Ode to Sunshine

I noticed that this blog has been seriously lacking in music recommendations lately so I thought I'd take a stab at that again.

I'm currently obsessed with a couple of albums. The first comes from Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova of 'Once' fame. The name of their collaboration has always been known as 'The Swell Season.’ They have released a new album called 'Strict Joy.'

I love this collaboration so much. I fell in love with Glen's guttural and emotional voice when I first discovered him through his band, 'The Frames.' The new album is a success in my eyes. It moves in a very different way than their previous work on the 'Once' soundtrack. It’s a much lighter track list this time around and perhaps lacks a bit of the power of their past songs. I am, however, hooked. I love their voices together and admire the lyrics and messages of their new material. Despite the overall theme of ‘joy’ on the album, there are haunting and profound moments within the music. It is folk/rock at it's finest. These two artists are brilliant songwriters and I'm excited to see them continue to do more together.

The second album came as a bit of a surprise for me. I actually discovered it through watching Gossip Girl. Jenny began to toss her clothes furiously around the room. Suddenly, this great voice and unique beat began to underscore the commotion. Blake Daniel was watching the show with me and I started going on about how much I loved the song. We waited for the credits and I immediately looked up the band on iTunes. I had the album within minutes. (I seriously cannot believe how convenient things have gotten.)

The band is Delta Spirit and the album is called 'Ode to Sunshine.' I adore this album and adore this band. The song that caught my ear is perhaps their most popular. It’s called 'People C'mon.' It's a fantastic, foot stomping anthem that is so ridiculously catchy; I haven't been able to stop listening to it. The rest of the album is filled with great indie rock tunes, including a really beautiful ballad called 'People, Turn Around.' Okay…their titles could use a little work…but I'm in love with their sound. It's a unique blend of rock, country, and folk that has some really gorgeous arrangements. The lead singer sort of sounds like Rufus Wainwright gone rocker...if that's even possible. Occasionally I feel like the album leans a bit into 'The Shins' vibe. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but I do feel like too many bands are trying to emulate that sound. That being said, it's a catchy and inspired album. If you enjoy indie rock music (which would be about every Spring Awakening fan that reads this blog), this band is right up your alley.

This week I started rehearsals for the reading of Carrie. The people involved with the reading are spectacular. Sutton Foster is everyone’s hero and I’m no exception. It’s been a pleasure watching her work. On top of that, I’m so happy to be working with Jenn Damiano again. I still cannot believe how far she has come since we met working on Spring Awakening together. She’s also gorgeous! I mean, come on!

The whole experience has been very enjoyable. The writers are extremely passionate about their material and are striving to make it work. Stafford Arima is a fantastic director. I loved working with him this past summer on the reading of ‘Bare’ and I’m so thrilled to be working with him now. He’s such a smart director and communicates his vision so clearly.

Bye Bye Birdie continues to be a blast. Now that we are deep into the run, the backstage antics are growing and the onstage chemistry is developing even more. It feels tighter and more alive now than it did a month ago. It’s a great gig to go to every night.

I’m staying busy this winter and will have another workshop ahead of me as we get into December. I should also have another family member (dog) shortly!

Incase you missed it. You can see a video of the Kerrigan and Lowdermilk I performed this past Monday here. It’s called Last Week’s Alcohol and it’s an incredible song. I love these two writers SO much and had an amazing time that night.

Opening and more

With my schedule and constant Twitter updates I feel like this blog is starting to get neglected. So, I apologize about that. I love this thing and can't believe that it's been around since July 2006.

Things have been pretty non-stop lately. This past Thursday was the opening of Bye Bye Birdie. After 5 weeks of previews it was a relief to finally open the show.

Openings are exciting and it was a bit of a surreal experience for me. Despite having spent 2 years in the company of Spring Awakening, I wasn't with them yet on their opening night. This was my first Broadway opening! So many people that I look up to and respect were there Thursday evening. It's really thrilling to see a crowd of brilliantly creative minds come together to support each other. I'm humbled and grateful to be a part of this wonderful community. Standing next to Charles Strouse in the press line, seeing Michael Mayer (Director of Spring Awakening) in the audience, having my family and loved ones there, watching some of my cast mates make their Broadway Debuts, and so many other wonderful reasons like these made last Thursday a night to remember.

I won't pretend that the reviews didn't happen :) and obviously we all hoped for better press, but it really wasn't something that concerned anyone too much. I'm being completely honest when I say that I love my job and am excited to come to work every day. There is a wonderful energy in our theatre. In this crazy time we are all thrilled to have work and the opportunity to play every night. The audience has a blast and the show is one of Roundabout's best sellers of all time, which doesn't seem to be changing in any way. We have already extended to April.

This past Monday I was involved with the NAMT festival. The festival showcases new songs and musicals by up and coming composers and writers. Some really wonderful projects have come out of the festival. A childhood friend of mine, Drew Gasparini, was selected to showcase his song. Drew asked me to sing the song. I couldn't have been happier to help him out. Drew and I were double cast in community theatre shows and took all sorts of dance classes together growing up. It was really cool to cross paths again now that we're at completely different points in our lives. I think there are really big things in store for him. His musical, Crazy Just Like Me is great. The response to his song was extremely positive. We'll be hearing a lot from Drew.

On Monday, my first Gossip Girl episode of the season airs. I have a couple scenes this time and there may be some Halloween egging involved. Interestingly enough, a lot of my clips have ended up in the promotional spots for the episode, which is really exciting for me. I have had such a wonderful time on that set. It's a fantastic group of people. I hope to return soon. You can catch one of my scenes from Monday's episode here.

Recently, the wonderful Jenny Anderson did a photo shoot of me for Broadway.com. She shoots really beautiful photos and is also one of the nicest people on the planet. You can check out "Day in The Life of Matt Doyle" here.

Also! Last monday I sang at Will Van Dykes concert. The music is wonderful and the show was quite a success! You can see videos of the concert on youtube. Thank to Liz for those!

I'm looking forward to a pretty busy winter. I'm doing a few readings that I'm excited about (including one for a rather infamous musical…really looking forward to that one) and have some other possibilities in the works. Regardless, I'm happy about what is happening every night for me right now. I just hope to continue to explore and grow with all of the people around me that I admire so much.

More to come :) Stay warm...it feels like we're skipping Fall this year!

Staying Busy

I enjoy staying busy because it’s nice to feel like I’m accomplishing as much as I possibly can…If I were plowed over by a truck tomorrow, I want to feel like I lived my life to the fullest…as morbid as that sounds. (looking for wood to knock on…surrounded by plastic counters)

So I'm usually happy if I say I'm busy, and lately I've been super busy! I will be appearing in episode 7 and 9 on this season of Gossip Girl and will hopefully continue to return for more. I love the show and I am thrilled to be a part of it in any way. It's been nice to see Jonathan's character expand a bit, too. I've been able to work on both Bye Bye Birdie and Gossip Girl rather seamlessly for the past two weeks, shooting on the day that Birdie is dark.

Bye Bye Birdie continues to take up most of my time and I’m having a blast. It’s nice to play a role that puts a smile on my face every night. I love working on such a bold character. It's been really wonderful to explore the mind of this outrageously neurotic and rather insecure teenager…Especially since I was one not too long ago.

A really great part about the experience has been getting to know the teen ensemble members. They are all very young. Some of them are completely new to the scene and some have several Broadway shows under their belts already. What's truly wonderful is that all of these kids are incredibly kind, down-to-earth, and supportive individuals. They are completely in love with what they are doing and excited to get out there every night. It's really refreshing and has given the rest of the cast a lot of energy. As a performer, I think it's important to remember how exciting everything was when you first began theatre. It's amazing that many of these kids are starting their theatrical careers on a Broadway stage. It's reminded all of us that we are just here to play and create a story.

It's been great to watch the show grow over the past few weeks. I know we'll be freezing it soon and preparing it for a good run.

I'm also working on a couple outside projects right now, including a few concerts. Will Van Dyke is an up and coming composer/music director. I will be singing some his beautiful work at his show on the 12th of October at the Duplex downtown. There are very talented people involved with the show. I'm sure it will be a great night. I'm thrilled to be a part of it.

Playbill Article (You must be at least 21 years of age to attend a show at the Duplex)

In terms of concerts, I'd like to be a part of more shows like Will's in the future. There is always another generation of Broadway writers and performers in line to debut their work. I love that about this city.

In the midst of everything, I've been in the middle of a rather insane move. I'm very excited about my new place, though. I'm not really sure why I decided now was the perfect time to pack up and deal with all of that insanity…but it will all be settled and over with by next week. I moved around a lot as a kid. Maybe that's why I can never stay in one place for more than a year. I'm going to try to make this next apartment a home that I will not want to leave.

…And since it's a bigger space, I hope to adopt another dog within the next few months. I think it's time Jacob had a friend to romp around with when I'm at the show. Since I'm a big dog lover, I may be leaning towards the larger breeds!

Anyway, things are good. I will have more to come.

Tech Week

So, I know the blog updates have been slowing down a bit lately, but things have been a little hectic. Right now we're running the show for the first time. So far, things are going great. Tech is always a difficult and mind numbing process...but it has got to get done. When a show goes into "technical rehearsals" it means that we've got to set every technical aspect of the show. Sounds simple enough...but what this really means is that every bulb, every set piece, every cue, every quick change, every movement...etc, must be completely figured out and in place. Songs like, "Lot of Living," which is a huge production number, can take up to 5 hours to complete. So, it takes a lot of patience. It's very much like a film set, actually. There is a lot of waiting around. The difference is, on a set, most of the waiting around takes place in a trailer or dressing room. During Tech, if they need you to stand on stage for 5 hours, you will stand on stage for 5 hours.

Not that I'm complaining. Everyone knows what Tech is like and they prepare for the worst. Oddly enough, this is when a lot of chemistry in the cast grows. After all is said and done, and when we finally start to run the show, it's thrilling to see how things have started to come together.

And speaking of film sets, I will be spending a lot of time on the Gossip Girl set in a couple weeks. Turns out I will be returning this season after all!

I cannot believe our first preview is next Thursday. I think we are in great shape, but we've only been in the theatre for about a week. A lot of things are still very new to us. That being said, the production is great and I think people are going to be ecstatic to see our take on such a classic show. Allie Trimm is so sweet, young, and genuine as Kim, that the character becomes much more relatable. Bill Irwin has completely re-invented his role and will have audiences rolling. Nolan Funk is going to have girls screaming, the kids are stunning, and the design (set and costumes) is simply breathtaking at times.

If you want to know more about the production you should definitely read the Playbill article on the show that came out today. Bobby Longbottom talks about some of the things we've done with this revival.
Playbill Article

In case people were a little confused, the original stage production and the 1963 film were very, very different. Every scene seemed to be re-written in the film. Our revival is based off of the Original Broadway production's script with some minor changes here and there.

Rehearsals and such

Things have been crazy lately!

Let me just say how much I appreciate the support from everyone.

This morning I woke up to yet another message from a friend of mine asking to see a photo of me in the clown costume that I mentioned in the Playbill Cue and A article. I opened up my old hard drive and searched for photos of me doing a performance piece as this whacky character. I found them. They are absurd. I found a video but that will not leave my hard drive. I adored that class. These shots are from a one-man show of my clown reenacting Peter Jackson's King Kong. It included the fight between Kong and the Dinosaur. This was 4 years ago.



I've always had a great admiration for physical comedians and clown performers (and I'm not talking about creepy birthday clowns). It's one of the reasons I admire Bill Irwin so much. A few days ago, the cast of Bye Bye Birdie was treated to something wonderful. Bill threw a surprise clown act for John Stamos' birthday. It was incredible. We all felt so honored to be watching such an unexpected, special moment. He is a genius at what he does and I am having the time of my life watching him work every day.

I'm really enjoying rehearsals for this show. I think audiences are going to be floored when they see the teen ensemble. They are phenomenal and are working their asses off. I am starting to feel right in my character's younger shoes. Hugo is a far cry from Melchior Gabor! It's been a lot of fun going full out with such broad musical theatre comedy. Today I tried on my costumes and talked about what will be done to make me super young, dorky, and insecure. I can't wait to get into costume. Since I am currently wearing my own clothes in rehearsals, putting on the geeky early-60s-wear will be very helpful.

Thursday is going to be a blast. I am most likely going to be doing Role of a Lifetime in place of Are You There since Wesley Taylor cannot be there. Lilli Cooper will also be there on Thursday! I'm very excited to see everyone!

More to come!

EDIT: I will actually be singing "How Glory Goes" from Floyd Collins in place of Are You There. I figured I'd add a new song.

After the Storm

Just wondering if anyone saw this...
Playbill Article

I'm really excited about this benefit and can't believe that I get to perform at Joe's pub a couple days after my second show.

I'll be singing a song by Kyle Ewalt and Michael Walker. I'm so thrilled they have asked me to sing for them again, especially at such a special event.

Last Night

was incredible.

I am floored by the amount of support and love that was in the room. Last night meant the world to me.

If you haven't read it yet, check out the Playbill.com "Cue and A" article here.

I cannot wait for next week. I promise I will write more when I'm not in rehearsals for 9 hours.