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Checking In

February 17, 2017 at 6:09 am by Claudia

A benefit of getting on the road so early in the morning: the spectacular sunrises, which we clock as we drive east toward the Hudson River.

Speaking of spectacular, I am spectacularly tired. Sleep has been nearly nonexistent and as I head toward the end of a six-day-straight week of commuting back and forth, I am just trying to get through the day today and tomorrow and then I can relax. Maybe it’s the stimulation of the senses – so much music and text, long train rides, long bus rides, the crowds in Grand Central Station and Times Square, the insanity in Washington DC…probably a combination of all of the above. Sometimes I can’t get to sleep at night. At other times, I get to sleep but wake up in the middle of the night. The night before last, I actually slept through the night and I felt so much better yesterday, only to lose sleep again last night.

Though I often commute to the city, I don’t think I’ve done it for 6 days in a row for a long time and the rehearsals start at 10 am. I now regret that I didn’t push to be put up in the city this week, but I didn’t…so that’s that.

That’s West Point in the photo. I get a gorgeous view of it each morning as the train travels south along the Hudson River.

Even though I’m sleep-deprived, let me say that it is absolutely worth it to be a part of this production. Anastasia won my heart last spring in Hartford. It’s simply glorious. When Darko told me he wanted me to be a part of the Broadway production, I was so grateful and happy. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s special. It’s rare. The cast is special. Wonderful people both onstage and off. Who knows if I’ll ever get another chance to work on Broadway? So I am lapping the whole thing up, trying to be present every moment, which also, coincidentally, helps me weather the work day after a sleepless night.

All is well. At least, in my little Hudson Valley – New York City – Anastasia world. I am fully aware of what is going on in our nation’s capital. To say I’m appalled is putting it mildly. My sister wrote a great post the other day about needing to speak out. If you’re a blogger, one of the avenues for your voice to be heard is through your blog. I applaud her for writing about it. I will again, as well, when I have some time to put my thoughts together in a coherent fashion. I’m pretty sure you know what I’m thinking. Saving our republic, our democracy, is at stake and the need to do so is about as urgent as it can get. Finding out the truth about the FIC’s ties to Russia is imperative. Speaking out is of the utmost importance.

More on Sunday. I miss you all. I do not like being away from the blog!

Happy Friday.

Back And Forth Along the Hudson

February 15, 2017 at 5:38 am by Claudia

Life, lately. Back and forth along the Hudson River.

Yours truly is sleep deprived. I have to get up much earlier than is my norm to catch the train into the city. And then I get home at 7:30 or 8:00, eat some dinner, and try to go to sleep. Right now, I seem to be on a 5 hour sleep cycle and, trust me, that is not enough. Frustrating, but I know it will even out soon. I’ve been taking the train in the morning, because it’s more dependable. Then I run over to the bus station during lunch, buy a one-way ticket for my homeward journey, and ride the bus home at night. Don, the best guy in the world, is driving me to both the train station and the bus station.

It is so lovely reuniting with the cast of Anastasia – such a wonderful group of actors. There is an energy about this production that is rare. I am so honored to be a part of it. I like being paid, of course, but there is something about this musical and the people working on it that is rare. I wanted to be a part of it as it moved on to Broadway.

Theater is a small world. Terrence McNally, the esteemed playwright who has written the script for Anastasia, brought me greetings from Jim Parsons when I saw him on Monday morning. Jim had written Terrence that morning to tell him that he was excited that we would be working together and that I had been his teacher (and that he loved me.) That made me smile. We had someone take a picture of us so we could send it on to Jim.

And I rode in the elevator with Kevin Kline yesterday. He’s very nice.

I’m not going to be working on Heartbreak House at Hartford Stage. Darko and I talked it over and there really won’t be enough for me to do on the show. When it was going to be Saint Joan, it would have been a much bigger production and I would have had a lot to do. But now that it’s been changed to a smaller, more intimate show with a cast of mostly British actors who know how to do Shaw, I’d be twiddling my thumbs.

So. I was a bit disappointed, but only a bit. Obviously, the fee would have been appreciated, but Don will be working at that point, so we’ll be okay. And, truth be told, I was a bit stressed about how to juggle the responsibilities of the house and cleaning up the garden, planting seeds, and mowing the lawn while in Hartford. I would have had to come home on my day off and try to accomplish everything and I know from experience that it is exhausting.

The positive is that I’ll be home in the Spring – my favorite time of year. And maybe I can visit Don out in California not once, but twice. Hmmm.

In the meantime, I am loving being a part of the magic that is Anastasia. I’m just really tired!

No time to answer comments (but I’m reading them) or do much of anything other than travel and work. The only reason I’m posting this is that I woke up much too early!

I hope you’re well and I miss you!

Happy Wednesday.

Chances Are, You’ve Already Got It

February 13, 2017 at 8:30 am by Claudia

Dear friends: Some shorter posts this week as I spend long days working in Manhattan on Anastasia. I’m not sure how many days, yet. I’m writing this one on Sunday afternoon. If, for some reason, you don’t see a post on a certain day, it’s simply because I have no time. These days will be 12 or 13 hours long, when I add in the commute.

A not-very-frequent observation on decorating and buzzwords:

The new home and hearth buzzword this season is Hygge. It’s being used to sell books, sell merchandise and sell people on a Danish word and the ‘lifestyle’ it represents. I’ve been amused by the books that are appearing on the subject, the tutorials and the blog posts on how to create Hygge. I’ve long thought that Hygge is something we already instinctively do – whether we live in a cold or warm climate, a house or an apartment, a tiny home or a tent.

I was pleased to discover an article on Houzz this week about this very subject. It confirmed my thoughts about the ubiquitous presence of Hygge. The article was entitled, “Busting Open 6 Nordic Design Myths,” one of which was Hygge.

Hygge is a Danish term/word for creating coziness and warmth. Presumably, those long Nordic winters have spawned certain decorating/coping skills that create that cozy feeling and that we need to learn over here on this side of the ocean.

But, in reality, as stated in a 2015 article on Houzz, Hygge is “spending time with the ones you love, in a home that is filled with light and well-loved items that fill you with everyday joy when you use them. You can’t buy Hygge, nor can you get someone to create it for you. It is the Nordic state of contentment that can only be found at home.”

Hurrah for the Nordic state of contentment that can only be found at home! I second that emotion. I’ve long felt the same way about my homes over the years, starting with my girlhood bedroom, through tiny studio apartments and onward to the home in which I currently live.

Most of us who love to create a cozy home filled with warmth and personality, who have things in our homes that have been collected and gathered, who love texture and textiles and comfy furniture, who love making a house or apartment a home, already do that. If what surrounds us matters to us and makes us happy – whether it’s furniture, books, objects, rugs, pets or people – then we’re already creating Hygge.

And if being in your home brings you contentment, then you’re already there.

I’m always a bit wary of trends and buzzwords and things like the ‘color of the year.’ I find them interesting, but I take them with a grain of salt. I suspect you do, too. If you love your home and have created a place that makes you happy, and that, at the end of the day, makes you sigh with contentment, congratulations! You’ve got Hygge.

And Rest in Peace, Al Jarreau. I filled many hours of my life playing your music, listening to your voice. Seeing you in concert was an incredible experience. Thank you. You will be missed.

Happy Monday.

Checking In

Back And Forth Along the Hudson

Chances Are, You’ve Already Got It

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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