Review: Beatrice Arthur: Astral Dame

Shout out to super fan Mary C's Uncle Gordon in Upstate New York, who came to see the show in April!

She and sent him a cd of our recording at The Duplex and this is what he had to say: "Hi Mary, thank you very much for the gift you sent me. I like it very much; that was so thoughtful of you. It certainly will give me many hours of enjoyment as well as very fond memories of visiting... New York."

And from Mary about the show: "Thank you for being you. You bring so much love and laughter to the world!"

You can't get a better review than that, now can you folks? 

Love,
Jason B. Schmidt
‪#‎BeaAstralDame‬

Thursdoodle

It’s quiet here on set at The Office, which kind of makes me a bit on edge that at any give moment some e-fire is going to e-rupt and I’ll e-die. But maybe that’s just my paranoia. MAYBE! Tonight Noodle and I are going to see Show Business, which the lovely Miss Gmeyster has chatted about over on her blog. Check it out or die. I’m excited to see the film. Of the four shows discussed (Avenue Q, Caroline or Change, Wicked, and Taboo) I just missed Caroline. I was p-iz-oor back then, so it’s a wonder I got to see any shows at all. I remember Darladiva and I having a very entertaining time at Taboo, but also knowing it would be closing moments from opening. Sadly. I enjoy both the London cast recording as well as the Broadway. But I’m a fan of camp which this show epitomizes. Darladiva (and Smoosh?), Noodle, and maybe Cricket(?), and I were at the Tony party for Avenue Q so I’m hoping that maybe if we look closely, we’ll see one of our ears or something, as we reluctantly made friends with Jai Rodriguez, my self-proclaimed nemesis. I'll get you Culture Guy! Anyhoodle, that’s tonight.

Last night, after 195 minutes of build up, Jordin won American Idol. I’m glad. Good work. Now record an album (whatever that is) so I can buy it, thanks. Kelly Clarkson sang her new single Never Again. It was hott (she was nott so much…who’s her stylist?). I always pine for my one true love Clay Aiken to make an appearance on such fluffy filler-y finale shows, but alas, he did not. Probably because he was attending some sort of Un-gay event. Sigh. Someday Clay, someday. On your own terms. In my room. Thanks.

The weather in NYC has been lovely/bearable. Tomorrow the angry humidity begins and I have to figure a way of doodling to work without becoming a heaping mess of sweat. Fun times. I need an air conditioned bubble, like the ones hamsters hang out in. You know. You know.

I want to tell you what’s up this weekend, but then I’ll have nothing to post tomorrow. So, you’ll just have to wait. I’m seeing another straight play. Guess which one.

O o d l d e

One Year Blog-iversary Post 2(dle)

FIRE! Just kidding. Ha. I haven’t gotten a chance to see Friday Night Lights as of late because of all the rehearsals and such, but maybe I’ll try to watch it when it comes on next week. I don’t think my Grandma Schmidt would have liked a “program” about football in Texas, but maybe. She might have enjoyed a musical about recluses on Long Island though. That’s a little more certain. Gwenners, when are we going to see Grey Gardens? Let’s go soon. You have to watch the documentary first. Dooo iiiiit. Oh, and Gwenners, am I going to be your new gym date on Tuesdays now that Darladiva is never free and now I AM? Let’s work that out (ha). If we stick to it, perhaps we can fit into those cat suits we plan on wearing this Halloween. Perhaps. It’s a goal, anyway. And if we DON’T fit into the cat suits, we can just go as characters from Heroes (cuz that won’t be passé by October). Pshaw! Do you know what the stars say for me today? DO YOU? I’m speaking to all of you now, not just Gwenners.

“Things could be up and down for you today, dear Libra. You might experience some confusion as a result of communications snafus or computer glitches that affect financial issues you are trying to solve. Persevere and you will succeed. Don't be surprised if you are recruited to join a project that is totally new to you. You may be apprehensive at first, but you will do just fine. Go ahead and say yes.”

I hope this means I’m going to be in a threeway or fourgie soon. Do you think that’s what it means? It could also mean that I look like a kangaroo. One never really knows. Do kangaroos have strong livers, because that would be f’ing cool? Macoosh (who first inspired me to be a blogger) don’t you think that would be cool? You know who’s cool? Madame Renea Knight. And why? Because thanks to Macoosh inspiring me, and me inspiring her (she was also inspired by others, but I am taking the credit HERE) MRK now has her own blog. YAYYYYYY.

The last time I went to Marie’s was a lovely time indeed. It provided for a very eventful Sunday morning that was well spent. I don’t think that Joseph Gordon Levitt is Mr. Moodle, but he was a decent Mr. Moodle for right noodle (not Noodle, she will be mentioned in a bit). Also, not Mr. Moodle, it would seem, is Myster Ian. What up with that? Oh well. Can’t say I didn’t try, sort of. Well, I just have to hope that Mr. Moodle is here in the best city in the world, New York City. I think that is feasible. Niwa, do you think that is feasible? I mean, you met your Mr. Moodle here. He’s freaking hott. So hott I have to end this post for now...

Doubting Doodle is WET

Last night was….okay. No real issues with costumes or anything, but it seems with the addition of all this new stuff, my characters have suffered. I suppose it makes sense and it’s okay, but by the time notes were finished after 11 last night, I was feeling obliterated. I couldn’t keep my eyes open on the train ride home. I’m honestly not sure how good this show is. I can’t tell. I know that the actors are all very good and I know the play is good, but I don’t know…

Just being doubt-y I guess. Hopefully in 12 hours when it’s all said and done and I’m sipping champagne with the cast, all of these doubts will be distant distant after-thoughts.

I hate the rain. I hate it mostly because I prefer to walk to work because it is faster than taking the bus. By the time I got to work I was completely soaked. My socks, shoes, and pants are still wet and I’ve been here for two hours now. What am I to do? I guess I have to get my ass out of bed early enough to take the bus. It seems silly. Would that I could use the car service I book for everyone else here. Would that I could. Would that I could.

What are YOUR thoughts on the rain?

BLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGG.

I’m at a plateau with the stupid losing weight thing. It’s annoying. I just can’t seem to get over this hump. I know it’s because I don’t have time for the gym, because of rehearsal, but I have managed to squeeze it in a few times a week, somehow, because I’m crazy. Anyhoo, I wanted to lose weight to squeeze into the dress, but it doesn’t seem that’s going to happen. Maybe by the time the show closes, since I’ll have more time to workout I’ll be svelte again. Blahg.

Ummm, what else? The Office is weird. I really don’t know what my role is, but it seems to be going better than it has, ever, so I’m just going to keep on truckin’.

C9 is going okay. I’m getting closer to the characters. I just need to get off book so I can stop thinking about the lines and think about the intentions. Blahg.

The weather yesterday was glorious (I’m told).

Blahg.

As Darladiva pointed out, I look like this kangaroo.

Thursdoodle: Darladiva inspires!

Darladiva has written another zinger of an article on Broowaha.com. Check it out and then rate her so someone will take notice and pay her so she can call herself a writer judgment-free. She talks about that diggiest of party-going questions, “what do you do?” I have a new response, “I’m a soul-seller. I only have one client right now, but I’m looking to expand my client base. Are YOU interested in giving me your soul? I can guarantee you a nice bonus come Tree Time.” “We’re Executive Assistants!” Darladiva and I piped to an adorable waiter in an adorable purple polo at this healthy lunch spot we happened upon during a shopping lunch. He was so genuinely interested, we had to quickly dissuade him and let him know we wanted nothing more than for cute EA’s to come into our healthy lunch spot, where we’d be the adorable waiters wearing aforementioned adorable purple polos. Alas, Darladiva and I desperately need and enjoy our health benefits that we went too too many years without. Dental appointments should not invoke panic attacks for reasons other than the fact that dentists can be freakishly scary. I should be scared of the dentist and his rusty tools, not the fact that I am poor and will never be able to afford whatever it is that is wrong up in my mouth. I look back in nostalgic terror when I think of the time I heard those horrid horrid words, ROOT CANAL!! (insert creepy-angry sound effect). And I heard those words days before I was to debut a solo cabaret. I couldn't put it off any longer. I am STILL paying off the credit card I have lovingly deemed Dental Debbie Debt Card. Bitch. I hate that whore and the interest rate she rode in on. Alas, being a soul-seller, I have seriously attacked my debt due to the nice bonus that arrived in my (still) struggling bank account around Tree Time. I do see freedom from this little monetary phase in my (seemingly) former artistic life. I do. The day will come when at a party on the Upper East Whatever I will gladly announce to that bimbette of an Accounts Payable clerk who is mistakenly dating my actor friend, “I AM A GYPSY!!!” And I do mean Rose Lee.

Twenty First-oodle: A building on fire in NYC

Hey doodles. I just got a call from The BF asking if I had heard about this plane that flew into a building on the Upper East Side. No, no I hadn't. It's all very breaking news at this point, but what I have gathered from various news sites, a small aircraft, most likely a helicopter crashed into a high rise on 72nd Street and York. It caused a loud boom and burning debris rained down from the building. On the lower floors of the building is a hospital and the top floors are apartments. So far nothing has been reported regarding injuries. The BF, who works on 57th and 5th, not too far from there, in a very tall building, was very very nervous and wondering why everyone else in his office was so calm. I think it's an interesting thing that even after 911 New Yorkers still act as New York-y as ever. I know this is a blanket statement and a generalization and I should be drowned, but give me a second. You hear so many stories of people who get mugged on the subway platform and dozens of people stand idly by without lending a hand or seeking help. I know that when I had a similar experience to that no one, even the MTA attendant batted an eyelash. "You have to live your life." "You can't live in fear." etc. And while I believe this, The BF has a point. "The reason a lot of the people died in 911 was because they stayed too calm, and stayed where they were instead of evacuating." Anyhoodle it's a bit scary. Scary that planes can crash into buildings, scary that the people around you on the subway platform would rather look the other way than be bothered by a mere mugging, scary that I don't know if I'm any different from those people. Most likely not. Here's hoping everything turns out okay for the people involved in this accident.