One of several new headshots

AFT to announce World Premiere of GUYS & DOES!!

It is with great pride that I announce that Doc and I, along with our composer Paul, seem to have, indeed, produced a viable piece of musical theatre - GUYS & DOES!  We had a reading on Monday, with several key AFT mucky-mucks, and the overwhelming consensus was that we have a winner on our hands.  That would mean the show will see the stage a little under 2 years from the beginning of the project.  Compare that to the 6 years it took for PACKER FANS FROM OUTER SPACE to make the same journey!  We seem to have learned a bit since then.  

So mark your calendars, starting sometime around Labor Day into mid-October, GUYS AND DOES will be onstage in Door County!  Thanks a million to Uncle Reed, Uncle Bob and Cousin Mark for sharing immensely valuable deer-hunting wisdom.  We couldn't have written this one without their help!

I'll be sure to post a link when the company announces officially!

A few Inauguration pictures and Episode 2 of LeeTV, with more Irish drum than you can shake a stick at!

Yes, it's been a month. Wow. And a busy one. Following a visit to the Twin Cities to see Sara and the show she was working on at the Guthrie Theatre, we headed out to Maryland to visit her family and take in the Inauguration. It was a very emotional day, and a tiring one. Probably spent about 9 hours on our feet, standing still or walking, with temperatures around 30 degrees. The crowds were huge, but very happy. Got the word from Peggy that Erica and Julia were out there, too. Sorry we didn't have a chance to meet up, but that would have been challenging to say the least. I was so impressed to hear that with 2 million people in the streets there were zero arrests. Cause for hope right there. Here are the few pictures we did take.

This map was our most valuable possession, as we had to do a lot of creative navigation around the city, with many blocks closed off.Here was our view of our new President.  A little obstructed, but the sound was great.

The angle and the fact that my pockets were stuffed with supplies suggests I put on a few more pounds this winter than I actually did.

 Two very happy Americans.

That's it for today, folks.  More LeeTV soon.

Love you all!

The First Episode of LeeTV and GUYS ON ICE Winter Tour 2009 Info

Happy New Year, everyone!  Take few minutes and enjoy the first installment of LeeTV, a new feature of Occasional Lee for 2009!  I'll try and post a new episode every week or two.  Really.  Honest.  Yeah, yeah, I know, you'll believe it when you see it.  Fair enough.  We'll see how she goes.

For those of you in the Wisconsin area, look for the hit ice-fishing musical, GUYS ON ICE, on the road the next couple of months.  For more information (cities, venues and show-times), check out this link, and then click on the "2009 Winter Tour."  

GUYS ON ICE around Wisconsin.

Oh, and don't be confused by the mention of other productions in Iowa and Montana.  Those are completely different companies also producing the show.  I'm only in the tour of Dairyland and de You Pee.

Dat's it for now, gang.  Stay warm and maybe I'll see youse out on de ice, once.

A note from de ice, with just a dash of political comment. But you can handle it.

Hey everyone!

Yes, it's been a while.  Since my last post we've elected an exciting new President, and more importantly, I've been out to the Bay Area twice to work with my colleague, Doc Heide, on completion of the first draft of a new, deer-hunting musical called GUYS & DOES.  Our hope is we have it on stage in Fall '09 in Door County.  We'll see what our Artistic Director says about that soon.  Many thanks to Uncle Reed, Uncle Bob and Cousin Mark for their generosity in sharing the details of their hunts with us.  For a couple of non-hunters like Doc and me, this was truly invaluable information and our show will have a level of authenticity that it otherwise would have lacked.

Currently, I'm in the early stage of 3 months worth of musical ice-fishing.  GUYS ON ICE rides again, thanks to the Milwaukee Rep.  Here's a link to some press from Madison about yours truly and my role in the show.

http://77square.com/citylife/qs/story_316793

Sara is doing very well.  As I type she is on her way to the Twin Cities to work once again with Andrew Wade, a big hot-shot in the world of theatrical vocal coaching.  She is assisting him on a production of HENRY V at the Guthrie Theatre, where the Julliard Acting Company is starting a national tour of the show.  This will be a great chance for Sara to make good contacts at the Guthrie (a super major American theatre, for those who don't know.)  I'm extremely proud of the impressive list of accomplishments she's built since finishing Grad School.  Yay Sara!

Speaking of my sweetheart,  Sara will not be going home for Christmas due to the work in Minneapolis, so we will both be heading to Maryland to visit her family in January on a week off from my tour.  Which just happens to coincide with Obama's Inauguration!  We're thrilled to be able to go and witness this historic event and celebrate the end of an error.  Um, an era.  I wouldn't presume to speak for anyone reading this, but as a citizen I feel profoundly and personally betrayed by the current administration and am truly ashamed of much of what they have done (and have failed to do) in my name.  I pray for wisdom for the new Administration, and everyone involved in the Herculean task of trying to fix the damage to our Nation left in the wake of such mismanagement and ineptitude.

Alright, only two sentences and the political ranting is already over.  For now, gosh darn it. (wink)  You betcha!

I'll finish this post by wishing everyone a blessed holiday season, where the material manifestations of the celebration are secondary to the light and hope at the heart of Christmas!

I'll drop a note from the road as the tour winds on!  Love to you all!

Testing . . . testing . . . is this thing on?

I just built a little email list so you will all know when I post something to the blog.  I'm just seeing if it works.   Based on my track record so far, this shouldn't cause any worry about a lot of unwanted email.  And if you would rather not be notified this way, cool.  Let me know and I'll take you off the list.  I did just add a little post today.  Love to you all!

A visit to Mr. Rodgers neighborhood

Hey, all you Packer-backers!  Year 41 is going well so far, especially since Sara and I got to attend the Monday Night Season Opener at Lambeau Field.  Here's some proof, via the lovely camera-phone!  How about that debut by Aaron Rodgers!  Eternal thanks to John Hansen for parting with his season tickets for a fraction of what he could have gotten from a broker.  The man is a saint.