Meet the New Boss

Twelve hours, gentle readers. Today's tech rehearsal was twelve hours long. Okay, eleven, since we did get an hour for lunch. But we started at 8 in the morning and left rehearsal at 8 p.m. In between those hours, we unloaded a truck over a snowbank, set up the set, (which goes together in a wholly different way than the last one I used on the last tour, and the design is far less efficient) I went on a doughnut run and reloaded the van with all the crap we couldn't fit in it yesterday, sat around for two hours after everything finally got put together and set up waiting for Ted to finally get back from the wilds of Massachusetts where his other show was, ran through all our scene and costume changes until we were all ready to collapse, and reset everything for tomorrow, when we work through ever single story on stage with costumes. I really did feel bad for Ted. He's the type who will beat himself up at the drop of a hat if he does something that inconveniences anyone or puts anyone out, and he ended up getting to rehearsal around 4:30 or so, when he had estimated getting back at 2. And when he got in, he of course didn't have any real time to breathe or get his bearings because we needed to get through everything as quickly as we could. But he pulled through, and the whole thing took about 3 hours, which isn't too bad considering some of the costume changes people have to make in this show. The only truly annoying part of it was listening to Levitt snipe at her husband, who is Chamber's master electrician and Lighting designer. The two of them together is like listening to a shrewish and unfunny Nichols and May. All the bitter back and forth with none of the laugh lines. A simple conversation about going to the van to get something can turn into a near-shouting match in about three sentences. That really makes for a comfortable working environment. Wheeeee! I'll call Levitt's husband...Kato. Now, before I get a slew of comments (yeah, right) about how uncreative the name Kato is, since it's not a challenge to anyone reading this, let me say that while the name may not be that interesting, the reason behind my choice is. Just in case anyone doesn't know, Kato was the chauffeur and sidekick of the Green Hornet. There was a TV series about the Green Hornet in the 60's, and Kato was played by none other than Bruce Lee.Now, in case anyone is wondering, Kato (Levitt's husband) is about as far removed from Kato (Bruce Lee) as anyone could be and still be in the same species. The reason I chose the name is that Bruce Lee HATED playing Kato. he was constantly putting the role down and complaining that it was beneath him and his martial arts skills (and if you watch the "karate" Kato performed on the show, you have to agree with him) THAT is why Levitt's husband is named Kato. No-one I have ever seen bitches and complains about the work he has to do, and thinks more of himself in relation to the work than he does. He makes it very clear that he is far better than the work he is being required to do. Now, he may be correct, as Bruce Lee was. I don't know, I've never seen anything he's done except Chamber, and he's adequate at that. BUT, he has been with them for several year now, so you would think if the work was THAT beneath him, he would pass it by and move on. But of course he doesn't, because it pays very well. That's the type of thing that pisses me off. If you're so good and the job you're doing is so meager and petty, then quit, or leave when your contract is up. And if you're doing it just for the money, then fine We've all been there. But then at least be happy about the fact it does provide you with decent money and accept that that's where you are right now. Then, when you've made that money, move on. But if you're going to keep coming back to a job you think is so far beneath you, then you just look like a hypocrite whenever you bitch and moan. And it's not just Kato I'm talking about. I've done a log-running show in Chicago with a number of people who come back over and over to do the show even though all they ever do is bitch about the lack of quality in the show and the stupidity of the people running it. But they do it for the paycheck. And there's nothing wrong with that. But when you're constantly talking the job you keep coming back to down, then you look like an ass and a money-grubber. 

So I have heard interesting news today. Apparently, Illinois has a brand new governor. Yep, Rod Blagojevic has been impeached and removed from office for allegedly (though I guess it's not so allegedly anymore) trying to sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder. This is, I have learned (along with Governor-in-Exile Blagojevic) that such an action is illegal and frowned upon in the halls of government. Justice has been dispensed swiftly and the rot has been cut out of the State capitol, allowing us to move on and welcome with high hopes, his replacement, who will surely be a man of stellar character and integrity.

What a load of shit. You realize that Blagojevic's (Jesus, that's a pain of a name to type over and over--let's call him Al--as in Capone) predecessor was also removed for pretty much the same damn thing? And that Illinois has one of, if not he most corrupt state government in the union? I mean hell, New Jersey looks at us and asks if we could please clean up our act, because we're bringing down the class of the joint. It's ludicrous. Al didn't do anything generations of Illinois governors didn't do. And please, any state that has a Daley running its biggest city doesn't have any room to point fingers at a little Senate seat auction. Let us not forget, gentle readers, that Illinois has a horrific economy. Basically, the state is broke. Like seriously broke. A-large-man-named-Vinnie-keeps-calling-asking-when-you're-gonna-have-the-money-broke. I look at trying to sell a Senate seat as a creative, out-of-the-box solution to stimulating the economy. Sort of like using lottery earnings for education. It's like a church raffle, only for something somebody wants, and not your grandmother's cobbler (you know, the one you always break a tooth on?) And why shouldn't the Governor be allowed to sell the seat? I mean, it is his responsibility to appoint a replacement. Who are we to quibble with what criteria he uses? I mean, if we just threw it open to the people to vote for a replacement, it would just end up going to the person who spent the most money campaigning, right? So this way, all that money ends up in the state's coffers, and not the major media's. I say that's a win-win! And let's not forget, gentle readers, that a corrupt man surrounded by righteous men doesn't get anything done. Al is only able to be corrupt effectively if there are other corrupt men around him willing to play ball. So is Al the one to blame? Why are we singling him out? There are checks and balances in our government. If Al was soooo corrupt, where were the checks and balance? Easy--the rest of the state government were taking checks to increase the balances in their bank accounts. So let's not demonize Al. He's just doing what every leader of the great state of Illinois has been doing since....well, since Al's namesake actually DID run everything. And do we really think that his replacement isn't going to be just as corrupt? Or are we just hoping he'll be more discreet? See, i think is just a witch-hunt, driven by the desire to get Chicago the 2016 Olympics (An idea which is bad on every level, by the by.) I think Mayor Daley is behind the whole thing. Get a questionable guy out of office, show the Olympic Committee that Illinois is the place they want to be. See? Way more corrupt than Al, but more discreet. (That's gotta be the first time the Mayor of Chicago has ever been described as discreet.)

Well, I hope the replacement is everything everyone could hope for. And I hope that despite this, Chicago does NOT get the 2016 Olympics (no city who hosts the Olympic ever comes out ahead financially and did I mention the large man named Vinnie calling about that money?) And I hope that tomorrow's rehearsal is over before the news comes on.....