Wednesday, June 4, 2008

"Ben and Jerrys... Oh God, What a Bitch!"

Been a ridiculous last couple of months since the laptop crashed! Busy Busy Busy!

Flew back from Florida a day early to surprise Julia (there were many tears!), and decided to spend my first week back just chillin', getting back into the swing of city life without school! So there we were, Friday afternoon, getting some Ben and Jerrys ice-cream, and this guy taps me on the shoulder...
"Hey!"
"...Hello?"
"What do you to DO?"
"Um...we're actors"
"Good. How old are you?"
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, I do apologize. My name is Tom Hulce, I'm one of the producers of Spring Awakening on Broadway. What are you up to tomorrow morning?"
(In this last part, myself and Julia eye each other, quizzically. Not to mention that this guy just told us he was Tom Hulce - the guy from 'Amadeus'. Love that movie!)
"Nothing" (LIES!)
"Would you mind coming in to audition for the show?"
So, fast forward one hour, Julia and myself are standing in the Roundabout Theaters casting office getting sides. Fast forward 16 hours, we are in Chelsea Studios singing our 16 bars and reading from the show. Fast forward one hour, I am standing infront of Carrie, (the casting director) Tom Hulce, (the producer) and Michael Mayer, (the director). After 3 consecutive day call-backs, plus a one-hour workshop with Kim Grigsby, (the musical director) fast forward to Monday afternoon, and its everyone behind their laptops on their desk. Including Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater. Awesome! Had an amazing audition, read in my British dialect (West End production!)... and all thanks to 2 little men. Ben. and Jerry!

"Ben and Jerrys.... where Broadway producers search for the next big thing!"

Well it wasn't all chill-axing with ice-cream and the Broadway community! Straight into rehearsal for a new play, 'Gerry', in which I played "Mo Mackey", a young,British War-Poet in the Battle of Ypres (pronounced "Ee-p" in England!) who takes a German soldier captive in the middle of No-Mans-Land. Actually got this play through my monologues teacher at AMDA, whose wife, the very talented Sheri Graubert (also a Brit!), wrote and directed the play. This short one-act was part of 'Hero', an evening of new works as part of the Drilling Company. Great people! We performed at the 78th St. Theater Lab, to critical acclaim on www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/showpage.php?t=hero6730, and the producer, Hamilton "Joe" Clancy, has now offered me a role in his production of 'Henry V' this Summer. One of my aims was to do a Shakespeare this year, and I get to do it in the city is awesome. Plus, its being done Greek-style, out-doors, as part of the 'Shakespeare in the Parking Lot' series. Literally, in a parking lot in the Village. How good!

I was also, and still am currently, in rehearsals for a Dance showcase, 'Gotta Dance', with NYC Dance Makers, a non-profit company that specialize in re-creating the once lost classic choreography from all those old MGM movie musicals. Yes. Finally I get to bust the moves of Bob Fosse,Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly - for real! Headed up by the very talented Patti and Lesley Lockery, and featuring the one and only Miss Dana Moore as part of the very talented cast, this show is going to be incredible! Last week of June at the Hudson Guild Theater, 26th St. NYC. Be there... to see this...



My best mate Jamie flew into the city from LA for a week. Was crazy busy with rehearsals and a show that week, plus Jamie got Tonsillitis, but apart from that had a fantastic time chillin' out in the city!

Another little project that I just finished doing was a new workshop of Jim Rado's, the creator of the hit cult musical 'Hair', new piece entitled 'American Soldier' at the L.E.S Festival.
And, I have just recently landed the work-shop for an off-broadway revival... but I can't tell what the show is, because I had to sign a confidentiality agreement! More to follow on that one!

Myself, Julia, and her dad, Mark, are currently shipping all our millions of pieces of (free!) furniture all the way up to 181st this week - out of the cute, yet pokey Chelsea studio, into the spacious, yet electrically confusing, 2-Bed in the Heights! All we have left is the mattress, the TV, and the sofa. What else does a guy need?

Decided that we are definately headed back to homeland this Xmas. Cant wait to see the family again. Plus I think me and Julia are putting on a little show when we get there - keep the Mum happy!

I think thats pretty much it! Julia's off soon to play Ula in 'The Producers' at Theater-By-The-Sea in a couple of weeks. But for now, its just hitting the auditions, keeping busy, paying the rent (ha!) and loving it! And then its off we both go in September for the last leg of the Seussical tour, playing Mayzie and Wickersham#1/Mr.Mayor! Fun fun fun! Really excited to be able to tour together for a few months before we head over to England for the holidays. Plus, getting to work with Marcia Milgrom Dodge and Josh Walden again is an absolute pleasure and delight!

Hope all are well, and really will try and be better from now on!