Change Come Fast, and Change Slow, But Change Come

Ah....one more day and Obama officially takes office. I cannot express how thankful I am to have become a citizen just in time for my first vote in the most important election of my lifetime. Felt and feels good.

The last two months have been hectic, which is good, but I have neglected updating the blog (for the one or two people who keep up).

Right before Christmas I completed a triumvirate of shows. I played one of two leads in Bill Quigley's Now Boarding which ran for two sold-out weeks at the HB Studios. Great writing, great piece.

I was invited to participate in the 52nd Street Project's latest collection of student written works, and I have to say I was really impressed by the whole thing. If anyone ever gets asked to do it, DO IT. It was an amazing experience and I found myself in awe of the company I got to keep. I just looking from side to side thinking: Um, I've see you in movies, you on TV, you on Broadway. The staff was incredibly nice and completely professional. It is something I would definitely do again.

The last thing before I headed home for a week was a private industry reading of a musical called Caravan Man. It's basically Godspell/JCS for Brown folk :) It's about the prophet Mohammed and how he comes to be a prophet and save his people. I played...Mohammed. And while I did have a little bit of trepidation about the subject matter, any concerns I had were completely obliterated thanks to an amazing script and some of the most difficult, but fulfilling, music I have ever had the lucky chance to sing. Though it only lasted for two days, it was completely amazing. The cast were top notch, the director was incredible, the playwright and composer, brilliant. I truly hope the show gets picked up because I think it's time for a piece like this to be done if for no other reason but to remove the stigma and culture of fear about a religion that is no different than any other one. The beauty of the show is that it deals with problems, relationships, and people and does NOT focus on religion and proselytizing. Truly...an amazing moment for me.

I spent a much needed rest at home in Florida for a week and ended up having the time of life reconnecting with friends from my past and being reminded of how many incredible people are in my life and have been in my life only to return years later. The last month has been filled with friends from high school tracking me down and I am thrilled to reconnect with all of the. I loved, and still love, these people for saving my sanity when I was a newcomer to this country. I carry a piece of them with me everyday.

I just recently came back from a sold out performance of Betrayed at the Kennedy Center in D.C., hosted by Sara Jessica Parker (that woman could not look any more gorgeous in real life) and Matt Dillon through Refugees International. It was surreal gathering the original cast back together and rehearsing the show and finding new moments. We had, what I think, was our best show ever and the immediate and rousing applause and standing ovation at the end was a true testament to an amazingly salient play that picks no sides and makes you think.

God forbid a piece of theatre makes an audience think.

I was enthralled by the history and the monuments, walking up and down the mall, and seeing geese for the first time (who knew they pooped so much and in such large sizes). The best part of the three days was meeting with recently arrived Iraqi refugees. They are truly inspirational.

The show is not dead as I head to LA next month with Waleed to do the show with Eric Stoltz. There is talks of a short Middle East tour. We do the show at Williams College in April. Whispers of a movie. And at some point, I hope to god the show gets another mounting on a big stage in the city.

Until then,I am nursing a cold, a sore shoulder from taking a spill on the sidewalk when it was iced over (it was bad), and auditioning like a mad man. Things seem to be going well as I am being called in for big projects and lead roles, but I am suffering from second best syndrome wherein it comes down to me and another actor and I lose out. This has happened so far on three shows and two TV series...I need to figure out what it is I am NOT doing so I can sidle up into the first position and book the job.

And, finally, kudos to my high school friend David Blue who landed one of the roles in the new Stargate Series. From Moonlight to Ugly Betty to this. Now that's a fast rise.