Mr. Crabs!

So Monday I did a photo shoot for the SpongeBob Squarepants Live! tour which will be touring China next year. No... I will not be going to China - it's being performed by a Chinese cast in Mandarin. But nevertheless, it was still a fun day! I've never done any sort of theme park/costumed character work before so it was fascinating for me to see how these costumes work and feel on the body. They put me in a skin tight body suit and then inserted me into this HUGE, round, and kinda cumbersome buddha belly sort of thing. I couldn't move much. And then to top it all off, I wore a 4 foot headdress. I didn't think it was heavy at first, but after 10 minutes or so it started to give me a headache- it was kinda tight. God bless The Lion King cast! All in all, it was still a fun day... We were shooting at the studios of Joan Marcus and Carol Rosegg- the two women responsible for shooting most B'way production shots nowadays. I met some wonderful new friends and even had a lovely lunch spread to boot. Not a bad way to spend a rainy Monday morning.

Grateful

I've got a roof over my head,
I've got a warm place to sleep.
Some nights I lie awake counting gifts
Instead of counting sheep.

I've got a heart that can hold love,
I've got a mind that can think.
There may be times when I lose the light
And let my spirits sink.

But I can't stay depressed
When I remember how I'm blessed.

Grateful, grateful, truly grateful I am.
Grateful, grateful, truly blessed and duly grateful.

In a city of strangers
I've got a family of friends.
No matter what rocks and brambles fill the way,
I know that they will stay until the end.

I feel a hand holding my hand.
It's not a hand you can see.
But on the road to the promised land,
This hand will shepherd me.

Through delight and despair,
Holding tight and always there.

Grateful, grateful, truly grateful I am.
Grateful, grateful, truly blessed and duly grateful.

It's not that I don't want a lot,
Or hope for more or dream of more.
But giving thanks for what I've got
Makes me so much happier than keeping score.

In a world that can bring pain
I will still take each chance.
For I believe that whatever the terrain
Our feet can learn to dance.

Whatever stone life may sling,
We can moan or we can sing:

Grateful, grateful, truly grateful I am.
Grateful, grateful, truly blessed and duly grateful.

Truly blessed, and duly grateful.

- John Bucchino

Happy Thanksgiving Day to all! May this day be filled with family, friends, good food, and love. Peace.

Strike!

So... I got back from Cohoes a week ago to a Broadway that was in the midst of a strike. Sad for me as I was planning on taking this week off from work to catch up on some shows. But even worse for the thousands of tourists that have descended upon Manhattan for the Thanksgiving vacation. They all look so sad walking around Times Square with "nothing to do". Hopefully a resolution will be reached this weekend and the shows will be up before the holiday....otherwise, the mall that I work at will be filled to the brim...Yikes! My union is in full support of the Stagehands. Solidarity in numbers. So last night, I ran into some friends at the the theatre where Spamalot is playing... and helped them picket! My first official picket! Not as exciting as I thought it would be. It was a bit cold. But with a hot chocolate from Starbucks in hand, I marched to support the cause! I can check that off my list now.