I Heart NY...! (Happy 1st Year Anniversary)

June 1st. One year in New York. I survived. (Well barely). But I survived. 

There's been some incredible times. Some moments of triumph. Some moments of doubts. Some moments of sheer happiness. Other moments of disbelief, while walking down 5th Avenue, that I live here...I know I've said it in the past, but I feel like I'm living one of my dreams. A dream that took eight years to achieve, but it came true, through hard work, dedication, and not losing sight in living here.   

I compiled a list of some of my favorite things and places about New York and why I heart it so much...

1. I'm constantly surrounded by people of all types. You never know when you might make a connection with someone, including a cute guy.

2. The Subway. I can eat my lunch while heading to work. I can finish reading a play while going to and from Astoria to the Upper West Side. I can write and rewrite. I can get as drunk as I want and I don't have to worry about driving. 

3. Empanada Mama. (located on 9th Ave, closer to 51st St) They have the best empanadas in Manhattan, the Sangria is to die for, and the staff is extremely friendly.

4. Hell's Kitchen. For three reasons; the gay bars, the boys, & the restaurants.

5. Times Square. Although it's overly crowded with tourists, there's a sense of tranquility and serenity when I walk on 42nd St and I know that I'm standing in the heart of the world. It's truly an amazing experience.  

  

6. The Four Seasons. The fact that I get to experience four seasons is something that I always longed for; fall and spring are my favorite. Winter is beautiful, but snow is cute in theory but living in it, not so great.

7. My friends. They are the people who have helped me in the past year through thick and thin. To the old ones, I had before I came to N.Y., I am truly grateful to you all. To the new ones, I can't wait to see where our new friendships go. 

I am truly grateful to be living in this ecliptic, wonderful, vibrant, face paced city known as New York. 

This is my home. This is where my career is. This is where my love is. Everything is in New York. So Happy Anniversary to me and to New York; we survived our first year! Onward...to many more...!

My Birthday...!

My birthday was this past Monday the 25th. It was an amazing day. I can only hope that 27 will be a great year for my career and hopefully I'll meet someone special along the way. Here are some photos of my birthday at Barrage in Hell's Kitchen.

Only in New York

I was sitting in Greenwhich Park waiting for my friends to arrive when I notice this homeless man gawking at me. 

"Can I help you?" I rudely said.

"Got a quarter?" He replies without flinching. 

(I say, what my usual response is to any homeless person asking for money.)

"I don't have any change." 

"Well then can I have some head?" And when I don't respond he banishes. The reason that I don't respond is because I was in shock that this nasty homeless man just preposition me for sex.

Only in New York...!

Thursday's Food for Thought #4 (posted on Friday)

Are guys my age living in New York searching to date with a possibility of being in a relationship or are they all looking to hook-up with strangers and having no connection what so ever?

Sometimes I wonder why being in a relationship is so important to me? I mean, I'm in my mid-twenties living in New York, I should just enjoy dating and meeting as many guys as possible and if the opportunity of sex presents itself then by all means I should go for it! Am I crazy to want to be in a relationship at the age of twenty-six? Or should I just explore and enjoy my youth and forget about being in a relationship until I get to my thirties, unless the right guy arrives before that, and if that happens then that would be amazing!  

Although lately I have been enjoying myself much more, I due it all to spring...!

Thursday's Food for Thought #3

Why is it that when theatre artists attend a play or a musical they're so critical of it? Why can't we just enjoy the play and/or musical for what it is? Have we become jaded as artists that nothing we see impresses us anymore?

My friend A. created the "50-Foot Rule" you don't talk good or bad about a show until you're 50-Feet away from the venue and I live by this rule. I hate hearing people criticize the show during intermission, I'm like, "hello, the shows not OVER!" 

The 63rd Tony Awards Announced

The nominees for the 2009 Tony Awards follow:

BEST PLAY

Dividing the Estate
Author: Horton Foote

God of Carnage
Author: Yasmina Reza

Reasons to Be Pretty
Author: Neil LaBute

33 Variations
Author: Moises Kaufman

BEST MUSICAL

Billy Elliot, The Musical

Next to Normal

Rock of Ages

Shrek The Musical

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

Billy Elliot, The Musical
Lee Hall

Next to Normal
Brian Yorkey

Shrek The Musical
David Lindsay-Abaire

[Title of Show]
Hunter Bell

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE

Billy Elliot, The Musical
Music: Elton John
Lyrics: Lee Hall

Next to Normal
Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics: Brian Yorkey

9 to 5: The Musical
Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton

Shrek The Musical
Music: Jeanine Tesori
Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Mary Stuart

The Norman Conquests

Waiting for Godot

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

Guys and Dolls

Hair

Pal Joey

West Side Story

BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT

Liza's at The Palace

Slava's Snowshow

Soul of Shaolin

You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY

Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Hope Davis, God of Carnage
Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish ‚ Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gavin Creel, Hair
Brian d'Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal

Musical BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY

John Glover, Waiting for Godot
Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests
Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
Roger Robinson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate
Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests
Marin Ireland, Reasons to Be Pretty
Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical
Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
Will Swenson, Hair

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Karen Olivo, West Side Story
Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY

Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests
Derek McLane, 33 Variations
Michael Yeargan, Joe Turner's Come and Gone

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls
Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Scott Pask, Pal Joey
Mark Wendland, Next to Normal

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY

Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot
Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit
Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages
Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical
Michael McDonald, Hair

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY

David Hersey, Equus
David Lander, 33 Variations
Brian MacDevitt, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart

BEST LIGHTING DESING OF A MUSICAL

Kevin Adams, Hair
Kevin Adams, Next to Normal
Howell Binkley, West Side Story
Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot, The Musical

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY

Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart
Gregory Clarke, Equus
Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King
Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner's Come and Gone

BEST SOUND DESING OF A MUSICAL

Acme Sound Partners, Hair
Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages
Brian Ronan, Next to Normal

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart
Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage
Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Greif, Next to Normal
Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages
Diane Paulus, Hair

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Karole Armitage, Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical
Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin's White Christmas

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS 

Larry Blank, Irving Berlin's White Christmas
Martin Koch, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal
Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek The Musical

The 2009 Tony Awards will be held at Radio City Music Hall June 7. CBS-TV will broadcast the event live.

For more information visit www.tonyawards.com

Quote of the Day

"The revivals aren't reviving!"

(This quote comes from one of my callers that I called yesterday in reference to the Roundabout Theatre Company's 08/09 Season) 

I just thought it was really interesting what she had to say, she commented on wanting to see more edgier new stuff. For the most part Roundabout only produces revivals. I mean we are currently producing "Distracted" with Cynthia Nixon at the Laura Pels Theatre, a new edgy comedy by Lisa Loomer, but other than that they are all revivals. How unfortunate for new emerging playwrights like myself that everything that Broadway is producing is revivals, and the new shows that are being produced are just movies made into musicals such as "Shrek: The Musical" or "9 to 5" that just opened last night. 

Is there hope for new work to thrive on Broadway? Hopefully, in the years to come, we get more shows like "In the Heights," who won the Tony for Best Musical last season or the brand new rock musical "Next to Normal" which I'm sure will be nominated and win the Tony for Best Musical this year. We need original shows; Broadway is starving for new original work. How many times can we revive "Gypsy" without it being boring or stale? Maybe this is my time to write a brand original musical, and believe me, I do have some fresh new ideas...I just have to start writing them down, and maybe, just maybe one day my original musical will be produced in the Big White Wave.  

The Philanthropist - Opening Night Party

On Sunday evening I had the opportunity to attend the opening night party of “The Philanthropist” starring Matthew Broderick, since I work for the Roundabout Theatre Company they invited us. I couldn’t have been more delighted because I knew that Sarah Jessica Parker would be there and she was; she looked amazing. It’s interesting because I did think, “wow I’m in the same room as Sarah Jessica Parker. Who would’ve thought that this would happen?” I did get a bit star-struck, but not as much as the first time I saw her at the second preview of the play when she walked right by me. I grabbed my friend Z.’s leg after gasping I’m sure. I wanted to take a picture with her at the party, but I did contain myself, I had to respect her privacy. The party was great, there was plenty of free food, alcohol and cute guys. I did meet someone, so we'll see what happens with that, he's adorable; the whole night we keep giving each other eyes. I'm excited. 

This Thursday I’ll be attending the opening night party of “Waiting for Godot” starring Nathan Lane, Bill Irvin, John Goodman, and John Glover. I saw the play on Saturday, I didn’t have high expectations because it’s not one of my favorites and I had seen a bad production of “Godot” in undergrad. The play was wonderful. The chemistry between Bill Irwin and Nathan Lane was incredible. Nathan Lane was Nathan Lane but toned down. Bill Irwin is an extraordinary actor and he was stunning in this production, he understood what Samuel Beckett's intentions were and I feel that has plenty to do with the direction of Anthony Page. I hope Bill Irwin gets nominated for a Tony. I highly recommend this play, not just because I work for the Roundabout Theatre Company, but because it's truly what theatre is all about.