grumblings

Lots of stuff has happened today to make me grumpy.

First off, I decided to purchase some music from iTunes, which my computer downloaded and processed at a mind-numbingly slow rate.  Then, it lost 3 of the files which I had to re-purchase.

Secondly, my computer (in many ways other than the iTunes debacle) is a piece of crap, and I really hope that if Obama can pass this stimulus package, I'm seriously buying a freaking laptop.

Thirdly, Circuit City didn't have anything worth purchasing in their liquidation sale.

Fourthly, the air in Maplewood smells like farts.  Seriously, I think the sewers are belching!

Finally, I didn't get a callback for STAGES.  That's life, I guess.

The only bright lights?

1. watching a deliciously campy shot-on-a-soundstage-and-they-weren't-apologizing-for-it DVD of Salome from 1974 with Teresa Stratas in the title role and Karl Böhm conducting.

2. seeing my good friend Charlie Martinez, who is in town for a production of I Pagliacci, at Dressels.

Thankfully, my day wasn't a complete drag.

STAGES audition

OK, so I had the STAGES audition about two hours ago.  Here's how things happened...  I entered the room to notice the accompanist (whom I know from WU, and she was tickled to see me, so that put me a little bit at ease) and the one-man audition panel.  I announced my song, "Mr. Cellophane" from Chicago, sang it pretty damn well (it's so ingrained by now), and the panel thus asked me to sing those 32 bars once more in my most 'new-york-gangster' manner.  I had a bit of a memory lapse this second time around...partly due to nerves, but mostly because I overthought another directive from the panel.  Nevertheless, they seemed to like my 'gangster' characterization, even if I felt my nerves didn't allow me to go "full out," as it were.

I was asked if I had anything else, and proceeded to sing "The Desert Song."  My high A-flat at the end was stellar on first approach, but my second approach...a little squally, perhaps?  Should have just done a portamento down to the F.  Urrgh!  No re-sing of this one, but the panel did thank me for singing.

Overall, I give this audition a B.

What I can gather?  Not a whole lot.  Word is that STAGES is looking to hire more locals as they are in the red after their December production of Little Women...so that doesn't necessarily give me hope, but is at least a little encouraging.  If I get a call from the company on Saturday night, that means they want me at Call Backs the next day.  Judging from the 'gangster' directive, I deduce that if anything, I might have been considered for the ensemble of Guys and Dolls--but that's a mere assumption.

In other audition-y type news, I might go with my friend Jason out to Crestwood Mall on Saturday afternoon to be considered as an "extra" in the soon-to-be-filmed-in-St.-Louis movie Up in the Air (with George Clooney).  Production needs types to play travelers, airline employees, TSA personnel, etc.  I'd only have to set aside one day, and I'd probably end up in a scene filmed at Lambert Airport's recently closed D concourse.  We'll see.

Inauguration Day

I've always been proud to be a citizen of America and grateful for all her blessings.  As clichéd as it sounds, we really do live in a "land of opportunity."  For a son of a diverse racial and cultural background to attain the highest office in the land is a testament to what has been and can be done in this country.

As much as I can be very catty about the political opposition, I think this is a day for everyone...not just 66.8 million people.  We have a new leader, and I think good-hearted Americans want our leaders to succeed for the common benefit.  I have heard accounts of some Republicans saying that despite their strong political differences with Obama, they realize that the nation's problems are too dire, and that we all must want him to succeed.  After all, it's about the country.  To that end, I pledge not to let my admiration for the man cloud any judgment if and when he does something out of hand or ill-advised.

May God bless Barack Obama and his administration.  And most importantly: God Bless America!

Only for now!

Well, today's the last day of the Bush Administration. In order to avoid too much negativity, I won't go into any long-winded diatribes. (It's just too tiring to recount all the crap that has been visited upon We, the American People since January 20th, 2001.) However, I will say that George better hope God is merciful. History won't be. No amount of self-delusion will change that.

I won't lie...I am taking some definite Schadenfreude in this transfer of power. I want to be in the heads of all the conservative pundits, journalists, shock jocks, et. al. that are unhappy with the new administration coming into power tomorrow morning. How must it feel now that their hands are off the levers of power? Sure, the pendulum could swing back...but for now, I wanna know if they're gonna all wear black tomorrow.

In the finale of Avenue Q, the cast sings a bittersweet sentiment that so many joys and hardships in life are "only for now..." Towards the end, the lyric goes:

Only for now
Sex-- is only for now
Your hair-- is only for now
George Bush-- is only for now

That lyric has heightened meaning for us today, doesn't it?

Auditions to come...

So, I've got three auditions on the horizon for summer companies (STAGES, Union Avenue Opera & The MUNY).  I get so embarrassed sometimes that I'm not casting my net wider.  It's due to several factors--most of which are in my power to change.  I just need to have more faith in myself...et cetera.  Anyhow, I am thinking of the following game plans:

STAGES

Just scheduled an audition with this summer musical theatre company doing Little Shop of Horrors, Drowsy Chaperone and Guys and Dolls.  I'm probably most appropriate for the third show, as the first two are a belty-singing show and dancing show, respectively.  I'm a singer that moves...so a good number of the Rodgers/Hammerstein, Loesser, Lerner/Loewe shows are right up my alley.

Thus, I'm bringing in my requisite two contrasting songs.  I'm starting off with "Mr. Cellophane" to give the panel a glimpse into my comedic personality.  Should they want to hear something else, I'll sing the title song from The Desert Song--which is my "ballad" with a lot of "money notes" during and at the end.  A friend smartly suggested I have a cabaret song ready and in my binder...so I've got a bittersweet William Bolcom number planned in that case.

UNION AVENUE OPERA

They're doing Verdi's Il trovatore, Lehár's The Merry Widow (in german), Delibes' Lakmé in the summer and Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors at Christmastime.   In short, there's a lot that I would love to be considered for (and have noted on my audition letter) in every production this season.  Though, I'm really gunning for Kaspar in Amahl and a few supporting roles in Merry Widow...did you think I'd pass up the chance to compete for a role in german?

At UAO, one usually gets to sing two pieces, time- and panel-permitting.  My thought is to begin with "This Is My Box" from Amahl, followed by "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" from Lehár's The Land of Smiles.  This is, by my estimation, the best course of action.  You've got A.) an aria straight from the opera AND the role...and B.) another aria in the style of the composer to be featured.

MUNY

Oh geez... I don't even know where to begin.  Maybe the "Debbie Plan," which would consist of:

1. hardcore dance sessions w/Debbie Allen

2. Debbie Voigt surgery (maybe the lap-band kind?)

Ok, so the "Debbie Plan" is wildly expensive...so I'll just have to seriously out-sing the conservatory students.  I don't know what to sing yet, but luckily, the MUNY auditions aren't until the beginning of March.  I have a decent amount of time to find something old-school musical comedy that is both something I'd actually sing onstage yet aesthetically pleasing in all the ways it must be aesthetically pleasing.  Oh, and lots of ZOWIE!  I'm not sure what "zowie" entails, but I'll get back to you on that.

. . . . . . .

Your thoughts, if any?

REVIEW: Kristin Chenoweth Concert @ Fox

The Kristin Chenoweth Concert @ the Fox Theatre was a very warm breeze in this cold, and getting colder, month of January.  It was one of those events I knew I couldn't miss, much like seeing Margaret Cho last spring.  The first half of her program included medleys from old-school musical theatre composers Meredith Willson (a lovely job on "Till There Was You") and Jerome Kern (her "Bill" was simply touching).  We also got a glimpse into her quirky real-life crush on a Starbucks employee in "Taylor, the Latté Boy." Kristin ended the first half of the program with Irving Berlin's energetic "Let Yourself Go," backed up by two talented Broadway dancers, who joined her throughout the evening, and provided a humorous Brokeback Mountain-esque punchline in the dance number "Goin' To The Dance With You."

Throughout the evening, Ms. Chenoweth paid tribute to modern musical theatre composers including Stephen Schwartz (she sang "Popular" from Wicked with an ironic dedication to Gov. Rod Blagojevich; in the second half, she sang "For Good") and Andrew Lippa--who just happened to be her conductor for the evening!  Maestro Lippa led the Saint Louis Symphony with aplomb and only one noticeable false start.  Bravo to Mike Isaacson of the Fox for having brought all these talented forces together.  It's something we don't see that often.

One of the concert's high points, which typify Kristin's vocal versatility, came in "The Girl in 14G"--a witty riff on annoying singing neighbors (opera-wannabe upstairs; bebop-wannabe downstairs).  She has great command of the voice (voices?) she has developed over the years.  Her second half opener, Romberg's "I Wanna Be A Prima Donna," was yet another vocal acrobatic treat.

Ms. Chenoweth's banter with the audience and song-setups were quite engaging, if a bit long winded in parts.  She noted that this was her second performance at the Fox since the pre-Broadway tryout of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and waxed nostaglic about seeing her signature at the show-mural on the walls of the Fox Theatre backstage area.  Her only misstep was a setup to a Stephen Foster song about hope, wherein she didn't want to come off too political, but bungled it akwardly into a pro-Obama statement.  While most of us (myself included) cheered when she mentioned "hope for the next four years," my mother, an ardent Palinista, sat silent, arms crossed.  (I think it was, unfortunately, a real buzzkill for mom...and she made it known as we left the theatre...*sigh*)

Now, I was hoping and hoping for a performance of "Glitter and Be Gay" sometime in the evening.  As the concert progressed, I got a little worried we may not hear it, as Kristin admitted she was suffering from a cold (thank you to the sound engineers for sparing us the requisite nose-blowing in between numbers!).  Nevertheless, after her "final song," Kristin took her bows...then slinked into the wings.  The prolonged wait for her second bow, coupled by the orchestra sitting down to prepare for another piece, tripled by a stagehand bringing out a table bedecked with jewels absolutely brightened my heart!  Kristin came out in her third dress of the evening to tackle that Bernstein coloratura-showpiece after nearly 2 hours of belting, hoofing and being a generally great diva.  What a performer!  What an evening!

Kristin, you make me glad to be a singer...and you make me even gladder to know that it's ok to be open to ANYTHING.

Later folks!

**UPDATE**

Post-Dispatch Classical Music Critic Sarah Bryan Miller reviewed the concert, and though she praised Cheno quite often, I felt cheated out of the obligatory zany, off-the-wall, WTF?! critiques SBM pulls out of thin air.

the inner child gets his diva

How were all your holidays?  Christmas loot was decent this year.  The bulk of it was kitchen supplies, which I needed, along with some clothes and a set of wireless land line telephones.  Let's just say it was a holiday to fix up my apartment ever so slightly.  Didn't get much frivolous and/or fun gifts (i.e. DVDs, Electronics, Theatre Tickets, Gift Cards).  With my mom, practical gifts get top priority, which I understand since I am 27 after all.  Nevertheless, my dad and I went shopping post-Christmas for an external hard drive (750 GIGS BABY!) and I did get some ca$h which eventually helped to sate the inner child...

...which brings me to news about this weekend.  One of my purchases was tickets to see none other than Kristin Chenoweth at the Fox Theatre.  The St. Louis Symphony will be backing up the diminutive coloratura-soprano-turned-broadway-belter/diva this Saturday evening.  I have no idea what she's singing, but I hope that whatever she does, she includes the song featured in the video below.  

(BTW, don't you think she should return to her abandoned opera aspirations at least to explore Despina in Cosi or Adele in Fledermaus?  The MET had her tapped for Ghosts of Versailles next year, but the economy snuffed that out.  Even if a Despina or Adele were a crashing failure, at least they would have tried.  I'm sure they'd want to do something about her fast vibrato pulse, tho.)

Oh, I'm so excited!!!  To my knowledge, the last time Kristin was ever in St. Louis was with the pre-Broadway tryout of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown--for which she later won a Tony!  Could it be that she views the Fox as a good luck charm?!?  Probably not, but I would like to think so.  Expect a review on Sunday or later!

It's baaaaaaaack!

Well, hello there!  I decided to get back into this blog-writing habit of mine.  Figured it would be healthier than meth, don't you think?  The last time I blogged over at LiveJournal, I was leaving for Canada* for John & Hilda's wedding.  Well, don't worry, friends...it's not as if I was detained for five months in Canadian customs for trying to smuggle free health care, maple syrup or Celine Dion into the states.  I just lost the desire to blog...and that's odd cuz I'm at a computer an awful lot.  Oh well...

*still pronounced kuh-NAY-dee-uh

In case you still believe I was detained in Canadian customs (or some other wacko conspiracy theory), here is the fast-forward version of what you might have missed in my life since returning from Canada (just imagine the 'micro-machines' guy reading this next paragraph):

In July, I saw a production of Otello, wherein the title singer missed a stage entrance by a minute...awkward!  As August rolled around, I began work on a production of Carmen, which is pretty much all that happened...well, that and I turned 27.  September?  Nothing ever seems to happen in that month.  During October I sang in Il tabarro and volunteered for Obama, whose glorious win in November brought about the relief-giving departure of Sarah Palin back to moose-huntin', baby-tendin' and general evil.  Samson et Dalila dominated the first half of the month...and then Thanksgiving rolled around, pushing me into a tryptophan coma.  The month of Christmas-- erm-- I mean, December had me in a Christmasy mood, except for on the actual day (though I did see Doubt which was awesome). HIGHWAY 40 WEST FINALLY REOPENED!!!1!! Attempted to ice skate for the first time; failed miserably.  Somewhat newlyweds John & Hilda came the day after Christmas and we hung out for New Years...and even visited Quincy on New Years Day!

*whew*  *wipes sweat off brow*  *has cigarette*

So here we are on this, the fourth day of January 2009--a new year.  Ought-Nine doesn't really have that much significance to me, other than that it will be the Tenth Anniversary of two milestones:  

a.) graduating from high school (may) 

b.) matriculating at college (august)

HOLY CRAP!  Has it really been TEN years?  I'm going to have to sort out all these weird feelings I'm having of dis-accomplishment that I may or may not be right to feel right now.  *Zoiks*  Everyone says we're in for a shitfest this year, but nevertheless, there are a few things I personally can hope for in the new year:

a.) the possibility of an intelligent, pragmatic presidency (yes, he screwed up on choosing the invocation speaker, but as long as he's better than Bush on issues related and unrelated, I'll forgive this misstep)

b.) further development of my career (including--OMG--Met Auditions?!?)

c.) a new Palin baby...so they can name it Tweeker Zamboni Oxycontin Palin.  (Oxycontin is the Christian name...read the latest news to figure out who might suggest it...teehee.)

Of course I'm joking, but let's face it.  You KNOW that family's due for several more unfortunately-named chilluns.

I have yet to develop any plans or special postings for this blog.  I'm going to see how it fleshes out.  I certainly hope you'll come and read it when you can...and feel free to leave your comments.  I love reading those as much as the blogging itself.  

Here's to the New Year and the New Blog!