ten minutes. The arena wasn’t sold out however there were a lot of people there. There was no backstage area for the ASMs to hang out in waiting for our next cue so we had to find spots in the aisles. I was a bit luckier as I was next to the choir band and was in a way able to blend in with them. One of the other ASMs (our local lead) spotted Dylan McDermott walking through the audience. Hot damn that man is beautiful! We given a 5 minute warning so I got an usher to shoo the women scrambling for pictures and autographs from Dylan. And then the show started. Our first cue was to pull the silk fabric off the stage in which Eve was lying underneath. Then we were off and running. My main job was to make sure that when the actresses in my section were almost up to let them know, to tell them when it was time to go up on the stage and help them up the stairs. There were a few mic placements done, helping change out a microphone that didn’t want to work and trying to make the show move smoothly which it did. The only part I was nervous about was really out of my control. See sitting with the actresses were some activists from all over the world. Some of them didn’t speak English. This was some of the ladies first trip out of the US, some out of their countries. They were going to be given flowers as they walked across the stage. As their name flashed up on the screen. We never rehearsed this. In the end we go the activists up all at once and then just had them walk up on stage. I am pretty sure it wasn’t on cue. As fast as it started? It was over. The energy in the hallway leading to the greenroom was exploding as the actresses cheered each other on. It was a fantastic moment. I found myself standing next to Val Kilmer as it happened. We ended our evening sometime after 1 AM.

Now for the “gossip” of the show. The nicest actress? Didi Conn. Ya know. Frenchy from Grease. She just wanted to chat the whole time with us. I wanted her in my section, but alas she was not. The one with the most attitude and most diva like? Jennifer Hudson. Jane Fonda was eating in catering with the crew and production people, hanging out with us. The lady can rock out a pink jump suit like NO one else’s business. Kerry Washington has a very infectious laugh. Rosario Dawson was so excited and happy to be there she was practically bouncing off the walls. Faith Hill is really as sweet as everyone says she is. Jennifer Beales and Christina Lahti are smoking hot. Doris Roberts is fantastic. They were just all so nice. Really, truly and honestly. Since we were working there was to be no autographs or pictures which in the end was just fine with me. There was a documentary being filmed so hopefully we will be able to get our hands on that as well. The only person I really was hoping to have a conversation with was Eve herself. That didn’t happen, as she is a very busy lady. She did say hi and good bye. Overall this experience was a pretty fantastic one. Yes things didn’t go smoothly as planned, yes there were rough moments. But I wouldn’t change it for the world! If you do want to see some pictures, Getty Images has some up. Scroll part way down and then go to town. It is about 2 pages worth!!

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So as luck would have it, not only is Vday this week, but so is FQF. The only day I will be attending will be of course Sunday. I plan on taking in the Pfister Sisters (NEW cd out NOW go grab it!!) Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road Show, Leroy Jones, and hell...I don't know who else. I will be wandering trying to get as much in as I can. Or passed out in a puddle of drool.

If I were going Friday and Saturday, I would of course be checking out well just about the entire fest. Some of my favs will be playing. Original Hurricane Brass Band, Storyville Stompers, Rick Trolsen, Bonerama (that is a no brainer for anyone who knows me), Soul Rebels, Tin Men, Billy Iuso and the Restless Natives, Johnny Sketch, Susan Cowsill, Lionel Ferbos, Lars Edegran, Shamarr Allen, Big Sam, Bob French, Gal Holiday, Zydepunks, New Orleans Nightcrawlers.

So if you are going, check out some of these bands. You won't walk away disappointed!!

Ya'll remember how I get to work on the V to the 10th celebration that is going on this weekend? I just got my schedule. It seems from this schedule that I am in fact working in the arena. I will be putting in some looooooong hours there and it will so be worth it. We are talking about 15 hour days at least. See I wanted the Arena. I want to work in the Arena. The Arena is where the performance of Vagina Monolouges will take place. This is by the far the biggest performance I have EVER worked on. I may be having a slight freak out here. I need to get it all out before Thursday because I won't have time. That and I don't want to act like a complete moron and really fuck this up. I don't want to be a babbling idiot in front of some really cool people. I am not just talking about the celebs. (HOLY HELL) but with everyone involved.

Let me take you back a bit, not only to calm myself but to give you a background on my theatre history. I really don't think I have gone into it much here, but if I have, bear with me. I vaguely remember being in a play in grade school. I don't remember what it was about or what my lines where, I just remember being in one. And I do remember I enjoyed it. What I really remember was going over to the high school when I was in 7th or 8th grade to see a play that was going on. I don't remember if my sister had friends in it or what, but I remember that it had an impact on me. I really wanted to take drama classes when I got to HS. However, the way my schedule was set up, I wouldn't be able to take a drama class until my junior year. The first class I took was not the performance class. It was just the basics. We performed only in front of the class. It wasn't until the next year when I could start performing on stage. The summer in between my junior and senior I was able to be a volunteer at Music Circus in Sacramento. The show I worked on was "Sound of Music" and I was, I guess a stage hand. We changed all the sets in between scenes. It was a ton of fun. Come my senior year I was in 3 plays, my favorite being "Alice in Wonderland" as the Queen of Hearts. None of these performances were fantastic, I mean they were high school plays but they were a TON of fun. I knew when I went to college that I wanted my degree to be in theatre. I considered a minor in dance since my junior and senior years I had been taking dance (yes I did shut it!!) The summer before I was to leave for college I went back to Music Circus. This time as an intern for college credit. I did everything from painting, working in the costume shop, sound. See the idea was to get you to work on every aspect of the shows. I worked on the following "My Fair Lady" "South Pacific" "Grease" "Annie" "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and "Man of La Mancha" you were also suppose to get a small role in a show. However the one they had me up for? I was going to be in Montana for orentation. I wasn't overly pleased but then what are you going to do. I ended up working with the sound people the most. For every show I was one of the mic dressers. Made sure everyone was mic'd at the beginning of the show who needed one then would go from exit to exit ripping off one mic and running it to another entrance and getting it on another actor....sometimes in less than 30 seconds (the theatre was in the round...lots of running) By the end of the summer I was getting to mic the leads. It was pretty awesome.

Now we are up to college. I spent two years studying acting because I really thought that is what I wanted. Turns out I didn't. It took a professor telling me this before I realized he was right. One of the associate professors suggested that I look at Stage Managing. Oh what a concept. And now....I am realizing I have talked a bit about the work I did out of college. 7 years straight of back to back shows. It was amazing. It is all leading up to this, I guess. This event is truly the largest one I have ever worked on.....I can't tell you the emotions that are going on here. It is going to be a thrilling ride, these coming three days. If you see me on Sunday at FQF? I will either be asleep on the grass in front of a stage or dancing my ass off.

So I just saw Chris Rose on my street. I guess he went to go and get a cup of coffee at Zotz or something. He pulled up as I was standing outside talking to a friend on the phone. I saw him get back in his car as I was about to go for a bike ride. I thought that was pretty cool.

There was something else that also happened that is pretty damn cool as well today...what was it? I don't know...let me think...oh yes it had to do with a phone call I got just as I was leaving work. As it turns out I will one of the Assistant Stage Managers for the Vagina Monologues that is happening at the New Orleans Arena and the Superdome as part of the big V-Day events.

I have only just stopped jumping up and down and am letting the nerves come and get me.

It has been an whirlwind so far. It started on Friday with going to Rivertown's production of "Flea in Her Ear". My friend was in the show and she had been trying to get myself and Ms. Kelly to a production of hers. We both finally made it to one, I had been determined to make it to this one as I had seen a production of it in Ashland, OR at the Shakespeare festival. It is such a funny show, an this company did a great translation of it.

I then headed over to the Maple Leaf to see Anders play. Mr. Mark and Mr. Eric were sitting in with him, so it was fun to see them outside of the Bonerama environment. It ended up being an extremely long night, but it was a good one.

After a short snooze it was time to head to the Quarter to see Leroy and Katja play, then it was out to have a few drinks and catch up. I had just enough time to get home and grab the merch before heading out to the Bonerama gig. It was an interesting one, and it took awhile for the crowd to get into the music. The boys were doing their best. At one point there was some pole dancing...by a band member. It was blink and you missed it moment. Steam was literally coming off of at least Greg and Mark's trombones. Yes the event was outside, and it was COLD. At least it wasn't as cold as it had been the night before.

The weekend will be wrapped up with cleaning and heading to OZ for another stint. 6-8 today. Tune in if you get a chance. I hope the time change doesn't hurt too bad!

After all the fun and excitement of yesterday's semi announcement, all I can say is keep em crossed. I should hopefully be getting a phone call today, probably just to chat about what I can do. I am nervous that I have forgotten everything, however I know it will come flooding back once I start talking about it.

So last night I spent cleaning my room. Yes you read that right. Spent the night cleaning my room. I am a slob. I can admit it. I don't pick up after myself in my own room. The common areas? Yes...my room? No. It isn't that big of a space either, but right now it is looking good. Including the tower 'o merch from Bonerama and PBS. It is pretty impressive. There really is no where else to put it in the house but where it is. I took a picture that I didn't upload last night. I got too caught up in the "Biggest Loser" to do much else.

Hotmail has been down pretty much all morning so I can not get the email I need to send the theatre resume to. It is driving me batty. I guess in the long run it is okay since I have to go home and work on it still.

There is only one downside, and really I can get over it. It runs the same weekend as French Quarter Fest. If I can get this? Kristen will have to be the merch girl for the Bones at their FQF set. Which isn't a problem, she can totally handle it.

Come on hotmail!!

I received an email forward from a friend yesterday. It excited me to the core, then scared me shitless, then excited me again. I need to decide today if I want to take the chance with it or not. Even if I take the first step with it, it really doesn't mean that I will get to do take part in the whole thing. I am thinking that I may do it. I mean if for some reason I do get it? It would be amazing.

Let me back up and explain. I went to school to study theatre. When I first started out, I thought I wanted to be an actress. I soon realized, with the harsh words of a professor (who also told Holly Hunt she wouldn't amount to anything) that maybe that acting wasn't the best thing for me. Now maybe I am not the best actress, but I am not the worse. I was getting better. I do think the professor didn't like anyone who wasn't perfect in his eye. In a sense, me being overweight wasn't perfect. Anyway I stopped studying the acting and moved on to backstage. I realize now if I really had the passion for acting? I would have fought more. I ended up Assistant Stage Managing a show and fell in love with it. It is the one position in the Theatre where you are with the show from the very beginning to the very bitter (and sometimes sweet) end. You are there at the production meetings, you see the designs coming together, you hear the first visions of the director, you are at auditions, you see the visions coming to light, you see the changes, you hold the course steady once the show is up. It is an amazing experience. After college I moved to Seattle and while working a normal 9-5 type job, I was also stage managing shows in little out of the way theatres (seriously one we performed in a deli, we held that spot for 4 years) in an outdoor natural ampitheatre. A normal theatre. For seven years I worked on show after show after show. Some with just a few weeks break, some with no break. One I had in tech rehearsals the other was just starting rehearsal. By the time the one in Tech had closed? I was going into Tech for the next one. It was mad.

So before I moved down here to NOLA, I did contact a few theatres. Sent out my resume and the what not. I didn't hear from one of them. Which is fine. Because I needed a break. I forgot what it was like to have a social life. To not be on a schedule. Sometimes I feel like maybe that my passion for the theatre is dying out a bit. Then I got the above mentioned email. See coming this April there is going to be a big show down here, in the New Orleans Arena. You know the one I am talking about right? Vagina Monologues. They are looking for Assistant Stage Managers. They are looking for women. Preferabley with Theatre experience. And a knowledge of one more thing...which I don't know, but hell. I learn things really fast. I have run a sound board for a show once or twice. I may forget in between, but I pick it up. But to be able to say I have worked with some of the ladies that will be starring in it? I think I would be insanely stupid NOT to get my theatre resume polished up and sent out today. Wouldn't I?

Right after returning home from my 6 week exile two years ago, we had a few people staying with us that needed to get back home and check out their homes. A friend of mine called me, having stayed at the "inn" so to speak and asked if I would mind if a few of his friends stayed with us as well. Well with this friend, you have NO idea who you could be meeting. However I said sure, because after all during that time everyone needed help. I got to talking to one of the people that was going to be staying at the house for a few days, mentioning that we didn't have gas yet so we had no heat, and only cold water but they were more than welcome. The couple said that is totally fine. As we were chatting we discovered that he grew up and went to school in the same area that I went to HS. As it turns out he was in a dixie land band with my sister's HS sweetheart. So in reality since we saw them play a few times, I saw him back in HS playing. He knows a ton of people that I knew back in the day. They are now back living here and are some of my closest friends.

Cut to this past Thursday, Thanksgiving day. I am at the original friend's mothers house for dinner. (She had also stayed at the "inn" while trying to get back home) The was a nice gathering of people including a friend of hers from CA. My parents and I were talking to her and we mentioned having lived in Roseville and that I went to HS there. She says, "Oh my daughters went to school there" We all kind of laugh and then she says "my oldest is 32, how old are you?" "I am 32 as well...what year did your daughter graduate?" "oh she graduated in 93" "so did I!! what is your daughters name?" so she tells me and I do recognize the name but can't really put a face with it. We chat a while longer then she tells me that her oldest was a cheerleader. I said, oh then I did know her since the cheerleaders and the colorguard had a class together. She mentioned her youngest had been in dance and was just two years behind. I had been in dance as well but didn't really know her youngest. I mentioned that we didn't really run in the same circles. I then mentioned that I did a lot of drama in HS as well. Turns out her oldest did as well. That is when it became crystal clear. Turns out that we were in the same drama class, and in one of the plays? I played her mother. HA! What a small world it is, to be sitting in New Orleans and run into someone with connections to my Cali days. And to have it happen twice? Just too fun.

I was just perusing my email and noticed there was one from Amazon saying my order had shipped. I about had a heart attack. I had gotten a notice yesterday saying that my Harry Potter book was being prepared for shipping and was coming via UPS (YAY!!) So there is a small chance I will get it earlier than if it had come USPS. I had seen a small headline saying that some books shipped early. I don't know the details as I didn't click on it, but when I saw the email from Amazon saying my order shipped I wasn't sure what I would do if it was my Harry Potter book. Would I start reading it right away??? Or would I wait until midnight on Friday? Just to make it proper? I don't have the will power to wait, if it was right in my hands. I would have to give it to someone to do a lockdown on it until midnight. To make it right. Alas, it was not the Harry Potter book, it was a trashy novel I ordered yesterday and a CD. I put the order in early yesterday morning and then promptly forgot about it. I am excited for this order, although not as much as the Harry Potter one. This one has the cast recording for "Curtains" in it. I love me some David Hyde Pierce and I really really really want to see this show before he leaves it. I want to spend a week in NYC just going to shows. There are so many I want to see right now....but that is for another post.

Fridays are my 21 hour days. I get up at 6 AM and I am getting to bed around 3:30-4 AM. These are only on gig nights. Two more Fridays to go, its a damn good thing that I enjoy PBS....its a good time always. I got up at 8:30 yesterday morning, and we wrecked all day. Okay so Megan and I quit around 3, and got lunch and some drinks. I got home, showered and was in bed by 6:30. I didn't get up until 8:30 this morning. I am still tired.....oh well good times.

Tony's are on right now.....so nervous

I went to NYC for 4 days/3 nights. I had fun. We walked about 3 gazillion miles, saw lots of sights, ate little food (ate like once a day), hung out with my sister, bro in law and mom the whole time, saw Harry on Broadway, got on the Today show right behind Al while he did the weather.....and now I am back at work. Good times. I told someone today that my goal for the month of June is to work full weeks that whole month. I think I can handle that. More to come later. Work has blocked alot of blogs and what not. Cool I understand. Gotta be boring for the person answering phones however....I do it for about an hour a day (2 breaks and a lunch) and I get bored as hell.

Have you voted today?? I have gotten through twice....thats it. I tried for a solid hour.

I just got back from NYC....we had a great time....saw Harry Connick Jr. on Broadway in The Pajama Game....it was a great show with the exception of stupid audience members. Oh well. Harry is a proud owner of an Arabi Wrecking Krewe button however. ;) It was a fun trip and we walked 3 gazillion miles.

I won't be able to blog as much. Work has blocked all blogging sites now. I can kinda understand that...but when you answer the phones and that is all??? It is sooooo freakin boring up there. I go crazy just being up there an hour a day covering breaks!! Oh well. So be it....

The Tony Award Nominations were announced just a short time ago. My boy, Harry Connick Jr. was nominated for his role in Pajama Game. Over all the show received a total of 9 nominations:

Best Revival of a Musical
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical~Harry Connick Jr.
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical~Kelli O'Hara
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical~Megan Lawrence
Best Direction of a Musical~Kathleen Marshall
Best Choreography~Kathleen Marshall
Best Orchestrations~Dick Lieb and Danny Troob
Best Scenic Design of a Musical~Derek McLane
Best Costume Design of a Musical~Martin Pakledinaz
You can see the rest of the nominations here.

What else was really really really really cool??? The Regional Theatre Tony Award is going to Intiman Theatre in Seattle. Bartlett Sher the artistic director of the Intiman has TWO shows running on Broadway right now, Light in the Piazza (which Kelli O'hara was in last year and nominated for a Tony for that role, again last year) and Awake and Sing! Before I left Seattle? I worked at that theatre. Not on an actual production, but in the subcription office. I met Bartlett there a few times. This was right after Light in the Piazza had just premiered in Seattle, and was about to open in Chicago for a short run before opening on Broadway. He is a very cool guy so I am very happy for them. That theatre puts on some really amazing shows.

Oh....guess who gets to go and see the Pajama Game in like, 4 days???? Yeah that would be myself, my mom, my sister and my brother in law!!!

The hours are slowly ticking away. I am just 2 hours and 40 minutes away from having another 3 day weekend. And I dont want to work. I so have spring fever. I just want to go lay in the sun and nap. Maybe even clean up a bit around the house and do some laundry. You know the real exciting stuff. However? After tonight? Chaos kicks in for the next 3 weeks and I could not be more excited. French Quarter Fest starts tomorrow, goes all weekend. Next weekend? Jazz Fest. Lots of stuff in between the fests as well. Not to mention the week between Jazz Fest weekends....then I go to NY to see Harry on Broadway....celebrate my mom's birthday.....then I think I will have a few days rest.

Man this is so freakin boring and lame. I apologize. I need to be doing something right now while covering the phones so I don't keep staring at the clock and wishing it would jump to be 3:25 rather than 1:25.

I seriously thought I would throw my phone (aka my alarm) out the window this morning. Then I remembered a few weeks ago I was almost out of my mind when my phone didn't work. So I got up. I shouldn't be complaining about sleep. Cuz for some people like Zoot? Sleep is non-existant right now.

But let me tell you how stressful my evening was. Oh wait it wasn't!! I read for awhile, then I watched Scrubs. Then read for awhile more. So far, this is a damn boring blog post. I am back downstairs on the phones today and tomorrow, so expect more posts.

Oh here is something....right now on accuradio, Broadway channel, they are playing "I should tell you" from the Rent soundtrack. I know some of you are saying "you said soundtrack and you always correct us when we refer to a soundtrack with a Broadway show." Well the difference is, this IS the soundtrack from the 2005 Movie. Not the cast recording from the Broadway cast. So there!! I was so happy that the movie is out on DVD now. I can watch my girl crush Idina Menzel (aka Taye Diggs wife) when ever I want. I want to be her when I grow up. She has an amazing voice. I also get to watch the fantastic, beautiful and amazing Jesse L. Martin whenever I want. Okay so I could always just switch to TNT or something and catch him on Law and Order....but he SINGS in this movie just like he did on Broadway, and he makes me cry when he sings at Angel's funeral. I haven't delved into the extra's on the DVD yet. I may do that tonight. Wait is Lost new tonight??? I heard it wasn't...anyone??

So far today my emotions have been on this rollercoaster and I doubt the ride will end at any time soon. For once it is NOT pms. Just life. I am excited and nervous. Pajama Game opens up its previews today at the American Airlines Theatre. It is Harry's first time performing in a Broadway show. So I am excited and nervous for him. I am hoping that the reviews are good. I want to see him do good in this arena. Just because, well its two of my "passions" together.

Then I get really sad. Tonight is the tribute show for Brian at Tips. It is going to be a celebration for him....at the same time it will be hard. Almost like its time for the final goodbye. No one is ever ready to do that, or really wants to.

I guess its more of a carousel then a roller coaster. get it?? get it?? bueller? bueller?

I just found out this morning that Dottie Ritter passed away this weekend. She was found sitting up in her favorite chair after not too long (we think perhaps a day, but no more). This makes us think she just passed in a very natural, comfortable fashion. Still sad, of course, but weren’t we blessed to know her?

I met Dottie back in 1997 when I stage managed my first show for The Mountaineer Players. Dottie has been involved with the Players for years upon years. She was the essence of the Players. For all the shows I worked on she worked as an usher. I got the chance to talk to her a few times about the shows she had done, back in her youth. It was an honor to know her and she will be missed.

I had a hot shower this morning. I had a warm shower yesterday. I ran the dishwasher, twice. I had a home cooked meal, made on my own stove, twice yesterday. Breakfast and dinner. Life was pretty darn sweet yesterday. I loved the fact that when I got out of the shower, I could hear kids playing in the park across the street...it was a sweet sweet sound. Grace and I have been reveling in the small things that are happening around town. Her favorite moment yesterday was driving by a house totally decked out for Christmas. We drank lots of wine, and there was many great convos. Debbie and I share a love for musicals, and I think we started to bore Matt after awhile....we just kept talking about them and actors on Broadway. She is all about going to NYC to see Harry in the Pajama Game.

I get to go and see Rent tonight at 7:40, and am very very excited to see this on the big screen. Tomorrow, I get to sleep in, watch the parade, have a wonderful dinner and Roger and Elyse's and then go to the Bonerama show. Its going to be a nice weekend.

My day revolves around TV right now. Or reading a book. I am slowly going crazy. At least I think that is what is going on. Thankfully this weekend will be a bit more active. Tomorrow I am going to help Dia at work with a customer service carnival thingy. Friday we are going to see one of her favorite bands. Her parents arrive this weekend as well and we are going to the Texas State Fair. Tuesday we are going to see "Wicked" I am beyond excited to see this. I have been dying to see the production since I first heard about it being done on Broadway. I have had the cast recording since the day it came out. Randy is busy finishing up the book right now. I can't wait to read "Son of a Witch" the follow up book that was just released!! Then my sis comes to town on Wed, then we go to NOLA the next day. Hopefully in the time at home I will know when I can go back for good. I talked to the landlady's office yesterday and they are still trying to figure things out. They are just getting back to the city themselves. Oh and in all that, the boy should be here for at least a day. Or a night. Whichever, at least I get to see him again!!! How boring is this entry? Maybe I will do daily recaps of "Days of our Lives" for those who don't get to watch it. ;)

I saw the trailer for "Rent" last night. On the big screen. I was so excited, I swear I bounced around in my seat and clapped my hands. I can't wait to see it!! One full work day to get through, tomorrow will be broken up with going to the Doctor. Time to tackle that nasty pms issue. Then I have all day Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to play!!!

That's right...the sun is shining, after a few days of thunderstorms, we have sunshine. Which also means hot, sticky weather. I love this weather SO MUCH. Seriously . It must be some kind of sickness. It is so much better than it be sunny and cold out. There is a 60% chance for storms again today however. Yesterday was fun. Flooding streets, water pressure down at the water/sewage plant which resulted in no running water across town. The AC was off in the building for awhile. That was actually fine because its normally a freezer in here. So it got to warm up a bit in here. A little bit later on the fire alarm started going off. It is the most annoying, nails on chalk board sound EVER. Of course when it goes off suddenly, I nearly pee myself. And almost every freakin time it goes off (which it does often) the phone rings. I can't really answer the phone when that sound is happening. One of these days that thing is gonna go off for a real emergency and we will all sit here in the office working away. Yesterday the fire trucks even came. Too bad the cute firemen must have had the day off. But you should have seen us girls crowded around the conference room windows looking down at the street. Kinda like that old "Coke Break commercial"

Anyway....when I saw the sun today, it reminded me of a funny story. Okay so its probably only funny to Jenny, Sarah (the Estill girls) and myself. But I am going to share it anyway. Way back in 1998 during a weekend out at Kitsap, we were doing a performance of "Fiddler on the Roof" It was a Sunday, maybe the 2nd or 3rd weekend of the run. We normally have everyone down at the theatre at 10, where we do warm ups, run through some songs and maybe some dance numbers. Around 12, lunch is brought down to the theater and we all hang out on the stage or in the house soaking up the sun eating our lunch. The show doesn't start until 2, but the house opens at 1. So we have an hour to kill. Once the house is open, we are all to stay backstage. I make my rounds telling people to clean up their lunches from the house area as well as the stage. Because the theater is older...there is no "overhead" announcement for me to make that "house is open" So I usually start out front, then go from one side of the stage to the other. I usually would have to go down to the creek that ran backstage and tell the kids down there as well. I had a lot of ground to cover. This particular weekend I went through the drill....got everyone backstage, had the stage set and cleared. At some point after I had given the house manager the okay to open the trail (its 1/4 mile hike down to the stage) I was down by the creek rounding up kids. Jenny had wandered out the stage to sit and eat not realizing the house was open, she then got distracted by something and when backstage. I came back up and was talking to one of the ushers by one of the entrances, I happened to look at the stage and noticed an abandoned plate of food on a bench. That hadn't been there before, and now the audience was coming in. I ran down the steps grabbed the plate and ran backstage. "who left their food on stage after I said house was open??" I guess I didn't say it in the nicest ways as Jenny burst in tears and said "me...I am so sorry" at the time she was 8 or 9. It became a running joke for the rest of the run...Jenny making a big production of checking the stage right after I announced that the house was open. Cut to two years later. The first weekend of "Secret Garden". On the ferry ride across the sound it was cloudy and drizzly. The shows open memorial day weekend. Our final dress would take place on Saturday, opening day would be Sunday, with another show that Monday. We ran the show that Saturday and all prayed for no rain. The show goes on rain or shine. After all we were Mountaineers right?? That night as I laid in my tent (yes tent) the rain started. It had to have been around 11 or so. And it kept raining. All through the opening performance....all through the night and all through the Monday performance. It finally stopped around 5:00 PM...when the show was ending. We were all covered in mud (including Lily's white lace dress) wet and cold. It made for a pretty miserable weekend, but we had made it through. Jenny had the lead of Mary Lenox...and Sarah had a fairly large part as the maid/nanny for Mary. Can't remember the characters name. The following weekend it was sunny, wonderful and we had a packed house. I was standing in one of the wing entrances, going through all my upcoming scene changes. All of a sudden Sarah runs up and says "What's all that yellow stuff on the stage?" I freak out ("what?? where???")and almost run out on stage looking for this yellow substance in front of about 400 people when Jenny and Sarah started laughing hysterically. Sarah had been talking about the sunlight on the stage. I, of course was thinking that someone had left something on stage again. In fact for several years following....the kids would try to pull that joke on me.

After I finished posting yesterday about the Mountaineer Players, I emailed one of the producers and grilled her about what was going on. Her youngest is playing Tiger Lily, and the stage manager is Katie McCoy. Katie's first show with the Players was also my first show, "Fiddler on the Roof" that was back in 1997. She has been in almost every show since. I think she took one year off....I believe it was during "Secret Garden". A magical thing happened that first year for Katie, she met Craig McCoy. Craig has been doing shows for the Mountaineers for years, and years, and years. Since he was a little boy. They met, fell in love and eventually got married. They are the sweetest couple ever. And Katie makes the BEST cookies EVER. Every weekend rehearsal that we would spend out there, out came the cookies. Katie's cookies!! Katie's cookies!!! It was so easy to get the kids under control with those around. Katie had also emailed me, saying that she missed me, but was having fun with this year round job. It is her first time as Stage Manager. I wish her all the luck, and know that she is having the time of her life.

So Gala's daughter Amy Beth is Tiger Lily, I know she is having a blast. I bet she was bummed when she didn't get the part of Wendy. Its an interesting dynamic when you have two families that are really close as the Estills and the Lindvalls are. Nancy Estill and Gala Lindvall are co-producers. The Lindvall's are a family of 5, one son and two daughters (Eric, Anna and Amy Beth) The Estill's are a family of 4, two daughters (Sarah and Jenny) The girls are all very close in age, and are very close in their personal lives. When it comes to audition time...it gets tricky. Because it was often that the two oldest (Sarah and Anna) would be up for the same role as would be the two youngest. It was really hard during the casting of "Sound of Music". Each girl is capable of carrying the roles they are up for which makes it even harder, and when your mom is a producer, it gets even harder. "Sound of Music" was a circus for many reasons, and casting was just the start. But the girls always take the casting very well and are very supportive of one another. The last show I did with them, "Wizard of Oz", we double cast Dorothy. Anna and Jenny. By this time, Sarah had graduated High School and was at college, therefore couldn't do the show. It was also Anna's last show as she was graduating that spring. It was a treat for me to see both girls in the role....bringing something just a bit different to it. Amy Beth is the one with the real desire to be a full time actress, I bet she will do it. I met these people back in 1997, I was 22 fresh from college. The kids were from I would guess 9 to 12/13 years old. I am shocked when I realize that Sarah is in her 3rd year of college, Anna her second, and if I am not mistaken...Jenny is graduating this year. Man that makes me feel old. Anna is going to actually be here in New Orleans at the end of the month. She is studying music, she plays ready for it?? ready?? Trombone and Euphoniom. I kid you not. I know exactly who I will be introducing her to when she is here. I have shared with her both Bonerama and Mulebone, right after I got their CDs and she seemed to enjoy it. I am excited that I will get to see her!!

I haven't actually "missed" not doing theatre work until this weekend. When I realized that had I still been in Seattle, I would be 2 1/2 weeks away from opening a show with the Mountaineer Players This year they are doing Peter Pan. Eh. I am sure that it would be a technical headache doing that show in the outdoor setting. I wonder who they roped into being Stage Manager this year. Okay....just clicked on the publicity photos link...and for the first time in 9 months I missed Seattle. I am missing a show that Christy Gordon is in!! I have bugged her for as long as I have known her to do another show. Now that I have left...she has. Jenny Estill is Wendy Darling....Jenny is one of the smartest girls I have ever met. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to her as she was in INDIA for the summer. And Cooper as Peter Pan???? I can't express how proud I am to see that. In fact I had tears in my eyes. Cooper started doing shows with us, I guess it was my third year. Secret Garden. And he was a crow. Yes a crow. He would make me laugh hysterically, as only a 9 year old can with his crow impressions. He was/is a hard little worker. The next year he was Winthorp in Music Man. Before his first entrance, he would be so nervous that it became the practice for me to find him in the wings, and he would just grab my hand and squeeze as tight as he could. Then he would run onstage. I would spy him across the stage waiting for various entrances, doing his crow impression, cracking me up yet again. In fact, last year when I went to a performance of "Oliver!" (I decided to not do the show to prepare for my move) he ran up the ampitheatre stairs, fell flat on his face, stood up and did the crow impression. And to see that publicity shot of him singing "I Gotta Crow" just brings a smile to my face. Seeing Scott Baker, Tom Randall, just all of my "kids" old and young. I do miss them. I miss that family atmosphere we had. I am though, still kind of glad that I haven't done any shows since moving here. Working on show after show since 1997 took a toll on me, so while I miss some aspects of it, I don't miss others. Besides here I get to have somewhat of a social life, see all the Bonerama gigs and help them out with merch. But I do miss my "theatre family" from the Forest Theatre.

I was just IM'ing with a friend in Seattle. Right before I left there, she told me that she was expecting again. I can't believe how the time flys....she is due in two months and is having another little boy. Their oldest is 2 1/2 and is just way toooo cute. I am kinda sad that I won't get to meet the newest addition right away. Tom and Kristina are two of my most favorite people in the world. I met Kristina back in early 2001, she auditioned for "Music Man" and was cast as Marian. This was her first stage show ever! She has a fantastic singing voice and had "fronted" several bands. Kristina and I just bonded....some people you just click with right away and know that you are going to be friends forever. The way Tom and Kristina met was very sweet, they had been dating for about 5 months or so when I met them. Tom spent every weekend out at the theatre with us, helping with sets and helping get the cabins ready for the shows. By the end of the run (June) Tom and Kristina were engaged. They got married only a few short months later. She had me as her "unofficial" wedding planner/stage manager. The wedding was soooo sweet and fun. Both of their families took me under their wings so to speak, since my family was moving out of the Seattle area. I spent Thanksgiving with them two years in a row, and there was constant brunches and night outs with them. Kristina was looking forward to doing another show with us in the spring and we had almost convinced Tom to audition as well. He can belt out a fantastic "play that funky music white boy" at Karoke. About 2 weeks before auditions, they came out to a dinner theatre I was working at. Kristina was a little sad that night and when I asked why she said "I can't audition" she had found out earlier that week that she was expecting. They had their honeymoon baby the day before Halloween. Jack is the cutest little guy. The last time I saw all of them...they had invited me to stay the weekend out at their house and to go and hang out at the theatre. They had moved across the sound closer to Tom's work, just a few miles away from the theatre. This was in late May. At that time I knew I was moving, but not telling people yet as I had to get a few things in order, to make it more "real". I didn't know at the time I saw them that it was to be a "goodbye" for now visit. Life just got busy for all of us and I didn't get the chance to see them before I left. I sure do miss these special people in my life. I can't wait to meet the new addition......when I finally get back to Seattle to visit.

Moving has been keeping me busy....for about the past 3 days. LOL rest of the time, I have been occupied with some guy named Harry.

Going back a few days...On Monday, July 26th, we had a cast party out on Lake Washington. The place we were at was AMAZING!! It had a private dock, pool, jacuzzi, 6 bbq grills (2 inside) a bonfire pit, private home theater, I got lost in dressing areas!! The place was HUGE and we had the best time just drinking wine and soaking in the hot tub.

Tuesday I packed up a bit, had lunch with Matt, then dinner with Roxanne and Summer. We had a great time eating sushi and ice cream and just gabbed, gabbed, gabbed. I said goodbye to Roxanne that night. :(

Wed, I was on a train (my first ever train ride) to Portland. I had a nice relaxing morning..and got to Portland around 2. Kristy was still an hour or so away...so I decided to walk up to the venue, pick up my ticket and wait for her. The following was posted on Connick.com (its kinda in a random order)

I had a semi bad freak moment...but was okay, could have been realllllly bad, but thankfully I know how to control myself. I was waiting for Kristy to arrive, ( I took the train down) and was sitting a block away from the venue....at a starbucks reading my book. I had seen Jerry at one point, but he was going the other way....then....the busses pulled up right in front of me....and all the guys started coming out of what was apparently a hotel...in which the Starbucks had a corner of....they were putting their stuff on the bus, and then walking past me and around the corner to I guess the theatre....I kept calling Kristy to say HURRY UP!! Before I do something stupid!! Like molest all the guys. I actually saw Jerry a few more times before the busses came out...he was on his phone and was walking up and down in front of the Starbucks...he kept looking over at me, and I wasn't the only person out there. Later when I saw him after the show, he said he "saw" me. I thought he meant in Starbucks but he was talking about dancing at the show. He hung out with us a bit after the show....it was awesome!! I love him!!!

Mini tour galore....rock on. Kristy's word for tonight: BIGMine? I got to look down Harry's shirt from the front row....story about freezing his back with this air in can ( to clean your keyboards with) and he went on this huge triade about it...how no one in the band cared....and then he kneeled in front of us and asked if we could see the red mark....no one else got up so I did....didn't see the red mark....but DAMN he has a nice back. Show was rockin!! ORC, St. James, Smile, More, For Once In My life, Last Dance, CBM, MG song, Lucien did one of his own songs...not Luscious...but can't remember...its on his CD (could have been a Satchmo song) Derrick did a bunch of TV theme songs...bird calls, and a CB radio impression. I can't remember the other songs...but they were all BIGGot to talk to Neal, Craig, Mark, Joe, Jerry, and Harry after the show. Neal said to make sure we had his back. Funny story bout Neal...when we were chatting I gave him a hard time about the number that girl wrote on his arm and how it was a big "deal" over on the board...that he had been a hot topic about that....he said he had heard...his brother had seen the threads, then he started talking about how the girl was just a cousin...no a second cousin..so it doesn't seem so "weird" LOL gotta love him.

We moved from Portland to Vancouver the next night:
Okay....we are here....you know that motto "sleep when your dead?" we are almost dead. So yesterday morning we get up....in Portland and drive to Seattle. I get to shower and change my clothes...the ones I had slept in. We hit the road to Vancouver. We had no problems finding the venue...parking right by the buses. A few cocktails and food, we did some shopping. Then it was time to get our tickets and find a place to change for the show.....that was an adventure. We had front row seats again. Almost the same exact spot as the night before. Rock Star... Harry sang and smiled at us. I love that. His father-in-law and some aunts were there. So we got some of the same 'wuss' story that happened in Denver....but still freakin funny. How his FIL thought he was wuss for being a jazz musician. He also talked about the Air-in-a-can again. And how he tried to boil ice to make "hot" or "dry" ice. He SSTTEO (to FIL) not only did your daughter marry a jazz musician but I am dumb too. OH and then he said something about having to divorce his wife because his FIL didn't like him....big funny story.....He made fun Mike Karn a bit....told the George Jones story about recording the song for the Christmas CD...the signing of the boots. Apparently some one asked him yesterday if he was gonna play any Christmas music. Songs played??? Um...Smile, Way down Yonder in New Orleans, the George Jones song that he loves, MG, CBM, We Built this city on Rock and Roll, Magic Man, It Might as well be Spring (Which kicked Ass), Only you, Its raining Men (sung by Neal), Trombone showdown featuring Bap Bap....Show was dedicated to Aunt Marnie....Okay we made up some of the set list....but there WAS a trombone showdown....Harry didn't like the song the boys started playing so he made them start over. LOL OH totally forgot this till now...but Harry broke the piano!!! 2 of the keys...just didn't work anymore....after the show...we chatted with Joe, Mark, Neal, and Craig....I saw Harry at the M&G and made a comment about the night before...looking down his shirt...he started laughing, and said "oh its you" tee hee.

Seattle was next:
Oh my word. So Kristy, Donna and her husband and I had front row seats, in the center. Tracy and her sister were row to on the other side of the aisle....Heather was in front row further down!! Heather!!! It was awesome to meet you and your sister!!!Doug Wamble came out as usual and played....when he started "Sweet Magnolia Tree" I started clapping and he said, Oh I have one fan out there!! LOVE that song!! The guys hit the stage minutes after Doug left, no curtain so they have to walk out.....we cheered for them and then Harry bounded on the stage. He started out with Blue Skies. At least I know that was played...can't remember if it was first or not. Can I just say now that I LOVE Jerry??? He rocks. Alot of the same songs...Mind on the Matter was done tonight with Lucien....St James, and I will never be able to listen to "For Once in my Life" the same way EVER again!!!! Harry did it as a duet. Himself and Sly Stallone. I kid you not. He did about half the song that way. I was DYING!!! We had MG for the last song...and as Harry came out....he told us all to come up to the stage to dance...the first row was about 2 feet away from the stage....it was awesome....and when it was over...no one wanted to leave....so Harry came back out and did a 2nd encore...just him....he did Iko Iko....ROCK STAR!!! Okay so what did he talk about tonight? He was talking about how beautiful the area was....how he really liked it, and he started talking about a building in the area being a old hunting cabin....and he looks right at me as he says that and goes (the following is all SSTTEO) Your here again?? Haven't you been to the past few shows? Your stalking me! Last night we were in Vancouver and that includes passports, its not just a spur of the moment decision to come to several shows....you stalker, you freak. You need to stop, and when I said no...he said yes!! then he said now he has to do something totally different. I was at one point trying to hide my face in Kristy's shoulder and he looks at her and says, oh did she come with you? Then he looks at her and says Have you been to all the shows too? How come I don't recognize you? (uhhh because I looked down your shirt???) no it must have been from the M&G line....Kristy didn't go through either night. So he poked some fun at me....then he moved on to other people....played some songs....almost played songs from TSN but then decided at the last minute not too. Then he was talking about how he slept ALL DAY....and woke up at 6:30, thinking it was 10:30 AM, and that he looked outside and saw everyone lined up to come in...and he didn't know where he was....that he wasn't ready to come on...that he was just waking up and getting into the groove a few songs...then he looks at me and said, I still thought I was dreaming until I saw you. Kinda sweet right??? NOOOOOOO He apparently wasn't done picking on me. I am his personal nightmare....and he made several references to Nightmare on Elm Street....and me. I was DYING!!! I made a sad face and he said...awww no I am kidding...no I am not, yes I am, no I am not, yes I am...he said it several times......I was to say the least mortified. Mark, Craig, and Joe were all laughing their butts off!!! No...it was all in good fun. There was no meet and greet tonight...the venue was really weird. We just talked to Mark for a bit after the show and that was it. So thus ends the Kristy and Stacey mini tour. Each show a bit different and had incredible moments of music....laughter and just....I can't explain it. I wouldn't trade it for anything......I so wasn't expecting Harry to remember me....I was shocked. And very happy. LOL Yesterday after spending lots of time in the car, I got to check connick.com and saw that this article had been posted:
Concert ReviewNew Orleans comes alive at Marymoor By Friday night, Marymoor Park and RedmondPaul de BarrosSeattle Times jazz criticThey call it Marymoor Park. But Friday night, as far as Harry Connick Jr. was concerned, that grassy piece of heaven in Redmond was Rampart Street on Mardi Gras weekend.In the most madcap, memorable and musically superb concert ever offered here by the 36-year-old dreamboat crooner, Connick sang 21 songs, "murdered" the piano, messed relentlessly with the audience and, for a closer, danced the funky butt. This was a devilish Harry we've seen glimpses of before but never for a whole evening. At one point, he zeroed in on a woman in the front row (yes, there were a lot of swooning women, but a lot of guys, too), and asked, with a wink in his drawl, "Haven't you been here every night for three weeks? You've been stalking me. I've got to think of some new things to do." Maybe that's why he sang "For Once In My Life" as a hilarious impersonation of Sylvester Stallone. Dressed in jeans and an untucked black shirt, the Sinatra-esque swinger and his scorching big band drew on tunes from his current, million-selling album, "Only You," as well as older material. In a voice that has gotten pleasantly deeper and richer over the years, Connick swooped down to a low note on "You Don't Know Me" and it resonated out to the parking lot. Connick closed the show with his rollicking New Orleans signature, "Come By Me," inviting the crowd down to the stage to dance. He was called back for two encores. Now wasn't that a party!
Yup thats about me!!

Saturday was spent loading up the Uhaul....Sunday 15+ hours in the car...yesterday...only bout 5

Okay...now that I have a few minutes. Going back almost a week and a few odd days.

Tuesday July 13th. Last day with Matt, first day of training JD, my replacement. It was okay....pretty calm. Okay thats a lie. Matt and a group of 6 others were traveling to the east coast, to have some meetings with American Ski Company, a new client. They have 2 resorts, Killington and Sun River. I was instructed by Matt and Randy (CEO) to get the cheapest flights out there. Which means layovers. And the flights were already full. So I had everyone going complaining about their seats (middle) and the layovers. Flights were changed for some. Seats were able to move, for some. I really didn't get into much "training" with JD. Matt leaves, I cried a bit. Then I headed for rehearsal.

Wed July 14th. I assumed it was gonna be a slow day, and I was gonna get a lot of things done with JD. Never ever assume. I know this. I did it anyway. It bit me on the ass. Matt and his group ended up being stuck at Dulles for 6 freakin hours!! Crazy storms on the east coast closed a closure of the airport, cancelled flights, and just plain chaos. I spent most of the day on the phone trying to get them on flights, as they did the same thing at the airport racing from gate to gate. Poor JD was starting to wonder what she got herself into. Welcome to the madness, strap in and hold on. I was able to get some things done with her. Finally. Day ends....I go to rehearsal. Last one till tech the following Tues.

Thurs July 15th. Last day of work. Sweet Jesus the day finally arrived. I told JD I would be around...in the resource library, and that if she needed anything I would be there for questions. But I wasn't working. LOL She only had a few questions....I spent the day saying goodbye to some people and working on the program for my play. A group of girls (Carisa, Stephanie, Kristin and Kirstin) took me to Racha for a going away lunch. Susana gave me a wonderful bouquet of lavendar....then around 5:00 I was summoned to the Main conference room. I didn't want to go. I knew what it was. The T-mobile team presented me with a cake and some champagne and a Gift certificate to Old Navy. It was very sweet, but sad too. See I normally do that for people's birthdays and other special occasions. Aw well. We ate our cake, drank some champagne....then headed to Peso's. This is where Scott (my other boss) wanted to go. At this point....I hadn't seen him all day as he was over at T-Mobile stuck in meetings since 7:30 AM. Pretty soon the back area of Peso's is filled with Publicis folk, all for my benefit. I was truly expecting a few people....and there was almost 40 people there!! I was a little miffed that no one from Matt's team showed up. Only Amy had an excuse as she is due to have a baby any day now. The drinks flowed...and pretty soon I was handed a phone, you have a phone call. It was Scott, and it was around 7:30 PM...he was STILL stuck at T-Mobile and wasn't gonna make it. He felt soooooo bad. Bastards work him way....way....way to much. A group of us ended up going to Chopsticks, a dueling piano bar. My friend Michael showed up there.....then a smaller group of us headed to R-Place, a local gay bar. Okay it was Dwight (HR manager) his boyfriend, Michael, Jinger and I. LOL We drank more....danced ALOT, and just plain went crazy. I was taken home around 1:30....and I proceeded to get sick. Gross.

Friday July 16th. Hang over city baby. I woke up around 10ish. I showered and headed back to Publicis to pick up my box of stuff. I was able to sneak in and back out pretty quickly. I was hoping to get on an earlier flight to Denver. Ran back to the apartment and packed a bag. Note to self.....never, ever pack a bag with a hangover. I was soon at the airport and was #2 on the standby list for the 2:00 flight. It finally boarded at 3:30ish...with me aboard. Get to Denver and just hang with my parents for the evening.

Saturday July 17th. Day dawns...its finally time for a Harry concert!! WHOO HOO!!! We actually had to be out of the house by 11:30 because my parents are trying to sell the house. So we go run a few errands, and then drive up to the Flat Irons in Boulder and have a picnic up there. Then we run to Old Navy. Then to Tom and Ski's for a few beers. See we can't be back to the house till 4:30, as there was an open house as well as the earlier showing. We finally head home, change, and jump back in the car. We make the hour drive with me chanting most of the way, please no rain, please no rain. I had talked to Spencer earlier and it was pouring where he was. Luckily the rain held out and it was the BEST EVER Harry show. I am not just saying this. 2 hours and 40 minutes of the best music...he was working the crowd. You could tell how much fun everyone on the stage was having. The energy that was in that venue was fantastic. He played a lot of the songs I hoped he would...with a few suprises. Always some suprises. Got to talk to Mark and Craig after the show....always just awesome. Mark tried to pay me off for the bet we made last fall. LOL Then it was time to leave...we make the trek back home and got there around 1ish...

Sunday July 18th. Up at dawn. Okay 7:30. Our guests arrived at 8:00 AM. Some friends from Montana, my parents and I load up a Blazer and head to breakfast. Then back out towards the Red Rocks area. Time for a little NHRA drag racing babee. I hadn't been to one of this in YEARS!!! we used to go in Spokane ALL the freakin time. This time I could go into the pits. Standing by one of the rail cars, or a funny car when the are burning the engine. HOLY SHIT. Nitro filling the air, burning the eyes, the whole world feels like its is shaking....it rocked. I got soooo sunburned. We spent the entire day out there and just had a freakin blast. around 5, when all the drivers my parents and friends were pulling for were out of the finals, we left. Went home and had a bbq.

Monday July 19th. Fly back to Seattle, collapse

Tuesday July 20th. First tech rehearsal in space. We had an hour to get the right look with the lights and run the show. Needless to say we didn't get to run the show. The lights took the whole time, then we did a quick cue to cue.

Wed. July 21st. 1st attempt to have lunch with Scott, of course a T-Mobile meeting popped up, we reschedule for Friday. 2nd and final tech rehearsal in the sauna....ran through the show twice. Gotta love 30 minute shows.

Thursday July 22nd...Work on our poster for the show.....Show opens.....sweat like a fiend....show goes great. Festival shows are crazy, fast, intense and a whole lot of fun. One show ends and we have 10-15 mins for the them to take down their set and ours to go up and start. Rock star.

Friday July 23rd. Lunch actually happens with Scott. He really has been the best boss ever. I am gonna miss him a lot. Matt decides that he needs to have lunch with me as well. That happens Monday. No show this night...

Saturday July 24th. Show. It rocks again.

Oh have you noticed I haven't said anything about packing??? Thats because I haven't started yet!!! I have a show at 4:45 today...hopefully gonna buy some plastic bins at Fred Meyer today. Tomorrrow I have a spa appointment at 9, then lunch with Matt, we are also having a cast party...but I am also hoping to go out one more time with Michael. Tuesday, I truly have to pack. Dinner with Roxanne and Summer that night. Wed, I am on a 10:00 train to Portland for a Harry show...drive back to Seattle with Kristy that night. Thursday we head to Vancouver BC for another Harry show....Friday Harry show in Seattle and my Bro-in-law shows up. Saturday, load up Uhaul, Sunday, we leave. Damn.

Kristy is on her way to the Berkely show right now. Girl gets to hang with some cool folks down there. And suprise suprise...guess who else is gonna be there? Doug Belote. :) :)

wow...so much to document since my last post....and no time. Its been crazy, crazy, crazy. Did I mention crazy?? Tomorrow starts my last week in the great northwest....will try to come back and blog later about everything, but its almost time to head to my show for Mae West Fest!!

I started the first of my goodbye's yesterday. Luckily yesterday wasn't with people. It was with the theatre I have spent the last 6 years with.

Its the last weekend of Oliver! out at the Forest Theatre. Its a beautiful beautiful theatre, and I probably feel the most at "home" there than anywhere else in Seattle.

It was a gorgeous day, I left my apt around 9:15, I walked down the the ferry. It didn't take me as long as I thought, I got there at 9:40, and the ferry left at 10:15. An hour later, I was in Bremerton. The sun was shining and it was already warm. There were some clouds starting to billow up, and I was hoping it wouldn't rain. Thunderstorms were in the forcast...luckily none happened in the area. Gala, one of the producers came and got me from the Ferry dock. She filled me in on all the drama that always happens at this time: picking next years show. Looks like they may do Peter Pan.

We arrived at the theatre, and the parking crew was already out in full force. They were hoping for a big crowd. Everything was in place for one; the sun was shining, it was the final weekend, and its the Forest Theatre! I spent some time "up top" chatting with a few people, Jamie Gordon, Jamie Estill, Mark Malnes, Brian Lindvall, Christy Gordon, Barb Baker. All key ingredients to making sure that everything up at the cabin, parking, tickets, ran smoothly. Gala put me to work by having me carry down to the theatre a box of programs.

We headed down the trail (about 1/4 of a mile hike) around noon. No sooner than we started down, we could hear the voices of the cast rehearsing. Every Saturday at 10, we will do a speed through of the show. I mean it has been a week since the last performance.

I got to see a few more people than the last visit out there. Anna Lindvall was back from her first year of College. She also spent a month at Oxford! Sarah Estill was back from her second year. She spent some time in NYC, and next year will be attending Oxford for about 4 months. I missed seeing Jenny Estill (Sarah is filling in for her this weekend) as Jenny had a 10:30 AM flight to INDIA!!! wow. This kids continue to amaze me with everything they can do. They are just phenominal and have taught me so many things.

I hung out backstage chatting with people until about 1:30 or so. The house was already open and filling up, so I needed to go and snag a spot. I ended up sitting with Gala for the show. That 40 mins that I sat out in the house reminded me why I liked it backstage so much...it was incredibly HOT...no wind, nothing. I was sweating buckets. Backstage, its in the shade the whole time.

The first act went by pretty fast, half hour into it, the whole audience is now in the shade. I can see/tell what certain people have added to the show...sparks of their personalities that always make the show a little bit better, that being Craig (the director) Guy (choreographer) and of course Ken (actor extrodinare). I am not overly fond of the show in a whole, way to dark for me. But this one had some very nice moments.

At intermission we had a first ( I was glad I was there for this) an audience member asked his girlfriend to marry him. He had been talking to Gala all last week and they had worked out some bit, with two of our character actors. It went very nicely, very sweet.

Ken doesn't make an appearance until Act 2, as Bill. So very unlike his role last year as the Scarecrow. He plays a very mean character, who beats up on everyone including his girlfriend Nancy. By the end of the show, when she gives it back to him, everyone was cheering her, booing him. When he gets killed at the end, people again were cheering. The show came to an end, the bows were done and a forest theatre tradition continued of inviting the audience onstage, backstage, and to mingle with the cast.

I was chatting with Craig and his wife Leigh Ann (who played Nancy) when Ken finally came out. I had seen him before the show started, but he is always in a certain space then, not really talktive. I had managed to give him a picture he wanted from last year, of him putting makeup on his daughter (one of the munchinkins) He came up and gave me a HUGE hug and said that every faux pas had been saved for that day and for me. See the thing with Ken is...you never know if he will get the lines right...sometimes he forgets...sometimes he likes to improvise...but whatever comes out of his mouth...its mostly brilliant. Apparently he had been good (for the most part) until yesterday. It was a joy to see him work again.

I then made my way back up the trail and hung out at the cabin with everyone (almost the entire cast just spends the night in the dorms or tents) until around 8, when Chris and Cindy gave me a ride back to the ferry dock. It was an amazing amazing day, and I was so glad to be out there in that atmosphere one more day.

Next Friday is the banquet and I am sure I will pop in for a bit, then it will be time to start saying goodbye to all the players....

awww its Wed already. I love short work weeks. It also helps that Matt will be out the next two days!! sweet. Its sunny and the day is almost over. I was good today...walked to work. Took 40 mins. I will walk home as well. Tomorrow I have to hit the gym and start back up with the serious cardio/weights.

I had a great night last night. We had the read thru of the play I am doing for the Mae West Fest in July. We don't go into rehearsals until the 22nd of this month. One month to put up a 25 min show is no prob. I haven't done a show in a year so this will be nice. Even better?? We have a fantastic cast. Including the fantastic and wonderful John Murray. I haven't worked with him for about a year and half. Last show we did together was "True West" He is a fantastic actor. One of my local faves. The lady who wrote the play is also in it....she was funny last night, "Will this be a hard show to Stage Manage? Easy? somewhere in between?" I said I thought it would be somewhere in between. Mary Beth is a wonderful director to work with...now its time for me to make the contact sheet and the rehearsal schedule.....

I found a job that may just help me get to NOLA just a tad quicker. I just hope they are still looking...and that I am that person they need. Its an assistant stage manager for a theater in Baton Rouge. Its $200.00 plus housing. Thats $200 a week. Not a whole lot of money but I am hoping I get it. Of course I am freaking because I sent in my resume almost 24 hours ago and haven't heard anything. I just wish I had looked earlier at the website. The job was posted on Dec. 19th. Oh well only time will tell. I will be missing my dad's birthday celebration however if I get the job. and I had just bought the plane ticket for going to Denver like an hour before finding the job. Oh well.

Speaking of jobs...Feb 7th I will have been here at Publicis for 4 years. WOW.

I am trying to move to New Orleans. That is were my heart lies. So to prepare for that move across county, to a city/state were I know no one, I have to earn money. Because any kind of move is never cheap.

I have been working a second job for the Intiman Theatre. Doing fundraising. Which is pretty much calling people 4 hours a day, begging for money. Sounds like fun right? Well actually it hasn't been to bad. For the most part people listen to our community and outreach programs that go on in addition to the productions. They are really working hard to produce top-quality shows for the entire community, and trying to get the arts back into high schools.
Ah jeez, I just did part of the pitch. Anyway, a lot of people like to hear about this stuff, and to talk to people that know theatre, and understand it? Well its been a pleasent suprise. I have had some great conversations.....and in the past few months I have raised $10,000 for them. This is from September until last night. Not bad for a first time fundraiser. Especially by the phone. Our last day for fundraising is supposed to be this Thursday. They have extended it for a week and a half more. Actually they have asked me to stay through Dec. I can do it until Dec. 15th. So one more month. Hopefully all the rest of the nights won't go like last night. We are just started calling more leads. People who have only seen Black Nativity. These people don't care about the programs or if the theatre needs help to put up shows. I called 99 people and 21 of those were not interested. The largest amount I have had so far. It was harsh. But today is a new day.