...A Series of Unfortunate Events

So the weekend is over and 2 out of 5 shows have been performed. How do I feel? GREAT! I'd say we're 2 for 2. However not all the audience members felt the same way. We had a small house on Friday night, 265 seats sold out of 556, and not all 265 showed! But they were receptive and very responsive. Thanks to my 7 wives in the audience I felt real good. Saturday we had 312 sold and I'd say most showed, however, at intermission we had a good chunk of people leave and not come back for Act II, too bad for them, a lot of nice things happen in the second Act and it's shorter! They were also a very dead audience, I got some positive feedback from people on both nights which is great, and they both felt like solid performances. Now we break until next Wednesday and go for 3 more next weekend...let's hope things go better.

I had the chance to watch Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. What a fantastic movie this was. Everything about it was fun, the costumes, the scenery, the story and of course the actors. It was humorous and very entertaining. I suggest it to all of you who haven't seen it yet. I'm excited to see the next installment...

I'm a little miffed with these damn gas prices. What sucks the most is I love to go on random drives during the summer after work so that I can get out there and be outside and enjoy the weather and just take some time to relax. Unfortunately with the outrageous gas prices it's hard to do that without feeling like you're just throwing money out the window...guess I'll have to start just going to a park or something, but there is just something extra nice about the wind blowing through the car and the music pumping and just singing along. But we all have to deal with these prices, so I digress.

"The hands on the clock turn, but don't sing a nocturne just yet..."

#26--for the past 10 years I have had the pleasure of doing live theater with a great company, Theatre at the Mount, tonight marks the beginning of my 26th show with the company. I am very pleased to be a part of this production. I have bitched and moaned about going to some rehearsals and about learning music and what have you, but overall this has been one of my most beloved theater experiences. A Little Night Music, by Stephen Sondheim is probably the most difficult piece of theater I will ever encounter. I have learned many things and found that with a lot of hard work and the help and support of family and friends you can accomplish things you might have thought were out of your league. I would like to shout out to the production staff of this show for taking a chance on me and having faith that I could handle such a role. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, it's kind of crazy story...to give you a taste (if you didn't go to the link), my character is a 19 year old perparing to enter the ministry who is struggling with his sexual urges, and falls in love with his step-mother who is 1 year his junior...if you want to know what happens to them, come see the show! :-) Check out the Mount's website, above, if you are interested in getting some tickets to see the show!

"Quick, send in the clowns. Don't bother, they're here."

7-0 and Tired as Hell!

What a game folks, what a game! The Sox took home a nice victory last night and even though I slightly lost my voice, it was a GREAT time! Thanks for the tix! I'm feeling it this morning, well afternoon now, but that's ok, I can make it through this day at work, it's rehearsal tonight that is worrying me, but all should be ok. Get to finally work with the cellist tonight which I'm happy about, just wish I had a full voice...what can you do?

So we had a very eventful night at good ol' Fenway. Along with great ball being played, there was beer-a-flowin' and hot dogs to be eaten some peanuts oh and watching a couple of obnoxious Yankees fans get thrown out of the game! I'm not against Yankees fans, but I'm totally against obnoxious fans, from any team! It's one thing when you're at a Sox v. Yanks game, but gimme a break, if your team isn't playing it's stupid to go to the game of the rival team and start making an ass out of yourself screaming at all the fans around you...when will people have respect?! Nonetheless it was fun to see them get taken out.

Heard a great old song on the radio this morning, well I always hear great old songs because I listen to a classic rock station, but anyhow, Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" excellent tune!

L8

**FLASHBACK**

Funny little story...this one goes out to my sister! - So back in the day my sister was listening to a recording (audio tape, mind you) of Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged, a great album for all you classic Mariah fans! ;-) and at the end of one of the songs, the crowd cheers and Mariah sends out a polite, yet enthusiastic "Thank You!" and just as that is playing I hear my sister, as if she were really talking to Mariah, yell back "You're Welcome!" I got one of the biggest laughs out of that. Anyhow, today I'm driving in the car and they were playing the live version of Peter Frampton's "Show Me The Way" and at the end he says the much anticipated "Thank You!" and doesn't one of the guys on the radio, quietly in the background yell out "You're Welcome!" Oh I got to laughing in the car, thanks Sis...I shall never forget!

Boston Red Sox v. Cincinati Reds
I'll be there tonight! Pretty excited to be seeing my first game of the season! Not only do I get to bring KC for a fun night, but AC and EC will also be attending the game. It sucks knowing that I'm going tonight only because I still have to make it through this day...however, Tuesdays are pretty much my favorite day of the work week. It's usually quite busy and not too much sitting around time, which will be nice. A little Tuesday Night Diamond Action never hurt anyone, but boy tomorrow is going to suck - it's all worth it though.

So I posted this without remembering the third reason why I needed to write today. Another "Flashback" happened to me this morning. My good friend from childhood AM, who now resides in Chicago sent me a link today to a couple pictures she had posted online. When I was in the 4th grade I made my first real theatrical debut in a great Christmas musical entitled "Psalty's Christmas Calamity" I had my first solo and it was in a song I got to sing with my sister and mother. It was quite an experience, and here I am 19 years later still up on that stage, sans mom and sis. Thanks AM for the e-mail, it really made me look a little lighter on things today.

L8

Let all the birds nest in my hair

It's getting down to crunch time. As many of you know I am involved in a production of A Little Night Music. We are getting down to the end of rehearsals and the beginning of production. This has been quite an experience for me. It has been my biggest theatrical challenge as of yet. I am becoming more and more comfortable with everything, which I suppose is a good thing, but there is still so much more to do! I got to spend a beautiful Saturday in the comfort of the theatre this past weekend...although I was looking forward to working with the orchestra for the first time, I was not excited to be giving up a Saturday. All is good though, the rehearsals are much needed. No strings were there on Saturday and just my luck as my song is mostly accompanied by a cello!!!

Let's bring it down for a second...as many of you know, I am moving. I am headed back to join my 'rents for a little while to get past some things and figure other things out. It is something that needs to be done and because of that it isn't really bothering me. I'm ready for a change, I'm just not sure yet what that change is.

I have a few friends that are celebrating birthdays and a shout out to them is appropriate, Melissa, Jaime and Candice! Hope your birthdays are spectacular!!

So I watched the MTV movie awards last week and I have to disagree with so many of the awards that were presented...plus it was like all of the stars that I saw seemed to be so stuck on themselves...how annoying, have some class, even if it is MTV! But I digress...

Hope everyone's weekend was splendid!

In the beginning...

I have a friend...well I have more, but this one inparticular is a great guy who, whether he knows it or not, has been very inspirational to me in life since we've known each other (6 years). Unfortunately we don't see much of each other these days but he started doing this Blog, which initially started as a weekly e-mail (Friday Grams). I have been able to keep up a little with what is going on in his life through this Blog...so he has inspired me to do the same. I don't know how good I'll be at this, but sometimes it's just nice to share a moment or a collection of them as time passes us by so quickly. I hope this will be of some enjoyment to those who read it...and I won't be offended if you could care less!

L8
-Tony