Something So Fresh

"Earth Intruders" from Bjorks new album "Volta" is an unbelievable track.

Enough said for now.

Listen to it. Now.

Second time in the vineyard...

So...the theatre gods smiled on me at the 7:00 call today...

I was sitting in Kodama with the rest of my cast mates...enjoying a typical meal. We were just about to head up to the theatre for fight call when my phone rang. Johnny's out...I'm on.

I have to admit, at this point I was more nervous than the first time they told me I was going on. However, once I got to the theatre, cleared my head, and went through a much-needed sound check with our musical director, I was back on track. My mind was open and I was ready to go on.

The second I entered the stage I felt a wave of relief. This time was going to be SO much better than the first. I felt it. This time, I could have fun.

And I did have fun. Every scene felt exceedingly better than when I first attempted it on Monday...when I was still completely flabbergasted that I was even standing there. (By the way, flabbergasted is a damn good word.)

A fan said I was shaking at one point and that I must have been so nervous (when I headed over to the myspace for spring awakening to respond to a comment, I noticed that this same fan had posted a relatively flattering review)...I was very surprised that I was shaking (although, I'm convinced that I never was hahah.) I wasn't nervous at all this time. It was so strange...but I was so grateful that I wasn't nervous. I finally could breathe and "play." I trusted what I was doing much more this time.

I'm still trying to work out how to breath enough during Totally Fucked so I have enough air for the Vineyard scene...It's sort of an exhausting little number.

The post show experience may be one of the best things about having gone on. I started for the stage door and a little Broadway hero of mine was standing there. John Tartaglia. Now, I saw John in Avenue Q when I was a junior in high school. I went to the stage door and got him to sign my playbill and he commented on my many hemp necklaces. (I was a major hippie in high school.) I adored his performance in Avenue Q and was honored to be up for the role this past March. Tonight was my first stage door experience where a person I respected so thoroughly and had been so inspired by was on the other side talking to me about my performance. It was a total mind fuck. It was beyond emotional. After we talked for a bit he shook my hand goodbye and complimented me...I think I made an indecipherable sound in response.

When I went outside, I signed a few playbills and headed to where my cast had gathered. Suddenly two close friends who went to high school with me appeared. I hadn't spoken to one of them since we had graduated two years ago. It was unbelievable looking at that side of my past and realizing how far we had come. We started to discuss San Francisco and some of the school shows we did together...It was completely overwhelming. I had no idea that they were there. Of all nights for them to "stop by the show."

Yes It's 4 am while I write this...yes I have a softball game, the gym, a haircut, and a show tomorrow night...but I can't sleep. I'm too blown away by what's surrounding me right now. There was a sense of unease after my first show on Monday night but tonight I have so much more gratification. I look back on where I was only a year ago and simply cannot believe how far I have taken myself. I know that hard work pays off. When I read some of the older entries on this blog, I am reminded even more fully of that. I haven't got a clue when I'll go on next...it could be tomorrow...it could be in a month...it could be when Groff takes a vacation (to all you guilty ones...no...I don't know when he'll be taking a vacation)...but for tonight I'm thrilled with my own success and even more thrilled that I have the opportunity to share that success with such an immensely talented and hard working cast.

By the way...I have a feeling some of you die-hard fans out there didn't have a clue I went on again...judging by the fact that my facebook wasn't stuffed with messages and comments. I promise I will post something on facebook if I get more warning next time.

Hanschen and Tonys

Last night I made my debut as a principal character on Broadway. It was a crazy experience. I didn't expect it at all. Which as an understudy is pretty typical...but because people have missed so rarely lately...I didn't expect to go on for Hanschen for a while. I did, however, know that Hanschen would be the first character I would go on for. It's been planned for a while.

The show went well. Like most "first times" it was a little rough, but enjoyable. Not everything went as smoothly as I wanted it to go...but in the end my heart was in the performance. Now I'm just dying to do it again. I felt like both "My Junk" and the vineyard scene went well...but in the end it was "Totally Fucked" that I had the most fun in. Hanschen has a fantastic presence in that song that is all about strength and power. It was so much fun.

Many of you have been asking me if I will be performing at the Tonys. I'd be lying if I said I haven't been speculating the same thing for a while as well. "Spring Awakening" is a family backstage...and fortunately for me...They've decided to include their newest family member in the Tony performance. I will be onstage with the rest of the swings/ensemble members for a particular part of the performance. I know that some of the other cast members have hinted at what we will be performing...but you will get none of that from me! You'll just have to tune in on June 10th to see for yourself. I promise it won't disappoint. We had music rehearsal for it yesterday and got giddy with excitement. It's going to be fantastic.

Three Season Finales

This past week, three of my favorite television shows had their season finales. I hope the summer television line up is good because I'm pissed that my shows are over!

Lost is ending on Wednesday...don't get me started. They better bring back "So You Think You Can Dance?" Mindless reality TV shows that you can throw parties over are great.

Okay onto the season finales. I was disappointed by many of the moments on all three shows.

Grey's didn't feel like Grey's anymore and was by far the most depressing episode the show has ever created, lacking any of the joy that made the series so popular. It wasn't a bad episode...it just was missing that one sliver of hope that we all needed. It was like the 6th Harry Potter book...All turmoil, no resolution. I guess they were trying to make us want to come back for more...but honestly...I'm so frustrated with half the story lines...I don't really care anymore. I hate how they randomly decided to make Derek and Meredith have relationship problems. Meredith has always had her melodramatic issues...but this distance is so sudden and strange. And the new half-sister-intern Lexy Grey is an idiotic way to create a new love triangle next season. Izzie/George is sort of working, but nothing about them will ever reach Izzie/Denny status. I cannot believe Dr. Bailey isn't the new Chief! We were being set up for that ALL season...ALL frickin' season! There was no tears-of-joy pay off that ever single viewer was waiting for. And the fact that they didn't settle the Eva/Alex storyline is pathetic...that's a season finale moment, not start of next season moment. The positives? Burke and Christina had the best storyline...and they were FINALLY put to rest. Sandra Oh gave, yet again, the best performance of the episode when she broke down in the apartment with Meredith. Kate Walsh...Good luck...see you on your new show.

Ugly Betty had such a strange first season. I know that it's supposed to be like a telenovella but with all of the storylines they have thrown at the board, I feel like it's the end of their third season...not first. Remember Gina, and Betty's old boyfriend? How about when Amanda and Daniel were still sleeping together? Kristen Chenoweth made a terrific appearance on the show as Betty's chick-flick-obsessed orthodontist...and I love how they handled Betty and Henry's romance through the entire episode. Mark had the best moments of the episode again ("Inhale Ricky Martin, Exhale Colin Ferrell") and his storyline with Wilhelmina was terrific. The love Dungeon was pointless and I don't like the idea of Amanda becoming anymore than the funny receptionist. I was also furious that they killed Hilda's fiancé. He was a likeable new character that could have worked well into the next season. Daniel and Alex crashed...Does this mean we can finally put the Daniel/Alex storyline to rest?..and all the bad storylines that came with it? As much as I love Rebecca Romijn, her Character Alex is by far the worst addition to the show. Someone else give her work...because the character she plays on Ugly Betty is frustratingly different every week and everything they try with it fails.

The office ended with more successes than failures. Let's just quickly start with what didn't work. Jan. Jan. Jan. What happened? Jan used to be one of the best characters on the show. Her interactions with Michael were always painfully hysterical. She was so much more intelligent and a great woman who had the slightest drops of crazy. Now she's a full-blown metal hospital patient! Her character is a bit much, even for "The Office." The boob job wasn't funny...Also, Her obsessive want for Michael is just...well...unrealistic. It used to be a wonderfully quirky storyline...now it just falls miserably flat. There weren't really any spectacular Dwight moments this episode. Andy was a bit forced again and Angela wasn't utilized the way she could have been in an episode about Dwight taking over the office. However, the rest of the episode did work. Pam was terrific. Her "Cliché" speech was hysterical and she had some lovely moments in the episode where she stuck by her new "empowered" self. The final moment when Jim walked into the interview and asked her out was beautiful. There are some damn good actors on this show. Give them a good scene and they'll surprise you every time. The last moment with Ryan and Kelly was spectacular as well.

What do I do without my primetime television? I hope there is some decent trashy television to hold me over in the summer.

The Reminder

I cannot believe how long it takes me to update my blog these days.

If you need a CD, look no further than "The Reminder" by Feist. First of all, let me just say how incredible it is how much her cult following has blossomed into a fairly mainstream following. The music is stunningly gorgeous. I recommend every track. It is one of the best sophomoric efforts I have ever seen. "Better than the first" isn't easy for a lot of bands that make their mark on the first album. Feist did it.

Tony Nominations

Tuesday morning was crazy. I couldn't believe I was watching NY1 at 8:30 in the morning for a show that I was actually in.

Words cannot express how happy I am for everyone involved in this production. It is an honor to work with all of them. This has truly been an emotional ride for me. I am so fortunate to be a part of it all!

WE RECIEVED 11 NOMINATIONS!!! The most of any show this year. I am just completely blown away.

This is from Playbill.com

"The 2006-2007 Tony Award nominations were announced May 15 by Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski and former Rent star Taye Diggs at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Spring Awakening, the new musical that was a hit Off-Broadway before opening on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, garnered 11 Tony nominations, the most of any show of the season. Both the Tom Stoppard trilogy, The Coast of Utopia, and the new musical Grey Gardens received 10 nominations a piece.

Other shows that fared well include the Kander-Ebb-Rupert Holmes musical Curtains (eight nominations), the movie-turned-musical Legally Blonde (seven nominations), the new Disney musical Mary Poppins (seven nominations), the British import Coram Boy (six nominations), the revival of Journey's End (six nominations) and the Roundabout's revival of 110 in the Shade (five nominations).

There were several theatre folk who received multiple nominations: Both Bob Crowley and Melly Still received three nominations apiece. Crowley was nommed for Best Scenic Design of a Play for Coast of Utopia (with Scott Pask), Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Mary Poppins and Best Costume Design of a Musical for Mary Poppins. Still received nominations for Best Direction of a Play (Coram Boy), Best Scenic Design of a Play (with Ti Green for Coram Boy) and Best Costume Design of a Play (also with Ti Green for Coram Boy). The Spring Awakening creators also fared well: Steven Sater received nominations for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score, while Duncan Sheik was nominated for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations. Jonathan Tunick received two Best Orchestrations Tony nominations: for LoveMusik and 110 in the Shade. Brian MacDevitt was also a double-nominee in the same category: He received Best Lighting Design of a Play nominations for Inherit the Wind and The Coast of Utopia (the latter with Kenneth Posner and Natasha Katz). And, Rupert Holmes, who won two Tonys for his work on The Mystery of Edwin Drood, was nominated in two categories for Curtains: Best Book of a Musical (with Peter Stone) and Best Original Score (with John Kander and Fred Ebb).

Notable omissions include Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, who did not receive a Best Leading Actress in a Musical nomination for her acclaimed performance in The Apple Tree; stage veteran Marian Seldes, who failed to receive a nomination for her work in Deuce, although her co-star Angela Lansbury did; multiple Tony winner Harold Prince, who was not nominated for his direction of LoveMusik; Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey, who did not receive a nomination for his performance in A Moon for the Misbegotten; and the exclusion of Legally Blonde from the Best Musical category.

Nominees for the 61st Annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards follow:

Best Play
The Coast of Utopia
Frost/Nixon
The Little Dog Laughed
Radio Golf

Best Musical
Curtains
Grey Gardens
Mary Poppins
Spring Awakening

Best Book of a Musical
Curtains, Rupert Holmes & Peter Stone
Grey Gardens, Doug Wright
Legally Blonde The Musical, Heather Hach
Spring Awakening, Steven Sater

Best Original Score
Curtains
Music: John Kander
Lyrics: Fred Ebb, John Kander & Rupert Holmes

Grey Gardens
Music: Scott Frankel
Lyrics: Michael Korie

Legally Blonde The Musical
Music & Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin

Spring Awakening
Music: Duncan Sheik
Lyrics: Steven Sater


Best Revival of a Play
Inherit the Wind
Jouney's End
Talk Radio
Translations

Best Revival of a Musical
The Apple Tree
A Chorus Line
Company
110 in the Shade

Best Special Theatrical Event
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only
Kiki & Herb Alive on Broadway

Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Play
Boyd Gaines, Journey's End
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Brían F. O’Byrne, The Coast of Utopia
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
Liev Schreiber, Talk Radio

Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Play
Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten
Swoosie Kurtz, Heartbreak House
Angela Lansbury, Deuce
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking
Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed

Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, LoveMusik
Raúl Esparza, Company
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins
David Hyde Pierce, Curtains

Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Musical
Laura Bell Bundy, Legally Blonde The Musical
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Audra McDonald, 110 in the Shade
Debra Monk, Curtains
Donna Murphy, LoveMusik

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Chisholm, Radio Golf
Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia
Ethan Hawke, The Coast of Utopia
John Earl Jelks, Radio Golf
Stark Sands, Journey's End

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Play
Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia
Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy
Dana Ivey, Butley
Jan Maxwell, Coram Boy
Martha Plimpton, The Coast of Utopia

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
Christian Borle, Legally Blonde The Musical
John Cullum, 110 in the Shade
John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening
David Pittu, LoveMusik

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Musical
Charlotte d’Amboise, A Chorus Line
Rebecca Luker, Mary Poppins
Orfeh, Legally Blonde The Musical
Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
Karen Ziemba, Curtains

Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage, Frost/Nixon
David Grindley, Journey's End
Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia
Melly Still, Coram Boy

Best Direction of a Musical
John Doyle, Company
Scott Ellis, Curtains
Michael Greif, Grey Gardens
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Curtains
Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear, Mary Poppins
Bill T. Jones, Spring Awakening
Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde The Musical

Best Orchestrations
Bruce Coughlin, Grey Gardens
Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening
Jonathan Tunick, LoveMusik
Jonathan Tunick, 110 in the Shade

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bob Crowley & Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia
Jonathan Fensom, Journey's End
David Gallo, Radio Golf
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Christine Jones, Spring Awakening
Anna Louizos, High Fidelity
Allen Moyer, Grey Gardens

Best Costume Design of a Play
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy
Jane Greenwood, Heartbreak House
Santo Loquasto, Inherit the Wind
Catherine Zuber, The Coast of Utopia

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Legally Blonde The Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Susan Hilferty, Spring Awakening
William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, Coram Boy
Brian MacDevitt, Inherit the Wind
Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, and Natasha Katz, The Coast of Utopia
Jason Taylor, Journey's End

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Spring Awakening
Christopher Akerlind, 110 in the Shade
Howard Harrison, Mary Poppins
Peter Kaczorowski, Grey Gardens

Regional Theatre Tony Award
Alliance Theatre, Atlanta, GA"



Incredible.