"APPARENTLY I'M LEAKING!!"

That is a great line from 3rd Rock From The Sun (remember that show?) which the great Kristen Johnston says when she starts to cry for the first time. That is how I have been feeling during rehearsal lately. I am crying all the time!!! This never happens to me. Usually I know that it's a "show" and no big whoop. I find myself way too connected to the material and that is both a good thing and a bad thing. It's good because I am passionate about the work that I am doing and bad because I don't want to be crying every night. What did it for me last night was our director who made a wonderful directing choice and told us his reasoning behind it - which made our wonderful Aldonza (Cathleen Riddley) start crying before the finale - which led me to start crying. I have never experienced this before doing a show.

We finished blocking the show last night and I feel very confident about the production and the part that I am playing - I feel really good about the choices I have made for The Padre - and I hope this won't sound cocky but I feel that this is the best part I have ever been given (honestly) - I have played some fun roles - Barrel, Herod, Moonface, Beadle, Bumble and even heartbreaking like Herr Schultz but there's something about this part that I can't quite describe - I love it dearly.

Whatever is going around has plagued our director and the majority of our cast so to be safe I bought some Airborne and some anti-bacterial soap and am praying that I don't get sick - because when I get sick - I get SICK. Here's hopin!....knock on wood.

Today I had the night off (yes!!!) but of course will return tomorrow evening and I am thinking of dropping by the Octavia Lounge (which I have never been to) to see my friend Madame Jo perform with her band. She is an amazing performer and back in the day when I used to frequent piano bars she was by far my favorite performer - sort of a world-renowned class act.

I also received a wonderful e-mail from my pal Diahanna Davidson who was really touched by what I wrote about her show - that was super cool. I love her dearly.

Okay kids that's all I got to report now - let's hope I don't start cryin' when someone wins on Jeopardy - 'cause for some reason I am cryin' all the time!!

=+)

Hugs

Martin