The Nintendo Wii, your "? of the Week for July 17, 2011.*
Ah, the poor Wii, derided by hard-core gamers and beloved by moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas and bowlers around the world.
I've already outed myself as a bit of a geek and, to be honest, I have not played my Wii for almost a year. For the past three weeks, though, the Wii has been the most important piece of technology in my life.
I brought the console all the way to Alaska for a couple of reasons. It is incredibly small and there aren't a lot of wires. I have used it to catch up on my Netflix queue- watching mystery series and occasionally playing video games.** Another advantage is that it can easily plug into older TV sets and so it is a great option when you don't know what kind of place you are going to stay at and you need maximum flexibility.
During the run of the show there are parts of the day that are free from singing or press-related activities. Last year in Fairbanks, I had the chance to do a lot of exploring with my family. I still had the opportunity to explore some new spots in Fairbanks, meet interesting people and socialize with my castmates but I decided that due to the size and scope of the role, I should use my off-time in ways that would not tax my voice in any way. The Wii has been a fantastic way to give my mind a break between a busy rehearsal schedule.
What is your frivolous piece of technology that you enjoy while on the road?
*You will be seeing some changes in the format of the "? of the Week." I got some great feedback that the titles were kind of... well... boring. I'll still tag my weekly posts appropriately, but from now on, I'll try to come up with a catchy title. Please don't hesitate to post feedback here or on facebook. I would love to hear from you.
** Games included: Super Mario Bros. 3, River City Ransom, Bit.Trip.Void, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
? of the Week- July 10, 2011
Rehearsals.
There is more to life than just performing. Take this past week, for example: I spent almost every single day working with a small, talented group of cast mates and directors to refine and perfect our upcoming performance of The Elixir of Love.
I cannot help but feel, with all the distractions of interviews, press, Facebook Fan Pages and the internet publicity, that I risk losing track of what makes this job so memorable and rewarding. The show is only a culmination of weeks of work, collaboration and learning.
Today I want to take a moment to acknowledge the fun and challenge of the rehearsals. It is that process of focused effort, which leads to learning and growing, both as a singer and as a team of actors, that gives me the opportunity to enjoy a performance and this career.
There is more to life than just performing. Take this past week, for example: I spent almost every single day working with a small, talented group of cast mates and directors to refine and perfect our upcoming performance of The Elixir of Love.
I cannot help but feel, with all the distractions of interviews, press, Facebook Fan Pages and the internet publicity, that I risk losing track of what makes this job so memorable and rewarding. The show is only a culmination of weeks of work, collaboration and learning.
Today I want to take a moment to acknowledge the fun and challenge of the rehearsals. It is that process of focused effort, which leads to learning and growing, both as a singer and as a team of actors, that gives me the opportunity to enjoy a performance and this career.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
? of the Week- July 3, 2011
The Smartest Person in the Room.
I have a deep and abiding love for detective television shows. For sake the sake of simplicity, let us call detective shows by the German word for it, "Crimi Shows." Being away from my family for awhile, I have increased my consumption of television thanks to Netflix.
My love for the Crimi began when I was very young and I found a complete, unabridged edition of Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle. Something about those stories clicked with me and I spent hours reading and rereading them. Shortly after discovering the book, the PBS channel had a series of adaptations starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes. I can remember nearly cheering as Holmes revealed murderers.
From there, it was on to "Quincy, MD" reruns. Now I watch "Veronica Mars", the new BBC update of the Holmes stories, "Sherlock", and "The Closer."
What attracts me to these shows in particular is the presence of a very strong, smart central character that can divine truth out of seemingly impossible situations. I have always wished to be that person-- the smartest guy in the room. Since I do not typically (ever?) find myself in that situation, these shows fulfill that lifelong dream.
It is my aspiration to some day write or star in a show like this. After all, what would be better than having an opera singer, travelling the world, solving crimes between rehearsals and performances? Heck, you could even find allegories between the show that I was singing and the murder. Come on... this is great, right?
Rob Thomas, you can call my agent any time to set something up.
I have a deep and abiding love for detective television shows. For sake the sake of simplicity, let us call detective shows by the German word for it, "Crimi Shows." Being away from my family for awhile, I have increased my consumption of television thanks to Netflix.
My love for the Crimi began when I was very young and I found a complete, unabridged edition of Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle. Something about those stories clicked with me and I spent hours reading and rereading them. Shortly after discovering the book, the PBS channel had a series of adaptations starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes. I can remember nearly cheering as Holmes revealed murderers.
From there, it was on to "Quincy, MD" reruns. Now I watch "Veronica Mars", the new BBC update of the Holmes stories, "Sherlock", and "The Closer."
What attracts me to these shows in particular is the presence of a very strong, smart central character that can divine truth out of seemingly impossible situations. I have always wished to be that person-- the smartest guy in the room. Since I do not typically (ever?) find myself in that situation, these shows fulfill that lifelong dream.
It is my aspiration to some day write or star in a show like this. After all, what would be better than having an opera singer, travelling the world, solving crimes between rehearsals and performances? Heck, you could even find allegories between the show that I was singing and the murder. Come on... this is great, right?
Rob Thomas, you can call my agent any time to set something up.
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