MikeR

Parenthood

2009-07-05T04:50:31Z

I just saw a commercial for a TV series version of the movie Parenthood, scheduled for NBC this fall.

Didn't they already make a TV series version of this movie?

Yes, they did.

How strange to resurrect it 19 years later.

I believe in yesterday

2009-06-25T16:41:32Z

Big day yesterday.

Can I just say, to start out, how much I'm loving my Facebook friends right now? I think everyone who reads this is my friend on Facebook, so you all probably saw my urgent plea yesterday looking for that final Tommy cast member. So many people (including some of you reading this) really went out of their way to help out; reposting the note, brainstorming names, sending out requests. Honestly, I'm overwhelmed. And, it looks like it worked. I think we might have someone to take the part(s). I haven't heard anything final yet, and I don't want to jinx it, but (please God, please God, please God) the wheels appear to be in motion. So hooray! I was feeling pretty darn good all yesterday afternoon that I might have been able to help get this problem fixed. Fingers crossed that everything works out!

On the work front, I had one of those weird travel days yesterday. I had to give a presentation at a client site in San Diego. So I flew down on a 2:00 flight, gave a 20 minute presentation at a meeting that started at 4:30 (I didn't start presenting until after 5:00), and was back at the airport around 6:00 for a 7:55 flight back home. My flight down was a bit delayed. Mainly because the ground crew at SAN was totally incompetent (seriously, the captain and flight attendant were joking about what a bad job they were doing) and it took forever to get us off the plane. It was one of those commuter jets where they roll a stairway to the side of the plane and you walk down and across the tarmac to get to the terminal. Anyway, I rented a car and had to drive like a madman to get to the meeting, and made it there about 4:35. A rental car seemed extravagant, but a taxi both ways would have cost about the same. Anyway, it's just weird that I spent 8 hours of my day (plus a few hundred bucks that we'll bill the client) to do a 20 minute presentation.

So that's my life lately. Exciting, right?

Exit, followed by a bear

2009-06-18T16:40:17Z

You guys, I can't tell if this is supposed to be serious or a joke. I do know it's a real newscast. It's either the most unintentionally or intentionally funny thing I've seen on the real news since that Florida weatherman got scared by a bug.

The story of my life

2009-06-15T23:00:26Z

Curses

2009-06-07T03:07:03Z

My Tony weekend understudy curse continues.

I don't know that I've talked about this subject here (although some of the people reading this will have heard it elsewhere, including face-to-face).

2000: Missed both Mandy Patinkin and Toni Colette in The Wild Party
2001: Lucky - no understudies
2002: Missed Laura Benanti in Into the Woods
2003: Missed both Brian Stokes Mitchell and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in Man of La Mancha
2004: Lucky
2005: Missed Sara Ramirez in Spamalot
2006: Didn't go to New York for Tony weekend
2007: Missed Christine Ebersole in Grey Gardens
2008: Didn't go to New York for Tony weekend

That brings us to this year. Yesterday Marc Kudisch was out of 9 to 5 and this afternoon Thomas Sadoski was out of Reasons to be Pretty. Thankfully, the whole cast was in Next to Normal tonight. I hope that will be true of Blithe Spirit tomorrow.

Interestingly enough, on my way back to my hotel I walked by the stage door of the Lyceum Theatre and saw Thomas Sadoski come out, to much applause. I watched for a second as he signed autographs, and realized he must have done the evening performance. So it really is just my luck.

Then as I started to leave, the understudy I had seen that afternoon (Michael Dempsey, who really did a wonderful job) came out of the stage door with a bunch of flowers. And I followed him for 10 blocks up 6th Avenue. But I wasn't stalking, it was just a coincidence. Honest.

I also got hit in the forehead by flying debris at that show. I was sitting in the front row. Late in the show, Steven Pasquale takes a baseball jersey, throws it to the ground, then flings it aside. When it hit the ground, a button broke. Then when he flung it aside, the broken button flew off and one of the pieces hit me right above my left eyebrow.

Theater can be dangerous.

Apparently I'm just doing a stream-of-consciousness thing here. I'll stop.

UPDATES:

The full cast of Blithe Spirit was in this afternoon.
It turns out that Thomas Sadoski's wife fell and cut her head, bad enough to send her to the ER. He missed yesterday's matinee because he was at the hospital with her - as he should have been. Which answers the "how can he miss the matinee but be fine for the evening performance" question. Still wish I could've seen him.

Radio Silence

2009-05-22T05:56:32Z

So...

I haven't really been posting anything here, have I? Lord knows I've mostly had plentiful internet access while in Russia. Sorry about that.

I am still in Moscow. My parents left early this morning (it's currently 9:45am on Friday in Moscow, which translates to 10:45pm on Thursday night in California), but I stay until Sunday.

We're having a great time. I've posted a bunch of pictures on Facebook, which I assume everyone who is interested has looked at. (I think I'm Facebook friends with everyone who might be reading this, but if not, go ahead and send a friend request - unless you're some random anonymous stalker.)

We've seen a lot of the sights in Moscow; we went to the ballet (which was awesome - it was all based on folk dances from around the world), a few museums, and the circus. We spent a few days in St Petersburg, cramming everything we could fit into that short time.

Tonight it looks like we're going to see Beauty and the Beast (yes, the Disney version). I know, Matthew said I should see some theater... but I can barely understand Chekhov in English. Sitting through The Three Sisters in a language I don't know didn't seem like the best way to spend an evening. Plus, my nephews are both at sleepovers tonight and my nieces really want to see BATB. So, done. At least I know I'll be able to follow the story. :-)

I've also eaten like a king the entire time I've been here. Which is great, because I'm a) not an adventurous eater, and b) a little on the picky side.

Anyway, two days left. I'm having a wonderful time, but I'll be ready to go home - although I'll miss the family very much.

There are some intriguing things cooking at home on the theatrical side, but nothing I can talk about right now. I just wanted to tease.

I love to laugh

2009-05-10T21:45:25Z

The danger of cracking yourself up (which I must admit I do - I think I'm hilarious) is that you end up looking foolish when you're sitting by yourself, laughing.

Case in point. I am at O'Hare waiting for my flight to Moscow. Unsurprisingly, I am surrounded by Russians. A lady sitting near me answered her cell phone and said what sounded like "Allo, Boyd". So I'm thinking to myself that must have meant something in Russian. Or, she just got a call from someone named Boyd. Or, she is actually a gangster in a stereotypical 40s-era film, and she received a call from a bird. One of those things.

Well, I thought it was funny, at least.

The truth is, I'm trying to squeeze in as much mobile Internet time as possible, before I hit foreign soil and international roaming, where iPhone use becomes prohibitively expensive. I may go through withdrawal when I have to give it up.

Plane boarding soon!

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

There's no cure like travel

2009-05-10T02:18:45Z

So, I'm going to Moscow tomorrow. Weird. Super Shuttle picks me about 7:00am, and I arrive in Moscow a little after noon on Monday, local time. I'll be there until Sunday 5/24.

I'm actually about 95% packed - unless I'm forgetting something, the only stuff unpacked right now is stuff I'll need in the morning. I think I'm good to go.

Expect radio silence for the next few weeks, although I'll probably have some opportunity to get online if I can wrest the computer from my sister, brother-in-law, nieces, nephews, and parents. I'm not bringing my own laptop - too much of a hassle for international travel, and not necessary.

I am bringing a camera, though. So hopefully I'll be able to get over my lameness when it comes to taking decent pictures, and get a few keepers.

Have a great couple weeks, everyone.

Vacation

2009-05-04T21:27:31Z

As of this afternoon, I have my New York trip for June all planned out. There wasn't enough time to see everything I wanted to see. And a couple shows got disqualified from consideration because they're not offering discounts. I don't pay full price anymore unless it's an absolute must see (the only thing I paid full price for last year was South Pacific, and I don't regret it in the slightest). Anyway, here's the list, all purchased at discounts:

Thursday, June 4 - Our Town (Barrow Street Theatre)
Friday, June 5 - 9 to 5 (Marquis Theatre)
Saturday, June 5 (matinee) - reasons to be pretty (Lyceum Theatre)
Saturday, June 5 (evening) - next to normal (Booth Theatre)
Sunday, June 6 - Blithe Spirit (Shubert Theatre)

I'm feeling a little iffier about 9 to 5 than I did when I bought the ticket (before the reviews came out), but overall I'm excited for the line-up.

Of course, I have the small matter of my trip to Moscow before I make my way to New York (I leave for Moscow in less than a week!). But that one's been planned for a long time now.

Just to close that loop

2009-05-01T21:07:03Z

Officially: I did not get the role of Seymour in Little Shop.

I should've gotten a clue when the director talked about how he likes to cast things a little differently. I am nothing if not an obvious choice for the role.

Rumor is another theater (which hasn't announced its next season so I'm going to play coy for the moment) is doing it next Spring (i.e., a year from now). So I guess I'll give the show a third try then. Perhaps the third time will indeed be the proverbial charm.

Another day, another Carmen post!

2009-04-23T17:15:30Z

Here's another promo video. This one is ostensibly about the children's chorus that is featured in acts 1 and 4. But since they sing with us in act 4, you can actually see me doing my opera chorus thang starting at about 0:58. I knew there was a reason I made sure I was blocked to be downstage. :-)

And another review

2009-04-22T21:50:31Z

Here's the review from the Silicon Valley Metro, the first review of the cast that opened Sunday.

I'm not sure what these critics are expecting from the singer playing the title role. It would appear that they want Agnes Baltsa at the height of her fame - and this from an opera company that is known for providing a learning environment for young opera singers toward the beginning of their careers. But whatever. The review is largely positive, and that's a good thing.

Video Preview

2009-04-22T20:56:59Z

Sadly there's nothing of the chorus in here (especially given how much we sing in this opera!) but for those who are interested, here's a nice video sneak peek of OSJ's Carmen.

Ah, a good one...

2009-04-22T16:36:03Z

You have to get through ten whole paragraphs of plot summary, but eventually there's a positive review of Carmen from the San Francisco Music Journal (a site I'd never heard of before). There are also a few nice photos, including the one reproduced below, which shows off our costumes and lighting quite nicely. And you can see me, looking surprised (apparently) at Escamillo's exploits.

In case we needed more proof that art is subjective

2009-04-21T16:13:58Z

The "Habanera" in Act I — a tune that has seeped into the consciousness of the majority of people on Earth — should be held in reserve, like tango. So on the edge of passion, in other words, that it becomes excruciating.

But Gouverneur, who has a marvelously creamy, alabaster voice, held it too much in reserve. There was scarcely any sexual ignition.
- Richard Scheinin, San Jose Mercury

A statuesque, doe-eyed beauty who bears a passing resemblance to the young Ava Gardner, Gouverneur certainly has the makings of a strong Carmen. Saturday, she introduced a large, velvety mezzo voice marked by rich, dusky tones and the high extensions that the role demands. If the voice occasionally emerged a little occluded in the lower reaches of her range, Gouverneur, for the most part, sounded voluptuous; the “Habanera” was sung with plush tone and smooth line that augured well for the rest of the evening.
- Georgia Rowe, San Francisco Classical Voice

Opposite Gouverneur, as Don Jose, the simple soldier she charms and seduces to no good end, was tenor Alexander Boyer. He sang with beautiful buoyancy and passion (the "Flower Song" in Act II was one of numerous highlights), while navigating his character's change from an Average Joe conformist to a stalker and killer of the woman he supposedly loves.
- Scheinin

As her Don José, Alexander Boyer also struggled to achieve verisimilitude. Despite a tendency to lose tone at full volume, the tenor’s warm, elegant singing was a decided asset (the “Flower Song” was both smooth and ardent), but he, too, seemed still in search of a character, and his scenes with Gouverneur had an awkwardly muted quality.
- Rowe

But most passionate of all, the real star of the show, was soprano Rebecca Davis, as Micaela, the good girl from Don Jose's hometown — and the woman he should be courting. Saturday, Davis had it all: lustrous colors, secure top-to-bottom singing with penetrating power and true operatic emotion. She was arresting.
- Scheinin

Rebecca Davis was simply miscast as Micaela, Don José’s village sweetheart. The soprano, who sang a lovely Fiordiligi for this company earlier in the season, returned Saturday sounding strained. Her Act 1 duet with Boyer lacked the requisite delicacy, and her scene in the Gypsy camp was unfocused and acidic.
- Rowe

[A]ll the choruses could sing with more volume and punch
- Scheinin

The chorus, under the direction of John Kendall Bailey, sounded well-rehearsed and vibrant
- Rowe

These two critics were at the same performance.

Carmen! Sur tes pas nous nous pressons tous!

2009-04-20T18:35:05Z

Well, the first (and most important) Carmen review is in, from the San Jose Mercury. Unfortunately, it's not quite the rave I was hoping for. Lots of nice comments, but it's hard to get over that he didn't like the portrayal of the lead character. And in an opera like Carmen, in which the chorus hardly ever leaves the stage, the most he can say is that we "could sing with more volume and punch"? Thanks. Of course we're also all those ogling soldiers and gypsies he liked so much.

Anyway. I'm not really pleased, overall. The Metro review will be out on Wednesday afternoon, and I believe that critic came yesterday, so he saw the second cast. Maybe we'll get something better.

Come to Me, Bend to Me

2009-04-11T19:31:23Z

So all the American Idol chatter has been about Adam Lambert, and I agree that he's really talented. I hated his "Ring of Fire", but thought that his "Tracks of My Tears" and "Mad World" were absolutely brilliant.

But somebody just posted the link to the video below on All That Chat. Holy crap. This is Adam Lambert (audio only, accompanied by a slide show) at age 22 as ~~Tommy Albright~~ Charlie Dalrymple in a Houston production of Brigadoon. He sounds amazing. He has incredible control (tone-wise, switching from a mix into head voice, and unbelievable breath control). Absolutely beautiful.

The benefits of a down economy

2009-04-10T17:55:21Z

Inspired by my last post, I decided to check out hotel prices for New York in early June (Tony weekend). They are as low as I've seen them in years. Thank you, recession!!

And since I was unable to use my miles to go to Russia, I've got a ton of unused miles (and will be earning a lot more when I complete the Russia trip). So I hopped on over to AA.com and checked flight availability. There were flights available using my miles.

Well, that seemed like a sign. So I booked the flight. Now I just need to make a hotel reservation. So far, I see that I can get the Mayfair for $156 - I'll check Hotwire to see if there's anything cheaper. But again, these are the lowest prices I've seen in ages.

Now I just need to make sure I keep my job so I can pay for the hotel and show tickets while deals are still available...

Show Possibilities:
*next to normal
*reasons to be pretty
*The Norman Conquests Part 1: Table Manners
9 to 5
Billy Elliott
Blithe Spirit
Coraline
God of Carnage
Guys and Dolls
Hair
Happiness
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Mary Stuart
Shrek
West Side Story

*definite

The first two of the "definites" are the shows I most want to see. The third is on the list because it will be showing on Saturday at 11:00, which means I could squeeze one more show out of the weekend. They're doing a trilogy day that Saturday, but I'm not sure I want to devote the entire day to Ayckbourn when there are other shows to see.

That leaves three slots open. Right now, for the other three, I'm leaning toward 9 to 5, Coraline, and God of Carnage. Opinions from my NYC-vicinity friends are welcomed.

I go years without you

2009-04-09T20:22:31Z

I was thinking this morning about how long it has been since I was last in New York. Eleven months. I really want to go back - it's been too long. I won't be able to do a May awards-season trip this year, since I'll be in Moscow (which is not a complaint!). I'll have to see if I can get there in the summer, depending upon finances and how soon I can take a few days off work after being gone for two weeks.

For the record (and because surely this is how everybody measures time), here is a list of the Broadway shows that have both opened and closed since my last trip:Cirque Dreams
[title of show]
A Tale of Two Cities
Equus
The Seagull
13
A Man for All Seasons
To Be or Not To Be
All My Sons
Speed-the-Plow
American Buffalo
Dividing the Estate
White Christmas
Liza’s at the Palace
Slava’s Snowshow
Pal Joey
Soul of Shaolin
The American Plan
Hedda Gabler
You’re Welcome America
The Story of My Life
To be sure, there's only 6-7 of those that I had any real interest in seeing. And those shows weren't all playing at the same time so it would have required at least two trips to fit them in. But the point is there's a whole lot of shows that I completely missed out on - even if in some cases that means I dodged a bullet.

I think this started with Next to Normal. It's the first show in a long time that I've been excited about seeing - enough so that I'm trying to figure out how to make it happen.

Toujours les mème choses.

2009-04-08T22:48:46Z

I do not have a Carmen rehearsal tonight. Other than Sundays (the blessed day off), that's the first time I've been able to say that since March 21 (when there was a rehearsal, but I was busy doing two performances of Bat Boy).

I knew that Carmen has a lot of chorus music going in - it's one of the reasons that I wanted to do it. But I didn't really know how much - I have very little time off stage in this opera. And in a couple cases what little time I have off stage will be spent doing a complete costume change (I start as a soldier, turn into a gypsy smuggler, then go back to a soldier again). I'm happy for that, I hate sitting around backstage waiting for my next entrance. But it explains why there's been so much rehearsal.

We open in a little over a week (4/18). It's going to be really good. Hopefully Carmen remains the audience favorite it has always been and we'll have full houses for the run (the last time OSJ did Carmen, they had to add a performance).

The music for this opera is pretty dang amazing. I love singing it.

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All these rehearsals have made my life boring. I have nothing to talk about, because I literally do nothing but go to work and rehearsal. I'm looking forward to getting the show going so I'll have more time off.

Just over a month before I leave for Russia. Looks like my sister and I might go see Chekhov (not sure which play) in Russian. I'll be doubly lost. The other play options we know of are Amadeus or Pygmalion (which could be fascinating - a play about language that I won't be able to understand).

Better late than never?

2009-04-02T20:42:31Z

A week and a half after we closed, the Talkin' Broadway review of Bat Boy is up (second review on the page - scroll down).

It's a good one. I wish it had been posted while we were still running, but such is life.

That's it

2009-03-23T21:59:17Z

I have a migraine, I have rehearsal tonight that I wasn't supposed to have (last minute schedule change) and I got Producers casting news that I didn't want to get. I am officially done with this day.

Let's face it, I'm tired

2009-03-19T21:09:01Z

I am so freaking tired. I can't seem to get caught up on my sleep. I thought that perhaps after Bat Boy closed, things would settle down a bit. But I just looked at my calendar and realized that I have Carmen rehearsals six days a week (Sundays off) until April 17 (which is our one day off before we open on April 18). Wait, I also have a day off on Wednesday April 8. But other than that, Sundays are my only rehearsal-free days.

We did get done with rehearsal an hour early last night. That was nice. But starting tonight I'm missing three rehearsals in a row (so I can do Bat Boy's final weekend). So I'll be even more behind.

I keep telling myself I do this because I love it, and I'd be unhappy if I didn't have a show to work on after this weekend. And that's all very true. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm tired. I'm going to see if I can find a way to squeeze a nap in before going to the theater for tonight's show.

All Bat Boy, all the time!

2009-03-11T22:59:03Z

I bet people can't wait for me to start talking about Carmen! (First rehearsal was last night.)

Anyway. What is this? Review? News report? Some weird hybrid of the two? I guess when your newspaper has a circulation of, like, 100 and you're the publishers, you can do whatever you want.

Another Bat Boy Review

2009-03-10T01:16:54Z

This one is from the Contra Costa Times. It's a good one, and I'll take it. But I'm not sure what to make of the first half of the sentence "Michael Rhone unmistakably has fun with his multiple roles, and his voice adds richness to many musical numbers." "You looked like you were having so much fun up there" is one of the things you say when you didn't like somebody's performance!

Meanwhile we've got lots of seats left to fill for the next two weekends (particularly the matinees). So (for those who live in the area), come see it and/or tell your friends! Not that we should put too much stock in this, but as of now we're the number 1 show on Artsopolis, with an average rating of 4.7 stars.