A Little Pick-Me-Up

It's been a long week of GODSPELL tech. On days such as today, I like to remind myself of things that make me happy in order to counteract the exhaustion and any frustration I might feel (my voice is tired - I get frustrated when it doesn't do exactly what I want it ta do). Because when I like something, I want everyone to know about it, I shall link and share these things with you.

Alfie Boe singing just about anything. I find this video stunning and charming. Obviously, watch all of his Val Jean stuff as well. Unreal.

Hipster Animals - This tumblr is AMAZING. I have been following it since Day 1, and am addicted to it. Dyna Moe, who also did the art for MAD MEN YOURSELF, started it in March or so. Get into it.

Murder, She Wrote - It streams on Netflix. All of it. Obsessed. Angela Lansbury has been a personal hero of mine for many years. I want to play Mame and Mrs. Lovett so desperately! I wish that JB would occasionally be incorrect, but really, Jessica Fletcher can do no wrong.

WHAT THE BUCK SHOW - Michael Buckley is the greatest of all YouTubers. I'm not really into celebrity gossip, but I love Buck's videos. He is hilarious in every post, and a great Twitter follow as well. I watch him regularly, but if ever I am sad, I absolutely make sure to watch something of his.

My beautiful, darling friend Nikka is going on as Velma Kelly in the Broadway production of CHICAGO in less than a week. That thought pretty much makes me want to explode with happiness.

This pig.

Regina Spektor - She is more wonderful than words can express.

I have recently become a WORDS WITH FRIENDS addict. I'm okay with this. My castmate Michael (with whom I am playing three to five games at any given moment) has informed me that I have a problem. We were playing WORDS WITH FRIENDS with each other on our phones whilst simultaneously playing an actual game of Scrabble with some other castmates last night. Just sayin' here...I don't think I'm the only one with a problem...

Eddie Izzard - Was obsessed. Am obsessed. Don't see this trend stopping any time soon. Many of his shows also stream on Netflix.

My friend Al Silber's delightful blog.

Jeff Buckley's perfect album GRACE.

UCB - Getting to see my brother do improv most Tuesday nights (when I'm in the city, anyway) has been amazingly fun. His team is brilliant, he is ridiculously talented, and I'm glad more people are getting the chance to fall in love with his abilities and appetite. He is the best friend in the world. Also, his dog is adorbs.

ModCloth.com - Dudes, I spend way too much time and moolah on this website. I love it so.

The number of nerds in this current cast I'm working with is off the hook. We're pretty much all Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings/Musical Theatre/Coloring Book fanatics. I'm so very much at home.

Coaching - I love teaching. I'm definitely working with some of my castmates once this week is over. People want to learn Scottish and RP and such. Happiness.

The fact that Alan Rickman, Paul Gross, and Nina Arianda are all going to be on Broadway within the next few months makes me crazy happy. Let's just get Mark Rylance and Janet McTeer to stick around for awhile, and I'll be all set.

I'm blessed to count a great number of witty, compassionate, warm, soulful people among my friends. That's also a big stress reliever. I'll put out a tweet or a fb update, send a text to a choice pal or two, and I'll probably be laughing sooner rather than later. Lucky. Blessed. And now, tired. Another long day of rehearsal lies ahead.

Things I Like

I was going to update yesterday, as I spent most of it on a BOLT bus going to Boston and back, but wasn't feeling well for most of it. I watched seven episodes of MAD MEN instead, which I've been trying to do for AGES! I just have the last two episodes of Season 3 left, and I'm all caught up! This is one of the trials of having what is known as a "flexible schedule," as getting addicted to a particular TV show requires DVR, planning ahead, and, you know, actually knowing what night and what channel something airs on. I'm a DVD junkie myself.

Anyway, as I'm still not feeling in tip-top shape, and I have about half an hour before a student comes over for a coaching (Bronx dialect, in this case), I thought I'd do a rather silly little list of Things I Like. I like lists, for one, so here goes:

List O' Things I Like (in no particular order):
Bite-sized Shredded Wheat
Flip-flops in fall
The color blue
Janis Joplin
The Chrysler Building
The kid in my building who is always wearing his Thomas the Tank Engine boots
David Suchet as Hercule Poirot
Asparagus
Headscarves
Winning, especially games like Scrabble, because then I feel victorious as well as wildly intelligent
Halloween
New York City
Picnics
Francois, the drunken Frenchman who lives in the Village
Michael's cooking
Sitting in the balcony of the Brattle Movie Theatre in Harvard Square
Karaoke
Cappuccinos
Jeff Buckley
Dumplings
Walking through SoHo or the LES on a Saturday or Sunday morning when there's nobody around
Absurd costumes & wigs, especially when I get to wear them
Family holidays
The Winter's Tale
Traveling alone
Zinnias
Chagall
McNally Jackson Bookstore
Scooby Doo Cartoons
The National Theatre in London
Gigantic earrings
Yoga
Godard's A WOMAN IS A WOMAN
Skype
My friend Jill's website, especially these webisodes
Berlin
Freckles
Coffee
Places I can wander around without shoes on
Rehearsal
My chiropractor
Rain
Grapes
Ella Fitzgerald
TX-style BBQ
Absurd fb profile photos
Cafe Reggio on MacDougal St.
Alfred Hitchcock
Girl Scout cookies from the freezer
Strangers with Candy
Regina Spektor
The Lord of the Rings books and films
How nerdy that last item was
Being exceptionally nerdy in multiple ways
How long this list has gotten