Dear Friends: I've Done Stuff!

This is a post for friends of mine. As many of you know, I was involved in the acting world for many years. I’ve been out of it for awhile though still dip my toes in the pool on occasion. I have many friends still involved in the game and even though I’ve expressed interest in possibly getting back into it, I feel many of them either don’t take me seriously or don’t think I have the chops. Guess what? I DO. To be fair, many of them are newer friends who weren’t around when I was a working actor, don’t know my resume or all of the accomplishments I have done. Obviously, I’m nobody famous in that world but I have a pretty good resume of work. Allow me to indulge whilst a do a mega humble brag. 

• Acted/sang/danced all through my childhood in various shows/productions in hometown of Jacksonvill, FL.
• Traveled to the former USSR/Denmark/Sweden to perform on a dance tour when I was 17. 
• Got a full ride theater scholarship to Florida Community College where I did several productions. 
• Made my professional theater (i.e. Got paid/Equity house!) debut at 19 in a production of The King and I. 
• I was offered a full ride theater scholarship to Jacksonville University but turned them down. (Also offered partial scholarship to Dartmouth but couldn’t afford the other half). 
• I turned them down because I started a children’s theater company at 20-21 with friends that was very successful.
• With the company, I learned all aspects of theater and eventually was the ipso facto creative director. I wrote original children’s plays, directed, choreographed, acted, casted shows, built sets, hung lights, ran box office, did PR, etc. 
• I taught theater/acting/stage movement to kids aged 4-high school. I only had a 2 year degree since I never went to a 4 year school for full degree but was offered (at age 22) to take over a theater program at a local magnet school (8th grade). Turned it down because they were going to pay me less since I didn’t have 4 year degree. 
• I studied stage combat with Kacie Stetson and was basically her “protege” for a few years. At the time (if memory serves) she was 1 of 3 stage combat choreographers who was recommended by both the US and UK stage combat associations. 
• I was entertainment director at the local hot nightclub for about a year where I put on perforrmances/directed/choreographed for the crowds. 
• Upon moving to NYC in ‘94, I immersed myself in the theater scene with classes, auditions, etc. 
• My NYC debut was a stage combat gig in 2 operas (Turandot and Mathis der Maler) with New York City Opera at Lincoln Center. 
• I left one of those shows to do my first national tour with a children’s theater company. 
• For 6 years in NYC, I worked my ass off and constantly worked in theater doing at least 3 or 4 shows a year. I worked at some well respected theaters like Westchester Broadway Theater. 
• My first (NYC) lead was as “Jesus” in Godspell off-off Broadway in the now defunct Oasis Theater Company. 
• I did a children’s production of The Jungle Book at The Kennedy Center. 
• I played “Woof” in the 30th anniversary production of Hair at 3rd Eye Repertory here in NYC. Our production was so popular that we extended the run. We even started doing concert versions of the show at a local music spot and recorded one of those concerts live. We were supposed to close down for a few months and re-open at an official Off-Broadway house but the producers got money thrown at them to do a European and national tour. 
• One of my prouder moments was getting a callback for the famous Shakespeare in the Park annual production as put on by the Public Theater. Sure, I didn’t get the part but it sure felt good getting that callback. 
• I mostly worked in musical theater as I could sing and dance (by no means amazing but can carry a tune and move really well). But also did some Shakespeare and contemporary theater. 
• I did some Under-5 work on the soap opera Guiding Light but never really pursued the TV/film game like many casting directors suggested I should do. 
• I’ve danced with Gregory Hines, sang with Melba Moore, and worked with many people who are now established Broadway stars like John Cudia (Phantom of the Opera/Les Miserables), Natalie Cortez (A Chorus Line/West Side Story), Jennifer Dunne (Chicago), and so many more. 
• My final national tour was a musical called Selena Forever. I understudied the role of “Chris Perez” (Selena’s husband) and went on a few times. It was destined for Broadway after an ambitious national tour but too many problems with the production team, script, and other things eventually led to its cancellation before achieving that goal. 
• I studied improv for a few years with the great Martin de Maat of Chicago’s Second City fame. 
• After leaving the acting biz post-Selena tour, I eventually joined an award winning sketch comedy group called Home Groan Sketch Comedy in 2004. It really ignited my writing and I wrote and performed with them for a couple of years. In one of our shows, I wrote 15 out of the 20 sketches we performed. 
• In 2005, I started working on a podcast called Comic News Insider with my pal Joe Gonzalez. In 2006 we went weekly and I was full time co-host. It covers the world of comic books, animation, Sci-Fi, TV, film and pop culture. I still write silly sketches and sing songs on it when I can. I’m still doing the show weekly. 

Of course, there is more to tell but I wanted to give some highlights. Perhaps too many. But you get the idea. I have many good friends involved in such great projects and I’ve sort of hinted at the fact that I’d like to maybe get back into the game a bit. To be fair, I’m not gung ho going for it or expressing it completely so not really their fault for not thinking of me. I just got a little bothered that it seems like they might not think of me for a project. Again, I’m not actively pursuing so why would they? Still, nice to be asked, ya know? 

I hope this didn’t come across whiny and braggy. Honestly, it’s just some information for friends who don’t know a lot of the work I’ve done. If it did come across whiny and braggy, then apologies. 

Or suck it. Whichever. :P Ah, just funnin' on ya. 

Thanks for indulging! And now I leave you with a montage of pics of me in various theater shows. You’re welcome!

Jesus in Godspell

Woof in Hair

Peter/Simon u/s in Jesus Christ Superstar

Indio in West Side Story (far left w/ a wig on!)

Kim Jong-Il with Home Groan Sketch Comedy

In The Chinese Brothers with the children’s theater I ran. (I wrote this show as well). 

Muleteer/Tenorio the Barber in Man of la Mancha

 

The Kralahome in The King and I (Westchester Broadwayy)

 

Chris Perez in Selena Forever

Signing autographs after playing Chris in Selena Forever. (Okay, I threw that one in to brag. Sue me.)