I saw this and just had to steal it, because it's sadly a true, true fact in my life!

A beautiful quote by the brilliant Louise Erdrich, '76, who spoke at Dartmouth's commencement this year.

It is love of peace that makes you a warrior, love of process that binds you to your work, love of family that steadies you in all that you do.  Often, the only answer to the questions that will be posed all through your life is a mute and fierce love, an irrational love, a love that simply answers I am here.

Click HERE to read her entire, wonderful speech.

Summer Reading List

1.  A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers

2.  The Plague of Doves, by Louise Erdrich (a '76! I got to see her speak at S's graduation, which prompted me to add her work to my list)

3.  The Letters of Noel Coward, edited by Barry Day

4.  The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger (ok, I admit this was added only after I saw the preview for the movie.  So kill me.  I do that sometimes.)

I am very excited.

You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference.

—	Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

I'm an ARTISTE!

Haha I wish...so I'm in camera transition right now (a poor grad student saving up for a digital SLR...so I may be in transition for a WHILE!), but I took along my trusty iPhone to my brother's graduation this past Sunday.  Here are my two favorite shots (one from the beginning of the ceremony, and the other at lunch back home after):

Q and A

So, I like to pretend that I have readers.  It's fun! LOL!  I'm going to do a Q and A with myself, just because I can! This is totally a ripped off, compilation version of what Playbill runs on their website (so apparently, not only do I fancy myself a blogger with a following, I'm on BROADWAY! hahaha)  Here we go!

Full given name: I suddenly feel really awkward.  I won't post it, but suffice it to say, Miki is a nickname given to me by my mother.

Hometown: Well, I've lived in a bunch of places, but I'd call Wilton, CT my hometown (though it would be cooler if I said Paris, since I did actually live there! Hardly a home town, though.)

Zodiac sign: Aries

First Broadway show ever saw: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 1993

If you could go back in time and catch any Broadway show, what would it be?: There are so many, but one of the more recent ones would be the Assassins revival.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: Sadly, I haven't really seen enough this season to recommend ANYTHING, but in the recent past, I'd say In The Heights.

Favorite show tune: "White Boys" from Hair.  I love the arrangement Seth Rudetsky did for the Actor's Benefit concert.

Most played song on your iPod:  This is going to sound crazy.  But it's actually Bogoroditsye Dyevo (Rejoice Virgin, Mother of God).  It's this beautiful Russian song we sing in church.  Check it out on iTunes.  Totally soothing. 

Last book you read: I can't even remember the last book I read for pleasure...most of my reading has been for school (don't get me wrong, it's fantastic) but right now I'm reading "The Inner Game of Tennis"

Must-see TV show: So You Think You Can Dance

Last good movie you saw: "Up"

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Raul Esparza

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Twilight

Worst costume ever worn in a show: it's actually the same as my BEST.  I wore this kick ass silver trench/raincoat in a production of Taming of the Shrew.  It was at a little theatre with no air conditioning in the middle of the summer.  The coat was lined, but it was so hot the lining was cut out to make it cooler for me.  Unfortunately, the jacket was that plasticky stuff raincoats are made out of, and I wore a tank top underneath it, so it would stick to me.  SO GROSS.  But it looked cool.

Worst job you ever had: Deer Park water mascot.  It deflated on me, and was torturously hot inside.

Role you've been dying to play: Tribe in Hair.  It seems like one of those shows that is life changing to be in.  I love those kinds of shows.

Picture of the Day

From the WSS CD signing at Lincoln Center.  Karen Olivo, you are BEYOND ADORABLE!

A Bad Day turns into a Good One...

So, today was a horribly stressful day at work...but that is neither here nor there.

Two things turned this day around.  First, my cast recording for the Hair revival came! SO EXCITED! I've only listened to the first couple tracks (which breaks my rule of not listening to cast recordings before I've seen the show (currently

 running, of course)...but I just couldn't even help it! Runneth out and grab your copy if you can!

Also, I saw a chick on the T today with the most awesome boots.  I HATE the thought of  taking pictures of random people on public transportation (it just seems so WRONG!) but I legit had a compulsi

on to...check out these puppies...

I'm obsessed.

TONY AWARDS, FTW.

I was going to do a recap of the Tonys, but that would actually take effort.  I have therefore listed for your reading pleasure, the FTW moments of the night:

Bret Michaels running into the set in the opening number. 

HAIR in the opening number...for REAL FTW.

Obama Mia.

Neil Patrick Harris' shiny leather suit.

Angela Lansbury.

N2N winning best score.

An appearance by Lin Manuel Miranda - when he smiles the world lights up.

WSS - Mambo and Josephina's AMAZING high note crack.

ROA.  Period.

The Michigan hand point in the ROA performance.

LIZA.

An appearance by John Stamos.  He's so pretty.

Greg Jbara. He's completely adorable.

Karen Olivo winning the freaking Tony.  AMAZING.

"Please welcome from the cast of Next to Normal, the cast of Next to Normal!"

Every appearance of Aaron Tveit.  BeYOND adorable.

Geoffrey Rush's acceptance speech.  Wonderful.

The In Memoriam.  Beautiful arrangement of "What I Did For Love"

Frank Langella being totally not bitter over not being nominated this year.

Billy Elliot's cool tap dancing, accented by awkward yelling

HAIR's performance...THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE, PEOPLE!!

And then winning revival right after - peace now, freedom now, equality now, justice forever.

DHP presenting Best Actress in a Musical. So funny!!! 

Being yelled at by Alice Ripley.

Audra being awkward.

NPH's fun closing number - "This show could not be gayer, if Liza was named mayor, and Elton John took flight!" LOL

And biggest shenanigan moment of the night:

Best Leading Actor in a Musical = Best Leading Male Role in a Musical.  

are you SERIOUS, Tony Committee? Did you REALLY just reward a ROLE, not a PERFORMANCE? If the Billys were ALL that good, they should have all been nominated separately, not together. End rant.

And I feel sorry for the poor sound guys who are CLEARLY going to be fired.  

TONYs 2010...in only T-365 days! :)

Inspiration

How many people can walk through a city and prove they were there? It's a sign I was here.  My hand made this mark.  I'm f*cking alive!

Great Tongue Twister

Grip Top Sock

 

Give me the gift of the grip top sock.

A drip drape, ship shape, tip top sock.

Not your spinslick, slap stick, slip slop stock;

But, a plastic elastic, grip top sock.

 

None of your fantastic slack swap slop

From a slap-dash, flash-cash, haberdash shop;

Not a knick knack, kit-lock,

Knock-kneed knickerboxers sock

With a mock-shot, blob-mottled tricktickertock clock;

 

Not a rucked-up, puckered-up flop-top sock;

Not a super-sheer, seersucker ruckasack sock;

Not a spot-speckeled, frog-freckled cheap sheik’s sock

Off a hodge-podge, moss potched, botched

scotch block

Nothing slip shod, drip drop, flip flop, or

glip glop,

Tip me to a tip top, grip top sock!

You can find that and other great tongue twisters HERE (great resource!!)