My New Food Obsession

I can't tell you how it feels to come out the gym, feeling like you had a good work out. Starving, and walking the streets looking for a good eat, that is healthy! Well, I have a new obsession and it is called The Muscle Maker Grill! When I tell you this place is full of only health food products, protein bars, shakes, only diet drinks, and just some of the most amazing food ever! I have been three times after the gym, and they have everything from pasta to wraps to Asian style foods. Proving that you can eat healthy, and it still can taste really good. The food is so amazing, and you wouldn't even know you are eating stuff that is good for you. I am obsessed with this place, and thus far my favorites are The Arizona, (picture is above) and the penne alla vodka with Shrimp! MMMMMMMM...I'm so obsessed with this place that if I had money, I would invest asap. You have to try the Muscle Maker Grill, and you will leave satisfied, and not feeling fat! Who can ask for anything more!!!!!???!!!!!

South Pacific

I finally got to see the Lincoln Center production of South Pacific. Which if you are my friend you know I call this musical South Pathetic as a code name. I will say there was nothing pathetic about this production. I am just sorry I never went to see the show live. I watched it on my tivo when it aired one of it's final performances on PBS. This show was so magical and beautifully directed. I loved what they did with the African American Soldiers while casting them and giving them work, they stayed true to the period, by keeping them separate from everyone else. The story is so classic, and usually is very boring. This production was so beautiful, flowed nicely, and the story telling was honest and simple, and I didn't fidget or have a bored moment once. I loved every moment watching this version of the show. Every performance was stellar, however I am sorry I missed Mathew Morrison's performance, as I would have loved to see him in the show. The stand out of the show was Paulo Szot performances. This man has blown me away, his acting, and that voice! WOW! That voice just enchanted my soul, and I honestly could listen to it all day and night! He was the heart and soul of the piece, and deserves his tony award!!!!! It was a blessing even if on t.v. to see a musical theater classic brought to life in such a superb way!

My Gut With Film Is All Wrong!

When I audition for musicals, there are times, I leave the audition and my gut, and my inner self tell me "You got this", and usually my phone rings and the gig is all mine. I have 95% accuracy with my gut/inner self. The other percentage is wrong, and there is also the times that I leave a musical audition with the thought "I didn't get this", and sometimes I surprisingly do get it, but most of the time I don't. My gut/inner self is so honest and that feeling inside of me is so intense. The point is that my inner self never fails me in the musical theater world. I have been on some film auditions and majority of the time I leave and think I'm not right, they aren't into me, I didn't get this and--I am accurate-- I didn't get it. LOL Magically there are two films in particular one great role, and one smaller role, that I left the audition, and my gut/inner self told me "You Got This", and I left with that same feeling I have when I audition for a musical. WRONG, still haven't booked my film, and it sucks cause I am really giving good auditions. I know so much more goes into the casting process, so I have to just be patient. I am just mad at my gut for lying to me! UGH!!!!!!

Eat, Pray, Love

I tried to read the book Eat, Pray, Love, because Oprah told me I should read it. I attempted at the book about five times, and each time the book got more boring, more boring, and more boring. I had a discussion with my roommate about the book, as she loved every moment of this snore. She said "It is definitely a girl book, and you are not a girl, so of course you didn't connect to it". I chopped it all up in my head, that this book was meant for women, and left it alone.

Now the film is out, and I walked my booty to the movies to go see it, because I like Julia Roberts, and you all know I love Viola Davis!!!!! I sat there during the previews reminding myself that this is a chick flick, and I will probably hate it. To my pleasant surprise, I was so happy, and enjoyed every second of this film. The scenery was beautiful, the acting even better, and the story tug at my heart strings. I found many tears running down my face more than once during the movie. There was a beauty there in this simple film that forced me to lean back and connect to every moment. It was like watching a Deepak Chopra book come to life and as a result caused me to have a celebration of life, openness to love, and my outlook stretched. So many things that I have been studying lately about the universe, GOD, Love, Living in the now, and risk taking were all summed up in one movie. The thing I loved most about the flick, is that I walked out feeling like I learned more, and was a better man at the end of the film. This feeling rarely happens to me at a movie, when my mind expands, and my out look on life changes drastically from a picture.

The performances to watch out for are; of course Julia Roberts and Viola Davis. As they are all always good, but to me in this film they did nothing special, you have seen Julia Roberts like this before, it suited her, therefore no surprises. Viola's role was very simple, and not much to do with this work. All though, I would watch Viola Davis read the ABC's dramatically for hours over and over again. My favorite performance of the night was Richard Jenkins, as he played Richard from Texas. I have always enjoyed this actors work, but I left the movie being blown away by his performance in this film. I also walked out in love with a new comer I. Gusti Ayu Puspawati, every time this women opened her mouth, I laughed! She had the best one liners throughout the film, and stole every scene she was in. BRAVO!!!!!

Go be enlightened, and see this beautifully made chick flick! I left the movie with knowledge, and love in my heart. I am in search for my word....I also left wanting to go somewhere exotic asap.

How I got my AFTRA card

I wasn't going to write about all the unions I am in, but since I started my other series on my Equity, and SAG card. I couldn't find myself to leave out the last and final union that I am member. Anyone can get there AFTRA card, you can just buy into it. It doesn't have rules like Equity and SAG, which make it a little hard to join there unions. I honestly, wish SAG and AFTRA would merge, because it would make my life much easier! Anyway, many years ago, I took a soap opera class with a casting director, and I was learning how to be a soap actor. I started out at the bottom of the class, I must say, as this genre didn't seem like a fit for me. As you all know, I work my ass off in class, and can't stand being in the bottom. One week it clicked, and I went from bottom to top. In the final presentations, because of the uneven number in the class. I was asked to do two scenes instead of one. Which led me to a week after class ended, being cast on All My Children. I did ten episodes, started off an extra, moved to under five, and on to a day player. Which forced me to get my AFTRA card, however, I froze that sucker, so I don't have to pay dues. I never use the AFTRA card like I use my SAG and EQUITY! Anyway, I am in three unions, and my series on how i got my....is all finished...LOL

They Stare Like I'm Crazy

I can be on the train or walking my dog, and sometimes I am going over sides for upcoming film auditions. Sometimes I am reviewing my monologue for a class I am taking, or a new piece I am working on for a play. Sometimes after a couple of hours of Rosetta Stone in the morning, I like to go over what I learned in my head on the train into the city. I guess to the people walking next to me, or on the train, I look like I am talking to myself. Depending on the scene I am going over, I could be having fun, or very angry etc. I sometimes come out of my world which is play, and catch a glance at someone out the corner of my eye. They are staring so hard, like I am the craziest man to walk planet earth. This is New York City, don't they see other actors on the train going over lines? Or am I truly a maniac??? LOL I guess I would look at me like I was crazy too!!!!

Dinner For Schmucks

I went to see the movie Dinner For Schmucks, because I wanted a good laugh, and needed something fun to do. Needless to say, I didn't laugh not once, and I was bored to tears during the whole film. I wanted to come out of there with the feelings I had when I saw the movie "Date Night" or "I love You Man" or "The Hangover"! I came out of Dinner For Schmucks wanting every single penny back. The combination of the acting team, was so brilliant, that I just knew I would come home with a good amazing laugh! This movie was not for me at all, and I almost fell asleep watching this boring piece of crap! To me the best part of the movie is Zach Galifianakis performance, he made me smile and chuckle a couple a times. His character was so over the top, and he just played everything like a star. Don't get me wrong I love Steve Carell, and Paul Rudd, two of my favorites on this planet. I just hated this film, and I thought at one point when Steve Carell comes on the screen it's going to get good. I sat in my seat waiting, waiting, and then Steve Carell's character makes his splash entrance, and hold up, it has been an hour an half, and I am NOT LAUGHING! UGH! Dinner For Schmucks go see at your own risk!

It Keeps Haunting Me

I have been craving the opportunity to go on an audition for weeks now, as you know if you read my blog. The summer time is just way slow when it comes to auditioning. Finally I got one, and it wasn't that big of a job. However, it was an audition for a little show, that a friend, is directing. I prepared, maybe even over prepared, as I only had one audition for the week, and have been bored. I walk into the audition, just relaxed feeling in good spirits ready to give my all. I started to sing, and right in the beginning of the song, I started off just a little pitchy, and felt myself reaching for the note. I got passed that and kept fighting for the rest of the song, as my voice trembled, and didn't have the zing, that I wanted it to have. I thought to myself, "oh well, you can't win them all". Then it was time to read the sides, and they said "Can you read it with a Spanish accent"! My face went blank, and my mind started racing! I read the scene being as honest as I can, but my Spanish accent SUCKED BIG TIME!!!!! This has been one of the worse auditioning experiences in my life. Last night, the audition decided to creep into my head, and payed my subconscious a visit. I kept replaying this horrible event in my mind, as I lay in the bed. You are supposed to let your auditions go after you do them, but this one is haunting me, and lurking over me! This monster is chasing me through out my day, and I can't shake him!!! LEAVE ME ALONE BAD AUDITION, LEAVE ME ALONE!

How I Got My Equity Card

Right out of College (The Boston Conservatory), I went to Germany, and lived in a tiny town called Bochum. Where I performed in a musical called "Starlight Express"! I lived in Germany for a year and a half, and traveled throughout Europe. Then decided to move to New York City, with one big credit under my belt, I was ready to take on the world. I refused to do jobs as an non-equity member, so I was turning down gigs left and right. Then I audition for a new musical, that was workshop with the hopes of coming to Broadway. The musical was called "Bingo Long and The Traveling All Stars", (BIG FLOP) in which I played the role of Skinny in the musical. When I negotiated my contract, they wanted to hire me as non-equity, so I turned it down. Then they came back to me with a plan, they said if I did the show as a non-equity member. The last two weeks of the run, they would give me my equity card, and they offered me a equity contract. I agreed on this deal, and that is how I joined the union. I was scared at first of joining, cause I thought this meant I would never work again. As we serve a good GOD, I was blessed with booking Jesus Christ Superstar starring Billy Porter and Emily Skinner. Which was a life changing show for me, and I met most of my best friends from that show. Then was blessed with booking my first really big production contract: "Annie Get Your Gun", starring Tom Wopat and Marilu Henner. My career took off from there, and I kept working with some struggle in there, from time to time. The career kept trucking through, and I worked, and worked. That is how J.R. began his career, and I hoping for more stories to come, on conquering T.V. world as I did the stage!!!!!

How I Got My SAG Card

Way back in the day this is the first movie role I had ever received. This was my small splash and intro into the film world. Watch this clip, and see me play the lead singer of the Cadillacs in the movie "The Temptations"! Which oddly enough I still get residual checks, and they also air this movie a ton on VH-1 movies that rock! ENJOY!!!! Oh, and please don't laugh at my stupid wig, and the last pose that I hit!!!!