The Eve of Christmas

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.

The Eve of Christmas

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.