los essays and musings of a gypsy

Taken with instagram

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 23:19:11 -0500

Taken with instagram

Mariah Carey… trying to keep it together… (Taken...

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:49:04 -0500

Mariah Carey… trying to keep it together… (Taken with instagram)

I can’t stop listening to this. over. and. over.

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:47:50 -0500

I can’t stop listening to this. over. and. over.

Cover of “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:15:24 -0500

Cover of “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”

cover of Flightless Bird, American Mouth… enjoy!

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:39:47 -0500

cover of Flightless Bird, American Mouth… enjoy!

Video

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:34:15 -0500

Yeah, I’m from Massachusetts… you have a problem...

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:01:18 -0400

Yeah, I’m from Massachusetts… you have a problem with that?

Fame in Macau!

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 07:27:37 -0400

What’s crackin??

This wandering actor life has now taken me to lovely Macau, a territory that is a short ferry ride from Hong Kong, China. I’m playing Joe Vegas in a production of Fame. We’re a part of the Macau International Music Festival so it’s really an honor to be part of something so prestigious.

The cast is amazing and we’re being led by an excellent Director/Choreographer, Richard J. Hinds (he just assisted Jeff Calhoun on Newsies!). My character is hilarious and I get to sing a song about my erection. That’s art, people.

Macau is pretty much the Las Vegas of Asia. Tons of casinos and restaurants. I wish I could say I was gambling my life away but I’m way too much of a wuss, not to mention my gypsy life lends itself to a dearth of disposable income.

After we close I’m spending a few days exploring Hong Kong, experiencing the sights, sounds and foods :) of the bustling city. I watched the Hong Kong episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, so I think I’m ready.

再見 (Goodbye!)

inked.

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:57:23 -0400

I did it folks. I got a tattoo. My first one. Popped that tat cherry.

Did it hurt? A little. I absolutely had a freakout a few hours later when I realized that it would be on my skin forever. That quickly subsided when I realized that I’m cool with having a Taino Coqui on my back. It reminds me of my culture. It sings sweet lullabies (as I often try to do). I dig it.

Affirmation of the day :)

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:44:13 -0400

Affirmation of the day :)

Que linda la gente Boricua...

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:00:00 -0500

The In the Heights journey has taken me to a place I never thought I’d go: Puerto Rico. Let me clarify, I’ve been to Puerto Rico before. My parents were born and raised there and we have often taken family vacations to the isla del encanto. But now, as a big kid, I always knew I’d go back… but not like this.

We would usually go in August, when my brothers and I had school vacation and my mom, being a teacher, also had enough time off. In a tropical climate, August isn’t really the best time to go. It’s sweltering. You end up hot and sweaty and it doesn’t even buy you dinner first. We spent most of our time running into homes for the respite of fans and A/C. Oh, and did I mention it’s hurricane season? What a treat.

But December… oh glorious, sweet December in Puerto Rico. How have we never met? The weather was perfect. The impending holidays also filled the island with a spirit of fun and celebration. Fiestas Patronales and street fairs. The sweet smoky smell of pinchos filled the night air, mingling and dancing with the music of holiday aguinaldos. It was paradise.

When I graduated college in 2008, I embarked on the perilous journey of being an actor. I’ve had goals and plans. Ups and downs. But for some reason, performing in Puerto Rico never even entered my consciousness. Not at all.

I love Puerto Rico. I love the food. I love the people. I love the culture. I get a tan and my skin bronzes to the color of sweet caramel, the color that I am supposed to be. That being said, I never thought my career, however new and budding it may be, would take me to the place where the coqui sings sweet lullabies in the warm winter night.

But it did. And it was the most beautiful experience of my life. In the Heights is about family and culture, honor and respect—values that are deeply ingrained in the psyche of the Puerto Rican people (slight caveat: I’m not gonna pretend to glamorize all of Puerto Rico. There are some rough parts and rough people. Just like in the Hamptons). Each performance was a celebration. Each performance was a party honoring a small group of Latinos from the US who were sharing a little known story to the rest of the world.

I was so grateful to be a part of it. I took the opportunity to share it with my brothers. Take a bit of my family with me to celebrate our culture, celebrate our parents homeland and just celebrate!

We ate some amazing Churrasco and Mofongo from Casa Dante in Isla Verde…

Traipsed through the rain forest of El Yunque…

Saw surfers and the sunset in Rincon…

Explored Old San Juan with some new friends…

Got some wisdom from my uncle Caco in Arroyo…

Basked in the beauty of Flamenco Beach in Culebra…

And the coquito wasn’t too bad either :)

There are countless more memories, but all good things must come to an end. It was incredibly special and very memorable. It was an experience that I will hold dear for the rest of my life. I will see you soon mi isla. Very soon.

A little holiday artwork from yours truly. Happiest of holidays....

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 21:07:32 -0500

A little holiday artwork from yours truly. Happiest of holidays. Love is the greatest gift.

Sunrise

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:43:00 -0400

There is something about a sunrise that transports you. The anticipation of the revelation. The magic moment just when that fiery orb peeks over the horizon and sheds light on the dark world, casting large, grotesque, and fantastical shapes and shadows.

I went to Japan. And it was wonderful. Really. I am incredibly grateful and humbled at the opportunity to travel and do what I love. The people were sweet and I had a gluttonous account of sushi. Am I ashamed of it? Nah.

Rather than take the typical tourist trip to Tokyo Disney, I opted for something a little more adventurous. I climbed Mt. Fuji. Yup. I climbed to the top of a fucking mountain. And not just any mountain, a fucking volcano. Those who know me from childhood, know that mountain climbing isn’t necessarily in my list of things to do. I was a fat kid, who’s extent of physical activity was riding my horse Epona through the hills of Hyrule. In more recent years, I’ve tried to make being healthy a part of my personality and the opportunity to climb a mountain seemed like a good thing to do.

2010 has been a pretty big year so far. Living in NYC, hustling to be an actor, booking an amazing show and now traveling the world. I don’t just climb mountains, I CLIMB AGRO-CRAGS… BITCH!

I climbed to the top of Mt. Fuji in the middle of the night in order to make it in time for the sunrise. I was a part of a pilgrimage. Surrounded by hundreds of people, climbing together, toward some celestial reward.

I now know why in the Bible all the big turning points happen on a mountain. It’s mad hard to climb a mountain. You’re hoofing it. Pulling your fat ass up with a walking stick. There’s a lot of time for internal reflection. You’re alone with this singular goal and a clarity of head space. You start to converse with the voices in your head. I’ve got TONS! But seriously, I was on a personal journey, testing my physical limits. The altitude makes you all headachey and your quads burn but you are forced to really push yourself and power through to make it to the top.

I got to the summit and it was about 3:30am. Sunrise was at 5am so there was some time to explore the top. It was a clear night and you could see tons of stars flickering in the deep blue sky, mirrored by patches city lights from neighboring towns. Hundreds of people made it to the top, awaiting the sunlight. All of us facing the East, focused on the horizon. It was cold up there, so I bought some Ramen noodles from a vendor and tried my best to conserve the warmth.

The sunrise was incredible. Nature’s light show, better than anything you could find at Disneyworld. The clouds reflected bright colors, changing and evolving as the sun slowly poked over the horizon. A group of climbers chanted as the Sun revealed itself, as if channeling some solar song to welcome a new, beautiful day.

Quiet. Reflection. Accomplishment. Peace.

Now, the climb down was a whole other story. It was about a 45° decline on sand covered with rubble. People were slipping and sliding and it was actually pretty scary. But I was determined to make it down and practically ran. My theory is that my large, boat-like feet formed into skis of sorts, allowing me to easily slice through the terrain. I’m practically the Silver Surfer of sand. The Sand Surfer… I’d say the Brown Surfer, but that just sounds gross.

Live for adventure. Push yourself and rediscover your child spirit. You’ll feel so much better when you look at Fear in the face and punch it in the taint.

Excuse me, sir, can you take off those shoes?

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:45:36 -0400

Great story:

In In the Heights we wear some pretty sick kicks. Nike, Puma, Coach, Tiger. Yeah, that’s right. They are better than any shoes I’ve ever had the money to afford. I used to beg for the Fila Grant Hill’s, but in true we-ain’t-rich fashion, I was forced to get whatever was on sale at Marshalls. These shoes are the envy of many an audience member, so much so that in between our shows on Saturday, a brazen thief snuck backstage and pilfered a pair of orange Pumas.

Before the evening show our amazing wardrobe dude, Jimmy Wead, informed one of our actors, Wilkie Ferguson, that his top of the show shoes were missing so he had to wear other shoes. The show went on and it was assumed that the shoes were stolen. Shit happens.

During the show a very keen-eyed security vixen informed Mr. Wead that there was a man near the stage door wearing some orange Pumas. Coincidence? Hells no. So, Jimmy goes out to confront the man and he runs around the block. Jimmy starts to run after him. One of the security guards says, “Don’t run after him. He might have a gun!” Jimmy turns, his bald head glistening in the evening sun, “I don’t care. Those are our shoes!” That’s dedication, people. Jimmy catches up to the man and demands he return the shoes. At this point, the man has been surrounded by the best and brightest Orange County Performing Arts Center rent-a-cops. Susan Malone, wardrobe supervisor, asked the man to take of the shoes, to see if there was a show label attached to the sole. The man tried to say that he just really likes Pumas. Those are my shoes. I just bought them. He took off the shoes and there was the label marked “Wilkie Ferguson.” Shoe Thief then tried to chuck the shoe at Susan, but Jimmy stepped in and quickly took the shoe out of his hand. Jimmy Wead: Ninja Santa Claus.

I’m not really sure what the punishment for shoe theft is, but I’m sure it involved some hard jail time and community service. I think it says a lot about the dedication and bad-assness of our Wardrobe Dept. Don’t fuck with em!

In other news… I’m going to Japan tomorrow! :)

oh Tijuana

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:51:47 -0400

During our stop in San Diego, I discovered that Mexico was a mere 30 min away. Sweet. I love Mexicans. As a Puerto Rican I am often assumed to be Mexican. No, my mother doesn’t have a great tortilla recipe, dumbass. So, a few of the cast members and I went down to Tijuana.

Tijuana is the place where people go to engage in all forms of debauchery. There are pharmacies on every corner selling prescription drugs for pennies. I will sum up the day with a gem provided by your local Tijuana peddler, “You want food? You want drinks?… You want butt-naked bitches?” I appreciate the honesty, sir, but I’ll pass.

Most of the day was spent wandering and avoiding being pulled into shops to buy shit you don’t really need. We stopped to eat at a restaurant where we were filled with tacos and tequila. Yum. We were also regaled with some music by a local band.

They played one song, and in true tourist fashion, we clapped along and took pictures. We gave them a few bucks for their time and they insisted on playing another song. They had a lengthy discussion about what to play. This song? Nah. That one? Que no! Finally they settled on one and began to play…. It sounded exactly like the first song. We laughed about this for a long time.

I have another story about a place called Peanuts. It is not meant for cyberspace, but ask me about it in person and I’ll give the juicy details.

I’m currently touring in San Diego and this scene runs...

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:00:32 -0400

I’m currently touring in San Diego and this scene runs through my mind all the time. Literally every moment someone mentions “San Diego” I go straight to “A whale’s vagina.” I love Will Ferrell.

first you "put in" then you PUT OUT!

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:21:16 -0400

AH!! It happened. What an amazing opening night… I mean… opening afternoon! After 5 weeks of rehearsal, I performed in the July 24th matinee performance of In the Heights at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles. Pretty ridiculous.

Allow me to explain the events of the previous day:

On Friday, we had what’s called a “put in.” Sounds dirty. And it is. I’m essentially inserted into the cast and penetrated into place and I perform the show with the whole cast. (I can do this for days. seriously. see.) It was my first time doing costume changes and working with mics and, oh yeah… OTHER ACTORS. When you rehearse as a replacement, it’s usually just you and a stage manager or dance captain. You flex that imagination muscle and pretend to interact with people on stage. Finally working with live bodies was so amazing. I could connect with other people and begin to establish relationships that only add layers of depth to the patchwork of the community. The performance went incredibly well and I was on a bit of a high.

Then I had a weird night. I had a ridiculous dream/nightmare that my family won a contest to star in the show. My parents played the Rosarios and my grandmother played Abuela Claudia. And my brothers were randomly in the family. Oh, and I was Usnavi. So, in my dream we’re going through the dinner scene and my family completely forgets all their lines. Like, they started making up other story lines and laughing. It was a trainwreck, and I’m on stage desperately trying to salvage the situation. Then we’re backstage and I’m LIVID. Lots of curse words. Weird thing was that the walls backstage were made of brightly colored cartoon bricks with little cartoon eyes on each of them. It was bizarre. Then I woke up. Hmm…

Show day! Did my morning routine, got some great breakfast at a placed called Vivian’s in North Hollywood, and went to the theater. It is really all a bit of a blur. It wasn’t flawless, but it certainly wasn’t a disaster. I’m very proud of the performance and I felt very safe and welcome on stage. I can’t really tell you what happened, because it seems like the stringing together of intense moments. Hit your marks. Get the steps right. Enter here. Pull the grate down. Don’t knock the counter over.

The journey continues. Off to San Diego… and beyond!

Here I am singing “More Than Words” with Chris...

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:11:26 -0400

Here I am singing “More Than Words” with Chris Chatman. It was a part of a cabaret the cast of In the Heights did to benefit a senior center in Puerto Rico.

anybody want my autograph?... anybody?... no seriously... anybody?

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:20:00 -0400

Remember 1982? Great, because I wasn’t even a fetus yet. But some older folks were alive way back then and decided to make a movie about it. I was in it. It is called BoyBand (formerly called We Got the Beat) and it was produced and filmed right in picturesque Worcester, MA.

It premiered in a few theaters in Massachusetts in June, but unfortunately I couldn’t make it to the premier, because I was doing a show in NYC. However, before I started touring I visited my familia in Lawrence and was able to check out a screening of it at Showcase Cinemas in Revere.

Here’s the scene: I show up to an evening screening with one of my best friends, Cheo Bourne, and my lovely friend Julissa Taveras. I’m super stoked. This is the first time I’m seeing myself on a big screen. Does the camera add 10 pounds? I hope my song sounds good. This poster was in the lobby:

I’m thinking this is legit. There is a poster on an easel in the theater. On it’s own mother fucking easel. I used to scoop popcorn at a Showcase Cinemas in Lawrence, so I know that when an easel comes out of storage… Legit. I’m clearly wearing my Hollywood hat, trying to disguise myself from the droves of tweens that would be in the audience. Clearly. I quickly find my way to the theater. I hope people will like it. I hope they laugh. We get in the theater. Geez, I hope we’ll be able to find a seat…

We were the only ones in the theater. HAHA. Wait, there was also a random girl sitting by herself in the back. Where was the red carpet? Where were the t-shirts with pictures of my face? C’mon merch department. Get on that.

The movie was alright. Not great, but not terrible. I played Jordan Knight from New Kids on the Block, complete with a flat-ironed Flock of Seagulls bouffant. But the real star of that film were my high-waisted, skin tight jeans. They gave me the ass of Jessie Spano.

Dreams come true, kids. Dreams come true.

Oh, and the camera adds like 50 pounds. Precious. Jones. Realness.

...like a drunk Chita Rivera

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:32:02 -0400

Those who know me, know that “dancer” is not under my list of special skills. Don’t get me wrong, I’m the first one to throw it down in the club; bump, grind, generally gyrate. No problem. The second I am forced to do something specific, it’s like my brain implodes.

I consider myself a pretty smart guy. I wented to college. I gradiated with honors. I’m like really smart. Dancing makes me feel like a complete dumbass. I am in the front seat of the short bus wearing head gear and Depends.

So, of course, my first big acting gig, the one that will take me to the top, the one where my name will be strewn across the marquee, requires me to dance more than I have ever, EVER, danced in a show. Us leading man tenors, have it pretty easy. I always get the stand and sing parts, maybe some minor “movement” if the moment calls for it, but only in extreme cases. However, in true pay-your-dues fashion, I must become a Chorus Boy, strap on my Air Force Ones and pop, lock and heel-toe my way into the hearts of Americans across the country.

I’ve never had to develop a dance “process.” I’ve got an acting and singing process that I’ve discovered through my work over the years, but creating the same roadmap for dance has been very interesting. On the first day I feel ridiculous. My brain literally hurts. I can actually feel new neural pathways being created, connecting my head to my feet. Eventually, it gets in my body and I don’t have to think about it anymore. Our dance captains are also incredibly patient so that helps. Thanks Daniel and Cha Cha!

I’m a pretty Zen person and I’ve discovered my own ways for dealing with anxiety and stress. But rehearsing this show has really tested me. I have this sense of overwhelming pressure and desire to succeed. I just don’t want to fuck up, and being a part of such a huge machine makes the threat of failure seem pretty possible. I know that in the end, I’ll start performing and it’ll be awesome, but the process has served as a very good learning experience of what kind of performer I want to be. So much dancing is also doing wonderful things to my body :) Watch out Miami!