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Walked the entire length of Broadway yesterday. From the Bronx to Bowling Green, I passed every block. Today, I am sore and sunburnt.

Interestingly, this means I’ve walked the longest road in 3 of the 5 boroughs: Northern Blvd. in Queens, Bedford Ave. in Brooklyn, and now Broadway in Manhattan.

Hear ye! Hear ye!

The PIT Musical Improv Team previously known as “Frogmen” shall henceforth be known as “The East Side Orphan Riot!” Please update your records, address books, bills of sale, and blacklists.

In celebration of this event, I have written a song. You can sing it to the tune of whatever you like, but wrote it to the tune of the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies’ “Zoot Suit Riot.”

Orphan Riot (Riot!)
Dancin’ in our raggedy clothes.
Orphan Riot (Riot!)
Watch our made-up musical shows!

Sometimes I worry if my son has the same crippling self-esteem issues that I do. Other times… not so much.

I can absolutely, positively tell you how not to deal with it: Do NOT quit improv entirely for over ten years. A healing period is required, sure, but keep that horse close for when you want to get back on it again. Otherwise, you might find yourself back in the barn, ten years older, knowing you’d love to ride but having to completely relearn how…

improv-is-easy:

Hey Mike,

Thanks for asking such an honest and vulnerable question. I don’t know if this comes from personal experience, but if so, I’m sorry. I’ll try and answer just as honestly.

I’ve never had to break up with a theater, but I have had experiences of “creative has nothing for you” (a wrestling term that means you’re getting fired)… and those experiences have lasted for years.

Literally. Years.

It’s happened to me, it’s happened to you (maybe), it’ll happen to a bunch of people reading this post, and even more will never even have the opportunity to get “fired” in the first place.

It sucks, but rejection is a natural and inevitable part of the wringer that is this community and this industry.

So, how have I dealt with it?

I had to assume that it wasn’t anything personal. It’s usually just a difference of opinion (you wanna stay, they wanna replace you). In the unlikely case it IS personal, then you know to steer clear from someone who’s got it in for you. That’s valuable, if costly, knowledge.

I allowed myself to get hurt and mad and indignant. It’s OK to have those feelings, but I didn’t channel them in a destructive manner.

I talked to the AD. In person. And it was a great conversation. Communication is vital. Seriously.

I took a li’l break, rather than feel a rush to get back into the swing of things and prove myself as competent and funny and lovable.

I realized that management changes. Tastes change, too. What’s “in” today might be “out” tomorrow, and vice versa. Also, players grow and change, too. Everything changes.

I realized that it isn’t an institution’s acceptance that determines my success. They are but one road of many.

I decided to work with people who had my back, instead of people who didn’t. And that’s made all the difference in the world.

This past weekend, I was at a birthday picnic in Hoboken with many of my very best friends in the world that I don’t get to see as often as I’d like. Most of them are not improv people. To my surprise a few of them asked me, “Are you still doing that improv thing?”

Self-promotion: I fail it.

So, I guess it’s time to be a little more shameless.

To answer the question: Yes, people who love me but aren’t improv people: I am still doing that improv thing. In fact, I’m doing it TONIGHT! At 9:00 PM in the PIT Underground my team, 1-800-LONDON (and our good friends Haberdasher), will perform a completely made-up-on-the-spot show for your mirth and merriment. It’s absolutely free, and absolutely funny!

Please come, won’t you? Or, if you can’t come (and that’s completely understandable if you can’t) won’t you please acknowledge that I’m doing the improv thing next time you see me? It’s a balm to my self-esteem, which is so fragile that it makes Laura Wingfield from the Glass Menagerie look like R. Lee Ermey.

When did Matt Love become a male fashion model?

Awesomeness that you can participate in! How cool is that?

lorrainecink:

TONIGHT May 10th (Thu) 6:00 FREE

Welcome to pitch, The PIT’s musical-improv mixer! Join hosts Lorraine Cink, Oscar Montoya and Ryan Dunkin of 10 Pound Ally as they help first-time musical improvisers rock out with members of The PIT’s musical house teams.

STOMP into scenes, TICK TICK BOOM with a trio or GREASE into a dazzling group number! pitch is the perfect place to give musical improv a try or to sharpen your show-stopping skills.

Sign-up starts at 5:30PM and warm-up for participants is at 5:50PM.

Let’s make sweet sweet music together!

Tonight featuring the talents of: Jeff Scherer (Hot Diner), Geoff Grimwood (Them), Megan Maes (Frogmen), Amy Albert (Harvey), Chris Grace (hello)

Another open musical improv jam! How cool is that! And I get to be a part of it, not as a random participant, but on May 17th, I will be one of the musical house team players guiding you along your journey down the Musical Improv River to the Sea of Voices Making Stuff Up in Perfect Chorus.

Reblog this for a chance at free tickets! (Although, PIT, don’t pick me. I don’t need free tickets. I’m in the show. :) )

thepit-nyc:

WELCOME to pitch, The PIT’s musical-improv mixer! Join hosts Lorraine Cink, Oscar Montoya and Ryan Dunkin of 10 Pound Ally as they help first-time musical improvisers rock out with members of The PIT’s musical house teams. Then stay for Hot Diner and THEM @ 7PM and Frogmen and Harvey @ 8PM!

FIVE REBLOGS WILL BE CHOSEN AT RANDOM TO WIN FREE TICKETS TO BOTH MUSICAL IMPROV SHOWS TOMORROW NIGHT!

THIS IS NOT TRUE! THIS IS A HOAX! STOP SPREADING IT!

http://www.snopes.com/politics/romney/money.asp

chrisreblogs:

Stop making it so easy!

awidesetvagina:

“Romney’s family misspell their last name in the greatest Freudian slip in history.”

Hey, Ma! I’m a Frogman!

Hey, folks! Do you enjoy seeing me perform made-up one-act plays every week, but wish those one-act plays had more singing in them? Well then, starting this Thursday, you’re in luck.

This Thursday at 8:00 PM, (and every Thursday at 8:00 PM thereafter), I join the musical improv team Frogmen at the PIT. Watch us make up an entire one-act musical based only upon a single suggestion.

See you there! It’s $5 to see us and another amazing team, “Harvey.” Hit me up if you need tickets. ’Cause I gots connections.