So much on my mind...

Hey everyone!

Welcome back! It's been a few very hectic sort of weeks since my last post.

The apartment is coming together nicely and we're gearing up for a painting party next week within the days of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I couldn't be more excited to put some added color into this place. The colors I've been fiddling with--and getting some kind feedback from Ib, the eternal non-confrontationalist (seriously, if we were to cast Toy Story, he would totally be Rex...)--we've got quite the color scheme going on throughout our place. Here's the general idea. Our living area also houses our dining area, so I wanted to accent that somehow and I've decided on a red accent well along our table. Also on that wall is this gorgeous mirror we found at a discount store called La Plaza de las Americas. Virtually, Wal-Mart threw up in this store and that's what we got. Greatest place on Earth. Anyway, the curtains in the living are also red and I want that to be carried throughout the rest of the room, so we're going to paint an 8-12" stripe about 6-7 feet up the wall. Now, our living area leads into a foyer which opens into our kitchen. So all these walls will end up sharing that red stripe. However, the kitchen and foyer will be graced with a lovely warm yellow. The color I picked up today at Home Depot to sample is little brighter than I'd like, so I may go back and get a few others. It's just money... From there, the bathroom is going to be done up in a light brown that has a subtle grey undertone to it. Again, we're painting that glorious stripe but this time it will be purple. I sampled two purples and can't decide which I like more, so we've compromised by painting a 1" stripe within the 8-12" stripe of the opposing purples. COMPROMISE! My bedroom will be a "Rhino" grey--no joke--with a "Rain Storm" blue stripe. Additionally, I love this blue so much that I'm going to make my south wall an accent wall with this undeniable sexy blue. Now, I don't tend to use the term "sexy" too often because, let's face it, sexy is just not my word. However, this is one. sexy. blue. Come check it out;) As far as Ib's room, he's for indecisive and will come up with something after we've painted everything else and we have some leftover paint. That's fine with me, I guess.

And on the social front of my life, I had my first adventure in New York in quite a while. I saw my very first opera at The Metropolitan Opera House: RIGOLETTO! Everything was just so classy. I wore a pair of pants I haven't been able to fit in for quite a few years along with a shirt that has also been hanging up for far too long and a blazer I bought just this past spring that is feeling a bit big... Can we say "high stress=weight loss"? I know I can. (Don't worry. I actually feel great.) Anyways, I was invited to this lovely evening by my good friend John. He's been in NYC for over 40 years and has been a member of the opera guild for some 30-odd number of those years, so we naturally had prime seating and access to the Belmont Suite where we enjoyed dessert and champagne between acts. But before the opera we went out to dinner at the beautiful restaurant across the street from Lincoln Center called Josephina. Drinks, wine, appetizers, breads, pork loin, and a delectable apple crumb something dessert later, we made our way--in the rain, no less--to the opera.

In college I sang "O qual pensiero" (butchered in everyway right there) with Glee Club and knew what had happened surrounding that chorus, so I thought the opera was about a group of idiot servants that can't tell the difference between the relationship a man has with his daughter than the one he would have with his mistress. Luckily, I had just enough time to peruse the synopsis and came to realize the idiot servants only play a small part in the much larger grand scheme of things that make up the intricate plot of Rigoletto.

The performance was spectacular. The production quality was simply incomparable. The orchestra was sublime. The evening was everything I hoped a night at the opera could be. You're probably not reading this, but THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOHN!

On a serious note, I have to comment here on something occurring in our society that pulls far too many strings on my heart. As I'm sure you've heard in the news recently, there has been a surge in suicides among teenagers in the US. These suicides have been attributed to bullying in our school because these teens are either openly homosexual or are thought to be. Equal parts sad and frightening, this hits home pretty close for me. I was one of those kids in high school that was teased because I was in theatre, choir, and band, had a huge personality and huge build that most people thought should have been put to use on the football field. Since I didn't play football, many people thought I was a pansy, sissy, or whatever word they felt necessary to qualify my not being on the football team. Perhaps it was further intensified because my older brother was on the football team and so I was naturally expected to follow in his footsteps after he graduated. I remember what it felt like to be taunted by those guys and made to feel like something was wrong with me. I remember constantly questioning whether people that didn't know me actually knew me better than I knew myself. I also remember that over time the bullying stopped. I remember something clicking among my classmates that caused them to acknowledge my existence in a positive manner. I remember them complimenting me on a job well done in a show. I remember graduating with them and feeling like I was actually just another one of the guys. I remember moving on to college and finding out who I was outside of being teased--granted, teasing still continued in college, but not to the same degree or effect. I remember being told how I made college a more enjoyable experience for someone. I remember walking across campus and having the jocks of the school remember me from the dining hall or a class and say, "Dude, we should get a drink sometime!" I remember being the teacher a student came to after he told his dad he was gay and reassuring that student that "it gets better". I remember being tagged in a Facebook photo under the title "Someone Who Has Changed Your Life". I remember loving the fact that I'm different and unique and whether or not I'm something someone doesn't like not mattering at all. Because I remember that the most important lesson I have ever learned is that love is the strongest weapon. So, if you know someone that is going through a similar situation, please remind them, "IT GETS BETTER".

Happy Adventures!

The Prodigal Blogger Returns!

Hello everyone!

I've sat here for several minutes now trying to think of a witty/quippy title to this "Season Premiere" blog. Hopefully, you like what I came up with...even though it isn't all that witty and not quippy in the least.

Previously, on Nick's Adventures in New York:

July 2009

Nick: "I'm moving to New York!"

Mom: "Oh! MY BABY!"

Dad: "You're a damn fool!"

Nick: "Maybe. But it's my life. I don't wont yerr liiife." (Bonus points if you know where that's from...)

August 2009

People of NYC: "Welcome Nick! Here's an apartment. Here's a job. And here's the key to all your dreams--people that believe in you."

Nick: "Thanks People of NYC! What could I ever do to repay you?"

People of NYC: "Pay it forward!"

June 2010

[Phone rings]

Nick: "Hey Ib, you beautiful man, you!"

Ib: "Hey Nick, you're gorgeous! Guess what? I got a job with AmeriCorp and I'm moving to NYC!"

Nick: "Holy Animal Crackers, Ib--THAT'S GREAT!" (Pause for gears to start turning in our heroes head...) "Let's get an apartment together!"

Ib: "OMG, Nick, you're gorgeous and brilliant! You'd be the perfect roommate!"

Nick: "You're telling me."

Ib: "So what now?"

Nick: "Well, how much do you think you afford?"

Ib: "Probably not much, maybe #@*&%?"

Nick: [Head spinning] "How's a hostel sound?"

Ib: "LOL!"

Nick: "Don't worry, Ib. I'll find us a kick ass apartment that we can TOTALLY afford."

And that's what you missed on GLEE! Oh, wait, wrong show...

Welcome to Season 2!

Mid-August

Nick: "Ib, I found some places, come check them out."

Ib: "WOW, Nick! I love it. Let's get it."

Nick: "I concur."

September 1

Nick & Ib: "Hello NEW APARTMENT!"

OK, so now that we're up to speed, let's get down to business. When I last left you I was on the hunt for a new apartment. Well, as you just found out, Ib and I moved into a new apartment in Washington Heights, a neighbor on the Way Upper West Side of Manhattan. That's right, kids, Nick is now a Manhattanite! It's taken some adjustment because Astoria was so homey and quite. There's not a whole lot of quiet here, but I'm definitely getting use to it. Slowly but surely I'm meeting more and more people in my building and they all are very nice, so I finally feel safe and welcome in my own home--and it IS my home! Due to some strict budgeting and hardwork at the restaurant, I was nearly approved for the apartment on my own. With a little help from my good friend John, who agreed to be my guarantor on the lease, this apartment is solely mine. Yes, Ib lives here, but he is for better or worse subletting from me.

Let me give you all a little background on Ib, for those that don't know my beautiful Pakistani-god-like friend (seriously, he's pretty). Ib and I met at Miami while in Glee Club and Chorale together. Aside from being an all around great person, he's quite possibly the most kind-hearted person I've ever met--next to you, Mom. For example, Ib has always just wanted everyone to get along and not judge each other. As such, he accepted a job with AmeriCorp where he works in the NYC public schools teaching a class about being a Peacemaker. The idea is that since so much research has been done to prove kids can learn violence, perhaps the opposite is true and they can learn peacemaking skills, as well. Pretty cool, huh? Anywho, when Ib told me about this job, I knew I would love nothing more than to live with him through this year of his changing the lives of the students of NYC, so I put my nose to grindstone and pulled at every resource available before finding our beautiful two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan's northern end.

I'm sitting here at my dining room table by candlelight listening to my "blog-writing" playlist on iTunes realizing just how blessed I feel to have what I have and accomplished what I have accomplished over the last year. It's soothing to know that these walls are mine and this furniture is mine and I could not be happier than to be sharing it with one of my best friends. WELCOME TO NYC IB!

Speaking of which, this past weekend we held a house-warming party. I invited everyone Ib and I know in NYC. Unfortunately, most people I know work in restaurants and Saturdays are big days for them. Why I chose a Saturday, I'll never know... Anyway, lots of brownies, cookies, corn brea, and chili were made, in addition to some fantastic guacamole from Ib's girlfriend Kaitlyn, who's something of a third roommate, even though she lives in Ohio. Oh, well, she's a pretty fixture around the place, that's for sure!

Slowly but surely I've been buying little odds and ends to fill the apartment, including a beautiful sectional couch and this dining room table I bought from my friends Kim and Brian that are in the process of moving themselves and decided they couldn't think of a better home for these furnishings than my new place. I have to admit, I love them! (The furniture and Kim and Brian!) There are still things to get: a microwave, toaster, kitchen and bathroom towels, recycling bins, and some decorative things. It'll all come together soon enough.

In other news, I had another really great audition a few weeks ago! My good buddy Nadia contacted me to tell me she was producing a short film a friend of hers had written and she wanted me to come audition for them. GREAT! Right? Of course. Everything went really well and the director/writer was digging everything I did. It got down to whether or not I was believable as a rookie cop that would put up with my partners corrupt ways. In the end, it seemed more logical that I would beat the guy senseless instead of give in to his ways. However, I got a personal e-mail from the writer thanking me for auditioning and ensuring me he would be passing my info along to his other friends and keep me in mind or other projects. Pretty cool, I think.

My next steps are to (finally) start taking improv classes at the PIT, make some more connections, and hopefully get back into the audition circuit. We'll see how it all unfolds.

Until next time...

Happy Adventures!

One year down...

Hello everyone!

Well, it has officially been a year since I first set foot in NYC as a resident! All I have been able to hear in my head the last few days is a line from RENT: "I can't believe a year went by so fast..."

It's crazy to think that a whole year has past and all the has transpired. Sitting here, I'm trying to make a list of all the things that have happened and I'm having one of those strange experiences of knowing a lot has changed in my life, events have taken place, new people have entered and exited my life, money has come and gone, confidence has come and gone, pride, etc... At the end of the day, the only list I actually need are the things that I've written about in this very blog.

Before we get into full-fledged Anniversary Talk, there are a few other updates I need to fill you all in on. Since my last post, my castmates and I have finished our run in "Merrily, Merrily, Merrily" in the Midtown International Theatre Festival. It was sad to say goodbye such a great experience, but I'm honored to have worked with this incredibly talented group of people that are also so supported. I, for one, look forward to working with them all again. Our audiences were never too big--30 at the most a few weeks ago. But each performance was well-received. One night we had a gentlemen named Chris that was a former professor of some of my colleagues when they went to Drew University. He was very proud of his students' accomplishments and paid me an exceptional compliment: a recommendation to a playwright friend to have me audition for the lead role in his play that is to open in the Manhattan Rep Summerfest next week! I went to audition for this playwright friend, John, and it went very well. Before you or I get ahead of ourselves, I didn't get the role, but John was very responsive to my performance and was very forward saying his only concern was my ability to play the appropriate age (45). After seeing the cast that was already in place, I saw exactly the problem: even actors playing younger than I am now look older than me. However, I received an e-mail from John and told me we would not soon be forgetting my "fine audition". So, that was a great experience to round out my first year here. Very encouraging.

OK, so for my first anniversary in NYC, I wasn't sure what to do and how big I should make it. I decided to spent the afternoon and evening with friends. So my friend Kim and I started by getting hair cut for the first time since April--yeah, my mop was long. I'm back to a manageable short hair cut now, thank GOD, especially with how the heat and humidity are thickening the air. We then proceeded to Heartland Brewery in Union Square to have a few beers and some jalopeño poppers. I couldn't take the heat and only ate one. After one year, I thought my spice tolerance was better, but not quite enough to eat these poppers. Oh, well, maybe next year. We took a stroll through Union Square, which just turned out to be depressing because there were so many junkies and crazies all over. Then we contacted Amanda to see what she was doing and met up with her and a friend from work down in the Village, found a neat little Mexican place to have a few drinks and some guacamole and just chill. GREAT! After a little while, we part ways and I was walking Amanda to the subway and she asked me, "It's your anniversary: what do YOU want to do?" Naturally, I said I don't know, but then informed her that I had a crazy idea earlier to get a tattoo of a tick mark to represent my first year in NYC. "YES! YES! YES! LET'S DO IT!" So, we proceeded to find a neat tattoo parlor with a chill guy that wasn't high/drunk/otherwise that really knew what he was doing. This guy, Austin, gave me my first tatto. It's NYC arranged vertically on my left shoulder with a jagged slash alongside it to represent my first year and the struggles it has brought. The plan is to return to that same tattoo parlor each year and get a new mark to represent the year that just past, as long as I'm in NYC.

And that brings us up to date, I guess. The next big obstacle will be to find a new apartment within the next few weeks. We'll see how this "adventure" goes...

HAPPY ADVENTURES!

My word

Hello everyone!

I'm getting closer to being on track with keeping up here. Update: Merrily, Merrily, Merrily opened in the Midtown International Theatre Festival this past Tuesday evening at the June Havoc Theatre to a positive audience response. I don't think we're getting actual written reviews or anything, but the few people that came to see our little show that night really seemed to enjoy themselves. The playwright was in the audience and she had wonderful things to say to everyone. Her words to me were (and I'm trying my best not to brag here, but it's difficult) that my monologue was the best she had EVER seen it performed. I walked around with a HUGE SMILE on my face the rest of the night. I'm looking forward to 5 more glorious performances and hopefully seeing some very familiar faces there.

Something struck me yesterday while reading and it sent my mind reeling, so I knew I had to write about it here before I forgot about it all together.

"...every city has a single word that defines it, that identifies most people who live there. If you could read people's thoughts as they were passing you on the streets of any given place, you would discover that most of them are thinking the same thought. Whatever that majority thought might be--that is the word of the city. And if your personal word does not match the word of the city, then you don't really belong there."

This is an excerpt from my current train-traveling companion EAT PRAY LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert. Before you start judging me: YES, I am reading chick lit, again. However, this is more than just chick lit; it's a damn good read about one PERSON'S journey of self-discovery. The above excerpt comes from a passage during her time in Italy. The conversation surrounding it concerns Liz, the heroine/writer, insisting another woman she spots in the city belongs there as opposed to her. Her companion Giulio tells her, "Maybe you and Rome just have different words." Naturally, this got me thinking: what is New York City's word? Upon further reading, it turns out Ms. Gilbert believes NYC's word is ACHIEVE.

That thinking led me to further mental discussion: what is my word? Is it ACHIEVE? If not, does that mean I don't belong here? I read this passage just before getting off the train to walk home and spent the entire time between the train and my house to ponder these questions.

At first, I thought: OF COURSE, ACHIEVE IS MY WORD! I want to ACHIEVE my goal of being a professional actor. That sounds simple enough, right? Maybe. But on the other hand, would I really want to say that my "word" is ACHIEVE--it sounds pretty stereotypical by some measures and rather selfish by others. So, then, what really is my word?

I thought back through the last 10 years of my life which would have started back in high school. We've talked about high school before. That was the time in my life when I realized I like it when people tell me I can't do something because then I just got an amazing drive to prove them wrong and overcome that adversity. Maybe my word is DRIVE? Or OVERCOME? To me, both of these sounds like I'm overly ambitious to the point of not caring who gets hurt in the process or that I've fallen on hard times. I haven't lost any friends in my pursuit of this dream and I'm pretty sure that I'm doing all right considering I'm typing this blog on my computer in an apartment I can pay rent for each month. So, no and no.

As soon as I turned down those choices, I passed one of the lovely fresh fruit and vegetable markets on 30 Ave. and the Faith Hill song "Breathe" was coming from the muzak. I tell myself and others to breathe everyday and stay calm through all the daily trials that may come our way. I am a singer, I do NEED to breathe in order to sing. Maybe BREATHE is my word. Then, I remembered my buddy Jared from college. At some point during college, Jared decided that all he needed to get through each day was to breathe and so he proceeded to begin each day writing "breathe" on his left hand to remind himself of this fact. A very wise man, that Jared. So, no, BREATHE is not my word, that is Jared's word.

Other things popped into my head: CARE, ORGANIZE, PERSIST. And, again, no, no, no. Maybe SURVIVE. I do live in a very expensive city where it can get difficult to make ends meet sometimes, especially working in a very inconsistent industry such as that of food and beverage. SURVIVE may fit. But all in the same instance, not at all. My word needs to be something that truly defines who am I, what I want, what I want to give, and for what I strive in this life. And right there on a corner in Astoria, it hit me.

I left Ohio to find something I knew I wouldn't find there; not entirely, at least. Everywhere I've gone in my life, I've insisted on bringing one simple accessory. My day is measured by how much of one thing I can provide for somebody else. And even if I can provide that one thing for just one person, my job is done.

HAPPINESS is my word.

So, since I live in NYC and NYC's word is ACHIEVE, does that mean I don't belong because my word is HAPPINESS? I dare you to tell me I don't belong here...

HAPPY Adventures!

Long overdue...

Hey everyone!

To say this post is "long overdue" would be a true understatement because there's a lot I have to cover here...at least, that's the way I feel right now. We'll see where my typing takes me/us...

Well, let's just get right down to business, shall we? I GOT A PART IN A PLAY!!! If you don't follow my updates on facebook, which I think most of you on here do, you probably already know this. Here's a little more info about this all came about:

So, you remember that reading series I talk about all the time back in January? Well, I got a call from one of the producers of this show saying that their director had worked with me during a reading and suggested I come in to read for one of the roles in the play! HELLZ YEAH! Within ONE YEAR of being here, I'm already being called to audition for stuff! Pretty tight, y'all! Anywho, so I went in to audition on a Sunday after reading the script that afternoon and was completely baffled by who they wanted me to read for. There are only three male roles in this play: Ben (19, figment of lead's imaginationg...sort of...), Andrew (20, angry youth that beats lead girl), and Jacob (55, Andrew's father with his own issues to deal with). When I checked in, I was surprised to be handed scenes to read for Jacob. Immediately, I was pretty unsettled because I wasn't sure if I read the script incorrectly, or these people got the wrong person because I am NOWHERE NEAR 55-years-old! However, true to form in NYC and always throwing me some interesting curve balls, they in fact knew I was only in my mid-20s and yes, I read the script correctly. There was another guy also up for the role that couldn't make it to the Sunday auditions so they were going to listen to him on Monday. All this meant for me was that I stayed for about an hour and 45 minutes reading a scene with various actors playing my son. At the end of that time they also had me read Jacob's monologue. Then they said thank you and sent me on my way. I didn't know what to expect because, like previously stated, life likes to throw me some curve balls. About an hour later, I got a voicemail asking to call the producers back because they "had some things [they] needed to discuss with [me]." The conversation went something along the lines of "Oh, thank you for staying so long, glad you could make it. There's another guy we want to read for the role. But, unfortunately, for him, we'd just like to offer you the role!" Cut to me dancing around on my front stoop!

Over the last month or so I've been hard at rehearsing my lines for four different scenes, two of which are spent on the phone...which can be very annoying. Anyways, I've been having a great time with it because it's the first time I've ever been challenged to think so much about my character. In the time since we started rehearsing, I've had to come up with this guys life story and answer all sorts of "Why?" questions. To be honest, it's been really intense, but incredible. I feel like I can actually step into this guys skin. Now, obviously I am much younger than he, but that's apparently the least of my director's worries. PHEW! I guess I can rest easy now knowing you believe our audience is going to believe a 25-year-old as a man more than TWICE his age. I'm glad she believes that, I'm not sure I will. Oh, well...

A week from tomorrow, "Merrily Merrily Merrily" opens in the Midtown International Theatre Festival at the June Havoc Theatre in NYC, featuring ME! We have six performances! If you're going to be in the area, or are just looking for a great time to come to NYC, here is our performance schedule:

Tuesday, July 13 at 6 PM

Saturday, July 17 at 5:30 PM

Tuesday, July 20 at 8:30 PM

Sunday, July 25 at 5 PM

Friday, July 30 at 8 PM

Saturday, July 31 at 2 PM

All performances will take place at the June Havoc Theatre in the Abbington Theatre Company Complex on 36th street between 8th and 9th Avenues in Manhattan. Tickets are available at https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/753545

Use code "RILY" for a discount!

In other news, I made one last trip back to Ohio in the middle of June for Miami University Alumni Weekend. And what a weekend it was! I flew into Dayton on Thursday, June 17, and spent a day with my good buddy Sean. He just completed his first year of teaching and was just getting ready to finally relax into summer. From all the stories he has, it sounds like he truly has found his calling. Not to mention he has this awesome little house out in the country with a nice backyard and a great landlord. After recovering from my 7 am flight out of NYC that morning, we made a trip to the grocery and proceeded to make burgers and such. Naturally, I baked brownies (chocolate-covered strawberry brownies to be exact). With some great munching came a rousing round of YouTube-ing which introduced me to "Miranda Sings". Seriously, this chick is crazy, but it's completely put on. Check it! YouTube-ing lead to the main event of the evening: Drinking by the firepit. It was sweet. We talked about life, about love, about friends, about enemies, and our favorite topic: Ethan. Yes, I am not afraid to admit there were tears shed. I am also not afraid to admit that it was NOT me shedding those tears--sorry, Seany, didn't mean to let the cat out of the bag about your emotional side. It's all good, though.

Friday was a leisure day that lead to a not-so-leisure night in Uptown OXFORD, OH! After checking in at Alumni Registration, we proceeded to perform with the Cheezies for the School of Fine Arts reception. Can't lie, it was pretty cool to be singing with those guys again, especially when "those guys" included members of the group from my first year with Cheezies! A drink or two followed the performance, which was just a precursor to the first rehearsal of the weekend! Hall Auditorium has always been Club's home and it was nice to return home and see so many familiar faces. Singing with this group will NEVER get old or tiring, this much I know is true. After rehearsal, drinking ensued. That's all there is to that.

Saturday was anything BUT leisure. Rehearsal at 10 am followed by a luncheon in Ethan's honor at Shriver where the first ever Dr. Ethan Sperry Legacy Medallions where the award was presented in three categories: Musical Contribution to Collegiate Men's Chorus, Leadership Development, and Commitment to Community. I am very proud to announce that I was among one of the six recipients. It is truly an honor to be recognized in this way to pay tribute to a man that gave so much to so many. Cheers to you Ethan!

That evening, about 200 Club alums took the stage at Hall to perform a selection of some of our favorite songs, including the Biebl "Ave Maria" and Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium". As is tradition, we ended the concert with "The Parting Blessing" conducted by the venerable Dr. John Wabrick, a living legend. In further tradition, the celebration was taken back to our dorm where we drank and sang the night away. For those that are familiar with this new trend known as "Bros Icing Bros", I'd simply like to say I was iced with a 32 oz. bottle of Smirnoff Ice and downed it like a champ. That is all.

I've probably said this before, but I truly believe, especially after the events of this Alumni Weekend, that distance does make the heart grow fonder. I've never loved Oxford and Glee Club more than going back over the last few months. See you all in three years!

I guess that's actually all for now. I thought about going into a dissertation about the Tonys, but the gist is that Montego Glover got robbed for Best Actress in a Musical, which went to the much less deserving Catherine Zeta-Jones. Not to take anything away from Ms. Zeta-Jones, she did a fantastic job ACTING the role, but Ms. Glover ruled every moment of MEMPHIS and blows the roof off the Shubert Theatre. Don't worry, Montego, your Tony is waiting in the wings...

Happy Adventures!

TV, signs and "twitter-pated"?

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all well in your parts of the woods. Life in NYC is now reminding me of life in Ohio: the weather has been changing every five minutes! Seriously, in the last week I've worn shorts one day, then jeans and jackets the next day, and back to shorts the day after that. I mean, WTF, yo?! And on top of that, it's not just that the temperature has changed, the humidity is so extreme it's almost completely useless to shower--don't worry, I still shower, Mom... But, it's all good, my friends, I'm still living the dream!

Last week, I was paid a visit by some members of The Cheezies. They came into the city last Wednesday night and I met them at their hotel on the Upper West Side and grabbed some pizza and some out-of-date beer. Good times were had and it was nice to just hang out with a few friends and have a few laughs. The next day, I had to work, but I met them for cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery and took a little stroll around midtown before having dinner at HB. The main event of the evening, though, was catching Next to Normal (my 3rd time). Jason was wanting to check out In the Heights, but someone how the rest of the group talked him into seeing N2N, which I was all for, but was totally up for seeing In the Heights again. Flash-forward to 10:20 PM and the feeling among the group was sort of in different. Naturally, I loved it and was overjoyed to see it again. It was one of Bobby Spencer's last performances with the show before he ended his run and ushered Brian d'Arcy James back into the role he originated at Second Stage two years ago. I will definitely be seeing N2N for a fourth time sometime soon to check out my boy BDJ in another role he plays that I want to play at some point in my life (Dan, a father/husband trying to keep his family together while dealing with his wife's mental illness). It was nice to see the guys for a little bit, but naturally, it just wasn't enough. I can't wait to get back to Oxford next month for Alumni Weekend and see everyone again.

Saturday came around and it was time for another Friend Day! This time it was with Shannon. We met for brunch at Nook on 9th Ave. Let me tell you, if you have the opportunity and are in the city, definitely check it out. Regardless, a good brunch and good conversation later, we made our way up 9th to the west 60's and cut east to Central Park. Immediately the search was on: for swings! We both knew there were swings that weren't located in a "Children Only" playground. Unfortunately, the park is quite expansive and it's difficult to find the ONE playground with swings to fit our butts. Oh, well. We explored some of my favorite spots in the park: Belvedere Castle, the Great Lawn, the Mall. From there in the 80's in the park, we made our way back down the city to midtown, picked up smoothies at Jamba Juice and sat in the plaza at Columbus Circle. For dinner, we went over to another restaurant in our chain and visited with one of our former managers and had another good meal with good converstaion. However, the main event that evening was: Shannon's FIRST BROADWAY SHOW! Now, a few things you need to know about Shannon before we proceed: she's a dancer, a ballerina to be exact, however, she's very modern and Rock 'n Roll-ish. Her ideal job would be to be part of an edgy ballet company that constantly pushes the envelope. Another thing: she doesn't like musical theatre... She thinks it's too "cheesy". So, what show do you take this person to? Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT!!! We got to the theatre around 6 and put our names in a bucket for seats in the first and second row. And, ya know what? WE WON! So we sat second row for that evening's show which was AWESOME! Seriously, from the minute the curtain rose, you could feel the energy of this cast. They were all unbelievably talented and did NOT disappoint. Seriously, check it out.

So, it's spring and for lots of people, especially those that are into Disney movies, this typically means "love is in the air." The Disney classic Bambi patented the term "twitter-pated", which takes on a whole new meaning in the new millenium with the emergence of Twitter, but I digress... This term basically means people are falling in love with love, etc. However, oddly enough, I feel the opposite has been happening lately. So many couple I know have either broken up or had dormant issues arise in their relationship. What happened to "twitter-pating"? Spring is supposed to be a happy time, but I've seen more tears recently than I know how to deal with. Moreover, they're not my tears, and you all KNOW how I like me a good cry (i.e. owning all six seasons of Dawson's Creek on DVD...). Hey, Spring! Get your shit together and get to it; make people happy, not sad!

As we are now in spring, quickly approaching summer, it's the magical, mystical, totally exuberant time of year we all look forward to: SEASON FINALE TIME! The only show left on my plate to air a season finale is Glee--which doesn't air until June 8th. In the meantime, I have caught up on all my favorites: How I Met Your Mother (restoring my hope in "love in spring"), Brothers & Sisters (Dear writers at ABC, STOP KILLING OFF MY PEOPLE!), Modern Family (God bless you, kids), Grey's Anatomy (Shonda Rhimes, please have my babies), The Office (Andy Bernard, you're the poo), 30 Rock (future set of employment (fingers crossed)), and the series finale of LOST (beautiful).

SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE ABOVE FINALES, DO NOT READ!!!

First, let's talk about 30 Rock. As if this show could get any better or more perfect for me, the writers found this season finale to introduce Liz Lemon's (Tina Fey) soulmate in the form of a 39-year-old pilot played by none other than my boy (and man-crush) Matt Damon! Fo rizzle, y'all, how awesome is that!?!? If my 3 year plan works out correctly, I may be on set with Matt Damon!!! Hellz YEAH! (OK, that was a lot of exclamation points) If that's not a sign that the universe is aligning for me, I don't know what is.

The only other finale I really think I need to talk about is LOST. But first, can we just have a moment of silence in honor of the brilliance of this show? [Moment of Silence...] OK, thanks. Six years ago, Oceanic Flight 815 crash landed on an island somewhere in the Pacific stranding its passengers without any resources of working communication for rescue. This island turned out to be more than anyone had bargained for and the story of their journey took six years and 114 episodes to unfold. The result: the most emotional and spiritual resolve to a show EVER! In this final season, the writers introduced a "Sideways" world in which Oceanic 815 did not crash and the passengers lives' went on, but were somehow intertwined. For the entire run of this season, every viewer has wondered what this parallel universe was all about. Well, in short, it's kind of like purgatory: the castaways died and this is where they all communed in order to be together because the time they spent on the island in which they mended their wounded souls and became better people was the most significant times of their lives. To me, this was simply beautiful. I'm not a very openly spiritual person, but this ending put so much in place for me. Yes, there are mountains of questions to be answered, but I don't care about that anymore. Throughout my years of watching and being engrossed in this show, I became more attached to the characters than anything. I can come up with my own answers to those lingering questions. But for me, I think a multitude of Losties out there, this was a very satisfactory ending that reveals the true meaning of the show. If you are one of those people that never watched LOST or stopped watching at some point, do yourself a favor and get back to it. You WON'T regret it!

BIG (CAREER) NEWS!!! If you don't also follow me on facebook, this may all be news to you. For two days this week I was on set as a background artist for the HBO series Bored to Death. To be honest, it was pretty boring just sitting around waiting to be called down for a couple takes and then head back up to holding to wait for the next call. But it was also so incredibly cool to FINALLY feel like I am an actor! Furthermore, it didn't hurt that I spent the majority of the time standing within an arm's reach of Ted Danson, Jason Schwartzman, and only a few feet further away from Zach Galifianakis. The scene was a Comic-Con in Brooklyn where Zach's character is signing copies of his comic book based on his love for a girl named Leah. I don't really know much more about the show, because I don't have HBO and the first season hasn't been released on DVD yet, but I will be sure to check it out when it does. If any of you have seen the show, let me know what you think about it.

Anywho, this has gotten to be pretty long, but I hope you enjoyed reading. There really isn't any sense of normality in my schedule anymore, so I'll just continue to write when I can. Hopefully, I'll have more BIG NEWS coming soon. You never know!

Happy Adventures!

Revisiting a former life...

Hey everyone!

Welcome back after another month-long hiatus. I promise I'll do my best to stop this from becoming routine...

In my past posts I told you all about Ethan's resignation from Miami and the memories that had been triggered being back in Oxford again after a fairly long absence. Well, I just got back from spending more than a week in a place where "I lived such a life." Let me tell you: nothing could have prepared me for the thrill/strangely unfamiliar feeling of returning for an extended period of time. I don't regret it in the least, but I know that Oxford has a certain gravitational pull...

[Sorry, I was distracted by the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook...]

Where was I? Oh, YES! Oxford's gravitational pull. I'm not saying that the planets align and and stars drop to Oxford at any given moment, but there is a certain truth to this quote from Dr. Shriver, former President of Miami University: "Not all roads lead to Oxford, but once you're here, you never want to leave." To me, Oxford represents the best of me. It is the place where I learned about self-actualization and, to some point, executed it.

For five years I was a student at the most gorgeous college campus EVER. Nothing beats the beauty of Oxford. Nothing beats the feeling you get when you realize you were blessed with good decision-making skills that allowed you choose Miami over all the other schools you could have gone to. My first year was pretty unremarkable, so we'll skip over that. But my second year was marked by starting my four year tenure with the Glee Club. For the remaining years I spent in Oxford, I proved to myself and those around me that I could do and be better than most people ever thought I could do.

Beginning last Saturday, I began my one-week return to Oxford. I lived in a frat house and Ethan's house. I ate at dining halls. I walked across the campus at odd times and reminisced with myself over all the walks I'd taken over the years, all the conversations I had whilst talking (with myself or with others). I saw people I hadn't seen in a few years. I got back to a level of comfort in myself. I was busy. I was frantic. I was ready to tackle whatever I needed to do. All the while, I was concentrating on making a few events worthwhile for Ethan: his last Banquet with Glee Club and his final concerts as Conductor. Thankfully, and in short form, both went very well.

For me, the real treat was getting to feel like I was back in Club. I went to rehearsals and observed a candidate to replace Ethan next year and gave out advice for Officer election speeches. I was being me. It felt great.

My week in Oxford started out with attending the Cheezies concert in Kumler Chapel. This marked my friend Jason's last concert with the group, as well as my buddy Nicky's. For some reason I never fail to shed a tear or two watching/listening to concerts that I use to be a part of. I could picture myself up there with the guys, singing, dancing, making a fool of myself, and loving every single second of it. Kudos to you, Cheezies! Damn good concert! I've listening to "Falling Slowly" from ONCE more times than I care to admit over the last week. (I'm currently listening to it as I write this very sentence.)

Banquet was Monday and everything was awesome with that. I spent most of my day helping Miles prepare the meal and I lost count of how many scallops I wrapped in bacon. To make matters worse, I didn't even get to have one. By the time I got out of there, showered, shaved, changed, and got back to the church, the meal was already underway and the hor d'oeuvres were all gone. It's all good. The meal was unbelievable and I had the distinct pleasure of enjoying dinner conversation with a "young man" in the group named Dennis. This gentlemen joined the group in the fall of 2008 and has taken on quite the role of respected elder. Dennis, thank you for simply being the person you are and taking such good care of my guys!

The main event of Banquet is the presentation of the Scott Alexander Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement. This year's presentation was particularly special because our resident historian Kevin took the time to "find Scott Alexander". What he found is at the end of this post in video form. It's a powerful story that reminded me of how remarkable an honor it is to receive this award. Like so many in the room when this video premiered at banquet last Monday, I was moved to tears. Thereafter, my good friend Andrew took the podium to present this year's award. Unlike everyone else in the room, I already knew who was going to be hearing his name called. In the most unlikely twist of fate, the votes for this year's award ended in a tie with two very worthy individuals being recognized: Jason and Nicky. These two truly represent what it means to be a Clubber and have done such since the minute they entered the group four years ago. It's fitting that they jointly share this honor as it has become extremely evident that they are virtually the same person; or at least the yin to the other's yang. Congratulations, Jason and Nicky! This is an honor you both truly deserve.

The rest of the week was spent getting tasks in order for the concerts. Alumni had been contacted. Plans had been made. More plans were put into motion. Songs needed to be memorized. And since I was involved, cookies were baked. Aside from the fact that I wouldn't have missed Ethan's last concert if I were dying, I was looking forward to seeing some very familiar faces from my past in Oxford. There are too many names and faces going through my head right now, but if any of you are reading this, I could not have been more happy to see any of you there. I know it meant a lot to Ethan and, for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The concerts were a great success and I felt so at home sitting there in Hall Auditorium in the middle of beautiful Oxford, OH, with some of my closest friends sitting within an ear shot. Of particular note is the young man sitting right next to me, Chris. Such a great friend and someone that made my day better by just walking in the room. More fun at Alumni Weekend!

Anyway, the whole week made me nostalgic and, of course, brought back those feelings of how I imagine my life if I had taken a teaching job instead of moving out here. Then, without fail, my best friend Ethan stepped in and offered his advice: "No, you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. Teaching will always be there for you. Take the time to do this and do it right." (I'm paraphrasing, of course. I couldn't remember exactly what he said from our conversation over a bottle of wine...) I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that's the kind of guy you give up a week and a half of work to see.

Ethan, I don't even know if you read this, but you changed my life and I know I'm not the only one. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I most definitely wouldn't be where I am, if it weren't for you.

Happy Adventures!

Back from Hibernation Pt. 2 Memories

Hello everyone!

Happy Easter Sunday, to those celebrating!

So, in my last post, you read about my trip back to Ohio and things that transpired while there. For all its long-windedness, I did manage to leave out some stuff. Mainly, it was really strange to be back in Ohio, especially in Oxford. Aside from the fact that I'm not use to driving anymore, it was an incredibly nostalgic activity. I made the drive from Columbus down I-71, through the winding back roads of southwest ohio into Oxford so many times throughout the course of my five years at Miami. Driving it now seemed almost surreal. It was like I had been making it everyday for the last year, however, I knew this wasn't so. My commute now consists of walking down the street to the train stop, hopping on in Astoria and hopping off in Times Square--quite a bit different from 71. With every mile that I drove, I was reminded of something that happened on one of those drives: my car over-heating around mile-marker 78 on the way back from Thanksgiving sophomore year, stopping at Jeffersonville Outlets on the way up to Medina for Billy & Kathleen's bachelor/bachelorette weekend, pulling onto an exit ramp to keep some hanging shirts from flying out the window, celebrating New Year's Eve at Karli's new house just north of Jeffersonville, being pulled over for driving slightly left of center and explaining to the cop that I wasn't drunk just trying to avoid hitting the orange barrels on the right, all the delays due to construction, all the crazy arguments I've played out in my head with the people that post the billboards of the Ten Commandments and "Hell is REAL", stopping at a gas station and hearing that JLo will be the Austin Powers' new lady love in the next Austin Powers movie (that never came to fruition), and the list goes on and on.

The most vivid memory is a feeling more than anything. For the few of you reading this that went to Miami, you'll understand the feeling you get when you are driving on Rt. 73 approaching Oxford from the east and come up over that hill and see Pulley Tower. Every time those bells come into view, I get a feeling of indescribable bliss; one that you can only get from coming home. Yes, I do get this feeling when I turn onto my parents street in their neighborhood. However, that is their home. Oxford is my home. Well, a home that I share with 100,000 some alumni.

The last time I was in Oxford was June of last year and I was performing with my a cappella group at Alumni Weekend. We had a great performance and saw some familiar faces, then made our way uptown to continue celebrating. While sitting outside of Skipper's, I got pulled into a conversation with some alums from the '80s. I think there was some political discussion going on and they wanted to know how the "younger generation" felt. They totally picked the wrong member of that generation because I do not care about politics nearly as much as some of my peers. Regardless, I shared my opinion openly and with the preface that I'm stilling feeling out what I truly believe to be "good choices" for our country. Two of the women in the group had grown tired of the conversation--I was, too--and starting talking about something else. One said, "Did you see that girl we went to high school with just won a Tony for playing a crazy mom on Broadway?" Immediately, my head snapped over and said, "WAIT! You went to high school with ALICE RIPLEY?!" "Yes, Alice Ripley, that's her name! Why?" And, being still in my [title of show] phase at the time, all I could say was, "She's FIERCE!"

Cut to: 5 months later, I meet Alice Ripley and tell her about the above scene in Oxford, OH.

Cut back to: Skipper's in June. That night, I drove through the night with Travis to Chicago. Our purpose: auditioning for American Idol! We arrived at the arena around 5 am, parked and got our wristbands and paperwork in less than ten minutes--AWESOME! Now all we needed to do was go sleep somewhere. Thankfully, my friend Renee was also in town to audition and she and her mom allowed us to crash on the floor of their hotel. A full day in Chicago later--and a great dinner at Maggiano's with the Brothers Saxe--we were back at the arena. Waiting. For 12 hours. To sing our hearts out for 30 seconds only to be told, "Sorry, we're looking for the 'All-around Performer' this year..." Fine. Be like that. Good luck.

Where am I going with this? I don't know. I'm reminiscing and thought you'd like to come along for the ride.

Right now, about 50 alums of Miami's Collegiate Chorale are gearing up to make the trek "back to Mecca," in the wise words of B Smith. I wish you all the best of times back home and am terribly sorry I cannot make it there for the festivities. Get to Skipper's and drink a pitcher for me;)

Happy Adventures!

Back from Hibernation Pt. 1 Ethan & Lebanon

Hello everyone!

After a solid month, I'm back! I was trying to think back on everything that's happened since I last wrote here, but to be honest, there's a lot going on in my head these days and I can't really keep it all in any form of linear structure. Instead of just updating you on my life, I think I'll just share some other things...

So, I was reading my most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly earlier today and indulging myself in an article about Katherine Heigl and her decision to leave Grey's Anatomy. First off, WHY, IZZIE, WHY? After all the stuff she's gone through, why not wait for a proper exit instead of one in which no one even knew it was her exit from the show? Furthermore, you're my favorite character on the show--at least now that George is gone--WTF? Who cares if you had to revive a deer in the back of a pick-up truck a few years ago? Doctors in real life have done stranger things! Hell, doctors on TV have one stranger things: have you seen True Blood? (End rant.)

Anyway, the point in mentioning this article is because even though I was incredibly upset with my girlfriend Katherine Heigl, her reason for leaving the show are based on her family. Unbeknownst to me, she and her husband adopted a baby girl over the last year and it is their decision to spend more time as parents; better parents, even.

Why mention this? you may ask. Well, I have found a very similar situation poke its dark and twisty head much closer to home; Oxford, OH, in fact. For those that have not heard, my best friend and mentor Dr. Ethan Sperry has decided to resign his position at Miami University and take up a new position at Portland State University in Portland, OR. Much like the lovely Ms. Heigl, Ethan's reasons for leaving are family-related, as well. Both his wife's family and his brothers reside on the west coast (Seattle/Tacoma-area and San Francisco, respectively). Ethan and his wife decided after they started a family a few years ago that living so far away from their families was in no way how they wanted to raise their children. Furthermore, they are city people and Oxford is far from a city... Unfortunately, the number of good choral positions on the west coast are few and far between. Thus, when a good one does open up, the number of applicants is well above 100. For the position at PSU alone, they had some 187 applicants, of which Ethan was their top pick. Naturally, he spent spring break at the school, getting to know the lay of the land a bit and meeting the choirs. To his surprise, he found immense potential in this department. Fortunately for him, it was a no-brainer for the PSU administration to nab him while they could. Unfortunately for us, this position provides Ethan and his family everything you've wanted.

I was recently back in Oxford for the Intercollegiate Men's Chorus Conference hosted by Glee Club. It was here that I learned this news. When I found out, it was still a secret to pretty much everyone. My learning came by way of "coaxing" it out of one of the elder members of the group. Maybe he's just not a good secret-keeper, or maybe it's just very hard to keep me in the dark. Either way, I'm glad I found out when I did. Before leaving Oxford, I very nonchalantly told Ethan, "I know." His eyes widened and I told him, "It's OK. I'm not mad anymore." I then made my way to Lebanon. (More on that in a minute). I returned to Oxford twice more while in Ohio. On Sunday, I came back to talk through this matter with Ethan and find out what his next step was. Obviously, he had to break the news to the choirs--he wasn't quite sure how to go about this. In true Ethan fashion, I didn't want to worry anyone and he didn't want to give anything away. In true Miami choirs fashion, they all kind of had a clue. Somewhere along the last year or so, word got out that Harvard Glee Club's director was going to be resigning and Ethan had thrown his name in the hat for the position. To make matters worse, Harvard's director had said Ethan was the only person he wanted to see succeed him. Whether this is true or not, I'm not sure. Regardless, Ethan was not offered that position--but the choir kids didn't know this. Most of them came into rehearsal Monday night knowing they had some business to tend to and were fairly certain he was going to tell them he was taking the job at Harvard. I knew this was not true, but couldn't really tell them anything else. This was not my news to tell. After receiving a number of phone calls about the matter, I decided to drive back down to Oxford on Monday for the big announcement--to give moral support to both Ethan and my friends in the choirs. Let's be honest, I had nothing else better to do... Thankfully, the announcement went very smoothly and there were no angry outbursts. Yes, there were tears, both students and Ethan. Yes, there were still questions to be answered. But there was no question in anyone's mind that trying to convince Ethan to stay was an option. The only thing we can do now is make sure that his remaining time at Miami is some of his best. Watching Ethan conduct a concert for the last time at Miami may quite possibly be the most difficult thing I'll have to do for a while. However, I can't even BEGIN to imagine what he must be feeling.

As sad as it is to say, I actually am very happy for Ethan. While seeing him go will be an unbelievably difficult thing to witness and knowing he won't be there whenever I go back to visit, I can't help but be thankful that this opportunity presented itself to him at this junction in his life. He's been at Miami for 10 years now. In a few weeks, the Collegiate Chorale will have their first EVER Alumni Reunion Concerts. My only hope is that this tradition continues after Ethan is gone. From what I've heard from him, the Chorale was next to nothing when he first arrived. So much so that at the first officers' meeting, he had to INTRODUCE the officers to each other! Imagine being a leader in a group and not knowing the other members, let alone the other leaders... Now, the Collegiate Chorale is one of the most respected choirs in Ohio. I'm proud to have sung in Chorale for a semester, but even more proud to have witnessed how great a group can be. Best of luck to all those returning for the reunion--I hope to come back for the next one.

In other news, I mentioned going to Lebanon before. NOTE: THIS IS LEBANON, OHIO. NOT THE COUNTRY. As you may recall from previous ramblings on here, I did an 8-week stint at Lebanon High School as a student teacher in their choir department. During my time there they asked if I would be interested in emceeing their show choir competition that fall. WHY YES, OF COURSE! I exclaimed. Much to my surprise, I actually did pretty well with this task and they asked me to return for another year before the competition was even over. So when I was returning to Lebanon this time, it was to return to the Lebanon Show Choir Class as their emcee! Once again, one of the longest days of my life, but DEFINITELY one of the most rewarding. On top of just having fun with this job, they also allowed me to perform a few songs while we were buying some time. Furthermore, THERE'S VIDEO.

This year's competition saw 13 groups perform all day and featuring some of the most incredibly talented students I've ever seen--it kind of makes me sick! However, I could not have been more happy to be back here and see some fantastic shows. Maybe I'm a little biased because I've worked with them before, but my favorite show was Hurricane Red Hot's UNSTOPPABLE! I love those kids so much for all their talent, dedication, and shear excitement that they bring to each performance. They gave in fantastic daytime performance, including a solo by the winner of the Best Female Soloist (a young lady that has also been invited to attended Governor's School in WV--CONGRATS!). However, their finals performance was quite possibly the BEST I've EVER seen them perform! I mean, HOLY CRAP, Y'ALL! Unfortunately, they were not match for the Fairfield High School Choraliers--last year's Grand Champions at Lebanon and Nationals... Yeah. They're REALLY good! I referred to them as "the scariest kids on the block" because their show dealt with all kinds of magic and death and whatnot and whosit. It was just fantastic! Congratulations to ALL! I can't wait to go back next year and see what they've all cooked up in a year's time...

I think this will have to suffice for now. There is much more to discuss, but I think you've all had enough of my ramblings for one post. Maybe I'll post more before another months passes...

Happy Adventures!