Hello Again.

LET’S GET UP TO SPEED

In these final moments of Summer I’m trying to quell the awkward feeling of impatience that’s trying to drive me to the next “thing”. In my last post I said I was going to make an appointment with an ENT and figure out my whole voice situation. As it turned out, I had strep throat which led to prolonged ulcerative laryngitis. WHAT A RELIEF! After hitting the amoxycillin I slowly felt my voice come back to me and all was once again right with the world. I finally finished painting the ceiling (a year and a half project), and then I had an idea that I hoped would re-ignite a part of me that was feeling ignored.

THEATRE KID

As some of you may know, I was a theatre kid. I lived for the stage. From the time I was a little kid in church plays, and all the way through high school, I was involved in some sort of theatrical production. But then I went to college, and something happened. I don’t know what it was. Life just seemed to be moving so quickly that I never really got a handle on what it is I wanted or should be doing. My love of theatre never left, but I couldn’t find a way in anywhere. So, I kind of accepted that that space for me was gone. I stuck with music because it was easily accessible as an environment and satisfied that theatrical need in a way.

Fast forward about nine years.

The opportunity came up through a friend of Krissy’s about a fellowship through her company for new plays/musicals. I immediately jumped at the opportunity. I worked at the piano crafting songs and spent my time writing dialog during my second, overnight job as security for a hotel. I eventually completed The Levy Debate and finished as a finalist for the fellowship. Full stop.

Fast forward another ten years.

Anna had been showing interest in performance and theatre, which Krissy and I encouraged. She auditioned and was cast in a production of Frozen Jr. at a performing arts center in Syosset. She was great! But something happened to me whenever I would drop her off. My friends when I tell you something spoke to me, I’m not saying that lightly. Just breathing in the space and inhabiting that essence had moved me. It’s one of those things that’s so hard to explain. But I felt the call.

Three more years.

I was feeling the itch for a bit now and I even started the process of crafting my second musical. That’s when the idea hit me. The summer camp that Anna attends runs a theatre program in the last two weeks, culminating in a show. Last year was Wonka Jr. I thought maybe I could take two weeks vacation from work and get involved, replanting myself in the world of theatre. I ran it by Krissy, and she thought it was a great idea. I applied and became the Assistant Director of the LuHi Summer Programs production of Wizard of Oz Jr. What a great experience! It was my first time on the directing end of a show, but working with the kids and putting it all together was well worth it. The cherry on top was that Anna was the Wicked Witch (she was incredible).

All this to say I’m eager to find more opportunities to incorporate this part of my life I had been missing out on.

SO NOW WHAT?

As the summer winds down, I’m getting ready for a stretch of shows that are coming up. I’ll be the featured artist during Big City Folk Song Club at Plaza 33 on Sep. 2nd. Then I’ll be making my debut at Swing The Teapot on Sep. 26th. After that I return to Cowgirl Seahorse on Oct. 13th, and Rainbow Rodeo Live returns to Penny Jo’s Uptown on Oct. 19th. There’ll be a couple LIC Bar dates in there as well.

I’m happy to be resetting and getting back into a groove. I’d love to see you out there in the real world.

-Robert