Busy, busy, busy

Hey there!

My apologies for my lack of recent posts--I am so busy!

Before I get back to my business, I just want to share with you all some of the other great experiences I had these past two weeks:

On Saturday the 24th, the first-semester MTs were told by the seniors to gather in front of the dorms at 10pm. All in anticipation of what to come, we waited until a line of cars drove up beside us, only to release the senior MTs with blindfolds in hands. As you can assume, we were all blindfolded and then kidnapped to a house party somewhere on central campus. We sat (or stood, in my case) and waited to take off our blindfolds until we were told to do so. When we did, standing before us were our senior buddies (with gifts)! Apparently, it is UMich MT tradition to set up the incoming students with their very own senior buddies. My buddy is the fantastic Sam Lips!

                                      Kidnapped! (L to R: Kyle Timson, Me, Alex Fragoso)

The rest of the night the seniors told us stories from their freshman year, and then we proceeded to dance and party! It was a great time and I was so happy to get to know my buddy.

The next day, I was invited to the School of Music, Theatre and Dance's Annual Scholarship Showcase, where the students who receive scholarship to attend UMich got to see some of their fellow scholarship classmates perform in a recital. Actually, my senior buddy, Sam, got to perform! He and another senior MT--Daniel Berryman--performed "The Riddle Song" from Adam Guettel's musical, Floyd Collins. It was beyond words. The rest of the recital was quite impressive, and I was simply blown away. I couldn't (and still can't) believe that I am part of such a prestigious program alongside such skilled and talented performers. I was thrilled to be there, and it only got better--I got to meet my donors! The people who made it possible for me to attend UMich were also there, and I got to eat dinner with them. Their names are Bob and Pearson Macek, and they are delightful. I had a wonderful time getting to know them, and I can't wait to be able to get to know them even better throughout the years.

 
The Scholarship Showcase Dinner (L to R: Sam Lips [my buddy!], Me, Bob Macek, Chelsea Wilson, Keith Allen, and Pearson Macek)

Skipping ahead past the homework and household duties and such, last Friday I got to see the desginer run of UMich's upcoming musical production of David Yazbek's The Full Monty which opens one week from this upcoming Thursday. Once again, I was quite humbled to watch my fellow MTs perform. Sam is in it as well, and he does an excellent job just like the rest of the cast. I am so excited to be a part of this production since I am operating the light board; however, if any of you know The Full Monty, you know how BIG of a responsibility that is...and how much nerve-wracking pressure comes along with it!  (If you don't know the show, the basic gist is that these 6 guys decide to become strippers in order to make quick money during hard times of unemployment. With no experience, they find a way to bring it together and even add a twist--they strip completely nude. In order to cover up this nudity, a bright flash of light is shone on the audience before going to black. It is just about the most important cue in the entire show, and it seems to be cursed--even the original Broadway production had its glitches. And guess who has the honor of taking this job? Yours truly.)

                                                        Poster for The Full Monty

Today I actually got to learn how to operate the light board at work, and tomorrow I start teching the show! Wish me broken legs--LOTS of them!

That's it for now. Have to get some rest before Ballet in the morning. Hopefully these next three weeks won't be too hectic that I can't write another blog. [Who am I kidding? I'll be back in three weeks.]

Until next time,

R

Catching up!

Hello all!

There is so much to catch up on--I've been so busy with schoolwork that I almost forgot I have a blog to keep up!

Let's start with another great football game last weekend against The Fightin Irish of Notre Dame--WHAT. A. GAME. (cue Ragtime)

Again, I watched alone on the TV in my apartment, but it was still thrilling. The Wolverines were sure to lose, but then within the last mintue and twelve seconds, we scored THREE touchdowns! A-MAIZE-ING! You should've seen me cheering and singing in my apartment. I was and am so proud to be a Michigan Wolverine! Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I'd be so excited by sports. (Except for Quidditch, of course.)

Moving on: This past week was my first full week of class--and it was FULL! I can't believe how busy I am from day to day. There is so much to keep track of, it's almost overwhelming. But I LOVE IT! My classes are all incredible, mostly due to the fact that the facutly here is unmatchable. I don't dislike a single teacher. Here are the classes I am taking: Ballet I, Acting for the Camera, Performance I, Musical Theatre Ensemble, English (Academic Argumentation), Intro to Musical Theatre, Voice Studio, and Voice Lessons. On top of that, I have a work-study job as a lighting electrician with all the University productions. My boss is great, and I can't wait to learn more and more about this field. I only recently discovered my interest with lighting last semester when I designed two dance pieces in a Dance Showcase at Queens College. I had some great mentors there, and I learned a great deal from them. It was because of that experience that I was able to get this job on the spot! (Special shout-out to Jeff Greenberg and Stephen Quandt!)

                                                               Photos by Jeff Greenberg

BTW, I have been assigned to run the Light Board for two shows this semester: The Full Monty and The Beaux' Stratagem. Yikes. (More on this in later blogs, I'm sure).

Another BTW, on Monday I got to meet two Broadway stars: John Ellison Conlee (who played the original Dave in The Full Monty on Broadway), and Celia Keenan-Bloger (UMich Musical Theatre Alumnus and original Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway).Both humble and talented people who were willing to share their theatre experiences with us.

Then came the weekend. On Friday, the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (SMTD) had a really special treat: JESSYE NORMAN CAME TO TOWN! As a graduate of the voice program here at UMich, Jessye Norman has contributed alot to the SMTD and has come back to give masterclasses and concerts. This past Friday, she came back to perform on a Gershwin-themed concert. I never thought I'd be able to see her in person, let alone PERFORM! It was stunning. In fact, I had to write a little review of the concert. Here it is:

An Afternoon with Jessye Norman

            I have been looking forward to this event ever since I first about it on Labor Day. Then it happened.

            Wow. First of all what an honor it is to be a part of one of the most prestigious schools. Our orchestra was phenomenal, tackling Gershwin’s music with such charisma. Gil S. Chapman’s piano solo homage to Gershwin was tasteful and a nice reflection on his work. And of course—faculty, accompanist, arranger/orchestrator, and vocal coach Jerry DePuit’s wonderfully harmonious arrangements sung by our own talented Musical Theatre and Vocal Performance majors were a delight.

            Then it came to the moment I was waiting for. They announced her name and I shuttered. I was about to see Jessye Norman perform right before my eyes! When she came out, something came over me, and I was struck just by her presence. I could tell she owned the stage and everyone’s attention in that moment.

            She proceeded to sing two classic Gershwin pieces with her own unique interpretation, and it was fascinating to watch. To see her go through the motions and listen to her voice soar in so many different ways was quite an experience. During “Our Love is Here to Stay,” she executed this extremely soft but intense diminuendo, and it was so effective. It was silk floating in the air.

            In “I Got Rhythm,” she was charming in her very own way. The song had a new kind of energy that I hadn’t heard before in any other performance of the piece. Her hands and feet were swinging along with the music, but it wasn’t heavy—it was relaxed. It was a refined kind of performance of jazz, which might have thrown some people off. For me, it was just fascinating.

            Afterwards, she addressed the audience with a beautiful speech about Life in the Arts. We all have a responsibility towards the advancement of Art—it moves the world forward. Our imagination and creativity should be valued and expanded to incite inspiration and joy in others. She said to “be the change that you want to see.”

            I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to witness one of the greatest voices in history perform right before me, as well as hear a moving speech about the intense business of the Arts. I am so proud to be at this superb university.        

-END- 

Lastly, (though I am sure there's much more I can say, and if I had the time to spend on it I'd write it!), after having slept in this morning, I woke up to find that I was locked INSIDE my apartment. That's right: INside. Turns out the lock got stuck in the niche, so there was no way to move it with tools (which neither my roommate or I have). Being in a rush to get somewhere, Andrew (my roommate) left via his window. I stayed and called the Fix-It people. Within a couple of hours, somebody came to take a look. He knocked on my door and I answered: "Hi! I'd open the door to welcome you, but alas...I am locked inside..."

He ended up coming through the window like my roommate, and proceeded to examine the door. Turns out he was pretty dumbfounded himself. It just seemed impractical for this sort of thing to just happen. He actually had to go back to the warehouse, get some spare lock parts, and replace the inner-workings of the lock. It's not entirely back to normal, but it works. He said managment may want to replace the entire lock in the near future. Let's hope. 

Well, that's enough for now. I've got plenty more things to do: grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, homework, etc. 

Until next time,

R 

Yeah, I go to school at the University of Michigan. No biggie.

My goal for today was to catch you all up on what I didn't get to blog about last week when my internet was not working. But things have changed.

After a crazy orientation week and an eventful weekend, I woke up this Labor Day morning to make my way to the first full-department musical theatre meeting at the Power Center Rehearsal Room in Central Campus.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Over 80 MTs were welcoming/greeting/reconnecting with each other in ONE ROOM. The energy was insane. People knew my name and I knew maybe 3...

Just as Mr. Brent Wagner was starting the meeting off--BAM! Out come the MT Seniors, class of '12, BURSTING with song and dance. The performance was stunning and hugely entertaining.

Afterwards--and I am going to apologize now for the lack of proper expression for how incredible this news is--Mr. Wagner informed all of us of the mind-blowing events that are to come this 28th year of the Musical Theatre program at UMich.

Among the many guests to come: Audra McDonald, Jessye Norman, Jane Fonda, Danny Gurwin (who we had the extreme pleasure of meeting today), Pasek & Paul, Gavin Creel, ETC.

Did I mention that the incoming class will be performing alongside Pasek & Paul and Gavin Creel? Yeah.

UN-BE-LIEVABLE things are happening this year, and to hear all of this news at once was so overwhelming that many of us felt like we didn't even deserve it. I was so shocked--there are just no words to justfiy just how incredible it is to be an MT here at UMich. Not only that, but our new class was welcomed by the upperclassmen with open arms and cheers. I am now part of one HUGE family of talent. And coming from a family of 7, that already says ALOT.

I am so proud to say that I am in the best program at the best school. I made it.

Now, it's time to make the best of it. Classes begin tomorrow--bringt it on!

-R

Kick-off...with a storm!

GO BLUE!

Today was the first football game of the season up here in UMich, and while 110,000 people fled to the stadium to watch the game, I stayed home and watched on TV.

Not being much of a sports guy, I didn't bother buying season tickets--not to mention the cost...I am already broke as it is. Shrug.

Anyway, I actually enjoyed watching the game! Maybe something did in fact happen to me at orientation, because I am suddenly full of pride for our team! I felt left out not going, but it was still exciting!

As if that wasn't enough, a STORM came rumbling by, thus delaying the game, eventually leading to an evacuation of the stadium, and a final call of the score: 34-10. MICHIGAN BEATS W. MICHIGAN! Woohoo!

But the storm, I have to say, did freak me out. I was all alone in my apartment, and probably in my neighborhood since everyone was at the game...so I closed the windows and watched the news, eating ice cream to try and comfort myself.

And it worked. (Or maybe it was just cause the storm stopped).

Now I am getting ready for bed. But not until I give a shout out to my lil sis who is turning 17 in a few minutes:

DASSSIH! (<---That's not her name...just an inside joke.)

Anyways, Happy Bday Nick, hope you are a well-behaved 17-year-old.

Gnight, Ann Arbor--see you in the A.M.!

-R

PS- I stole this pic off of Facebook. Like I said, I wasn't at the game. Also, btw, my roommate is a sax player in the marching band! Holler!

Looking Back...

Hello! My name is Robert (for those of you who don’t know). I am an aspiring actor whose dream is to make it to Broadway—among other things. The purpose of this blog is to describe my new life in Michigan, as I start a new school: The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor! I am a transfer musical theatre major, and I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of such a prestigious program and school. Anyway, to start things off, I’d like to take a trip down memory lane and show you what shows I’ve done. Let’s start from the beginning…

                                                                      FOOTLOOSE

                           HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

                                                                             HAIR

                                                            BYE BYE BIRDIE (1st Time)

                                                           WEST SIDE STORY (1st Time)

                                                                        SEUSSICAL

                                                                          RAGTIME

                                                             PIRATES OF PENZANCE

                                                      THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE

                                                                   CITY OF ANGELS

                                                                       THE MIKADO

                                                            BYE BYE BIRDIE (2nd Time)

                                                      YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU

                                             THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD

                                                                  ANYTHING GOES

                                                                     DOG SEES GOD

                                                                          L’ORFEO

                                                              THE REST OF OEDIPUS

                                                                         CANDIDE

                                                                         SUBURBIA

                                                              THE LAST FIVE YEARS

                                                                 THE MAGIC FLUTE

                                                    THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE

                                                                         ASSASSINS

                                                           MACBETH: THE MUSICAL

                                                        POSTCARD FROM MOROCCO

                                                                            PIPPIN

YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN

                                                        WEST SIDE STORY (2nd Time)

There you have it! Now it's on to a whole new beginning. After a whole week of orientations, meetings, placement tests, advising, registering, etc., I finally got to meet the rest of the incoming MTs. Next Tuesday we start classes.

I will try my best to keep periodic posts about my life here. For now, wish me broken legs!

-R