Where has all the summer gone?

Seriously. Where has the summer gone?

I really just feel like it was yesterday that Kevin and I got married and were on our honeymoon. It's hard to believe that it has been almost two months now. Kevin and I both came back to lots of work - he has been working 50-60 hour weeks and I have been splitting my time, less evenly than I would like, between Imagination Stage and my high school.

Most of the summer I have been teaching dance classes and working on fall planning for the HS, but two weeks ago I started my directing job and my life has been completely consumed. Summer Showcase, the program I am working on, is not a book musical, essentially we are creating a revue to existing music around a theme. This year the theme is identity. So in the span of four weeks, we actually create a plot, write a script and produce a very detailed revue. I use the term "revue" loosely because while that technically is what it is, we really try to develop a fleshed out and interesting plot line with 14 characters with each of them having a story arch. It is definitely more interesting for them as actors to do so; however, making a story that interesting and fleshed out is ALOT of work.

Don't get me wrong - I love, love, LOVE this project. I really enjoy working with Debbie and Kierstie, and with this year, Don. I also love working with the kids - it's such a unique project and experience. Admittedly though, the intensity of the project has made the last two weeks fly by more than I could have imagined. I have pretty much spent my time: wake up, do Showcase work, get showered/ready, drive to Bethesda, do Showcase work, rehearse Showcase, meet about Showcase, go home and do more Showcase and finally go to bed. You can see how the time might fly... but it is really rewarding work and I clearly love to be able to do what I love and get paid.

Nevertheless, with intensity comes some freaking out. On Tuesday, I had my personal flip out moment - I realized that our design run is next Wednesday for SHOWCASE and we still hadn't fleshed out the plot outline let alone start doing all of the improvisations we needed to in order to start developing the script. You can't exactly block a show as a director when you don't have a script yet. On a bright note, now we have our plot figured out and have worked on most of it, so by Monday most of our script should be done.

Nonetheless, this Friday it definitely hit me that in two weeks SHOWCASE opens and then the next day I get on a plane to go to Scotland for two weeks with 8 of my high school students, and as the only adult chaperone. My HS students are performing at the American High School Theatre Festival in Edinburgh. (This is a show I am not directing, Lauren is). So you can see why I might be a little stressed...

With this I also realized that I have two more weeks of summer in the USA, because when I get back from Scotland I have one more weekend, but school starts that Monday...thank god for the three day - Labor Day weekend that follows- but really, how is it August already? How is it that I am already thinking about September...

So on that note- I am off to transcribe more video scenes so that hopefully I will have a script to start blocking on Monday... [sigh]

Superman Was an Actor?

So I started working on Summer Showcase - the show I am directing at Imagination Stage - last week. I got there today with all of my baggage - yes I do look like a little hermit - but I need a lot of crap for rehearsal. (Working on condensing...) I was also wearing my usual director/choreographer comfy attire of dance pants, t-shirt and baseball cap (nothing out of the ordinary).

Just in the front of the building I stopped and was talking on my cell to Kierstie and a woman pulled up in car, rolling down the window and tried to get my attention. Once I had ended the call, she asked me "Can you get me a program for THE NEVERENDING STORY?" (NES is the show currently showing on the mainstage at IS).

First of all I though it was funny she assumed that I worked there to begin with, and I replied, "Well, I don't really work here on staff, I am just contracted."

Apparently, she was bringing her children to see the show Friday and wanted a program to review with them before bringing them. (Not sure how much a program was going to help, a book might be a better idea...but I obliged).

Seeing as no one was in the Box Office window at the time, I told her I would ask the receptionist, but if she didn't have one I couldn't really help her out. Luckily, Ronni (the receptionist) had one and the woman was very grateful when I returned with one in hand.

Then she said, "I just thought you might be able to help me. I figured you were an actor because of your Superman shirt."

Really? I mean...
a) to assume Superman shirt wearers are actors and
b) to assume I was an actor working on this show...

Interesting how the minds of people work. Guess if I want to get work as an actor I should just wear my Superman shirt for auditions.

The Dark Knight on Friday Night

So now that I have discussed Dr. Horrible, I need to to discuss THE DARK NIGHT, which I saw on Friday night with Kevin and his friends. It was the movie we were waiting for all summer and I have to say I drove like a bat out of hell (but not like Batman) to get to the theatre in time from Bethesda.

It was well worth the wait and the crazy driving though (where's a Batmobile with a Bat-pod when you need one, anyway?). Also, I wanted to thank Kevin's friends for changing the time because it was one of the highlights to my insane week.

First and foremost, I have to say

WOW!!!!

There are not many words to convey the brilliance of the movie. It was extremely well cast with a star-studded cast. The hype about Heath Ledger as the Joker is true - he is phenomenal. There is no trace of Heath in that movie, he IS the Joker. It is entertaining and yet disturbing at the same time and in the way it should be, I believe. It is really tragic that he died at this point, as you can only see the potential of where he might have gone beyond this movie. I do hope he gets at least an Oscar nomination for his work, as it is well earned.

The rest of the movie is also pretty amazing; it is like getting two movies in one. Admittedly, it is pretty overwhelming on a first view (especially with a crappy sound system where you miss tons of dialogue) and definitely garners a second viewing. Definitely several layers and psychological depths to the piece and I cannot wait to see it again to catch all that I missed.

Definitely 5 stars - everyone should see it...

"That's the plan, rule the world, you and me, any day.."

Ok - so now my true colors and inner-geekiness are going to show a little bit. I don't think I have mentionned my obsession with the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it is definitely one of my obessessions despite the fact it is no longer on the air. If want to see me "geek out" (as Kevin might say) this would be the topic. Well some of you might be familiar with the musical episode that they did on Buffy called "Once More with Feeling." I am sure you can imagine what it is like when two of your favorite things in the world collide - in that case it was Buffy and musical theatre.

Joss Whedon (whom you might know from Firefly or from writing X-men comic books) is the brilliant man behind Buffy and he is actually quite brilliant as a composer and as a lyricist. So during the writer's strike back in the winter he got bored and decided to do a project to see if the internet was a financially viable option for entertainmnent. Thus he developed Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. I must say that yet again Joss Whedon (and family) has demonstrated his brilliance. I cannot wait until he actually decides to start writing actual musicals for the theatre (which I hope is inevitable). If you like comic book superheroes and villians and/or musicals you will definitely enjoy this 45-min mini-musical event.

Besides the wonderful musical selections, with many tributes to Sondheim, Whedon and clan are particularly good at making at you laugh and then tearing at your heart strings. As he always accomplished with Buffy, there are plenty of snappy lyrics and witty lines.

Some of my favorites being:

"These are not the hammer... The hammer is my penis."

"I've got a PHD in horribleness."

"A lot of guys ignore the laugh, and that's about standards. I mean, if you're gonna get into the Evil League of Evil, you have to have a memorable laugh. What, do you think Bad Horse didn't work on his whinny? His terrible death-whinny?"

Without spoiling anymore I would say go watch it while you can.

Free viewing ends at midnight on Sunday, July 20th. Then you have to buy it off of I-tunes for $2 an episode/act (it's three acts). It is an extremely worthy cause and well worth the $6, so if you miss it I would say go buy it.

I've seen it at least 3 times at this point and am still planning to I-tunes it and then buy the DVD with musical commentary when it comes out.

The cast includes Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, How I Met Your Mother), Nathan Fillion (Buffy-Season 7, Desperate Housewives, Firefly) and Felicia Day (Buffy-Season 7).

Check out the three act musical blog for free (until July 21st) here: http://www.drhorrible.com/
Follow this link to check out the backstory and interviews about the project:
http://doctorhorrible.net/

Enjoy!

The Number 1 Dance Show on TV

So I am an avid So You Think You Can Dance watcher seeing as I have been a dancer for almost the entirety of my life. It warms my soul to see quality dancing on mainstream television.

I think the best thing about the show is that they highlight both technically trained and not trained dancers, challenging them to try different styles of dance and stretching them out of their comfort zones. I have to agree that talent and versatility do go hand in hand, which is why I don't like American Idol. You are not the best singer if you can only sing pop - I would have to say then you are only the best "pop singer."

I love SYTYCD because it actually applauds and recognizes several styles of dance as being notable (though I do wish we could see some more ballet and tap). The show continues to exceed my expectations though, and after seeing the pas-de-deux tonight I feel like they are continuing to broaden their horizons.

I love to watch the show for the choreography in particular - they have some brilliant and well known talent on the show. Mia Michaels (who I used to see judge and teach at dance competitions back in my dance team days) is one of my favorites as an artist on the show. I also love Wade Robson's work because it is so quirky and unique. (I would love to know where in the hell he is this season).

Tonight set new heights for the show though because Desmond Richardson was the guest choreographer who did the pas-de-deux. He is not a household name, but in the dance community he is BIG! Most people know Baryshnikov however, and Desmond Richardson is a ballet/contemporary dancer of that caliber. I am just so pleased as a technically trained ballet/modern dancer to see them continue to bring in such high quality talent even if most of the audience is not familiar. Yay Nigel Lythgoe!

I must say with our wedding and with my weird work hours this summer, it has made it harder than usual to keep up with the show. Kevin actually watches it with me and enjoys it (one of the thousands of reasons I love him so much.) Actually, last week I was driving home from meeting with Kierstie and Debbie about our show and knew I wasn't going to get to the TV in time to see the dance solos or results. I called Kevin, and was semi-surprised to hear him watching it without me. The best part though was the play-by-play he gave me of the solos.

"She's turning. Now she's rolling on the floor. She jumped. She did a pirouette. He's jumping. He took his shirt off. He did a flip...."

Now I have to admit, the fact that Kevin knew the term "pirouette"and in the correct context makes me a proud woman! Again, what this show is all about - and also why it should be the Number 1 dance show in America.

Dancing with the Stars and Dance Crew can take their geriatric ballroom and gyrating and grinding somewhere else...somewhere with American Idol for that matter...

New Niece! Yay - Welcome Piper Chloe!

Yay! Congratulations to my sister-in-law, Erika, and her husband Jason on their newest addition - Piper Chloe Hiles who arrived Monday evening. She is beautiful and has a very beautiful name. I am excited for Caroline and Bryce to finally meet their little sister. Caroline should be proud of herself for picking such a lovely middle name - have to admit I like it a little more than "Splinter" (one of her original name choices)

I know Kevin and I are thrilled to have another niece and I cannot wait to meet her!

The Week in Review

So this was a pretty busy week - overall a good week. As I said in my previous blog I was spending 95% of my week in DC teaching ballet and jazz technique to 3rd - 10th graders.

I have to admit, I haven't danced for 6 hours a day in a long time, so it was a pretty rough week physically. I don't think my body was quite ready for the shock of it. My calves were so sore on Tuesday that I wasn 't actually really able to dance (what I consider to be) full out again until Friday. Nevertheless, it was actually a nice change of pace considering I don't teach dance during the school year at my HS.

I have to say that it actually made me miss TAKING a dance class instead of teaching one all the time. I am hoping maybe I can squeeze some classes in after school starts in the fall. The other nice aspect of the class was that since it wasn't a Musical Theatre related class, I could choreograph dance for dance-sake. Since I am usually choreographing for a musical - what I do has to be in context with the show, the storyline and characters.

I really enjoyed pulling some ballet out of my back pocket, since you don't use plain ballet in musicals very often. My favorite aspect of the week was choreographing some jazz. There are songs I hear sometimes that I am dying to choreograph, but really have no forum to put them in. There is a song in the show SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, that is a really fun uptempo jazz piece. Unfortuantely, my students weren't loving it as much as me. So at the end of the week we worked on a lyrical jazz piece to "How to Save a Life" by The Fray. They enjoyed working on it and I wish that I had somewhere to keep developing it - oh well, maybe I will find an opportunity. Hopefully, Mia Michaels won't do it anytime soon on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. Clearly if she does it, it will be brilliant, and it's hard to follow brilliance like hers.

In other news, my new laptop arrived on Wednesday!!! Unfortuantely, I was in DC from Wednesday - Friday because I was staying in DC to save money on gas. Kevin went to pick it up from Jason and Erika's on Wednesday night - I was sad that I wasn't able to go and visit with them. Thank you Jason for helping me get it and helping me save some money :-)


Another high point of the week was that we finally purchased another couch to replace the one that didn't fit! We went to JCPenny's and didn't see anything outwardly that we liked, but discovered a very comfy brown leather couch. We liked the style, but not the color. Much to our surprise we could actually order it in black. The catch was that being special ordered it would take another 6-8 weeks to get...so it means we are back to sitting on the futon for awhile. (We actually need to get it back in the living room seeing as we have reverted to using the floor and pillows as seating.)

So that's the week - we ended it with a nice trip to Pizza John's on Friday night. Kevin spent all day working Saturday. I spent the day with Kierstie and Debbie working on SUMMER SHOWCASE, the piece I am directing, which starts Monday. SOOOO excited and cannot wait to start!

Today was catch-up day, the hightlights being laundry and McDonald's...and getting started on Thank You Cards. Am really looking forward to tomorrow when we will have a new niece and I get to start SHOWCASE...