My Crazy Life on the Stage

Hello, everyone!

Going to be honest with you. I. Am. Exhausted.

We're just about a week out from the opening of Urinetown, rehearsals for Les Mis are picking up, work has been crazier than usual, and I've been trying to make time for workouts as often as possible (though I've been giving preference to sleep on those days when I feel my knuckles dragging the pavement).

Cycle studio to myself last Wednesday night. My shoes love the blacklight.

Plus, I have a 5K for the Blue Plum Festival in Johnson City, working on and prepping the Urinetown set for transport to the Paramount, a grant writing meeting for Glasgow Theatre Company, and a birthday celebration for one of my best friends, ALL on this coming Saturday. Then on Sunday we load in at the theatre and begin tech week (a.k.a. hell week) in preparation for opening next Thursday. Although, on Sunday night (assuming we're finished with rehearsal), I'll hopefully be watching an event on TV that always reminds me about how much I love all of this extra craziness I invite into my life, The Tony Awards.

The Tonys are awards that are given to honor the highest achievements in the American theatre community, specifically, the Broadway community. It's a night that showcases the wide array of talented artists who ply their craft both on and off stage for the entertainment of millions of audience members every year. Now, most amateur performers like myself will likely never find ourselves on a Broadway stage, but that doesn't mean we can't experience some of that thrill and magic in our own communities, which is why I devote so much of my free time to live theatre.

I did some drama related activities like Odyssey of the Mind in elementary school (anyone remember that program?), but didn't really do my first actual show until my junior year of high school when the drama club performed Little Shop of Horrors. I had a few friends who were doing it, and I thought it would be something fun to do, even though I'd never been in a show before. I wound up being cast as the voice of Audrey II, the carnivorous plant with a plot to take over the world. The plant itself was a massive puppet, so I actually stayed up in the light booth with a microphone to deliver my lines and to sing. I'd also never really sung before, but this experience motivated me to audition for and join my school's advanced choral group for my senior year. I've been singing ever since.

I was in multiple vocal ensembles all throughout my time at Clemson, and would do shows with the local theatre over the summers when I was back in Bristol, as I'd mentioned before. My first job after college was actually a marketing position with that theatre organization, but I quickly learned that nothing would kill my enthusiasm for the theatre quite like working on the business side of it day in and day out (at least in the case of that particular organization). So, I changed jobs in July of 2009, and it was quite some time before I did any theatre again. My first show back "on the boards" was with Jonesborough Repertory Theatre in February of 2010, and it doesn't feel like I've stopped since. In fact, instead of talking about all of the shows I've done, here's a snippet of my resumé, including the two productions I'm currently involved with:

Click to enlarge.

As you can see (if you're familiar with any of the titles), I've done quite a variety of shows ranging from classics like "Oklahoma" and "Cabaret", to intimate, modern pieces like "The Last Five Years", to raunchy, puppet comedy like "Avenue Q", to sweeping, epic pieces like "Les Misérables", and so many more. I've learned and grown from each and every one of these experiences, and I'm always excited to see what project is coming up next. You may notice that all of the shows listed are musicals. That's right; I've never done a straight play before. But, hopefully that might change very soon!

Now, I'd seen touring companies of professional shows, but believe it or not, I'd actually never seen a show on Broadway or even been to New York before March of last year. However, I wound up going to New York 3 separate times in 2012, the second of which was a road trip when several of us went up to attend an open audition ("cattle call") for the national tour of a particular show. That trip was quite the adventure and a whole other story in and of itself. Regardless, I saw a total of 10 Broadway and Off Broadway shows last year!

My Playbill collection from last year. All amazing shows!

In addition to performing, I'm also a company member for the Glasgow Theatre Company, a wonderful organization based here in the Tri-Cities area known for bringing new, innovative works to the area that haven't been previously performed in this region. We also organize a big fundraising event every fall, the Cabernet Cabaret, which raises money for our scholarship fund from which we award scholarships to new high school graduates who are pursuing an education in the performing arts. I'll be assistant music directing the event this year, and I cannot WAIT for everyone to see what all we've got planned!

While it would be a dream come true to make a living in the theatre, I still have to pay my bills, which requires that I make time for it outside of my regular job. This leaves little time for pleasantries like sitting down to regular meals. That's why I've been focusing a lot recently on things I can make quickly, and things that I can prepare once and eat on for several days.

For example, one day I cooked a whole spaghetti squash in the microwave, shredded it, and put it all in a big bowl in the fridge. Then I could pull out single serving amounts and make a quick sauce to put on top of it for a super fast lunch or dinner.

In a tomato sauce with mushrooms, broccoli, and balsamic onions.

I also took some time this past Sunday morning to make a big pot of roasted red pepper soup. I'd been planning this for a while, and the rainy morning seemed as good a time as any to make it. I started by sauteing some celery, carrots, onion, garlic, jalapeño, and some herbs. I added in the red peppers that I'd roasted in the oven then seeded and peeled along with some diced red skinned fingerling potatoes. Finally, I added some vegetable stock and a little bit of white wine. Once that had cooked for a bit, I used one of my favorite kitchen appliances, my immersion blender, and pureed the whole thing in the pot. OMG it was delicious! It goes great with a side of something like my slaw that I made in my Memorial Day post, or some sliced cucumber and jalapeño that I threw in a jar of leftover pickle juice for a day or two to make my own little quick refrigerator pickles.

The construction phases. Click to enlarge.

Blending and the finished product. Click to enlarge.

With my nutty Asian slaw and some quick fridge pickles.

Then of course there's always the option of taking whatever vegetables you can find in the fridge, putting them all in a pan, sauteing them together, seasoning them well, and slicing some fresh cucumber.

Sauteed veggie medley with almonds, cucumbers, and a sprinkle of chili powder.

If you take a little bit of time one or two days a week to prep, you can have at least a week's worth of meals at hand that can be put together in under 30 minutes!

Well, I'm getting ready to head out and prepare for tonight's rehearsal. I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to see some of you at Urinetown next Thurs-Sun, June 13-16. In case you're not familiar with it, it's a HILARIOUS musical comedy that I'd rate about a PG-13. More information on the show poster below!

Much love to you all,

Jon