Yes We Can!

One of my co-workers walked into my office with a USPS Priority Mail envelope and a grin on her face this morning. "I'm being nosy. Can you open it now and show me what it is?" At first, I was confused, and then I remembered that I ordered this shirt and a car magnet a week or two ago from the Barack Obama store. I was a little upset because they didn't have a Maryland for Obama shirt in their state shirts inventory. But I particularly like this one. Even my anti-Obama co-workers think it's a cool shirt. They do run a little small, and who knows if they'll shrink in the wash, so they should definitely be purchased a size up.



All in all, however, I'm pleased. If I go to AFRAM (which I still hate calling the African-American Heritage Festival) this weekend, I'll definitely be sporting it. The car magnet goes great with Maddie, my blue Mazda pride and joy, and her brand new Imagine license plate.



Also this weekend, if one mayhaps would like to spend some time inside, these are the last chances to see Nunsense and Love, Sex, and the IRS at Cockpit-in-Court, where I worked last summer.

iPhone Flick

I went "out to the country" AKA my land of my birth AKA Columbia for a
2-year-old's birthday yesterday. I really did feel like I was in an
alternate universe. At any rate, Nadia was my favorite kid at the
party because unlike all the other girls who wanted to be princesses
and unicorns, she wanted to be Spiderman. That's my girl.

Baltimore Pride

My boo, Billy Morton, won the title "Voice of Pride 2008" and got to
sing 3 songs on the mainstage on Saturday at the Baltimore Pride
Festival. As you can see, we're doing very important and meaningful
things with our music degrees.

Where everyone knows your name...

Without divesting too much, I will share that my last two months or so professionally have been an exercise in patience, humility, and will. As a result, I've been going out after rehearsals with far more frequency than usual. Last night was just one of those nights. My brother-from-another is rehearsing a show in Fells Point, so I figured it'd be easiest for us to meet down there for post-rehearsal cocktails. I will always admit that I'm a creature of habit, but occasionally I'm up for something new. Apparently, last night wasn't one of those nights... at least as far as venue is concerned. We went to our Wednesday night mainstay, Slainte Irish Pub at my eventual behest. We got a few strange looks from the bartenders who know us as Wednesday night regulars, but then sat at the downstairs bar (again peculiar for us) and started chatting. It was much quieter on Thursday than it is on Wednesday (Wednesday nights are industry night for food service workers, and all food and drink is 1/2 price, which is why we've been Wednesday night regulars since back when I still worked in a restaurant). I deviated from the norm for my beverage selection and ordered a McAllan 12-year Scotch and followed it up with Loose Cannon, the Clipper City beer that's on draught right now. I suppose that when times get tough, we stick to what we know to help us perservere. At least I do. Admit it-- you do, too.

And this post is getting WAAAAAY too Carrie from Sex and the City, so I'm going to buck up and pretend nothing ever happened. You do the same, okay? I live with you with my soon-to-be-husband Barack Obama's first general election campaign video. He's so dreamy.



I would talk about the drama going on with Sheila Dixon, but it pisses me off too much.

iPhone Flick

One of the consequences of working in a theatre that's attached to a
college is that they turn the A/C on for the summer and leave it.
Today, it's about 70 degrees in Baltimore and a little windy,
blustery, and rainy. That results in it being freezing on the stage. A
consequece of that is a freezing cold Young Tommy tucking himself into
his shell during some downtime.

iPhone Flick

Knowing that I have to get up in 5 hours for slaving away at the day job makes seeing that when I enter my bedroom so much harder. I could've gotten home earlier as rehearsal ended at 10, but I get wound so tightly by the close of the night that I need some decompression time. As in many nights (especially Mondays), that took form in a few margaritas at Gecko's in Canton with Troy. And then I dragged myself into bed at just past 2 am.

Live blogging the Tonys

So I'm watching the Tonys telecast live at The Hippodrome. I'm a bad
musical theatre junkie. It's my drug of choice, but I don't follow it
like some
die-hards. All that to say I didn't watch the show last year.

8:01 pm The Lion King has seriously been on Broadway forever.

8:05 pm Whoopi looks like a crab.

8:08 pm Lawrence Fishburn has gotten fat.

8:10 pm Rhondi Reed = Harvey Fierstein according to Troy.

8:11 pm You know we're in Baltimore when Jon Waters gets the first bit
of applause in this place.

8:23 pm Laura Linney's dress is hot.

8:25 pm Why is a Counting Crow at the Tonys presenting?

8:28 pm Passing Strange = black people w/ English accents.

8:41 pm In the words of Jack from Will & Grace: "Shut UP, Patti
Lupone!" And I need for people to stop thinking she's the Second Coming.

8:46 pm Whoopi singing Phantom saved me from jumping off the ledge.

8:56 pm In the Heights acceptance speech is a rap. And he's talking
about Sondheim and people think he's funny. I'm perplexed.

8:58 pm The South Pacific revival looks like the Oklahoma revival. All
of these "classic Broadway" shows should be put in a vault for
sociological purposes... not brought back and produced.

9:14 pm The Grease set is trippy looking. Was Grease is the Word even
in the musical? The performance was marginally interesting-looking.

9:24 Troy is incensed that Boyd Gaines won his 4th Tony... for Herbie.
These acceptance speeches are too long.

9:26 pm I like how the audience at the Tonys just laughed at Ariel
saying "What do you call them? Oh! Feet!" That was funny 18 years ago
when the movie originally came out. They all know the punchline.

9:30 pm Megan Mullaly isn't doing a good job at convincing me to see
Young Frankenstein.

9:37 pm Whoopi has too many rosettes on her blouse.

9:45 pm The director from August: Osage County is crying. I need her
to stop.

10:00 pm I need this boy from In the Heights to stop assaulting my
ears. Apparently it's good.......? He looks like Bud Bundy. And
there's an urban pas de deux happening in the background.

10:12 pm August: Osage county wins for best play. They've won
everything already, so that gets a big fat yawn from me.

10:14 pm Finally got played off for that never-ending speech.

10:16 pm Sondheim got a lifetime achievement award and couldn't bother
to show up. I think it's because he's already dead. He got Mandy
Patinkin to read his speech for him.

10:21 pm Completely non-plussed by Move On from Sunday in the Park.

10:28 pm South Pacific. Again. Really? I'm ready to go home.

10:30 pm Lily Tomlin came stalking out on stage making sexy eyes at
me. That's definitely the best thing that's happened on the screen in
at least an hour.

10:34 pm Xanadu looks super camp. But at least I laughed out loud.

10:43 pm RENT is so washed up. The original Bway cast is so old.

10:47 pm Why. The. Hell. Did. Someone. Let. Liza. Minelli. On. Stage.
Wearing. Nothing. But. A. Tuxedo. Jacket. .........?

10:52 pm Livid that Patti won for best actress, but at least she
thanked her voice teacher. ...then again, not sure I'd tell people I
taught Patti to sing.

10:54 pm God bless Whoopi for being the comic relief for the night...
39 Whoopis on stage dressed in Chorus Line regalia. Best thing EVER.

10:59 pm That rap musical won best musical. That's kind of anti-
climactic. And that rapping man is standing on people's shoulders.