Droppin' it like it's HOT for Hillary

I love her. I do. When she speaks, I srsly get goosebumps. I find myself smiling, feeling proud of her, of us, of the country...I don't know her personally, but I believe I believe I believe...just like the eleven -year-old boy who sold his bike and video games to contribute to her campaign! Amazing!

Clinton/Obama '08...Obama/Rachel Maddow '16 :)

"America is worth fighting for!" - Hill-Rod

Also, Here is another VLOG...featuring me, Riese, A;ex, the voice of Cait, and Tinkerbell:

Dangerously Close to One Another

My hair is lighter and my skin is darker. The goal is for my entire being to mesh into one golden color by the end of the summer. I find myself studying highlights - of hair and of lives...because no one has just one life. I'm not talking about reincarnation, in the morbid/spiritual sense. I mean the lives we end and new ones we start, oh the places you'll (hopefully/maybe never/God I want to) go.

I got excited when I realized that every day I drive by "the bar that faces the giant carwash," and because I don't sleep too much, I, like Sheryl Crow, generally see the tail end the sun comin' up over Santa Monica Boulevard.

New places, people, saying goodbye to old lives and old places and parts of people who you thought you knew, but, as it turns out...you're just asking yourself how well do we ever know anyone? Hello, hello, nice to meet you! (As you listen to your itunes on your macbook, probs imogen heap or t&s or simon and garfunkel, or for me, recently, lots of Cyndi Lauper and the new Madonna CD...lying in your fabulous apartment and living your smokin' hot life) Is anyone really honest with us? Are we ever entirely honest with ourselves?

I'm not meaning to be emo...I actually really am not. In fact, my optimism, my sheer smiling hope and recent utter belief that every little thing is gonna be alright, is kind of odd, seeing as how, well, so many things aren't...tens of thousands dead? A war without specific purpose? Hillary is still not the nominee? Really, Papi, really? It's just that a lot of things happen, and don't happen, and this is a strange place now. Here, in time and space, in politics, entertainment, and my God, in-sanity.

Most of the time people do, in actual fact, tell you exactly who they are. You just have to pay attention, and ironically, be honest with yourself. (Someone said that, better than me, but I can't find it on google...remember when we had to write essays and we couldn't use internet footnotes?) For real, though, you think, why do people lie, really...like in a movie when one of the two people is lying (they work for the newspaper who is doing a story on the other person, or something like that) and then they start to realize they really like the subject of their article, and you, the audience, are screaming, "TELL THE TRUTH! TELL HER WHO YOU ARE!" And of course they don't tell, directly, until it's almost too late, fifteen minutes or so before the end.

There is so much drama-mine that can be avoided by being direct.

I think that's maybe why I like directors so much...when they know what they're doing. (Who am I kidding...I think thats why I like directing so much.)

This is a ramble, but whatevs. Do with it what you will.

I got a feeling I'm not the only one...

Welcome everybody to the Wild, Wild West

Surprise visit from Riese...

L.A. Woman

I have been neglectful, mostly because I've been in the car...I saw a lot of things, like sorority girls, cowboys, the Clinton Library, the Vegas Strip, and the Grand Canyon. Mostly, I talked to my Dad a lot. Which actually was the best part.

I promise I'll be better...and for those of you new to this, welcome to my website! I'm meeting all sorts of new and ridiculous people in LALA land, and sending them here. So...HEY, SUGAR! Or, I guess I'm all Cali now, so, um, hey Stevia?

Are you a lucky little lady in the city of light
Or just another lost angel...

xoxo
Malibu Midge

Jamaican me Crazy

Here we are, Susan Powter and Haviland Stillwell, doing those things we do...in this installment, we discuss Catholic School vs. Paideia, movements, Susan's lovely waist, mysterious red things, Susan's son, the rocking on the boat, and the meaning of "Jamaican."

Tomorrow I'm driving across the USA, from Savannah, GA to Los Angeles, CA! Whee!

Also, how about this dude who is having a baby? I love challenging social and biological norms!

Flirting with Stopping the Insanity

Vlog #1 with Susan Powter, from our adventures last week on the Rosie Cruise, wherein we discuss singing, escuela, Chaka Khan, botox, and flourescent. What makes the two of us so Jamaican? What makes anything Jamaican? Stay tuned for all the answers to these questions and more...

Love Will Keep Us Together

On the last day of the Rosie Cruise, everyone trudges around, partly hungover and partly depressed, not wanting it to end! When you’re on this boat for a week, by about day four, it becomes the norm, and you start to assume you’ll always be in Utopia, with the same people and the same organic atmosphere (I know, this is an oxymoron being on a cruise ship).

The penultimate evening was “Heroes” night. The kids (and some enthusiastic adults) dressed up in a multitude of best costumes for the day, including all the superheroes, firefighters, and random pop icons. Gregg and Kelli, in gorgeous threads designed by Tony Award Nominee Bobby Pearce, were Mighty Mouse and Wonder Woman. They are always inspiring, the two of them, like the coolest camp councelors you’ve ever met.

I wore my own clothes and said I was Claire Bennet, Hayden Panettiere’s character on the series, “Heroes.” I could be an indestructible high school cheerleader, right?

That night in the theatre, Colin Sheehan hosted “Kids Broadway Belters,” which began on last summer’s cruise, and included me singing, “part of your world.” This year was even bigger and better, opening with “Circle of Life” from THE LION KING.

Jimmy Smagula donned a chef’s hat and performed “Le Poisson” from THE LITTLE MERMAID, followed by Shoshana Bean’s rendition of “Part of your World.”

Other shows represented were PETER PAN, TARZAN, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Original cast members from SEUSSICAL, Kevin Chamberlain and Andrew Keenan-Bolger reprised their duet “Alone in the Universe.” (yes, Andrew can still hit those notes! Very cool to hang out with him, after knowing what a sweetheart his sister is. What a family, those K-Bs!)

Kate Pazakis sang “Colors of the Wind,” the song Judy Kuhn made famous in Disney’s POCOHONTAS. Gavin Creel sang a sweet, “Rainbow Connection,” and the show closed with a very upbeat song from HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. The Belters show has generally been the passenger favorite, because what other cruise ship boasts true Broadway stars? The first year I was on board I performed right before Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis sang, “Wheels of a Dream,” from RAGTIME, and then I saw them later in the Dining Hall. (well, it’s not called the Dining Hall, but it reminds me of college-the informality of it all.)

It’s just really cool, actually. I can’t imagine a more fun vacay for anyone – especially someone who loves musical theatre, sunshine, chill people, and the freedom to just BE. It would have been amazing had these cruises existed when I was a kid. Seriously, everyone just go! You’ll love it!

After the kids were tucked away to bed, Jessica Kirson performed her very funny stand-up to a packed house, then we all hit the piano bar to hear Gavin sing, and then to the “northern lights” disco to dance the night away. Really, you have to power up to go on this trip, because you go pretty much non-stop. You really want to meet everyone, to hear everyone’s story.

Craig Ramsay said to me, “Everyone on board is documentary-worthy.” The struggles that most people have had to go through, the challenges…well, it just makes you really grateful that r Family exists. They really are pioneers. I always wish the most conservative Republicans could experience the beauty of this vacation – the love and light and sheer normalcy of parents who love each other and their children. It’s remarkable to see how very ordinary the families are, even in such individually extraordinary circumstances.

For the final show, Seth Rudetsky hosted and played a fantastic 70s themed concert. The afros were flying, Gavin Creel was wearing hot pants and tube socks, and most of the girls had some form of lamay on their persons, which, obviously, I love. (see the pics of me on my website for evidence of my love for metallic)

Jimmy Smagula opened with “Love will keep us Together,” with that hot bassline that gets everyone going, so to speak. What is it about 70s pop music that makes everyone smile, even those of us who weren’t alive then?

Other fabulous songs from the night included “I Will Survive,” “Enough is Enough,” and a soulful version of Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good,” sung by Julia Murney. (Go see her in Playwrights Horizon’s upcoming musical, SAVED! I saw the workshop and it’s a must-see, for reals!)

After the last shows, everyone ran around, frantically saying their goodbyes and packing, trying to make it to the piano bar and disco for their final hurrahs. Cortney Wolfson, Dani Spieler, Andrew Keenan-Bolger and I sang in the piano bar. Cortney, who I worked with in LES MIS, jokingly dedicated “On My Own” to me.

On my way to the Northern Lights, as I was waiting for the elevator, I struck up a convo with an adorable older (hetero!) couple. I assumed they were grandparents with gay children on board.

“Tell her what today is, sweetheart,” the man said to his wife.

“He’s making me tell everyone! It’s our anniversary – 55 years!” I smiled, congratulating them, and asked, “Are you on board with your children?”

“No. We have four kids, and many grandchildren, but it’s just the two of us…” I’m sure I looked perplexed, wondering why a straight couple on their 55th wedding anniversary would choose to go on a gay family cruise.

The woman answered my look with, “We are here to support. We love Rosie, and love what she does. It’s important to support.”

And there you go, kiddos. That’s the Rosie Cruise. It’s important, fresh - extraordinary in it’s ordinary. I hope to see you there this summer!