Ten Thousand Eighty Minutes.

Just does not have the same ring as Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes, but that is pretty much how much time spent from when I sat down to watch Mary Poppins to when I sat down to see RENT.

Some backstory (of course)....I have NEVER seen RENT on stage! When it first came out there was soooo much hype around it that I was not interested. A Tony (ok, that got my interest), a Pulitzer, magazine cover after magazine cover, article after article about the tragedy around it and how great it was all equalled me tuning it out completely. Yes, I heard Seasons of Love, yes, eventually I came to enjoy it, even singing along with it when it played as I walked across Universal Studios on my way in for the day. But I refused to see a non-Equity tour of it, or a tour with American Idol cast-offs. When I had my knee surgery in 2006, my roommate had the DVD of the movie and that is when I first saw it (I think...I do not remember going into theatres to see it, but....it is a possibility). Anyway, that is when I fell in love with the music. I know things got changed for the movie, but it was a good introduction, right? Fast forward to October/November of last year. The show had closed on Broadway and the final performance had been recorded and had a limited theatrical release. I went with one of my co-workers and FELL IN LOVE!! Right then and there I decided that the next time the show came to town I was going to see it!

I loved the staging, the characters, how things felt more fleshed out then in the movie, just loved it. It made sense to me. When we left, I told her "If this EVER comes to Chicago again, I am seeing it!" About a week later, I found out that it was coming with 2 of the Original Broadway Cast members!

Actually, it had 3! Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascall, and Gwen Stewart (Seasons of Love Soloist). OMG!! LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT want to go back and see it again!!!! I honestly cannot put into words how much I loved it. While Mary Poppins got me because I loved the movie and the songs as a girl and the cool technical "stuff", Rent got me with its social commentary and story and songs. It was phenomenal! And getting to see it with people who originated the roles just made it even more special.

At the end of the show, Anthony Rapp spoke about Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and how the money stays in the local community, and for $20 you could get an autographed playbill. Yeah....I had $20 so I got one! Entire cast signed! I also was fortunate to get my photo taken with the actors who played Collins, Benny and Joanne...all of them were fabulous and I loved the entire experience. Seriously, go see this, do not hold hype against shows, for I have learned my lesson.

However, I do have to give my bad. Loved Anthony Rapp, he is so good. But Adam Pascall....I do not know if it was the night I saw him or what, but his voice was so nasally that it started to bother me. Seriously, it was a bit of an annoyance. And he is in the entire show, so it was a bit of a thorn in my side. This is versus Mary Poppins where the entire cast was spot on and practically perfect. Maybe I judge too harshly, but when you listen to the original cast recording to know you can hear how his voice has deteriorated over the years.

Oh, and did I mention that I got my ticket for $30?? And that I was sitting 6th row center orchestra?? Yeah...I am pretty pleased with myself on that one! =)

Step in Time

I am a bit late on this, but the excitement level is still there.

Last Wednesday, the 25th, I had the priviledge of attending opening night of the national tour of Mary Poppins!

Now, if you know me, you know I love musicals, Julie Andrews and musicals! And that Mary is one of my favorites. I was thankful that I had listened to the London cast recording many times before going (most of the melodies are the same, the new songs blend, but I did not like Super the first time I heard it). And, I had heard of some of the technical stage things that were done on Broadway and London from my reading and talking to people who saw it. But this was the tour, they could not do all that...could they??

First off...I had the original Broadway Mary (Ashley Brown) and the original London and Broadway Bert (Gavin Lee). OMG! Both of them were Practically Perfect! Jane and Michael were perfect and Mr. Banks ... fabulous. Mrs. Banks was a little off, but not enough to be a huge distraction and the rest of the supporting cast was on point.

The house is not the same as it has been on Broadway, but that is probably due more to the challenges of getting it in and out of theatres, but what they came up with worked so perfectly. You got an idea of height when the nursery came down.

I was sitting so that I could see the Stage Right wings, and I loved watching people as they prepped for their entrances. I was watching the stage, but catching that out of the corner of my eye. Watching Ashley get prepped (and raised) for her Act 2 entrance was really cool, especially as she calmly hung there until it was time to grab the kite. Watching the techs get Gavin ready for his dance AROUND the proscenium was cool, and I wanted to take that walk. I still don't know how the cop pulled off his quick change in "Jolly" but it was impressive!! And I watched Mary at the end until I could not see her anymore when she exited the stage at the end of Act 2.

The story is closer to the books than to the movie, which actually works very well. The movie felt like a series of incidents, while the play felt like there was more of a story. The entire family was flawed and needed Mary's fixing. And I loved how Bert flirted with Mary and was hopeful. Mary was a bit of a bitch, but she IS practically perfect.

And the dance numbers...oh, the production numbers! I LOVE the fact that they had a HUGE tap number to "Step in Time." Sometimes it feels like tap numbers are going by the wayside....I wish I could tap. And the lyrics to "Anything is Possible" were fantastic! OMG, I had heard the song before, but seeing it on stage and with some of what is going on in my life made it just more poignant. The line that sticks...
"If you reach for the stars, all you get is the stars,
but we found a whole new spin.
If you reach for the heavens, you get the stars thrown in."

Perfect, just like the show was.

Catching Up

Hi. How are you doing? How has life been? Are you comfy? Do you have a beverage handy? Is everything treating you well? I know it has been a while since last we talked. I cannot even really tell you why that is. I know I had been busy for a while with work and then working out, and then the working out slowed down because of injuries, but why haven't I returned to you?

Let's see...what is new? I injured my non-repaired leg. After going in to have it looked at, they think it is just pre-patella bursitis. I'm on anti-inflammatories and no lower body exercise for 2 weeks. No fun, since that is the type of exercise that I love. Upper body tends to bore me. So, I have to figure out what to do as I have a goal to lose 10 pounds in the next 2 months. Oh--I also go to see a Celiac Specialist who recommended some further tests and recommended a dietician who actually knows something!! YEA!

The only other major news I can think of is that this summer will not be so "Wonder"ful after all. No reason given, so I get to play with Karaoke all summer. OYE! Hopefully I do not embarrass myself TOO much! =)

Other than that, I cannot think of anything else that I want to share here. I also do not know how much personal detail I realy want to put on here anymore, so we will see where the content goes from here....

Happy Mardi Gras!

Happy Mardi Gras everyone! As I write this, I can guarantee that Rex has ended and the annual meeting of the courts has finished the interesting part. If you have never experienced watching this with "Uncle" Wayne and the Dramatic Duo you are missing out on a side splitting experience!

It has been a while since I updated, mainly because I worked like a mad fiend last week. We had 4 basketball games last week: one on Sunday, 2 on Wednesday and one more on Sunday. It kept me jumping and I got some ot. But now, the season is over and I am sad because I LOVED it! I am still involved though, because I have to work with the AE's to finish their season recaps. But, not the same. =(

Talk about your weird days. I sent a random text to my ex wishing him a Happy Gras (we met at Gras 2 years ago and we both loved going) and we ended up IM'g for a good chunk of the day. Random. He actually told me that he was married, that he was expecting twins and when they are due. And I was actually ok with it. Ok, I did know, but we talked about a lot of different things and I kept thinking.."I miss him as a friend, but I am SO GLAD to be out of that situation!" That, to me, seems like the biggest improvement/mindset/proof that I am over him.

Today is Mardi Gras and I LOVE Mardi Gras! It was a bit of a bummer not being in New Orleans this year, but I am going to do everything I can to get out there during the year so I can see it when it is not all crazy. Yesterday I ordered a King Cake from a bakery here in town and this morning I picked it up, which meant driving to work! Yea! As much as I love the El, I miss driving. Course, I was running a bit late, so I parked at the meters close to work. I have to say, I was a bit bad and had a small piece of king cake. It wasn't that bad. I have had better and I have had worse, so I chalk that up as a good thing. I had planned for a month to go to Wishbone for red beans for lunch. Well, I get there and since they have red beans on their Mardi Gras dinner buffet, they do not have them for lunch. I ask about something else and that isn't safe for me, so I get up and walk out, bummed that I wasn't going to have something I associate with New Orleans.

Well....I had remembered seeing a Creole hole in the wall during the fall on a walk and I decided to see if I could find it. I did...they had red beans and jumbalaya! OMG..I got more food then I would have gotten at Wishbone for less! It was just spicy enough for me and it was sooo good! Nom, nom nom! The owner brought in some king cakes he had purchased from a different bakery and gave me a slice to take with me. I gave it to one of my co-workers who didn't get some of the one I brought in, and asked him to share it with the HR guy. The HR guy got the baby! Soo...I say, since the piece was served to me, given to co-worker and split that the 3 of us ALL got the baby and split the good luck!

all in all, not a bad day! =)

Thoughts...

It seems like I tend to update my facebook with things that could sound a little whiny or down. And in looking through some of my blogs, this seems to be a depository for the negative thoughts that run through my head. I do not know if this is because I do not really have anyone to talk to about this or what, but I do not like it. Believe it or not, I try to be a very positive person out in public and with people. Or maybe it is my outlet for the random thoughts that run through my head that I want to get out. I do not know, but I am seriously going to work to change that!!

That being said, I have discovered that I have about a 2 year tolerance for life in the office. The one and only time I worked in an office, I was there about 2 years before I got crazy and moved to Orlando. Then it was everything BUT the office. Now, I am nearing my 2 years in Chicago and I cannot handle it anymore! You know, when someone takes time to write something up on how something is to be done...you know you are not meant to be an assistant when your first thought is that it would be so much faster if they just did it themselves!!! Same when you have to call someone for someone. Yea. Right now, the only time I do not mind things is when I am doing stuff for GotW. And that has 3 games left. Uhm...Houston, I think I have a problem here!!

So, I am looking at looking at options. Maybe it is the economy, maybe it is this fear I have of not being able to pay my bills, but I cannot justify leaving my job with nothing else lined up anymore. But at the same time, I signed a contract with Six Flags saying I would work for them through November 1st. Ok, I have NO INTENTION of working their Halloween event, but that still puts us through Labor Day. Either way, it is performance experience for that resume. And I am going to sit down and get my production resume worked on this week/weekend so that is in better shape, cuz I would like to work for ABC, CBS, NBC, or Fox Sports. Or maybe for a venue doing venue management. Or...maybe finally send my resume and head shot in to Feld entertainment and try to get a job going on tour -- maybe see some of the world and pray that my knee holds up.

I just do not think I can work 8 hours straight at a desk anymore.

In other news, I have become addicted to a series of romantic novels. It is sad and it is killing my good reading. I haven't been to a movie in forever (depressing) and most of the time when I watch TV it is days later on the interweb. What the heck is going on with me?

That being said, some of my co-workers just returned from a 10-day tour of the UK (yea, I was jealous) and they brought me back an AWESOME black and white coaster of the rear view of a real man wearing a kilt properly. My hands just want to reach in, grab and squeeze.....

Weekend Update

I feel like such a bad person! I think of things during the week that I want to write about, but by the time I get home from the gym I just want to chill and not think about anything, so it does not get written.

Then again, was it really that exciting a week? Not really. Monday was falling asleep at my desk..to the point I did not even go to the gym but came home and slept. Tues-Friday was do a bit of work at work, but there are not a lot of presentations going out right now, so I am not that busy, which sucks. I am also getting more and more .... disillusioned(?) bored (?) unhappy (?) with my job. It is ok when they are keeping me busy, but......

Saturday we had the Girls Championship game. It was fun, and I enjoyed it but...
--Don't call me to tell me that it is not fair you have to load the van by yourself. I have done it by myself multiple times and I almost always unload it by myself. So....who is it more unfair to?
--Don't call me on your speakerphone and shout at me. I cannot understand you and since I had finally improved my mood from the above, you succeeded in pissing me off again.
--If you are asked to do something, be professional to do it correctly instead of half-assed. I should be able to trust grown-up people to do the job they are asked. That includes hanging client banners. I cannot hang them by myself, you are being paid to be there to help, so do this part of the job.
--If you see I am busy, doing about one hundred different things, and you see something else needs to be done...do it yourself instead of asking me to do it! Especially if you are not doing anything.

I love working the games, I really do. I just get frustrated sometimes by some of the things that go on and the fact that everything that falls outside of someones "job title" (especially when everyone is supposed to pitch in when they see something that needs to be done) gets handed to me to take care of. Which, honestly, I do not mind, but every once in awhile, I get a bit overwhelmed...especially when I start the day a little stressed for some reason.
Yea, I ended up having a stress cry in the stairwell for about 10 seconds.

A friend had recommended that I take some D-3. I was until I ran out. I need to get back out and get more, but I wonder if this is in some way related to my unhappiness.

Where Did the Week Go??

Actually, I know the answer to that one, but with the little amount of time spent at home, I feel like time has vanished. Yea, I am a bit of a homebody.

I forgot to mention the furry situation with my new job. I brought items to do an audition for fuzzy because I wanted to hedge my bets and stack the odds in my favor for having a job. Before I changed out of the amazon I asked about that and while I was changing was told that they did not want to fit me in any fur because my chest was too big! Uhmmmm.....ok. I doubt their costumes had less padding in that region than the dopey dog or the bears or the moose or any one of the other costumes I had done, but ..... I honestly was not going to fight it. If they didn't want to see me in fur it was their loss. =) Later, I looked at the height chart and I was too tall for everyone but this big red thing that wears tennis shoes. Yea, that might have actually been painful.

Anyway, I decided this week I was going to act like I had the Amazon, in terms of figuring out diet and exercise routines. Food, is still a work in progress, but my time in the gym was INSANE!!!

Monday night was 30 minutes of cardio and the Virgin Yoga class. I am going to keep going to that class because I have experienced some tightening through my hips and shoulders and think this might be a good way to open them up a bit.

Tuesday I started a lifting routine that I found in The Biggest Loser workout book. It was in my library and those trainers get some results and it has been so long since I did any lifting I figured why not! Anyway, it took me quite a while to get through it, and by the time I finished they were in the last hour of The Biggest Loser, so i went down to the elliptical and did 45 minutes on that while watching the Orange team get kicked off!! That really pissed me off! I think the perfect solution was to keep the son on the brown team and the player on orange who had stayed on the ranch (Dan) and made them into their own team. Both of these guys are under 20 and SUPER heavy and more than anyone else, I think they need to stay on the ranch. Anyway, finished that and stretched.

Wednesday -- Cardio day. Did a black diamond route on the expresso bike, did a different leg routine, then 45 minutes on the bike. My knees hurt so bad when I was done I asked one of the trainers if he could stretch me out. Oh, it felt so good and we got to talking and he gave me some diet advice.

Thursday -- I was invited to go to a concert tonight for FREE...and silly me turned it down to go talk to the trainer who stretched me on Wednesday cuz he said he wanted to see my workout routine. yea, he came by like once. should have gone to the concert. Anyway, it was lifting day, so...did my BL routine, then did 40 minutes on the elliptical while watching the Grey's rerun. I actually did 4 miles in 40 minutes! Go me!!

Friday -- Cardio day! Yea. Also..PAYDAY! Yeah, it is a comment on your job when the only thing you are looking forward to is getting paid. Especially when you spend the better part of 3 days twiddling your thumbs because you long ago got tired of getting yelled at when you went to other departments to see if you could help them. So, I stopped trying and do some photoshop tutorials, read the paper and yeah... Anyway, I did 30 on the expresso, no extra leg routine cuz my legs were BURNING and 45 minutes on the elliptical. Stretch real good and then go home and pass out pretty early.

Saturday -- Errands and whatnot. I made it to Target, Whole Foods, Dominick's and the gym. Woo Hoo! Since I drove the gym was literally just getting in and doing some lifting and getting out. That took me about 2 hours. Eventually I will get faster on this routine! I have learned that if I want to do anything on a Friday or Saturday night I cannot go home and get comfortable because my body will just shut down and crash. Once that happens, it is over. So, must plan in advance!!

Sunday -- Today was my day to go back out to Six Flags. Last night I got everything together and most of it put in my bag (was not going to put my SS Card in my messenger bag). This morning I got going and got 1 EXIT away from Six Flags and I realized that my SSC is sitting on the floor, right where I left it. Soo...get off the toll road and find another way home that was actually faster and did not cost me anything! Grab my card and back on the road. Now, when i was told to come in, they told me to be prepared to be there for a couple of hours. Ok, no big. Sooo....I get there, I see a bunch of people heading to one of the trailers, I pop in and am told that they were there for orientation and I need to go to a different trailer. Ok. Go to that trailer and about 1/2 hour later, I have my appointment to come back NEXT WEEKEND for a 5 hour orientation (paid) and am sent on my merry way. ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME!!! Ok, it was 45 minutes out there the first time, 30 back, and another 30 back to the park. They could not put me into the orientation that had started because it had started and it was packed. But still, what was the point of making people make a second trip to the park to do paperwork and make an appointment for a third trip back. It would make more sense to have people set up their orientation time when they are hired and bring all the paperwork with them at that point in time. Seriously.

Ok, maybe next weekend I will get the IKEA table that I have owned for a month put together. *hahahahahahahahaha* One can dream, right? =)