Friday, December 14, 2012

Haiku #308

cards I bought at the charming Hell's Kitchen gift shop Delphinium,
to be sent to friends, colleagues, relatives, and my Congressmen
i will make music
and write my silly poems
and some letters, too

Monday, December 10, 2012

Haiku #307 - Finals Week

somewhere in Hell's Kitchen
is she's a bit stressed
you can probably find her
eating cookie dough

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Friday, December 7, 2012

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Haiku #303 - Inner Voices

inner voices sing
to an audience the words
we can't say out loud

Running only thru Sun Dec. 2, 2012 - 3 1-act solo musicals, work of Nilo Cruz, Hunter Foster, many more talented writers and performers. Info & tickets here

Monday, November 26, 2012

Haiku #302 - NY Pizza - Little Luzzo's



delicious pizza
and if you still have some room,
a Nutella treat

Little Luzzo's - E 96th between Lex & Park:
I've only eaten here a couple times, and both times been surprised at how good (and cheap) this place is - it's a non-fancy Upper East Side joint on the same block as the train. My pizza disappeared before I could get a picture (whoops), but here's a pic of the Nutella roll:

it's not much to look at, but it was yummy
They must go through a lot of Nutella; the tip jar is an enormous Nutella jar.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Haiku #301 - Book of Mormon in Chicago

they know the show now
time to add lights and costumes
off to Chicago!

The Chicago company of The Book of Mormon, for whom I had the pleasure of playing rehearsals here in New York, will soon be off to Chicago for a run beginning December 11th. I was sad to say goodbye to everyone after spending 3 1/2 weeks in rehearsal with them, but look forward to visiting them and seeing the show in Chicago!

Friday, November 23, 2012

Haiku #300 - Thanksgiving

perfect autumn day
walk in park and brunch with friends
reasons to give thanks


Lysa and I pose next to Girls' Gate,
which evidently was created when people knew how to use apostrophes.

Kurt manages to channel Gene Kelly
and Donald O'Connor at the same time.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Haiku #299 - Linus & Lucy

Gary (drums) and John (conductor-Book of Mormon's Chicago company)
rocking it out at the end of rehearsal
Linus and Lucy
might sneak into rehearsal
on a little break

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Haiku #298 - El Centro

with Alex, hanging before she rejoins the Book of Mormon tour next week!
nachos and girl talk
with honorary seestor
before she leaves town


Haiku #297 - NY Pizza

Bear strikes a pose!
pushing through the crowds
to meet a friend for pizza
on a quick lunch break

Siena Pizza - 40th St and 8th Ave
Just plain ol' greasy New York pizza, cheap, unpretentious, filling, convenient.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Haiku #296

there are weeks like this
remember to breathe when life's 
planned to the minute

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Haiku #295 - Freelancer Weekend

couple of cocktails
plus two-and-a-half hour nap
freelancer weekend*

*file under "good problems to have" and "at least I got my nap!"

Friday, November 9, 2012

Haiku #294 - Volunteer

volunteerism
could be an everyday part
of our nation's life

...and other vaguely socio-political thoughts to be fleshed out another time.



Thursday, November 8, 2012

Haiku #293 - Sandy Amazon Registry

supplies sent through the Sandy relief registry on Amazon,
stockpiled at a church that has offered its space for sorting and distribution
Photo courtesy Natalie Wilson

help from far away
send exactly what's needed


There are a couple different registries on Amazon (and probably elsewhere) - so if you want to help with the recovery effort by sending supplies, this is a great way to send exactly what's needed to a place where it'll be distributed to the people who need it most. 






Monday, November 5, 2012

Haiku #292 - Patzeria Friends & Family

Monday pizza day!
I forgot to take a pic
of my brocc'li rabe

I'll blame busy-ness and general hurricane discombobulation for my lack of a pizza haiku... I'll get back next week. But Patzeria on W 46th St I already mentioned as my favorite slice (I get the Grandma slice or the tomato-basil)...this is the sit-down Italian place on 48th and 8th that they opened about a year ago. I went in this evening between gigs and had a beer and a broccoli rabe at the bar and a friendly chat with the owner. Great place, great food, great people.

Back to normal pizza haikuing next Monday!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Haiku #291 - Broadway Impact

The Broadway company of Book of Mormon celebrates Brian Sears and Nick Spangler, who were to run the NYC marathon and raised thousands of dollars to advocate for marriage equality through Broadway Impact. They were taken on a "cool-down jog" through the theater district and led up to the mezzanine where many company members were waiting to surprise them.

you can run away
or run to create the world
you want to live in

Props also to marathoners who ran supplies and volunteered in devastated neighborhoods today, and to my friend Dodd who ran his own marathon through affected areas, and raised thousands of dollars in pledges for the Red Cross recovery effort.

Nick (left), me (silly pose), and Brian (right)
Why yes, those are handmade "mylar" blankets!
I love theater people!

Haiku #290 - Roommate

long conversations
about how to fix the world
small-kitchen summit

Friday, November 2, 2012

Haiku #289 - Hurricane Recovery: 3-2 Clave

one two three, one two
this music knows me so well
and carries me home

Today after rehearsal, trudging through New York City's partially-restored subway system with thousands of other hurricane-weary New Yorkers, I flipped through the limited music on my phone for something to drown out the din in and out of my head. I chose In the Heights - a show that's been an important part of my life for over four years, especially last year when I was on tour with it. I haven't really played it or heard it since tour ended in June, and today it was like putting on a really comfortable, comfort-ing hoodie. Just what I needed to put a smile on my face and make it home.

In the Heights is a show about community and family, and I think anyone who worked on it can say they were touched by the sense of family that prevailed in the company. Maybe I chose to listen to it because earlier today, I found out that two (separate) people from the Heights family lost everything in the hurricane. Another member of the original company has set up a donation page here. If you can spare "one dollar, two dollar, one-fifty, one-sixty-nine", or 96000, please visit.

...You know that makes you want to watch the 96000 Tony awards performance ;)

Haiku #288 - Discipline

discipline's your friend
it makes you write haikus when
you just want to sleep

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Haiku #286, 287 - Hurricane Sandy

traffic is brutal
exercise in pranayam 
and bladder control

blockbuster movies
apocalypse on the news
it's all the same now

I missed Hurricane Sandy because I was out of town for the weekend, which turned into nearly-a-week. I have to work tomorrow, so I ended up renting a car and driving from Baltimore, which was as close to New York as my original flight itinerary could get me under the circumstances. 

I'm very grateful to be able say my apartment and its inhabitants are fine. Quite a few uprooted trees on the way back in, and of course I've seen enough pictures and read enough status updates to know how easily I got off. 

Monday, October 22, 2012

Haiku #284 - NY Pizza - Artichoke

my margherita, Lacey's artichoke, and Rod's dainty little vodka slice
Artichoke pizza
passersby salivating
looking at my slice

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Haiku #281 - Edwin Drood

went with my friend Christy to the 1st preview of the Drood revival  -
Didn't know the show and it turned up to be
right up my Anglophile, mystery-loving alley.
Cast great, staging, design and music beautifully done - go see it!

so many choices
how to spend a Friday night?
clap and cheer for Drood!

People, Places, Things:
Roundabout Theatre 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Haiku #280 - City Hall Park


ketchup-alism 
and liberty coexist
in City Hall Park


People, Places, Things:
City Hall Park

‎"It must not be forgotten that the park is still the refuge of the people, the cradle of liberty."
-Henry B. Dawson

Monday, October 15, 2012

Haiku #277 - NY Pizza - $1 Pizza!

see dollar pizza?
don't get scared and run away
it's really quite good!

People, Places, Things:
Dollar pizza places can be found all over NYC. The one pictured above is on 3rd Ave in Spanish Harlem. There are a lot in Hell's Kitchen. Dollar pizza slices are a little smaller then average, and have not too much cheese (so you aren't dabbing away 3 napkins' worth of grease), and, because of the high turnover, are always fresh! Conclusion: Dollar pizza sounds like a bad idea, but isn't (though I don't recommend it more than once a week or so...)

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Haiku #276 - Conservatory Gardens Sunflower

in the Conservatory Gardens
radiant light shines
from the sunflower itself
on a fall morning

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Friday, October 12, 2012

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Haiku #273 - Chaplin

The band room door for Chaplin the Musical -
they call themselves the Flickers
playing for a show
inside jokes fly 'round the room
work is work and play


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Haiku #271 - Birthday Bash

the birthday boys: Ray (at the piano), and Brandon (on the mic)

Brandon and Ray share
October birthdays, ergo
drunken birthday bash

Monday, October 8, 2012

Haiku #270 - NY Pizza - La Nostra

Seriously. This is a small. 
i'm going to need
my roommate's help to devour
this "small" spinach pie

People, Places, Things:
La Nostra Pizzeria in my neighborhood - 110th and 2nd Ave. Nothing fancy, just average New York pizza - exactly what the doctor ordered for a cloudy, working-from-home, staying-in-my-PJs kind of day.

And probably three days thereafter, judging by the size of that pie. 

Note on linguistics/immigration/stratification: The menus and other material for this place say "La Nostra" (Italian)... the signage outside says "La Nuestra" (Spanish)...
 I don't think this place is very old, so I don't know what the scoop is behind that discrepancy, but it made me think of the different waves of immigrants who have come through this neighborhood.

Haiku #269 - Music Directors

music directors
meet over beers and discuss
nerdy things and life
Rachael, Emily, me
Steven, Brittany, Geraldine, Sarah















People, Places, Things:
Theatre Music Directors
Valhalla

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Haiku #266 - Metro Diner

Metro Diner, 100th & Broadway
what better on a
rainy Manhattan evening
than Metro Diner?

Monday, October 1, 2012

Haiku #265 - NY Pizza - Patzeria

Grandma slice from Patzeria.
That it doesn't look so great is due entirely to my lack of photography skills.
if I had to pick
one slice for the rest of life
it would be this one

People, Places, Things:
Patzeria on 46th St between Broadway and 8th Ave -
My go-to pizza joint when I'm in the theater district. Approx the size of a postage stamp. They also have a sit-down Italian restaurant with a small bar a couple blocks away. 

Juan usually serves me my pizza.
The place is filled with show memorabilia (eg upper left corner)

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Haiku #264

even New Yorkers
have to do boring things like 
file their taxes - blarghhhhh....

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Haiku #263 - Rehearsal Workshop

This group of New Zealanders got a taste of learning music and choreography before they saw Bring it On.

this is what it's like
to rehearse a Broadway show
make it look easy

People, Places, Things: 

Friday, September 28, 2012

Haiku #262

always on the go
in the city that neither 
sleeps nor lets me sleep

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Monday, September 24, 2012

Haiku #258 - NY PIzza - Itza Pizza



the preferred meal of
a New Yorker on the go
is some kind of slice

People, Places, Things:
Itza Pizza


A favorite of Soviet spies???
This was a random slice day - I didn't have time to go to any of my favorite places for this week's haiku, so I had to try a new place! I had an eggplant slice at Itza Pizza on John St. near the World Trade center; it was decent, and did the job of providing a quick meal on the run. 

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Haiku #257 - View of Manhattan

i can see my house!
tiny speck in concrete maze
from my window seat

Alas, I couldn't find my phone in time to catch a picture of the awesome aerial view I had of Manhattan as I flew back into New York this afternoon. But for the first time, I could pick out my pinprick-sized apartment building - never approached the city from that angle before. 

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Monday, September 17, 2012

Haiku #253 - NY Pizza - Patsy's

I got to introduce my roommate Andrew to Patsy's;
J serves us our pizza!
Patsy's Pizza Pic!
...huffy local behind me
thinks I'm a tourist

People, Places, Things:
Patsy's Pizza - one of New York's original pizzerias. There are now several locations.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Haiku #252 - Book of Mormon

Rehearsal with Travis, Graham, Jablonski, Stephen, and Delius
pitchforks and top hats
just a normal day at work
at Book of Mormon

People, Places, Things:
We are rehearsing for coverage on Broadway, but you might get to see a couple of these guys if you see the upcoming Chicago production!

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Haiku #251 - Gelato


whiskey gelato
with macerated kumquats?
don't mind if I do!

tour family reunion, before Cherie takes off to CA for a couple months!
People, Places, Things:
Kurt, Cherie, Greg and Cass!
Cones gelato

Haiku #250 - Diesel

Diesel really likes birds.
after a long day
all my cat wants to do is
run, pounce, bite my feet

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Haiku #248 Barber Chicken?!

Yeah, I don't know either.

only in New York
I've heard of barber-surgeons...
But barber-chicken?

People, Places, Things:
Spanish Harlem

Haiku #247 - 9/11 Memorial Concert

Ramiro, Moshe, Barbara, leader of STSANY Anna, Stephanie, Alexandra, Rebecca, Barry, Rafa, me, Enrique, Jimmy
[17 syllables of silence]
.....
.......
.....

It was a beautiful day today, 09/11/12. I learned to play the televi shaker at a percussion workshop, I played a concert for the September Concert, and I met with Nat about our play. I can't seem to think of a haiku that sums it up better than this quote from Rent, so I'll take this moment of haiku silence to say:

"The opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation." (Jonathan Larson)

And that is why I'm an artist. 

May creation be with you.
And also with you.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Haiku #246 - NY Pizza - Mariella

me w/ John & Phil (wielding pizza cutter)

pepperoni slice
from Mariella fuels a
New York afternoon



People, Places, Things:
This haiku is the first in (I hope) a weekly series haiku about my favorite pizza in New York...you know, a guide for hitchhaikuers...

Mariella is located on 8th Ave between 56th and 57th. The staff is friendly and nice, kinda old school New York, and it's classic, non-pretentious, greasy New York pizza. I usually opt for the pepperoni slice, and sometimes have a root beer to go with. Good for fueling visits to the south end of Central Park, the Time Warner Center, and/or Broadway shows a few blocks south.

Apparently there is another Mariella on E 16th & 3rd...I'm not familiar with that one!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Haiku #245 - My First 5K!

My friend Jason ran with me, so it was easier and more fun!
support women's health
make it to the finish line
collect free samples!


I felt good about this, for my first 5K!

People, Places, Things:
Abby and her awesome running blog
Jason
Race for the Cure
Central Park

Haiku #244

point A to point B
ev'rything takes twice as long
in New York City

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Haiku #243 - New Baby!

Nat (way in the back) w/ the group of actors and directors who read her first draft aloud today.
We're going to meet next week to discuss music I'm to write for it! 

Nat heard her baby
read aloud for the first time
a play with music

Friday, September 7, 2012

Haiku #242 - the Duplex

John, multitasking-mixologist-musician par excellence!
real bartenders can
make drinks while keeping rhythm
on the tambourine

People, Places, Things:
the Duplex 
John, multi-talented bartender/singer/pianist/tambourine man