A Day In The Life of An Actor

Red Eye Reduction

2012-01-24T22:28:00.005-05:00

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The current state of my life:

Conjunctivitus aka Pink Eye in both eyes!

Like my friend Courtney said to me: "Looks like no Print Ad auditions for you this week."

Nope, Courtney, none of those for me!

New Year Musings

2012-01-14T17:19:00.001-05:00

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Today, like every day, I awoke and trudged sleepily over to my Macbook in the living room and opened iCal. And to my shock and surprise there was nothing listed for January 14. For the first time in a long time I had nothing on my calendar for the entire day today! I've felt like such an adult lately having appointments and multiple work schedules and running to job to job and place to place. Since my birthday last week I've done a lot of thinking about life in what is now officially my "late twenties". You make all these goals for yourself and for some reason your late twenties is when a lot of them are supposedly going to come true. And with the inevitable soul-searching that comes with the New Year I've been examining a lot of that shit lately.

I've lived in New York City on my own now for just shy of nine years. I now live in my own apartment that is all mine. Granted I still rent, but that's okay. The "buying an apartment" goal always lingers in the very back of my brain but has no timeline. I have bills that I pay every month. I have jobs that I have to dress appropriately for. I have expectations that need to be met. And I'm balancing about four jobs at the same time. Daunting? Yes. Completely thrilling? Definitely.

In the past year I've been inundated by many incredible opportunities. My tour business is quickly taking off and becoming a fully-fledged endeavor. I have had many people who enjoyed it so much the first time that they want to come back again. Taking their thoughts into consideration I've decided to create a "Part II" of the tour that explores the history of Vaudeville starting at the Palace Theatre (where the first half finishes) and touring the last half of the Broadway theaters that we missed in the first chapter of the tour. It's exciting that this is even something that I can contemplate. It will be a lot of work to get the second half going but the fact that it could open the business to more repeat business is an exciting concept. Last week I purchased new "Broadway Up Close" gear for my two guides, Theresa and Drew, as a thank-you for helping getting this little guy off its feet. My mom casually mentioned to me as we were leaving the Printing Store, "Isn't it pretty cool that you can buy stuff for your employees from revenue you've created based on your ideas?"

Yes, Mom, it is. Very cool indeed.

It's no surprise to anyone I know, myself included, that I would find myself teaching children at some point in my life. If I wasn't going to be an actor I toyed around with the idea of being a High School Math Teacher. So, here we are in 2012 and I'm now teaching quasi-parttime at two different schools. Dreammakers in the Bronx has really been a blessing and a great training-ground for me. Watching those children grow and become better performers has really been something to smile about. Not to mention the addition of the brand new Show Choir we created this year! We are all learning together what it takes to work and sing together as one solid unit. Rosie's Theatre Kids came out of right field thanks to my friend Steven Jamail and that has been a Godsend as well. I get to work with some incredible teachers and learn and work in an incredibly environment. And the opportunity to go into the public schools and be the first exposure for a lot of these children to the arts is a responsibility I don't take lightly. It's a gift to get paid to do it and I relish every aspect of it.

And yes, in case you were wondering, I still work two days a week at Feile. I never really minded being a waiter. Cliche to be an actor AND waiter? Yes. The easiest money I've ever made? Definitely. We all know that I secretly love squirreling away all my money and I can't give up these shifts which at time provide a lot of extra income that I can instantly save. And the fellow employees who aren't actors are also a nice reprieve from constantly talking about theatre and singing and dancing and Broadway and auditions and...well, you get it. So until I no longer have ANY free days I will still be slinging beer and burgers on the North side of 33rd street.

And with so many opportunities something has to give, right? Kind of. I have taken a little bit of time off from auditioning and being an actor at every moment of my life to pursue these other endeavors. It has been a nice little break from being constantly on the hunt for the next job and show. It's easy to get worn down going to audition after audition. It's easy to say "I'm twenty-seven now, where's my Broadway show?" You still have to work for things at every turn in this business and sometimes it's easy to become complacent. Having a little break has really rejuvenated me. I've auditioned for a couple big things that went very well recently. Book of Mormon went well but I eventually got cut and so I'll keep at that one. I have a feeling it'll be around for a while. I just went in for a production of Legally Blonde and they are considering me for the Swing Track. Never in my life have I ever done a show where I wasn't in it every night so if this show is offered to me it'll be an entirely different experience. I will be sure to keep you updated on this area of my life!

Needless to say I have been juggling a lot of different things lately. I feel like a full-fledged adult and am enjoying all of these activities and opportunities. I know that life is feast or famine most of the time so I'm pulling my chair up to this feast and digging in. And hopefully I'll find more time this year to write it down on here to share with all of you! Fingers crossed!!

Wedding Video

2012-01-14T13:43:00.001-05:00

Saturday, January 14, 2012

I always marvel at the way people can take simple footage and make an incredible movie. Anton Fero, recently hitched, just emailed the video that was created from his wedding on Halloween Weekend in San Diego. I wanted to post it because I think it turned out pretty incredible. What a way to cherish the day!

The Fero Wedding from Justin Ray on Vimeo.

Christmas Photos!

2012-01-10T13:29:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Over Christmas I didn't have my camera with me because it was needed here in the city. Theresa Flanagan, who has recently become a tour guide for me was busy doing tours the week of Christmas while I was away galavanting in Michigan and so alas, the camera remained in NYC! But, thankfully my sister-in-law Jessica had hers at the ready and so I've stolen the pictures from Christmas. I can't explain how cute my two nephews are and how much they grow each time I'm away! I leave for six months at a time and it's like two new little guys sprout up! For Christmas we were all blessed with a very helping of presents. I myself now have more electronics than I know what to do with. No, really...I don't know how to work most of them yet, but I'm learning. As for Landon and Carter: I think their favorite toys are at the opposite ends of the technological spectrum: a high-powered race car...and three plastic sleds! The sleds instantly turned into surf boards on Christmas Eve as you can see in the pictures below. Again, have I mentioned how they are the cutest nephews that ever existed...? Enjoy these photos care of Jessica Dolan!

Blast From The Past

2012-01-06T00:01:00.002-05:00

Friday, January 6, 2012

I am long over due for some good updates, I know. And there are going to be some coming down the pike in the next week chock full of pictures and plenty of textual updates. For now though this little video will have to suffice! I was cleaning the apartment as part of a little new-year tidying up adventure two days ago and came across this DVD of Altar Boyz press from our tour almost four years ago!! Can you believe it's been that long since we began rehearsals for that?! Well, I never posted this video which is the commercial they played of our tour in each city we visited. Just got a little nostalgic watching it and thought I'd post it. Okay, more posts this year, I promise! Word.

Family Christmas!

2011-12-21T00:14:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

We had our family christmas last week after the Lincoln Center concert and in true family fashion the wine was flowing and so were the gifts. This year we decided to do a white elephant gift exchange. I'm not very good in situations like this but I must say that I had one of the best gifts this year!! My gift, that Steven picked, was a journal that provides a new question for each day of the year. The catch is that you do this for five years with the same question provided on each specific day. You get to see the answers you provide over the course of five years and how each year's response changes. Pretty cool if I may say so myself! Here are the pictures from the picking and subsequent gift openings! Enjoy!

Keep On Singing

2011-12-14T22:50:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

I am heading off to bed after a loooong day of teaching at Rosie's but wanted to post this video from the Lincoln Center concert I performed in on Monday. I'm pretty sure I've been so busy that I didn't even mention that I was singing in the concert in the first place, but all the same here it is! A big shout-out to Theresa for filming this little ditty!

The song was written by Steven Jamail and Kirsten Guenther over a year ago but this holiday the Songbook Series run by John Znidarsic wanted a big finale and Steven and Kirsten were able to supply this song for just the task at hand. Entitled "Keep On Singing" it's sung by one of our Rosie's Theatre Kids: Autum Serraty. For being so young she sure does know how to command a stage. It was a pleasure to sing with her and the other incredible voices that you'll hear below and I imagine we'll be seeing a lot of this cast of characters at Steven's solo Songbook concert in April at this same venue in Lincoln Center. Until then, enjoy this!

My New Voice

2011-12-06T13:15:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

It's hard to believe how fast time flies these days, but the weeks just keep peeling away from my one-a-day calendar. (Let's be honest...I don't have one of those but the imagery is quite nice.) Every time I go to write about something that JUST happened I look and a week has already transpired! Such is the case with this post about the concert that I JUST did over a week ago!

The concert series has been going on for seven years and is called Monday Night, New Voices. It takes place the last Monday of almost every month and features a small set of "new" performers and a featured "new" composer for the night. It was created by the composer Scott Alan as a way to feature the composers and performers that he was surrounded by that he didn't feel were getting their due. The concert I participated in last Monday was the last concert in the series EVER! Scott has too many other projects going on and so he decided to discontinue the series and go out with a bang. Three other ladies and I were picked to be the last set of featured "new voices" and the five original new voices (most of whom are starring in Broadway shows at this point...) came back to host the final night.

(The "New Voices" with Scott Alan)

(All of the composers, MD's, NVoices, and Origianl NVoices)

Scott was nice enough to record the proceedings for us to have so below are the three videos of my performances. A day before the concert Scott decided to throw in an opening number so we all quickly learned "A New World" which is the opening from Songs For A New World by Jason Robert Brown. I was minorly familiar with it so a few quick lyrics memorized and harmonies learned and it was all good. Then we got to pick any song we wanted to sing and I chose one of my favorite Musical Theatre songs ever: Giants In The Sky from Into The Woods. Finally, the last song I was given was a song called "Land of The Dead" by a new and upcoming composer named Sam Davis. It's about a kid who has slight stalker tendencies....so, perfect for me! Enjoy!

Accent On Youth

2011-11-22T22:51:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

My much awaited small screen debut on HBO on Sunday came and went in the blink of an eye. I was working at the restaurant so I wasn't even able to watch it live but I managed to find it on the internet when I returned how from work much later. I was nervous all day that I wouldn't make the cut and would be left on the HBO editing room floor. But at 9:03pm I got the first text from my friend Terra in Michigan saying, "We saw you and you're a huge celebrity!" Relieved to have made it past editing I was able to relax until 9:12pm when my phone vibrated again (in the drawer at work...you don't think I actually check my messages during service hours, right?!) It was from my friend Robb and it went something like this:

"Hey. Umm. I just saw Boardwalk Empire. And there was a Messenger Boy who looked kinda like you...but it REALLY didn't sound like you. Call me when you can and let's talk about it."

I think that's about the time my ulcers returned.

Seeing the video much later I finally saw what he was describing... why don't you take a look for yourself here in this little video I put together of my HBO debut:

You're probably wondering why my voice dropped AGAIN at the ripe age of 26 years old. No, my friends, not a second wave of puberty, but someone else's voice altogether. It didn't take me long to realize what had happened: On set everyone was very confused about my Irish accent. "Who told you to have an accent?" "Your character is Irish?!" At my audition they demanded an Irish accent and so that's what I provided on set that day. Well, apparently in the editing room my character changed birth locations from a small town in Ireland to Atlantic City, USA! So yes, physically I made the cut...vocally is a whole other story!

But, blog fans, I know all of you are wondering what it would've sounded like if Western Union Messenger was from Ireland...and so here you have the clip with the accent and my actual voice.

You're welcome.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

2011-11-22T00:42:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

It's official. I'm old.

You know how I know? Because for the first time I have my own Christmas tree! I thought that for my first tree I'd start out small with a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. That's right folks, it's the actual tree from the movie! It sits on my coffee table longing for stacks and stacks of presents to be laid beneath. We'll see what presents Santa puts beneath it but for now it'll be the sole holiday decoration in Apartment 5E! The holiday season is here and this tree marks the beginning! Happy Holidays!!

"Thank You, Ma'am."

2011-11-19T00:54:00.001-05:00

Friday, November 18, 2011

It's here. Drum roll please...

This Sunday make sure to tune in to HBO's Boardwalk Empire at 9pm and 11pm. My episode entitled Battle of The Century is finally airing as part of Season 2! I am in an earlier scene so make sure not to blink at the beginning of the episode. I am hoping and praying that I wasn't edited out so hopefully this isn't a lot of hype for nothing! Here are some of the pictures from the shoot back in the middle of the Summer. I will be sure to post video of the clip once it airs for those that don't have HBO (like me) or cable (like me) or DVR (like me). I can't wait and hope I look and sound okay!! Okay...until Sunday! Word.

Shows, Museums, And Cupcakes!

2011-11-18T18:27:00.001-05:00

Friday, November 18, 2011

It's amazing what you can do in two days. I'm always surprised how many different activities you can cram into a short visit to this incredible city. And as a resident tour guide of the city it's my duty to make sure that museums, parks and exhibits are all covered. Not to mention shows: We managed to see one new show, Bonnie and Clyde, and one show that I knew my Mom and Aunt Peg would love: War Horse. Sure enough, War Horse still manages to thrill, excite, and astound. If you haven't seen it yet get thee to the Vivian Beaumont and throw your wallet at the box office. It will be worth it, I promise!

We also made a visit to the World Trade Center Memorial that opened this past September. I had not been inside yet but had seen the pictures as well as viewed it from the Winter Garden Atrium in the World Financial Building. But to be inside at night next to the fountains and structures is something else entirely. The scope and magnitude of the memorial fountains where the Towers once stood is epic and larger than you can even imagine. If you haven't been down there yet the tickets are free and just have to be reserved, so do it!

On Thursday morning, my Mom, Aunt Peg and I headed over to the Cloisters Museum by my apartment at the North end of the city. You can see the pictures from the bluffs that overlook the Hudson River outside the Cloisters and some of the stained glass work from inside the museum. If you've never been to this division of the MET Museum uptown then I suggest you get there sooner rather than later! I promise you won't regret it!

It was a short trip, but a mighty one chock full of activities and laughs. For Mom and Aunt Peg it's off to Boston to visit my cousin (Aunt Peg's daughter) Sarah at Simmons College. For me it's back to teaching and touring which is still going strong! Enjoy these photos from the two short days they were here!

Anton's Wedding!

2011-11-09T02:13:00.003-05:00

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Last weekend I headed down to San Diego, California to watch my buddy Anton get married. We've had some crazy times together and it was nice to catch up a bit in sunny San Diego before he officially got hitched to his now-wife Courtney! The wedding was absolutely beautiful and the weekend flew by. It was an emotional ceremony thanks to the wonderful singing by the Bridesmaids and our friend Drew and the sun shining directly in my eyes for the entire ceremony. Below are most of the limited pictures I took during the weekend. The cigar pictures are from our bachelor party the night before the wedding in Ramona, California where we shot guns and shot the shit until the wee hours of the morning. Like I said it was nice to relive stories of our crazy adventures on tour as well as hear stories from Anton's other buddies from around the country. Also, I'm happy to say that in this set of pictures is the last photo taken of Anton before he walked down the aisle. See if you can pick the photo that marks the "end of Anton's bachelor days". Congrats Anton and Courtney!

Phamily Photos Phun!

2011-11-09T00:58:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

While visiting family in Michigan getting my stomach scoped (I know...it sounds so dramatic...) last month we took family photos with my brother and sister-in-law and my two nephews. I'm always amazed at how nice professional photos turn out sometimes! Here are a ton of photos from the shoot! I'm proud to say that I have some of the cutest looking nephews in the entire world. I defy anyone to show me two cuter kids. What can I say? We have good genes (and jeans) in our family. You're welcome!

Priceless.

2011-10-19T15:24:00.005-04:00

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

This is hilarious. I can't tell you how many times I've had this conversation with people. If you're in theatre, this is priceless. And if you're not then maybe you can learn a thing or two!

Talented Friends!

2011-10-19T00:46:00.001-04:00

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

I think as a human being, and as an actor especially, it's important to surround yourself with other human beings who are similarly minded and as motivated as you. It can only cause an ever-swirling current around yourself that can only lead to good. I have a handful of people in my life right now who matter a great deal to me and are achieving monumental success in their art. What is this blog for if not to taut the fantastic deeds of my incredible friends?

In no particular order I'd like to congratulate:

Theresa Flanagan...who is at work on a new musical entitled Queen of The Mist written by Michael John LaChuisa which had it's premiere Off-Broadway performance tonight!

Steven Jamail...who just had his production of VOTE! mounted in a sold-out run at Houston's TUTS and immediately thereafter musical directed a production of Guys And Dolls to critical acclaim!

Robb Gibbs...who is about to embark on rehearsals for his a new Christmas revue-style show in Atlantic City!

Courtney Rottenberger...who, for the first time, is a Radio City Rockette in Nashville!

Corey Gosselin...who just left for Myrtle Beach to rehearse the Radio Christmas Spectacular which he will perform in both Boston and Durham, NC!

Deidre Haren...who also just left for Myrtle Beach to rehearse for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular for her first year as a singer / dancer track!

Congrats to all of you! You frickin' deserve it!!

Wedding Bells!

2011-10-16T15:34:00.001-04:00

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Hard to believe it's already been a week but time flies when you're having fun! Last Sunday we all gathered at St. John's Church on the East Side of the city to celebrate Beverly and Mike's wedding ceremony. The ceremony was beautiful and everyone in attendance looked great. It was my first wedding in the city and what a great time it was! The weather was absolutely beautiful and even though I had just come down with a bad head-cold I hardly even noticed! After retiring to our friend Emily's house on the West Side for a few hours post-Mass we headed over to the Boathouse in Central Park for the reception. It was absolutely incredible and no expense was spared. Each course of food was better than the previous finally culminating in a large Filet Mignon and potatoes. Needless to say the drinks were flowing and we danced until the wee hours of the night. I've already posted the PhotoBooth pictures from the night so here are the rest of the photos I took for your perusal! Enjoy!

A Feast

2011-10-16T14:27:00.002-04:00

Sunday, October 16, 2011

I love updating with pictures as much as the next person but every once in a while I guess it's important if I write a little bit and actually tell you what's going on with my life. As is the usual case with this blog, when I am inactive on here it either means I'm supppper busy and don't have time to sit down at the computer or there is nothing going on worth noting. The current state of my life for the past month: busier than even I could ever have imagined.

First things first: jobs these past two years have either been feast or famine. Last year I lost my long term job at AMDA which seemed like a crucial blow at the time but has come to be a great thing. It pushed me to create Broadway Up Close Walking Tours and to pursue other sources of income. Broadway Up Close is finally starting to turn into a money-maker and has been a joyous endeavor. I do about two or three tours a week which is perfect. Now next years goal is to make it a little bit more interactive and to get a higher amount of people on each tour. I think that is doable based on what I've seen in just one year's worth of growth.

Since I took my Equity Card two years ago I knew theatre jobs would be harder to come by and have been very happy with the handful of incredible jobs I've received. I performed in my dream show, Altar Boyz, at New World Stages which was a dream come true. I worked at two regional houses where I've always wanted to work, not to mention appearing on Boardwalk Empire which was a blessing! (Stay tuned this season for it to air...I can't wait!) In that regard I've been very happy with my successes so far.

Where I've really been lucky this past year is being blessed with the nicely paid opportunities to pass on the torch of singing and acting to a younger generation. My program that I created as part of Dreammakers Performing Arts in the Bronx has slowly blossomed and grown over the past two years. This year I am creating a show choir that will perform in competitions across the country. I am excited and nervous to unveil that endeavor to the world and actually compete with other choirs. After only meeting with these 18 kids for just a month they already sounds better than I ever could've imagined. We are hard at work on our christmas numbers for a christmas show we are putting on in the Bronx so I will be sure to get a little video footage in the coming weeks for you to see here on the blog.

In addition to DMPA I have started as an assistant to the PS B'way Program which is a subdivision of Rosie's Theatre Kids. RTK is a non-profit organization started by comedienne Rosie O'Donnell to spread the arts to under-priviledged children who otherwise wouldn't be exposed to the arts. For the past few weeks I've been heading down to the Lower East Side to PS 20 and assisting Thecla, the head of the PS B'way Program, and exposing kids to singing and dancing. The program is incredible and a blessing to be a part of. In addition to that I just found out that I will also be assisting one of the other teachers, the incredible Toni Noblett, with teaching a kindergarten tap class on the East Side of the city. I can only imagine how much fun that is going to be and I imagine I will have plenty of stories about this class for you!

Here are two videos detailing Rosie's Theatre Kids. The first one is extra-special because the background music was written by my great friend, the incomparable Steven Jamail. Enjoy!

Between teaching, tour guiding, running the business, still working at the restaurant four days a week, and auditioning my plate is pretty full. I must say I couldn't be happier with how busy I've been and how much I feel I am accomplishing. Right now it's a feast and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Photo Booth!

2011-10-15T17:51:00.003-04:00

Saturday, October 15, 2011

I will follow this up with more pictures, I promise, but I wanted to put these hilarious pictures up first as a prelude to the post about Bev and Mike's wedding this past weekend in Central Park. One of the most exciting parts of the wedding, other than the "I Do's", was the photo booth they had at the reception. You could take as many pictures as you wanted and they gave you a copy and also put a copy in a scrapbook for Bev and Mike! I had heard of this at weddings before but hadn't ever experienced it first hand. We tried tirelessly to spell out "MIKE AND BEV" but as you can see it was harder than it looked... Enjoy!

Down Peri-SCOPE

2011-10-15T17:40:00.002-04:00

Saturday, October 15, 2011

It's been forever. I know. And so I thought that my first post back after being insanely busy should definitely be provocative and memorable.

So, there you have it folks. More pictures of the inside of my body. My stomach, to be exact. Look closely and you'll see that their are no perforations or holes, otherwise known as ulcers, anywhere in existence. That's right, folks, a clean bill of health for this guy's stomach! Another trip home last month to get scoped proved to be successful and I'm none the worse for wear! The exact same day that I was getting scoped my dad was also undergoing a scope of a different kind: a colonoscopy. It really threw the hospital attendants for a loop that there were not one, but two Tim Dolans in the operating area at the same time. The first doctor came in and commented how strange it was that I was having a colonoscopy for being so young. "Nope," I replied instantly, "that's my dad next door!" After a couple of close calls like the previously mentioned everything went smoothly. I only had one request for the Doctors and nurses before I was put under the anesthetic: "If you are going to use the same scope for both me and my dad can you just make sure you do my scoping first?!"

No ulcers means I am allowed to drink, be stressed out as much as I want, and eat as much fried shit as I want! All in moderation of course...God knows I don't need the stomach pains like before! So, if you're in the city come and meet me for a drink. It's officially allowed!

I'm Alive, I Promise!

2011-10-05T22:32:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Remember that time I hadn't updated in forever? I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly busy I've been with a slew of projects and job opportunities that have fallen into my lap. Not to mention a return home to investigate the disappearance of previously mentioned ulcers. And a trip to Pennsylvania for a week! And a new touring schedule. And a new teaching schedule at two different schools. Oh, and a little sleep here and there.

I promise a load of updates in the next week once life calms down a little bit. They are on their way and they are gonna be worth the almost full month's wait.

Hang tight.

More VOTE!

2011-09-09T15:10:00.004-04:00

Friday, September 9, 2011

I've kept you abreast of all of the developments of Steven and Ryann's musical VOTE! down in Houston and here is the latest update. Shortly after departing after our going away party for him this weekend, Steven was already in rehearsals watching the cast for the first time. I wish I could be there with him to see it! Enjoy this little video of the next step in the process of VOTE! coming to fruition.

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

2011-09-08T11:54:00.003-04:00

Thursday, September 8, 2011

It's amazing how fast my little nephews grow! Today is the first day of school for this little guy, Landon, pictured above. I just got a text from my Mom that was forwarded to me from my brother David that said:

"Landon said he couldn't go to school today because it was raining."

Oh, how quickly the excuses start! I'm sure he'd rather sit home all day and consume pint upon pint of ice cream! And I don't blame him in the least: the first day of school is scary!! David updated later saying that he did end up going despite the rain and that he's doing great!

I will be sure to get some pictures from his first day of school. I just thought this was such a cute story that I had to put it on here. Hope it makes you guys smile as much as it did for me! Word.

Bye Bye, Stev-ie!

2011-09-05T15:08:00.000-04:00

September 5, 2011

We celebrated Steven's going away this past Saturday night by hitting up one of his favorite restaurants, SouthWest NY, down in Battery Park City. Steven is leaving to head to Houston to check in on his musical Vote! which I've been keeping you up to date on. I can't wait to hear first-hand how it all turns out!

Battery Park City, at the southern tip of the island, is a place I rarely get. This restaurant is just past the site of the World Trade Center near the water and has beautiful scenic views. We tried to get a little fancy with some of the photos but it's hard to take great photos in the dark!! So, you get what you get! Enjoy these photos and I hope everyone is making a smooth transition into fall! Word.

A Lyrical Dance

2011-09-01T13:52:00.003-04:00

Thursday, September 1, 2011

I know it might be a sacrilege to say it, being a part of the Musical Theatre Scene and all, but I've never been the biggest fan of Jerry Herman's lyrics. Dan Kelley, my theatre dad, was shocked and dismayed when I told him this one time. I understand he's written a shit-ton of long running, great shows. I've just never really gravitated to them, that's all.

Lately I was approached by my friend, the incredible composer Steven Jamail, who has been writing some pop songs as of late. He was curious to know if I'd ever written lyrics and / or had any desire to. I told him I never had but would be very inclined to give it the ol' college try! Steven wrote a couple versions of a melody and sent it to me and now it's my turn to draft some lyrics. I have to say: I have a lot of ideas about things I want to write about but am having a hard time articulating them. Steven's music is incredible and I don't want to let him down so I'm taking the time to craft something that I feel proud of. It's hard to be very succinct and to the point in the smallest amount of words possible but still get a strong idea across. I will be sure to let you know and hear the final product hopefully sooner rather than later!

With my new assignment I've been paying closer attention to all the music I come across each day. I've forged a career thus far acting and teaching musical theatre songs which are a different breed of animal than pop music. I've always claimed to not know much about pop music but I've quickly catching up with the rest of society! I must say: some of the lyrics to these pop songs are pretty hilarious! My favorite is Justin Beiber's "Baby, baby, baby, oh, my baby, baby, baby, oh".

Genius!

With all this lyrical analysis in my life recently I've kept coming back to one song written by the aforementioned Jerry Herman.

Time heals everything, Tuesday, Thursday.

Time heals everything, April, August.

If I'm patient the break will mend

And one fine morning the hurt will end.

It's been over a year since things were a little rocky. Even with a hurricane and earthquake last week here in the city life was nowhere near as rough as it was then. My four and half year relationship fell apart before my eyes, my long-standing job at AMDA dried up, and jobs were scarce. Now over a year later life is back on track. Jobs are a-plenty which I am genuinely thankful for and I'm busy every day. Lately I've had a couple of short text conversations with Linds that were both normal and in a way, nice. With how everything ended in our relationship I couldn't imagine ever talking to her again. Are we going to become best friends? No. I don't ever see that being the case. But there is something nice in knowing that I don't harbor hate towards her anymore. It's true that time heals everything and I think Jerry Herman wrote it definitely, easily, and word perfect. I never imagined being social with Linds ever again and while the conversations have been very brief I've felt that a lot has changed. I guess that's what happens: life goes on. You do move on from things that once seemed to be your entire world and it is possible to start over from what feels like scratch in the love department. Are there hard moments along the way? I think all one has to do is reference my blog posts from that point last year to answer that question. Would I trade any of that? No, I think that this was how it was supposed to play out. I am a huge believer in fate and feel that this is all meant to be. Do I understand every bend in the road? No, but I'm slowly figuring it out.

And hey, who knows, these bends in the road might even provide me with a good pop song lyric. Here's to hoping! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Apartment Renovations

2011-08-29T17:23:00.001-04:00

Monday, August 29, 2011

With these last renovations to the hallway and the bathroom I am happy to say that I think I've finally finished every part of the apartment since I moved in. I have addressed every wall, nook and cranny and am pretty satisfied with the progress I've made. When I showed the pictures of my bedroom and living room months ago someone remarked that it looked like a true home. Yes, we all live in apartments in the city, but I live in my own home. It feels completely mine everywhere you look and I've had a good time trying to outfit it the cheapest yet classiest way possible.

In the hallway I continued the stripe from the living room, except instead of paint this time I used an amalgamation of different shapes and sizes of black pictures frames to make a tile-like stripe that stretches the length of the hallway from the living room to the bedroom. Across from that I purchased 3D photo frames that you can outfit with your photos that look like polaroid pictures from the past. I used these in one area and call it "the lives of me". They are all pictures displaying different moods or times of my life. You can see these in the pictures below. It makes me laugh every time I look at it. In the last little nook you can see below I bought a sheepskin rug (because I've always wanted one...) for the hallway floor and behind that a small desk with a shelf and large clock. Some fresh eucalyptus for the shelf has kept the hallway smelling prettttty nice! Also, a two dollar print of Central Park in sepia tone was perfect for the small wall opposite all of that!

In the bathroom I had the idea to paint a city skyline across the wall and continue that with a skyline shower curtain. Thanks to the wonderful paint skills of Theresa we were able to approximate the New York City Skyline on the wall and I think it looks pretty darn good! The last little touch, more to make me laugh than anything, was the space above the skylines. I purchased those stars that we all had as little kids that you stuck to your ceiling that glowed in the dark at night. I scattered these all above the skyline buildings and a few on the ceiling to give the sense of a real nighttime sky at night. It actually looks pretty darn classy! I will try to take a picture of that tonight if I think about it but for now you'll have to settle with the pictures of the skyline on the wall.

Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did finishing it all! Now I just have to have a house warming party to show it off to everyone! I think the new place might be a little too small for a beer pong tournament, so I'll have to figure something else out. Until then, enjoy the photos!

Meet Mario!

2011-08-28T23:33:00.001-04:00

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Meet Mario Rafael Colas Perez. It's a lot of names for such a little guy! Who is this little guy, you ask? Well, Mario is the child I'm sponsoring each month. He lives in the Dominican Republic with his Mother, Father and older brother. I've helping him with his education, food, supplies, and general amenities that we take for granted here in the United States. I am mailing out my first letter to him this week and can't wait to have a new pen pal! My favorite part of the whole process so far is learning his favorite hobby: SINGING! We already have so much to talk about! I will be sure to update you guys when I hear from him!

Lots of Fun

2011-08-27T16:52:00.000-04:00

Saturday, August 27, 2011

I think I've said before that it's rare to finish a contract with more than one friend that you keep in contact with afterwards. Well, I struck gold on this last contract because as you can see from the pictures below, our group definitely still keeps in contact. We met up this past week at Courtney's bar, The Lot, and partook in a few of the tap beverages that were offered. Which is my way of saying I think everyone was feeling pretty tipsy by the time we left! It was great to see everyone and catch up on what everyone has been up to for the summer. It's a pretty talented, smart group of people so there was a lot to talk about. I had a wonderful time and look forward to more outings in the future. Hopefully we all make it through the impending hurricane and don't get washed away! For now enjoy these photos!

Zoo Excursion!

2011-08-20T18:17:00.000-04:00

Saturday, August 20, 2011

There's nothing like the zoo to make you feel like a kid again! I have tried to make a trip every summer and have been successful for the past three years! Today's trip included some Singin' In The Rain folk: Courtney Rottenberger, Robb Gibbs, and Jeremy Benton! I don't think I could've planned a better group! The puns were a-plenty on this excursion. Not to mention the re-enactments of scenes from Jurassic Park and the subliminal animal commentary. And I think I will always reMEMBER the Tapir in Jungle World. I don't think I've ever seen him sooo excited! Trunky, as we affectionately called him for the rest of the day, provided enough laughs for the entire year! Thanks Trunky!!

Below are all the pictures taken from yesterday's festivities. Courtney and I made sure to ride the camel which was a blast and we all made sure to sample EVERY snack stand in the entire zoo. I wouldn't be surprised if they were out of ICEE's, pretzels and hot dogs for the next week with the amount we consumed of all three! Until next year's zoo trip I'll leave you with these pictures! Enjoy!

The Write Post

2011-08-15T14:15:00.001-04:00

Monday, August 15, 2011

I love reading. As is clear from the list of books I've read this year I have very eclectic tastes and try to read as much as possible both fiction and non-fiction. The subway is the perfect place to read and escape for at least 40 minutes a day. The thing is...I love writing too! Except for the blog posts on here I never really have a chance or the opportunity to need to write something. I began my letter writing campaign earlier this year which I've been meaning to start up again but other than that and the blog I haven't written anything.

That is, until this weekend! The restaurant has been pretty slow on the weekends and thus you sit there and don't make much money for hours at a time. So...my friend Theresa who works there with me suggested I write a story. I told her to give me three nouns and I would work them into a short story. My words: French Horn. Cigarette. Handkerchief. So, for a few hours I toiled away at a short story about a boy named Jimmy whose fifth grade career depended on his instrument assignment for the Brighton Beach Beavers Marching Band and a strange meeting from the school janitor, Old Mister Crachitt (pronounced Crash-Ay). A humorous little story, it felt good to write and have someone read it. Not really amounting to much except a silly story with some funny parts here and there, I was blown away when I read Theresa's story that she had written for me whilst I did mine. Her words from me: Dragon. Chocolate Cake. Ice Cube. I admit it was a little cruel on my part but when you read what she wrote I think you'll be as amazed as I. It was so good that I want to reproduce it here in it's original form for you to read. Keep in mind that this was a short story written very quickly over a very short period of time just for shits and giggles. I dare you not to enjoy it and marvel at it's simplicity and power. Enjoy.

BIRTHDAY WISHES

BY: THERESA FLANAGAN

He could feel his mom watching him from the doorway, but he barely paid her any mind. He was enraptured by the movie playing on the TV suspended from the ceiling in the corner; he was learning how to train a dragon.

He had seen a commercial for the movie a year ago (on his 7th birthday, as a matter of fact) and had wondered if he'd still be around when it finally came out. And here he was, turning eight today, and watching "How To Train Your Dragon". So, maybe birthday wishes really did come true.

It was an exciting movie, and sometimes sad too. There were also scenes about love - like the scene where Astrid hits Hiccup and says, "That's for kidnapping me" and then kisses him and says, "that's for everything else." Usually Judah didn't like kissing scenes, but he liked everything about this movie.

At the door, Judah's mom sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. Her baby, her precious boy, was eight years old today. Time flies, she thought, though she wished it wouldn't. Time was her dragon - if only she could train it to slow down, to yield, to stop on command. When she looked at her little man, her heart felt too big and too small all at the same time. With every look she tried to drink it all in - Star Wars pajamas, bright green eyes, flushed cheeks. Even the IV, the monitor, the central line.

A tap on her shoulder startled her; the nurses were ready for Judah's birthday celebration: a candle taped to the side of a styrofoam cup of ice (the only thing Judah was eating these days), party hats and presents.

In the too-big bed, Judah sat cross-legged watching Toothless save Hiccup from the fire. Sometimes when the nurses put medicine in his IV it burned, but from now on he would just be glad that it was only medicine and not the burn of the giant dragon.

A chorus of "Happy Birthday" interrupted his movie and a procession of nurses, led by his mom, burst into the room. His mom set down the cup "cake" and paused the movie. Judah took a deep breath, closed his eyes, made a wish and blew out his candle. The nurses piled the bed with stuffed animals, which they knew he was too old for - and which they knew he would love. Kisses blown and high fives led the team in teddy bear scrubs out of the room, leaving Judah alone with his mom.

His mom was a great make-believer, almost as good as Judah himself, so she popped an ice cube into her mouth and announced that it was the best chocolate cake she'd ever had. Judah loved chocolate cake, so he took a big piece with lots of frosting on it. They decided that it must be an ice cream cake since it was so cold and, laughing, polished off the whole thing. Judah gave his mom a playful pat and said, "That's for eating the last piece of cake!" Then he hugged her as tight as he could and said, "That's for everything else."

His mom's voice caught in her throat, so she just smiled her brightest smile, kissed him on the forehead and pushed play on the movie. She climbed under the covers with Judah and watched the final scene with him. It was a beautiful ending, leaving the characters alive and happy, but bearing the scars of survivorship. It was an excellent movie choice.

As the credits started, Judah suddenly felt very sleepy. It felt good to be eight years old. He thought about saying something to his mom about feeling older, but when he looked up she had tears in her eyes. She must have been really worried about Hiccup, but Judah always knew he'd be okay in the end. Not wanting to embarrass her, he cuddled closer and closed his eyes.

Then, before he knew it, he was sitting on top of a beautiful dragon! Hiccup, Astrid and all of the Vikings were cheering and waving as Judah's birthday wish came true and he and his dragon took flight, heading for the great beyond.

THE END

VOTE! Rehearsals Continue

2011-08-15T00:39:00.000-04:00

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Here's the next installment of the VOTE! rehearsal process fresh from Houston. I bet Steven and Ryann are happy as little clams to see their baby on its feet! The first clip is the opening number and the second clip is entitled "Be Aggressive". I have actually never heard this song since it was recently added for TUTS but had heard a lot about it while it was being conceived. Congrats, you two! It looks and sounds great so far!

"Everyone Has A Dream"

"Be Aggressive"

Vote! In Rehearsal

2011-08-04T15:04:00.000-04:00

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Well, rehearsals have begun on Steven and Ryann's baby "Vote!" and it already sounds incredible! Take a listen to this clip of the closing number from the show. Gosh, I wish I could see it when they are in performance mode!!

UA

2011-08-03T23:09:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

My name is Tim Dolan. And I have an ulcer. Well, two to be exact. And my first step here at UA (Ulcer's Anonymous) is to say: I'm comfortable having this be the first post that has featured a picture of something inside my body! Yes, friends, the picture to the left is of my stomach lining and the two little red "scratches" are what have been causing me grief as of late. It's hard to believe that something that small could cause as much pain as it does but that is the truth of the matter. And the pain...? Well, frankly, it was indescribable. Two nights of pain a couple of weeks ago were enough to make me bat-shit crazy. I have never experienced anything like that in my life and was pretty miserable. Picture me writhing in pain on my bathroom floor at three in the morning, unsure of what to do, on the verge of passing out. Eventually, hours later, stomach still throbbing with pain I finally took an aspirin (which I'm sure is not what you should take for stomach problems...) and was able to fall asleep only if I laid on my back on the rug in my living room. You can only imagine the quality night's sleep I got!

End of story I went to the doctor's the next morning and he said it was most likely ulcers but that they'd have to scope my stomach. My mom decided it would be a better idea to go under anesthesia and shit in Michigan so I cancelled some of my work shifts at the restaurant and headed home. Now, one pill a morning and I haven't had any pain since. I guess they will go away eventually but for now I'm living a little more carefully: I'm not supposed to drink alcohol (what a doozy...) or spicy foods (easy...). Oh, and apparently I'm supposed to wear loose clothing with no belt. How my pants are supposed to stay up I will never know, but that's what they suggest! So if you see my on the street and my pants are a-saggin' you'll know why!!

The trip home to Michigan was a nice excuse to see family and head up north to the cottage. Work has come soooo far on my brother Justin's house and it was nice to finally meet his new dog Bones. That dog sure has energy! Below are the pictures taken while I was home on the mini-vacation / hospital visit. Enjoy!

What's Mine Is Yours?

2011-07-27T16:15:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Before I head off to work the closing shift at the restaurant tonight I wanted to draft a letter that I've been meaning to write to a special someone since this morning. I don't anticipate it taking too long to say what's on my mind so I hope you'll all humor me for a minute or so. I just want to get down what I've been thinking about for the past couple hours before I get sidetracked. Well, here goes:

Dear Man Who Is Pretending To Be Me,

First off, I'm glad you're taking advantage of the "what's mine is yours" philosophy that I've always believed in. The $6,000 that you spent in the past 48 hours that I worked so hard to accumulate, well, you DESERVE that money. You've been working so hard and you deserve to be rewarded. It looks like you've been earning your money the hard way, so you should be gifted with a few nice things.

The $4,000 dollars you racked up at Best Buy in such a short time, well, I hope you enjoy those items. I'm imagining a home surround stereo system equipped with a projection screen to view the 20 or so DVD's that I'm sure you purchased in the "Full Price DVD's" aisle. And I think you mentioned that your computer is old so I'm glad you got a brand new laptop AND a desktop for your apartment. I just hope you got a warranty because before long someone is gonna be knocking on your door with a warrant and a smile.

And hey, the $700 you spent immediately afterward at the same Best Buy...don't you think it was a little much? The $4000 wasn't enough to cover everything? And to the Best Buy employee who definitely didn't check your identification on your almost $5,000 in stuff I want to say thank you. You are really good at your job and I hope you get the raise to $7 an hour that you've been hoping for for some time now.

I think the one thing that I am most thankful for though, Man Who Stole My Credit Card Information, is that you were able to pay for the gas at TWO separate gas stations to get your SUV that I'm sure isn't stolen to the CVS pharmacy to get your prescription of generic Vicodin filled for $66. Thank God for insurance, right? Otherwise I don't think I would have been able to afford it!!

So, to wrap this up: Really? I mean, really? I got all my money back so it was only a minor inconvenience for me, but you can honestly live with yourself while stealing someone else's money to buy electronics, gas, and pharmaceuticals. Congratulations: You're what we call a winner! I hope to meet you one day and give you a swift $6,000 kick to the nuts.

Till then lovingly yours,

The Real Owner of My Chase Debit Card

'arry Potter!

2011-07-25T21:52:00.001-04:00

Monday, July 25, 2011

I made a quick trip home last week (more on that later) so I missed the midnight showing of the final installment of the Harry Potter series. Last year I joined my friends to view "The Deathly Hallows - Part I" and had a blast but unfortunately this year I couldn't be in attendance. Fortunately for me the Village Voice was there and snapped some pictures of some of the most excited people in line: my friends! Gosh they're excited!!

Theresa proudly supporting Gryffindor

Emily giving the movie two thumbs up!

Congratulations - Part II

2011-07-18T12:34:00.000-04:00

Monday, July 18, 2011

Here are some pictures announcing my buddy Anton's engagement. I'm standing up in the wedding on October 30th and it promises to be pretty incredible! I especially like the feet picture...let's be honest, who DOESN'T like a foot picture? It's essential in every wedding album I say! Looking forward to the big day and congratulations to you two!

Fourth of July!

2011-07-17T23:59:00.000-04:00

Sunday, July 17, 2011

I have always enjoyed holidays in the city ever since I moved here eight years ago. It's a great excuse to spend time with friends. Having no actual family members in the city means it's always been a friends-only occasion. This past fourth of July was the first time where it felt like a good ol' family affair! I had the wonderful fortune of spending the holiday with Ms. Clarke, my friend Steven and his parents, and Katie's neighbor Amanda and Matt and his parents who were visiting. Katie and Amanda put their incredible cooking skills to good use and assembled an unbelievable brunch for all that were gathered. Afterwards they all decided to take my Broadway Up Close Walking Tour so we headed down to the theatre district and I gave them the full tour ending in Times Square. I think they were all pleasantly surprised and didn't really know exactly what the tour was about. At the end of the tour all parties dispersed and we met up with Amanda, Matt and his parents and went up to the 50th floor of their building to take in the fireworks. I must say: it's pretty high up!! I have never been too afraid of heights, but there's something about a roof that makes me a little uneasy. The fireworks were incredible and it was one of the best holidays I've ever had in the city. I won't soon forget the family feel the whole day had and the great memories created in such a short time. Thanks to all involved for making the city feel just like home.

Broadway Up Close(r)

2011-07-17T23:05:00.001-04:00

Sunday, July 17, 2011

I am happy to announce that Broadway Up Close Walking Tours, my pet project for the last year and a half, is finally starting to take off! I have been doing at least one tour every week for the past couple of months and I have been getting great reviews on Trip Advisor. I am implementing a lot of changes to increase revenue and excitement about the tour. Thanks to a wonderful suggestion from Ms. Katie Clarke, I have found a way to finally fund having a Broadway actor speak on each tour. I haven't figured out all the details but have a couple of people lined up, including Ms. Clarke herself, that are going to help make that part of the tour a reality. Stay tuned to see if that increases exposure and word of mouth about the tour. I am very excited to see how everything unfolds! Below are some pictures from the four tours I did all last week, so enjoy!

Talented Friends

2011-07-01T13:41:00.000-04:00

Friday, July 1, 2011

So, here we are with the first in hopefully a long, sporadic series of blog posts called "Talented Friends". I must say I'm lucky to have worked with some very talented individuals. These two gentlemen who I worked with on the tour of Altar Boyz are branching out and have been toiling away at a brand new album. Their band is called Astoria Boulevard and there music is fresh, energetic and incredible! Their album release party is this coming Sunday and unfortunately I won't be able to make it, but wanted to give a shout-out here on the ol' blog to plug their amazing talents!

Head over here to listen to the new album and to pick up your own copy! It's feel-good music that will provide a great soundtrack for almost any occasion! Congratulations to Dan and Phil on your continued success!

My New Best Friend

2011-06-29T23:08:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

My New Best Friend

It's official. I have finally moved over to the dark side....well, kind of. I am officially the owner of a brand new MacBook Pro and it's slowly but surely changing my life. I still own my old clunker of a PC so I can still utilize Noteworthy Composer but everything else will be done on my new best friend. I am still figuring out how to do everything but that will come with time. Already it's been easier to update the blog and I've beaten the first level of Angry Birds! Also, I think you'll be seeing more videos and sound files now that I have iMovie and Garage band. I haven't broken those in yet, but I imagine it's only a matter of time! Whoooooopeeee!

DMPA Final Showcase - Year Two!!

2011-06-29T22:03:00.007-04:00

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Can you believe that year two of Dream Maker's is already here and done? Granted, I took the last three months or so off to do Singin' In The Rain, but still, the school year seems to have flown by. This past Sunday we finished off the second year with the final recital / showcase at Cardinal Spellman High School. I think it's safe to say that this year's performances were light years ahead of last year's. Not only were there almost three times as many kids but it was amazing to see how much each of the children had grown. My wee little ones from the first year were suddenly my mature and older kids who made sure to "show the ropes" to the younger tykes of this year. Also, I think Lisa has learned a ton about how to handle all the ins and outs of the studio. This year's show, while clocking in at about four hours, was a prime example of how much Lisa has accomplished in such a short time. It's been nice to be a part of it all and to watch its growth! I imagine there will be plenty more years of success to come!

Also, on Sunday I finally got to meet my substitute who has taken the reigns of all my classes while I was gone. Her name is Kelly Felthous and she was a joy to talk with. She certainly upheld all of the standards for my class and I'm afraid to say I think the kids might like her more than me!!! Next year we will be co-teaching the new Dream Maker's Performing Arts Show Choir! The class is going to modeled after the TV show Glee and will give Kelly and me an opportunity to get back to our show choir roots from high school. We haven't decided what material we are going to present and work on yet but I imagine it will be something very high energy and fun! Auditions are sometime in Mid-August and we both can't wait to see who turns out to be part of the first DMPA show choir! It promises to be fun, exciting, and I'm sure will provide plenty of stories!

Classes resume again in September with a lot of returning regulars, hopefully some new victims, and the addition of another acting class to further divide the current participants into smaller numbers. It's crazy to think that in just two years I've gone from a couple classes to 5 classes plus the show choir!

Also, I don't think I've written it here on the blog but I have more good teaching news: Come this fall I will be teacher apprenticing with Rosie's Theatre Kids. RTK is Rosie O'Donnell's incredible program that exposes public school children in the fifth grade to the performing arts. The program is provided completely free of charge to the students and it's offered like a gym class or art class or music class. The hour-long class meets once a week and we do a warm-up and work on specific numbers that are designed and created just for these children. I will be training under Thecla, one of the co-creators of the program who has an incredible energy and should be a joy to work with. I am very excited to get involved and to spread the arts to those that might not have access to it. It's quite the noble mission and I am lucky to be a part of it!

And for those that think I'm becoming a full-time teacher you can relax! I am still very much pursuing acting but am just making some other concrete job decisions as well. Between teaching, acting, and running Broadway Up Close, while still picking up some shifts at the restaurant, I have my hands full! It's a full plate but I am so excited for all of it to begin!

That's A Wrap!

2011-06-25T17:15:00.007-04:00

Saturday, June 25, 2011

I am officially a television star! That's right ladies and gentlemen, I, Tim Dolan, can now add myself to the ranks of those that have come before me to conquer the small screen! It's quite something to behold! Just don't blink or you might miss it completely! No, but really the whole Boardwalk Empire Shoot on Thursday was incredible and I still can't completely believe that I was a part of it all. It all happened so quickly from first initial audition to the fitting to the filming on Thursday that it doesn't feel entirely real. Not to mention the fact that it's episode nine of Season Two which hasn't even premiered yet, which means it probably won't air until 2012! I did get a chance to see the raw film over the director's shoulder during camera set-up breaks and it looked awesome! I look like a proper Western Union Telegram man! But let me back up a little bit and give you more details. If it's a little detailed it's only because I, myself, want to write down and remember as many little things as I can about the whole experience since it all happened in the blink of an eye.

Wednesday Night: I get a telephone call from a production co-ordinator letting me know I'd be picked up on Thursday afternoon at 1:45 from the subway station for a 2 PM arrival time at Steiner Studios. Also, I was emailed confidentiall script pages that included my one pivotal line that starts the scene from a script co-ordinator. They were watermarked with my name to ensure that I didn't show them or discuss them with anyone. They were very implicit about that fact. I don't think my detailing of the film process gives anything away so I'm safe!

Thursday Afternoon: After not getting much sleep and having the "Christmas Eve" feeling of anticipation and excitement I headed, in torrential downpour, to the train station to begin my journey. Feet and jeans completely water logged, I made it ontime to the designated stop and was picked up precisely at 1:45 and was dropped off at Steiner Studios in the old Brooklyn Navy Yard minutes later. A production assistant met me at the van and led me into the Stage 1 Building. Imagine a scene out of a movie: Large hangars each containing different sets and stages, extras milling about in 1920's period costumes smoking cigarettes, talking on their phones and/or rehearsing lines. Short of two men carrying an extra-large pane of glass and the obligatory costume racks being shuffled from hangar to hangar the scene thus far had fulfilled every dream I had of my first film experience.

I was led to my private dressing room on the second floor complete with its own bathroom, couch, and dressing station. I happened to notice as we were heading down the hallway whose dressing rooms were right next to mine: Steve Buscemi's and Kelly MacDonald's, the two leads of the series. And then there was mine right next to them! Craziness! After filling out some paperwork and contract stuff I was led across the hall to get a haircut appropriate to the time period. Sitting down in one of three barber chairs I couldn't help but notice who was getting their hair cut next to me: two identical twin children who were getting prepped to be on set downstairs to portray the same child, a la Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. I watched as the hair dresser paid close attention to make sure each of the boys' sideburns were the same length and style. This was the first glimpse into the detail they take in the TV / Film world. Mid-haircut I was called upon to begin rehearsal for the scene. Still in my regular clothes and half a head of hair long, the other half short, I was led down to a van with two other actresses in period costume and we were shuttled through Brooklyn to a historic old house where filming was already being prepped.

After meeting the big-wigs in charge like the producer and the director and the lead woman, Kelly, we began a run-thru of the scene. I was instructed specifically how to hold the telegram and where to stand and when to say my line. All very nerve-racking since I have no idea what I am doing and all the other actors are series regulars, I did my best to act normal and completely aware of everything while not betraying the jell-o I felt inside! Having finished this rehearsal and running it a couple of times we were all shuttled back to Steiner Studios to have our hair finished, makeup applied, and costumes attended to. I finished having my hair cut by Corey, one of gentlest and most detailed barbers I've ever experienced and was then ushered over to Mary who was in charge of makeup. Shortly after having some light make-up applied I was brought back to my dressing room where three people were assigned to get me into costume. Yes, you read right: THREE! I couldn't help but think of all the times in theatre where I have a quick-change mid-show and I have to bribe a fellow cast member to help facilitate the change and here I was with three people all assigned to help me into a pair of pants! Yes, incredible period style pants (check out the photo below) but still pants all the same. First one leg and then the other...

Hair done, make-up applied, costume on, I was shuttled back to the set with the three ladies and was prepped to begin shooting. I was "wired" with a microphone discreetly hidden in my jacket and then was introduced to Jenny, who was my personal hair person and another woman who was my personal costume lady. Constantly taking pictures for continuity purposes they attended to me like I was the lead in a Broadway show!! I couldn't believe the treatment for the part I was playing that had ONE line! We began to shoot and did about four takes from one angle. Then they set up all the cameras to get a different angle while we sit for a half hour and wait. Enter the Craft Services Table! The food options ranged from Lobster Sandwiches to my favorite: Goldfish snack crackers by the bagful! Juices, soda, water, cheeses, chips, candy bars, cookies...anything you wanted all provided just for you and the crew! I avoided the Lobster sandwich for fear I would ruin my entire costume with Lobster juices and snagged a few bags of Goldfish. Then we filmed the scene again from another angle and then wrapped for the day!

I'm still not completely good-to-go on all the film lingo but by the end of the day I was pretty adept at how it all worked. In talking with one of the production assistants she was shocked to learn this was my first time with TV / Film. That was good news to me! My acting skills of being a consummate professional had paid off and I wasn't pegged as a newbie! Score!! First filming experience on-camera: a huge checkmark!

I will be sure to let you all know when I find out the air date of the episode! I can't wait to see if I make the final cut and to see my pearly-whites on the small screen! It was a crazy experience and my arms are still red from pinching myself this week to ensure it was really all happening. Here are the pictures I could snag while in my dressing room at the end of the day. Enjoy!

Monsters In My Bed

2011-06-25T16:59:00.006-04:00

Saturday, June 25, 2011

I spent last week vicariously having a dog by dog-sitting my friend Theresa's dog, Monster. I think everyone knows at this point that I want to have my own canine best friend but my life just isn't conducive to that concept at the moment! So, when given the opportunity to dog-sit for a bit I relish it! Monster, a chihuahua, can be a handful one minute and the next minute your best friend. And don't get near him if he decides to commandeer a section of the rug. Apparently in Monster's world all my rugs are his sole property and are not to be touched when he is on them. Where he gets this idea I do not know, but I respect his wish and steer clear of the little guy when he's crouched and ready to attack from a patch of shag. Oh, and he loves to sleep under the covers in any crevice of your body he can find at night. Not used to having a ball of fur tucked behind my knee caps in fetal sleeping position there was many a time Monster somersaulted with me when shifting positions. Whoops! No dog for me at this point in time but maybe in the future when I get my first Broadway show a canine will come with the deal! Until then it's dog-sitting for me! I'll leave you with a picture of Monster in soft focus, looking cute and cuddly. Clearly he's not anywhere near a rug because he's looking much too nice!

Thank you, ma'am.

2011-06-19T18:32:00.006-04:00

Sunday, June 19, 2011

"Oh, you're an actor? Would I have seen you in anything?"

"Not unless you've heard of the musical Altar Boyz...which I doubt." People always assume that you do TV or film when you give the occupation of "Actor". Theatre just doesn't seem to enter into their mind as a possibility. I have just never been into Film / TV. I took a short class in college for it. I took a Musical Theatre class last month that focused on Film and TV very briefly. But other than that I have no experience in it and am sure I'm not very good at it. So I was very surprised last Tuesday when I got a call from my agent at 6:30pm.

"We have an audition for you for tomorrow afternoon for the HBO show Boardwalk Empire. Please call and confirm."

Well, I confirmed and instantly scrambled to do a little research on the show. Not only have I never auditioned for a TV show I also don't watch much television either. So I watched the pilot and did a little research on the time period: the 1920's. My character is specifically a Western Union Man who is of irish descent. MUST HAVE IRISH ACCENT is what the breakdown said. Accents? Oh great, another thing I'm horrible at! Why not have an audition composed of all the things I'm certainly not good at?! But I looked at the sides I was given and I only had one line: "Thank you, ma'am." How hard could that be?!

I went into the audition at 3:30 on Wednesday and signed in. I was led into the room and asked to stand against the wall. The casting director explained she would stick out her hand with a quarter, I would say my line and then walk out of frame to my right. After a couple shots I would then slate myself which means say my name. First run: I feel pretty okay. It's over in the blink of an eye. My feedback from the Casting Director: "You can take the quarter." In all my nervousness and confusion I didn't even motion to take the quarter from her, I just said my line and walked off. What a mess. "Oh yeah, obviously. Sorry," was my reply. Whoops. Could I be much worse? So, after two more runs of the line and taking the quarter I stood there, said my name, stated my height and was on my way...almost...

"Hey, wait a minute...You're Irish, right?"

"Umm...Yeah."

"So you were using an American accent?"

Oh great...so the casting director thinks my Irish accent was horrible and the jig is up! What a mess!

"No," I replied, "it was a slight irish accent. Sooo...yeah..."

"Hmmm," was her response. "Well, you have a green card right?"

Ahhhh...so that explains everything! She thought I was from Ireland, like actually Irish! Hilarious! I almost told her that I always play Jewish so I was surprised. Well, that was about it for the audition. All in the course of 1 and a half minutes. My first TV audition all over with!

Then came a call from my agent on Saturday afternoon. I know it wasn't the best but I didn't imagine getting a call from her to tell me HOW BAD... After talking for a moment the news finally came:

I GOT IT!

Somehow I managed to land my first TV audition and get the part!!! I will be appearing on the next episode of Boardwalk Empire on HBO handing a telegram to the lead character and saying "Thank You, ma'am" in an irish accent. I have a fitting this week for costume and then we film the thing on Thursday. I will try to take as many pictures as I can...if that's even allowed! Ahhh! I still can't believe the whole thing but am excited beyond belief! Once I know air dates and all of that I will be sure to post that as well... Crazy!!!

Another Closin', Another Show!

2011-06-19T14:32:00.009-04:00

Sunday, June 19, 2011

I know it's cliche to say it, but time flies when you're having fun. When initially starting Singin' In The Rain in the middle of March I knew it was going to be a three month contract which is long as far as regional contracts are concerned. I like a good long run of something so I was more than prepared for this, but I never had an inkling that it would go by so quickly. Once we hit the mid-way point of the run it was all over in the blink of an eye. Looking back on the run I would attribute this feeling to the people I got to perform with nightly. Talented? Yes. Professional? Yes. But the most important question: Normal? Yes. A big yes.

It's rare to get more than one good friend out of a contract. It's just the nature of the beast and it's nice when you get along with someone so well and get to perform with them. But to have a handful of nice, normal, talented people to perform with... well, that's rare. And I'm happy to say that on this show I got my fair share of friends. I'm lucky and thankful for all the good times I had during this show. And the theatre itself: I had a wonderful time being able to live at home and still do a show 7 or 8 times a week. You can have your life and other endeavors and still be fulfilled by performing for a large crowd almost every show. I only hope I get the opportunity to work there again and have that experience endure again in the future.

Unfortunately I never got to go on as Cosmo. This was the first time I've ever understudied and not have the fortune to put all my rehearsal and effort to good use. I think if I was a pessimist I would be frustrated in putting all that energy into learning the steps, lyrics, music and lines to never even get to perform them. Thankfully, the optimist in me is just happy to have it on my resume and the belief that I would've been great had I gone on. It was still an enjoyable experience and I think a lot more understudying will be in my future. Better to get the practice in now, I say!

Here are some pictures taken of me and some castmates from the closing day party at the theatre and me in my "Old Man" costume and my "Diction Coach" costume. I think the blog will be lacking in photos now that the show is over...boy, did we love to take a group photo! So, until the next show enjoy these photos for now!

Richard's Picnic - Part II

2011-06-05T00:33:00.006-04:00

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Here are the rest of the pictures from the picnic between shows on Thursday. I thought there was a whole bunch more but these are the rest of 'em! Tomorrow is the "one week left" mark and we lose Robb (pink polo shirt) after tomorrow. Boooooo! I imagine there will be a shit ton more pictures taken tomorrow on his last day and I will do a recap of the week and everything on my days off Monday and Tuesday. Hope everyone is well! Word.

Congratulations!

2011-06-05T00:20:00.004-04:00

Saturday, June 4, 2011

I wanted to send out a HUGE congratulations to Anton Fero and Courtney Evans who got ENGAGED a week or so ago!!

Anton has asked me to stand up in the wedding in October in San Diego and I can't wait! It will be a very fun wedding I'm sure! The details I've heard already from talking with Anton are pretty incredible! It should be a great time had by all!

Congratulations you two!! (Here is the only picture I could find with both of you in it...just pretend Deidre, the brunette, isn't there! Sorry it's not the BEST picture ever...but it suffices!)

Richard's Picnic - Part I

2011-06-03T00:15:00.007-04:00

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Here are part one of the pictures taken from the picnic between shows today. Can you tell we all like taking a lot of pictures in this cast?! I am too tired and have to wake up early but wanted to start posting some of the pictures that turned out pretty great. I have been experimenting with black and white coloring and such so you can see evidence of this below as well. Hold on till tomorrow or this weekend for the rest. For now it's off to bed before waking up early to see Rosie's Broadway Public School Show and giving a BUC tour...but more on those things later! Goodnight, yo!

Children Will Listen

2011-06-02T00:36:00.006-04:00

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

I'm lucky as hell. I know this simple statement to be one hundred percent true. I look around me on each new contract, in each new circle of friends and am constantly amazed. So far no one has cooler, more normal parents than I have. I always think, "Okay, this new colleague is going to tell me that their parents go to the ends of the earth to see them perform. Or they always emotionally and financially support every endeavor, right or wrong, good or bad." I have yet to meet one person that tops my parents and I have a feeling that it will be a long time until I come across a set of parental figures that beat them.

This business is a crock of shit sometimes. But for every crock pot of shit there is a wonderful incredible moment that I would never give up for anything. In this business it's easy to concentrate on the negative. God knows there is enough of it to go around for everyone. But it's the positive moments that get you through life. Those are the reasons we are here on this earth. To cherish those moments, however small, should be the aim and goal of each day and each week. It takes a set of incredible people who have been with you your whole life to really set the affirmations a-spinning. I don't even realize that my outlooks are mostly a direct result of how I was raised and the way I've seen my parents deal with situations. It's always nice to have someone slightly removed from the direct ins and outs of this business who can offer words of encouragement, a joke to ease a shitty callback, or just general positive support at every turn. I'm lucky to have two of the best people for those tasks.

In true awesome-parent-style they both came to visit to see the show this past Memorial Weekend. They managed to sneak in three viewings of the musical in two short days. And we still hit up Central Park, had lunch with Katie and her mentor Laney at Don Giovanni's, went to the Frick Museum, and chilled at the apartment. I'm always so amazed at how much we manage to fit into their short weekend trips. It's a wonder that our feet haven't fallen off yet! They enjoyed the musical and got the opportunity to see both the Kathy Selden (the awesome Shannon O'Bryan) and her understudy, Lindsey Bliven, go on for the first time! The show has been very understudy-happy the past few weeks but we've finally gotten back on track with the normal show. I still haven't gone on for Cosmo and don't anticipate doing so in the last two weeks of the run. Oh well! The backstage folk have gotten their fair share of my version of Cosmo in the wings. That will have to suffice!!

Below are the pictures from the parentals' visit. Enjoy!

Memorial Day Weekend - Croton Park

2011-05-27T17:25:00.008-04:00

Friday, May 27, 2011

This week the weather has taken a turn from the soggy, wet and rainy to sunshine and highs in the 80s. We took advantage of this change between shows on Thursday at Croton Park in Westchester twenty minutes away from the theatre. I took a bit of time to take my second nap of the day. When did the first nap occur, you ask? During the middle of Act One I was overcome with a wave of tiredness. Every time I stopped for a moment I became very lethargic and weary. If you've ever met me you know this is very out of the ordinary. The only thing I could think that would be the cause was the two pills I had taken from a castmate and consumed before the show began. He said they were a generic Antihistamine which is exactly what I needed. I failed to comprehend they were a generic form of Benedryl...two pills later I couldn't even function without both eyelids half closed. So intermission was my first "nap" and the park was number two. I eventually woke up and joined the others in exploring the park and the river shoreline. It was really beautiful and I made sure to capture some of it with my camera. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we had taking them!

Putt Putt Pictures

2011-05-15T11:15:00.009-04:00

Sunday, May 15, 2011

In continuing our pictoral history of the adventures from the past week, here are the Putt Putt Golf Pictures! I am sad to report that my wallet is three dollars lighter after that game. Andy, who is the second cover for the Girl in Green (don't ask), pulled a Putt Putt Shark move and claimed to "not be very good and definitely NOT competitive". I normally don't fall for those lines but apparently my gullibility levels were high on Friday because I placed the bet and preceded to lose. It was a close race the entire time and I eventually only lost by one stroke. In looking back at the pictures you would've thought I had a chance with him being in the rough half the time, but he was the only one in our group to get a "hole in one" so that certainly came into play. Well, you win some, you lose some!!

This week was our first full 8 show week and as I type I am getting ready to leave to finish the last two! My body has been tired this week but I think it's been a combination of a lot of things. I have some sides to memorize for this class I'm taking (more about that later) and I am going in for Altar Boyz at Westchester next week also. Fingers crossed that that goes well because I'd love to do that again at the end of this summer. Okay, I have to run and hop in the shower and take off to get on the van, so I hope this finds everyone well! Word.

Walk In The Woods

2011-05-15T00:50:00.013-04:00

Saturday, May 15, 2011

The weather has been incredible lately. The forecast for next week is a lot of rain, but that sure wasn't the case last week. It was sunny and nice every day last week! And we made sure to take advantage of the sun between shows whenever we could. On Thursday between shows we headed over to Pocantico Lake near the theatre in Westchester (up near Sleepy Hollow!) and took a little walk through the woods near the dam and lake. Taking full advantage of the incredible dancers in this show I put them to use doing jumping silhouette pictures in the woods on the shore of the lake. I think they turned out pretty awesome!

I can't even believe that we are halfway through the run of SITR! The whole contract is exactly three months and as of this week we have one more month together. I will go on record and say that this show isn't one of my absolute favorite. The production is great, the show: not the most artistically satisfying! I mean I don't even sing in all of Act One!! Not to mention the first time I put metal on my feet to tap is AFTER we have already bowed in the Singin' In The Rain Finale. Hilarious! But I will say that I get along with this cast so much! They are all really nice people and very talented and I think it helps that we all get to go back to our homes at the end of each day. That separation of things really makes the time we have together more enjoyable. And having a company van to travel in to and from the show and between shows has been great! It's an adventuresome group that likes doing activities and exploring the area while we have the opportunity. Those are my favorite types of people! I will be sure to post the pictures from between shows on Friday soon and will update with more details about other things going on in my life other than the show. They could fill a very large book these days! It's been overwhelming running around like crazy keeping busy but I can't complain at all! I'm blessed and happy to do it all!

Mother's Day Between Shows

2011-05-10T16:26:00.009-04:00

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

It was quite a Mother's Day this year between shows. Although there were no Mothers in attendance in our group we still decided to spend the day at the park in Westchester between the matinee and night performance on Sunday. Everyone in the group gets along so well, which is rare in a cast, so group functions have been very enjoyable. I brought my camera along to take some pictures of our adventures. I will be sure to update more in the coming day or so about the show and life and such. For now enjoy these!

Easter Egg Hunt!

2011-04-23T13:25:00.015-04:00

Saturday, April 23, 2011

An egg-celent time was had by all this past Thursday between shows. I hosted an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt inside the theatre and we followed that up with a barbeque out back of the theater. I was nervous the clues were either going to be too easy, and the game would end in five minutes, or too hard, and it would NEVER end. But, thankfully, the clues were a good mix of challenging and slightly difficult and the game lasted about 25 minutes: exactly what I was hoping for! Everyone was pretty impressed by the clues and I was glad for that. I had such a great time thinking of each clue and devising different places that the eggs might be hidden. Not to mention I loved putting little clues in the air prior to the competition. Of course all the hints I gave in the previous days were incorrect but no one had to know that. I kept saying, "Just make sure you brought your knee pads...oh, and I hope no one is afraid of heights!" The latter part of that comment got me into a little bit of trouble with my castmate Robb: he immediately took off for the catwalk above the stage where the spotlight operators are seated during the show. It never occurred to me that he wouldn't get I was joking about sending all these people up a ladder to the heights above the stage...whoops! He made it out okay (not on the winning team) so not to worry. But definitely hilarious!

I think the best part of the entire hunt was the end. The final clue led each team to the box office. They had to each be holding onto one different colored egg found along the way and then present all six eggs to the final location: the box office. The thing was: they were all in front of the box office with all the eggs desperately trying to figure out the final clue while standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT!! They were asking the box office workers for help in solving it and they even tried to give it away, but I made sure they had solved the riddle and KNEW they were supposed to be there before giving them the prize. In fact, the first team to be at the box office with no knowledge that they should be there left and wandered around some more and ended up coming in third place and receiving no prize...even though it was right in front of them! I couldn't believe it!

The winning team that day was: The Dueling Mammies!

Below here are the six clues given to see if you can test your wit at solving 'em! I have included the answers down below the pictures I took during the hunt and the barbeque afterwards. Good luck!

#1) Here's the first clue. Let the games begin.

Find the next hidden egg and the clue is within.

Grab your keys, leave a note, and head to the bars.

It's an uphill climb to find your "lucky star"s.

#2) One clue is done. Five more to go.

Rain cop is the shit, just thought you should know.

Combine a dance and a tool, you'll find your way.

Boy, this is an activity of pieceful play.

#3) If your team comes in first, you rake in the dough.

Tim is soooo smart, funny, and good-looking, you know?

Hitchhikers and some faces both have this need.

Ask Charity and you'll be the "bravest individual" indeed.

#4) Cast and crew: you're both doing great.

Solve this next clue and there'll be a lot on your plate.

I'm a type of potato, in a space of envy for all.

No stranger to showmance: summer, winter, spring or fall.

#5) More than halfway, four down, two more clues.

If you don't hurry up you'll be singin' the blues.

His first name's like a mineshaft, his last an after dinner drink.

Night and day, you never know, let's face it, just think.

#6) Find the next egg and you win first prize.

The end of the hunt is before your eyes.

It's a two part answer, but still one place.

Put them together and your team wins the race.

Part one can be empty of it can be full.

It could be a match or something you pull.

Part two is a work place that some call a bore.

And at its max it could be a store.

Answers to Clues:

#1) Orchestra Piano

#2) Jigsaw Puzzle in Boys' Dressing Room

#3) Elevator

#4) Couch in the Green Room

#5) Cole Porter Luxury Box

#6) Box Office

Nice To Have Mets You

2011-04-20T22:46:00.006-04:00

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

I can't believe it's already been a week since a few of us headed over to Citi Field for a Mets game, but time seems to be flying these days. It was my first trip to the new stadium so I was super psyched. It also didn't hurt that beers were 2 for 1 before we got there, we got free tickets that were incredibly close, and a free hot dog!! Alexa's husband Chris works for the MLB and was able to get the hook-up! It was pretty incredible! Our little group consisted of myself, Con, Chris, Alexa, and Courtney. We headed over after the Wednesday matinee and trouble ensued from there. I made sure to buy the obligatory foam finger which provided many great photo ops and forgot to bring a jacket so I may have borrowed Alexa's pink rain slicker while she was off getting us free food. It was an incredible time and it was so nice to spend time with castmates outside of the theatre. They are all super nice and chill people in their own right and we all had a great time! The Mets didn't win this time against the Rockies, but hopefully there are many more ballgames in my near future this summer!

What Is My Life?

2011-04-11T14:24:00.013-04:00

Monday, April 11, 2011

Sometimes you have to pinch yourself. Sometimes I have to stop, take a breath, and really realize some of the things I'm doing these days. Random: yes. Awesome: yes. Would I trade it for the world? No.

The past couple of weeks I have been reading Oprah Winfrey's unauthorized biography by Kitty Kelley. I normally don't read too many biographies or autobiographies but this one was reccommended to me by a great colleague, Dan Kelley, and I trust his opinion of things greatly. Was it the best book I've ever read? No. But it was interesting to read about her life and how crazy her journey has been. Never in a million years did I think that the next week after I finished the book would I be recording a song and she, herself, would be listening to it!

Yes, that's right ladies and gentleman, I, Tim Dolan, sang for Oprah last week! Let me explain how it all came about. Rosie O'Donnell is having her new talk show premiere on Orpah's OWN network in Chicago this year. In celebration of the announcement Rosie and some broadway dancers were performing the song "Roxie" from the musical Chicago with altered lyrics. The new lyrics to the old tune, newly entitled "Rosie" were written by Steven and a colleague. Well, Oprah needed to sign off on the new lyrics and so Steven needed someone to record the scratch track for her to listen to. Enter: Me! Yep. We recorded a quick demo on his computer and sent it off to Oprah herself and hours later SHE LISTENED TO IT and said yes! I imagine her face looked something like this while listening to my voice:

It's quite unbelievable! I don't usually get star struck but Oprah is huge and it's crazy to think she sat somewhere and listened to me sing! So yeah...I'm a huge deal these days!!!

In other "what is my life these days?" news: I got to spend tuesday last week hanging out at Radio City Music Hall all day to perform at a benefit starring Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Tisdale, Eve, Trisha Yearwood, Rebecca Romijn, to name a few. And I got paid for doing it! The whole benefit was directed by Tony-nominated Ragtime Revival director Marcia Milgrom Dodge. We were part of the closing number honoring two women from Harvard who invented a soccer ball that generates energy when you kick it around that can later be used to plug in a lamp. Their invention has been circulating throughout third world countries and has been quite revolutionary. The idea itself is genius if you ask me! The benefit, entitled "Shine On!" was presented by Good Housekeeping and I was proud to be a part of it all. Not to mention that fact that all my friends were performing alongside me, so I got to "hang out" all day at Radio City, make money, perform, and keep the uniform! And let me tell you: the soccer outfit we performed in didn't make me look skinny AT ALL...so that's good...

Here are some pictures I took during the day with friends from the event. None of Meryl Streep unfortunately but there is one with a human pyramid which almost makes up for it! Enjoy!

Singin' In The Rain Press!

2011-04-08T00:32:00.004-04:00

Thursday, April 7, 2011

The press pictures from the show have been released and I think they are a pretty accurate depiction of the show! And yes, if you noticed, my jacket in the last picture DOESN'T match the suit and that's how it's supposed to be. No clue why...I don't ask questions, I just wear the costumes. Also, below I've included the press reel for the show. For those that haven't gotten to see the show yet, which is pretty much everyone I know, here's a little sneek peak for ya! Word.

Sunday In Tarrytown

2011-04-05T18:17:00.005-04:00

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Here are some pictures from a trip to Tarrytown between shows on Sunday. Enjoy!

Opening Night!

2011-04-05T17:17:00.007-04:00

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

It's Opening Night!! Well, it was... And it went great! It's still crazy to me that you can mount a show this large in a time frame that short. 10 days from first singing a note to our first audience! And the reviews are in! The leads and the show are great so it's no surprise that the reviews all agree. I had a feeling they would! Here are some for your perusal:

Woman About Town Review

In The Wings Review

Record Online Review

Here are the pictures from the opening night party. The festivites continued once we got back to the city and lasted into the wee hours of the night. It's always a strange thing doing a show in the city or at home. Normally you go out and get to know everyone in the cast a lot quicker because you are all living and working together in the same place. When you have the opportunity to go to your own individual houses every night you don't hang out as much in the beginning. So, opening night was our first foray into going out post-show and a good time was had by all. Since you guys don't know who any of these people are let me spell out who each person is. I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot of these faces in the coming months!

Row 1: Me and Emily (we did Millie together years ago!), Cody (Cosmo) and Bill (RF)

Row 2: Me and Courtney, the full company

Row 3: Robb and Shannon (Kathy) and I, Me and Alexa (Girl In Green) and Robb

Row 4: Me getting kissed by Libby and Lindsey, Con (Don Cover), Gail (Costumer) and Cody

Row 5: Me and Andy, Ron (ASM), Chaz (Assistant DC) and Andy

Rehearsin' In The Rain!

2011-03-30T00:25:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, March 29, 2010 We have finished rehearsals and the show is officially in performance mode. Today was actually the last day of my first "weekend" break from the show. We have performances Wednesdays to Sundays so Monday and Tuesday will become my "weekend" for the next couple of months. And these two days were well deserved! Ever since rehearsals began we haven't had one day off to rest and be normal for a bit. We went straight into two days of tech and then a seven show week so it's nice to relax and take it easy for a bit.

Not that I need it THHHHHAT much. I don't have the hardest track of my life in the show. It's a lot of costume changing but I'm more than okay with that. The cast is all super nice and talented so I have been looking forward each day to spending time with them and getting paid for it too! It's quite the life that I lead these days!

And speaking of talent: Jeremy, who plays Don, and Shannon, who plays Kathy, the two leads of the show are crazzzzy talented. It's been a long time since I've sat in a rehearsal room and been enamored with someone's talent. Their feet and tap sounds are perfection and they never seem to get tired! It's been very nice to sit and watch them do their thing and in such a short rehearsal process they pick it all up so quick! Here are some pictures I snapped in rehearsals and tech. I will be sure to take plenty more during the run to fill up many more posts! Enjoy!

VOTE!

2011-03-19T00:19:00.008-04:00

Friday, March 18, 2011

So, I've been meaning to share this little tid-bit of information for a while but have been busy with rehearsals and life and haven't had a chance to sit down and write about it.

But a huge congratulations goes to Steven Jamail and Ryann Ferguson! Their wonderful show VOTE! has been selected by Houston's Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) as their mainstage young artists show. What does that mean? Besides the fact that they are rockstars, it also means a full production and a chance to see it up on its feet by some really talented kids! The website for the show, here, is up and has all the information you could need! Go to the audio tab for the full versions of the songs from the demo recording that I gave you a little sample of a while ago. I can't wait to hear how the whole thing turns out!

Congratulations you two! You totally deserve it!!!

More Soon...

2011-03-16T00:09:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

I have started rehearsals and things are going well. I will be sure to give a full report and many more updates! I just haven't had time in the past few days...but I will soon!

That's all for now!

Word.

BONES!

2011-03-05T16:09:00.005-05:00

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Meet the newest member of the Dolan family:

BONES!

My brother Justin just inherited a new puppy yesterday and already he's part of the family. Sleeping on the couch, always eating cookies...he's definitely a Dolan Dog! I hear within an hour of being in Justin's brand new house he peed AND pooped! Welcome to the family Bones!

Closed For Renovations

2011-03-05T14:58:00.009-05:00

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Yes, it's been a couple of weeks. I apologize. I have been busy working my ass off at making some moolah, memorizing lines and working on the apartment. But I promise I have proof of my work as far as the apartment goes!

My new apartment, 5E, is exactly the right size and shape. I feel a little bit like Goldilocks these days, but the apartment shifting is finally over and this one is JUST RIGHT! I never cook so the kitchenette in the living room is the perfect size and I have my own detached bedroom which is large and sunlit! It's quiet and peaceful and the renovations and painting I have been applying have really made it "my own". There are plenty of naysayers about my apples in the living room (you know who you are!) but I think they turned out pretty awesome. Just watching HGTV through the years has given me more than enough new ideas of how to make my apartment unique. AND it's all been pretty inexpensive thus far. I hope to continue in that trend of making nice renovations on a cheap budget!

BEFORE

AFTER