Now was the time to concentrate on getting on stage. I had participated in a couple of staged readings at NYU and Columbia, but I had never been in a full-fledged stage production. I figured I would be performing in some hole-in-the-wall spot downtown and get seen by very, very few people. That would be fine; I just needed to get onstage. So I get this audition for a play and it goes really well. The director stopped me before we were even half way finished and gave me a same day callback.

I go to the callback and see the other guys warming up their voices and stretching in preparation to sing and dance. WHAT!!! I don't sing or dance--at least not for money. We are paired up in groups of three and are given pieces to sing as well as movements to act out. I was horrified at first to be expected to do these things at the same time. I did the best I could and got another callback two days later. This time it was just scene work. The next day I was booked!!

I had no idea what the magnitude of this show was. I was working with an award winning director & choreographer, an amazing musical director, getting my Equity card, performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC as well as in New Jersey and on salary!! I was tripping out. The cast was incredible, I was fortunate to be working with them. I remember asking some of the other cast members "if it was normal to get a standing ovation every night" they assured me that it was not normal. While performing in DC all of the cast members had our own apartments. We were living better than we did in NYC in our regular apartments!!

The husband of Oscar nominee Laura Linney was in the show, so I got to meet her a couple of times. Oh yeah, the best job I ever had gave me 3 months off to do this show! The Harley Davidson Cafe in NYC was definitely important to my progress.