Tuesdays with Morrie

I will be performing the role of Mitch in UCC's upcoming production of 'Tuesdays with Morrie". This simple play is touching and timely and I look forward to working on it. Tim Robu will be playing Morrie and I am also composing an original score for the piece. We open Thursday, September 11th and run the next two nights (closing on Saturday, September 13). This is an additional production to augment our usual spring musical--which will be "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" which I will be musical directing. "Joseph" opens Feb. 19, 2009 and runs through Feb. 21. Call the church office at 634-0430 for more information and to make reservations (for "Morrie" only at this time).

The Summer Sampler from Hotel Abandon

My friend Q's new summer sampler of music rocks!!! It might be my favorite (but don't tell the other samplers--they'll be jealous).

PAX

Great News!

I can't say much, but my college had some really great stuff happen to it today concerning its accreditation status. Oh yeah, and my online stuff got accredited too--so I am just a little happy--and smug!

PAX

Entheos

My friend Shanna accuses me of being "too hype-able"--whatever that means. Actually, I know very well what she means. I love hype and I am often swept up in the wave of the moment. She has some validity to her criticism--my "hype-ability" has led to some disastrous trips to the movies for the tribe! But as I thought more about it, I felt I had to really delve into this part of my psyche. I admit readily that I am easy to hype--that I am often on the bandwagon early of new things. But I have concluded that this part of me is actually born from a deep held belief that things can be better. I am not so much hype-able as hopeful. The Greek root of enthusiasm is entheos (inspired, or more literally, possessed by a god) and I like to think that my enthusiasm for the new is simply my soul's response to the possibility--the newness--that what-may-be--held within the kernel of new endeavors. So--yes, I will always be hype-able, but it is tempered with dear friends who help me see the wisdom is caution and yet let me dive in head first--enthusiastically--into all the amazing and bright things life sends my way.

PAX

Ali Jafari and lunch time chat

So--yesterday at the Campus Technology conference I was sitting and eating a quick bite for lunch, when a very animated group joined my table (it was a big conference lunch and Trish had gone ahead while I waited for the line to dwindle--you know how much I LOVE standing on line) anyway, this animated group introduced themselves all around and I soon found myself chatting with Ali Jafari for most of the lunch. Long story short--it turns out that Ali is the man behind ANGEL learning--the new LMS that my college is using. I learned tons about the creation and marketing of this powerful software and even more about Mr. Jafari's latest venture--more on that in another blog!

PAX

Olin College, Needham, MA

Trish Schmidt and I are in Boston attending the Campus Technology convention. Yesterday we we went out to Needham, MA, to spend some time on the campus of Olin College of Engineering. We were fortunate to be able to meet with Rick Miller, president, and Mike Moody, VPAA, and a host of faculty and staff. This small (300 student) private college touts itself as "reinventing engineering education"--and I must agree. Their curriculum is "project" based in theory and mostly in practice (there are a number of faculty who lecture, although they know they must be innovative). President Rick Miller told us the fascinating story of the genesis of this institution and it quickly became clear that because of a very large amount of resources (mostly money) the leadership was able to take the time and care necessary to actually develop it programs and courses from the ground up. There is lots more to report on this school--watch future blogs!

Boston--Big City--Big Heart

I am having a great time in Boston thanks to some very friendly locals who went out of their way to show this Kansan a great time. Beacon Hill, South Boston, the local arts scene, lots of great stuff-- and it was just my first day here. Because the conference is only during working hours (evenings free) I will have more free time than I expected. I want to go to Salem and see where the witch trials occured and then I want to visit Harvard yard. Oh yeah....and I will post about the tech conference too...it doesn't start until tomorrow. Trish (my co-worker) and I were sent up a day early to visit Olin College--which we are about to do here in a few minutes.

PAX

Show Closing and Boston

Tonight we close Moon Over Buffalo and I am a little blue about. Mostly because it has been such a rich and rewarding experience and I love this cast. But there will always be another show, no? We close Moon at about 10 tonight and then I am on a flight to Boston first thing in the AM. Trish (a co-worker) and I are heading to the Campus Technology conference for the week to see what is coming in....well...technology on campus. Should be great! I will try to post from Boston later in the week.

Pax,

Paul

Summer Musing

Here we are...mid-summer--and what have we done with the time? Oh...you know, the usual! I re-open Moon Over Buffalo tonight and am looking forward to seeing that wacky cast again. It looks like my sister and her girls might make it to town to see the show this weekend. Fun!

Pax!

Paul

Opening Night

I have been performing in live theater for as long as I can remember. Hardly a year goes by where I don't have at least one if not half a dozen opening nights (except for 2003 which by all indications was a very dark time in my life--I don't remember much of it!).

This year I have been blessed with three opening nights (so far)....Cotton Patch Gospel in February, The Grapes of Wrath in April and Moon Over Buffalo, tonight. I have always loved the excitement building towards curtain and today is no exception. I am sitting here at my work computer, actually getting lots of work done, but taking this break to write about tonight.

A few things come to mind--first, my body actually aches after rehearsals. This is a very physically demanding show for me and I am not as young as I once was. I recall learning the bottle dance from Fiddler on the Roof and doing it 4 or 5 times a week for almost two months! That was nothing!

Second, I am doing this show for the Wichita Community Theater (WCT) out of my love for theater in general, and good community theater in particular. While I lived in Lawrence, KS, I performed often with their excellent community theater, but the chance to perform with WCT never presented itself until now. Its a great group of people and I am honored to be a part of it.

Third, I am madly in love with this script. George Hay, my character in Moon Over Buffalo has an awful lot in common with myself. Come see the show and I think you will see what I mean.

PAX!

My Tribe

Here's a pic of some of my tribe from the July 4th Extravaganza at Powell Gardens and the Confused Castilian.

Check out the link below for more!

What a holiday!

Here are some pix from the 4th of July extravaganza at Powell Gardens.


























I think one of the best things about the event was the fact that my sister Teresa and her daughters, Mattie and Ellie, joined us for the fun!

UPDATE

Ok.....whew....life is what happens to us while we are busy making other plans! Here's what is going on:

I leave tomorrow to spend the weekend with friends in KC. My job at WATC was upgraded to Manager, Distance Education. The WCT production of "Moon Over Buffalo" opens next Thursday--come see it!

Peace and love

A Beautiful Family

My sister Teresa took this great pic of me and my other sister Valerie and my niece's Mattie and Elizabeth (Teresa's girls). What a beautiful pic and what a beautiful family. I am such a lucky man. And I love them all very much!

I Love Paris in....

.....November! I did it! I bit the bullet and bought my tix to Paris. I will spending a couple of weeks there in November. For those of you who don't know--my dear friend Debra Thimmesch teaches for KU and is in France about 1/2 of the year. She invited me there for my birthday, but I was unable to go at that time--due to a number of reasons. Anyway--November is a go, because, well, they are non-refundable tickets, so I kinda HAVE to go now, don't I? So...let's see....Paul sera a' Paris' dans Novembre'. Oui Oui!

Updates

So....sorry for the delay in posting--it's been a very busy time in my life. At work I am in charge of a major software change and I am working in the evenings on Moon Over Buffalo (opening July 10 at the WTC workshop). It also seemed to take me a long time to totally recover from my ear infection--but, thankfully, I am feeling better each day. Not much to say except--PAX!

The Wedding Singer

I just sang with my friend Karen Robu for a really lovely wedding at our church. There was a sweet story about how they met and on their first date they walked into an Italian restaurant and Frank Sinatra's "Love and Marriage" was playing. So, guess who got to sing that song as their recessional???? HMMM? It was really fun and really sweet. One of my biggest honors in life is to get to share my voice with young (and some older) folks as they embark on their lives together--it is such a blessing to be able to do that!

PAX

June is busting out all over!

OK--I am finally recovering from a NASTY ear infection--I will never enter the Q lagoon without ear plugs again as it seems my aged body can't recover from things like it used to!

Anyway...starting to feel much better....but you know, even though I wasn't at work, the work didn't get done, so I am twice as busy. Go figure!

PAX

Home from the Big D

Wow....what a whirlwind, roller coaster ride of a weekend! From various illnesses and trips to the ER (glad you are better Q!) to some of the BEST coconut curry EVER to amazing swimming and time with Miss Julia--it was just a great weekend. That my circle of friends grew by one this weekend made it even better. Thanks, J-man!

Pax

Indy!

Juila and I will be heading to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Jealous????