Written on Monday 4/27/09.

Here I am blogging on paper again. Since it's paper we might as well call it journaling. Anyway, this time I'm writing from beautiful Bryant Park--a block east of Times Square.

To paint an accurate picture for you..

Smell? Grass.
Sound? Many conversations mixed with the running water of the fountain behind me.
View? A grassy lawn and beautiful botanical potted tulips and shrubs.
Feet? Up, honey. On a chair opposite me. :-)

Urban living is a contradiction in so many ways. People fear moving to the City because they think they're going to have to give up the outdoors, grass and sky. But for this suburbanite--this sounds horrible--sans car I've probably never spent more time outside. Parks and places to enjoy great weather are convenient. A trip to the park doesn't have to be in the plans. It can be a stop off on the way somewhere else, a place to kill time, or a place to enjoy a TBM from Cosi (that's my suggestion).

Yesterday was a fun full day. Saturday night after I got off work (midnight) I went over to Patric's where we proceeded to the fire escape and had one of our fantastic pondering the universe conversations over Koolaid and pizza bites.

The next morning I visited Redeemer, a church that meets at Hunter College. The music was classical in style and the preaching was both inspiring and thought-provoking. I'm not sure I buy into reformed theology but hopefully that won't get in the way of worshipping, learning and meeting new people.

After that I got to accompany my friend Hanley to game 6 of the Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden! Little known fact: I LOVE attending hockey games. We had a-mazing seats right behind the goal on the 2nd row. Hanley's family has season tickets and I have a really nice friend. :-)

One thrilling fight broke out right in front of our seats. The whole thing felt very medieval in a way. Like dueling/the Gladiator/a cock fight. I loved it. I had a fabulous time at the game despite the beating the Rangers received from the Capitals (5-1. ouch.)

* * *

It's now about 2 hours later. I left Bryant Park and returned to the Equity building where I had been instructed to return to in hopes of being seen. When asked, the Equity monitor was quick to inform me that there was a list of 60+ equity alternates that were ahead of me in line so no such luck Wah wah. Sidenote, I think I will blog about all the union mumbojumbo I oft reference at some point so you who don't speak theatre can have a reference.

If only it had rained today. So many people would've stayed home. Anyway, for now I wandered down to Herald Square where I'm enjoying my first Mocha Frap of the year. Yum! I'm also writing, thinking, texting and plotting out what I am going to do with my time the rest of the week.

A friend of mine and reader of the blog Katie asked me today if I've gotten to attend any auditions lately. I just realized that while I talk about life here in NYC sometimes I leave out the auditions I've attended! Last week I went to an audition for the upcoming national tour of 101 Dalmatians. I was aiming for one of the puppy roles--not sure if I pass as a middle-schooled aged dog or not. And today I auditioned for the Arizona Broadway Theatre. Notable shows they are doing include Footloose, Anything Goes and Phantom (not the Webber version). Thursday there are auditions for the Grease nat'l tour, South Pacific on Broadway, and another regional theatre. Next week I have an audition for an equity children's theatre in Washington DC, a national tour of Cabaret and a few other equity jobs. Still to come in May are A Little Night Music on Broadway, the Beauty and the Beast national tour, and a chorus call for Wicked.

Also, you would think men in this town have never seen a girl in a dress. Today I left my apartment makeup done for the audition, lipstick on, blue dress on and it was almost uncomfortable how many comments I got from appreciative members of the opposite sex. And I looked classy, dang it! Whatever.

OMGEE #11! What was i thinking?

How could I forget ELEVEN?!???

So Chelsea gets in a bit before I get off work. And of course the roomie (we'll just call her 'Annie' since that's her name) is out and about doing what New Yorkers do so poor Chelsea can't get into the apt upon her arrival. So I send her to the Starbucks 2 stops up from Anthro. It is by NYU's campus so it stays open til about 4 AM. Score! Now b/c my train ride to and fro the UES new pad and Anthro hasn't existed long enough for me to work all the kinks out I'm not completely positive on how to get to Chelsea. Uptown and midtown worst case scenario you just start following the numbers. But down in Soho (which stands for south of Houston--and Houston is the equivalent to 1st Street) we have no numbers so we've got problems. I think i've got my bearings and i'm walking the right way so just to be sure I ask random next guy that passes if I am indeed walking towards Broadway. We do the whole walk past then turn to face sort of but keep walking thing and the exchange goes like this:

Hil: "Hey, Broadway is this way right?"

Suddenly a ray of light beams upon his facial haired/black rimmed glasses/chiseled boyish featured face

Stranger man: "No it's (CUE SLOW MOTION)

Hil: Oh. My--you're Josh Hartnett! (with a tone of stunned disbelief)

Josh: that way." (points)

and then replies "Yeah." to my inquiry/declarative sentence.



I got to Chelsea about 15 minutes later.

This Week's Top 10

Hello friends far and wide!

I have neglected on the updates this week which is totally lame but rest assured I have not updated because I've been busy LIVING things worth telling you about! I love that. Who wants to live a life where each day blends together into a bunch of days of forgettable-ness? Not I!

Since we've last chatted I:

1. Saw 9 to 5 on Broadway from the front row. Tons of thankyous to Uncle Mark and Bill for treating me to dinner and a show. Nights like that have made me fall in deeper love with this city.

2. Accidentally sat in on a q&a with THE Dolly Parton after the show. Since it was in previews the entire production team watches performances and takes notes. It's still in the tweaking stage. I'm so fascinated by that process and inspired by that lady. Talk about a legendary career! And to be more than just a pretty face. Or a pretty actress. But a pretty songwriter! I like that.

3. Met Kristin Chenoweth. Got completely inspired by her interview. Bought the book. She signed it. I read it in a week (which is UNHEARD OF for this ADD chica.) I'll be mentioning excerpts here and there soon. It was really the perfect book for me to read at this juncture. I loved hearing about her early days in NYC. She actually stayed in a 1 bedroom at one point that had bunkbeds. 4 people in one room! I'm living in a PENTHOUSE compared to that!

4. Chelsea came to visit! And did we do the town UP! We went to the Roxy on Friday morning where I made the mistake of ordering apple juice. Now there's nothing wrong with apple juice--but there is something wrong with paying SIX BUCKS for it. *That is why we don't dine in Times Square. Lesson learned.

5. Another lesson learned: when using fun bag Mom sent in the package in lieu of backpack put odds and ends of purse in something bigger that zips . That way we don't lose metro cards, starbucks cards, lipstick and blush. So annoying. But lesson learned.

6. I'm battling 2 bad food habits. 1) doublestuf Oreo's. I see them and I feel a strong draw to them. Must. ingest. 2) I have this new bad habit with the vending machine at work. If it's break time I think it's snacktime. It's like i'm in 9th grade PE again. It's like my bod is always in survival mode b/c I have weird work hours (usually 5-midnight) so I need to eat when I get the chance. I bought some nutrigrain bars so hopefully I will stop buying soda and kitkats. Or it's back to 9th grade roundface we go. (Let's not.)

7. Back to the Chelsea visit..SO FUN!! I had an absolute blast introducing Chelsea to metro transit (she hadn't yet experienced) and Brooklyn. We tore Anthropologie UP! Let's put it this way, with my discount we saved $400. (cough.)

8. We also ate like champions and saw Mary Poppins. MP was darling and made me tear up at the end. (without fail, people!) Shows always remind me that I need to be in them.

9. The big news on Sunday was the Corner Shop Cafe (we'll totally go there when you come visit. You ARE coming to visit, right? Preferably Tuesday-Thursday [low shopping days. ya know?]) and the purchase of my precious new little candy apple green ipod! I'm in love. Who knew that a door, a kristin chenoweth memoir and a little green pod could up my quality of life like a rocket to the moon?

10. (hmm..what is 10? i'm certain there is a 10...) I GOT IT! I met this Israeli guy the other night and he told me about THIS If you're not much of a link clicker I'll save you the rigameroll. He told me that since I'm "Jewish" (my mother is 100% Jew in the blood if you didn't know) that there is this organization that will PAY for me to take a 10 day trip to ISRAEL. No. Joke. So needless to say, I'm making arrangements.

Kristin Chenoweth

I got the immense pleasure of getting to attend a Q&A session with Kristin Chenoweth (of the movie "4 Christmases" the tv show "Pushing Daisies" the other tv show "West Wing" and a little musical called WICKED) the following are a few videos that I got to record. She was every bit as charming and humble as you would think she'd be--and then some! Enjoy!







I've already started reading her book "A Little Bit Wicked" and Kristin (with the obvious assistance of her ghostwriter/incredible wordsmith Joni Rodgers) have captured many fascinating details of the life of a bubbly incredibly talented performer who has found her own unique path to the top. Unlike most everyone in this town she is not from the Northeast and she did not go to Carnegie-Mellon and she did not have a Grandma in the chorus of On the Town. Anyway, I hope you pick up the book or check it out from the library. Enjoy the clips.

My little bite of the Big Apple

If you've been following my journey in NYC you'll be relieved to see these pictures. :) Thanks for all the support and encouragement! She has a home!!

I wrote this in a bakery on Monday and now I'm typing it.

Monday February 13, 2009

Today I'm in the mood to write. But as I'm in the back of the Crumbs Bakery on 8th street--which is a full hour's ride away from my computer--I'm writing on the back of Central Casting's information form. They hire people to stand around in the background of shows and movies. I'd really like to do that at some point but in order to get hired you have to have 2 forms of government ID. And with 2 moves in 1 week and my belongings in 3 states well, needless to say who the heck knows where my social security card is.

The Big, big news:

Tomorrow I'm (FINALLY)moving into my new place! On (no less) than the 2 month anniversary of my arrival to the Big Apple. (!)

(*Can you imagine shacking up with friends and family for 2 months?! Ha. Who does that??)

I'm moving to the Upper East Side only a few blocks between Central Park and the East River. I've actually been paying rent on the place since yesterday but because of accumulating many hours of work at Anthropologie (thank goodness!) and auditions both far from where I'm staying (Astoria) and where I'm going (101st and Lex) my first opportunity to move is Tuesday-my day off!

In an hour I have to head down to work. This marks my 6th day in a row closing at Anthropologie. The store officially "closes" at 8 pm but would you believe every night I have left Anthro at the earliest 11 pm and at the latest 1 AM! When I get married I am delegating folding of the laundry to my husband. The end. I've done a lifetime's worth of folding already I think.

What else...

I think last week was my first week in NYC in which I wasn't plagued with some big life stress (how do I get around? is this safe? where am I gonna live? am I gonna stay? am I gonna go? ah, now what? should I go to grad school? should I drop this class? should I find a new job? why are my auditions sucking?)

Last week I just existed. I turned 24 and went to work and existed. It wasn't the best week of my life but it sure was a peaceful one and that. is. nice.

*Although, Tuesday night I had the immense pleasure of seeing South Pacific at Lincoln Center. EVERY MOMENT of the show reminded me why I'm so infatuated with music and acting.

Today I got to audition for Spiderman: Return to Dark which is being directed by Julie Taymour with music by Bono and the Edge. The audition went well and it's so nice to feel satisfied with what you did in the audition room. It was worth the 3 hour wait in below 40 degree windy weather.

Spring, wherefore art thou?

Addendum: I hope you discover an adventure in your own life and embark on it. Like my favorite Roosevelt said:

Snapshots of a few birthdays and stream of consciousness birthday ramble...

oh my gosh. 24.

24!

24?!??

Believe you me when I was 15 I was pretty sure the rapture would happen before I turned 16. I just had this feeling. And now I'm 24. 24oooouuurrr! Whoa.

And I noticed something. Well 2 things.

1. My phone wasn't overwhelmed by texts at the stroke of midnight. Or calls. You wanna know why?

My friends are grown ups now. They're asleep. They have to work in the morning.

2. It's pretty crazy to be sitting on my birthday eve in an apartment by myself in New York. Pretty crazy...

AND AWESOME.

(i think in order of top to bottom that is my 3rd, 21st, 23rd, 22nd and 20th birthdays. respectively.)