Empire State of Mind

Cue Jay-Z and Alicia Keys... Because I will be going to New York! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there's nothing you can't do... you can bet I'll be playing this song to exhaustion from now until my trip.

I'd been keeping track of flights this summer/fall, to see how feasible it would be to take little vacation. Definitely have the vacation hours saved up, and not having to pay rent helps, and I'm single and in my 20s and have no attachments, so now seemed like a good time. I actually still need to fly outside the country and visit the Philippines for the first time, but I've always had plane phobia. However, a continental flight doesn't seem as bad as 16 hours across the Pacific. 

Plus this theatre loving kid really wants to see a show! 

So this week I found out that Southwest Airlines was having a three day sale, with round trip flights to the east coast for $240! From the fares I'd seen before and from talking to my JAWP, this was a good deal. I also wanted to visit Chicago too, as I have a first cousin out there with her family. It's not NYC, but at least I could visit family and there'd still be plenty to do and see. Maybe catch a game at Wrigley Field! Initially I was thinking I'd only take one trip, and I ended up leaning towards Chicago. I could stay with my cousin and not have to worry about hotel fare, which was a huge plus. So I threw out the idea to my mom, who then talked to my cousin, and then it was game on as she told me to order the tickets. So our late summer trip is a go!

This happened on Thursday evening, which left three hours in the online sale. But I still felt a pull to visit NYC... I mean, how often would I find a round-trip flight to NYC for that low? My biggest issue was going alone, as I don't know anyone in the city and knew no one to travel with. But then with a little nudge from JAWP, I decided to go for it. Picked a few days in October, and bought my tickets. Felt so great! I still have no idea where I'll be staying, or what I'll be doing exactly, but that's part of the excitement. I'll work out the details in the meantime and get some planning of all the sights I want to see. 

And of course, I will find ways to see Broadway shows on Broadway! At least one. My number one priority right now is The Book of Mormon. Tickets are pretty pricey, as it's Broadway and it just won a buttload of Tony Awards... but to say I got to see the smash musical (of which I adore the soundtrack) with the original cast (fingers crossed) at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre - which was home to Spring Awakening?!?! 

Bring it on. 

Theatre Awards

Right now, I'm sitting at home watching the Tony Awards - which brings me to point out one benefit of living at home for the time being, which is that I can watch basic cable TV (which my cousin and I chose to live without in our apartment). So it feels kinda appropriate that as I'm watching these theatre awards that I get an email from the producer of the musical that I was in... turns out, I've been nominated for a ACT Aubrey Award in the category of "Minor Supporting Actor"! Which is pretty nifty. Makes me feel like Robin Scherbatzky when she was nominated for a LAMA. ;)

Anyways - ACT (Association of Community Theatres) is a group of 6 San Diego independent theatre companies, and apparently they had a nominations banquet earlier this afternoon for shows that were produced in the 2010-2011 season. I knew that our theatre company had submitted names for nominations, and I figured that the star of the show ("Joseph") would be nominated for Lead Actor (and he was) amongst some of the other super talented cast mates with featured roles. So when I got the email (and when the list was posted on Pickwick Players Facebook group), my first reaction was "jigga-wha?" And then "alright cool."

My part in the show was super minor obviously, but it's nice that the directors (I'm assuming) submitted me. And it's interesting because not all the brothers received a nomination. I remember hearing it discussed that you could only be submitted for one category - i.e. the actor who portrayed both Pharoah and one of the brothers could only be submitted once, which was apparently in the "Major Supporting Actor" category for his Pharaoh role (and he got the deserved nomination). So stoked that the cast/crew got recognized and that I got to be part of it all.

The awards dinner is at the end of July, and it truly is cool just to be nominated. I'll probably go just to see some of the cast again and hang... and have some adult beverages. :D

Oh, and as for the Tony Awards - I have a mancrush on NPH. He's awesome. And I also really want to visit New York and see all these shows! Especially The Book of Mormon.

Opening Weekend!

So after 8 weeks of rehearsals, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" has finally opened!

These last two weeks have been insane... But this last week was a lot better, having gotten more used to the rigors of the schedule. And it all culminated in three great performances with one more to come tomorrow afternoon!

Thursday night we had a "preview" performance. This was our first time performing in front of an audience. In the past, Pickwick's (the theatre company) had invited "camps" to come in... but these aren't Indian Hills-type of camps. I forget their names, but these camps serve as sort of juvenile-detention facilities, and the teens get to spend their night out (for good behavior) by coming to see live theatre. They were a great audience, and we even had a little Q&A session afterwards. A good 90% of them had never seen a play or musical before, and they were into it, so it was a cool outreach.

Friday night was the official opening! I wasn't nearly as nervous for this, compared to the night before. I think what also helped was when we got our director's notes after Thursday, I got great encouragement from the director for always being "on" and being where I need to be and doing what I needed to be doing... being new to the company and theatre in general, I think I just needed to hear that feedback. So going into Friday, I was cool as a cucumber. My mom and dad were there for the big night too. They initially told me they could only come to the Sunday matinee due to work issues, but then on Thursday night, my mom messaged me to say she decided to work late the last two nights to finish all her work so they could make the premiere. As much as I'm going to hate living back home again, my parents are awesome. (Oh! And they came out to support me and my cousin at the finish line at the La Jolla Half Marathon two Sundays ago! Again... awesome.) After the show, everyone hung out in the theatre as there was champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries going around.

Saturday was another good day in general... slept in, did laundry, worked out, met up with Chris and Jordan at Artwalk in Little Italy (and bumped into my old roomie and friend Ben), had some pre-show food and libations at El Camino, then rushed my tail back to the theatre (I was 15 minutes late... hate when I do that)... then it was on for another performance, and with friends in the audience too. Ashley, Colleen and Christian came out and I spotted them in the front row, but I tried not to look.

Sidenote time: This is a small theatre, so if you're in the front row, you are like THERE, in the desert with us almost... anyways, I spotted my mom and dad in the front row too the night before (dad wearing his bright red sweater), but I tried not to look at them too. Anyway, when I came into the dressing room on Saturday, two of the guys were all like "hey, were those your parents sitting right in front by the keyboard? They were awesome! They were so into it, and smiling, enjoying the show, leaning into it and rocking out! We would try to perform out TO them!" Haha, maybe I should've been looking in their direction more.

Anyways, I'm sooooo appreciative of my parents and for those friends who came out these past two nights. I didn't think it would be a big deal, but knowing that they're out there just gives you a bigger push when performing, and it's great to have that support, that they would take the time out of their weekend and spend the money to come see the show.

I would take a picture of the cookie (shaped and frosted like a technicolor dreamcoat) that Ashley, Colleen and Christian (and Lea Michele, haha) sent to the dressing room, but I ate it as soon as I got home - and it was good, too.

But here are some pics from the show! :)

And a one, a two, a one two three four...

So.

This whole musical/theatre thing... it sure is keeping me busy and on my toes (literally). This was our first five day rehearsal week, where I'd have rehearsals after work, plus today (Saturday) was a 9am-3pm rehearsal day. I knew going into this that it would be hectic, and it's still incredibly fun and gratifying to be doing this stuff again. But it's also reminded me of a key aspects of myself... the big one being that I cherish my alone/down time.

Prior to this, I could go home after work and relax... and with my roommate/cousin out most of the time and me having the apartment to myself, I could have peace and get refreshed... and though I like going out and doing things (and had tentative plans for tonight which thankfully didn't happen), as an extreme introvert (as I learned from the Myers-Briggs, I am practically 100% introvert), I need that alone time to recharge my batteries. The whole week has been work (in which I get to workout at least), then rehearsals, then sleep, then repeat the next day... So I'm glad that the rest of my Saturday has been me at home, catching up on my "DVR", watching some movies, munching on Easter chocolates that I probably shouldn't have bought and prepping my meals for Sunday/Monday. That "me" time is appreciated, as the week flew by... and it would not go well if I started another full week without some complete R&R. (And I don't mean Ross and Rachel. Though Friends on DVD does sound good right about now...)

Anyways. Rehearsals have been going well. It was a dance week, and while I think I'm looser after I get some alcohol in my system, I didn't think it wise to hit up happy hour before going to rehearsals. So there were some bits of choreography that I picked up well, and others that made me feel like I had two left feet and I had to think about the steps a lot... and me getting stuck in my head overthinking things (pulling a Ted?) is what always gives me trouble, so I've just gotta get loose and get a little funky and go with the cheesiness. And keep on practicing my shoulder rolls and shimmy+box step...

Also, we got an email from the producer saying that we need to give a little bio about ourselves! You know in those theatre programs, how the cast has a little blurb about their experience and background... well now I get to write one about me, in 100 words or less. Since this is my first show, maybe I'll have to pad it with shoutouts. Haha.

The Audition, Part 2

As I sit here listening to the Next to Normal soundtrack, I realize I never did post a follow-up to the audition story... so to continue chronicling this journey of mine, here's how the second day of auditioning went.

I'll admit it - the second day was more nerve-wracking. I knew this was the day where they'd be testing your ability to pick up basic choreography and learn music. Having done mini-productions back in junior high school and having also been in an award-winning guys ensemble (haha, ok - so this was pre-puberty and in a competition of small Christian schools in the state), I knew somewhere deep down buried inside was the capability to "bring it". 

And then I walked inside and saw a girl in dancer's spandex and bending/contorting her body in ways that did not look comfortable to me at all... and that made me nervous. But all the kids/teens/adults around seemed fine. And I'd come to see we were definitely not going to be tested on our flexibility. 

Phase 1 of the night though was to pick up choreography. I've taken a few dance classes of the hip-hop variety and ballroom, and I'll say I'm in the DBNA-range when it comes to my capabilities in this arena, with the potential to be better after some liquid courage. But not too much - don't want to be sloppy! The steps we learned weren't too bad. The girls got it down rather easily, and I didn't feel so bad lumped in with all the guys. And luckily we didn't have to perform a dance solo! That would've been mortifying.

Phases 2 and 3 were learning songs from the show. Some people were obviously familiar with the music already. I mean, afterall it's Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice... serious theatre people tend to be familiar with their work. I, however, had no idea what was going on. I haven't held sheet music since 8th grade! So having to follow along with those pages took me back... phase 2 was seeing if we could learn to harmonize. Not bad, could do that before. Phase 3 was to learn a new song and sing it back solo, and to act it out. We had time to practice outside, so us guys went to practice. It was at this point that someone asked what high school I went to (Asians look young?) and if I played football (I guess I fill out my t-shirts better these days?)... anyways, when it came time to sing the solo, I didn't know that normally the song had a certain style to it... I just sang it straight/simple. I knew I could try to mimic what some of the other guys did, but then again, I wasn't trying to win a specific role. I just wanted to enjoy the experience and see how far I'd get in the process. 

And after that, night two was over and we were told we'd hear results the next day. And the next evening, I found out that I was cast as one of the brothers. It's a small part, but I do have a solo line to sing, and the brothers sing as a group quite a bit, so I still have a lot to learn! So far, it's been great. We've had two weeks of rehearsals now, and it's been exciting to be back in the thick of things. More thoughts on the whole process as the rehearsals progress!

The Audition, Part 1

As previously noted, I decided it was better late than never and that it was time to fulfill my 2009 goal of "go to an audition"... I've always kept watch of local theatre auditions, but never found one that I thought I should give a shot, until I saw an online posting from a local theatre company called Pickwicks Players for their upcoming production of "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat".

Never saw the show, but the listing said to prepare a 1-2 minute song and provided an email/phone # for more info... I emailed, stated how I have zero theatre experience, and they replied "no problem!" They consider themselves an educational theatre company, so having no resume whatsoever was not a problem. 

With my audition booked for Tuesday at 7pm, I started practicing to a song I knew very well... "All That's Known", from Spring Awakening. I found that it was comfortably in my range, and I love the show/song, so it was a good fit. Ordered the sheet music from Amazon, made a copy, and brought it with me. When I got to the audition, no one else was there yet, as you only show up for your time - you're not waiting around and watching everyone else. But since I didn't have a resume, I needed to fill out a quick form. While I did that, two girls came in with their resumes and headshots and each gave their audition. I didn't see, but I could hear from where I was waiting in the lobby... and they were really good and very theatre-voices. Also, a little Asian girl came in to audition too (around age 8 or 9), and even she had a headshot! So I felt unprepared, but I went about filling my form until they called me into the room. 

I gave my music to the accompanist as instructed, and he asked "so what tempo would you like me to play this?" I didn't know I had an option... so I believe my exact response was "Uhhhhhhh... the normal kind." What I didn't consider was the fact that this song isn't your typical audition song. It's not like "On My Own" from Les Mis, or some upbeat Broadway showcase song that everyone has heard before. Nope, I went with a song from the rock musical with swear words in it... at least this song is made to be played on the piano, so that worked. 

Singing to a live accompanist is a LOT different than just singing along to the CD... he started off much slower than the recording, so I had to adjust my singing on the fly to keep in step, meaning I had to think about my steps rather than just singing on autopilot. The song is normally 2 min even in length, but it dragged at the pace he was playing... my bad for not knowing, but now I know for any other future auditions. (I'll probably choose a different song though.) Anyways, I finished (hella nervous and shaky as I was) and they thanked me. As I walked away from the stage, the guy escorting me to the door told me "so they would like you to come back tomorrow." I'm guessing as my back was turned they gave him the secret signal of "yes", haha.

So that was night one. I wasn't expecting there to be a night two (which happened tonight - but more on that later), as my main goal was already accomplished just by showing up and doing it. And I'm so glad I did! I've missed this scene, and I'm happy to have put my fears aside. Officially crossed off the list! 

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

Turn and face the strain
Ch-ch-changes!

Gotta love some Bowie.

Month #3 of 2011 begins tomorrow, marking the last 90 days in the apartment. With my cousin moving back home to her parents, I'm reluctantly moving back to mine. I'm definitely going to miss having my own quiet space and that feeling of freedom after work where I can just kick back and relax... and oh my God, I'm going to be back in that tiny house with my parents again... okay breathe... breaaaaathhe...

[exhales]

I can do it. Six months, I can do this... saving up money, planning to buy a house of my own, and the time will fly. These first two months of 2011 certainly did, so the six months (at minimum) that I'll be at home should go fast as well. Knock on wood. I'll just probably be asking various friends if they want to go to a bar every evening after work... (Just kidding... kinda/sorta.)

My treat to myself though, at least I'm contemplating, is to go to New York in the summer. See the sights, a Broadway show or two, and escape... I've got the vacation hours, I'll have the money from being at home again, so I think a little action in the Big Apple for this theatre lover is appropriate.

Speaking of theatre, I have an audition tomorrow. A small local theatre company is putting on a production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, and I'm going to just go for it. I'm seriously not expecting anything, since I have no theatre resume to my name, save for high school drama class (ten years ago) and skits I've been in at Flood. But since they're okay with that (I did ask first) and I had put down "go to an audition" in my 2009 list of goals (but never did that year or in 2010), I figure "why not now?" I just want to get out there and feel that pressure of theatre again, even if for two minutes. I already have my song picked out and the sheet music too! (It's not Bowie.)

The Week of Free Things

Well, that might be an overstatement, but there were two occasions where free things were bestowed this week, and they were pretty freakin' fantastic.

WEDNESDAY - "In the Heights" with Sarah!

As has been clearly stated in this blog, "In the Heights" is my current favorite thing. I had already seen the show twice, and the tour was having its final SoCal stop with a two week stay in Costa Mesa. Which is just a hop and a skip (no jump needed - it's pretty close) to my friend Sarah, who lives in the OC. So we texted about it, and she was interested in seeing it, so it was all a matter of what day would I drive up that would work out for both of us.

At first, there was no good evening. Our schedules and plans just weren't gelling, and we were about to call it a day and say it wasn't in the cards. Then on Wednesday, I found out that I could do Thursday night after all. She replied that so was hers, but also her Wednesday was free now too, if I wanted to drive up that same day/evening... and you know me, always down for things. 

I drove up after work and traffic wasn't that bad once you got past Carlsbad. And I've been in cautious-save-gas-by-driving-at-60mph mode for awhile now, but made it to Sarah's to pick her up and then get us to the theatre with 15 minutes to spare. The plan was to buy last-minute rush tickets, which are basically any open seats left (usually in the balcony) sold at half off, but you have to pay in cash.

I had no cash. And the ATM at the venue? Broken.

We walked to the box office, thinking things weren't looking good, but we were gonna try our luck and hope that maybe they'd accept a debit card? That's basically like cash, right? So we stand in line, hoping for the best, and then we get directed to the next available ticket window. As we make our way, a very kind lady (who I will describe as 50+ something who likely goes to theatre/art exhibits on a regular basis and probably drives a Mercedes-Benz) approached us.

LADY: Excuse me, were you two going to buy tickets?

ME: (unsure of where this was going) Yup.

LADY: Well here (hands us two tickets). They're yours.

(Sarah and I look puzzled.)

Apparently the very kind lady was there with a big group, and they ended up with a few extras, and rather than sell them, she told us to take them and enjoy the show. And mind you, she still had time to sell them. We looked at the tickets, and they were Orchestra Row M. Which is pretty damn awesome. (Sidenote: I think that should be the new reverse-abbreviation for PDA. 'Cause the other PDA? Just get a room, folks.) Sarah and I were floored, and so thankful for this kind lady's generosity. 

The seats were truly incredible. You could see the expressions on the actor's faces! The show already has good energy and fun as it is, but I think the great seats made for an even better first-experience for Sarah, who seemed to really enjoy it and later asked me for the soundtrack. 

When this show closes on Broadway, I'd love to be there! 

SATURDAY/SUNDAY - America's Finest City Half Marathon!

I woke up on Saturday morning to find a Facebook message from someone I didn't know. I opened it and she introduced herself as a friend of another friend of mine, and that she heard from the friend that I was a runner. Turns out she had a race bib for Sunday's AFC 1/2 Marathon, but was no longer able to run it, and she was trying to sell it, and thought I might be interested. I thought about it, but texted her back to say that I needed to save money, and so I wished her luck in selling it. 

Again, she still had time to go on craigslist and sell it. But a few hours later I got a text message from her, saying if I would run it, it was mine to have. Now this needed some thought. I haven't been running as much since the end of May - barely once a week, and 4 mile runs at that. I've been focusing more on strength training and weights. Also, I'd need to carbo load the rest of the day and sleep early, but had Chris' man-bath to attend still. I was really unsure... and then I figured, "go for it - it might take you three hours, but you've run up to 20 miles before - you can do this."

I replied that I'd be happy to run in her place, and thanked her for offering. Picked up the race bib in 4S Ranch where she works, and then started the prep: lots of water and carbs for the rest of the day, and going to bed before 9pm. Which I managed to do! Woke up at 4:30, got myself ready to go, drove to Balboa Park where we were then shuttled down to the Cabrillo Monument, and at 7:00, off we ran! 

The course wasn't flat - there were some uphills (both at the beginning and especially at the end) and downhills (at the beginning), but the course was even once we got to the 4 mile marker. We ran by the airport, Spanish Landing, along Harbor and through downtown, before heading uphill on 6th Avenue to get to Balboa Park. I kept a pretty good pace in the middle - it takes awhile for my body/legs to warm up, so I'm slower at the beginning, and then of course tired at the end. Could definitely feel the blister starting to erupt on my right foot. But I passed the 12 mile marker and got my game face on. A little before that point, my iPod Shuffle was playing "When You're Home", from "In the Heights", which has a part where they keep repeating the Spanish phrase, "No pare! Sigue, sigue!" Which translates into "don't stop, keep going, keep going!" I thought that was very appropriate and motivating to keep on charging towards the finish line. And once I could see the finish line in the distance, I changed up the song to play the last minute of "Finale" from the show, as it's very climactic and I wanted to finish my run with that happy ending music blasting through my headphones. 

Official final time -- 2:37:50! I really thought I'd finish in three hours, so I'm super stoked about my time. I have the 4 mile run with Pete, Ben, and perhaps a few other friends at the end of this month, and Ben and I are both registered for the Long Beach Marathon in mid-October. Now to seriously get my butt in gear for that one - 26.2 or bust! 

Me with my latest piece of racing "bling" - AFC Half Marathon 2010! 

"No pare, sigue, sigue!"

In my previous blog post, I stated that I may have a new favorite musical: "In the Heights".

Being such a bold statement, I'm not making it official yet. I mean, I've seen "Spring Awakening" six times over the last two years, and plan on seeing it at least once when it returns to LA this spring. Perhaps twice, if I can score on-stage seats - which is a completely different and amazing experience. (And if you're Ashley, you were sooooo spoiled that your first time seeing SA was from on stage.)

But this post is about the wonderful show that is "In the Heights".

ITH is a present-day musical set in a Latino suburb of Manhattan, chronicling three days in the lives of a close community as they pursue their dreams and grapple with this idea of "home" and what it means to them. The contemporary score is infused with Latin, salsa, and hip-hop influences, and the choreography reflects this as well.

If you want to know more about the show, there's a PBS documentary on YouTube (in six parts) that does a really amazing job of showcasing the original cast members and their journey to get this show off the ground. I saw this before seeing the show itself, and it made me care about these people and I was able to appreciate their efforts even more. If you have 10 minutes, watch this clip below, and if you're sucked in (like I was), watch the next 50 online as well.

Two reasons why I love "ITH":

The Story

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to storytelling. Take two of my favorite shows, for example. I know some friends who adore "Rent" and others who are kinda turned off by the plot. Same goes for "Spring Awakening" - they'll say the music is great, but aren't particularly impressed by the story. To each their own, of course. But I love "ITH" and these characters.

In my previous post there was the song called "Breathe", and I was quickly drawn to the character of Nina and able to relate to her. What do you do when you have all these hopes and expectations placed on you by your family and community, but you find yourself struggling to meet them and things don't go according to plan? I've been there. Nina had to find her way through her particular situation (dropping out of Stanford), and I could relate to her journey (though my school was different and I didn't drop out).

The other story themes I relate to concern how to maintain your cultural heritage when you're removed from the homeland. The lead character's (Usnavi) parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic (but he was born in NYC); similarly, I was born in SoCal but my parents came from the Philippines. And while they have strong ties still and aren't going to forget their native country, I'm thinking now about what being Filipino means to me - since I never really did - and what parts of my heritage will I carry on with me when I eventually start a family.

Finally, "ITH" has a good deal of humor and fun to it, and I was very pleased with the ending... it's not big and schmaltzy (which is something I could see being said about "Wicked") nor is it dark and bittersweet ("Rent" / "SA").

The Music

"SA" was rocking out to a Duncan Sheik soundtrack - jumping up and down with youthful exuberance (fitting, as the characters are teens)... And "ITH" is grooving to a score that's more at home on a dance floor. And I can roll with both styles. :) Both have their "typical musical" numbers (i.e. slow and sweeping with some emotional climax), but as a whole, their soundtracks are distinctly different. I really dig the freestyling that goes on too - that style doesn't take over the soundtrack either. It's balanced really well, and Lin-Manuel Miranda seems like such an awesome fun talented guy. Here he is, doing a parody of a song from "High School Musical 2" that cracked me up - and if you watch it, you'll see a neat little cameo from "Jesse St. James"...

Anyways - every time I saw "SA", I picked up something new that made me appreciate that show even more. So we'll see what happens when I see "ITH" again this week. I'll go by myself, but hopefully get some friends/family to come out and see it.

Glee

I don't think I've ever been this amped with anticipation for a TV show before, but thinking about and watching previews for Fox's new show "Glee" fills me with such... well, glee.

I can't watch a promo and not smile. They always seem to air the "Glee" commercials during "American Idol", and while we always fast-forward through the commercials (thanks DVR!), if I ever spy a promo for the new show I have to rewind and watch. I even downloaded the extended promo (over 4 minutes long) and will watch it a few times while doing my cardio workouts at the gym. Andy called me a nerd, and that's totally right. The show's become more to me than getting to watch Lea Michele (the beautiful and amazingly talented star from a certain Broadway musical that I love) on my TV on a weekly basis, although she was my main draw. But it's taken me back to my junior high (and part of high school) days when I was a musical theatre nerd.

In junior high, I was in our school's small choir that every spring went to this annual competition in Santa Maria that some school's from the GSACS (Golden State Association of Christian Schools) participated in. We'd compete in the fine arts (like music and drama) and also in academic subjects. I think in 4th grade I won in the writing category, and from 7th-9th grade I won the spelling competition -- fun times, those were. Anyways, our choir was awesome back in junior high, I remember our choir won when I was in 7th grade. That same year I was also in the boys ensemble. It was 5 of us, and I was the #2 tenor (#1 being the choir director's son) and my voice was able to reach those high notes. We sang "How Majestic Is Your Name" (I think I can still remember the words), and we won 1st place too. The readers theatre group I was in also won, so it was good times for our school. I didn't do sports, so this provided the thrill of competition for me.

Later in the spring, we also had a concert at the school, which was a much less formal affair than the earlier competition (where we had to dress up - guys in ties, etc). But the spring concert was fun. We sang this song our director wrote called "Lazy Summer Days", where we got to wear t-shirts and sunglasses and I wore a hat backwards for probably the first time in my life - it even had light choreography too. I miss those days so much now...

Anyways, like Lea Michele's character says in the "Glee" promo - "Being a part of something special makes you special, right?" And her question resonates with me, because being in choir and drama gave me that rush and it was nice to not feel so anonymous and boring but to be part of a special team - it was exciting. Singing, acting, choreography... I need to get back into that.

All the cool kids are doing it.

I remember telling Chris and Jordan on one of our Coffee Tuesday outings that because "photography" was # 3 on the 3hree 6ixty 5ive list that I would treat myself to a nice new digital SLR camera when I started my new position at work.

Well, I started the new position at work this week (technically last week, at least on payroll)... and with the Disneyland trip coming up this Sunday as well, I thought now was a good time to pull the trigger.

And I did. While watching American Idol, I logged onto Amazon.com and ordered the Canon Rebel XS. It should be here Friday, so I may get to log my first photos at the Rascal Flatts outing.

I'm excited. :)

In other news, I've now finally seen two out of three "Lord of the Rings" movies... and I think I can handle walking around the office a little better tomorrow. I didn't exactly follow the directions given to me by Dr. Andrew and Dr. Mercedes (from work), but the ankle feels much better than last night. Many thanks to Andy and Jordan for helping me through that.

I also have a short amount of time to possibly prepare an audition piece... I keep checking this site and the La Jolla Playhouse is having general auditions. I may just give it a go - I have nothing to lose anyway, and it'd be a fun way to get my feet wet. Musical theatre has become a new "happy place" lately... Watching "Grease" on Sunday made me jealous all over again, wanting to get back on the stage (oh those high school days), and I know I'll get that exact same feeling when we see "Rent" this weekend... I've seen "Rent" before, and the production is SO much better than the movie. Now if only I could see "Spring Awakening" next week, somehow...

Music, theatre and Disney... this weekend's gonna be awesome, I feel.