Mary Poppins

The Broadway Musical

This 2024 South Bay Musical Theatre production provided several good challenges. The double soutenu turn immediately followed by a triple cramp roll as a Chimney Sweep in the fast-paced Step In Time tap number was one I rarely achieved. Singing both a baritone role (Bank Chairman) and a tenor role (Valentine the toy) was much more doable.

Something Rotten

A Very New Musical

In my first show at WVLO in 19 years, I worked with the awesome choreographers Janie Scott and Michael Saenz, who made the entire ensemble look like professional dancers. Alas, I didn't have nearly as much success with my rainbow wings, which only smoothly transitioned from hidden to revealed to removed about half of the time.

Another Roll of the Dice

And another Damon Runyan and Frank Loesser musical

All five roles of my roles in the show, referred to as the Moose track, would have fit in nicely with the mugs in Guys and Dolls. Because there was no backstage crew, all six of us cast members did all the set changes. That, intermixed with several full costume changes, meant there would be no relaxing in the green room -- if Tabard Theatre had one to begin with. ;-)

Other highlights: my first on-stage kiss, and a 1930's toupée that got more laughs than I did.

The Musical of Musicals

The Musical!

This was my second show at Theatre on San Pedro Square. In this 2017 Tabard Theatre production, I loved the challenge of creating five distinct characters for the role of Jidder, the landlord. There were only four people in the cast, so we were all busy!

Miracle on 34th Street

A live radio play

In my first Tabard Theatre production, I played a radio actor named Baxter Greenstreet, who took on seven different character roles in the radio show-within-the-show. This ran in November and December of 2015, and it was my first non-musical. Because we were supposed to be actors reading their lines in a radio show, we got to hold scripts on stage, so there was no pressure to memorize lines. But, of course, we all did have them memorized by the end of the run.

I even got mentioned in a couple reviews in Talkin' Broadway and A Good Reed!

Promises, Promises

The Musical Version of the Classic Film "The Apartment"

In this 2013 South Bay Musical Theatre production, I played an executive named Vanderhof. We four executives sang about managing our affairs and had a funny bit that involved "accidentally" rotating my toupée.

Curtains

The Broadway Musical Comedy Whodunit!

In this Foothill Musical Theatre production in July of 2011, I played a show-within-a-show cast member named Harv. Three of us sang about being in the wrong boat, but two of our characters were sharing more than a canoe backstage.

Best of all, our preview performance finished on the steps outside after a fire alarm cleared the theater. The show must go on!

Spelling Bee

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

In 2010 at Foothill College, I played hyper-competitive Carl Dad, a gay parent of one of the kids in the Spelling Bee. I finally got to apply Stanislovsky's WEDGAG acting technique that I had learned in my first acting class years earlier.

My Fair Lady

Based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion

In Foothill Musical Theatre's first production in the Lohman Theatre, in 2008, I played Alfie's friend Jamie, and a servant in the Professor's home, and a dancer at the Ascot. Watching the amazing Kit Wilder prepare for each performance, when he practiced synchronizing words of his monologue with putting sugar cubes into his tea cup, was a great education in the craft of acting.

Pippin

The Musical

In this 2007 Foothill Musical Theatre production, I played a general, the decapitated Talking Head of a different soldier, and a dancer in the ensemble. To feel comfortable taking off my shirt on stage, I lost 10 pounds and did situps before each performance. The show was truly the first musical I fell in love with, and I spent many hours during high school wearing out my sister's vinyl original cast album.

Urinetown

The Musical

This was my first Foothill Musical Theatre production, and my first show working with the amazing director, Jay Manley. In this 2006 production, I played Dr. Billeaux (pronounced "B-O") and a homeless person in the ensemble. The goatee was glued on.

The Pajama Game

A New Musical Comedy

In the summer of 2005 in Saratoga, I danced the original Bob Fosse choreography in the Steam Heat Trio. I dropped the hat about one third of the time -- whenever I focused on the audience instead of on the hat. This was probably the peak of my Jazz dance career, and I'm so grateful that we kept true to Fosse. I have a recording of our entire dance on YouTube.

The Goodbye Girl

Based on Neil Simon's 1977 film

My vocal warm-up before each performance included listening to a Richard Simmon's recording and trying to imitate him. It worked, at least if you believe Richard Connema of Talkin' Broadway.

George M!

The life and music of George M. Cohan

Playing George's father, Jerry, at West Valley Light Opera was the peak of my tap career!

In the video, I'm the short one on the right. The really good dancer on the left, George, is played by Dean Scott.

Kiss Me, Kate

Shakespeare wrapped in a Cole Porter comedy

I played Gremio, one of the three suitors in the Taming of the Shrew play-within-a-play. I had to wear a giant beard and probably the heaviest, least dance-friendly costume ever imagined. On the plus side, it truly was Too Darn Hot.

The Gypsy Baron

A Comic Opera by Johann Straus

I played a gypsy named Pali with a great baritone Anvil Chorus solo. The song was way too low for my voice, but they let me sing it anyway.

The Yeomen of the Guard

An operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan

In my first post-high-school musical, I played Leonard, sang a nice trio, and got to work with the dedicated folks at Lyric Theater.

Why I should never do another

What I told myself during my last show