The Show Must Go On - The Actor's Nightmare

Actors...Ever have that dream where you're on stage and you don't know you're lines, you blocking or even what the show is that you're doing? Of course you have. We all have.

Well this weekend, I nearly lived it for real. That's right! I went into a new musical that I had never seen, read nor even heard about with 24 hours notice and no rehearsal. And I survived.

Friday night art 5:00 I received a message from an old colleague at Acme Comedy Theatre whose wife is in a new musical opening that evening in about 3 hours. One of the lead actors was in the emergency room and they knew nothing about his condition, ailment, when or if he would be back in the show. He had been asked to do it but he's not a singer (although I think he could have handled this character's one song). His wife asked if he knew anyone that could sing and act and jump in on a moment's notice.  And that's how I ended up in a new musical.

I was up for the challenge. It's been a while since I've done something like this, gone on as a replacement with little to non rehearsal. And I felt my mind needed it to prove that my mind was still agile enough at my age,

I was told that the show's composer was prepared to go on in the role that evening. I could simply come and watch the show and then jump in to Saturday night's show. I arrived at the theater an hour and a half later. It was very deja vu for me. I did two shows at the at theater 14 and 15 years ago and had only been back on a couple of occasions since both over a decade ago. So weird to be there again after all these years and to walk in the theater and see a signed poster if one of those shows with my autograph hanging on the wall house right. My very first show in Los Angeles was in that space.

So, I arrived and watched as they ran the composer through what would be my scenes. I was handed a copy of the stage manager's script and went in search of a FedEx Office to make a copy. As I went through the script I noticed that my character was named Cindy, not Sidney as was I had been told. I was confused. Turns out this was an older version of the script before my character's gender was changed. (Not the only one either, a formerly male character had been changed to a female so it evened out in the end).  Why the stage manager had an old version of the script was beyond me, but who am I to question.

So I went up to the booth to watch the show. I still knew nothing about this show called Mary of the Avenue. When Sidney came on stage I turned on the recorder on my phone so I could have a recording of the song I had to learn. I watched the show, and after made arrangements with my scene partners to meet at 5 on Saturday before the show.

I went out with friends and stayed out way too late (that's a story for another time). Cancelled my work hours on Saturday and stayed in so I could focus on my lines. Now the good news is that I play a reporter so I could use a clipboard in certain scenes when I was on the scene reporting to my TV audience. That way I was able to put the pages of the script for that scene on the clipboard and use it as a crutch when I was on stage.  I showed up at 5 and we ran my scenes a few times and then I went to the booth to learn my song. I definitely needed to have my script in my hand for that!

I did the show. The announcement that I was going on as a replacement was not made until intermission. The producer thought that if he made the announcement prior to the start of the show that the audience would be conscious of me looking down at my script periodically, but if he said nothing they wouldn't be as aware of it and it would be even more impressive when they found out that I was a last minute sub with no rehearsal time nor no knowledge of the show whatsoever until approximately 24 hours before going on. It worked! They totally fell for it.

Although I was never told about the curtain call. Well, no worries, I thought. I'll just ask who I follow and where I go. Great.  No problem. Worked out fine. And then when we all took our group bow...the music started playing and the cast started singing one of the songs from the show...and not my song! What?! After all that? I get through the show without incident and then that gets thrown at me. What is this song. Do I stand here like an idiot and just grin at the audience? Do I move my lips and make it look like a bad ventriloquist act or bad dubbing on a foreign film? No! I'm going to try and sing a long. A song I don't know. A song I've only heard once. And so I opened my mouth and sang. I followed along. The melody was pretty easy to pick up and as for the words I just a split millisecond behind the cast. Seriously. I was basically echoing them but only barely.

When I walked off stage, I went into the dressing room and said I wish someone had told me that I had to sing in the bows! The composer /producer came backstage and apologized for thinking to tell me and teach me the song. But then also noted how I just dove in and sang along and he couldn't believe how I appeared to know the song, Only his trained eye could tell that I was actually about a split second behind the cast.

So I did it. I went on again today and it was better. Next weekend I'll be onstage without a crutch, totally off book. But for now...Phew! I've still got it!

Another Midlife Crisis (What? Again?)

So let's get up to speed here...

Last June I left my full-time job to free up my life for my acting career. It was a difficult choice and one I had been debating for years. I had money in the bank, I had a nice nest egg in my retirement plan and 401(k). I figured if worse came to worse, if I went through my savings, I could dip into my retirement plan. I could find part-time work. Bottom line: I wouldn't end up on the streets.

Its now been almost a year and I've learned some things. I don't like not having a full-time job.  It's tough getting up in the morning and not having a place to go. I feel I need that structure (routine) in my life. Without it, I feel somewhat aimless, lost. So set some goals, Richard. Create your own structure.

But in addition to that, I no longer have a group of people that I see and work with every day. People to talk to and share with. Its gone. It contributes to my feeling of aimlessness. I feel alone.

I went through almost my savings within six months because I didn't work much during that time. Then, in January I started working a couple of part-time jobs which cover most of my monthly expenses but not all. The part-time jobs offer me flexibility which I like very much. I can pretty much make my own schedule which is great for the acting career because it gives me the freedom to go to any auditions I want and work around those auditions. But the hourly rates are less than what I was making even 20 years ago and no benefits.

I pay for my own medical now and since I took early retirement rather than quitting I am able to keep my old dental and vision plans, (I could have done the same with my medical but it was ridiculously expensive!). I rolled over my retirement plan and 401(k) into an IRA. Like I said its there if I need it but it will come at a cost  if I withdraw since I am under 60.

My rent has gone up...again so there's an added expense there. No problem, I'll look for cheaper place olive. Nope. Rents are going up everywhere unless I want to downsize of move further out from central LA.  I'm doing that...yet.

I withdrew some money from my IRA a couple months back and put it in my savings account to help me out because I wasn't working many hours at the time and I had gone through my savings. But then I booked a commercial and then a couple weeks later got my tax refunds so no need to dip into the savings just yet. Meanwhile, I've increased my hours with both part-time jobs so I'm bringing home more money. Far less than what I'm used to but I'm still here.

But what's freaking me outs this...the first six weeks of this year I had 10 commercial auditions. I was called back for five of them and then placed on avail for 3 of those five callbacks. Amazing! Three on avails in one month. That's never happened to me before. And I booked one of those. Yes!

But then after that, nothing. March and April were dead. I've had a couple auditions in the last couple of weeks so I feel a little better. But man this is tough. I'm in a panic. Maybe I shouldn't have left the job. Umm, yes! I should have! I was miserable.  Do I get another job so I have three? Increase the number of hours I drive for Instacart? I do make decent money some shifts, like @ $22/hour. But then other shifts I'll average $15/hour.  If I can make $250 - $280 in 16 - 19 hours, I can make $400 - $500 in 40, right? But do I want to do that, drive around the valley for 40 hours a week?

The other job, merchandising, is nice because I work by myself and can do the work whenever I want as long as its done by the deadline and I usually have a 1 - 3 week window to complete my assignments. But it doesn't pay much.  So do I look for a new gig? If so, what?

What's amazed me is how the universe has provided. For instance, the timing of booking the commercial. It happened a couple times before as well.  Right when I was running low on funds in September, I got five weeks of contract work with my former employer. Then, in November a commercial I made a year earlier was renewed for another year so I got a nice paycheck for that and then some independent work from some friends. So I'm learning to trust the universe more.  I'm a year into this new chapter in my life and I'm doing okay.

As for the rest, I spend a lot more time alone. I've always done theater and I think Ive used that as an excuse form black of social life. Or rather, its always been a substitute for a social life. And I decided recently to cut back on doing theater to keep myself available for TV and commercial work. So as a result, I'm not interacting with people so much anymore.  Not having the income I once had, I'm less likely to go out and spend money like I was. And working independently makes me miss the daily interaction with my co-workers. It's lonely when you work for yourself and without anyone else.

I chose this path. This is the one I wanted and I'm doing it. I told myself a long time ago that I knew if worse came to worse I would not starve and I would not end up on the streets because I am smart and in good health. There's a lot I can do. It just scares me being alone in this and not knowing what's next.

A Look Back at 2017

On New Years, people make lists. They look back at the last year and list their top 10s or just reflect on the highs and lows of the past year and make resolutions or perhaps set goals for the next year.

I am not one for making New Years' resolutions.  Why use the first of a new year as a reason to make changes or improvement in my life?  It should be ongoing.  Right? However, the end of the year can't help but make you reflect on the past year. And so much has changed in my life this past year, I do want to take stock of where I was and where I am.

I spent all of 2017 working in the theater. And I got to play a variety of roles in various genres. I started the year playing (don't laugh!) Cornelius Hackl in Hello Dolly. The reason you may be hearing about for the first time here is because it was for a one-weekend only church benefit cast mostly with church regulars and I was one of the pros brought into the production.  You may scoff at me playing Cornelius at my age but based on the age of the other actors, it worked and I got to check off a dream role from my bucket list. Cornelius is the heart and sole of this show and I got sing a beautiful, ballad, dance and show off my comedy skills.

I went straight from Hello Dolly to 42nd Street at the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre in Claremont.  I had a great time working there and may some new friendships that have lasted beyond the run of that show. I played Pat Denning and while not a huge role and once again I was back in a musical in an almost non-singing role, Pat Denning sings about 16 bars of one song. But he does play a pivotal part in the plot as Dorothy Brock's love.  I played opposite the wonderful Sarah Meals as Dorothy and I know I'll be back to Candlelight in the future.

While performing in 42nd Street, I began rehearsals for Hello Again, the musical which I directed at Chromolume Theatre in the spring. It was a big challenge. Not only is it rarely produced but it is the compete opposite of a Broadway blockbuster like the previous two shows.  And as is typical of me, I had some pretty serious doubts that I could pull it off. But I did.

While in rehearsals for Hello Again, I heard from two other theaters in town asking if I would be interested in auditioning for their upcoming shows. Crown City Theatre in North Hollywood was producing an original play written by one of their Co-Artistic Directors. Somewhere in the Middle was a comedy-drama about a Jewish-Catholic family whose college-age daughter brings home a black, Palestinian, Muslim fiancé to meet the family on Passover. Think Norman Lear 1970s sitcom. I played the father and I loved being able to play a straight role as the patriarch of a family.  We got great reviews and extended for a couple weekends.

And finally, I was asked to audition for the part of the Old Man in a stage adaptation of A Christmas Story, not the musical recently seen on FOX, but a straight play based on Jean Shepherd's stories. We opened in mid-November and closed on New Years Eve. The show was amazing. We sold out almost the entire run. The set, props and costumes were all top notch and the reviews were all raves. And best of all I had a role that was a real showcase for my talents. It was probably the most physically demanding role I have ever had. I was constantly out of breath backstage early in the run but as the run progressed, I noticed I wasn't as out of breath. And I lost some weight. Like seriously, my pants are hanging off of me.

And next, to start 2018, I return to one of my favorite roles of all time, Harold in The Full Monty, opening January 26 at San Diego Music Theatre and running through February 25. I start rehearsals tomorrow. Its a great to start the new year.

As I look back at last year, one word comes to mind...GRATEFUL. Look at the parts I played this year. All very different. Big budget musicals, small family dramas and comedies. I got to stretch my acting muscles and play so many different roles.

But the biggest step I took this year was quitting my job of 11 years so I could focus on my acting. Scary. Risky. Some might say Bold, maybe even crazy. Time will tell. I am scared but I also know that if I want to make a living as an actor, I need to focus on that and nothing else.

My goal this year is to book some co-stars on TV. I'm already off to a decent start with some auditions in the last couple of months. Based on the words listed at the top of this blog, what shows would you cast me in? Let me know in the comments section of this blog.

Thanks and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Let's Put On A Show! The Full Monty

Today, I was surfing the internet and came across some publicity photos from a show I did eight years ago. (Really? Eight years? It can't be) And don't ask me how I "happened" to find pictures of myself online! Alright! You caught me! I was googling myself. But, it was for research. Honestly. I wanted to see if my website came up in the searches. And guess what? It didn't! So there?

So, anyway! I found these pictures from a production of the musical, The Full Monty, that I did eight years ago. (Still can't believe it's been eight years!)

That's me as Harold dipping my wife, Vicki played by Ellen Caranasos-Sharp

This has to be one of my all-time favorite times I ever had on stage. We were with this show for close to six months. We auditioned just before Labor Day 2007. The show opened a week after Thanksgiving and played four weeks. Closed for the holidays and re-opened in mid-January and closed in mid-February.

The best cast ever and to be perfectly frank a perfect role for me. I loved it and I never wanted it to end. And there's also a great back story. An underdog story for the ages!

I was a member of a theater company and The Full Monty was on their schedule. We had auditions, callbacks and were cast. And then a week went by. No communication from the production team. A little over a week after being cast, we received an email saying there will be a cast meeting at the theater on Saturday morning. So, I got my script ready, highlighted all my lines and stage directions in yellow. Got my Ticonderoga yellow number 2 pencil and an eraser, packed my backpack and headed to the theater. But in the back of my mind, I wondered, "Why did it say cast meeting and not read through or rehearsal?"

So, we arrive at the theater only to be informed by the production team that unfortunately the theater company did not have the finances to pay for the production. They were behind in the rent and had to pay the bills of the last two shows. So because the production team had worked so hard to assemble this great cast, (and it was  great cast), they had been meeting all and had finally come up with a way to do the shows with the cast. They negotiated with the owner of the theater, found a producer to pay for the show.

That's Not he Goods (that's me furthest right crouching behind the couch)

We were assured that this would not affect our membership in the theater company. We would still be members in good standing with our theater company and this would also give the theater an opportunity to focus on paying the bills and not go further into debt. Were we all on board?

Hell yes we were! And on we went. We lost one actress a couple weeks into rehearsals. She just was not a good match. I knew immediately at the read through. We all sat in a big circle. She sat in a corner outside the circle. Now, granted, she had a bad cold. So I gave her the benefit of the doubt. But then she started acting surly. She was having none of our goofing around and having fun. I chalked it up to her sickness. But in the weeks to come, she missed rehearsals or showed up late. And after a couple weeks, one of the producers called her and gave her an out. She clearly didn't want to be there. So she left and one of my dearest friends (who was also part of the production team) came in. Yes!

Normally, shows in Los Angeles run six weekends. Our original plan, was to open the last weekend in October and close in six weeks mid-December. But because of the late start, we opened a week after Thanksgiving and closed the weekend before Christmas. And then a last minute extension for four weeks after the holidays.

On the left, Me with Ellen as Harold and Vicki. On the right, Aileen-Marie Scott and Ed McBride as Georgie and Dave. 

I played Harold Nichols, the laid-off, uptight middle manager of the steel mill in Buffalo, NY. He thinks he's better than all the others because he's management and lives a better lifestyle than them. And they blackmail him into helping them. I loved the show, loved the part, loved the cast. I am still good friends with most everyone from that show.

The show was performed in a 99-seat theatre space in Los Angeles. The sets reflected a scrappy industrial look. It really was an underdog production. And the reviews were amazing!

I've been lucky an had many, many wonderful experiences in the theater. But this one holds a very special place and always will. I feel like we could do it again tomorrow if we wanted.

I miss this one. Anyone out there want to produce it again for me? I'll be your friend forever!

The men of The Full Monty about to take it all off. (L-R Tim Hearl, Ben Euphrat, Ed McBride, Me, Keith Wright)

On Stage War Stories (My most memorable onstage moment)

Not long ago on Facebook I posted picture of me in two different productions of You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. In the comments section, there were references to the incident I am about to share with you.

There are many things that can go wrong in a live stage production. Props that aren't placed. Sound cues that don't happen. Lights going out. Actors forgetting lines or their entrance. I've experienced all of these things. But the single most memorable moment I ever had on stage was the time I threw up in the middle of a performance of Charlie Brown.

Picture it, New York City, December 1993. I was playing Charlie Brown in You're A good Man Charlie Brown. It was our closing performance, a Sunday matinee just a few days before Christmas. We had a cast party the night before at Brice Lloyd's house, (Bruce played Linus). The next morning I got up early to go downtown to pick up some crew gifts from the cast. As I arrived on the subway platform at 86th and Broadway, my stomach started to bother me. So I bought a pack of Tums from the newsstand and ate a few. My stomach still felt queasy.

I continued on my way. Went downtown to the South Street Seaport to a t-shirt shop and bought a couple of Peanuts themed t-shirts. Then up to the upper East Side to a Hallmark shop on Lex to buy some Peanuts cards and ornaments. Then to the theater at 54th and Lex. The Theatre at St. Peter's at Citicorp, which you enter y taking an elevator down from street level. I was early and the first one there. I went toy dressing room which was locked. I was not feeling well by this time. I curled up on the floor waiting to get in.

My friend Jane Southall showed up first. She was our light board operator. She got maintenance to unlock all the dressing rooms and the green room. I curled up not he couch in the green room as the cast crew began to arrive. I got sicker and sicker. I had someone get me ginger ale and saltines.

Me in my dressing room looking pale

Eventually, I went to the bathroom in my dressing room and threw up. I seemed to get it all out of my system. I still didn't feel great, but better. I went through vocal warmups with the cast. I was still really pale. We started the show. Everything seemed fine.

Me and Melissa during vocal warmups. She looks a little concerned.

I got through the Kite Song but I started felling a little woozy.  After the song, Patty (played by Melissa Broder) comes out on stage with her Valentines. We have an exchange where I mistakenly believe a card with CB on it is for me. My reaction is supposed to "I can't stand it." Through my dialog with Patty, I'm getting sicker and sicker. Finally, I realize I can't hold it any longer and right at the moment when I act to her last line, instead of saying I can't stand it, I run cover my mouth and run behind Snoopy's dog house and get down all fours and, well...spew.

Poor Melissa is standing there alone and ad libs something like Poor Charlie Brow. I hope you feel better and makes her exit. I get up from all fours and go offstage. (The piano player is playing through all of this). The cast is all back stage looking at me like what do we do? There is no crew backstage. We have no headset to the booth. They're all concerned I'm going to be sick again. I remember Jonathan Bennett (Schroeder) looking for something for me to puke in just i case. I leaned against the SR wall with me head down thinking about to blow again. And then the feeling passes.

I stand up straight. I look at the cast. I say, "Let's go on. I'm fine." We're about to go into the Doctor is In scene between me and Lucy (Lizzie Yawitz). So I walk out on stage from SL. I realize that the stage is not set for that scene. So I walk back off SR. (Steve has not stopped playing underscore music this entire time by the way).

Offstage, I instruct the cast what to do. We go onstage change the set pieces around for the next scene and go on. I mange to get through the rest of the first act without incident.

Lizzie an dme in the green room during intermission. Notice my skin color. 

During intermission, our ASM John Henderson as the unenviable task of having to clean up my mess behind the dog house on stage. Fortunately, I had gotten most of it out of my system an hour before the show. So not much came out of me and what did come out was very little, odorless and clear (I'm thinking it was the ginger ale and saltines. That's all that was left in my system.)

We go on to Act Two. I start getting sicker and sicker. Light headed. Not feeling well at all. I can't even stand up by the end of the show. I did the Glee Club sitting on a block in front of the cast rather than standing in the group. I barely made it through the how, but I did.  I went home immediately after the show and spent the next couple of days in bed. It was bad. Really bad.

But the show went on. And the audience never knew. They had no idea. In fact, the kids were crawling around in the dog house right after the show.

And that is my worst on stage mishap or most memorable moment of all-time on stage.

What's yours?

Dream Roles - My Bucket List

Ok. Been meaning to talk about this subject since I started this blog.

My dream roles. What are the parts I want to cross off my bucket list?

Here they are, in no particular order, just as they come to mind:

The Baker - Into the Woods
Applegate - Damn Yankees
Rooster - Annie
Roger De Bris - The Producers
Felix Unger - The Odd Couple
Kreton - A Visit to a Small Planet
Marvin - Falsettos
Alan - Baby
Jonathan Brewster - Arsenic and Old Lace
Henry Higgins - My Fair Lady
Charles Condomine - Blithe Spirit
Mason Marzac - Take Me Out
Mr. Macafee - Bye Bye Birdie
Hinesy - The Pajama Game


These aren't exactly dream roles, just ones I would like to play:
Harry in Company
Ensemble in Evita
Ensemble in Sweeney Todd
Twimble - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Benny Southstreet - Guys and Dolls
Dale Harding - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Arnold Wiggins - The Boys Next Door

Ones I'm probably too old for but I really wish I'd had a chance:

Cornelius Hackl - Hello Dolly
Albert Peterson - Bye Bye Birdie
George - She Loves Me
Chuck - Promises Promises
Charlie - The Foreigner
Snoopy - You're A Good Man Charlie Brown

Whats' that you say? Are there any that I have already played?  Why, yes:

Harold Nichols - The Full Monty (And I want to do it again and again!) THE perfect part for me.
Charlie Brown - You're A Good Man Charlie Brown
Prince Dauntless - Once Upon A Mattress
The Scarecrow - The Wizard Of Oz
Scrooge - A Christmas Carol
Reuben - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat


What are yours? Tell me in the Comments section below.

Stand Up Sondheim and Sketch. Oh My!

I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but I am an actor/writer/director. Not full of confidence in my abilities and modest to a fault. Which may be why it's taken me two weeks of blogging to come right out and tell you this.

I am telling you this to share some of my life with you.  This weekend I am going to see friends in shows. This is a frequent activity for me because here in Los Angeles, (now you know where I live! Don't come after me!) There isn't a day that goes by that I don't receive emails and facebook invites to friend's shows. When I am in a show, its obviously hard for me to go see my friends's shows unless they perform on one of my off nights. In the time I took to write this paragraph, I got two email invites, (No lie!)

I still have friends in productions of Arsenic and Old Lace, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, an original musical at a small theater in Burbank, and a reading of a new musical at a theater in North Hollywood. All happening this weekend. And then I have others in rehearsals for shows that will be opening in a couple of weeks. And there are the theaters I have worked at in the past, whose shows I try to see as often as I can. I want to support them all. I really do. But obviously it's hard to do. When I'm not in a show it is easier, My schedule is lighter Here is a typical slow week:

Monday night, I took a dance class (see my November 7 blog). Tuesday night I took an acting class. Wednesday night I went to pick up my bike from the bike shop (I brought it in for a tune up). Thursday night I went to see a friend do stand up. Tonight, I rest. Tomorrow (Saturday night) I got to Long Beach to Sondheim on Sondheim at ICT starring a friend and then Sunday I go to a sketch show starring a group of people I  used to sketch with at Acme Comedy Theatre in Hollywood.  Oh! and did mention? I have a full time job. That's right. I work Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. Some weeks from 6:30am to 3:30 pm.

AND! I go to auditions during the day sometimes. Today for instance, I had a commercial audition. Last week, I had an audition for a new crime drama and on Friday I had a commercial audition. You may ask, "How do I do that when I have a full time job?" Well, let me tell you. It ain't easy, bucko!

You may remember in an earlier blog this week I touched on friends with significant others and children and me with none of those things. This may offer some insight: I'm pooped! I go to the auditions, but then I go back to my office in downtown Los Angeles and I go back to work (I started to type that I go back to sleep! That's how tired I am). I claim those auditions as my lunch hour. But this being Los Angeles and there being tons of traffic at any given moment in any given place without any rhyme or reason, I could be gone longer than an hour. What do I do in those instances? I work later or I come in earlier in anticipation of the audition that day. Today, I was lucky. I was only gone for 1 hour and 10 minutes. But there have been times when I've been gone for 2 to 3 hours!  My boss isn't too happy about those. But then sometimes, she doesn't even notice.

So tonight, I watch TV and veg..Oh! I almost forgot. I have a theater audition in Thousand Oaks Sunday afternoon so I will have to work on that some. In between working out at the gym and doing laundry, grocery shopping for the coming week and washing the car. And I should probably do some house cleaning too. Well, my weekend is gone. See you next week!

Damn Yankees and other classic musicals

This week I went to see Cabrillo Music Theatre's excellent production of Damn Yankees.  The next day I could not get the songs out of my head. Now, I should explain that I have been in two productions of DamnYankees so I know the songs pretty well.  So the songs were already in there (my head that is). This just brought them out.

It got me to thinking how much I love this show and many of the classic shows from Broadway's "golden age" (1943 to 1964).  Now to the part where I sound like a crotchety old man. Many younger people think these shows are old fashioned or dated. Maybe its a sign of my age but there's a reason these shows are classics. I have always considered this show among my favorites. Would Iplace in the same league as say Sweeney Todd? No way! I have categories of faves or classics. For instance this would fall under the category of fun or joyous shows a la Pajama Game, Guys & Dolls, Bye Bye Birdie. I like the big brassy funny shows, The Producers, Hairspray. Then there are the esoteric classics, pretty much anything Sondheim. Or groundbreakers like A Chorus Line (the IT show when I was in my teens) Rent, and now Hamilton.  What am I not a fan of? Pretty much anything Lloyd Webber, British mega musicals of the 1980s.  Younger folks tend to go for Spring Awakening, American Idiot, and the jukebox shows to which I go "Eh? I don't get it."

Am I old? Showing my age?  No. I love newer shows like Next to Normal, Avenue Q, Book of Mormon.  As an actor and because I am now older or an "adult", I've had a chance to re-visit some of the classic shows and let me tell you there is a reason those are classics. Last year I was in an excellent production of The Music Man. Now, some people might say it's hokey or old fashioned. But I can honestly say after working on it that I firmly believe this is one of the best musicals of all time.  That opening scene on the train? One of the best opening numbers ever written. The songs are classic and the story is great. Its a perfect show.

Back in the day, Broadway shows produced many hit songs. These songs, in turn,  became a part of our pop culture. When I was growing up, (after the classic era had pretty much come to end but still a part of our very recent past), we sang these songs in grade school music class and in chorus. All of them. From Wells Fargo Wagon to Hey Look Me Over to Oklahoma to I Won't Grow Up.  And when's the last time a song from a Broadway musical ended up on the pop charts? (Rent in 1996 maybe) And apparently Hamilton may land on the pop charts too. I'm hoping so.

My thoughts are this, the 1950s musicals were FUN! Great songs, amazing choreography by the masters, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Michael Kidd, Onna White.  Maybe not the greatest books (I've always taken issue with the whole out clause, etc and Two Lost Souls limbo scene in Damn Yankees). But who cares with those songs and dances?

I suppose with the big effects musicals of the 1980s and the more recent musicals attempts to integrate more modern forms of music and dance, (which don't get me wrong, should be happening), younger generations consider the older stuff, well, old. Also the fact that these shows have been done by every high school and community theater in this country for 50 years have contributed to the belief by some that they are outdated.

But when you dissect them or see them done with a decent budget or in a first class professional production, you can see them for the true classics they are.

So forgive me if I go on about the "classics". I will take them any day. I want to leave the theater singing! I want to leave there wishing I could dance like that. I'd rather that than a helicopter or a barricade or a floating tire any day.

My point is this...you kids out there. Don't discount the classics. They're great shows.  They may be old fashioned to you but they stand up. I am all for newer styles of shows. We need them to draw in younger and more diverse audiences. It's very important. Its critical that they reflect the diversity of our country. They need to reflect the times, but there is still room for the old style Broadway belt, the 11:00 number.  And you'll forgive me for belting out the score of Gypsy over American Idiot. There's room for both on my plate.