Remember the "Good" of the "Bad"?

Here it be!

Hello bloggies.  It is lovely to see you once again.  Mama's been busy.  In fact, mama's amazed she's still upright and knows her own name.

With all the projects I'm working on and all the job interviews I've been juggling, I feel like my head is full of cotton and I can't seem to pin one simple thought down from moment to moment.  But I'm still waking up and getting it done!  As my idol Teresa Dowell-Vest always says "You Gotta Work That Hustllllllle."

Seriously guys, there is a lot happening.  I'm incredibly excited about it all, and hope you're ready to hang on and enjoy the ride!  Like you're a Na'vi and you're riding one of those massive dinosaur birds.

Anyway, I promised a "Good" in my last post so here it is - "In The Heights."  If you have not seen this show, there is something seriously wrong with you.  I'm just being honest.  I'm pretty disgusted with myself that I waited as long as I did.  A friend of mine gave me the opportunity to go see the national tour last week and...

This show has given me back my faith in Broadway.

Come on people, let's get real.  In the past decade, Broadway has turned into a weird, inflated version of watching re-runs on cable television.  I mean "The Wedding Singer"?  "Legally Blonde"?  To find something new and original on Broadway, I feel like you would have to make a deal with the devil.  Actually, when I sit and think about it, I think a deal with the devil is what is causing this whole mess.  What else could explain "Elf: The Musical"?  No, I am not kidding and yes, it is slated to open soon.

I'm not against all movies-turned-musicals.  "Hairspray," "The Full Monty," "Hocus Pocus," (which is due out next year,) are all well done shows that deserve the praise.  Except maybe "Hocus Pocus," who knows about that one.  I'm just excited as all hell for it.  But why on god's green earth was "Xanadu" ever created period?  And while shows like these are mortally wounding Times Square with the help of the Disney Corporate Machine, shows like "Next To Normal" play in smaller theaters, in danger of closing every day.  Fresh, brillliant, new work unlike anything else seen on Broadway today, or ever.

"In The Heights" is everything that made me fall in love with the Broadway Musical - gorgeous score, a sharp, witty book, a brilliant set with equally genius staging and choreography to go with it.  Spoken word blends perfectly into the dialogue and the music is both reminiscent of the flavor of the show and grand enough to satisfy any theatre patron.  It is a love letter not only to the true backbone and meaning of New York City, but to Broadway.  I left speechless, giddy, and sated in such a way that I hesitate to say when the last time I felt it was.  I have not left a Broadway show feeling that way in such a long, long time.

Yeah, "Avenue Q" is epic and "Next To Normal" is so stirring and emotional that it can change your life.  But it has been so long since a show moved me so and connected with me.  I missed my musicals that made a stand and was large enough to dazzle your senses.  I missed a show where people not only made you fall in love with them, but sang their faces off while doing it.

It has been so long since I saw well-crafted, well-executed Broadway on such a scale.

This show took me back to when I first saw "RENT," which will now and forever be a turning point in my life.  It took me back even farther, to when I saw "Phantom of the Opera" for the first time and was felt like I was shown the path to heaven.  It is in theatre that I find my passion, my strength, and the steady deterioration of the quality and artistic integrity of my beloved medium has caused me nothing but frustration and pain.  "In The Heights" set my heart at ease.  It said one thing to me, and one thing only.

Hang in there Steph, I'm still out there.  And I won't let you down.

All My Best, Bloggies,
Steph

You Take The Good With The Bad

Sorry for the long absence, bloggies.  Momma's been busy.  But now I am here, squishing you to my bosom, happy to see you all again.

And she's got some beef.

First off - The Tonys.  I did not even watch the Tonys this year because I had a feeling, a premonition if you will, that the show was going to make me gnash my teeth.  And from what I understand and was forced to watch on youtube, I was right.

Can someone please explain to me why it was some sort of solo-performance workshop?  This isn't American Idol, and I didn't want to tune in to see 32-bar cuts, especially of Christiane Noll singing "Back To Before."  That woman should have been allowed to stand there and sing the whole song twice.  She's freakin' Christiane Noll and she was playing MOTHER in RAGTIME.

And if you are going to give her a 32-Bar of "Back To Before," then have some other pieces from the show to pair it with.  It was the whole cast that got nominated for the show, not just Noll and her personal nomination. Do a bit of the opening number and then finish it off with BtB.  I'm not a brain surgeon, nor am I related to Hal Prince, but I figured that one out all on my own.

Speaking of whole casts, "Everyday Rapture?" They did a minute of one song too!  That had no depth, gave you no real concept of what the show was about, I wanted to scream!  That is SHERIE RENE SCOTT, people.  Do you have ANY idea how brilliant she is?  And one of the chicks singing with her was curvy!  The more strong, sexy, curvy women on the television the better.

But no, no we had to cut Christiane and Sherie short.  They aren't names, don't you understand?  We know why people even turn their televisions on these days.  It's to see celebrities.  It's to see movie stars.  So no, we aren't going to do "A Weekend In The Country," from "A Little Night Music."  We aren't going to even do "Perpetual Anticipation," which is short as hell but at least is a group number.  No, we're going to let Catherine Zeta-Jones sing a song that when not done properly sinks to a dirge, and slowly sends everyone watching into a coma or out to find some Draino to drink.

I refuse to judge Catherine for the performance.  Who knows why her head was whipping from left to right, who knows who chose to do a complete version of a very simple and stark ballad when her other contenders only got cuts.  But it was a simply appalling truth that most of the people who gave their blood, sweat and tears to get these shows up and running and nominated on Broadway were refused the chance to present and celebrate their wares.  "A Little Night Music" is my favorite Sondheim and it kills me how many people now won't even get it a fighting chance because of what they saw at the Tonys.

Urgh, I knew that was bugging me but I didn't know how much until I looked at all I typed here.  I guess I will save the "Good" from the title above for next time.  Until then, my sweet bloggies.

~ Steph, The Vengeance Demon Of Broadway

The Life Of A College Graduate

So I graduated college!

10 years in the making, guys.  And can I just say that through all the hard times, all the tears, all the darkness, the people who have helped me up and dragged me along if need be have seen me reach the finish line to that chapter in my life.  I have never felt so accomplished, blessed, and RELIEVED.

But onto new challenges!  Right now I am a hitting the pavement hardcore, y'all.  You need to be hustlin' to get that cheddar and trust me, I am hustlin' and bustlin' my freckled bum off.  I got a full schedule to the point that every day I get home, look at the clock and go "I'm sorry, when did it get to be THAT late?  Didn't I just wake up an hour ago?"

I'm both auditioning and job hunting, so keep me in your thoughts.  As the illustrious Chris Fields says, (who occasionally is an intelligent man,) "Just keep telling yourself 'I'm Getting A Job, I'm Getting A Job."  Well Chris, that mantra is holding fast in my head.  It's getting me job interviews, so let's see that chant become reality!

On the auditioning front I've been working on some print and TV stuff, since the theatre auditions are definitely on the slow side right now.  I'm currently in development of a short film I got the bug to produce, and as for the cabaret...

Let's talk about that for a minute.  The cabaret is developed as it can be without a solid pianist to develop it with.  And it's incredibly important to me that they are a good fit with me.  So I put an ad out.  Granted, it was on Craig's List, but you gotta start somewhere, right?  And most of my pianist friends are otherwise engaged at the moment.  One of the individuals that submitted was SO lovely, and we hit it off well, but after some discussion we found that we both thought it best if we look for someone whose goals were a little more parallel with my own.  The other was...well...

The other was a drag queen who played with two fingers.

And with that thought, I leave you all to bed.  Sleep tight, my bloggies.  And may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Much Adoration,
Steph

In The Wee Small Hours...

So it is 4am, and I can't sleep.  Is this a surprise?

I figured since insomnia has a nice firm hold on me that I update you all on projects I've been working on or just finished.  Let's talk.

I realized awhile ago that I never told you all how the "Carrie" mini-workshop went.  We got an AMAZING response.  Out of all the pieces presented, ours got some of the most reaction.  People were a little uncomfortable at certain parts of course, Margaret and Carrie don't have the most healthy of relationships, but there was a lot of positive feedback.  Huge thanks to Bobby Traversa and the rest of the "Carrie" team for making it so fantastic!  It was a wonderful, twisted experience that I wouldn't take back for the world.

Right now I am in the middle of a series of industry showcases that are wrapped up on Saturday.  So far we've had some great turnout.  There is a lot of great talent in this one, guys.  Some of the sounds these voices make are too gorgeous to be human.  I'm opening the show, which is amazing.  I don't think I've ever started out a showcase!

Other than that I am building my cabaret show and working on audition scheduling.  I'm going to keep you guys updated with any news on either front, but the cabaret should be fun and hilarious.  The topic is extremely super secret, but let's just say it is going to be something you probably have never seen, or will ever see again;)

I'm going to try to give this sleep thing another shot, my bloggies.  I hope you all sleep better than I.

Many Blessings,
Steph

As My Guitar Gently Weeps...

It has happened, my Bloggies.  The day I have been dreading has come true.

My husband, James Marsters, is engaged.

Otherwise known as Spike from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Brainiac on "Smallville," and my personal "Torchwood" favorite, Captain John Hart.

Now I know he doesn't know me from a hole in the wall, but we've had a relationship in my mind for over a decade.  I mourned for about a half-hour with my snuggle blanket and my Reese's minicups, and I wish him and his fiancée nothing but the best.  This won't stop me from drooling all over him whenever he's on my TV screen, though.

Stay Strong, My Bloggies.
Steph

Into The Wild

Well hello there, bloggies.

Yes, let us forget the whole "tryst" thing.  It was naughty and fun to be sure, but I could just never fit it well into conversations with you.  "Bloggies" is much easier to institute.

So what have you all been up to?  I know things must be crazy for a lot of you, summer's coming, the movies are getting better, graduation season has people running from ceremony to ceremony - I've been trying not to think about it.  As long as I keep focused on the next step in front of me, I can keep my head on.  If I step back and look at my whole to-do list, I'm pretty certain my head would explode.


I experienced my first spinning class in five years yesterday.  I'm feeling it, but I paced myself so I was able to suppress the nausea or feeling as if my life was going to end.  It was rough, but I think if I stick with it, it will be worth it.  Of course, genius that I am, I took pilates this morning thinking that it would be a "nice, gentle" workout.  Too bad it was something called Pilates Fusion, which seems to mean that pilates gets fused with a boot camp.  I have no idea, but it was pretty hellish after an hour of spinning my guts out the day before.

The selections from "Carrie" gets screened tomorrow, which should be alot of fun.  There's been some twists and turns here in the past 48 hours that I'm still trying to sort in my head, but it's gonna rock.  Today was our final dress and we got to have a few guests come in to watch, and they seemed to be impressed, or at least affected.  So I guess tomorrow is the big test!  Let's all send some positive energy out that everything being showcased tomorrow night is brilliant.  I hear the crowd is going to be epic!


As for right now, I'm curled up with some "Family Guy" and scheduling out the rest of my week, which is filling up by the minute.  Once again, gotta look at the picture one step at a time, haha.


May your evening be blessed, bloggies,
Steph

They're All Gonna Laugh At You...

Whew.  Howdy ya'll.

So today was quite a day.  Got alot done.  My postcards are now spiff-uh-fied, had "Carrie" rehearsals, (Yes, that Carrie,) and am now playing some Apples to Apples with the girl.  There's nothing better than to have your best friend put down "Forest Fires" for the word "Radiant."

Anyway, how was your day, my friends?  I hope it was as eventful or lazy as you wanted them to be.  As you might know, www.stephaniehayslip.com is up and running like a charm!  Please stop by and check out the site.  There's still a few things left to upload and post on it, but what you're seeing as of late is pretty much what you're getting, pretties!  Enjoy.

As I mentioned before, I had "Carrie" rehearsal today and it was good.  I'm playing Margaret White, Carrie's mother, and I am really thrilled to be dipping my toes in this water (or pig's blood, depending on what strikes your fancy.)  It's gonna be epic.  We're doing selections of it in hopes for a fully-staged version elsewhere, and let me tell you, our cast sounds like an actual pro recording.  Let's just say I was late to rehearsal one day, heard everyone through the door, walked in and my head swum because I couldn't understand why there was no CD playing.

Well, my lovely trysting monsters, I must doze.  But remember this - my thoughts are with you.  Yeah.  You.  The one with the candy cane pillow.  In the back.  Oh yeah, I see you.

Night night my lovelies,
Steph

Big Brother Is Watching...

Wow.

I don't even know now how many blogs I have attempted to start on this wacky internet machine now in my lifetime, but what's another one? Welcome to my blog!

Blog is such a ridiculous word, though. Let's not call this my blog. I think I'd like something classier, something sexier. How about "Cyberwords." "Glitterball." "Tryst." Ooo, I do like that word, tryst. Let's call this my tryst with ya'll. That's a fun way to start our relationship together.  Reminds me of Victorian sitting rooms and gas lamps.

So as I'm sure you can tell, I am not your average lady.  I enjoy a little "Jersey Shore" just like the next girl, but that doesn't mean I don't spend a night with my "Buffy" and "Star Trek" from time to time.  I am a geek at heart, at the bottom of my soul and there is no way you can take the sky from me on that one.

Right now we're trying to get my site all new and shiny for you, complete with a brand new domain name!  That's right, no more long, drawn out dots and backslashes for you, my precious people.  Isn't this whole trysting thing great?  Technology.  Who'd have thunk it would have caught on.

Well, the new domain name beckons.  I am told there are problems and I now have to choke it into submission. But keep your eyes peeled for some of the best binary code on the web to hit you very, very soon!

Until then,
Steph