The Eve of Christmas

[mrdreamjeans]

I’ve learned a lesson. Live in the present during the holidays. If you’re going to miss December 25 with your nuclear family, then be fortunate enough to spend the holiday season with friends who embrace the moments you have together and make them special.

I have a 1:30pm matinee today here in Newark and then hop Amtrak to Washington, DC about 6:20pm. I’ll check into my hotel in DC tonight and then spend most of Christmas Day and the 26th with my friends Henry and Geoffrey in Arlington, Virginia. "Evita" opens in DC on the 27th.

I did not expect to have such a good time in Newark. The Secret Santa follies at work have been fun. Each night after the show, there have been unexpected faces appear back stage ... actors I’ve worked with in previous tours or on other shows and also actors who were in the cast of “Evita” earlier in our year-long journey. The unexpected gift of time with bearfuz, john_nyc, vern_nyc, the octothorpe and pagerbear is to be cherished. Meeting perlcub, unzeugmatic and badfaggot was a treat and today I get to meet sohipithurts. Vinny’s seeing our final performance and then we’re going to visit for a bit, until it’s time to train to DC.

Also in this mix , was a delightful breakfast with my dear friend Bill Gilinksy. Bill is my stage manager friend who gave me his apartment for three weeks while we were putting “Evita” together in October 2004. He just came back from India where he sang a concert for a Nobel Peace Prize nominee; to my surprise he brought back a kitschy silk tie (with elephants on it) for me:) Along with gotmoof, Mom and Dad refer to Bill as their “son”.

I may in a hotel room tomorrow, but I’ll be on the phone checking in with people. My family will be scattered, but we’ll be in close touch. I won’t be alone thanks to the events of the past two weeks. I have a lot to remember and for which to be thankful on the Eve of Christmas.

Comments

Thank you

[tkn1114.livejournal.com]

for the exchange of ideas and emotions always appreciated and cherished. I did think about you and other friends of similar background while in the movie house (notably A&M but not limited to) I can only imagine the pain, the frustration. I feel lucky, and I feel for you, for us. I feel the more compelled to do what I'm doing. BTW, I was thinking, should my thing bang and they make a musical version of it, you have a part in it (that's perfect for you) for as long as the musical runs!

You may well be right about fullfilled inner life. Well, to tell the truth, it can always be *more* fullfilled :0) But I'm lucky in that I always manage to be passionate about something. I have to. It provides me a focus, a direction. My parents might have made sure of that. There's always been a creative outlet in my life - before this writing, the clothing. So, now there's more. Whenever I'm bored, I'm unhappy. Oxymoron but true. But the trick is also not become a workaholic - I find them tediously boring!

A friend from SF who wrote the movie Under One Roof recently visited and we agreed that the difference between us is that he's in search of artistic fullfillment whereas I write because of political motivations even if I did'nt have artistic satisfaction from design work which, fortunately, I do.

This comes with some relief, because I don't want to write for vanity right now. There are in fact stories yet to tell.

Hugs of an american revolutionary :0)

Re: Thank you

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I am proud to know an American Revolutionary!

If there's a part that's perfect for me, give me great songs ... and make sure I don't do all the recordings and then have them tell me, "no one will ever sing it better, Neil" and then ask me who I would recommend they get to play the role. That's happened too many times ...LOL ... Make sure the character is better served by age and experience:)

Don't ever lose your passion! It's what sets you apart!

HUGS! Happy Boxing Day!

Diva worshipping

[tkn1114.livejournal.com]

I love it when you're such a diva! So fabulously grand :0)
You do realize that "Nooone will ever sing it better, Neil" is your equivalent of "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr de Mille", don't you?
The character who's from the 70's generation *is* better served by age and experience, and to some extent epitomizes the kind of Brokeback Mtn cowboys pain southerners seem to know best. I'm telling you you're perfect for it, else I would'nt have even mentioned it.
He does die in the middle of the 2nd act but leaves a legacy and is forever whorshipped. Now, *I know* you can handle that! :0)

Re: Diva worshipping

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

hmmmm.... "worshipped" .... sounds good to me .... *grin*

... wait a minute ... I'm looking at your spelling ...

horsewhipped ...?
whore shipped ...?

I hope you meant worshipped:) LOL!

Well

[tkn1114.livejournal.com]

He wanted to be whorewhipped but ends up being worshiped :0)