March in Review

March Reads

The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer: I'd read it before, but I plan to write about it so I thought it deserved another read. It will never not be powerful and terrifying at the same time. 

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser: I loved this book so much! I want to live in their brownstone in Harlem and join their family. It's positively perfect for anyone of any age.

Inferno by Dan Brown: He spends 500 pages telling the reader one thing, then switches everything on its head in the last 100 pages. To say I wasn't a fan, is an understatement. "Origin" was so much better!

The Diamond Caper by Peter Mayle: I've loved Peter Mayle's books since I first read A Year in Provence. Seeing as he passed away sadly, last month, this is my last read by this fabulous author. The book is great, which makes it so much sadder that there won't be any more.

March Travels

Since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas occurred on February 14, the survivors have come forward and have created the most inspiring movement we've seen in a very long time. Their dedication to fighting for gun control has been amazing. Their fight and resolve has never wavered, even in the face of many in the country calling them merely "actors." So it was an honor to travel to Washington DC on March 24 and take part in the March for Our Lives. 

I had planned to attend in Annapolis, but MD Theatre Guide asked me to cover the DC march, which I'm incredibly happy about. I've never been part of a movement like this, and I came out of it incredibly inspired by the youth of today. It was truly one of the best days I've ever had!

A few days after the march, I headed to New York City to see Miscast 2018. The trip was always going to be a quick one, so there wasn't much extra fun to be had. However, the highlight was of course Sullivan Street Bakery - in my opinion, the best bakery in Manhattan. Their egg sandwiches are the perfect antidote for a not fabulous trip to New York.

Sometimes March in MD looks like this...

March Shows

March has been one of the busiest months for theatre in a while, which is not at all a bad thing. First up was Oklahoma! at Artistic Synergy of Baltimore for BroadwayWorld. I just love seeing shows with them, because they are the nicest people in the theatre!  Then there was Linda and Laura Benanti at the Kennedy Center. It seems we were so lucky to get to see these lovely ladies, because just after our show, Laura's daughter came down with the flu and she cancelled some of her performances.

Then, there was Rock and Roll Revival at Severna Park High School. I didn't write about it this year, though I have in the past. If I had written about it, I'd just repeat the same thing I always say. Unbelievably impressive that a high school can pull off such an enormous undertaking!

The last two shows in Maryland were A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,  and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Both were known to me, but never seen. They were pretty darn fantastic!

It was then off to New York for a bucket list concert - Miscast Gala 2018. I haven't written up a full review yet, because I'm still pretty grumpy about the whole thing. It was so not what I expected to the point that it wasn't even very entertaining. Tune in this week for a few more thoughts.

March Moves

March was the month, after a push from an outside source, that I decided to make a move in writing. After a little more than a year writing for BroadwayWorld, I was asked to write exclusively for MD Theatre Guide. After some research and a few days of hemming and hawing, I decided to take the leap. And so far, it's been wonderful! Thanks to the leap I had the opportunity to attend the March for our Lives in DC and I've booked about a fafillion (ok, maybe 6) writing gigs for April already. Sometimes leaps are worth the worry!

Of course, on the other end of the spectrum, March was also the month I decided to have a mid-life crisis. That's been a little less than wonderful. 35 sounds a lot like an old number, and that Tick - Tick - Boom is getting louder and louder. You (and all of my friends and all of my family) may judge, but in my mind I've accomplished absolutely nothing of merit in my life and I'm going to live the rest of it with only 35 cats to keep me company. But I'm trying to get past it. There are lots of fun things that don't involve my birthday happening this month so I'm choosing to focus on them instead...