AUDITONS, AUDITIONS, AUDITIONS

It looks like April is the month of auditions. The summer season is almost among us and I have a few auditions so hopefully I will be busy this summer. This past weekend I sang at the President's Gala at NDNU which is a huge fundraising event for scholarships. I sang O Sole Mio and it went well. I was so happy to sing first that way I was able to chill for the rest of the night. It was great hanging out with my friend Laurie who sang a kick-ass version of Astonishing from 'Little Women.'

This is a tough week - 2 essays to write, an audition 1 1/2 hour away and I am seeing Children of Eden on Friday - hopefully I will consume lots of alcohol before I see it. I am sure it will be great but it's a shitty feeling to go see a show that you were supposed to be in. Know what I mean?

Okay - that's all for now

Have a great week y'all

=+)

M.

SOMETIMES....

Patti LuPone just opened in Gypsy playing what is called "the definitive" Mama Rose and here I am 3000 miles away...sometimes I hate my life.

ORPHEUS REVIEW

A review of Orpheus came out on San Francisco Classical Voice. Never in a million years would I think I would be reviewed anywhere the title "Classical Voice" - scary but cool. Check it out.

=+)

M.

Tomorrow Orpheus closes so it's your last chance to see Martin in his opera debut - the show is awesome so come check it out.

BACK FROM PISMO BEACH

Ahhh!!! I am so rested. Three days in the central coast did wonders for me. I had the best time and discovered the beauties of the central coast. From Paso Robles to Pismo & Avila Beach - just heavenly. This is a pic of Pismo Beach at night. I discovered a fabulous restaurant also - the Cracked Crab - best crab I have ever had. Can't wait to go back. Stayed at two fabulous hotels. The first one in Paso Robles and the second over looking the water in Pismo Beach.

Not much else to report here - Orpheus finishes this weekend (final show on Saturday afternoon) and then school starts again next week. I have been asked to sing once again at the President's Gala (this year is the NDNU gala since our President just resigned.) Last year I had laryngitis and couldn't sing O Sole Mio - so maybe this time...=+)

Hope y'all are doing well

Martin

p.s. I forgot to say congratulations to mny beloved Joe Duffy who won a BATCC Award for his choreography of FMT's Pippin. Congratulations Tina Darling!

=+)

ORPHEUS IN THE CITY

We performed Orpheus this weekend at the beautiful Florence Gould Theatre inside the Palace of Legion in San Francisco. Both shows went really well and it was great to have some friends at Saturday's performance. My friends Jenna Johnson (Man of La Mancha) and San Jose Stage director Rick Singleton and his partner Thiery came and I was so thrilled to see them and to have friends in the audience. I am still getting over this cold and not to mention my foot pain so these shows were a labor of love - by the reception I received both performances I think the opera audiences liked my work. We have one more performance next Saturday at 2 PM.

I have decided not to do Children of Eden at school for a number of reasons but primarily because I need my foot to heal before summer starts. I will be teaching again at Hillbarn but I will also be auditioning for some things and I'd like to be 100% when that time comes. It saddens me greatly but ultimately I know I made the right choice.

The Bay Area Critics Circle Awards came out on Friday and I did not win but my wonderful colleague Louis Parnell won so I am thrilled for him. Dave Dobrusky was also honored for his work as Musical Director for our production of Man of La Mancha. I am really happy that my work was nominated-- by the time I did Sweeney Todd I felt that I had paid my dues and felt sad that I kept not being noticed by the Critics Circle. I am very grateful for this recognition of my work - especially for this show. I truly felt that this was the best performance I have given to this day - and to do that kind of performance almost 50 times was an experience I will never forget. Congrats also to winners Marc jacobs for his direction of Showboat at BBBAY, Billy Liberatore for his musical direction of Emma at TheatreWorks and Susi Damilano for female performance and that was for Six Degrees of Separation at SF Playhouse.

Okay It's spring break and I am off to the central coast for three days -I can't wait!!!!

=+)

Have a great week y'all!

Martin

OH THE PAIN

Hi there! Sorry I haven't had any time to write this past week. I have been busy with rehearsals and lots of foot pain. I finally went to the hospital where they tell me it's not gout but a stress fracture. Right now I am debating whether or not it's a good idea to continue rehearsing for Children of Eden. I hope that between Greg, Debra & myself we come up with a final solution tomorrow evening. I have been sick as a dog lately - foot pain and a horrible cold to boot.

We have our opera performances this weekend and I have some friends coming to Saturday's performance which will be nice. I have never performed at the Palace of Legion and it sounds like a really cool place to sing at - I have been to the museum once so I hope everything goes well.

Last Saturday night my dear friends Laurie & Kris & I went to Coastal Rep to see closing night of "Over The Tavern" which is a hilarious play. My beloved Patti Appel was in it and I just couldn't miss it (even though I couldn't even put my shoe on!)

I hope that with a few weeks of foot rest I am able to get back to normal because summer auditions are around the corner. Sorry - nothing too exciting to report. Just the drama that is life. I will be taking a few days this week to recharge in the central coast. I have never been there before and I am looking forward to it.

Cheers

Martin