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December 26, 2011 -- Another Year Comes to a Close... The Seth Ledger Where did 2011 go? Seriously? I am in absolute shock that the year is over. It's been a whirlwind year, and I cannot believe how fast it went. But before we hit 2012, I thought it was important to recap the year and announce some exciting new things coming in 2012... YEAR IN REVIEW This year I: 1. With the help of collaborators, expanded Love Quirks into an Off-Broadway show that will be Off-Broadway in 2012... hopefully! 2. Put together the 3rd Annual Broadway Meows and Broadway Can! charity concerts and raised $$ while Broadway stars sang my songs! 3. Did 5 concerts of my work for the 150th Showcase, featuring almost 80 performers! 4. Produced, emceed and accompanied 44 showcases (including the 5 of my work)... a new record! 5. Moved into a fantastic new apartment, which has revolutionized my life! (Yay actual piano and washer/ dryer!) 6. Continued to make my entire living doing what I love, including the showcases, auditions and coachings! 7. Created, wrote and starred in season 2 of my hilarious web series, Every Day a Little Seth! 8. Started the scores of a few new projects! 9. Went to Shanghai for 2.5 weeks! (That was 2011?!) 10. Made new friends and connections, a few of whom have changed my life for the better! Well, when I type that up, I don't feel so bad about 2011 anymore. I would highly recommend all of you type up your own top 10 list for the year! RESOLUTIONS Looking at last year's resolutions, I feel like this year I need to be less lofty. Not that it was horrible to think that in 2011 I would have an HBO series and productions of my shows in every state, but I think that is a good segue into my largest resolution for 2012: 1. I NEED PATIENCE. Everything in life worth having takes time. The older I get, the more I realize this. I am going to figure out how to wait without driving myself crazy and have faith things will work out given time. 2. That said, I would really like to get Love Quirks Off-Broadway in 2012! 3. I would like to finish another show or 2... or 3 or 4? Okay, at least 1 by the end of 2012! 4. While I would love to start working on the HBO sitcom version of my web series, for 2012 I will settle on figuring out what I should do for season 3... any suggestions would be welcome... 5. The one resolution from last year (see the ledger page on my webpage for a refresher) I did keep was to read more. I am happy to keep up with that one, and I'll say it again: READ MORE! NEW and OLD PROJECTS Well, to recap... Love Quirks is ready to be Off-Broadway and has almost everything lined up for that, including a fantastic cast and a phenomenal cast recording that will go on sale as soon as we figure out when previews are starting. More to Love is also ready to be Off-Broadway, though it needs a producer. Stanley's Party is ready to be licensed, as soon as the publishers get me a contract, but hopefully in 2012, I can get start getting that out there more. (Did I mention everything takes time? Sigh.) I still don't want to announce 2 of my new projects, and I am in the process of getting a new collaborator for an older one... but there are those 3, as well, which are waiting on collaborations. And then... I have decided to do an evening of poetry - both by established poets and friends - and set them to music... so I'll do some Shakespeare, etc... if anyone has any favorite poems, or have written poems, please send them my way! The theme is love, heartbreak and hope. I think it'll be nice to not have to write any lyrics, first off, and not have to have a bookwriter, etc... when I have enough songs written, I can just put it up myself at Don't Tell Mama one evening... I think it'll be thrilling to write something artistically fulfilling (time willing)... regardless of the rhyme scheme, it will be nice to have something to focus on that isn't reliant on anyone else, though I do appreciate poems being sent! I will premiere a few of those songs in the 200th Showcase Spectacular this spring! Oh yes... I will do another 5 or so concerts of my songs, as we hit the 200th !?!?! showcase I've done at Don't Tell Mama... 200!? That's a lot. 20-20 in 2012 On Thursday, assuming my Wednesday consultation goes well, I will be getting Lasik Eye Surgery! So I will really be able to SEE in the new year! I am very excited, and everyone I know who has gotten it done has said it has greatly improved their lives. I am a little terrified of them putting lasers in my eyes, but I am told it only takes a few minutes. And I will probably get some audio books out from the library to have something to listen to while I'm blind for a night, but by Friday, I should be shipshape! I cannot imagine waking up in the middle of the night and being able to read the clock without squinting... Amazing! 2012 VACATIONS I have begun planning some trips for 2012. No China, but hopefully some Europe... Well first, I have my annual trip to Boston for the MIT Mystery Hunt in January. I am also going to spend a day in Philly at my sister's for my father's birthday. I will be spending a weekend in February in Baltimore. And then I think this summer I will go visit Tango in Copenhagen where she lives with her new husband... and then I figure since I'll already be in Europe, perhaps I should stop by Athens to visit my friend, Niki! So that will be my big trip for 2012... SMEE'S 5TH BIRTHDAY That's right - my little kitty turned 5 this year! Can you believe it? They grow up so fast! It seems like only yesterday I got Smee at the shelter. Anyway, I threw him a birthday party (and won Apples to Apples!) and he got some great gifts - a squeaky skunk, though by the end of the night he had succeeded in extracting the squeaker from the toy... a little bird with feathers, and a ball with a bell that he has since hidden somewhere. Smee just said "MEOW" to all of you. He is lounging right by my desk, probably hoping I will give him some more food. His life basically centers around when I feed him. But regardless, he is still loving the new apartment, and all the places he can climb and jump, and the space he has for running around. MIRACLE BENEFIT As I mentioned in my last ledger, I musically directed a benefit concert of Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical for Theatrical Gems 2 weeks ago. It was SO MUCH FUN! I had forgotten how much fun it was to musically direct a show I hadn't written, and in 2012, I might start seeking out more gigs MDing established shows again now that I have the time to do so. We raised a few thousand dollars, and had a great time putting together this esoteric, eccentric show, and I hope to do more benefits like this in the future. BOOKS I finally finished Games of Thrones, Book 1. I have Book 2 that I will be starting soon, but I took a break to read the Hunger Games Trilogy. It is FANTASTIC, and pretty popular given how many people on my facebook newsfeed have been mentioning reading it. And there's also the movie coming out, so it'll be nice to have something to see midnight showings of again. I am a third into the final book of the trilogy, and then when I'm done, I'm going to read "Look I Made a Hat" - the 2nd part of Stephen Sondheim's lyric collection and commentary. Then... it's back to Book 2 of Game of Thrones! MOVIES I actually have seen a lot of movies in the last few weeks, including 4 yesterday... here they are: Puss In Boots - cute spinoff of the Shrek series Harold & Kumar - actually really funny use of 3D In Time - pretty cliche, but entertaning nonetheless The Muppets - the new Muppet movie is WONDERFUL - go SEE it! We went to the midnight showing, and it was so much fun! The Descendants - I didn't like this movie as much as the critics did - it was kind of depressing. My Week with Marilyn - this movie was great - I think Michelle Williams will probably win an oscar... Hugo - really enjoyed Hugo! A feel good movie! Tintin - also enjoyed Tintin - it was kind of an animated Indiana Jones type... Young Adult - liked this movie a lot - I like Diablo Cody's writing. Sherlock Holmes 2 - I didn't like the first one either - I just don't like the tone of these Sherlock movies - I prefer the old books! The Sitter - amusing in parts, but typical fare for this type of movie... TV I met the mother from Castle at my annual Christmas Eve gig leading carols and Berlin songs at Irving Berlin's house. So random that she decided to come this year, but she was so nice! Basically, I'm watching the same shows I always watch, so read the last ledger for the list... Dexter was particularly good this season, and as always, Modern Family has been hilarious. I have saved on my DVR the entire seasons of Homeland, Enlightened, Grimm and we just started Once Upon a Time, which has been enjoyable so far. I hear mixed things about Grimm, but Homeland and Enlightened are supposed to be great... Other than that my newest show is American Horror Story, which is a little scary and creepy, but is quite fun to watch... A brief mention for Bored to Death which just got canceled. While season 3 wasn't as good as the first 2, it still was a fun show, and I am sad to see it go... though, it opens up a slot on HBO for my series... THEATRE The fall season has been pretty good... here's what I've seen so far: Milk and Honey - a reading of this obscure Jerry Herman musical - so fun! Broadway Originals - 6th year of seeing Broadway originals reprise their songs. Sons of the Prophet - play off-bway that was funny in parts Blue Flower - really interesting, ambitious musical about an artist with intellectual music and illustrations Relatively Speaking - 3 act play, one by Woody Allen, who I had met a few months ago... Audra McDonald at Carnegie Hall - Audra is just unreal. Such a perfect concert in every way. Judy Garland/ Dance Tribute at Town Hall - interesting evening discussing old movies and movie stars. Tomfoolery - fun revue of Tom Lehrer songs! Venus in Fur - great play that just got extended on Broadway... really great acting, too. Broadway Unplugged - 6th or so annual concert at town hall w/o microphones... Wild Animals You Should Know - play off-Broadway... An Evening with Patti & Mandy - what a fun night with the kooky Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin! Stick Fly - ambitious play on Broadway... a little long, but the guy from Psych/ West Wing was in it, and I like him! (Dulé Hill) Queen of the Mist - wonderful new musical by Michael John LaChuisa starring the incomparable Mary Testa - just wonderful. She Loves Me Benefit - got to see this star-studded benefit of one of the greatest musicals ever written w/ Kelli O'Hara, Josh Radnor (from How I Met Your Mother) and Jane Krakowski... HAPPY NEW YEAR! Well, that's about it. Another year is over, but that means another year begins. A fresh start for everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. My family made latkas together this year, and they came out great. I am sorry I can't send them via email, but this picture will have to do. Be well, and please keep in touch in 2012! Always, Seth |
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