I'm A Rabbit (Aug.11)

i don't even no where to start. i feel like in the past two months there has been so much to discuss, and yet i continue to be completely unmotivated to do another blog. i have no reason to be unmotivated; all of you that email me or call me or talk to me at the stage door are super nice about it and give me such nice feedback...

...maybe it's the freaking heat.

let's talk about that:

it's summertime in New York City. now, i want to make it clear i enjoy the summer. i really don't like snow and the summertime reminds me of when i went to camp and it's great for soft serve ice cream and playing softball.

but NYC's summertime blows. it's 96 degrees with 320% humidity and all the garbage on the street cooks under the heat so everything smells. and though i have a short 10 minute walk to the theatre, by the time i get there, i am absolutely disgusting and sweaty and just want to turn around and sit in my air conditioned apartment.

speaking of summer softball...

well last time i blogged, i started talking about the Broadway Softball League. i'm not going to lie...it's been pretty sad. in our ten game regular season, we were 2-8. and honestly, there were at least four games where we lost by one or two runs and we really should have won (damn you Grease!) but all in all, it doesn't matter because everyone gets to go into finals for double elimination...

...and we're halfway there. a few week ago we lost to Blue Man Group 10-0. i want to say that i will blame that on the sole fact that i could not be there to play second base because i was at stupid-rehearsal-for-jerks that day. but then again, it was also 94 degrees that day so maybe it's better i wasn't there.

the week after that, we were scheduled to play Altar Boyz but due to scheduling, they had to forfeit (thereby eliminating them completely from the playoffs).

last week though was amazing. we played New World Stages and...WON...in extra innings by one run. it really was a pretty intense game (for Broadway softball) and to win with a 2-out rally was even better than winning by a landslide.

this Thursday is going to be a tough one. we play Little Mermaid at 11:30 ("squish the fish") and should we win, we immediately go into a double-header against South Pacific. so all i can say is that if any of you wanted to show support for our team, this Thursday would be the day to do it...

...i mean, Toby is there every week and he loves sitting in people's laps.













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so i have been enjoying some really cool special appearances lately in the Jersey Boys world. you see, as an understudy for three of the four seasons, many times if Christian or Bobby are busy and can't do a special appearance, our press rep contacts me to take their place. a few of the things i've done (honestly) are kind of lame...doing a medley of the songs for random people that i don't quite understand why we have been invited to sing. okay, not "lame" but kind of strange that we are there.

HOWEVER, i want to talk about two events in the past month that have been great.

the first was the 2008 Friars Foundation Gala honoring Frankie Valli. It was hosted at Cipriani in NYC - which i have never been to - and other people who performed were legends like Steve Tyrell, Julie Budd, Norm Crosby, Tony Orlando and Joe Piscopo. oh, and yes, i hung out with Joe Piscapo for almost three hours in our shared green room and he was about the nicest guy i have ever met.

but we got to end the night with a medley of songs and Frankie was right there watching us and cheering us on. it was such a thrill and honor doing some songs for the man who has essentially changed my life in the past 18 months and how cool to get to perform last in the evening to close everything out.










the other event that we did, which was also probably one of the highlights of my professional career as a performer, was singing the National Anthem at Yankee Stadium for the 2008 MLB All Star Derby.

i don't know what was the most exciting part; it might have been getting to the stadium early that morning and stepping on that dirt for the first time and doing sound check right in the middle of the field before the place filled up. it might have been getting there later that night and hearing the crowd already roaring with anticipation. it might have been meeting Derek Jeter and having him sign my program and take pics with some of is. it might have been sitting at the Derby and watching history being made as Josh Hamilton crushed 28 home runs in the first round. but i would say it was hearing the crowd go ape-shit for us as we held out that note at the end of "the land of the freeeeeeeeeeee".

in any event, i will never forget the feeling of doing this event and being able to watch the game afterward. i just wish i could have had my dad fly in and taken the show off on Tuesday to go to the All Star game with him at legendary Yankee Stadium before they tear it down.

and for those of you that would like to hear it - here's a YouTube version of it (if you listen, you can hear Dominic Nolfi and i on the high notes in "and the rockets' red glare").



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so some other changes have been taking place in the show: first off, as of now you all know that Donnie Kehr has left the show to be in Billy Elliott (leave one big smash to start another smash hit) and my buddy Miles Aubrey has taken over the reigns in the Norm track.

i cannot tell you all how happy i am that Miles is in the NYC company. forget the fact that he is great in the show and truly one of the best guitarist i have EVER met. forget the fact that for almost 18 months, he was on the road without his lovely wife, Erica, with him - i don't know how people can do that - especially during their first full year of marriage!?!? but i am thrilled he is in the NYC cast because the entire time i was on the road, Miles and i were either sharing a dressing room or stationed right next to each other. he and i became fast friends and never lost touch after i left the tour for the Broadway cast and having him around is a real treat for me. only thing that sucks is that he and i don't share a dressing room anymore and now i have to walk a good seven feet to go hang out with him.

i also would love to take a quick moment to officially welcome our new female swing, Katie O'Toole to the cast. she is a sweetheart and has already gone on as Lorraine and Mary and we are so thrilled to have her in the family.

and with Miles coming in and Donnie moving out - what happens with the cover/understudy situation...?

well my friends, Friday, July 18 was my final performance as the understudy for Nick Massi. i have been moved out of that cover spot and Miles takes it over (he can sing the bass notes a lot easier than i can!) and I move over to cover Bob Crewe! all i can say is i am ready for the opportunity to do the role and i have been told (though things can change anytime) that next time Peter calls out sick or is swung out to note the show, that i will be on to make my Broadway debut as Bob Crewe.

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some other fun things going on in the world of Eric...

i have been cast in a animated series!!!!!!

it's actually a great story: Rebecca Kupka, our vacation swing, came up to me a few months ago and asked if i did voiceover work. i told her that i had always wanted to break into it considering i talk in weird voices all day anyway and i would love to get paid for it. she mentioned that she auditioned for this new series and they were having trouble casting the two leads and she was going to give my number to her agent.

sure enough, the next day her agent calls me and tells me she might have an audition for me. i tell her to keep in touch with me and let me know but not to make it too late because it's already close to noon and i have a matinee to do that day. 20 minutes later she calls me and i have to fly over to 45th and 6th to Big Yellow Duck studios for this audition.

now please understand...though i have done lots of studio work in my life with the bands i played in, i have NEVER auditioned for a voice over gig and though i do consider myself very good at cold readings (that means that you get the script walking into the audition, not before to prepare), but i was soooooo pressed for time when i walked into the audition and i was just trying to concentrate on not rushing let alone getting all the words out without stumbling.

in any event, a few days later, after never auditioning for voiceovers before and never even meeting this agent face to face - i booked the gig!

it's a really cool series called "International Hareport" and essentially it's about the show's main characters, Fred and Ned, two rabbits who decide to build an international airport on their own garden after discovering that all animals can finally fly. I have no idea what network (if any) it will premier on, but all i know is that we are going to tape all 26 episodes and then see what happens from there.

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a few other things happening in the coming weeks or months:

i am going on as Bob Gaudio while Sebastian is on vacation from Sept.16-21. i am thrilled to have a full week of shows and hope that a few of you might come check it out. i have tons of family and friends flying in from Michigan to check it out that week and i am so honored to have all of their support. even Bubi Goldie is flying in on Saturday morning with Sarah's dad and (new!) stepmom, Cheri, to see the matinee and then turn right around and fly back home that night! i am also scheduled to go on as Tommy on Sept.12 while Christian takes a personal day and Dominic is on vacation. this can totally change, but i think it's pretty much locked in. i really hope so because i haven't played Tommy in forever and i love what i do with my hair in that role.

my brother, Brian and his fiance, Allison are moving to NYC this Thursday. it's kind of freaking me out because here's my baby brother...all the sudden moving to the fastest city in the world. he is going to be going to law school and she is going to grad school and less than two weeks after they move here, we are all flying back to Michigan for their wedding. i'm very excited for him and just hope that the stress of a big move, being in a city he is not familiar with and starting freaking law school doesn't mess with the excitement of their big day.

Toby the Dog's third birthday is coming up on September 3. he's pretty excited because Chris and Jenna will be back from St. Louis which means he gets to play with Fender again (who he misses incredibly).










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one other thing to report. we've been keeping it under wraps for awhile now and it's also one of the biggest reasons i have not been blogging lately. just wanted to share a picture with everyone:










Sarah is 17 weeks pregnant...