Merry Christmas, Disney Fans!

Merry Christmas, Scrubs/Charlie Brown fans!

Adventures in Florida

After a ten month absence, I returned to my second home last week. Orlando was bright, sunny, and filled with hope of a better future for our little family. No pressure, though.

Thursday Adam and Andrea Daveline picked me up from the airport. They are great friends, and it was so much fun to see them. They took me to "Office Night," which is a weekly tradition I started last year in order to help Andrew Hill get his wife Kristi hooked on the show. Nice to see it is still going on. I saw Jamie (yeah!) and Amy (yeah!) and it was good to be back. But I had serious butterflies.

The next morning Adam, Andrea, and I travelled to the DAK rehearsal building for the audition. I was surrounded by folks who were professionals and had worked and auditioned for Disney a zillion times (was I good enough?) as well as clear college program students who took their headshot against the venetian blinds of Vista Way the night before and were suffering from delusions of grandeur despite no apparent training or talent (at least I know I'm not in that category). Sorry, folks, but being in your high school drama club and having a dramatic flair are probably not qualifications enough.

We had arrived early, so I was the second to last person in the third group (in other words, I was the 29th person to audition). In order to keep my nerves in check I spent the moments leading up to the audition getting into character and making sure I was coming from some place with the piece (Side note: Christian gave me the monologue, and it was very funny). It was nice to know what I was doing.

I tried not to pay attention to the other auditioners, but I couldn't help it out of the corner of my eye. First two: call backs. I thought maybe they were calling everyone back! No such luck... next two, nothing. One kid's monologue was two minutes of yelling something that I'm sure he found to be clever, but before you could say, "Where dreams come true, but not yours," he was out of there. Next guy, too. Then, I stopped looking.

When the person in front of me finished, I slipped into the room shrouded in all the confidence I could muster on my small but extremely attractive frame. The casting director's greeting was warm, my response was jovial. Just like old friends. So far so good.

She said, "Whenever you are ready." I ignored my impulse to respond, "in that case, I'll be back next Thursday" and instead started my analysis of the possible conditions that would lead a person to eat another human being. I'm not sure her reaction during the monologue, I was too busy concentrating on the blind date I was trying to impress and engage in conversation. I love that you don't look at the casting directors during an audition. I wasn't trying to be funny; I was just trying to be real. I ended my performance, and handed my immediate future over to her Disneyfied hands.

"You are very talented," she said. Well, so far she knows what she's talking about. "But at this time we don't really have any openings for which you would qualify." Oh, dear. But before I could form a coherent reassuring thought, her follow up was much more encouraging. "Would it be too much trouble to have you come back for our audition on the 19th?"

"Of course," was my immediate response. Could I really? It was too late, I already agreed.

"We are opening a new show in April; it is going to be a Stitch show using digital puppetry. I really want you to come back and audition for it."

"Why not?" I thought. My wife is Hawaiian after all. And I like Elvis. I could see she sensed these things about me.

She looked at my resume again. "Do you currently live in Utah?"

"Yes," I said with the usual mix of pride and shame that accompany that question.

She sat in thought for just a moment, thinking I can only assume about the excellent skiing the state provides. Or maybe the excellent performers the state provides. Either way, after a moment she said, "how about we just have you come back down for the call back?"

Really? Hurray! "That would be fantastic!" I responded with elation stemming from the fact I was going to come for the call back and also because I didn't have to try to find another round trip ticket for the next week. She explained that the call back would be in early January, which is just as my current position is ending. Wonderful, wonderful news. She then went on to explain that they had not yet figured out anything about the call back or what would be going on, so as soon as she had all that information she is going to email it my way. She did tell me to work on my Stitch impression, however. I thanked her with absolute unadulterated sincerity and left, doing mental bell kicks all the way down the hall.

It is an extremely gratifying feeling to take a risk and have it pay off. True, I don't have the position yet, but my efforts were good enough to keep going. It is my dream to be a professional performer at Disney in some capacity. I couldn't be happier about what happened.

So now I'm going to watch Lilo and Stitch, Stitch gets a Glitch, and Leroy and Stitch as many times as possible. I don't know much else about the show except what is posted on DisneyAuditions.com. Here is the posting:



Stitch's Supersonic Celebration Male Actors and Male Vocalists

For: Walt Disney World

Audition Location: Disney's Animal Kingdom Rehearsal Facility - Orlando, FL

Looking For: Singers and Actors

Disney Auditions is seeking male vocalists and male comedic actors for two new shows in the Magic Kingdom® Park at the Walt Disney World® Resort. Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration incorporates cutting edge technology, comedic improvisation and dynamic choreography. Shows will open in Spring 2009.

Performers employed by the Walt Disney World Resort are covered under the terms and conditions of a Collective Bargaining Agreement with Actors' Equity Association.

Seeking the following roles:
Male Vocalist / Emcee - Needs strong interactive skills and the ability to move well.
Male Comedic Actor - Needs strong improvisation skills and the ability to do specific character voices. Video gaming dexterity a plus.
Male Comedic Improv Actor - Young and hip with strong interactive skills.

Apparently it also involves dancing:

Stitch's Supersonic Celebration Dancers

Disney Auditions is seeking male and female dancers for a brand new show in the Magic Kingdom® Park at the Walt Disney World® Resort near Orlando, FL opening in April, 2009! Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration will incorporate cutting edge technology, comedic improvisation, and dynamic choreography all set to energetic, stylized music that will make this party out of this world!
Performers employed by the Walt Disney World Resort are covered under the terms and conditions of a Collective Bargaining Agreement with Actors' Equity Association.

Seeking the following roles:
Male Dancers - Hip hop / break dancers of all heights. May be asked to demonstrate other styles of dance.
Female Dancers - 5'4" - 5'7" with strong background in jazz and ballet.
Requirements:
Applicants must be at least 18 and authorized to work in the United States.
Please bring a current headshot and resume.
Dancers should be warmed up and ready to begin at the time listed. Please wear form fitting attire to show your silhouette.

I can't imagine what it will be, but I know I will be involved! Hurray for risk-taking!

Some thoughts on recent political events...

I have been watching and reading a lot lately about Proposition 8 and the protests surround it in California. As I have been reading, there are a few thoughts I would like to express about democracy and our system of government as a whole. I am going to try as hard as I possibly can to not pick a side on this, but rather give my thoughts on our system. As a matter of reference this is coming from someone with a minor in American Government, particularly a focus on constitutional history and law. I am also certified to teach this subject in public school. In other words, I have documents hanging on my wall indicating that I know, at least to some degree, what I am talking about.

Separation of Church and State

I have read a lot of discussion on the separation of church and state, and the possible infringements on the precept that have surfaced. But what exactly does this mean? Historically the concept was included in the Constitution to prevent one particular church from becoming the state sponsored religion. Such a religion would have obvious advantages for that group and disadvantages for another group. It is pretty clear why this separation is important.

What the Constitution or the Founding Fathers never stipulate, however, is a separation of RELIGION (as a concept) and state. In fact, they described the interconnection of the two elements as absolutely essential. They observed that in order to govern you must follow the precepts of the Almighty God when enacting legislation.

But what does that mean today? Religion can be expanded in this sense to include the concept of morality. Therefore, there is no legal standing for the separation of MORALITY and state. Most citizens develop and base their ideas of morality on religious views, and I think this is where the confusion comes from. But others without religious views still have a sense of what they believe is moral, and use that sense to determine their politics. This does not equate to a state sponsorship of any church, nor as a state sponsorship of established religion as a whole. What it does indicate is a state sponsorship of Americans making decisions based upon their moral compass. You may disagree with another’s version of morality, so you are obligated to make your own decision on the subject. This is what happened in California on Prop 8. Individuals evaluated the situation and made a decision based on their ideas of morality. This is how our system works. Make no mistake about it: every law that is passed is ultimately tied to a moral question. Prop 8 was no different.

Marriage: Inherent right or legal contract?

The argument is being made that it is an issue of civil rights. So the question becomes, is Marriage a right guaranteed constitutionally? Strictly speaking, no, there is no mention of marriage in the Constitution of the Bill of Rights. The Ninth Amendment does provide some legal basis for the argument, however, as it provides for the protection of rights not specifically mentioned in the Bill of Rights – a “catch all” if you will. The Declaration of Independence does list our inalienable rights as Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Though the declaration itself is not a binding Constitutional document as such, it has been used previously to set legal precedent, and thusly can be considered here. What constitutes the pursuit of happiness? There have been a few judicial rulings on the subject, some indicating that it is an indication of the right we have to pursue whatever vocation we would like and not necessarily as an indication of emotional fulfillment (Butchers' Union Co. v. Crescent City Co., 111 U.S. 746, 1884). However, perhaps a more applicable verdict was handed down by Chief Justice Earl Warren. When commenting on Loving v. Virginia (388 U.S. 1, 1967), Warren said, “The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men.” This case involved a statute prohibiting interracial marriage. So the argument can be made according to precedent that marriage is in fact an essential right needed to pursue happiness. It seems marriage then has a strong case as an essential right.

For argument’s sake, let us entertain the idea I’ve read that marriage is not an inherent right, but rather a legal contract. This argument has been used by both sides of the issue in different forms. If this is the case, the state absolutely has the right to dictate the requirements of said contract. Much like state requirements to obtain a driver’s license, or build a building, or own a house, the legal requirements of such a legal contract are at the discretion of the state to determine. End of story.

But I think the “rights” argument is more compelling and substantial. If marriage is in fact a right, the question becomes, what is marriage? The goal of Prop 8 (on a legal level) is to create a clear legal definition of a previously vague term. The people were presented with a definition, and were given the opportunity to individually decide if they felt it was an appropriate definition. Of course they used their morality to make this decision. There is no other way. The majority decided that the definition that was presented was indeed acceptable. Is there dissension? Of course, every law has dissension. But two of our three branches of government are established to carry out the will of the majority.

Handling Dissention

Now in California marriage is more clearly defined. Those against Prop 8 now have a few choices. They can accept the legislative defeat and move on. (This is not uncommon; for instance, the consumption of alcohol is considered by many to be immoral, and has been fought with success in the past by the teetotalers. Later it was overturned, and alcohol consumption is legal within limits. The religious folks lost this one, and have come to accept it.) Or they can fight it.

Do they have a right to protest and assemble? Absolutely they do. At this point in the process, however, it is not very smart. One of the amazing qualities of Americans is to be able to accept transfers of power and ideas peacefully and without violence and uprising. If McCain supporters had staged protests after the election, they would have been written off as ridiculous (instead they post comments on facebook about moving to another country. Don’t worry, those folks look ridiculous too). The same thing is going to happen to the Prop 8 protesters. Just as others unhappy with voting results will calm down and look forward to casting a different vote in four years, those unhappy with Prop 8 would serve themselves well to calm down, breathe a little, and strategize on their next step. For now they simply look severely over dramatic. If they want to eventually over turn this decision they are going to need to convince people to change their moral stance on the issue. However they decide to do it, they will NOT do it by making those people late for work by causing gridlock. They end up looking silly. There is a smart way to use the tool of assembly, but this is not it. They will end up making their situation much less sympathetic.

Draw up legislation. Bring it before a judge. The purpose of the judicial branch is to be the voice of the minority (checks and balances and all) and is protected from the majority. They may rule in favor, they may rule against, I don’t know. But that is the system.

Both groups are passionate about their position. Is there a right or wrong answer? Of course – but it is different for each and every person. You cannot fault someone for voting according to their moral compass, regardless of their vote. Stop the name calling. It does neither side any good to use terms and phrases such as “bigot” or “God hates the Gays.” I realize it is an emotional issue, but the majority has spoken. Both sides need to accept it and work within the system. Because both sides are going to have a tough time getting the other to change their minds.

I know there are other complex issues involved, and I apologize if you feel I’ve oversimplified anything. I’m happy to discuss any other issues regarding this you may have on your mind.

Is Prop 8 unconstitutional? I have my opinion on the subject. But it doesn’t matter what I think. It matter what you think. And what you do.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

I have a lot of strong opinions about politics. I will agree with many of you. I will disagree with many of you. But please, if you do anything today, go out and make your opinions heard.

This morning via facebook Nate Winder and I were having a political discussion via facebook, which forced me to really articulate some of my thoughts regarding our current economic system and the election of today. Posted below you will find an exerpt of my thoughts, which I'm hoping will at the very least make sense even if you don't agree with them:

"I think in a lot of ways people are frustrated with the laissez-faire system of
economics. Laissez-faire works pretty well as long as citizens are prudent and
there is an equality of wage and prosperity, prosperity being measured not
necessarily by amount of capital but by increase in capital. It isn’t the size
of our piece of the pie, it is how much larger our piece is becoming.

Currently this system is extremely out of balance. I know the
invisible hand is eventually supposed to work everything out, but the Great
Depression is a good indicator of how the free market system can potentially be
extremely cruel. It took a whiff of socialism (not pure socialism, by any means)
in the form of the New Deal (and, yes, I know, WWII helped as well) to get us
out of the Depression. In equally challenging economic times, I think a little
touch of equalization may be just what we need. Never fear… we are at heart
Capitalists. Capitalism is the American dream. But capitalism doesn’t care for
human welfare. It is a cold system. I know that many argue that it isn’t fair
for the wealthy to pay higher taxes; they worked hard for their money and
deserve to keep it. True, they are working hard. But they aren’t working any
harder than the recent college graduate with two kids who cannot find a job
because everyone is cutting back or only hiring works for five to ten years
practical experience.

Please don’t confuse what I’m saying as a
comparison of Obama to FDR. Only time will tell. I just think Americans are
looking for an alternative to business as usual, which is why they are leaning
so far to the left. And I do think it may prove to be just what we need. Not for
always, but at least for now. Things are out of balance, and they need to be put
back into balance. If things go too far the other way, I think we’ll elect
someone more conservative. Especially if we somehow find a collective prosperity
again, in which case we will certainly want to protect our increase. It isn’t
the size of our piece of the pie, it is how much larger our piece is becoming."

In January we will have a new president. It is always exciting, and always a little scary. Is our new leader going to be your ideal candidate? Probably not completely. Will he bring about the Apocalypse ? I don't think so (although if you ask my stepdad...) Just please remember that God's party is not the Republican Party and Satan's party is not the Democratic Party... and if you look at yourself and realize you base your voting decisions on candidates/parties that were supported by your parents and not on what they stand for, please evaluate your own system of voting! Know the issues, and get involved. It is none of my business who you vote for, just please make sure your don't base your vote on your parents preference for Pachyderms or Equids.

I once had a member on my mission say that he didn't think you could hold a temple recommend and be a democrat. I said, "Why not? Clearly you've demonstrated that you can hold a temple recommend and be an idiot."*




*this response was only in my head. I was a missionary after all.


UPDATE: After I gave Nate the information in this post, he gave me a link to the following article, which I suggest you read. It is certainly contrary to what most of us where taught in school, and really gets you thinking:

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/FDR-s-Policies-Prolonged-Depression-5409.aspx?RelNum=5409

A Call to Arms!

So all of my previous posts of culminated in a decision to go to Orlando at the end of this month to attend an open call audition for improv actors. I'm really nervous about it, mainly because I really want the job, and because I feel I'd be pretty good at it. So My task now is to prepare the best darn one minute comedic monologue I can possibly muster. I've been back and forth between using one of my old standards (I know they work), trying to find a new one (it could be better), or write one myself (could pay off with the writing side, but what if I think it is funny but no one else does?). I have a little bit less than three weeks to get it all together and ready to go.

I started writing one already, but I'm not quite confident enough to post it for the world until I have a chance to sleep on it and have it reviewed by people that I trust. Until then, if you have a piece that you feel is just plain awesome, please let me have it! And wish me luck. Maybe I can be the next "Citizen of Hollywood!"

You Are the Music in Me

We went to see High School Musical 3! Of course, it was on opening night, and yes, we did dress up! Are we Disney nerds or what?!

We went out to dinner first. We didn't like what was on the menu, so we decided to eat each other instead. (...no, not really)











Kjersti came with us too!!




We're showing our enthusiasm for the show! We loved the movie, so we went and found this poster to pose in front of after the watching the movie. We're jumping too!







Finally, to top it all off, we went to buy the HSM3 soundtrack on our way home. And did you notice Ben's 'wildcats' t-shirt? Yes, it's official - we are HSM nerds! But really, did you expect anything less?

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" - John Lennon

It is truly amazing the curve balls life can dish out. You are planning for one thing, and BOOM! it is no longer an option. Case in point...

In July I got a promotion at work. A great position, challenging, and pretty fun too. Not too shabby. They also asked me to relocate, but gave me until January when our lease ends at our current place. So we started preparing to move to Portland, and started to get pretty excited about it!

But of course, Luana and I both missed Disney. It is a fun place to work and appeals to all the goofy/sappiness I have inside. The plan was to work in Portland for a year or so, and then try to make our way back to Disney after getting a lot more experience under my belt.

Then on Wednesday last, I found out my position is being eliminated effective Dec. 31st. Suddenly we are no longer moving to Portland. We have to figure out something else entirely.

Here's the funny part (and the "this can't be a coincidence" part) - Around the end of September, I started applying for a lot of positions with Disney on both coasts. Anything I felt qualified for, really. I was of the mindset that if something happened and came up, we'd explore that option. But nothing serious. I really just wanted to keep in the habit of checking their postings.

So suddenly in search of a job and really wanting to return to Disney, I find myself having already applied for a number of positions. Most of them had already closed by the time I found out my job was over, so if I had waited I would not have been able to apply. I love having reaffirmation that someone out there (and I mean God, you knuckleheads) is aware of the plight of two newlyweds who just want the best for each other (I mean Ben and Luana this time).

The other amazing part of this is that once again my "bad news radar" kicked in. I have this strange ability to know (and I don't mean have a bad feeling, I mean to absolutely know without any question in my mind) when bad things are about to happen. Things that hit me on a personal level. For instance, I have NEVER been dumped by a girl save I knew the night before that it was going to happen the next day. NEVER. And it isn't that I'm perceptive, because it isn't a suspicion or a feeling, it is a knowledge. Strange. I even knew my Dad had passed away before I found out about it (a few weeks before we found out about it, which is eerie, because we had passed a few weeks before we found out about it).

Anyway, that morning as I drove to work I knew that I would be getting severance that day. I just did. It didn't come as any surprise at all.

So everything considered I think this will work out for the best. If it wasn't so obvious to me that our path is definitely being directed, I would be worried. But clearly God is in control. And I have a feeling he knows what he's doing.

So now the hard part... being motivated to do my job knowing that what I'm doing right now really doesn't have much meaning to me. It is almost as if I'm a little trunky. And as they are eliminating the position and transitioning duties to other folks, I find myself with less to do. So send me an email, and I'll probably read it right away.

Disney, here we come (again)!

Seriously, though... was it really necessary to fly this guy in?

What Compels You?

I had a wise teacher in high school (who now insists I call her Barbara, but I can’t bring myself to call her anything but Mrs. Fields) who once talked to us about some of her theories on human nature. She presented an idea that has really stuck with me over the past ten years… she said that she thinks that every person on earth is compelled to do something, and is driven to have that activity as a focal point of their life. Even if you don’t do whatever your “thing” is for twenty years, you’ll be driving down the street and be thinking about how you miss it and how much you want to do it. You are compelled to do it. It is a part of you, and you can fight it, but it’ll never completely leave you, and you can’t feel completely fulfilled without it.

And I have tried unsuccessfully to fight it. My compulsion is theatre, there is no question about it. It was this compulsion that forced me to sing Broadway showtunes as I walked the streets of Kansas and Missouri. It was this compulsion that persuaded me to get a theatre education degree despite the fact that I never really had any intention of teaching professionally. It was just the only theatre degree offered at BYU-I, so it the one that I got. I didn’t really think about what I would do past school, I just knew it was the best way to continue performing.



When Christian, J.D., and I went to San Francisco to audition for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Christian’s tour has started, by the way, and I bet he’s FANTASTIC!) I remember sitting in the waiting area before my audition, and having a very strong feeling that this was NOT the life for me. It was unmistakable and EXTREMELY frustrating. Because I don’t know what the life for me is… just what it isn’t. And what it isn’t is the only thing I’ve ever really wanted it to be.

So what am I supposed to do? I’ve been trying to figure that out ever since that audition. My compulsion has not changed, but I did have an epiphany the other day. Just because it is what I am compelled to do doesn’t mean it has to be my profession. I felt fulfilled in high school and in college, and certainly wasn’t making a living at it (Playmill too… but nobody makes a living there either).

As it has now been a little over two years since my last appearance in a show (Playmill Class of ’06), I’m to a point where I don’t think I can take it any more. I desperately need to do a show. Because I no longer feel like me, just someone who is slightly familiar with me (does that make sense?). Thank goodness I’ve been able to do Comedy Sportz in Provo over the last ten months (come see me on Friday!); it has really helped.

But is still will be a while yet. Luana and I are moving at the end of the year, so anything auditioning now would go up after we move. So I’ll just have to sit tight for now.

Anyway, I’m curious…what is it that compels you?

honeymoon

Here's some exciting news for you all! I finally posted our honeymoon photos! I know it's been a long time coming, and I apologize for the delay. But now you guys can enjoy them on my facebook page. Next to come: the Wedding Album! Hang on to the edge of your seats, 'cause it's going to be wild!!

Launching into the Blogosphere

Hello Friends!

In this age of technological innovation, I have decided that the Internet is suffering from a severe lack of Luana and Ben Parkes related publicly posted personal information. After viewing a long list of blogs presented by friends and acquaintances of yesteryear, I have decided that it is time to provide a method for you to catch up with us passive-aggressively. Thus, this blog is born. Feel free to smack his bottom.

More to come, but I wanted to get this thing rocking... I guess I should tell Luana about it...

Oh, and happy Columbus Day. Discovering the New World was a great accomplishment, but I also enjoy the work he did on those delightful Harry Potter movies...