Dom Irrera's Still Got It

Thanksgiving Eve is one of if not the biggest bar night of the year. In my opinion, it's become the new New Year's Eve i.e. lots of planning, lots of build-up, and little payout. It's just another night out. It's not like you were just invited to the last party at the Playboy Mansion.

Anywho, my friends and I decided to go see Dom Irrera this year at Helium Comedy Club followed by a few beers before the crowds of Jersey Shore wannabes made it out for what they thought would be the best night of their lives. It was an extremely wise decision and a very funny night. This clip below is Dom Irrera from the 80's. He did this bit on Wednesday and it still killed. He recycled old material and also had some great new stuff on TSA pat downs. Somewhere in the world, Don Rickels was smiling when Irrera dropped this gem: "She was so Chinese it hurt."

Dom Irrera is in town for 2 more nights. I highly suggest going to check him out...after you see Molumby's Million of course :)

It's Been A While...

...Since my last post on the Brown Note and I know the 2 avid readers are up in arms. To those 2 readers, I appreciate the concern you expressed in your earlier emails but were the death threat notes asking me to return to my blogging ways really necessary?!?!?!?

Anyway, I've been very busy juggling all the productions in my life right now:

- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels opened to a wonderful crowd last night St. Joe's Prep and runs until November 21st. I'm an assistant director at the Prep and also oversee the house managers and ushers. I'll be there Wednesday and Thursday night this week.

- Philadelphia Theatre Workshop's Front Row Seat by Kathy Anderson opens Nov. 20th. I am the General Manager for PTW.

- And of course, Molumby's Million opened last weekend and continues it's successful run until the end of November. I play Jack Dempsey and my latest post for the Brown Note is a co-blog with Iron Age. Click here to read about the pop culture connections with Molumby's Million.

Dempsey Previews

Molumby's Million -- the world premiere play where I play heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey -- opens this Friday! Below is some nice press clips previewing the show. Can't wait to see you all from the stage.

First clip is from Stage Magazine:

The next 2 are from the Hank Cisco show:

One Month To Go For Dempsey

This update is a few days late since I was busy closing my 3rd show this weekend at the wonderful Montgomery Theater in Souderton. This time, I said goodbye to "Everybody Loves Opal," a charming play that resonated in a special way with audiences. Thanks so much to all my friends and family that made it out to see me play the misogynistic/drunk Brad Winter. Your constant support means the world. And now it's on to full-time Jack Dempsey in Molumby's Million at Iron Age.

This latest Jack Dempsey update:

8/5/10 (Pre-Dempsey Work Out Weight) = 178 lbs

8/19/10 (Two Week Check-In) = 182 lbs

9/4/10 (One Month Check-In) = 183.5 lbs

9/17/10 (Month and a Half Check-In) 184 lbs

9/30/10 (Two Month Check-In) = 187 lbs

11/5/10 (Molumby's Million Opening Night/Dempsey Fighting Weight in 1923) = 188 lbs

The Void Has Been Filled

On June 10, 2007, one of my favorite shows of all time -- The Sopranos -- ended with a controversial bang. For what it's worth, I loved the way the series ended...but anyway....

Since Tony and his family (actual family...not the goomba one) ordered some of the best onion rings in the state, many shows have come into my life....Mad Men, LOST, Dexter, Rescue Me, to name a few. All great shows with wonderful characters and story lines but none created the hype each week the way my dysfunctional family from North Jersey did. In college, every Sunday night at around 8:45pm, it was like everyone I knew went into a trance. No matter where I was, I always found a way to make it home to 419 Euclid with a least 10 other guys to order food and have my eyes glued to the TV at 9pm. This was not a unique ritual. Similar TV bonding was happening all over campus and from what I would later learn, it was happening all over the United States. Thinking back, I don't think I ever watch an episode of the show with less than 2 other people. It wasn't just an event each week, it was a way of life.

I've yet to do this with a new show. I turn to blogs and emails with people after LOST and Mad Men, but not everybody I know watches those shows (or watched as is the case with LOST). Everyone I knew, everyone I ran into, people I met for the first time watched The Sopranos and shared a similar community watching aspect.

After the season premiere of Boardwalk Empire last night, I think happy days of community TV watching are here again. My parents and I had a countdown for this show since Friday. People I work with were talking about it for weeks. I rearranged my schedule so that I would not have to watch the first episode on DVR. And I am so happy I did -- the first episode was gripping from the opening credits. It's basically The Sopranos 80 years earlier which doesn't hurt the matter -- but it's a lot grittier. Do yourself a favor and start watching this show NOW! It's themes that make for great TV - crime, loyalty, and as is the case with most classics it deals with the dark side of pursuing "The American Dream."

Side note -- Jack Dempsey gets a little shout out in the first 15 minutes of the first episode. Below is the artwork for Molumby's Million as well as the latest weigh-in update from Friday, Sept. 17th (the month and a half mark)

8/5/10 (Pre-Dempsey Work Out Weight) = 178 lbs

8/19/10 (Two Week Check-In) = 182 lbs

9/4/10 (One Month Check-In) = 183.5 lbs

9/17/10 (Month and a Half Check-In) = 184 lbs -- Gotta eat more carbs!!

11/5/10 (Opening Night/Dempsey's 1923 Fighting Weight) = 188 lbs

Two Week Check-In

On the "Jack Dempsey Work Out Plan", yesterday was the two week mark. As a result, today's post is sponsored by Grizzly Bear and their hit single "Two Weeks."

As for the JDWP Update, I've already gained 4 pounds! Now, Ron tells me that I will gain probably 4 to 6 quickly in the first month. So for those playing the home game:

8/5/10 (Pre-Dempsey Work Out Weight) = 178 lbs

8/19/10 (Two Week Check-In) = 182 lbs

11/5/10 (Opening Night/Dempsey's 1923 Fighting Weight) = 188 lbs

Becoming Jack Dempsey

This week I was cast in the World Premiere of Molumby's Million by DW Gregory at Iron Age Theatre. I was in a reading of this play a few months ago and played the title role, Loy Molumby, who was a Montana oil man (FYI - not this guy) trying to set up a fight in his hometown of Shelby between local war vet Tommy Gibbons and Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey.

To my surprise and delight, I was cast in Iron Age's production as Jack Dempsey! I'm already super excited to take on this role even though performances don't start until November. Obviously, many of you who know me know that my physique is far from that of a heavyweight boxer. So, this project is my very own Robert De Niro/Raging Bull. I need to make myself as close to Jack Dempsey's look, weight, etc circa 1923.

I immediately went to my good friend and personal trainer, Ron Gross, to help me with this transformation. To keep myself honest -- not that Ron won't already do that -- I plan on chronicling some of my training here. My first training session was two days ago on Thursday, August 5th -- Almost exactly 3 months until opening night.

Here's the basics of what needs to happen in 3 months:

• Hobro's Weight = 178lbs
• JD's Weight (1923) = 188lbs

I'll try to add 10 pounds of upper body muscle so that I'll appear more like one of the pound-for-pound best boxers of all time on stage. Here's the "before" photos (are you happy Carolyn??) from the morning of (8/5/10):

They almost look like a mugshot -- at least they didn't come out like this:

Here's a photo from actual fight between Dempsey and Gibbons. Dempsey is on the left:

My second training is today -- more info to come as there's something to report. I'll start to talk about my 5 a day meal plan once I have it more established. In the meantime, I'll be getting my Jesuit on, striving for the 'magis' in a very tangible way with this role. Or as my boy Chris Geschke says, "Time to get DEAM!"