Don't Rain on My Parade

This is my 50th post. Huzzah!

Die, Vampire, Die

So, for months now I've been working on a musical based on the "goings on" of a ticket office. As I've mentioned before I am more or less incapable of composing music, so obviously when I say "working on a musical" I mean I have written a giant conglomeration of scenes and lyrics. And, prayed every night for a composer to fall from the sky to collaborate with.

The entire idea began when my dear friend Courtney announced she was leaving the ticket office and taking a full time job "downstairs" (meaning, in the administrative offices). I then wrote the lyrics for a power ballad (as a sort of going away gift, to go along with the Dwight Schrute bobble head doll I got her for her new desk) about her incredibly tough decision between staying in a place that is fun, where you have very few responsibilities and literally no one relying heavily on you, and leaving that beloved place. This has since become the major conflict in the musical.

In my experience, there does come a day when an artist (no matter what genre) needs to make a decision between continuing to part-time job it which will allow time to strive for what they love and, well, having money and health insurance. It is important to understand that as a writer I am not judging those who make these decisions. Not in the slightest. Most people aren't spoiled enough to be able to put the decision to join the real world off. That being said, I'm thoroughly enjoying what I like to refer to as my alternate reality. And, I dearly hope the real "real world" stays far away for as long as possible.

I have once again been inspired to continue to work on the Ticket Office musical, and I'm looking to take it in a different direction. Instead of just silly songs mixed with dialogue making fun of patrons, I think there can be some depth. Don't get me wrong, fluff will always and forever be part of things that I write, but that doesn't mean it has to be the only thing. I mean, in my experience at this ticket office, there several people who have dreams and motivations that aren't in the ticketing world. But, since one has to have a day job-it might as well be at a place at least close to the arts. Passion can be looked at in the ticket office musical. As can love, tragedy and hope. That being said, I will never, EVER leave out some silly scene about one of the ticket agents obsession with Patti Lupone (that may or may not be based on me!) or everyone's favorite stereotypical patrons angry at us for no reason. Ah, there is so much to write about.

Does such a musical have a big audience possibility? No. Not at all. But it might speak to someone. And that someone, is who I am writing it for. Weeeeeeeee!

I Want to Be A Part of BA Buenos Aires Big Apple

I watched the movie Airplane last night. I had always dissuaded myself from watching it, because I'm not usually the biggest fan of screwball comedies. I was actually drawn in immediately by the opening sequence that makes fun of Jaws, and then won over completely when the main character receives a "smoking" ticket which is actually billowing with smoke. I laughed out loud several times, which doesn't usually happen when one watches something on their own. I'd say it is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Thanks Wil, for the suggestion!

I also need to thank Wil for a blast from the past yesterday. As you may or may not know I have a certain obsession with Crayola Crayons...well, he posted a video on my facebook yesterday called "How Crayons Are Made" from Sesame Street. As soon as I watched it I remembered it. It made me long for the days where I could sit contently and watch Sesame Street. Now, the difference between my life then and my life now isn't that big-I still color and I've made a career out of "pretending" and "using my imagination." So, I guess I really can't complain. But the 6 year old watching "How Crayons are Made" had way less to worry about than the 24 year old. Oh well.

So I'm currently leaning towards New York for (at least) the summer. It will give me the most options when it comes to auditions. I don't think I'm ready to live IN the city (nor am I positive I will ever actually want to live there) but I think bussing in from NJ daily might be my best option. This is by no means official. But it is what I am leaning towards. I do love Philly, and I plan on auditioning here as much as possible, but it doesn't provide the mass number of auditions that New York does. I dunno. It also puts me WAAAAAY closer to family. And I would like that. ALOT. We shall see.

I'm looking forward to coming home for Easter. Also, Happy Passover to everyone. I think that's all for now. Weeeeeeeee!

Just You Wait

I wore my 'Rhode Island...Neither a Rhode nor and Island but loads of fun!' t-shirt yesterday. Usually it gets a few comments. This was not so yesterday. I mean, I've had it for 7 years, and I've gotten enough comments on it, so I wasn't disappointed by any means, just surprised. I find it to be an incredibly amusing shirt.

I'm also surprised (and, frankly, a bit disappointed because normally it happens everywhere I go) by my cast's lack of singing "Just You Wait Jeffrey Higgins, Just You Wait" to me. I mean, seriously, my last name is Higgins and I do musical theatre...how is the first thing that crosses my castmate's minds NOT that delightful little ditty from My Fair Lady. But, alas, it has yet to be sung. Usually what happens is people sing it to me and then say "Oh, you probably hate that cause you get it alot" And, truth be told, I do get it alot. But, secretly I love it! Maybe it is because in 30 years I want to play Henry Higgins. Maybe today is the day it will happen!

We had a discussion yesterday while leaving Stanley's (you know, the local dive bar) about the correct pronunciation of the word 'crayons.' Apparently, the correct way is cray-ons. So it would be cray-ola cray-ons. This, I suppose, is an acceptable pronunciation, though I personally have always said 'crans.' I understand that there is a 'y' there and that it ends with 'ons' but I am willing to stand before a panel of judges and defend my pronunciation. Then, there are the people (mostly from Maryland) who say 'crowns' This is completely and utterly unacceptable. There is nothing in the spelling of the word C-R-A-Y-O-N-S that could in any way, shape or form lead one to believe that it should be pronounced 'crowns'. Call me a crayon snob (which, I'll admit, I am) but in my mind when you say 'crowns' I assume you are attempting to color with a headpiece made of gold with lots of points and jewels.

All day yesterday I was craving nachos. To the point where I kept talking about them during/after the show and I think people were slightly annoyed/wholly amused. I easily convinced several members of the cast to join me on my quest for nachos (though, let's face it, how difficult is it to get actors to go to a bar?!). They were not the best nachos in the world (which I consider to be at Ash Creek in Norwalk, CT) but they satisfied my craving. Plus, we had a lovely time together.

Alrighty then. One show tonight. One tomorrow. Back to DC to work for 4 days. Back here for a show (yes, just one. We have Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday off...but we have one Holy Saturday night.) And then I'm coming home for Easter! Weeeeeeeee!

Where Do I Go?

So, day 2 of the new and improved blog has arrived. Unfortunately, it continues to have no purpose, no direction. I stared at the blank screen for a while, hoping something would come to me-maybe a light bulb would burst forth from the top of my head like in a cartoon and suddenly I would have a direction. Unfortunately, the only bursting light bulb was the one that burnt out when I flicked on the light to start writing.

And so I sit here, disappointed in myself for having nothing to say and disappointed that Cornell lost yesterday. Don't get me wrong, they had a fantastic tournament, but I guess I was secretly hoping Classy/Old-School basketball would continue its run in this tournament. Also, I have a passion for upsets. My heart races and I get so excited. Often, I can't even remain seated at the end of close games. I'm sad that UConn isn't playing--but I will freely admit that it is a much less stressful tournament when your team isn't in it. I can just sit and hope for upsets. It is fun. That being said, UConn better shape up and fast because two or three years in a row without March Madness would be no fun.

I was planning on discussing the movie I saw yesterday, but I didn't go see it. I might go this afternoon before my show this evening. We shall see.

And now for the newest section of my blog, which I just thought of right now: Random Idea that Could Make Me Money Someday if I Ever Implement It. (That might be too long of a title for a section of the blog--but I find humor in obnoxiously long titles, so I'll probably keep it.) Anyway, here is the first ever Random Idea the Could Make Me Money Someday If I Ever Implement It...

One thing I have always thought, since starting work at The Strathmore Music Center in North Bethesda, MD is that it would be a lovely setting for a sitcom, or even a reality television program. I, personally, would prefer a sitcom as I am not the biggest fan of reality TV. Just the day to day hilarity of the customers (and, frankly, some of the ticket office employees) would make for some wonderful television. Throw in some inter-office canoodling and some tragic event that everyone has to get through together and you have yourself a pretty solid sitcom--so long as it is written well.

That being said, there is one reality television situation I could totally get into. And that, would be at a dinner theater. I have now worked at (technically) three different dinner theaters over the past year and a half, and I'm telling you it is the perfect setting for reality television. You have every possible character one could need for a reality television show, the customers, the actors, the techies, the front of house staff, with each genre of people containing the perfect amount of crazy to normal ratio. Everyone I know that has done dinner theater has fantastic stories about the patrons and, of course, their diva-esque fellow actors. It would be an instant hit. I'm thinking it should be on HBO or Starz or something, you know so it wouldn't have to be edited. It's on the list.

And thus concludes the first installment of Random Idea that Could Make Me Money Someday if I Ever Implement It. and, actually, today's entry. I truly hope it gets more exciting soon. For your sake, of course. Weeeeeee!

What to Do? What to Say?

So the entire month of February passed me by. I'd like to say that I was extremely busy and never at my computer...this is untrue. Yes, I was rehearsing for Evita and commuting to DC to work, and driving/train-ing up to CT but to say that I had no time to write something would be a lie. Truth be told, I'm not sure I had a use for blogging anymore. I had a wonderful time describing my Walnut Street Theatre adventure in the fall (and I hope you enjoyed reading it!) but, I didn't think I could come up with more interesting facts for the next rehearsal process. And certainly my day to day activities aren't exciting enough to post for all the world to see. (And by that, I mean like the 8 or 9 people that follow my blog...or at least used to before I stopped posting for 2 months.) I needed/wanted to turn this into something different.

The problem is, I don't yet know what that might be. Nonetheless, blogging is what kept me writing, and therefore kept my creative juices flowing, and therefore I worked on my plays and stories which are in many different stages of incomplete. I could probably draw a correlation between the fact that I haven't been blogging and the fact that I haven't written a word creatively since January.

So, until I find a purpose for my blog, I'm just going to come and write on it. Probably about nothing. Maybe I'll rant about something that really doesn't matter, or shrug off something that really does. I have a talent for both of those things.

It is currently March 25th. I have exactly one month to make my next life decision: where do I live? In all honesty, I'm hoping to get a gig between now and then so I can continue to not make this decision. This is looking less and less likely, however, due to my being a Union actor who doesn't yet have his physical card in hand. So, that leaves the options. DC. Philly. NJ. NY. CT. NH. (for the summer, sort of a mini-break/writing-only time). Ah the options are many...and it totally stresses me out.

In more fun news, I'm having a glorious time doing Evita. Argentina has become my sanctuary. I don't have to think about anything that is saddening or stressing me out. I have always said that I have this awesome (and lucky?!) ability to step on stage and leave everything else behind. Never has it been more true than with this show. At the same time, never have I ever been more exhausted after a show. haha.

There is one thing I can update you on, which I may or may not have mentioned in the past, and which will probably become a major part of my blog. The Wing Tour. The main players are me and Courtney (a dear friend from work, for those of you who haven't met her). It is sort of a side bar to the Fellowship of the Beer, which is an important post-work extravaganza that happens weekly. (Well, minus the 3 month hiatus it took while I was in Philly and not commuting to DC for work). Anyway, The Wing Tour is basically this: Eat Wings in as many places as possible and judge them. So far, Court and I have been to Hard Time in Bethesda, Buffalo Wild Wings in Rockville, Moriarty's in Philly, Wings Over Washington in DC, and Clyde's in Rockville. I know it doesn't sound like much yet, but it will become much, much more! We have plans to go to Buffalo-to the place that apparently invented the idea of eating wings-as well as my favorite wings place on the planet Bidwell's Tavern in Coventry, CT. Plus, anywhere and everywhere in between. So far Moriarty's is in first place.

As for my writing, which I think I may also use this to talk about. The Crayon Play-which still doesn't have a title-has a second draft completed. I plan to shop it around to children's theatres as soon as I figure out how to do that...haha. I have also started an adaptation of Make Way for Ducklings and several other of my favorite children's books. I'm currently searching for someone to collaborate with so I can turn some of them into musicals. I pride myself in being a good musician, but unfortunately that doesn't equal being able to compose. No matter what I try, it all sounds like something that is already a song. Oh well!

No show tonight. I'm probably going to go see a movie. Watch one of my netflix movies. And then watch basketball. GO CORNELL!!! Weeeeeeeee!