New York City Day #2

So Thursday in NYC was the first day of the Broadway Teacher's Conference at Jazz at Lincoln Center. I've decided the conference is totally worth it for the elevator ride alone up to the cool rooms our conference is in. Basically, we're located in Branford Marsalis recording and rehearsal studios.

So, I was up bright and early and walked from my hotel to the Time Warner building. The elevators weren't open yet so I went and got a snack at Bouchon Bakery and watched people react to the huge naked sumo wrestler statues in the lobby.

My first session was a getting to know you- and for being a theatre teacher, I dread doing "getting to know you exercises"- which makes me a total hypocrite because I make my theatre students do them all the time. I, however, met nice teachers from Australia, Georgia and Canada- so I guess it was worth it.

I then took a puppetry session from John Tartaglia (Tony nominee for Avenue Q and also a hilarious Pinochico from Shrek the musical). Totally fun and inspirational- Theatre 3 will be doing a puppetry unit this year. If I can get supplies.

After two sessions, it was lunch time so up I went to my favorite Grey's Papaya then a frozen hot chocolate at Jacque Torres. I then picked up some more chocolate love at Levain Bakery so Jackie would have a snack waiting for her in the fridge when she arrived the next morning.

That afternoon I listened to current Broadway stars talk about their Path to Broadway and then it was time for dinner.

It was Spiderman that night (and it started at 7:30pm) so I had a quick dinner after hitting the Drama Bookstore and stocking up on scripts for my school.

Now on to Spiderman. Hmmm.

Let's say the following: You can certainly see the 75 million dollars as the sets are jaw-dropping (and sometimes actor dropping as well), the flying is amazing (as the head of some mafia organization sitting next to me said when Green Goblin whizzed by his head (as in flew...not pee): "whoa"), but I think this show is a prime example of WAY too many cooks in the kitchen- and the end result is like everything was thrown up on the stage to see what sticks (random hip-hop military dance? Check. Spiderwoman Archnae vaguely seducing Peter Parker? Check. Crazy supervillians that look like they have a hard time walking? Check. Absolutely awful music? Check (more about that as it related to a class I took the next day from the music director- who has earned her spot in heaven working on this show...and did you see the number they did at the Tony Awards? THAT was the best number in the show- which says a lot).

I guess I'm glad I saw it- but I don't want to see it again- and it could have been an awesome show if the music was amazing... but it wasn't.

There. You've seen the best parts. Save your money.

But...Reeve Carney (he plays Peter Parker) and the guy that fell 25 feet head first into the orchestra pit last December came out and talked to us and answered questions. That was cool.

Go Go Go...

So I'm in this little production called Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Hale Center Theatre in West Valley. I play Isachaar (one of the brothers) and the Baker (sentenced to death because he dreamed about birds and bread and baskets). (In the picture above, I'm top left. I'm really not facing the wrong direction... I'm just trying to cheat out so that side of the audience doesn't feel left out)...

Things I've learned about this production:

1. I am the 2nd oldest person in our dressing room. Last night, the 3rd oldest was planning a playlist for his high school reunion.... from 2001. I am an old man in this cast.

2. The only way I can get through shows is with Ibuprofen- and even then, I have to time it right so it kicks in during Act 2 when all of the brothers are on their knees for what feels like 45 hours.

3. If my microphone is turned on during my lift with my show wife in One More Angel in Heaven, the audience will literally hear me chanting, Please Jesus, Please Jesus on rotation.

4. It is next to impossible to sing a High A while jumping up and down.

5. All sense of modesty and decorum goes out the window when you have exactly one verse of Close Every Door to do a complete costume change from head to toe.

6. You know everyone in the cast sweats a lot when Hale covers every microphone with a condom. The oldest guy in our dressing room (who has seven kids) thought the actor playing Joseph was playing a trick on him... it took some convincing that the condoms were not a joke.

7. You should have gotten tickets yesterday because they have added about 20 shows (on one weekend I get to do the Friday 7:30pm, 10:00pm and the Saturday 9:30am, 12:30pm, 4:00pm and 7:30pm. I will just have to have a IV drip with Ibuprofen...) because the regular shows are sold out.

But if you want to try to see it, it runs through the 24th of Sept. and I'm in the MWF Sat. 12:30pm matinee cast. It really is a good show (to quote Ellis- Age 4- she can see Joseph's boob in one song...) and I sweat a lot.

90% Won't Care...But

So today was our August showcase for Hale Summer Camp. One of the girls (11 years old) told us her uncle was coming. We said, That's nice. She then said, we're singing Step in Time from Mary Poppins and he played Bert on Broadway and London...and the teachers looked at each other and asked who her uncle was...
and it's this Broadway star:

Gavin Creel.

I know 90% of you don't care (or even know who he is), but he was Tony nominated for Thoroughly Modern Millie (the original Jimmy with Sutton Foster) and Hair (with Will Swenson).
He was really nice and gave me a bear hug (that lifted me off the ground) after the showcase- even though we were a little nervous playing our Mary Poppins songs with him in the audience.
My kind friend Neal Johnson took these pics:


And if you want to hear how amazing his voice is, listen to him sing this song from Next to Normal.

30 Sec. Mark

Watch this video- esp. around the 30 sec. mark. You'll see the bad version of his message.
Basically they came and had me and Jackie improvise a big fight around balancing the checkbook. Millie was sitting next to me coloring and Jackie was holding Ellis and a big knife.