A World Full of Music

I am setting in a fairly nice, upscale casual type of restaurant waiting for my to go order when from the table in front of me comes a little beat box drum machine sound.

"boom chick a boom chick a boom"

I look up and see that it belongs to the cell phone of, shall we say, a lady of "a certain age".

She looks at her phone, decides not to answer it and puts it down. What she does not do is hit "ignore" or silence her phone in any way, instead, she lets the ring tone play out.

"boom chick a boom chick a boom"

It's a really long ring tone...

"boom chick a boom chick a boom"

A minute or so later, her phone rings again.

"boom chick a boom chick a boom"

She doesn't even look at this call.

"boom chick a boom chick a boom"

Did I mention it is a long ring tone?

"boom chick a boom chick a boom"

The phone rings a third time...

"boom chick a boom chick a boom"

but low and behold, this person gains access and she answers. No more ring tone.

Do the fancier touch screen phones NOT come with a silence or ignore button? You might want to check it out.

The Advantage of the Balcony

My box office is currently selling tickets for a neighbor club venue that has a floor level and a balcony. When asked about the difference in price, my response is all tickets are $25.00.

Real Question
"What's the advantage of sitting in the balcony?"

Answer in my head
"Well, from the balcony, you can through things, like bar straws and peanuts, down on the people sitting on the floor while they are unable to reach you from the floor for retaliatory fire."

I really do have something to say!

Below is a response I felt compelled to write after reading the e-mail thread BCCed to me by a friend. I never talk about abortion much. As I say below it is personal. I just hope I didn't come off as stupid as Mrs. Scott. And I say Mrs. Scott as I am sure Ms. would be insulting.

Dear Mrs. Scott,
If I had a vote in a pregnancy that I was involved with, I would want the pregnancy to come to term. Even though that is my CHOICE, ultimately I know I do not have a final say in the matter.

What I would really hate is to live in a country where any woman's only CHOICE is to find a back water hut well stocked with coat hangers. I really must take issue with your statement, which is misleading at best.

First, you quote the Old Testament, not Jesus. I didn't know your kind of "Christian" read the Old Testament.

"Do we really want a country where our minor daughters can be taken across state lines and abortions performed without us knowing??" Um, the legislation YOU propose would promote this. If not state lines, than international borders. The FOCA would help prevent it.

"Do we really want abortion procedures legal again where a full term baby is [delivered] and their brains sucked out?" Um, none of the decisions defending a woman's right of choice about her reproductive decisions allow for this kind of activity if it is even true. This is clearly a scare tactic and inflammatory. If you had any knowledge about pro-choice decisions like Roe v. Wade, you would know that these decisions balance a woman's choice against the viability of the fetus. Brain sucking is science fiction.

Do you even know what FOCA is about? Maybe you should read that for yourself. Let me help you by pointing you to the Library of Congress.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.2020:

I have never really discussed my views regarding abortion with my friends. What my CHOICES would be are personal. Not having created life yet myself, I like to think it starts at conception, but that is what I CHOOSE to believe, and that belief is based not only a bit on my Christian faith, but simply on how I FEEL about it, warm and fuzzy as that may be.

I also believe that neither the Government, nor you nor anyone else have any business in controlling how I feel about this. If you get pregnant in any matter, whether it be youthful ignorance, a misfire on birth control, or a violent rape, how you deal with that pregnancy should be between you, your family and your belief in how the world works. Creationist, Darwinist, it doesn't matter.

That is what Sarah Palin's daughter did after all without government interference.

God bless you too Mrs. Scott,

Andrew

The point of living and of being an optimist, is to be foolish enough to believe the best is yet to come.
- Peter Ustinov


----- Original Message ----
From: Karen
To: Denise Scott
Sent: Monday, November 3, 2008 10:36:41 AM
Subject: please do not send me any additional emails of this sort

Please remove me from your email list. I am not interested in this type of reactionary twaddle.

May God bless you. You clearly need the help.

Karen

----- Original Message ----
From: Denise Scott
To: Spencer Scott
Sent: Monday, November 3, 2008 7:47:52 AM
Subject:

“I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life that you and your descendants may live.” (Deut. 30:19)

Dear Friends and Family,

I am sending this note to each of you because I care about you and our country. I don't ordinarily do this but I believe these are extraordinary times. For many reasons, the most significant election in our lifetime is tomorrow. We are called as Christians to love one another and to protect life. Early Christians knew and embraced this responsibility. That is why they rescued orphaned children (many who were left to die because they weren't "normal") and helped the widows and poor. Remember Jesus taught us to help the "least of our brothers." Who is more helpless than an unborn baby, a special needs person, or an elderly person in a nursing home? This election provides us with an opportunity to help the least of our brothers and sistersmn. John McCain and Sarah Palin offer us an alternative to the culture of death we find ourselves in this country. John McCain has a 100% favorable pro-life voting record on abortion and Sarah Palin lives her pro-life values every single day. If Barack Obama is elected he said the first thing he would do is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. This act will remove all restrictions from abortion - parental consent, partial birth, etc. Do we really want a country where our minor daughters can be taken across state lines and abortions performed without us knowing?? Do we really want abortion procedures legal again where a full term baby is delievered and their brains sucked out? What kind of person would do this or would support this? What kind of person would vote 4 times to allow a baby to be put in a corner and die that is born alive from an abortion. Think about it, do you really want this person in charge of your HEALTH CARE when you are older??

For my friends that are considering voting for Obama, do you want your children and grandchildren to live in a "culture of death" where the state decides whose life is worthy of protecting? When the state has control of the health care system that will eventually be what happens. You can see it now in countries that have state-sponsored health care systems. Cancer patients, the elderly, and children with special needs, are all targets in these societies, simply because they cost the state too much money.

For my pro-life friends, don't be discouraged, this election is not over and the outcome depends on all of us getting out the vote. Go early to the polls and be prepared to wait as the lines will be long. Help others get there if you can. While in the voting booth choose the candidates that promote a culture of life, not a culture of death.

Thank you for reading my note. Please consider emailing your friends with a word of encouragement. Most of all, please pray for the wisdom of our electorate and that God's will be done.

God Bless,
Denise Scott

The Good and the Bad.

The good news is I have a home and power and all the true necessities.

Bad news is Center Point says that Houston is looking past Monday for major power restorations.

If Chelsea Market is with out power more than this weekend, the YT is toast!

Quibble, this would mean no cable for me for a while. Maybe I will start really reading again...

Now, the burbs and rural areas should be mostly up by Friday. I guess there are fewer trees out there. ARGH!!!!!

Watching Ike

When I was a child, I remember the adults talking about watching Watergate on TV. I wondered to myself, what is this show Watergate about? Now, of course, I know it was in reference to watching the news coverage of the Watergate scandal.

Today, I find myself "Watching Hurricane Ike" and wonder how many small children out there think the grown ups are watching some new fall TV series while waiting for the big scary storm to blow through. Are these children watching the coverage as well and know it is "news"? I didn't watch any Watergate coverage. I suppose I was in bed before the later news came on.

When did the news come on in the early 70s anyway?

Off to watch more Ike!

Poachers Will Be Shot On Sight!

It is pre-production week for our first show of the season. The Stage Manager is already working and we are 4 days from starting rehearsals.

Another production manager from another theater calls my SM and offers him a job that starts 2.5 weeks into my production. She steals my SM from me with a higher paying contract.

Foul!

Now I know, with Equity rules, I know we are supposed to let people go for more remunerative employ. I am not upset with my SM. I can't blame him for wanting to take the other job with gas and school loans and all else these days.

But the PM from Theater X? I DO blame her! She knowingly enticed the SM away days before rehearsal. I don't care how desperate she was for a good SM, she had to know that she was creating a desperate situation for me! Now I am scrambling for an SM to take over the show during technical rehearsals.

Red Card! You are outta here!

Summer Movie Frenzy

In response to Chris Wheeler's Comment: I am sorry you didn't find it as uplifting as I did. I will agree on this point, if Brosnon releases an album, I will definitely NOT be in line for it. He was definitely the weakest, though he did fair better on "I Do, I Do". Dancing Queen was a highlight, but I am also a fan of Honey, Honey.

Regarding the other films you mentioned, I agree, over all, Iron Man and Dark Knight rule. I might even say, for me, that Iron Man wins the summer in the end, even if DK box office is going to be the bench mark for summers to come.

I am looking forward to the new Mummy. I hope it measures up. I am a fan of Brendan Frazer (some even say I look like him (I wish!)). I saw Journey to the Center of the Earth which was fine, and a fun ride, but not a must see.

And I just saw the X-Files. Thought it was great. And I think it is good for the fan and the newbie. If you are a fan, you know all about Mulder and Scully and their relationship, but there is enough in the film that you understand what is going on between them if you haven't seen the show. The main plot is completely contained in the movie though, so if you don't care about their drama, that was still an interesting story to follow. I thought anyway.

But then I am easy.

Chris, is your wife available for lunch? I think we would have a blast!

It's too Darn Hot!

I think Cole Porter said it best. Summer in Houston, namely August and the coming September are to darn HOT!

Wow, it has been all summer and I haven't said a peep. I just can't seem to quite get the hang of this.

Here are some highlights.

Mamma Mia: LOVED IT! I already have seen it twice and will likely again if I get feeling low before it leaves theaters. It is just plain fun. If you read the reviews, forget them! The critics just don't understand a good time when they see it. The music is faboo, you have a good time, and yes, it sometimes borders on the ridiculous, but who cares? With a super trooper cast headed by Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnon, honey honey, you just can't help but have a good time.

Summer Olympics: I always look forward to the Olympics. The best thing they ever did was stagger Winter and Summer. Swimming and Gymnastics. Paul Hamm has a broken hand? Talk about a nail biter! And Phelps set to get a million dollar bonus? Good gracious!

Still, I have to ask, is it just me, or does the Olympic Stadium look like it was attacked by a roll of duct tape?

So should I read the Twilight series? I haven't heard so much hubub on a book since Harry Potter!

Summer was rough financially speaking. Price of gas and all, but some progress was made.

Total Debt: $13,645

Another Bench Mark!

After May's bill payment, on June payment, and playing Tweedle Dee for an hour, I broke $14,000!!!!

Yippie!

No details, sorry. Time is short. But I have done the math.

Total Debt: $13,755

Too Bad, So Sad...

Sometimes I hate being the cold and cruel box office manager.

At my theater, we are currently having a highly successful, sold out run of Present Laughter. Today was no exception. When curtain time arrives, we sell the empty seats to people desperate to get in on stand by and I sold every seat. (Thank you very much!)

After the show starts, 10 minutes after curtain time, a couple arrives in from the suburbs. Because I had sold all the empty seats to stand bys, I had nothing for them at intermission and certainly not for late seating.

Our usual option is to reschedule for a later show. We have a two week extended run, but unfortunately they were going to be out of town then. So, as a final gesture of goodwill without breaking the rules, I offered them a certificate to come back next season. Mr. Late Comer took it because he "had no other choice" but was going to "remember this the next time they got a letter asking for money!"

Ugh! That just makes me feel so mean. But we have limited late seating and no refunds. They knew that, even if they didn't pay attention to the warning when they bought the tickets.

All in all though, Mr. & Mrs. Late Comer are still beat out by the early ticket buyer, when unable to buy a ticket outside of business hours (I was in a meeting! What could I do?), told me that "the Alley [Theatre] is always open!" and walked out the door.

Signed Mr. McScrooge Box Office Manager

Are You Talking to Me?

When I work front of house for the MainStage, people think I am Joel Sandel.

When I answer the phone at the box office, people think I am David Wald.

When I do children's theater, people think I am Kregg Dailey.

It is no wonder I am having an identity crisis!

Starry Friends

One great thing about Facebook is I have been able to catch up with a few old friends from High School. One of those friends is Bobby Getchell.

Bobby is now more widely known as "Robert Getchell - Tenor". Good ole Bobby, who sang some in High School, ended up studying voice in college, then in Europe and is now pretty big stuff. At least he seems big in the classical world.

It just floors me! I had no idea that someone I knew from back then had taken such an artistic road and had professional success.

As much as I am happy to say, "GO BOBBY!", it puts my recent gig as Tweedle Dee at a Bat Mitzvah in a sad perspective. I want to perform for the crown heads of Europe, not 13 year olds!!

At least Tweedle Dee got me $200 for an hour's work. Expect to see half that go to the big D this week!

Hey Drewster? What Time Is It?

I have three watches, all of which have dead batteries. One, the swacth, has a broken wrist band.

So, today, I took a friends advice about getting the batteries done at a watch kiosk in the Galleria, and went.

I haven't been to the Galleria in a very long time. I remember the place as a kid. Because it had two movie theaters back then, we would go all the time. You see, in the 1970s in Houston, it was actually cool enough to make the trek on foot.

So, we would go all the time for movies. The Galleria was only two sections then. One set of 2 (or was it 4?) screens were in Galleria one on the ice rink level and the other set was in Galleria two. Very often when traveling between the two when you realized that it was the other theater that had the film, you would cut through the Magic Pan restaurant.

Today, there are four Gallerias, no Magic Pan and no movie theaters. My first stop was at the Swatch store in Galleria 4 where they did not have the watch band in stock, nor could they order it. (I have now done that on-line). I then moved on to the watch kiosk in the bridge between 1 and 2.

On my way I stopped at Urban Outfitters. Beware the trendy urban stores that open in the Galleria. Translation = They are now to pricey for you.

Waiting for the watches I walked around a bit and thought about the stores there. The Disney store used to have clothes for everyone that sold the Disney brand. Now it is only kid stuff, not so much clothes and more targeted to current projects than over all Disney. Ironically, I was wearing a Donald Duck T-shirt which was one of the last things I ordered from the Disney catalog before they started dropping men's stuff.

Ambercrombie & Fitch, which started out as basically high end prep stuff is now just Amercrombie and is aimed at the young and beautiful. The Gap has moved from 1 to 2. I don't even go in. They don't make clothes for my kind. My kind being larger than a 32 inch waist.

And of course, the place was packed with the young and the beautiful. And I wonder, how do we get a fraction of these people to the theater?

And yes, I have three working watches, one waiting on a new band. I now know what time it is without pulling out my cell phone...

My Mother the Dweeb

I got a phone call from my mother today. She thought, with the new Indiana Jones movie out this weekend, she should see the first three, having never seen them.

So, I am mailing my copy of the DVDs to Williamstown so she can watch them and then the family up there can have an outing to see the new fourth installment.

Speaking of which, I saw the fourth installment today. I enjoyed it quite immensely. I had couple of quibbles with the ending (NO SPOILERS HERE. Commentors feel free and be warned.), but the over all concept of the movie's mythology was fine.

Look out for nods to the Young Indiana Jones series, an homage to Star Wars and very funny ground hogs.

City Sinners.

Boo Entertainment Weekly! Boo!

I got my EW this week and it of course is featuring Sex and the City.

But it is a double issue, which means no EW next week.

And its double content covers SATC exclusively!

Now, I have seen a couple episodes of this show, and it was amusing, but it didn't catch me as a viewer and I am very, mostly, likely NOT going to see the film.

The last double issue we had covered the entire summer movie season. It took me 2.5 workouts to read it. Good job.

This one? One work out, because what it really is, is a regular issue of EW with a large editorial section on one film. Letters, photos, article, article, births and deaths etc., flip, flip, flip, flip, flip, flip, flip, Caspian review, done! Um, all those flip flip flips should have been next week's mag!

Maybe we will get lucky and the double issue will truly be special and a new issue will still come out. Otherwise, that Precor is going to be so hard next week when I only have one day of distracting, mindless reading to help move the 40 minutes along.

And a shout out to Troy! One of the few who reads my drivil!

Play Piper! Play!

It has been so long since I did this, but I have been making payments.

Payment Sent (2/15) = $221.44
Attributed to interest = $57.79
Attributed to montly budgeted expenses = 103.65
Attributed to Credit Card Debt = $60

Total Debt: $14,360

Bacon and Chocolate

Who would have thought to combine bacon and chocolate? Well, apparently Vosges did.

I received a Mo's Bacon Bar for my birthday and have been slowly eating it, bit by bit.

It's milk chocolate with pieces of bacon in it! It is a totally bizarre taste, and yet, is sweetly satisfying. It is hard to explain, but I can tell you, it is not a disaster of an idea.

Not in the slightest.

The Piper is Being Paid

Dear Readers,

I am sorry that I have not been keeping you up to date since my birthday. I have been very lazy and catching up on Battlestar Galactica. I am all caught up, but also paying the debt!

Efforts made include a couple of party gigs ($200), remainder of March Payments ($50) and April Payments ($141).

I am no longer posting my goal. I don't think it is realistic anymore. I think if I break $12,000 this year, we will be doing good. An interest rate just went up, which will slow me down a bit by either paying it, or switching to a new rate. Switching will garner a fee, but if it can be a locked in rate, I will defintely take it.

Total Debt: $14420

Happy Easter!

So, despite last night's festivities at the Karaoke bar, I managed to get up and go to church today.

Being Easter Sunday it was full, and I had to take a seat in the back. The rector giving the sermon doesn't seem to use the mic when she is facing the congregation. Good for her! Mics are over used these days, but it can cause some interesting affects.

As my ears are not the greatest, and as I was sitting in the back, I could have sworn she said, during the sermon, that after rising from the dead, Jesus greeted his disciples at baseball!

It only took moment for my brain to fully translate that it was his disciples and faithful, but during that moment I had time to think, "What! They were playing baseball? What is she talking .... Oh! Faithful." I felt like I was reliving The Life of Brian and the Sermon on the Mount. "BLessed are the cheese makers?"

Of course, with 12 disciples, Jesus did have more than enough to field a team. I wonder what they would have called themselves....

The Beginning of the End?

I saw my friend Luisa today at the theater. I confessed that next week is my 40th birthday.

She said, "Ah! Welcome to middle age!"

We are no longer speaking...

;)