geek cakes!

When two nerds get married, what could be more appropriate than a geek wedding cake? Kristy gets points for the Katamari Damacy cake at her wedding though. (Don't know what Katamari is? That's OK; I didn't either.)

it's a highway 57 paradise

And no, I'm not talking about State Route 57, although in rehearsal I did jokingly suggest we change that lyric. Here's a little more information on Pump Boys and Dinettes, the show I'm now officially music directing at Olde Towne Hall Theatre in North Ridgeville (they're having some issues with their web provider, so the web site isn't updated yet).

The show is set "somewhere between Frog Level and Smyrna, North Carolina," and gives a little insight into the lives of four service station attendants ("pump boys") and Prudie and Rhetta Cupp (the "dinettes"), who run the Double Cupp Diner. Lacking for better amusement in their little corner of Highway 57, they entertain themselves with their own brand of folk-pop-country music.

As pianist, I'm also playing the role of L.M., one of the Pump Boys who can sing -- as director Mo Olejko calls it -- "blue-eyed soul" (or as I call it, White Blues). That and my singing about farmer tans is worth the price of admission. Two guitars, bass guitar, and drums round out the group, with Rhetta and Prudie providing sweet vocals on top. It's a fun little music revue that doesn't take itself too seriously.

There are three weekends of shows:

              Fri, Oct 12 ; Sat, Oct 13
              Fri, Oct 19 ; Sat, Oct 20 ; Sun, Oct 21
Thu, Oct 25 ; Fri, Oct 26 ; Sat, Oct 27

All shows are at 8:00 p.m., except the one Sunday matinee at 3:00. Tickets are $12 for young'n's, or $10 for senior citizens. There will likely be a free preview night on Thursday, October 11 as well.

We've already started rehearsing the cast members we have, but we're still looking for a guy to play Jim, who handles most of the lead vocals for the Pump Boys and plays guitar. We have a couple people interested, but nothing settled yet. So if you know anyone in the area... it also pays a delicious $100...

And yes, I did say "officially music directing": there were some vicious rumors (mostly spread by me) I might be moving to Dayton, but I'm in fact staying in Cleveland for the foreseeable future. Per usual, e-mail for details. :)

what a wonderful shadow puppet

This is pretty incredible. "What a Wonderful World" acted out with hand shadows by Raymond Crowe.

What a Wonderful World

abduction lamp

It's a lamp, AND a conversation piece!

Abduction Lamp

another casting, another show

I am... "temporarily"... music directing Pump Boys and Dinettes at Olde Towne Hall Theatre in North Ridgeville. For various reasons, there was no music director in time for auditions, so I agreed to serve as accompanist.

Mo (director of the production of Joseph I was in last month) is directing, and asked if I would be willing to music direct until she finds someone else, and I'd just be paid on a sliding scale. I said that would be fine, since I didn't have anything scheduled for the immediate future.

I would just do the whole show -- the pianist also has a part and sings several amusing solos -- but there's a big chance I will have scheduling conflicts. Those same conflicts are the reason I had to back out of A Christmas Survival Guide over at Clague Playhouse (it was a mutual breakup and we left on good terms). E-mail me for details. :)

So, I agreed to help out where I can. I feel good about this because Mo has been such a professional about the situation. She understands the dance -- no pun intended. She understands the ins and outs and betweens and sideways of community theatre and working with musicians. The favors get repaid and it all evens out in the end. That is to say, I don't feel pressured or like I'm being used, as I have other times. It's a nice breath of fresh air.

If you know of any men who can sing and play guitar... particularly pop-rock-country with a slight twinge of rural twang... or maybe even if not... let us know. The show opens October 12th and runs for three weekends. Oh, and the actors who double as musicians also get paid, by the way.

so proud

I'd just like to point out that this blog post is now the third Google result for "phenylephrine sucks."

So, so proud.

LOTR catapult

Unfortunately I don't know who made this, so I can't properly attribute it.

new development in the treatment of hodgkin's lymphoma

Promising Treatment Target Found In Hodgkin Lymphoma

The gist of it is, they found a way to differentiate Reed-Sternberg cells -- the giant cells found in the tumors of people who have Hodgkin's Lymphoma -- from other immune system cells. Apparently, one of the products of Reed-Sternberg cells kills off the immune system's T-cell that could fight Hodgkin's. By altering the Reed-Sternberg cell's RNA to produce less of this protein, the T-cells can thrive and do their job.

It sure beats chemo, radiation, and the threat of secondary cancers!

onward hooooooooooo

At long last, all you fine blog readers will get to hear me sing. It wasn't until just recently that I thought I had a voice worthy of solo singing (although I could blend fine in a choir), but largely thanks to preparing this song for an audition, I believe my voice has matured.

On YouTube I've posted a video of me performing "Into the Fire" from The Scarlet Pimpernel (by Nan Knighton and Frank Wildhorn) at the Elyria Musical Art Society's Ice Cream Social this past June. I don't like my voice so much at the very beginning, but it gets better when the tempo picks up. The accompaniment is a recording of me playing it on my digital piano.

speaking of having a cold

I swear phenylephrine is a placebo. I bought some Sudafed PE Cold & Cough because the pharmacy counter was closed, so I couldn't get the kind that has pseudoephedrine.

And what a shock! It didn't work! My nose has been stuffy all morning. So I thought, well maybe this cold is too strong for it. After the indication period (4 hours), I realized I had one more Advil Cold & Sinus, which has pseudoephedrine, so I took that. Half an hour later, my nasal passages are perfectly clear and open.

Phenylephrine sucks. IT DOESN'T WORK. Stupid meth users ruined it for all of us.

classic simpsons moment

From the golden age of The Simpsons:



I was reminded of this scene because Stu and I had planned to finally see The Simpsons Movie tonight, but I've come down with a cold, so I'm not sure I will be awake for it.

Stu: Do you want to skip the movie tonight?
Me: NO! Simpsons Movie.... HURRAH!!! {hooooooonk}

At least this cold had the decency to wait until Joseph was done (unlike the cold I had during auditions). I'll have some more Joseph pictures later, but for now, here's one of me during my solo: