It's Opening Night!

So, I just went to my iTunes and started playing "Adiemus." My choir is singing this song, and during it I always close my eyes and reminisce about things. It's an amazing song for those purposes. I love it so much I actually paid money for it. So, usually I reminisce about my days in high school, as that was, and still is, the best time of my life.

Today, right now, I want to key in especially on the musicals I did in high school. Debuting on the Northwestern stage tonight is amazing...one of the top theater institutions in the country. But it can't match the love I had for the Schaumburg stage (as the music starts to swell).

I started freshman year, in "On a Clear Day..." Terrible storyline, songs that grow on you (alright, grow on me), and a fabulous director (John Austin Van Hook). I was in the chorus, but I held a sign in the back during a song...and I danced in "SS Bernard Cohn." I'm not a dancer...my parents and sisters still laugh at that dance in front of the whole school.

(repeat track)

Sophomore year I was doing the gifted project, and I just didn't have enough time to be in "Little Shop of Horrors." It was a very good production, despite the surprise picks for the leads (this would be a theme under the new direction of Timothy McGlynn).

So how could someone who's never been in a show with this director hope to get a large role? (music swells again, and fades). For some reason, though, he cast me as Jean Valjean. "Les Miserables," possibly the best show ever put on by SHS. This is where the memories really get to me. Using that stupid computer program to tap out melodies, going to a jr. high to promote the show, putting more and more baby powder in my hair, my pants falling down during one scene, my pulling the trigger on a gun two seconds before the sound effect. My friends were in this cast...that made it all the more special (music at fortissimo)

Then senior year, the year I shot myself in the foot and established myself as a character actor. Honestly with this figure, how could I ever really be a romantic lead? So I was the sidekick, Benny Southstreet, the guy called upon for laughs (the real comedic character was dreadful...sit down you're rocking the boat in falsetto? good grief). (repeat track) Why the shot foot? I told my friend to audition for the show the day of auditions; he wasn't going to; he got the lead...and did a fabulous job. As did all my friends.

That's the difference. At Schaumburg, I was performing with friends. The people in the cast, I'll barely ever see again, just in passing. The experience will be etched in my memory, but the memories won't be, if that makes sense. I have no attachment to these people. I'm not a theater major, so they have no attachment to me. They haven't been rude, they just haven't been outgoing.

I want to bring them "rain" tonight before the show, but they wouldn't care. Palms rubbing, fingers snapping, (music crescendoing), hands pounding, feet stomping, reverse, and fade. It's wonderful, and I'll never do it again.

Am I nervous? No. I don't get stage fright. I am worried I'll screw up lines since I haven't gotten them right yet. And I'm worried that I'll never be picked as the murderer, because the audience has no reason to pick me. But I'm not stage fraught.

Thursday 8pm...Friday 8pm, 11pm...Saturday 8pm, 11pm...McCormick Auditorium, Norris Center...$5

Thank you,

(end song)

Random Factoid: In the bible, Paul apparently only wrote seven of the letters ascribed to him. The rest are deutero-Pauline, or pascal...apparently.

Pip Pip!

Correction to Previous Post

I realized that he really seemed like I was being a typical blogger, just complaining about my life. I didn't mean to. Usually, I try to make this funny and informative, to keep you up to date on my life, not my stupid little problems.

I have nothing funny to say, though, except "i'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than give drood a frontal lobotomy."- Line from the musical.

That's pretty funny...in context maybe.

pip pip

Well, That's That

So, it happened. I had my first kiss.

Now, don't get me wrong, it was just a stage kiss. And I think the casuality, or casualness I suppose, of my speech shows that I understand this. I'm not considering this a big deal.

Except for the fact that I have no kissed someone...that's pretty cool.

You were all right, nothing to be nervous about. Afterward, we both just walked away, without saying a word.

It wasn't even technically on stage. We're advertising for the show, so we had to kiss for the picture. But it still happened.

So, the show is 5 days away...very nerve racking...not really, i just want to get it over with so I can get back to my normal busy and hectic life, rather than this busy, hectic, and unbearable life.

Anything else? Umm...my first stories for the magazine were ripped to shread...it was sloppy writing on my part...hopefully I'll get better.

I interviewed Jim Tressel the other day, the coach of the Buckeyes, who beat the Wildcats 48-7 today...woof. Apparently, no one has really ever interviewed a coach before for the opponent feature, so that was exciting...it could have been better though.

If it seems like I'm laxidaisical and uninterested in anything...I am.

Random Factoid: According to mental-health-matters.com, I have 8 of 10 symptoms of major depression: sadness/anxiety/"emptiness, fatigue, loss of interest in usual activities, oversleeping/insomnia, appetite changes, feelings of hopeless/guilt/worthlessness, difficulty concentrating/making decisions/remembering, and chronic aches/pains.

Okay, so I'm not really depressed, but from time to time, I feel like my life is characterized just by going from one place to another with no purpose other than that.

Meh.

Pip pip.

My Posts Runneth Over

Well, not exactly my posts...I'm still on a once a week basis...but what the heck are with these comments? There are hoards, a plethora, a gaggle, an obscenely large amount of comments...by which I mean 8.

But most of them are by weird automated advertising companies and websites. How do they pick things out? Is it that new-fangled RSS whatcha-ma-doozer technology?

I do appreciate those of you who sincerely gave me comments, though I never appreciate it when you make it anonymous....who are you? and what are you? (you'll undestand when you see my show; if you see my show).

But seriously: who are you? I know who shane is, and who kate goodman is, and who denise is, and who gifted is, and who myrick is...but who are the rest of you?

Anyway, it's not like I'm going to get carried away or obsessed with this.

But the flooblebox has a spot for you to type in your name; it doesn't have to be anonymous.

So, my day was busy as usual (you can also include your name in the comment response section). I had to write a stupid journalism article (but don't use the comments thing, because those computers use them) and now I have to write another stupid paper (was it someone from northwestern, or someone from Schaumburg?)

It's good to know I'm actually doing school work with (could it be Mambo #5 again?) all the extra-curricular crap I'm doing. Tomorrow, I'm calling the coach of (who calls me Ry? someone called me Ry?) Ohio State to ask him some questions for our upcoming broadcast. I really do like WN (oh crap, my sister has her own screen name now...which means she can read my profile...which means someone in my house could/does know about my blog...my world is crashing down)UR, the campus radio station.

Do you like my stream of consciousness? It was in rare form tonight.

Random Factoid: Charles Dickens's first chapter was "The Dawn" and his last was "The Dawn Revisited"...in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. He never finished it..."the Dawn Revisited" is actually the middle chapter....I wonder what the last would have been.

Pip Pip.

Watch Out: Two days in a row

I just thought it was my obligation to keep you updated on events.

Theatrical events.

So, we did not run every alternate ending today like we were going to....however, the director chose me anyway for the kissing scene. So it wasn't three girls today, but it was one.

Refresher: the musical has the audience select different scenarios, this one being two lovers.

Refresher 2: I've never kissed a girl (or a boy, technically speaking...one person reading this understands) on the lips before....ever.

So, we sang our song. We gazed into each others eyes in an acting fashion. The cast behind us kept murmoring loudly "kiss...kiss...kiss". And the director said "alright, just a little peck."

First of all, smart director...ease into these things. She doesn't know it's my first kiss (nor does anyone in the cast) but she knows kisses on stage can be awkward.

So I smiled at the girl, leaned in, and she leaned forward and pecked me on the lips.

That was that.

So i still haven't gotten my first kiss.

But that's the first time a girl's lips have touched mine.

I of course have no romantic feelings for this girl; actually don't care for her.

But the peck has made me much less worried about the actual kiss.

All those friends who said don't fret over it (fret was my own word choice), you were right. It'll actually be fun, perhaps, but not likely, tomorrow.

Random Factoid: Bill Clinton's autobiography is titled My Life. We heard all about it in Poli Sci today.

Pip pip.

Dilemma

I used to pronounce that word "dih-LEM-a", but I had a professor who said "DIE-lem-a" and I like that. So i usually say dilemma now.

Gotcha. Which way did you pronounce that? Uh huh. Thought so. I'm a tricky devil.

So, I was talking to Joe about this dilemma. He says I shouldn't even think about it. So my blogging about it completely goes against what he told me to do. Oh well. I still appreciate the advice, Joe, but I'd appreciate other advice in addition (though I'll still value yours the most...shhh...don't tell anyone...it'll be our little secret...hey, you there!...stop reading in between the parentheses...this is a private aside...oh crap...no he/she knows...all right, good idea...we'll stop talking...no one will be the wiser...that means you!)

By the way, Joe's girlfriend's name is Patty.

No it's not; I lied to you.

So the dielemma:

As you all know, I have never been in a relationship. Consequentially, I have never been kissed, nor have I been the one doing the kissing. I've been in shows, but never in a romantic part. The point: these lips have never touched another pair.

Tomorrow, though, most likely, I will have to kiss 3 girls. Sounds fun? Wrong. It's just a stage kiss in rehearsal? Wrong. Actually, correct, but your assumption that it therefore is meaningless is wrong.

You see, I don't know the first thing about kissing. I have no idea how it's done. So tomorrow when we're practicing the three alternate endings in which I would kiss a different leading lady, I have to kiss for the first, second, and third time. I'm going to flounder around like a fool and have no idea what to do and then they're going to laugh at me, mostly behind my back.

Already, I can sense that they don't want to kiss me. Why would they. I see them mumbling...I'm sure it's about me.

So, I could tell them it's my first time. Then the girls will fawn over me in a sweet, yet condescending manner and the guys will think i'm a weirdo.

Either way, I'm screwed. Unless I am a good kisser. Maybe I could be. I have no idea. But I assume it takes practice. And that I ain't got.

I could tell them I'm gay. I'm not sure how that would help. But it might.

Suggestions welcomed!

Random Factoid: The tongue has four taste bud areas. Do I use tongue in a stage kiss? How do you use tongue? Is that a french kiss? Is tongue typical of any kiss? Should this be a peck? It has to last 3-5 seconds. So is that making out? I don't understand the first thing about any of this.

Pip Pip...