Theatre People

So... I miss my "Bye Bye Birdie" cast.

After nearly three months of rehearsing and performances, it's back to "normal" around these parts (which means going to work and then wherever else I can think of to get me out of the house). And I'm definitely much more sad about this return to normal than I was after my first and previous musical, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat".

I definitely had more of a theatre bonding experience this time around. I think this cast gelled better and everyone was very friendly and open and welcoming - no divas or cliquishness existed. The cast got in the habit of hanging out, telling stories ("So this one time at Burning Man..."), seeing other shows that friends were in ("The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"), having drinks and accidentally finding what seems like a gay speakeasy bar, and it was awesome to take part in all this. I remember watching backstage videos by the original "Spring Awakening" touring cast, and you can just tell how well those kids got along and sense the camaraderie that comes with this whole theatre process and in their case going city to city for well over a year.

I felt like I got a small taste of that, especially once we got into the theatre space and they had us all squeezed into that dressing room. Cramped as it was, it was a great place to be, and I hope that the next show I do brings about more of this overall feeling. And hopefully the Birdie cast reunites for more fun and frivolity soon. :)

Opening Night!

Just a quick little blog to say that opening night of Bye Bye Birdie last night was great! For all the tired-ness and grumpiness that's come along, there's been so much more fun and good times getting to perform, even if it is just bit parts - even though there's no such thing as a small part, right? :)

But it's been awesome hanging with this cast, going out after rehearsals a few nights and hearing crazy-ass stories from people... definitely confirms how I live a pretty tame conservative life, because man have some people done crazy shtuff! But it's all great bonding, and especially being there for each other backstage. 

Last night, my old roomie Ben came out to support and I love that he always always always shows up for things and is a man of his word, unlike some people who always just disappoint. I know tickets cost money and people have time-constraints and what-not, so I never wanna ask people to be there and understand when people are honest and say that they can't make it. But I'm super thankful for supportive family, friends and co-workers, and I hope that everyone who does make it out has a great time watching.

Besides, how can you not like us looking all like Mad Men? 

Concerts of 2012 - #3: Saba and Ari Hest (2/24/12)

I think I'm definitely going to try and keep recapping the concerts I've been to this year, even the small ones at the intimate coffeehouses like Lestat's (since it was paid and technically in a room separate from the coffeehouse)... meaning I now need to go back and recap the last one I attended.

So on 2/24, I returned to my old stomping grounds, "The Gregory Page Stage" at Lestat's, to see my old friend Saba opening for national touring artist Ari Hest. For as long as he's been around (which has basically been since I started seeing Saba back in 2004/5), I'd never seen him or really heard his music, save for a sweet cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Little Lies" that I had... 

But he took command of the stage when he come on, in both posture and voice, and I was really impressed overall. A few other local singer/songwriters I know (J Turtle and Josh Damigo) were also in attendance and were just as entranced, along with Saba (who I'm sure has a little bit of a crush on him). I liked his voice/tone, and though he often tours with a band, he had embarked on a solo acoustic tour this time, and he was totally fine. He told a fun story too, about how he took a little break to become an elementary school math teacher in NY. He was a substitute, and they ended up offering him a regular position, but he realized he wasn't ready yet to let go of his love of touring and singing his songs to both longtime fans and new attendees such as myself.

Anyways - I definitely need to get some more of his tunes online, but check out a video to one of his songs here:

1 - Young the Giant - SOMA - 2/10

2 - The Fray / Scars on 45 - HOB - 2/16

3 - Ari Hest / Saba - Lestat's - 2/24

It's Peanut Butter Bacon Burger Jelly Time!!!

On Saturday after rehearsal, I met up with my good friend and old roomie, Ben. We'd been trying to get together for awhile, and it all came together when I had the idea to have lunch at Slater's 50/50.

SD has had a proliferation of burger joints popping up in the past year, and I even saw signs for a few more opening downtown. But apparently Slaters, which originated in Orange County, opened a restaurant in Point Loma (Liberty Station). My aunt told me about this place, saying she'd heard that their patties were half ground beef and half ground bacon.

And if you know me... you know I have a thang for bacon. (Yes. "Thang.")

So upon confirming with the Yelpers that this was worth checking out, I knew I had to make it down there at some point. Their claim to fame is the 50/50 burger, but you can design your own - they give you a list where you can check off the boxes of buns, cheeses, sauces/spreads, and types of patties (50/50, standard ground beef, turkey, veggie, spiced up)... or you can go with a pre-designed one.

And then I saw it: "Peanut Butter Jellousy".

Peanut Butter.
Jelly.
Bacon.
Burger.
Honey Wheat Bun.

Per the menu (and Yelp), it was a popular item... and I asked the waitress and she admitted she liked it too. So I decided to go against my usual habit of a regular BBQ bacon cheese burger and take a chance on something new.

And it. was. fantastic.

It was hella messy, but to quote my friend Sarah, it tastes like joy. The nice thick cut crispy bacon, the gooey oozing peanut butter and jelly, it all worked together for good.

So if you're in that neck of the woods and you want a good burger (and again, they have lots of good options there), check that place out. I can't wait to go back and try something new! (Also, they have a LOT of beer on tap, and I want to get my drink on next time, since my buddy Ben doesn't really drink, so I abstained.)

Oh, and rad little note - it's cool to hang with a buddy I haven't seen in awhile and be rocking the same charity:water bracelet, since Ben noticed mine and pointed out his own wrist, and then talking about all that cool stuff. Always good to catch up.

Concerts of 2012 - #2: The Fray (2/16/12)

My love for The Fray is well known amongst my friends, I think. I've loved them since their first CD hooked me with "Over My Head (Cable Car)", and have seen them three times already, with each venue getting progressively larger (House of Blues, Open Air Theater, Coors Ampitheater).

So when my friend and I discussed seeing them on their latest tour to promote their newest CD "Scars and Stories", I was game. And I found out that they'd be returning to the small venue where I first saw them (House of Blues), so I knew it would be a great concert.

Then my friend had to bail a few days before the concert, and I had options: (1) find another friend, (2) sell both tickets, or even (3) just go alone.

I heavily debated the second option, especially once I learned the show was sold out and tickets were selling for quite a bit over what I paid for them... so I kinda got dollar signs in my head. But then I remembered how much fun concerts are, how much I love the band and how well they sound live, so I threw it up on Facebook (having recently decided to return to some social media) and someone from the first musical I did last spring ("Joseph...") jumped in fast and said she'd be down to go.

And I'm super glad we did! It was nice to catch up with someone I hadn't seen in a year, and both enjoy a rocking great concert.

Standout moments:

1) After opening with a few new songs, the band finally played something that everyone knew from before, "You Found Me", and I swear, as soon as the familiar notes on the piano started to play, everyone whipped out their cell phones and started recording. Cell phone recording is common these days, but I'd never seen that many phones in the air in such a tight space - it seriously was like 98% of the floor, both guys and girls recording and singing along to the chorus.

2) During "Happiness", the lead (Isaac) stepped off stage and into the middle of the crowd on the floor -- literally the middle of the floor - and finished half the song from the crowd. Of course, more cell phones went in the air again, as those lucky folks to be within arms length were just taking it all in.

3) Everyone singing along to "Over My Head". I love rocking out in one voice with everyone else at concerts!

4) "Look After You"... siiiiiiigh. Such a beautiful song. Saved for the encore, and both Shaela and I were going to be sad if they didn't play it, so as soon as we heard the notes, huge smiles came across our faces. I really hope they keep playing it every time I see them, and I've decided that they are one of those bands that I will always go see. After four times, they still got me.

Lesson learned: I should never second guess myself when trying to decide to go to a concert or not... I should just go.

"What breaks your bones is not the load you're carrying
What breaks you down is all in how you carry..." - from their new song, "The Fighter"

Concerts of the Year Summary:
Concert #1: Young the Giant - SOMA, 2/10/12
Concert #2: The Fray - House of Blues, 2/16/12

Music Musings

A few music-related musings on the eve of the Grammy Awards...

Whitney Houston

I won't be a poser and say that I loved her, at least not in the sense that I would've wanted to see her perform live at any point... but she has always been part of my music library. Her "Whitney" CD from 1990 was one of the first two CDs I have recollection of listening to. This was when CD media was still new and my aunt had a Sony Discman (which was amazing to a 6 year old), and the only two CDs I had access to from her was Whitney's and Wilson Philips... and to this day, I can still song songs from both discs. So it was saddening to hear the news yesterday. I don't think it's a stretch to say that in the 20+ years that have passed since her initial breakthrough, no other female vocalist has come out that can light a candle to her talent. 

Concerts of 2012!

It was bound to happen sooner or later, and I'm actually surprised it took 5 weeks into the year for me to go to one... but it was a great one - Young the Giant performed a great set to a sold-out audience at SOMA last Friday night, and who better to attend my first concert of the year with than Chris - he who holds the record amongst all my friends. We'll see what the rest of the year brings!!!

Strings Rock

Sometimes, a teensy tiny part of me wishes my parents had gotten me to learn a stringed instrument like the violin when I was a kid. Because strings totally class up a song, and I would love to have a face-off like this:

Thoughts at Intermission

So I'm sitting here at The Old Globe's main stage during intermission for "Dividing the Estate" (which has been pretty good so far) and I've been struck by the following observance:

Young adults and professionals do not come out to theatre nearly enough, and it actually makes me kinda sad, in a way.

I've kinda noticed this before, that I'm often surrounded by senior citizens and a sea of gray hair whenever I come out to see a play or musical at the Old Globe or La Jolla Playhouse. And as I wrote yesterday, these companies offer a great deal to young adults and twentysomethings to come out and enjoy the arts. But no one comes... The houses see good sized audiences regardless, but I can't help but feel that my generation, whatever you wanna call us, should start taking some time away from the bars and the clubs and movie theatres with its lame blockbusters and seemingly endless remakes and 3D re-releases and start supporting live theatre. Expand your horizons and experiences a bit, people.

Anyways. Slight vent over. Show is about to resume!