Busan-a-riffic........

Hey, all!   Sorry I haven't written in a few days, but the last two times I tried to enter a blog, it froze as it finished spell checking.  So, from now on, I may have to post with misspellings and typos included.  A small price to pay for my glorious words, no? 

OK, so we're in Busan now and things are pretty good.  Before I get into that, I gotta tell you what happened our last day in Daegu.  First off,  let me just say again how much we enjoyed playing for the people in Daegu- the audiences were some of the best we've had so far.  Nearly full houses, energetic, boisterous people who truly understood and appreciated the show and its' message.  Now then, the night before our final two shows(Sat.), our Cliff(Michael Curry-fantastic!) got hold of some undercooked chicken and didn't feel well that night or the next morning.   He felt well enough, though to begin the matinee performance on Sunday, with the understudy, Anthony Harkin(Bobby) prepped just in case he got any worse.
He got worse, a lot worse, and couldn't finish the second act.  So, at intermission, it was announced that Michael would be replaced by Ant, and the swing(Tommy Antico) would cover Bobby for the rest of the show.  Well, Ant not only covered but did an awesome job picking up where Michael left off.  The funniest thing , though, is that the only American character in the show was now played by an Australian.  So, while we're all faking Berlin accents, Ant's up there pretending to be a Yank.  Truly a sight(and sound) to behold.  

Ant ended up playing the evening show as well, and a few other switches were made to cover his spot, and the show went splendidly.  Michael, who ended up in the hospital on an IV drip, came home that night and is now back at 100% and feelin great.  Come to find out, though, he jinxed himself just a few days before as he and Vance Avery, our Emcee, were having dinner together.  Over a shared seafood meal, he mentioned to Vance that it was amazing nobody had gotten food poisoning and, what would happen if they both got sick, as Ant is the cover for both Vance and Michael.  Well, I probably shouldn't say anything, but almost all the covers have had to do their duties on this trip, save me and the Sally and Kost covers.  I know, I know, I just did what Michael did, but at least I'm prepared for such an event. Ha HA!

Alright, about Busan:  The weather is really nice, and there are beaches, but they are a 15-20 minute cab ride away.  It's not that it's expensive(@ 10,000 Won, or about$9.50 U.S.), but that the hotel we are staying at is far away from everything cool and it's kind of a dump to boot.  Mind you, there a zillion hotels near or on the beach we could be staying at, but, nooooo, we have to be as far from the center of anything fun as possible.  Not only that, but we're also quite a distance from anything Western like food, stores, etc., so those of us who have not embraced the full Korean culinary experience are a bit out of luck.

Now for the show:  The hall is OK(even smaller than Daegu), but the kicker is that the audiences have been the quietest so far on the tour, so our already beach-sapped bodies are feelin' no love from the Busanians.(Sounds like a rogue band of aliens intent on destroying the Earth,eh?)  So, we are having fun despite the conditions and trying to stay white and pasty for the show, but are losing the battle with the sun.  How can they really expect to bring us to a beach town and warn us about keeping up our pallid complexions?  Preposterous, I say!

Enough for today, as I am bushed from the beach; it's very crowded, but the water's great, considering I'm used to ice buckets like Hampton and Old Orchard Beaches.  I'll write soon- or maybe I won't and just go to the beaches and beer tents far away from the din of the P.C..  Just kidding, I can do both!  Bye for now!  An-nyong Hayseo!
Peace,
  Steve

P.S.- I just finished reading "The DaVinci Code" and, although some might find it blasphemous, it's a great, wild, can't put it down read.  -S

Boobs.....

No, I'm not gonna talk about boobs, I just figured I'd give anyone reading this at their respective workplaces whiplash from looking over their shoulder to see who's looking over their shoulder.
Things in Daegu are going very well-great crowds and we have all really been enjoying ourselves so far.  I've been told that this is a place not unlike Washington State where you either love it, as the locals do, or hate it with a passion.  On the whole, the team has really taken to this place.  Even the overzealous, militant sightseers are finding things to do.

It's still Korea, though, and as lovely as the people have been, yesterday, I was soberly reminded of the fact that I'm far from the home I love.  I was in the main marketplace/shopping district and passed a couple of big garage door sized banners portraying G.W. in some devilish looking pictures, surrounded by Korean slogans that I am certain were not "Four More Years".
There weren't more than four or five people in the area who seemed affiliated with the Bush bashing banners, quietly handing out literature or getting people to sign up for anti-Bush cookware (or something like that).  I kept a low profile and avoided the area, which was smack dab in the middle of the shopping area.  No one gave me even a sideways glance, so I figured I was invisible behind my new Nicky Eyes from "Goodfellas"/"Risky Business" sunglasses I got for 5,000 Won.  (A good deal,  if I may say so myself) 

With the marketplace a number of blocks and a half an hour or so's time behind me,   I was poking my nose around a stationary/Hallmark/lamp 'n stuff store when I saw what looked like a school field trip scootin' on by.   Then I noticed that the hats they were wearing weren't those of goofy-ass, color-coordinated high school students on a band trip(and no, I never did that to my kids), but the united colors of "shut the hell up, America".  There was what I can only describe as a proverbial parade (except that they were on the sidewalk) of about 300+ ill tempered Koreans with bullhorns, a swift gait, and a destination I was  guessing was the area where I had just been browsing for cute Korean crap.   I watched in the mirror, my back to the door, as 76 Kim/Lee's lead the big parade, while 110 Park/Jongs screamed away.  I was watching this retrograde sea of anger monkeys, trying to remember what provence Toronto was in so I could at least sound believable when I said "I don't know what all the fuss is aboot?  You guys wants a smoke?  Say, I hear the 'Leafs have a shot if there's not a lock-oot in the Fall." 
But, no-one in the store ratted me out, and, frankly I wasn't worried, but I could sense that they knew I was hanging out a bit longer so as to avoid detection.   A few minutes later, I bought a couple of Snoopy rubber stamps and kamsa hamnida'd my ass back to the hotel for some Ramen noodles and a sigh of relief.

That's only happened a few times to me over here, but it's strange to be shlepping along, browsing the markets when, all of a sudden, you are literally in the middle of a protest.  I was shopping in Seoul about three weeks ago, having just bought my folks a nice piece of pottery and my brother and sister-in-law a cool lamp in the same store, when, upon exiting, there were college-age kids hootin' and hollerin' and passing out anti-Bush flyers.  Again, I pulled down the brim of my New England Patriots hat and melted as best I could into the sea of much shorter locals, who took me away from the protest like an old Calgon ad(Ancient Chinese secret, Eh?).

OK, enough crap.  I guess I'm letting myself get carried away as a few people recently complimented me on my writing abilities.  Hey, when you spent 5 1/2 years in college, you do a bit of writing.  Ego trip aside, I've really been enjoying writing lately.  I suppose it stems partly from all the reading I've been doing as well as from having something to actually write aboot; I mean about. 

I'll write you again soon, hopefully before I, a lone Jet, gets cornered by a bunch of Sharks.  Or would they be more like 'Rions(get it....poor "L"'s.... never mind....) Let's hope I don't find out.   An-nyong Hayseo!
Peace,
 Steve

P.S. Those were "Fiddler on the Roof",  "Music Man", and West Side Story" references all in one blog. " Smoke on your pipe and put That in!"

Another Openin', Another Show......

Hi, gang.  It's the usual late night ramblings of your favorite resident of Korea.  Well, one of your favorites, I hope.  We opened tonight to a nice house, almost full and very enthusiastic.  We are playing at the Daegu Opera House and it's a really nice hall.  It's smaller than the other places we've played so far; I'd guess @1,500-1,800 seats.  The nice thing, though, is that the audience is much closer than in other cities and, as those of you who have seen this version of the show can attest, the more intimate the better.  That's one of the things I miss about Foothills is how much a part of the show the audience was, and, how much they knew they were an integral  part of the performance as well.
 
I'll keep this one short as my last blog was a bit of a long one, plus I don't have much new to add since yesterday.  So, any of you who feel like dropping me a line, please do so at sgagliastro@yahoo.com or leave a comment here on the blog.  I still cannot see the site itself, but figured out a way to have the comments emailed to me, so feel free to comment away.  An-nyong Hayseo!
Peace,
 Steve

There Is Civilized Life Here After All....

Hi. Sorry, no clever opening, it's 1AM, so, cut me a little slack OK?  Just Kidding, I had another nice day off exploring Daegu and have found it to be pretty cool.  My friend Mark Hoke, the trumpet player in our band, and I spent the day exploring an area about a half an hour(+) away from the hotel and found it to be very similar to some of the marketplaces in Seoul.  The good thing is that, firstly, they exist, and,secondly, that we won't be here long enough to get bored with them.  There are malls/department stores, movie theatres, and a zillion little shops from electronics to pet stores.   I think I've mentioned how the Koreans love to categorize and lump things together, and their placement of stores/shops is no different.  It's gotta be hard trying to stay in business when there are 10 stores right next to you selling the same stuff at basically the same price.
 
We open tomorrow and, per usual, we have an early call to get used to the space, find our timing from the dressing rooms, and figure out where the hell our show laundry is!  It's been kind of tough getting our show stuff on time, as there is a big cast and a short supply of laundry facilities for the costume girls to use.  They are really nice and super sweet, but not always the swiftest at making decisions as to what  is priority and what can wait 'till later.   Oh well, I'm sure breaking in a whole new crew  in Japan will make me realize how much I really do appreciate them.
 
Things here are really OK, but the fan's gonna get real dirty as soon as the new Sally arrives.  Again, it's no-one's fault, just a pothole on the road of Show-Biz fame and fortune!  Well, fame in Korea, at least.  It's funny, but there are very few westerners/Aussies in Deagu, and the locals(especially the kids) can't help but staring.  It's kind of fun, because we just keep pretending to be celebrities so as not to be too self conscious of the stares and obvious conversations started as soon(or sometimes AS)we walk by.   I know my Korean is poor, but I've gotten used to the lilt and cadence of someone talking about you, good or bad.  I think the people here are more curious than insulting, and some of them have been exceptionally nice as well.
 
Today, for example, when Mark and I were in the Traditional Medicine Market looking for some bamboo salt and edible charcoal(ask Mark), passing judgment on the elk horns and such in the windows,  when we went into one of the Asian Pharmacies.  There are regular pharmacies as well, but these were the kind of places where we probably could find Rhino horn and other Hogwarts' essential ingredients.  So, we go inside and the "pharmacist" points us to a couch in the middle of the little open space.  We realized we were being asked to wait a minute while he waited on the two other folks ahead of us.  While seated, his asst./wife(I think) brought us this tasty ginseng/herbal iced tea to drink while we waited to ask for the charcoal and bamboo salt.  A minute or two later, he made sure we finished our tea(I thought he was going to read our leaves, but no such luck) and it was then that we realized that nobody in the little shop, including the couple and their two young toddlers who came in(they  seemed to be related to the man) spoke a word of English.  So, after a minute or two of trying some body language, the man, clad in the pure white linen of his trade, walked us out of the store.  We thought he was going to point us in the direction of another pharmacy across the way, and there were plenty(it's all about the grouping, baby), where they spoke English.  Instead, he brought us to a help/information booth a few blocks away where there was a girl whose job it was to translate for dummies like us.  Through this nice girl's interpretation, we realized his pharmacy did not carry the items we were seeking, but he saw that she took care of us and went on his way.  With this, he was off, back to his work helping others and not thinking twice about the trouble he put himself through for us two idiots. We thanked him profusely with many Kamsa Hamnidas(Thank You's in Korean).
 
With the girl leading the way, we found the items and, after Kamsa Hamnida-ing her(sounds kinky, eh?), went on our merry way to buy cheap sunglasses and dine at a lovely little place called Burger King.   This was after an antiques dealer whose shop we browsed in for a while(and bought nothing, mind you) gave me a 5 won coin I was interested in(for a keepsake).  It is basically worthless here(>0.5 cents U.S.), but he said to come back and he would find the 1 Won piece I asked for as well.  I promised I would come back and bring him one of the U.S. half dollars I brought for just such an occasion.  Nice folks in these here parts, I reckon.
 
Well, this has certainly turned into an epi-blog.  I guess all the David Sedaris books I've been reading have rubbed off.  Who's he, you say?  Well, those of you who don't know his works will have to find them or borrow them when I get back.  Those of you who know him are, I'm sure, chuckling out loud about one of his stories you have had the fortune to read. He's a riot!
 
Alright, alright, I'll shut up now.  So, be nice to strangers is the moral of the story, I suppose.  I gonna have to go back to the Pharmacy as well as the antiques dealer to repay their respective kindnesses.  That and contact the computer people about putting the "Q" and "U" keys a little closer together.  I think the creators  of Scrabble would agree.....
An-nyong Hayseo!
Peace,
   Steve

Is It Daegu Or Taegu.......

Hi, there.   It's Sunday afternoon about 6:45 PM and I've had a nice relaxing day off here in Daegu.   We keep seeing different signs spelling the city Daegu while others say Taegu.  I'll just keep saying Daegu, if that's alright with you.  It was the same with Taejon, sometimes spelled Daejong.  It's a translation thing.
 
Well, it's not that exciting here, but it seems a little better than Taejon, especially seeing as we're not right in the middle of the Red Light District.  We're a little out of the way, but the hotel seems to be one of the nicer ones in town.  That's not saying much, but it's a bit better than the hotel(more like a motel) in Teajon.(Hmmmm, I sense a running theme..)   The staff is as helpful as can be, and most of them speak English pretty well.  The theatre is about a twenty minute ride away from the hotel, so, walking isn't an option as it was in other cities.   I'm getting a little excited that our time in South Korea is coming to a close because that means Japan is right around the corner!  Since we are spending most of our time in Tokyo(+ a little less than a week in Osaka),  I should get my fill of the Bill Murray/"Lost in Translation" experience.  We also have a week off as soon as we arrive in Japan, so I plan on seeing the sights and, if possible, heading down to Hiroshima to the memorial parks there. 
 
I only hope I have an actual week off, as some press events have been scheduled, but how many will involve the entire cast is still a mystery.  I'm told that our replacement Sally(see 2 blogs ago) is not arriving until the week we open, as well as the fact that our instruments and props(and set,I think) will still be on a slow boat from Korea until a few days before opening.  It's going to be a bit crazy with "put-ins" and other rehearsals to accommodate Andrea, but I suppose there's nothing we can do but dig in for those few days.  Luckily, she knows the show and will have worked with B.T. in NYC before coming, so that'll help as well.
 
So, here's to a short week in Daegu(ha-ha 9 shows/6 days) and on to Pusan/Busan(you see a pattern too?) and then to Tokyo.  Let's hope it goes that far...  An-nyong Hayseo!
Peace,
 Steve 

Bye-Bye, Seoul- I'll Miss You......

Hi, gang.  It's about midnight on Friday, and we are packing up and ready to go to Daegu.  Well, I not packed yet, but I'm getting it down to a science these days.  You'll be glad to know I have been ready to go every time we've shipped out for a new city.(No, Ma, I'm not lying.)  Actually, I've been early.  (Dammit! I just jinxed myself...) 
 
We closed tonight to a really nice crowd and an unexpected treat to boot.  Mr. Park, our presenter(more info about him in other blogs) gave each of the cast members gifts from his production company.  We each received these really cool and unique plates.  They have pictures of Elvis and everything!  Just kidding, they are really nice and we were told each is slightly different as they were handmade by a famous local artisan.  Cool!  The only drawback is I'll probably have to ship it home, as my bags are getting full from shopping.  It'll be interesting to see how I pack this time.  Creatively, very creatively....
 
Well, I'll keep it short as I have to start the aforementioned  packing for the 3-4 hour drive to Daegu, where I've been told the temperature is, on average,  a good 5 degrees(Celsius) hotter than Seoul.  The nice thing, though, is that we don't open until Tuesday, so I'll have a few days to deflate, if I don't melt first.  I can only hope that the "PC's" are as plentiful there as they were in Taejon so I can continue to update y'all on my comings and goings.
 
Hey, wanna see some characters in Hangul(Korean)?  You DO!  Well, here goes...
 
  ㅗ됴, ㅑ'ㅡ ㅈ갸샤ㅜㅎ ㅑㅜ ㅏㅐㄱㄷ무!    ㅑ누'ㅅ 솜ㅅ 채ㅐㅣ?
(Hey, I'm writing in Korean!                              Isn't that Cool?)
 
I don't think that's exactly how to do it, but there's a button that switches from Hangul to English, and the Characters are on the same keys.  So, I'll sign off as I normally would, wishing you Peace, but in Korean!  Yea!
무-ㅜㅛㅐㅜㅎ ㅗ묜대!(An-nyong Hayseo!)
ㅖㄷㅁㅊㄷ,(Peace,)
ㄴㅅㄷㅍㄷ(Steve)

  
 

Good News And Bad News...

Howdy, all. Things are going OK as our time here in Seoul is coming to an end. This week has been a little crazy, though. Yesterday(Tues.), our Schnieder, Lucy Sorlucco, who was also the Schnieder in the Worcester Foothills cast, took a spill on some marble, rain-wet stairs at the hotel and had to go to the hospital. She' fine, a bump on the head, maybe a stitch and a leg abrasion, but that meant the swing, Laura Benson, had to go on yesterday(2 shows) and today(1 show). I'm not sure if Lucy will be back tomorrow or Friday, but, rest assured, she's in great spirits and will be just fine. In addition to that, we've been having major sound problems stemming from computer programming errors with the sound board software. Literally, insult on top of injury.

Speaking of "Tomorrow", our tour has taken an interesting twist this week. We were informed at a company meeting on Tuesday that ticket sales have not been going well in Japan(we open in August), and that has caused some decisions to be made by management back in the States. The first option was to have the tour shortened and come home at the beginning of August. The second option, which is what has been decided upon, is to replace our Sally Bowles(Katrina Yawkey)with a name star. Beginning in Japan, the role of Sally will be played by Andrea McArdle, who most of you would know as the original Annie Warbucks in the musical "Annie". She was also on Broadway in "Les Miserables"(Fauntine), "Starlight Express", as well as many tours, including the First National Tour of "Cabaret", in which she played Sally. She also played the role here in Japan on that tour, and the Networks brass are hoping her name and recognition from the last Japanese Tour will boost ticket sales.

This has been a bit of a bitter pill to swallow for the cast, as we have all become very friendly with Katrina and are quite upset at her unexpected departure. Not only has she been an amazing Sally, but she's become a good friend as well. It's sad, but, I suppose that's the biz. On the bright side, she is such a talented girl, I'm not too worried about her finding work, as she was in the Broadway cast of "Cabaret" for a while, and was a member of the cast when the show closed this past January. She'll be with us throughout the rest of Korea and, in spirit, throughout the rest of the tour.

This, however, does not preclude that the tour is out of jeopardy of being shortened in some way. It's sort of sad, as everyone would lose the work for the cancelled weeks, but, many of us are itching to come home to a place where you can order anything you want in a restaurant and have a distinct possibility of actually getting it! I guess I really don't want a shortening of the tour, as I hope to use the money I(hopefully) save to make a break for New York. This might also mean selling my car, so, if anyone might be in the market in the next six months, I'll keep you in mind...... This is all speculation, of course, but, who knows, maybe I'll go to auditions when I get home and be off on the road again right away. I'm hoping getting in with this company has at least propped open a door for future work, as it has for many others. Networks, being one of the biggest and most well known Non-Equity(Equity is the Stage Actor's Union) tour companies, has a lot of folks on the road and is need of constant new and replacement casting. We'll see...........

On a different note, a few of us, with passports in hand, got to go to the D.M.Z. today. This is the 4 Kilometer wide Demilitarized Zone, 2Km on each side of the border, which separates North and South Korea. It was pretty cool, if that can be said of a 50 plus years of tenuous cease fire between brother countries. We went into the third tunnel, one of four tunnels that has been found @300 meters under the D.M.Z., built by the North Korean Army. These tunnels were built for the sole purpose of invading the South, potentially starting World War III. I have some pictures, and will get them up on ofoto.com very soon.

Well, that was a mouthful- I hope you're still reading as I say good-bye for now. I'll probably write again before leaving Seoul, but you may not hear from me again until after we get to Daegu. Either way, I'll talk to y'all very soon. An-nyong Hayseo!
Peace(and after today, I really mean it),
Steve

Friday For You, Weekday For Me....

Hi, there! It's Friday night/Saturday morning, 12:45 AM, and we just had a weird show. Nothing terrible, but just an all-around off night. I suppose we are the ones who notice about 90% of the problems, that is except no boy soprano sound cue during the "Victrola/Tomorrow Belongs to Me" number. Stuff Happens. I got a nice package from home today, the first mail I've gotten here, so it felt good to be loved by the people who have no choice in the matter.(Just kidding- the cookies are great- but, they do not resemble cookies anymore, damned airmail.)

Many congrats to my cousin Tommy who is getting married tomorrow to his longtime boyfriend Bob. (Yes, I'm from Massachusetts and it's cool, so back off!) Just kidding(again), most of you who are reading know my politics and how happy I am for these two wonderful people. I am just wondering who carries whom over the threshold, or do they hire someone to do that for them?(Tom and Bob, you can chalk that up as attempt at humorous gay wedding observation number 55,682 this week. You know I luvs ya!)

Not much else to report, except that the additional four digits at the end of the regular zip code gets mail to its' destination so much quicker. I sent a package to my folks on, I believe, Monday, and it arrived Friday morning. Either that or the South Korean Postal Service Rocks!(Cliffy would be proud).

I'll write you again soon, faithful readers, and, if you feel so inclined to write me(pen and paper like), give my folks a buzz(at a reasonable hour!) at (508)753-3056 and get the information for Networks Tours in Maryland and they will forward any mail(no packages) to wherever we are on this crazy continent we temporarily call home.
An-nyong Hayseo!
Steve

Photos To Share(Finally)....

Howdy Blog-ites or Blogg-ees or, whatever you wish to call yourselves. It's Thursday night(about 10:30 AM your time) and we just finished a two dow shay(a 2 show day for you non thespians). The show has still been selling well. Although not complete sellouts, the houses are still great, even on a Thursday afternoon.

OK, so I finally uploaded the all the pictures I've taken so far, but I'm not sure how exactly to get the direct link to all of you. The pictures are at ofoto.com(a Kodak site), but I'm not sure how you can access my albums. If anyone knows, let me know. Until then, the only way I can figure it is if you email me at sgagliastro@yahoo.com, and I know who the hell you are, I'll email you back with my username and password. I'm not too worried about my friends mucking around the site, as long as you don't change the captions, etc. ....I've suggested too much already.....

Well, about a week left in Seoul(we leave for Daegu next Saturday), and I can only hope it is as well received as is has been in the capital. It's a big city, Daegu, but so was Taejon. We all know how much I loved it there(you can just feel the sarcasm dripping off the screen, can't you?)

A whole bunch of us are planning a trip sometime in the next week to the DMZ(a.k.a. the Demilitarized Zone) on the border of North and South Korea. We had to give our passports to our company manager for our Japanese Visas, so we might not get to go, which would be a bummer. Things are starting to cool down a bit between the Koreas, but, as recent news will suggest, the North is still persistent in their quest for nuclear weapons. So, the equivalent of the "Asian Berlin Wall" is still standing tall and at the ready. Sounds fun, eh?!! Now you see why so many of us want to go.

Here's to hoping you get access to my photos. If not, drop me a line and I'll hook you up somehow(and, NO, this is NOT a veiled attempt to force people to write me, it's an admission of stupidity on my part for not knowing how to relay information.....so there! I'll write again soon and, as always, An-nyong Hayseo!
Peace,
Steve

A World Where Monday Is Sunday....

Aloha- It's Monday, @10PM and I had a nice day off. It's funny, but in the last year, I've gotten used to having no weekends and looking forward to Mondays. Well, today was the last time I get to come up for air until next Monday, as we have 9 shows this week(2 on Thurs., Sat.+Sun.). At least it's a show where I have very little down time and I'm constantly on the move from scene to scene.

I got to exercise some of my photographic abilities today, as I visited one of the palaces here in Seoul. It was the former seat of power for many hundreds of years, until the early 1900's. I am still looking into how to transfer my pictures to my ofoto account. Once I do, I'll let you all know how to view them. So far, I've taken just shy of 100 photos and need to dump them pretty soon. I've got a big memory card, but even it has its' limits.

Tomorrow we start official understudy rehearsals, of which I am involved. I am the understudy to both Schultz(John Little, here and in Worcester) and Ernst Ludwig(Dan Shevlin here, Russ Garrett at Foothills). I certainly hope I do not have to go on, but it is better to be safe than sorry. You never know when someone is going to get hold of some bad food or, God forbid, get clipped by one of these crazy motorcyclists on the sidewalks. I suppose it's part of the reason I got the gig is because they needed someone who(with heavy make-up, mind you) can pull off an older Jewish man. I am also the cover (go figure)for the Nazi as well. Range, baby, range.

I just contacted the theatre in Westchester, NY about filling in for Thomas Cannazaro(see a blog or two ago) when he leaves their production of "Cabaret", and also plan on being home for Worcester Foothills' Annual "A Christmas Carol". As my(and many of your) friend Wil D'Archangelo has expressed, it's nice to know you have a job to come back to where you can be home for the Holidays. If all goes as planned, that's the roadmap from here. After that, I suppose I go where the life takes me, Mondays off and everything else that come with this craziness called ShowBiz.

I sent home a copy of the souvenir program from the Korean production, and I got in a few photos- you'll have to see my folks at 64 Dunkirk to have a gander, or, just wait 'till I get back, as I'm sure I'll be bringing a few home. I hear the Japanese version is going to be different- maybe I'll be in that one even more(or maybe less....).

Well, away I go to try and sleep before rehearsal tomorrow afternoon, and the following night's show as well. Meanwhile, I'll be dreaming of Grilled Cheese Sanwiches, Fenway Park Hot Dogs, and round-eyed women.
An-nyong Hayseo!
Peace,
Steve

18 Million Sure Do Make A Difference.....

Howdy, All! Happy Fourth of July from rainy downtown Seoul, where it's hot, muggy, and not the U.S.A.. Someone had to remind me that it was the Fourth of July, as the American Spirit is not so high around these parts. On the up side, our first two days of shows(4 performances) were great! The hall is high tech. and seats about 3,500-4,000 people, and has been full or nearly so for each performance. I hope the rest of the tour is similar, as Taejon was a bit of an all around disappointment.

Spirits are high amongst the cast, although very tired could also be used to describe the average "Cabaret" member, be they cast, crew, or pit. It's so nice to be back here where the population can support the arts on such a large scale. There were a few dignitaries on hand for our opening night, but we didn't run into any U.S. Honchos, although they may come another night. At our opening night soiree, we did learn, however, the Korean tradition of long speeches by anyone with even a remote title or investment in the show. Believe me, the translator was in way over his head.

I'm missing home a little less and a little more, all in the same oxymoronic breath, especially since all the Fam. is currently preparing and gathering at Dunkirk Ave. or Venus Drive for a July 4th shindig. The only solace I have is knowing little Anna is stealing the show, and that there will be pictures and video to help me catch up once I'm Home.

Well, I'll be writing again soon, and, as always, please drop me a line if you get a spare moment, especially since I still cannot access any comments on this blog page due to some system error. So, if you feel so inclined, give me a shout at sgagliastro@yahoo.com and I promise to respond in a timely fashion.......yeah,..that's the ticket.... An-nyong Haseyo!
Peace,
Steve

On To/Back To Seoul

Well, Faithful blog followers, in just a few hours, I leave Taejon for Seoul. Wouldncha know it, but it wasn't until the very last day that I discovered that Taejon is the natural hot springs capitol of Korea. Further, that there was an awesome natural hot spring right in the basement of our hotel!!! For only 2,000 won, to boot!(@ $1.85 U.S.) Oh well, I suppose if I had discovered it earlier, every night I'd have been a wet noodle up on the bandstand instead of the drugged out wet noodle I'm supposed to............ Dammit!!!!

Well, It's about 9:15 AM(the first time I've seen 9:15 AM in a while), and I'm pooped. Well, I suppose I should also mention that since today is a travel day, coupled with the fact that we don't open in Seoul until Saturday, a few of us decided it would be fun to stay up all night. So, if I'm didgitliillly sulrring my wrerds, frogive mee.

On to Seoul, a good breakfast each morning(if I make it), and the next, more promising leg of this crazy journey called "Cabaret". I'll write again nestled back in the capitol of our lovely host country. Later, Dudes and Dudettes(and, yes, I know what a dude really is...) Peace,
Steve
P.S. I've been having trouble accessing the public pages of my blog, which means I haven't been able to read any responses for a week or so. So, if you've written something witty of funny, stop it! No one out shines me on my own blog!!!!!!
Just kidding, the funnier and more obscure the better. All I'm saying is that(hopefully) when I'm out of this pit that I'll be able to read your comments. But, if this should pose a problem, possibly a blog home page problem, feel free to write me at:
sgagliastro@yahoo.com
Trust me, I need a little diversion now and again,...and again...-S