Ciao! Mangia, Mangia!!

Yes, more non-Malay words, but for good reason. I just had lunch(my third visit) at this Italian restaurant next to Starbucks, and the food there is excellent! They might be locals, but they know how to cook! The pasta is perfect, the pizza is great, the garlic bread is tasty, and the price is a steal. The average meal there runs about MR35(35 Malaysian Ringet), which sounds like a lot, until you do the math and it works out to around US$10. Allll-right!(Insert Quagmire accent here)

It is Sunday, our day off, and I have spent the day trying to relax and get ready for our firefly boat ride tonight. It should prove to be really nice, as one of our ASM's(Asst. Stage Mgr.) grandparents took the ride a few years ago and raved about it, so I'm expecting a nice time. It will also be good to get out of the hotel, as last night, I opted to stay home, tip back a few Guinness's and watch the replay of the Sox/Yanks game from Friday- Or so I thought.

The game was being replayed on a local ESPN affiliate that usually airs more soccer matches than you can shake a yellow card at. But, I didn't realize that when they announced the game's starting time of 7PM, it meant 7PM three time zones away. So, when I turned the TV on at seven, the game, which aired from 4-7PM our time, was over. So, I stayed in, proceeded to tip back said Guinni, and made some calls to my friends in the U.S. So, it turned out to be a pretty good night despite the absence of the greatest rivalry in sports.(Sorry, Michigan/Ohio St. fans-you know who rules the proverbial roost!)

OK bloggerinos, I have some fireflies to see, so I'll call it a day. F.Y.I., the song "I'm Beginning To See the Light" is playing as I write and, if you know the song, the first line is "I never cared much for moon-lit skies, I never winked back at Fireflies." How appropriate!

'Til next time, here's winking back at you while "Shadow boxing in the dark..."

Steve

Rock Lobster!!!

Howdy! Good news and bad news. Bad news; the rock lobster is me, as in I am as red as a lobster from being in the pool today. I even put waterproof 30 SPF on, but it either washed off or was not strong enough for the just-above-the-equator sun(about 3 degrees to be exact). I am moisturizing, though, and have learned my lesson-50 SPF from now on. Good news; our per diem has increased, so, I hope to actually live off it and bank my paycheck so I can pay bills and pay back my folks, who have been incredibly generous to me lately(as always). I consider myself extremely lucky to have such supportive parents helping me achieve my goals and dreams.

Show stuff is going well and a little more is learned and solidified with each passing day. That being said, once we have learned the show, it's really just the first step. Then we have to re-learn it.

When tech.(technical rehearsals)begin, we will be adding extra layers to the show including puppets, costumes, lights, sound, flying, etc., and all the subsequent adjustments needing to be made to accommodate these new layers. Also, because this is a a new show, further cuts, additions and alterations to music, dialogue, costumes, entrances, exits and a whole slew of other unforeseen changes await us. This is something that comes with the territory of producing a new show but, luckily, I have some experience with performing new scripts and know the gist of this process.

I am getting excited to see things come into focus, though, and am glad to be surrounded by a very talented group of people. The artistic staff is great and the cast and crew have been really enthusiastic and sincere. Everyone involved is a team player and, really, that is all one can ask for.

Ta for now, but I hope to continue to be so consistent in my blogging as we near the beginning of tech. in a few weeks. No promises, but I will certainly do my best.

Selmat tinggal!
(Good-bye!)

Steve

Ba-TU!!!!!!! (Bless you).....

Hola mis amigos, como estan? I know, I know, it's Spanish, but everyone here speaks English so good, I haven't needed to learn Malay. (That grammatical error is an attempt at humor. I said Attempt..)I decided to give you some other language besides English, so there you have it. Happy now?!

Things here are as well or better than can be expected. The cast is getting along well and the show is beginning to take shape, despite the fact I'm not dancing too much. I'll give those of you who have seen me dance a moment to compose yourselves......Done? Good.

So, Saturday, one of our local contacts took the whole cast out for a night of fun and frolic in KL. We went to a couple of bars, which is a novelty to us, as bars are illegal in Shah Alam, the town where we are staying. There is a bar at the hotel(I believe the only one in town), but it's pretty expensive. I bought some Evan Williams at the duty free store when we landed in KL, so if I feel the need, I can always take a slug off that.(Woody, I thought you and 'Fast in particular would appreciate the brand of liquor I bought. Since there was no Jack Daniels, I got his closest living relative[his Uncle, I believe...]) So far, I really haven't had much of a hankerin' for drankerin', which is probably for the best, as much work is still to be done.

After shaking off the cobwebs Sunday morning; OK, afternoon, a bunch of us excursed(yeah, I know it's not a word) to a place called the BATU CAVES, thus the title of this blog. The Batu Caves are series of natural limestone caves that have been adopted as a Hindu shrine. It was pretty neat, especially the monkeys. Yeah, that's right I said monkeys. They were all over the place, as Hindus often leave offerings of food and drink at the many shrines and statues of deities. I finally put my camera to use, so you too can experience some monkey time(if you ask nicely...). One shrine, I swear, looked like an homage to Ron Jeremy. Who knew? Although, it would explain some of the monkey's behavior.....

OK, gotta go, but if you go to myspace.com and request me as a friend, or however that works, I posted a picture of the Blue Mosque across from our hotel. It's really quite pretty, so check it out. Until next time, fellow bloggers, I bid you farewell and sweet monkeys, Uh, I mean dreams.

Later,

Steve


Monkey.

Happy 4/20 Everyone!

Hi there! Guess who? No, not him, he's a jerk! Yes! It's me, your faithful author here wishing you a happy 4:20. This means different things for different folks, but, at UMASS, Amherst, it was always a sort of Earth Day/Recycling Awareness celebration on the town common. In fact, I used to think Earth Day was always on April 20th but, instead, it seems to be a rotating holiday. In fact, one thing I can't get over here in Malaysia is not separating my trash, as I don't think recycling has made any huge strides over here. Hopefully, they'll come around before it becomes an absolute must(not that it isn't right now....OK, I'll get off my Soapbox, made of recycled paper, of course...)

It's @9PM Friday night here, and tomorrow is our last day of rehearsal for the week. Everyone is excited(and tired), but we are pumped because one of our local guys is going to show us the town tomorrow night and an excursion is planned for Sunday. I'll tell you about it Sunday or Monday, which means this might be the last installment for a day or two. Wipe the tears away and go out and do something fun yourself, as I know you are all camped out in front of your computers waiting for the computer to ding, indicating another post(a-la the Expedia commercials where people drop everything and come running).

Well, the show is pretty much blocked, which means it's time to start staging musical numbers and finish learning the vocals to said numbers. Our MD(Music Dir.) is putting in a yeoman's(or, yeo-womans) effort getting everything scored so we can have it in our hot little hands. But, that's why she gets the big bucks!

OK, time to go away now so I can learn my lines and call Sprint PCS and change my cell phone plan to an "Away Plan". This means you won't be able to leave me any voice mail messages, but it also means I'll only have to pay $5-6 a month as opposed to the normal $75.

Bye for now and, a reminder that comments are appreciated so I can know who-all has been reading, even if you just sign your name.

-Steve

Mum's The Word....

Howdy bloggers, it's me, your faithful companion here in.... well, let's just say far away. Sorry so cryptic, but we as a cast just got dressed down for divulging too much information, both in writing and in the form of pictures, about the production. In fact, we have been asked to refrain from giving any details that could possiblly, even a little, compromise the production. I fully understand and will comply, even going so far as to alter the blogs I have already published.

What this means is that you as readers are going to have to read between the lines more often than not, at least until the production is up and running. I like my job very much and would care to continue doing it, so I will honor the wishes of our management team as much as possible. I'm not too worried, but a simple Google search could easily result in ill feelings in my direction.

So..........So.........Shoot! Yeah, this saps my blog of a little juice, but I'll find ways around direct mention of certain aspects of the show, such as referring to the lead as "Our Hero", or "Our Yellow Friend", etc. You're smart cookies, you'll catch on.

We began blocking today and the director is really great. We are in very capable hands, as he has done this sort of thing before. It's going to make a real "SPLASH" once all the elements are ironed out.(See, you get it...)

Well, adieu for now. I'll be in touch soon, and again, sorry for all the "Cloak and Dagger" and pussy-footing, but it's either that or come home and not write about anything at all.

Bye!
Gags

P.S. I have a hidden puzzle for you: When tHings have gOt you feeLIng oVEr StImulated, a Nice wAy to sPend tIme iN thE compAny of PeoPLE yoU love is poNDERing THE univerSE. Al So, some PeOple siNG, sEw, BOwl, Bake, and SQUeeze cARE PAckages iN The mail to Steve!

Time For A Quickie?

Starbucks, J.J. Johnson playing on the radio, KFC next door- Am I really away from home? Oh yeah, the Giant Blue Mosque, 90+ degree temperature and impending deluge of a tropical thunderstorm in April, riiiiight.......

Not much to report, just checking my email and figured I'd blog. I sent out a bunch of postcards over the last few days, so, if you are one of the lucky few whose address happens to be in my possession, keep your eye on the mailbox. If you would like one, just send me your address and I'll add you to the short, but growing list of honorees. Actually, most of them were in my travel wallet from the last tour.

I heard from my friend Matt Jones today(Matt, sorry it's been so long. Further sorry I haven't got around to accepting you(and others) as friends on Myspace- Soon, though). Many of you may remember Matt from Foothills Theatre, both the main-stage and the children's theatre. He is currently on the U.S. Tour of "My Little Pony". I think he's playing "Bitey" or "Jerky" pony, I can't remember which. Can't wait to swap some cartoon tour stories with him.

OK, bye-bye, don't miss me too much(yeah, right). Catch you on the flip side; Of the world, I mean.

Later,
Steve

P.S. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but right now I am scheduled to return home for a few weeks at the end of July. Hope to see you then! -S

Fly, FLY, F L Y!!!!!

Howdy, all. I know I just posted, but I actually wrote the last post(Malaysia, Truly Asia..) a day or two ago, but had trouble posting it until today. So, I figured I'd post another entry for those who are thirsty for information about my goings on. In other words, Hi Mom and Dad. (I know, I know, there are actually some other readers out there, but, outside of my stunning girlfriend, Annie, who only had a question about who the hell Rutger Hauer was, no-one has posted any comments.)

No problem, I will continue to write through these tears of neglect and abandonment. (Just Kidding, but unless you post a comment, I have no way of knowing if anyone has actually read this Doo-Hickey)

It is September, before a rainfall...... A perfect time to be in love... Actually, it's Wednesday, April 18th, but I couldn't resist an obscure Musical Theatre reference. (HINT: Think Jerry Orbach, truly one of my Artistic heroes.)

We had our third rehearsal today(yes, it's early enough in the process to remember exactly what # day this is) and we learned one of the main tunes from the show. This number, and thusly the entire show, revolves around our hero's dream of flying with the jellyfish and is a "Californian"homage even Brian Wilson would approve of. I have a feeling this song, will become a huge hit with kids and adults alike.

If you are at all familiar with the cartoon, you may recall this so-called "Lost Episode", a full half hour installment of the show on which our production is based. The cartoon is usually split into two separate 15 minute stories, but, the "Lost Episode" is a musical journey through the trials and tribulations "The yellow one" faces as he fails, repeatedly, to achieve his dream. Eventually, and by accident, he creates a pair of flying pants which affords him the opportunity to fulfill this dream. To his dismay, the entire population of his hometown, including his best friend and pet snail, monopolize the generous sponge's day with tedious and time consuming requests, thus preventing him from swimming with his jellyfish pals.

Our hero eventually says no to everyone's overbearing requests for silly favors and begins to fly away. The townsfolk turn on our yellow friend and, in a fit of rage, destroy his famous pants, along with his hopes and dreams. Does he get to swim with the jellyfish? Perhaps... you will just have to see the episode. No worries, you will not be disappointed by the episode or the ending.

I hope I am conveying my excitement for this project adequately, as this could turn into a career changing show. Perhaps not, but at the least, it could turn into steady work for a good long time. That, and to break into voice over work, have always been my goals. Perhaps this is the break I have been seeking. If not, it should be one hell of a good time!

Goodbye for now, faithful Blog-Heads. Here's wishing you salt water wishes and jellyfish dreams!

Steve Gags

"Malaysia, Truly Asia......"

Howdy! Greetings from Malaysia where the local time is approaching 7PM Monday Evening. My watch tells me that it is 7PM, but I am also aware of this because I can hear the call to prayer from the neighboring Mosque. This happens, I think, 6 times a day but, you would have to ask the folks who's rooms are on the Mosque side of the hotel. This particular Mosque is nicknamed the Blue Mosque and it is quite beautiful. Sadly, I cannot see it from my 7th floor hotel room, but the trade off is that I also cannot hear the 6 AM call to prayer those afforded the view must endure. I'll take the less scenic view, thank you.

I have been in Malaysia for only a few days, but it seem like I have been here for much longer. In general, I feel as though I have been gone for weeks, but it hasn't even been a week. Adjusting to the time change has not been an issue, however, I did just have to ask a fellow cast mate what day of the week it was. My brain convinced me that today is Tuesday. Nope.

I have been bonding with and getting to know my cast-mates over the past week and I am very much enjoying everyone's company. There is a common positivity and upbeat attitude shared by all and I look forward to knowing everyone better and better in the days ahead. Right now, I am sitting near Luke and Trisha, two very talented folks who couldn't be nicer! (Sorry, Kaz. I know you wanted to hear that the lead is a total jerk, but nothing could be further from the truth.)

We had a brief company meeting Sunday, our first in Asia, following which most of us went to
KL to the Patronas Towers.

For those of you who do not know the Patronas Towers, they the tallest free-standing twin towers in the world. They are also considered the second and third tallest buildings on the planet, depending on the criteria used to measure. In fact, there is some debate over whether the Sears Tower, a new building in Taipei(the world's current #1) or the Patronas Towers are the tallest.

It all depends on whether you consider the top floor as the apex or you consider, in the case of Patronas Towers and the building in Taipei , the spires atop the building as the acme. Sears is #1 in terms of floors, but Taipei is #1 as far as spires are concerned. F.Y.I., only actual extensions of the architecture are considered spires; broadcast towers and antennas do not count. Enough about the tall buildings already!!!

Inside the Patronas Towers my compatriots and I visited a shopping mall containing 200+ stores spread over 5 floors. It was massive! Anything from Adidas to a store called Girls to McDonalds were glad to receive our Ringets, the Malay currency. The exchange rate is about 3.4 MR(Malay Ringets) to 1 USD(Dollar). (Lucky me, the Ringet is at an all time high against the U.S. Dollar. Dammit, Janet!!) Things were not very cheap at this mall but, considering we were also in the biggest Metropolitan area in the biggest Metropolis in Malaysia, it wasn't too bad.

Surrounding the hotel are multiple shopping/eating areas, including a small mall directly opposite the Hotel containing a very well stocked(and cheap!) grocery store. This makes me extremely happy, as I will be able to furnish a good deal of my own meals. The only drawbacks are the lack of a microwave/stove and an undersized fridge with no freezer. Oh well, I suppose it's off to the KFC or Pizza Hut for a meal or two a day. (Sorry, Lara- my culinary panties are firmly in place.)

OK, your eyes are probably getting tired from reading. Mine certainly are from writing, so I will leave you with the sentiment that the local people are extremely helpful and nice, the weather is Uber hot and humid(@85-95 degrees [F] with a consistent 75--85% humidity) and I miss everyone very much. Ta for now!

Gags

P.S. "Malaysia, Truly Asia" is the actual slogan for Malaysian Tourism Dept. I know this because the last time I was in Asia, about every tenth T.V. commercial was a Malaysia, Truly Asia" advert. Ask me(or anyone from the cast of "Cabaret") to sing you the jingle sometime.

Hong Kong? Phooey!!

Howdy bloggers, Worcesterites and Pulse readers!! I am alive, well, and in a Malaysian Starbucks, my new on-line home for the next three weeks. I am currently in a city called Shah Alam, a very Muslim city about 30 minutes SW of KL(Kuala Lumpur). As I write it is just after 6:30 PM Monday, 6 :30 AM Monday morning for those of you on the East Coast.

This is the first update I have been able to post, as my computer has finally agreed to co-operate with my wishes.

I left Boston Wednesday morning at 7:45 AM and arrived in Kowloon, Hong Kong late Thursday night @ Midnight Hong Kong time(noon, EST). So basically, I spent about 30 hours(including lay-overs) traveling from Boston to LA, LA to Taipei, Taipei to Hong Kong. Surprisingly, the flights were not too bad, mainly because of the personal TV sets in the seat in front of me. I was able to select from 20+ movies, 10+ games, and 50+ other short TV programs, including "you know who" Cartoons- And, no, I did not watch, mostly out of fear my cast-mates would catch and thus ridicule me.

Along with four other cast members, I came to Hong Kong for a costume fitting, where I found out I am playing a slew of characters, including the main character's grandpa, a certain pirate, and other random fish. I am also sharing the puppeteer duties for some other characters, including theyallow guy's pet snail. This excites me to great lengths. Some of the voice-overs are TBD, but I am hoping to do one(or maybe two)of them. As long as the best sounding actors are chosen, I'm a happy man.

Hong Kong(Actually, Kowloon) was great. Kowloon is a major city across the bay from the island of Hong Kong. Hong Kong itself is sort of like New York, New York, a city and a state. I was reminded of a cross between Seoul and the movie "Blade Runner". One of the cooler things about being there was the fact that our costume fittings were a ways outside the city, so we got to see a bit of the impoverished outskirts of Kowloon. We could see a slew of high rise tenement houses, most of which were shabby buildings flying the local colors (i.e. underpants set out to dry) .

Well, I'm gonna call it a blog, but I will post again in the next few hours, as I have been getting grief about the absence of new posts. (Be careful what you wish for....)

Until next time, I wish you visions of a wet, breathless Harrison Ford witnessing Rutger Hauer's final moments in one of the best death scenes in all of filmdom.

All the best,

Steve Gags