Publicity Overload

I've never been part of a show that received so much press. Of course, when Tonya Harding comes to your opening night, there's bound to be buzz.

Have you ever received a standing ovation from Tonya Harding? I have.

I'm trying to post a video here, but until I manage to do so, here's a sampling of news coverage Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera has received.

Stories with video

KATU News:


Willamette Week


Newspapers

The Oregonian

Portland Tribune

Opening Night

Tonight at 8:00 p.m. the cast of Tonya & Nancy will be rocking the World Trade Center. Our band is awesome. I just hope the audience will be able to hear us singing! I also hope that I don't do anything stupid. Last night at our final dress rehearsal, I accidentally brought a nightie on stage. What happened was.... the actress playing Tonya asked me to bring the wrap-around skirt part of her costume on stage because she didn't have time to put it on backstage. I accidentally scooped up some of the lingerie she wore in a previous scene and carried it out with me. The scene on stage was the 1993 National Figure Skating Championships, and there I was, Tonya Harding's bodyguard, holding a slinky negligee. I threw it on the floor and tried to kick it behind me.

Here is a link to story about the show. Included in the online article is a link to "When You Wake Up Sleeping in Your Car in Estacada", one of the songs in the show.

My cell phone rang at 7 a.m. this morning waking me from a sound sleep. It was Auburn Pisces calling to let me know she had seen me on the news. (A news crew had filmed one of our rehearsals a couple weeks ago so I think that's the footage she saw).

We've had lots of press for this show, and the fact that Tonya is coming to see it tonight is probably a big reason for the hullabaloo.

I am looking forward to meeting Ms. Harding, but to be honest I am more looking forward to this weekend when I can sleep in, do some laundry and go to the grocery store!

Orange and Purple

Today I am wearing orange and purple together. Why? Because I feel like wearing orange and purple. They don't match well. I look ridiculous. Like a clown.

I need to feel like a clown today because I have been rehearsing for the show and am recording a podcast today. I have not done laundry or gone to the grocery store for 2 weeks, and I doubt I will accomplish either task today either. I seriously need to spend some time reviewing a few of the songs in the show because everything sounds completely different with the band. Rehearsing with a piano sounds nothing like rehearsing with electric guitars and drums. Tomorrow I am back at the office and then rehearsal, and that will continue for the rest of the week. Tylenol PM helps me shut off my brain at night, but I still fall asleep with songs from the rock opera running through my head.

When I have lots of obligations, I start to feel pent up. I want to be free of all commitments. But that isn't a realistic way to live. So I am just going to wear orange and purple together.

Tonya told our director that she would like to have drinks with the cast after the show. We open Thursday!

That is the update for those of you who cared enough to ask. It touches me that people are still out there reading even though I rarely update lately! Thank you!

Meeting Tonya

This just in.

Tonya Harding is planning on attending Tonya & Nancy on opening night.

As the cast rehearses the show, I feel confident that Tonya would approve. There are some very heartfelt moments that will help the audience to see Tonya as the human being that she is.

She made some mistakes. Personally, I wouldn't want my life to be played out in the media the way hers was. I'm sure most of us wouldn't come off smelling like a rose if publicizing our faults made for a good news story.

I'm interested to meet her and am looking forward to performing the show for Tonya Harding. Nancy Kerrigan, I've heard, has said she does not want to be involved in the show in any way.

The next couple weeks before opening night are sure to be a wild ride.

Beth Willis

I'm working with an amazing singer/songwriter in Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera. Beth Willis has a beautiful voice and writes incredible songs. Please check her out at her website or her MySpace page. Beth is playing Tonya Harding in the show, and she is doing a great job. Audiences are going to fall in love with her.

I'm playing Tonya's bodyguard, Shawn Eckhardt, so I get to spend some time with Beth waiting in the wings. Today she taught me the Star Trek "Live Long and Prosper" sign. She's so cool, and so genuine and kind.

What I love most about theatre is the opportunity to meet and work with talented and inspirational artists. It is good to be back on stage.

Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera

Well, it may be a while until I have time to update. I'm working many nights each week to get ready for the world premiere of Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera. What a fun show. And what an amazing cast!

My ex is in the show. That was a shocker, let me tell you! I am still sort of trying to figure out how to work with him professionally without letting our past become an issue. He was my first love, and although I don't have those feelings for him any longer, I have to admit it is hard to work with him professionally. It is just so hard to separate personal feelings from my professional responsibilities!

Actually, he was a big reason I started this blog. I needed an outlet for all I was feeling. I have had several significant relationships since him, but, as Sheryl Crow would say, "the first cut is the deepest..."

Irreplaceable~Sugarland and Beyonce

Hot Damn, Patter Pam. I had so much fun with you and The Handsome Prince and The Math Whiz tonight. Celebrating Torrey's birthday and supporting her in the loss of a family member as she prepares for tomorrow's funeral.

Wine and vodka and a fire pit and barbecued hamburgers and laughter and admissions of dorky boy-stalking.

Life is good. My friends make it all worthwhile.

Back on the Boards

This weekend, I'll be starting rehearsals for the world premiere of Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera. I'm playing Shawn Eckardt.

I haven't done a show in a couple years. I took time off to explore other interests, including softball. But how could I say no to this opportunity? It will be so great to be back on stage again!

I'm very excited about the cast too. I'll get to work with some great people.

Portland Musicians to Star in Harding/Kerrigan Musical

I'll keep you posted!

My Swedish Obsession

This morning I logged on to check the weather. Moments later, I was searching for a pizza place near Stockholm. I don't know how this happens!

Back in Business

After 12 days of fun, I'm returning to the office this morning.

Who knows what awaits me upon my return? The anticipation I feel regarding my e-mail inbox is a mixture of bliss and thankfulness. With orgasmic pleasure, I will return phone calls and meet with my Internal Customers. Oh, how I have missed my Internal Customers.

It's all in the attitude, right?

Home from the Holidays

I'm back in Portland, Oregon after a week long visit with my family in Dallas. Yeehaw.

Really, I love Portland so much, and everytime I come back home I'm so happy to be living here. There is nowhere like Portland. People are just so unique in this town, and, when you live here, you encounter the quirkiness every single day. I feel like this town is populated by like-minded souls.

For example, yesterday it was raining, as is usual for this time of the year. I was getting ready to get into my truck and head to the grocery store when a woman came riding down the street on her bike. She was singing a nonsensical song at the top of her lungs. The rain sprayed in her face and her clothing was soaked as she sang her one-word song that went something like this...

"Wet, wet, wet, wet, wet.
Wet-Wet-Wet.
Wet, wet, wet
Wet-wet-wet, wet..."


Dunno if that is one of those "had to be there things" but it made me laugh. She was clearly trying to have some humor and joy about what could be a miserable situation.

Well, friends. I'm back, and I hope you had a wonderful holiday. Happy new year. No really - have a HAPPY new year. Whether you're wet or dry, just be happy.

Dirty Little Christmas #2

Not that I deserve it, but I am taking a break from Hot Toddy's Toaster Oven.

I haven't been good at updating, and a good blogger always updates his/her blog. I guess I'm not a good blogger, and that's okay with me. I managed to scrape by a 4th anniversary with Hot Toddy's Toaster Oven. It's hard to believe I stuck with something for four years. Maybe I can make it for a few more years, even though people are saying that blogging is becoming a thing of the past. (Podcasting and Social Networking sites like Facebook are, I presume, the wave of the future?)

I won't head off on my vacation without a brief update. Last weekend I attended two holiday parties and also saw a play by William Hoffman titled As Is. There were some truly remarkable performances from the cast. My friends The Handsome Prince and Apollo both appeared in the show and made me very proud.

Pony and Juju and I also had a blast recording our second annual Christmas podcast. I hope you will give it a listen!

Todd & Pony Show - Dirty Little Christmas #2

Have a wonderful holiday, my friends.

Is Europe a country?

God bless her heart.

JC Goes Home for the Holiday

When I lived in Dallas, Texas I listened to Kidd Kraddick in the Morning almost every day. Now I subscribe to the show via iTunes and YouTube. Just wanted to share this story with you. Happy Holidays.

Lithuania, here I come

After watching The Amazing Race last night, I have decided I want to go to Lithuania. I know almost nothing about the country, so I am going to have to check Wikipedia right away. Still, it looked beautiful and charming.

Great. One more country to add to my ever-growing list of travel destinations. Someday I want to return to Scandinavia. I fell in love with Sweden, but I only got to spend one day in Oslo, Norway. Since I'm Norwegian, I figure I should go back and spend a week or more in my "homeland". (Yes, I've seen the Mastercard commercial where the poor old man spends all that time in Norway only to discover he's actually Swedish!)

Someday I hope to see Australia. And I still haven't seen any of the UK!

My time in Paris, France was wonderful. I studied at La Sorbonne for a summer in college, and I really would love to go back and see more of France.

I would love to see Fiji someday too. Also, another trip to Africa would be great. I went to Kenya and filmed documentaries for a film crew years ago (I was a broadcast communications major in college) but I didn't see any other countries in Africa. I would love to visit South Africa someday.

For now, I guess I will just walk 2 miles to work in Portland, Oregon and call it a day.

My Somewhat Exaggerated Reaction to Tokyo, Japan in January 2006

World AIDS Day 2007

Tonight I am heading to a celebration of light and life as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence raise funds for SMYRC at CC Slaughters.

Today is a chance to reflect on those we have lost and to look hopefully into the future towards the day when AIDS becomes history.

amfAR
UNICEF World Aids Day concert

Church Giggles

Blessed are those who were not subject to a childhood in the church, for they shall be relatively free of guilt and less likely to become a doormat. But for those of us who grew up going to church, we have experienced a bliss very few come to know. We have experienced church giggles.

The act of suppressing your laughter in church is exhausting and exhilarating. It is one of the best ab workouts around. Church giggles usually begin innocently enough. They can be set off by your best friend's growling stomach. By the way, I'm talking about your best friend at church - not your real best friend. Your real best friend didn't go to church and he always got you into so much trouble at school and gave you your first joint and taught you how to get drunk, like that didn't come naturally, and then you ended up sleeping together and it just got weird.

Anyway - back to church...

So maybe your best friend's stomach is growling during the sermon, or maybe the preacher says something about how Jesus loved his Peter so much, and you just start giggling. You stifle it, but that only makes the laughter harder to suppress. Your shoulders shake, and you can feel the whole pew vibrating. People start to glance over at you. At that point they start glaring, or worse, they smile and that makes you want to laugh even more.

Usually church giggles are shared by two or more people. It is harder to get the church giggles by yourself because the contagiousness is intrinsic to what makes church giggles so funny. Knowing that your friend is hurting from stifling laughter makes you want to laugh. You can try coughing to release some of the pressure building up inside of you, but I would advise against that. Coughing may actually be too much of a release and can easily become a full on laughing fit. At that point your only option will be to fake a terrible coughing fit and run out of the sanctuary, causing a big scene and insuring a scolding by your mother after church.

I don't miss the hours of sermons I sat through growing up, but I sure do miss church giggles.

Simple 45 Step Sweet Potato Pie

During this joyful season of thanking and giving and eating and not going to work and having more time to watch porn, I like to share a traditional Thanksgiving recipe with my readers. So please enjoy, once again, this simple recipe for Sweet Potato Pie (only 45 steps!)

Happy Thanksgiving one and all (except for you, fucker) and God Bless Us Everyone!!

Today I have a special treat for you. I have decided to share my recipe for Sweet Potato Pie with all the loyal readers of Hot Toddy's Toaster Oven. This recipe has been guarded by my family for generations. My great-grandmother was killed by the Nazis or Hutus or something, because she refused to share the recipe. I took a solemn vow when I was three years old that I would never share this secret recipe. But my mother pissed me off when she informed me that the Donny & Marie albums I had stored in her attic were lost in the fire that destroyed my parents' home yesterday. Because of her failure to climb into the burning attic and retrieve my albums, I have decided to put this recipe on the Internet. May this tasty treat remind you of the importance of family and unconditional love for others throughout the year. Not just at Thanksgiving or Arbor Day.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup half-and-half or evaporated milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish or 10-inch regular pie shell

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Run to the store for all the ingredients.
3. Remove burnt leftover pizza from oven.
4. Open all the windows in your house and clear the smoke.
5. Have a quick nip of whiskey to calm your nerves.
6. Head back to the store for the sweet potatoes you forgot.
7. Before you get to the store go back home and turn off the oven.
8. Go to the store and buy candles and licorice.
9. Turn around on your way home and go back to the store for sweet potatoes.
10. Return home and have some more whiskey.
11. Combine sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, beaten egg yolks, ginger, cinnamon, cumin (out of nutmeg) and salt in a mixing bowl.
12. Remove sweet potatoes from the mixture and boil them.
13. Put sweet potatoes back in the bowl and beat until light and fluffy or until your hand gets tired.
14. Put on Annie Lennox album and play "The Saddest Song I've Got".
15. Put the song on repeat, cry, and drink more whiskey.
16. Go look at pictures of your ex and remember that Thanksgiving at the coast.
17. Drink some more whiskey.
18. Drunk dial your ex and cuss him out.
19. Add half-and-half to the lumpy mixture.
20. Beat egg whites with electric mixer.
21. Attach stainless steel beaters to electric mixer and continue beating egg whites.
22. That works better now.
23. Call your ex and apologize and invite him over for Thanksgiving.
24. Cry and drink whiskey and wonder why he had to be so terse on the phone.
25. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form.
26. Look at the stiff peaks.
27. Go watch porn.
28. Wash hands.
29. Gently fold egg whites into the sweet potato mixture.
30. Run to the store and get pie shell.
31. Pour filling into an unbaked pie shell, and put the pie in the oven.
32. Go watch porn.
33. Drink some whiskey.
34. Check on the pie and turn the oven on.
35. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes.
36. 45 minutes later, smell burning pie and remove pie from oven.
37. Drink vodka after whiskey runs out.
38. Call mom and scold her about the Donny & Marie albums.
39. Ignore her complaints about spending Thanksgiving at The Salvation Army shelter.
40. Wish mom a Happy Thanksgiving and ask if she can send a couple hundred dollars.
41. Take a bite of the pie and throw it out.
42. Finish the vodka and go to bed.
43. Wake up at 3 a.m. and jot down an idea for a blog entry.
44. Watch porn.
45. Turn off oven and go back to bed.

Europe United

So many cute boys in the world, so little time!

Thanks for sharing this link with me, Thomas!

I'm fine...

If you are involved in a car accident, it is important when telling your friends and family to begin with the words, "I am fine..."

I am fine, but I did have an accident last night. I got lost (surprise!) in a strange neighborhood and had an "encounter" with a car in the intersection. Neither of us had a stop sign. It was dark and rainy. I tried to stop but my truck skidded right into the other guy's passenger side.

The important thing is that nobody was hurt. We exchanged insurance information and assessed our damages. His car was in much worse shape than my truck.

The accident also helped me come to an important realization. I have been single for too long. How did this wreck bring about this startling revelation? I actually felt disappointment when the guy I hit said, "Hang on a second. Let me call my girlfriend."

It could have been such a romantic story. Except that instead of riding in on a white horse and sweeping him off his feet I would drive my white truck into his car and push him off the road.