The Way Things Are
I have been nearly comatose for the better part of the last 24 hours. It's amazing how long you can push and push and push yourself, and then have everything all come crashing down when it's all said and done.
It's been go-go-go ever since October. I had the Radio City job -- which was exciting and fun -- and then it was on to Steel Pier, and while I was working on the musical, I was also in rehearsals for the dance concert. Add on to that trips to NY for auditions (read: rejections), working at Clyde's in every spare moment in an attempt to make money, voice lessons and dance classes, and Don was spread pretty darn thin. Dangerously thin, I might add. This past week was absolutely crazy. I don't think I know what a day off really is; I haven't had one in months. But this past week was ridiculous:
Monday:
7am: Leave to take Dad to work.
8am: Leave from downtown Silver Spring to drive out to Bladensburg to take friend to BWI Airport.
11am: Drive from BWI back to Rockville.
12pm: Chorus rehearsal at Montgomery College.
2pm: Meet up with sabr1ta to teach/learn/rehearse two dance numbers.
5pm: Move the rehearsal to my house.
9pm: Move the rehearsal back to the studio.
12am: Sleep.
Tuesday: Second verse, same as the first!!
7am: Take Dad to work.
9am: Yoga
11am: Rent car from Enterprise.
12pm: Hunt for money at MC.
1pm: Pick up sabr1ta from Shady Grove Metro.
2pm: Rehearse two dance numbers.
5pm: Move the rehearsal back to my house.
7pm: Send sabr1ta on her way to NY... in the car we rented. Why? Keep reading...
9pm: Go to rehearsal you felt guilty about not attending.
11pm: Come back home and finish packing suitcase, cutting hair, grooming self, and printing headshots.
2am: Leave for Chinatown.
3am: Take Chinatown bus to NY to meet up with sabr1ta for audition.
Wednesday: Take note of the fact that no sleep has been had...
7am: Arrive in NY. Make way Uptown to get to 54th St. for audition.
8am: Stand outside Nola Studios in the blistering cold, holding Venti hot chocolate to keep you warm.
9am: Sign-up for audition.
10am: Audition with sabr1ta for 42nd Street.
1pm: Return home in rental car to MD.
5pm: Go to tech-in at Montgomery College. (Take note: it's a 4-hour trip home from NY. Just want to make sure you're keeping up.)
12am: Go home.
Thursday: Still no sleep...
7am: Take Dad to work.
10am: Rehearsal with Helen Hayes down at JOM Friendship Heights.
2pm: Go shopping for missing costume pieces. Check suitcase to make sure that all costumes are in order.
9pm: Rehearse with Sabra... because we're perfectionists like that.
12am: Go home. Unwittingly take the scenic route home. Hey, the moon was half-full and you like to drive.
Friday: You're starting to get the idea. I'll skip to the beef:
8pm: Show. Dance your heart out.
11pm: St. Patrick's Day shennanigans at Clyde's.
1am: Friend in crisis. Drive out to Bladensburg.
Saturday: Driving on empty. Literally.
8pm: Show. Dance your heart out (again). You've only got two performances. There's no point in holding anything back.
11pm: Cast party. Marvel at the fact that you're still alive.
1am: Cast party migrates to your house. Why? Because you can't keep your mouth shut.
Sunday: Dead on your feet? Yup, but you've got bills to pay.
9am: Work. Because exhaustion is not a viable excuse not to work. But it's okay. Mike will be there and things will be better.
There have been people who have said on occasion that they think that I have been lucky, implying that the things that I have gotten in life have just been given to me. Granted, I will be the first one to tell you that I'm fortunate to have done the things that I have done professionally, and although I want to go a lot further in my life than where I have gone, I'm very grateful for the places that I've been and the things that I've been able to do. However, to address those of you that feel I have been "lucky", therefore implying that there isn't any work involved in this, to you I say this:
Get your butts up at 7am every day and come with me. Follow me around for a week, going where I go and doing what I do because you WANT this. Come with me. And then see how "lucky" I've been. In the meanwhile, I've got to get to work... and I've got a 3am bus to NY to catch.
It takes years of hard work to become an "overnight" success.
It's been go-go-go ever since October. I had the Radio City job -- which was exciting and fun -- and then it was on to Steel Pier, and while I was working on the musical, I was also in rehearsals for the dance concert. Add on to that trips to NY for auditions (read: rejections), working at Clyde's in every spare moment in an attempt to make money, voice lessons and dance classes, and Don was spread pretty darn thin. Dangerously thin, I might add. This past week was absolutely crazy. I don't think I know what a day off really is; I haven't had one in months. But this past week was ridiculous:
Monday:
7am: Leave to take Dad to work.
8am: Leave from downtown Silver Spring to drive out to Bladensburg to take friend to BWI Airport.
11am: Drive from BWI back to Rockville.
12pm: Chorus rehearsal at Montgomery College.
2pm: Meet up with sabr1ta to teach/learn/rehearse two dance numbers.
5pm: Move the rehearsal to my house.
9pm: Move the rehearsal back to the studio.
12am: Sleep.
Tuesday: Second verse, same as the first!!
7am: Take Dad to work.
9am: Yoga
11am: Rent car from Enterprise.
12pm: Hunt for money at MC.
1pm: Pick up sabr1ta from Shady Grove Metro.
2pm: Rehearse two dance numbers.
5pm: Move the rehearsal back to my house.
7pm: Send sabr1ta on her way to NY... in the car we rented. Why? Keep reading...
9pm: Go to rehearsal you felt guilty about not attending.
11pm: Come back home and finish packing suitcase, cutting hair, grooming self, and printing headshots.
2am: Leave for Chinatown.
3am: Take Chinatown bus to NY to meet up with sabr1ta for audition.
Wednesday: Take note of the fact that no sleep has been had...
7am: Arrive in NY. Make way Uptown to get to 54th St. for audition.
8am: Stand outside Nola Studios in the blistering cold, holding Venti hot chocolate to keep you warm.
9am: Sign-up for audition.
10am: Audition with sabr1ta for 42nd Street.
1pm: Return home in rental car to MD.
5pm: Go to tech-in at Montgomery College. (Take note: it's a 4-hour trip home from NY. Just want to make sure you're keeping up.)
12am: Go home.
Thursday: Still no sleep...
7am: Take Dad to work.
10am: Rehearsal with Helen Hayes down at JOM Friendship Heights.
2pm: Go shopping for missing costume pieces. Check suitcase to make sure that all costumes are in order.
9pm: Rehearse with Sabra... because we're perfectionists like that.
12am: Go home. Unwittingly take the scenic route home. Hey, the moon was half-full and you like to drive.
Friday: You're starting to get the idea. I'll skip to the beef:
8pm: Show. Dance your heart out.
11pm: St. Patrick's Day shennanigans at Clyde's.
1am: Friend in crisis. Drive out to Bladensburg.
Saturday: Driving on empty. Literally.
8pm: Show. Dance your heart out (again). You've only got two performances. There's no point in holding anything back.
11pm: Cast party. Marvel at the fact that you're still alive.
1am: Cast party migrates to your house. Why? Because you can't keep your mouth shut.
Sunday: Dead on your feet? Yup, but you've got bills to pay.
9am: Work. Because exhaustion is not a viable excuse not to work. But it's okay. Mike will be there and things will be better.
There have been people who have said on occasion that they think that I have been lucky, implying that the things that I have gotten in life have just been given to me. Granted, I will be the first one to tell you that I'm fortunate to have done the things that I have done professionally, and although I want to go a lot further in my life than where I have gone, I'm very grateful for the places that I've been and the things that I've been able to do. However, to address those of you that feel I have been "lucky", therefore implying that there isn't any work involved in this, to you I say this:
Get your butts up at 7am every day and come with me. Follow me around for a week, going where I go and doing what I do because you WANT this. Come with me. And then see how "lucky" I've been. In the meanwhile, I've got to get to work... and I've got a 3am bus to NY to catch.
It takes years of hard work to become an "overnight" success.