Catching Up

I'm a complete failure. And I fully admit it. I was trying to blog at different times last week, and between Blogger being slow for me and a firewall at work stopping everything, I was having a NON-BANNER WEEK for reporting the exciting happenings of my life. So now, it's time to CATCH UP. I have 1 story I owe you, from the last entry...and then stories of jury duty, a new baby (not mine), me and the movies, and a quick recap of the Tony Awards. SEE what you've been missing? Let's begin.

THE STORY I OWE...
So long story short...I am angry at the Smithsonian Institutue...and the National Museum of American History SPECIFICALLY. Why? Because I feel like they have been taking part in 'false advertising' around the DC area, and I have been a victim. So I get home from tour, and around the DC area, I start seeing these POSTERS and SIGNS, advertising the NMAH's new exhibit. It's called: Muppets and Mechanisms: Jim Henson's Legacy - and the IDEA of it sounds great.

You need to know, at this point in the story, that I LOVE the Muppets and always have. I used to run home from school to catch the Muppet Show on TV. I had a Muppet lunch box. I LIVED for free HBO weekends because Fraggle Rock was on. And I STILL, to this day, consider the loss of Jim Henson one of the greatest losses to the fabric of American pop culture and creativity. So HELL YES I'm excited about an exhibit celebrating his LEGACY.

I made plans with my new friend, Ashley (who lives in DC and has a blog you should't miss...click HERE) and we met downtown, had lunch and then headed over to see this exhibit. I KNEW I was excited about it because I planned it on a SATURDAY (prime TOURIST day) and I knew the museum would be packed with matching-shirted-tour-groups that all have that same ODD 'tourist' smell. (I can't explain it...but if you live here...you know it....) But we muscled our way in, through the metal detectors that were not on NOR detecting, and got immediate directions to the Muppets Exhibit. And we were OFF to the 3rd floor...American Pop Culture area.

And then the story takes a turn for the worst. IN said American Pop Culture area, there are 5 display cases: 1 in the middle, 4 on the outside walls. Case 1, in the middle: The Swedish Chef. Fine. Fun to see him. Case 2, to my left: the original MUPPETS from Henson's 'Sam And Friends' back in the 60's. Fun to see them...the original kermit, etc. Case 3: Lance Armstrong's bike. Ummmm....wait a minute...... Case 4: Dorothy's red slippers from The Wizard of Oz.....(I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Ashley!) Case 5: a clump of 6 or 7 different Muppets. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND...that's it, I think. So confused, and starting to get angry, I read a plaque on the wall that says 'blah blah blah...and join us on the 1st floor for the REST of the exhibit.' So PHEW! Crisis averted...we just went to the INTRO area. (Although i can't really figure out WHY they would split up the exhibit...but i digress....) We trudge down through the masses, odors at full force, and get to the 1st floor...and walk around, and FINALLY find the 'rest' of the exhibit. Basically, 2 more cases - Case 1: the heads of 2 of the creatures from the Dark Crystal (a Mystic and a Skesis...MAN those were magical creatures....); Case 2: Emmett Otter, his mother and their rowboat from Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND...then that was it. But this time, that really WAS it! So if you were doing the math, that is 5 cases TOTAL of Muppets and Mechanisms. And I'm sorry to say, but it didn't even BEGIN to touch on Jim Henson's legacy.
So FIE on you, Smithsonian! And FIE on you NMAH! You ruined my Saturday...and you did a HUGE disservice to Henson fans all over the world.

PLUS - did you hear his widow came and cut the ribbon on this exhibit? Well, you probably didn't hear that. But she did - and I'm embarassed. She was probably like...uh....5 cases huh? Thanks NMAH. Your rock. But not. And then I bet she cried a little. Oh wait - sorry...that was me. But thanks to Ashley for being such a trooper and hitting the exhibit with me. Luckily, we DID have Ollie's fries. Mmmmmmm.....

JURY DUTY
So here's a fun story....January 23rd of this year I was scheduled for Jury Duty. I had to get a deferment - and it was resecheduled for 2 days after tour ended. So I went to register as a Petit Juror that day, and was told I had been reassigned AGAIN - and didn't need to report until June 7th. So I reported. And I sat. And sat. And sat. And finally, after 3 hours of just sitting, and a really bad orientation video, I got selected for a panel that was going to take part in jury selection.

As many of you know, I didn't end up being assigned to the jury - infact, I was the LAST person removed from the Jury box before they locked the jury down. I was SO relieved. BUT the fun story is that while they were deliberating, each of us had to go up to the bench, and stand in front of the judge and both lawyers and answer some questions about us. After the questions, the judge lets each lawyer ask questions, and the defense attorney said, "No questions." And the prosceutor said, "So...what is your occupation?" I said, "I'm an actor." She smiled and said, "Oh yeah. I remember seeing that." Then she said, after a brief silence, "So are you currently employed in a production?" And I said, "No - I recently finished a national tour with the Kennedy Center and am now just doing 'seasonal work' at a company in Virginia." She smiled again, and her eyes sparkled a bit when she asked, "Oh really? What production were you in?"
Proud of my work and time on the road, I said, "Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka." And in a split second that will forever leave me changed, she guffawed in my face, rolled her eyes, and said, "No further questions, your honor." And the judge let me go back to my seat.

So....I'm pretty sure the DC circuit courts hate Roald Dahl. But whatever...it got me off jury duty. Keep laughing, Prosecutor Lady.....

NEW BABY
So on Labor Day, my good friends, Steve and Allison Block, welcomed their new daughter, Louise Kristen Block, into the world. She was RIGHT on time, and I got a chance to meet her the day after she arrived! And what a LOOKER! Then - last week (which I liked to call 'The Week I Did Not Blog') I got some ONE-ON-ONE time with baby Lulu...and we had a GREAT time. She charming, engaging and VERY advanced for a 10-day old! And luckily Mom Allison was onsite to snap some photos...which I'm PRETTY SURE are going for a rate as high, if not higher, than that silly Jolie-Pitt baby.

MOVIES
So after starting out strong on tour, seeing all the movies I needed to see along the way. And then I just got tired...of finding theaters and calling everyone about using the van and arranging schedules and all that jazz. So I didn't see a lot of movies, in theaters, towards the end of tour. Andrew and I went to see United 93 in Florida, but that's about it.

This past week, I decided to remedy that...and headed out to see CARS and AKEELAH AND THE BEE. I liked them. They were both fun for different reasons. On the ever-present-and-important MASE, I would give CARS a solid 9 and AKEELAH a low 8. Just a couple of good movies. I'm sure you are better for reading this segment. Or not.

2006 TONY AWARDS
So the Tony's came and went, and to be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed by the production itself. BUT - there were some well-deserved wins that I was very excited about - some expected, and some not so much. For instance: Anything JERSEY BOYS won....hooray for them. (Best Musical, Best Actor, Best Featured Actor...way to GO Jersey Boys!) LACHANZE taking Best Actress in a Musical - AWESOME. So yeah...there was lots of exciting stuff. The telecast as a whole was pretty lame - and the production numbers from the nominated shows were pretty much a stinky mess. You read that right - a STINKY MESS.

BUT - to check out the winners...all you have to do is click HERE! And remember, there really IS no business like show business.