The Process from Company to Family

Hello folks,

well we are now in week 2 of Evita rehearsal! Let me just say how absolutely awesome it is to be doing what I love to do, what I've dreamed of doing, and getting paid for it. Not much, but still enough to live off for this next year.

We finished ACt 1 and ran it the end of last week, went pretty well, and we will learn the rest of act 2 tomorow and actually have a stumble thru of act 2, So act 2 in only 3 days!!!! WOOWOO. So now we are more in the process of cleaning scenes, and tightening up dances, and we end up doing alot of quality work, in less time, so time is more spent on relational building, and getting to know each other. We are already finding the time to be goofy, and act a fool.

So getting to know each other has been fun, sometimes we go out to eat after rehearsal, or go walk around the city(though we like most actors can't stand time square), usual times of hangout happen to be at lunch though. I have already found a little sister. Her name is Liz, she actually is one of the understudies for Evita, fierce little dancer, with a huge voice. We've already taken a special liking to each other. It's amazing how certain people just click right in with each other.

It's funny though, since we're doing what we love to do, it doesn't feel like work. I keep hearing how during different times in rehearsal people have it dawned on them that we actually are going on tour. I was getting dinner with one guy named Munib, who is probably going to be my closest guy friend, before we headed to church after rehearsal, and I was relating to the guy behind the counter how we had just gotten off work, and Munib had another revelation that We WERE actually working. So let me just say this is really awesome! and I am so freakin excited.

We do have the full internary! woohoo, BUT,it is always subject to change, infact we got a new one the next day.hahaha. It will be hard for me to post where we're going to be cause I can't cut and paste, but I will try and place where we're going to be for each month. I will still take a picture from each city, and try to write about every show, but please bare with me, for we have 49 cities in 3 1/2 months. Yeehaw

the community developes

Ok folks,

so it's almost been a full week, and we are in full swing. We almost have the full act 1 learned. it has been a grueling process at times. We Had a full 2 hr history lessons the first day about the life of Eva Duarte,Peron, and about the history of the Broadway show. It is all stuff that is interesting and good to know, but it can be so boring. Our Director/choreographer is the original Broadway director/choreographer, so that is pretty freakin awesome.

There's 25 people in our cast, all pretty young folks, and for most of us it's our first tour, so we're all pretty excited to do this.

So we were learning the opening song from act 2 the other day, and I swear all of us wanted to just jump out of the window. It was 2 hrs of us saying the same one name over and over again. Peronperonperon, in all the weirdest most frustrating key changes imaginable. Oh it was so draining, and it was at the end of the day too, man at that point we were just giddy with tiredness, laughing at stupid stuff. But We an amazing cast of some great voices, it's probably one of the most talented choral groups I've ever sang with. I really felt like I didn't belong.But then us special dancers who were hired specially for dancing, got to finally put on our shoes and show why we are here.Yesterday and today we learned the biggest dance number of the show, called What's new Buenas Ares. Let me tell you after 3 hrs of lounging, and twisted wrists, and attitude jumps, our balls of our feet were screaming dogs. Talk about pain. Our Dance Assistant is awesome her name is Kim, and she has taught this show all over this country. Shes this great little women who just acts like she's one of the gang, and totally makes us all feel comfortable, and helps us have fun, and be ourselves. She's probably one of the people I get along best with. WE all wish she was going on tour with us but she'll leave us after out tech week, dang it! She always tells us of these fantastik, funny stories of things that have happened in her past productions.

Since the dancers have been slit up from every one else, there has been this growing sence of longing to see the other half of us, so whever we get breaks we try and find each other and see how everyone is. That's been cool to see, we're showing interest in each other, and an openess to get to know each other. People are starting to goof off a little more show more of how they have fun, and everyone is starting to say how excited they are to go out, and dance with everyone.

We finally will have our full company orientation tomorrow(friday) morning. Though for some reason it's real early. There will finally get all the info, and the full intenerary. I know it's been long time coming, but I should have it all posted on here within the next 2 days. Life here in NYC has been fun, and almost surreal.. Keep prayin I learn this stuff well.

This is Awesome!

NO this is really freakin Awesome!!!

Well yesterday, being sunday, I wanted to go to church, and especially cause I don't think I'm gonna have many opportunities to be able to go to a real service for the next 10 months or at least til break in december. Well my friend who I'm staying with( the beautiful Channie), reminded me about a church we had sun at back in college, so I was headed there, I looked online to make sure where it was and realized I didn't want to go to such a big corporate formality. So I started lookin on other sites to check out Churches, found one I'd thought I'd try, It was pretty good, oh but one thing. Now they had a woman do a dance to a worship song, and it was almost the saddest thing I had ever seen. Almost embarrassed to say that I was a dancer. Anyway, as I was having some refreshments after service, and talking to this cute girl who I found out was a dancer from San Diego, a girl approached me, who to my surprise was my friend Carole, The lead from my first show, AIDA(she was aida). How cool! So we had brunch together and hung out. Then I went to work out, and let me just say New York Sports Clubs have so much more to offer than Philly. SO I took an african dance class, I don't think it's often that the first time you take a class, that when the class is over the teacher asks you to audition for his company. So needless to say I felt pretty awesome after that. Then I had to go hangout with my friends Carole(aida) and Kim( who was also in Aida), to see Kim off, she left today for the National tour of THE WEDDING SINGER! Oh and Carole got the national tour of WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND! Man it's so awesome to be in this place in my life, where I'm in this peer group that is so talented. It was just a totally awesome day!

and I didn't even start rehearsals yet.

Well, the first day of rehearsal. It was great!! When I got there I found that I knew one of the girls, she graduated with me from Penn State. Also our stage manager is from our class to, yeah Penn State represent. I am the only chocolate in the cast, which I was kind of surprised, there is one other bit of spice, that's it. I thought it would be a more diverse cast since my dark self got in. HA! Anyway everybody seems ok right now, but you can already see who you might be drawn too. Alot of people our excited cause it's their first tour, so I fit right in, and most are around my age.

Well we started out meeting the artistic team. You know I failed to mention that the director and choreographer of this show, is the original guy from the Broadway show. Um... it's a big deal to be apart of this tour, talk about contacts and connections. And something that was interesting, I was about to go and told the assistant choreographer Kim, that I was going to the gym so I could get my leg up(which means be able to kick my face, you from the gym know what I mean), and she says yeah someone told me you had crazy legs, and could do all that. Really? SHe couldn't remember exactly who it was, but guessed it might have been the casting director. Now I have auditioned for that casting guy 3 times now, so he knows I can dance, and if that's the kind of name that I'm making already without even working, PRAISE GOD!!

So anyway, we had a big ole history lesson, which I have to admit was pretty boring, but informative to know how big this show is, and who all is involved. Now this show since it's an operetta( it means it's all sung), has mad orchestrations, and since we're going on tour we can't take a huge 11 piece string section. So this other amazing guy went over to London and got the Philharmonic Orch. to record for us, along with some other world reknown brass from Germany, and the rough tracks are amazing!! WOW I love working with the top professionals in their field. After the high school lesson, we started learning the music for the opening and closing of act 1. And let me just tell you theses people can sing. I feel so overwhelmed, and scared cause theses people just vocally have it. But I have to remember I'm here to kick my face. BUt I have never sounded so good as a base before.Praise God.

It is so awesome to be working with professionals, it feels so awesome. by the way awesome is the word of the day, if you couldn't tell. Hey the video to the left is the song we learned today. It's the closing song from act 1. That is the original broadway cast, and Patti La pone( you know, o blah dee, o blah dah). Enjoy!

The Meaning of a Name

Wow,

here it is thursday night, my last official night living here in philadelphia. What an incredible ride and journey it has been here. I was having dinner with my friends tonight, and we were talking how we first met over a yr ago, and how it had only been that short of time. Which feels so absurd, cause I feel so close to alot of people and places here. You know I have had dinner at a different person's house everynight this week, and still didn't get to spend the intimate time with everyone I wanted too.

You know what else was awesome, my friends got together and had a surprise dinner party for me yesterday! I freakin love surprises!!! And it really did catch me off guard, I praise God for them. And The beautiful Melody made one of my absolute favorites desserts, ICE CREAM LASAGNA! Which she made for my birthday, I love this stuff. It was great they indivisually came in with a sign that all read: Goodbye, Alfie, Hello, Evita! You know something I always long to feel special, and these guys did a darn good job. I have to admit I was upset that she made that dessert knowing full well I would eat it, and knowing full well I'm trying to get in shape for rehearsal.

Today I was sent my copy of the contract, and as I look at emails from my Company Manager, and listen to messages from the costume shop, and make ready my staying arrangements, I breathe in the era of my new life, one who is actually living in the knowledge that his dreams are on the way to full being realized, and coming true. Woah...

I spent this afternoon getting the last things I needed for rehearsal, and then crashing on the couch next to my mom as she caressed my shiny bald head. She is definitely proud, and will miss me so much. I found out there is only 2o people in the cast. Smaller than I imagined. That also made me feel good, cause I really know they wanted me. We start off rehearsing in NYC for 2 weeks, then we all fly down to Chattanooga and rehearse there for 2 weeks, WOOOWOOO

You know growing up I hated this city of philadelphia. I was dragged here to see people who I didn't feel cared about me, and to a culture and environment I didn't know or fit into, (come on, I'm not your average urban black guy.)But These past 2 years, has shown me what kind of character, and family this city can create.

The city of brotherly love? yeah philly you win.

The Season of Brotherly Love

Helllooo PeoplE!!

Well I am getting freakin excited!! I leave on friday to go to NYC. I have a costume fitting on saturday, and my rehearsals start on monday. So throughout this week I thought I would post some fun picts of the past 2 years here in philly with fun friends and cool places. Enjoy!

The Excitement insues

As you now I have been fretting over whether or not this tour is still happening for I wasn't getting any kind of information, well that has all ceased. I have not gotten emails from our company manager( his name's Brad)! Our CM is like our parent for the road, he makes sure we're ok, and takes care of our needs and things on tour. He's already getting together birthdays, and favorite frostings, and the fun things people like to do so we can all have a good time on tour. I am getting freakin excited about this now!!

I have to admit I was given a small scare when I found that they are still having another open male dance call on the 14th, just days before we start rehearsal. I almost thought I had to go to that one to just to secure my spot, but I remembered I signed my contract already, and my appt. for my costume fitting in New York is already set. By the way getting that call was definitely one of the coolest things I have felt, to be called in to New york city for a costume fitting, wow I really am professional.

Possibly the greatest realization I am having about what the best thing about getting this tour is, is how many great people I have in my life. How many great relationships God has blessed me with. The people who encourage me and support me, are the whole reason why this blog was created in the first place. So I've been trying to see as many of them, or you as I can before I leave for almost a year. This past week I've been on a little many tour around PA visiting friends, and getting some quality time in, and let me just say I haven't felt this loved in a while. People who are willing to sacrifice what they can for me to show me how much I mean to them. It has been truly amazing. And pretty much all of them propositioned me into finding a way to move close by.hahaha. I love them/you.

I got to have a great conversation with a good friend of mine Jess, who was in Aida with me. She's the girl from the picture in my very first blog. She is a great person to talk to for she is an awesome professional performer, and she is a christian, and it's not often you find someone with the same morals and values that you do in this business, whatever the belief. She has down a couple tours herself, national and international, so I was able to get some great perspective from her that I really needed. Mostly about remembering that God has made this all happen for a reason, and though this will be my job, He has specifically placed every person there to be together to form relationships and to effect each other, so I'm praying that I can be the best I can be to be able to help create the best community as possible. Yeah ME!hahahah

Well as I approach my last week here in philly, I'm stuck with trying to make the most of every moment, Valuing the little times with multiple people, and preparing for the great things ahead that has come out of all the experiences I've had here livin in west Philly! maybe I'll just post some pictures of great times I've had here.

remember love people as hard as you can

(ps, we got 2 nominations for CHICAGO, best choreography, and best supporting actor for Amos)

The perfect preparation

So there is about a little over 2 weeks left now til I start rehearsals for the fabulous national tour of EVITA. And you know I was starting to get pretty anxious. Now my name(alfie) actually means eager, so sometimes my eagerness becomes passionate and turns into anxioussness.( my name also means noble). There hasn't been any contact from the company, and when I called the stage manager to see if they had received my contract, I got a message saying she was going to be in China til Aug 20, which happens to be the first day of rehearsal, so needless to say I was feeling a little scared. But today I received a call from Ben wanting to know when I could get up to New York for my costume fitting. Oh how way cool!!! Man getting a call like that makes you feel so incredibly good, it makes it real. I felt like I'm a true professional.

What also makes this so hard, is not knowing who else is in the cast, or having an official intenerary. Now I have found some ways to remedy these ailments of mine. My friend Thom who was in HAIR at the prince music theatre, you remember Andre, that was the show he left my show,CHICAGO for. So with the intertwining of theatres (for there was also another girl in that show who had just finished doing the show before CHICAGO at the candlelight theatre), we ended up making some new friends.... but anyway, Thom found that another friend of his got offered EVITA, and so when we were hanging out, he called him, and thus we were introduced. So I know of one person. As for the iteneary, well I had to do some stealth spy research. One night doing laundry and, particularly bored, I tried googling everything I thought would yeild me info on EVITA! After what seemed eons, and multiple word combinations I came across the right mathematical formation that enhanced my enlightenment!(evita tickets 2007,08)
As I perused the 24 pages of search results, I pretty much came up with a good 3/4 to 3/5 of the tour! So now I am very excited, cause I know that we are booked places, and this is a reality, Praise God!!! So I guess I can start posting when and where we're going to be.

So in preparation for this new journey, and tour across the nation, I have done what I think to be the most profitable way to get ready..and thus I boarded a plane to San Diego California!! WHOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!(vacation having a good time, vacation happy to get away,(song)) Well so maybe it's not the best way to get ready, but I sure needed it. It was actually my first vaca ever, can you believe that!




So it was awesome!! I went and visited my friends Eric and Tatum, I slept on the beach, swam with seals, Sailed in the sunset, bet on horses, chomped on mexican, shopped for fun, viewed the zoo,(which I was sadden by), and accidentally sipped alcohol on a rooftop club that showed movies and overlooked the Padres stadium, and got darker, actually I got sun burned. It was Absolutely fabulous! Or as I stated all week as my catch phrase,which suited the whole experience, It was so Hot right now!