Oh geez...

Friends, family, blogreaders I don't know:

I've been such a BAAAAD blogger. Two months have gone by and nary a mention of what's going on, what shows I've seen, what things are pissing me off, etc. There's no excuse. You may wonder what has brought me crawling back? Well, I've been asked to blog for another blog here on Blogger. The reality of my negligence hit me like a ton of bricks...

...SO!

I've decided to create some backdated blog posts covering events of significance in April & May. All you'll have to do is just scroll down OR look at the index/archive for those months and you'll see what I was doing where/when! Enjoy!!!

Oh.... and I'm sorry :(

Prodigal Blogger Vol. 1

Woah, where have I been this month?!?

*cue cheesy baptist church organ music*

I’m a bonafied certified blog-backslider!!!  I am a lost sheep!!  But I—the Prodigal Blogger—have come home to beg your forgiveness!!!

Ok… now that that part is over with…lemme fill you in on what’s up…

WILLIAM TURNS FIVE!

My nephew William turned 5 years old at the top of the month.  His parents threw him a Cowboy-themed party, and the kid just had a ball!  Was glad to have been a part of it.  I have learned that one of his birthday presents was Tae Kwon Do lessons…though I think they are less a “wheee! fun!!” present and more a “we need to harness this kid’s energy so he doesn’t drive us nuts at home” present.  Either way, I’m wearing a cup next time I visit him in case he wants to practice any kicks when I walk in the door.

MOVIES

So I decided to catch up on a couple Oscar films, albeit retroactively.  I spent a Saturday afternoon at the Chase Park Plaza seeing two films in a row: The Reader and Frost/Nixon.  The Reader was quite amazing and prompted a lot of moral questions, but for reasons of plot spoilage, I cannot comment why I feel that way.  Nonetheless, Kate Winslet proved once again why she’s one of the best working film actresses today…and I actually feel this role to be Oscar worthy, even though I feel like the Academy pulled a “Scorcese” on her.  Frost/Nixon made me feel as if Frank Langella was robbed—and I loved Sean Penn in Milk.  Now I want to see the actual Frost/Nixon interviews.

GIGS, GIGS, GIGS

Got cast at Union Avenue for the coming season.  They’re doing Il trovatore, The Merry Widow (in German), Lakmé and a Christmastime production of Amahl and the Night Visitors.  I’ll be appearing in the Verdi and Lehár, the latter of which I’m most excited…because any chance to flex my german muscles is worth taking!  We have yet to hear how Amahl will be cast, but I am not necessarily holding my breath.

(Oh, and I entered the Crapshoot Olympics® but didn’t even get the Bronze.  However, I did get a compliment from the judge.)

Last weekend, I solo-ed with the St. Louis Women’s Chorale.  Got to sing some Lehár and Weill, one of which I can sing at parties; the other I can add to my aria list…SWELL!!

As if all that weren’t enough, I got hired at the last minute for a chorus gig in New Opera St. Louis’ season-closer Don Pasquale.  Great director, great conductor, fun colleagues... To quote the great Ethel Merman: who could ask for anything more?