Update

I didn't have time to type out a good CATS story last night so I typed it out today and added it to the bottom of yesterday's post (after the letter).

Now And Forever

Dear Melissa,

MERRY MERRIER MERRIMENT!

I hope your New Year is as joyous as mine...

...I'm finally out of CATS!

I'm [info omitted] doing a new musical [musical name omitted]. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful the whole experience has been, is, seems to be becoming. Life truly exists outside the litter box.

Pretty much every dancer in NYC performed in CATS at one time or another. In my opinion, working as a swing (a "swing" understudies more than one role) in CATS was one of the hardest jobs on Broadway.

Most musicals have very distinct chorus members. As such, in a group number, someone playing the role of a baker might sing baker-type lyrics and dance in a baker-type way, while someone playing a seamstress might have a slightly different set of lyrics and choreography in the very same number -something more seamstress-like. Not so in CATS.

In the Broadway production of CATS, most of the song and dance numbers required precision dancing and singing, with every cat doing identical movements and singing identical lyrics (different harmonies, but the same words and the same timing). That was part of the beauty of CATS. Everyone leapt into the air at the exact same time, with their arms, legs, and heads at the exact same angle, and everyone landed together with equal precision. I never saw one cat land even a split second before the rest.

I once asked a friend "I understand swinging for five parts that have slightly different blocking or lyrics from one another, but when you're understudying five cats that have the exact same lyrics and choreography in most numbers and the only difference is where they're positioned onstage, do you ever forget which one you're playing that night?" And she said "Yup! Sometimes I'll be skipping down stage left, see a black cat already in my spot, and think "which cat am I???" Then I look down at my hands and go 'Crap! I'm ORANGE! -Upstage right!'"

Caught Up On Comments

I think I got them all :) Sorry for the delay. I've been immensely busy!

Out Sick

It's really much cooler looking when you can see my dad's old company letterhead at the top and his signature at the bottom, but whatcha gonna do. The funny thing is that I still have this. Shouldn't I have turned it in?

* Note: I'm not out sick today! Just still busy!

Letters To The Laundromat

To the Spanish Speaking Men at the laundromat:

If you have a question or need help with something, yes I speak spanish. If you're hitting on me, "No hablo español."

To the Old Men at the laundromat:

If you're hitting on me, I also don't hear well.

To my female, married, in her 60s, and totally not hitting on me neighbor who saw me on my way back from the laundromat, in my sweats (half of which I wore to bed last night) my "I can't be bothered with my hair right now" baseball cap, and my "please nobody make eye contact with me right now" dark sunglasses, and gave me a huge smile and out of nowhere said "You look GOOD!"

I love you.

Art Isn't Easy

A "filler" course my friend took to finish up her last few credits.

Follow Up Conversation

HER

I wrote that?

ME

You don't remember wrapping yourself up in wire?

HER

I think that was my senior year...

ME

Are you sure about that? Because I think you may be having a "senior" year right now! ;)

Best Friend In Elementary School

C was my best friend in Elementary School. To be honest, I'm not sure if I was her best friend, but I had more fun with her than with anyone else I can remember when we were young. When she moved a whole state away I was devastated. We wrote on and off for about 5 years. She moved two more times, then we finally lost touch.

Hay Kid, Where the ________ (oBSanity) have you been? I'm in a good mood. I feel like Writting all my long lost friends (not that your one of them) but you do Come Close!! Consitiring I haven't seen you in 2 years and Kerrin in 3 or 4. I'm writting her next (comforting hah)

Right now I'm sitting in my room listening to Meat Loaf (Paradise By the Dash Bord light) WOW!!!!

So who do like now? I'm maddly (love spelling) in Love with two Boys...