BIG IMPORTANT UPDATE and looooong overdue.

Why all the hoopla in the title? Well because yours truly is now a resident of NEW YORK CITY! How bout that!? Yes, it’s true – April 18th I boarded a plane with my one way ticket and moved to the Big Apple. Why is it called that? Anyway… I’ve been couch surfing the last week and a half, but finally will be moving in to my 3-month sublet this weekend. Can’t wait.

So why did I do it? A few reasons. First, I’m working on a production of ASSASSINS with Momentum Repertory Company – the same folks I did GODSPELL with a couple summers ago. I’m playing the Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald, and it’s going to be a blaaast. To complicate things, I just finished training for my new job as a barista at Argo Tea, another Chicago transplant. Oh and it doesn’t stop there. I also got cast as the title role in BJ: A Musical Romp… which… is… exactly what you think it is. But a friend of mine, Kate Bodenheimer, has also been cast in it as my love interest, so it’ll be a heckuva ride for sure. I can’t wait to get started on it. Both these shows will be performing in June – I’ll keep y’all posted… for serious.

Yeah I’m not busy at all! … Lies.

What’s the other reason I moved out here? Well, it has to do with what I just described. In Chicago I wasn’t busy. I was sitting around on my ass waiting. And I hate waiting. Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE Chicago. I love the city and I love the people in the industry there. It’s great. But the lack of opportunity was driving me insane. For every audition in Chicago there are at least 10 more in New York. Every audition in Chicago has such added significance because there are so few in the first place. If you don’t book it, there are only a couple other big equity houses in the area, and they all like to use the people that are known commodities, who they’ve worked with before. And that is GREAT if you’re in that circle. But breaking in is just tough – thems the breaks. In NYC though, there are SO MANY theaters and SO MANY companies. And not just ones in New York, but regional theaters from across the country audition here, and not in Chicago. It just makes waaaay too much sense for me. I should be in a place where I can audition for the shows I’m right for. And you know what? At the end of the day, you’re not going to get on Broadway living in Chicago. That’s just the truth of it. (Unless you’re Morgan Karr )

So there you go. I’m in NYC. I’m here to stay. Bring it on.