Is it just me? Doesn't look like it.

The Republican and Democratic parties know their position on immigration is about votes and not about what's best for Americans. Legal immigration is supported by most Americans, but not illegal immigration. The President is interested in legitimizing a group of people that work for nothing. Employers love that because they don't want to pay a living wage in the first place. The argument is that illegal immigrants take jobs Americans won't take. That's not true. Americans can't survive on such low wages.

The real issue, take care of Americans first and worry about immigration later. We've got a war and millions of people with no healthcare. Congress needs to reject this bill and work on a healthcare initiative.

CNN article

Brownout pt. 2

Describe the American Theatre Landscape today. Where do you see it going? If theatre isn't your thing, think of film and TV.

I see it becoming more formulaic and young. Seems like new shows are appealing to a "niche" market. You've got Xanadu for the gays, Spring Awakening for the youth, Wicked for little girls, Color Purple for black folk, Disney shows for kids, and Frost Nixon for the old. Besides Spring Awakening, there's nothing out there pushes the envelope. Spring Awakening wasn't perfect, but it did take some risks (staging and theatricality) that paid off with 8 Tony Awards.

This fall we can look forward to shows like The Little Mermaid. Soon kids won't have to watch the cartoons, they can just come to Broadway. Maybe that's the plan. At $111.00 for an orchestra seat, I don't see that happening.

Back to the discussion...the topic of racial neutrality came up. Why can't people of color be cast as sons of white or Asian parents, if the idea of race isn't central to the story? Can the image of neutrality shift? Are audiences of film, TV, and theatre ready for that?

The country is changing and like I said before Broadway needs to change with it or risk it's own extinction. Again, we need a table that can seat the entire community.

Texting on Broadway

I guess, if you're the hot new young musical you need to have a way to get to the hot youth. I guess the producers are thinking out of the box to make this musical as much fun as possible.

NY Times article

What's next? Time will tell.

In the Hospital

I'm at Grounded and this is the first time I've had a chance to blog. There was no unsecured wi-fi at the place I was in. New York is hot and humid today and I'm not ready for the walks across town where your back is sweaty. You can't even wear jeans in this weather and it's only going to get worse.

I have been in a hospital all weekend being examined by medical students taking an exam. My job is to "act" like a patient and see if they "do their job". I have to be vague, cause I don't know who's reading this, but I can say that it's been an eye opening experience.

This is not every doctor, but I realized that if doctors just ask the right questions they can get more information so they can administer the correct kind of tests and save you and the hospital lots of money. I had to think about my own doctor and ask if he/she:

1. Uses open ended questions
2. Doesn't cut you off
3. Shows concern
4. Asks you about you and your family's medical history with specific questions.
5. Washes their hands
6. Makes eye contact

So many of the students didn't do these things, but they are students and still learning.

Thankfully, my doctor does all these things and I even have an HMO. I found my doctor through a referral. I needed a SGL (look it up) doctor and he's AMAZING! Actually he's gone, but I found another doctor in the same group (long story).

For those of you who care to answer, what do you look for in a doctor?

p.s. Why are so many doctors attractive??? I wanted to give a few my number! LOL

Bryant Park Friday Afternoon

Wow, this place is incredible, free wi-fi and as I type they're putting the finishing touches on the screen for the bryant park summer movie series.

Picture this, I'm on the lawn at a table with my feet on the green and soft grass. Bryant Park is basically a lawn with trees that frame the square. It's New York so you have the Grace Building and other tall buildings that surround the park.

It's like a breath of fresh air in the middle of all these imposing buildings. Most New Yorkers are grateful for green spaces because we're so used to concrete, metal and hussle. Here we get a chance to relax, meet up, etc. As I look around friends are chatting, people are reading and some are just napping. There are even two guys jamming on drums, so cool. Oh and don't forget the merry go round and restaurant.

I love New York.

My Fortune from Lunch

If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.

AMEN!!!!

Cheyenne Jackson on Broadway Again

Now I have to see Xanadu! I'm a Cheyenne Jackson groupie, ever since The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Broadway I've been a fan.




Check out these photos. I couldn't pick one photo over the other.

Update: He's going to be in It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman at the York Theatre....I will be there, if I can get tickets. Here's a great rehearsal photo courtesy of Ben Strothmann.

Brownout Discussion

Provocative title isn't it? Brownout was a panel discussion about casting, training and presenting actors and works of diversity, produced by the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts.

Great title, but like most panels, they covered too much and the moderator was more a spectator than someone steering the conversation (who could blame her, it was a great discussion). That aside, I was grateful to be a part of it. The artistic community needs more discussions about this. Here are two questions, to think about.

• How is diversity represented in the performing arts? This includes film, tv, and theatre?

• Does this representation validate you and your experience? if it does, how does it? If it doesn't, what would you like changed?

There are lots of expressions and we have the room for more of them. When I was young, I remember watching the Keaton's on Family Ties, but when I saw the Cosby Show it spoke to me on a deeper level. Seeing people that looked like me and being portrayed in a positive light was very affirming of what I looked like and to my experiences. Hopefully, members of the dominate culture can comprehend and appreciate that.

Communities need to rediscover how powerful the theatre can be. That responsibility can't be left to "someone". Those of us looking to change the landscape and the industry need to cultivate new audiences and get honest feedback from the communities that these regional and community theaters represent. Do audiences really want to see another production of My Fair Lady? The danger is if we don't bring new audiences into theatre, we'll be working in a medium that will eventually die off with the 50 and 60 year olds it caters to now. That's one reason that I love Spring Awakening. It speaks to a group of people and topics that theatre normally avoids, with music they can rock out to!

And that's just part of the discussion we had...more later.

Corporate Welfare

JP Morgan Chase is this extremely profitable company and they get these kinds of discounts and kickbacks? Talk about welfare. Is it that important to have them down in the Wall Street area? I wish they turned "ground zero" into moderate income housing. That's what New York City needs. The working class can't afford to live anywhere near Manhattan. This just ads to the suburbanizing of Manhattan.

Manhattan used to be the epicenter of arts and culture. With the average price of a 400 sq. ft. studio in upper Manhattan being $182,000 and rent being $1000 a month artists can't afford to live, much less contribute to this once vibrant city. NYC is riding on it's history and needs to step it up. What is so bad about having housing that is affordable to everyone?

BBC Article

Jake on Broadway

Sure he's a fine film actor and I did like him in Brokeback Mountain, but why do stars think they have the chops to do theatre. We'll see.

All I can say is, he was robbed during the Academy Awards for Brokeback.

Jake Gyllenhaal on Broadway