What's Up - Tony Awards

Very proud of my wife today for her hard work on The Notebook: The Musical. For her, being a book writer was kind of an invisible job - that is, if you’re doing it right it’s not really noticed. So I know she feels very lucky to have been honored in this way.

It’s a strange thing to parse out the pieces of a collaborative work like this, being that the actors and book are very directly related to the music and direction and design and everything else that goes into it.

On the set of a network procedural, I thanked the director for his help in getting me to where I needed to be, and he kept chalking it up to, “well it’s a collaborative art,” kind of saying - ‘you did this too, and everyone else, no other way it can happen’. It’s true. Which is why those awards shows take so damn long. So many people to thank.

And lets be real - nobody loves a good award show like the entertainment industry. We’re out here congratulating each other left and right. We really do need the validation though - we’re not making something that lasts or that you can tangibly hold. We need the validation as fuel to convince us to keep going on to the next thing.

Also - now a great thing that will never/immediately get old is I can introduce Bekah as my ‘Tony nominated wife’.

Red Carpet - The Notebook Opening

Photo by Michaelah Reynold

Photo by Michaelah Reynold

Here’s me being very proud of my wife for her work writing the book for The Notebook musical.

My sister in law Jacy Ceccarelli styled us both. What a whirlwind rollercoaster ride this, and our visit to New York in general, was.

This production is the culmination of 6, maybe 7 years, of consistent work. It garnered rave reviews in the Chicago production, and generated mixed reviews in New York. Most people love the show, but it is slightly different than your average musical, and it’s about a movie, so I understand it’s an easy target.

I would expect a more diligent approach from New York professionals though - it’s disappointing that some of them cannot engage with what is moving to the majority of the audience around them, even if they are not moved themselves.

The music and book reflect the piece - a layered construction of a love story grasping to be remembered by the lovers, which builds toward a final transcendent moment that celebrates one of the best and enduring capacities we can hold. It takes the core themes of love and loss from the book and elevates them in symphonic beauty.

I’ve never been a fan of performative, campy, or splashy musicals that seem to delight the biggest energy vampires in any drama class. I prefer plays with music, or musicals with heart, and this is both, probably more the latter. A couple of my favorites have been Passing Strange (mounted at the public), and Three Penny Opera (mounted by a South African troupe in an old church in London using drums and sticks for percussion and sets).

In that way, my wife’s work adds value to the market. It provides another option that people love to embrace and celebrate.

What's Up - Stylist

Fashion cycles around and around. It’s funny to see kids wearing what people wore in high school. The clothes are getting bigger, the hair floppier, and the pants baggier.

I’m on board with baggier pants, as long as it trends 20s 30s 40s and not 90s. The rest of it I’ll leave at Hot Topic. Skinny pants don’t fit these legs that have to hold up my big ol butt and body. Baggier pants make me feel Swooshy ™. Some kinda karate master, or painter, or jazz dancer - something masterful that requires movement.

Got a big opening night coming up to celebrate my wife’s hard work. Sister in law’s a stylist. Sent along this reference point based on my ideas. We’ll see how close I come to this lewk. This guy is an ambassador from some land of mastery. If I get halfway there I’ll feel great.

Point is - ask your people for help. If I didn’t I wouldn’t be having as much fun with this mission.

What's Up - So Proud

This is just here to say that I’m very proud of my wife and the whole creative team behind The Notebook The Musical. My wife wrote the book, and I was just there for support. I’m on Team Jock Strap. Or Team Bra. Or Team Back Brace.

It’s been illuminating to see the degree of talent and work that goes into something like this. I was privileged enough to see the show in Chicago a few times, and it does what only live theatre can do - send you and everyone in the room on a beautiful transcendent journey that momentarily takes you out of time and into the heart of humanity.

So far it’s been a 6 year process, which apparently is short for musicals. I am beyond impressed, and can’t wait to celebrate in the city that never sleeps. Seriously, NYC, why do your trash tracks clang around at 2 am? People are trying to sleep. I love you but you’re loud.