"Almost, Maine" inspired collage

Adam Lambert.. need I say more? ;)

Everyone is allowed one guilty pleasure. Mine just happens to be Adam Lambert. I think I hold him in high regard because he is more than just a singer; he is a true performer and an actor. The first time I saw him was not on the national setting of American Idol, but at the Pantages Theatre as Fiero in Wicked. Had I come any other night I may have missed his performance as he was the understudy. I followed his story to the Idol stage, voted for him hundreds of times, and was among the disappointed when he was not honored with a win. However, in retrospect I think not winning American Idol is probably one of the best things that could have happened to his career, as he now has the freedom to be an individual and build himself as an artist. I am glad that he followed his own path and found the right moment to come out to the public. This is another reason he pulls me into his world – he is a business man and knows how to handle his career. He knows who his audience is and caters to their preferences; He has excellent marketing sensibilities. He seemed extra special on Idol, because there was a sense of mystery about him. We all knew he was gay from the start, but left it unspoken for fear it would cost him votes on the "wholesome," "all American" show (barf!). He spoke with intelligence, seemed humble but confident, and showed that he was a genuinely kind person underneath his layer of eye-liner. -Plus, I have always been a sucker for men in leather and lace. - That is not to say he hasn’t made some mistakes along the way (I will leave these unsaid, since we all know what they are and would like to forget them). His debut album “For Your Entertainment” is not the best written or most musically innovative, but in true Lambert fashion I have never seen him perform a song the same way twice. He keeps his music fresh. There is something unusually catchy about his songs and watching him perform, whether in a music video or live, is worth its weight in gold. Now that he has proven himself I think he will only get better with time. It is my hope that in his next album release we will see something truly special.

It's the polite thing to do, you know, get a kiss/give a kiss, very fair.

I was filled with anticipation at our first rehearsal for Almost, Maine. Which characters would I be playing? What would the cast be like? Would I be able to read cold from the script? I was filled with relief to sit at a little round table in the Transit Depot with my fellow cast members and director. Michael Eiden reminds me of Richard Dreyfuss for some reason. He smoked a cigarette in his van before he came into the rehearsal space. I feel safe when he is there, like I can experiment and try new things. I am playing Ginette, Sandrine, Gayle, and Hope. Our first read-through was very exciting since all of us were reading the script as a whole for the first time. They were many discoveries made and we made them together. I love the magic in this play, the element of surrealism that gives it a fairy-tale-like quality: literally falling down with love, shoes falling from the sky, sacks full of love and tangible pieces of broken heart. All of the characters are developed, deep and relatable. The script is very challenging. I am looking forward to actually getting on my feet and putting movement to the work.

Almost Maine Casting!

Yesterday evening I got news that I have been cast in Almost, Maine at the Whittier Center Theatre! I do not know which scenes I will be playing yet, but I am thrilled. I am excited to meet the other three cast members. I have a good feeling that this small cast will be a tight knit group, full of ambition and knowledge. We are being led by director Michael Eiden into the fictional town of Almost, Maine. Today at 7:30 PM we begin our travels!

Lutz Closing

Yesterday was the closing performance of The Lutz Radio Hour. The show proved to be a strange beast, portraying actors in their final radio performance, when in reality we also faced our final curtain. I returned to the theatre after our holday break, completed our final three performances and said my farewells. I send thanks to the fabulous and ever generous Andrew Vonderschmitt for giving me the opportunity to work with a talented cast of players. I am so grateful to have met so many new daces, and developed so many lifelong friendships.

2009 has been a busy year for me, providing another six, magical productions to my experience. In 2010 I plan to focus on finding a new project, and completing my graduate school applications. I hope that this coming year will be prosperous, exciting, theatrically stimulating, and career building. I pray that I will find the path toward success, however vast or rocky that path may be.

Lots of Lutz!

After four weeks of rehearsal for The Lutz Radio Hour, we are ready to open! We have our final invited dress rehearsal tonight at 8:00 PM. At this point in the process I am eager to have an audience to test laughs and fill our empty house with bright buzzing energy. I am very proud of this show and the humor I know it will bring to our audiences.

Enter Laughing closed with a bang! It has been a blustery ride and I am glad to finally close this moonstruck chapter in my theatrical pop-up book. Although I always lament the closing of a show, I was also relieved in many ways. I am ready to devote my entire being to Peggy and move forward with The Lutz Radio Hour.

We both bruise too easily

"All I Know"
Art Garfunkel

I bruise you, you bruise me
We both bruise too easily
Too easily to let it show
I love you, and that's all I know
All my plans have fallen through
All my plans depend on you
Depend on you to help them grow
I love you, and that's all I know
When the singer's gone
Let the song go on...
But the ending always comes at last
Endings always come too fast
They come too fast, but they pass too slow
I love you, and that's all I know
When the singer's gone
Let the song go on
It's a fine line between the darkness and the dawn
They say the darkest night
There's a light beyond
But the ending always comes at last
Endings always come too fast
They come too fast, but they pass too slow I love you, and that's all I know
That's all I know
That's all I know