Down subjects and Oriental population share several specific attitudes and characteristics -
Hilarious that junk like this gets published (discovered via http://www.ncbirofl.com):
“Down persons during waiting periods, when they get tired of standing up straight, crouch, squatting down… this position is the same taken by the Vietnamese, the Thai, the Cambodian, the Chinese, while they are waiting at a the bus stop, for instance, or while they are chatting.
The tendencies of Down subjects to carry out recreative–reabilitative activities, such as embroidery, wicker-working ceramics, book-binding, etc., that is renowned, remind the Chinese hand-crafts, which need a notable ability, such as Chinese vases or the use of chop-sticks employed for eating by Asiatic populations.
Perhaps the explanation for their capacities resides in the monkey-like cast of the hand or rather in the single transversal solcus that replaces the normal creases of the flexion of the hand, and their laxity of ligaments. Also this characteristic of the Down syndrome may be considered a point in common with oriental populations.”
Had front row tickets to see Wicked (again) last night.
Re-inspired to sing, dance, and tell stories on the stage.
I’m gonna be in a musical!!! A member of the “ensemble”: http://footlighters.case.edu/
Can’t wait.
I turned my phone off and went to bed last night…. waking up this morning to find 3 missed calls from the Pippin directors saying they want to offer me a part (a part of the “ensemble” - these 8-10 supporting characters).
Shit. I hope they didn’t give away all the parts at 1 am in a flurry of activity.
(Fingers crossed)
Racism -
“He’s 96% Dark Matter!” hahaha… it’ll never end.
Holy crap! I don’t know if I’d dress my kid up like that.
[video]
Just auditioned for the campus production of “Pippin.” Sang “Moondance” (by Jim Morrison)…
Totally bombed it. Not only did I wear out my voice practicing too much beforehand, but I found out that auditions make me so nervous I forget my lines (and pitches)… dammit.
And I also heard the competition while I was awaiting my turn: geez, I got a long way to go.
I’m 0 for 1. Looking forward to trying again.
Doc Opera 4 years ago: I submitted 2 half-written song ideas (medical parodies of Outkast’s “Ms. Jackson” and Beck’s “Loser”). To my surprise, the director’s loved them and asked me to finish the songs. I tried out as a rapper and didn’t get any part… until someone backed out. I ended up rapping in 2 songs.
Doc Opera’s 2007, 2008: I wrote 3-5 songs each year, rapping 1-2 songs each year.
Doc Opera this year: held at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland. Wrote 2 songs (medical parodies of Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher” and the Beach Boys “Good Vibrations”), rapped in a Black Eyed Peas song, sang backup in a Queen parody, and sang a Jem song as part of Docappella. First time I’ve ever done a choreographed dance on stage.
Today: saw ‘Wicked’ at Playhouse Square (at another theater in the same venue where I performed the night before). Blown away by: the story, the songs, the emotion that can be conveyed by musical theater. I had no friggin’ clue. The only other musicals I’ve ever seen before this were “Jersey Boys” and “Lion King.” Wicked dealt with some complex issues (discrimination, racism, envy, etc.) within the retelling of the Wizard of Oz. Wicked also tries to convey how friends or loved ones can influence each other…. with the recent passing of my grandfather, I’ve had to own up to the fact that I am deeply influenced by my friends and family. Let me rephrase that: I’m starting to own up to that fact. I’ve spent the last decade (and then some) trying to emotionally isolate myself everyone else… not sure why… maybe because I was so lonely and insecure when I was younger… it seemed safer to create ideological frameworks for my growth and success that did not depend upon anyone else. Anyway, so as all my defenses are beginning to crumble, the final scenes of ‘Wicked’ - as cheesy as they may be - really tugged on the ol’ heart-strings because I was able to connect with the characters. I was deeply moved.
Now: I want to try my hand at musical theater. I’ve spent so much time writing lyrics (for medical parodies, for my own rap songs), but I’ve gotten frustrated because I’ve recently felt that the ideas I want to convey cannot be fully captured through this medium alone. I want to be able to sing like those folks on the stage. And, after doing a little choreographed dancing this year, I want to see if I can take that to the next level, as well.
Any suggestions?
Dinner! Beef & black bean curry + sweet potatoes