Sondheim Forum

Off Topic => General Discussion => Topic started by: Chris L on Jun 21, 2017, 05:18 PM

Title: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jun 21, 2017, 05:18 PM
This section is for new members to introduce themselves to the community and for old FTC members to introduce themselves to the new people. I'm hoping this will make new members comfortable with posting and help them feel that they're part of this bunch of old friends, including those of us who have known each other for 15 years or more. Just say a few things about yourself, whatever comes to mind. You don't even have to mention your real name, if you aren't comfortable having it on a board that's searchable by Google bots.

I'll start out. I'm Chris Lampton. I've been a Sondheim fan for 42 years (and I'm a little bit older than 42, but I won't say how much ;) ). In the real world I'm a freelance writer, currently doing writing and editing work for websites and helping aspiring authors get their books ready for publication.

I joined the old Finishing the Chat forum on Sondheim.com in 2002 and got to know a lot of the people here in the six or seven years that followed. (That's where I met @AmyG, who I now live with.) We're a chummy group who occasionally get together for meals or to see shows (or, more often than not, both). Amy and I live in Long Beach, CA, near Disneyland, so we've also met with Sondheads who were in California to visit the park. (You'd be surprised how many Sondheads are Disney fans, including Amy and me.)

I realize that our general chumminess may be intimidating to newcomers, but we're not as cliquish as you may think. At FTC we were always thrilled to see new members and found that they revitalized the group, until a bad spamming incident caused the membership rules to be tightened. That's why we ask you to write something when you join. We just want to be sure you're not a spammer or a bot.

I hope the old FTC members will post a few things about themselves here and that new members will feel free to introduce themselves. We want to encourage people to post to keep the board interesting and alive. As long as you keep things reasonably civil, all posts are welcome.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Hester Jean on Jun 21, 2017, 06:50 PM
I'm Connie. The Hester is a long story and probably more boring than @KathyB thinks The Scarlet Letter is.  ;)

I came by Sondheim in a very strange way. I work for a local TV station and after the Oklahoma City bombing, a co-worker did a beautiful piece which he ended with  "No More". After watching the package back, wiping the tears from my eyes. I asked what that song was. He told me. I brought the recording and found my home. I still see images from that piece when I see Into the Woods.

Sondheim is so incredible!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Jenniferlillian on Jun 21, 2017, 07:08 PM
Hi, I'm Jennifer. The first time I heard Sondheim's name, I had just gotten Madonna's "I'm Breathless" record and wondered who wrote "More". Weird place to start, right? Then I saw the PBS airing of Into the Woods and was hooked.  A whole lot of cast albums later, I'm generally in awe of Sondheim's ability to capture emotional ambiguity and poignancy in the simplest of phrases.

In real life, I'm a lawyer with two small (read: not yet in kindergarten) children who is trying to write what now appears to be a 900 page fantasy epic novel in my spare time. I also sing and paint and never met a hobby I didn't at least want to try long enough to reach a decidedly mediocre skill level. I'm pretty geeky in my pop culture intake but will read nearly anything that isn't nailed down. Oh, and I obsessively love the novels of Dorothy Dunnett which makes me one of about 8 people in the world. 
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: DiveMilw on Jun 21, 2017, 07:19 PM
Hello!   I'm Tom and I live in CT.  When I first joined the board I lived in Milwaukee.  I am a scuba diver and used to be a PADI certified Dive Master.  Those last two sentences explain my screen name.  I'm no longer an active scuba diver but that could change in the future. 

I think my first exposure to Sondheim was when my babysitter was in her high school production of "West Side Story".  I was too young to know more than I really liked the show and the music and that was when my love of musicals began. 

PS - My current (and first on this forum) profile picture is of a chicken.  The chicken is on stilts.  This was part of an exhibition at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (http://www.carlemuseum.org/).  It was in a old scrapbook along with many other newspaper clippings.  I chose this picture partly because I think the last profile picture I had on the old forum was of the cat, Chicken, who was one of my roommates when I lived in Las Vegas. 

PPS - Upon further reflection it is possible my last profile pic was of actual chickens from my trip to china.  It might have been the photo "Chicken & Rice" which is a photo of two chickens walking among rice plants. 
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Bobster on Jun 21, 2017, 08:41 PM
I'm Robert.  I live in the Big Apple but wouldn't mind being in a Disneyland or World a couple times a year.

I didn't know until late high school that the soundtrack of West Side Story and OBC of Sweeney Todd we had at home (I pestered my folks to have us see the show on tour in Philadelphia), the OBC of Company from the public library as well as the soundtrack from A Little Night Music from another library were all connected by SJS.

As a freshman at NYU I made it my goal to find out more about this man.  So after Company I got the next show, NYU's library had the Vocal Score and the OBC.

The minute the music started I broke into tears.

For that was when I first heard Follies.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Vera Charles on Jun 22, 2017, 05:04 AM
I'm Mairi. My Sondheim baptism came when I played the role of Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd. Since then, I've been in quite a few productions of Sondheim shows. I was introduced to Finishing The Chat about ten (?) years ago by my good friend Rick Light (is he here yet?).

In the real world, I'm a Scot who currently lives in South West England. I work in what is loosely called Arts Education, but also do some directing and performing. when the will takes me (ie when I am asked!).
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: iheartgranola on Jun 22, 2017, 05:59 AM
I'm Bevan. I was first introduced to Sondheim my sophomore or junior year of high school, by one of my music teachers. In short order I fell hard and focused my angsty teenage energy toward studying, memorizing, etc as much of his work as possible.

I joined FTC when I was 16, while I was finding resources for some term paper or something that I was writing. I was a child, my name here was SondheimStud -- which is just one of the many things I cringe about. But FTC became a safe place for me while I was navigating some strange times, and the friends I made here walked me through some massive life transitions.

16 years later, I'm a software engineer with two beautiful and brilliant daughters.

@Chris L  and @AmyG thank you so much for reinventing this forum! The past several days have been full of an odd and familiar comfort as I've come to 'check in' on things here!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: AmyG on Jun 22, 2017, 07:55 AM
I'm learning a lot about people, even ones I've known for a long time.

I'm Amy. I am taking care of the technical aspects of the board. I picked the software and installed it. And I will be the one to maintain it. I'm a graphic designer and web developer so this is not totally foreign to me but it's a complicated piece of php software so this will be a learning experience. Don't worry. We have backups. :)

Chris and I live together in Long Beach. As he said, we met on the board. I grew up in Los Angeles but was born in New York.

I've been into Sondheim since the early 80s when I saw the original touring production of Sweeney Todd. I ended up seeing it twice and I wore out the cast album. I saw the touring production of Company before that (when I was 13) but I think I was a bit too young to get it. The pot scene was kind of an eye-rolling experience for me since I smoked pot and my parents didn't. I do remember loving "Another Hundred People". My brother Andy loved Sondheim even before I did and he had a big influence on my taste and interests. We saw a lot of Sondheim shows together. I still have all the programs.

I discovered the original Finishing the Chat board doing a Google search for reviews of Grey Gardens for an upcoming trip to New York. I had read the critics' reviews but I wanted to see what other like-minded people thought of the show. There was a whole Grey Gardens thread on the board so it came up pretty high in the Google search. The site was closed to new members but I could read all I wanted. I managed to figure out the board admin's (Mark) email and begged him to let me join. In the meantime, I lurked and learned a lot of about these people who knew nothing about me. It was kinda weird. Mark let me in a few months later.

I loved the board and thought it was time to bring it back. It seems others feel the same way.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Diane on Jun 22, 2017, 08:21 AM
I'm Diane, formerly known on the board as Diane of Troy and before that, Midwesterner.   I live in a suburb north of Chicago with my husband Will.

I just want to say that Amy and Chris are the perfect parents of our precocious new board.  Thanks, guys.

Some of my old friends may not know that I first came to the board because of the interest of my son, also Will, then aged 13.  He used the name My_Friends.   Once I got interested in the board, he all but disappeared.  Isn't that the way?  Our generation ruined Facebook for the kids also.   I vaguely knew that Will was looking at a Sondheim board, then one day he said "Mom, some of the people from this board are planning a get together at the Kennedy Center.  Can we go?"   And I said, more or less, "WITH THOSE AXE MURDERERS?"

Will is now 29 and is a composer living in Brooklyn (but not a hipster). I also have a daughter, Marie, who is 31 and lives in L.A. with her husband Dan.  They are expecting a baby in December and I'm very pleased at the idea of another generation coming along.  Dan is very musical and I'm sure will be teaching the little one to play the ukelele at an early age.

I knew of Sondheim's musicals in the 70s and 80s but a big turning point in my interest came when I saw "Into the Woods" in London in 1990.  Although at this point I might not place "Into the Woods" in my top five Sondheim shows, I was captivated by its dark whimsy and set out to learn more, acquiring CD's and DVD's and setting the stage for my young son (then only 2 years old!) to become the kind of 13 year old who seeks out a Sondheim message board.

With my kids now scattered to NY and SoCal, I travel a lot, and have met many a Sondhead in those travels.  I also live fairly close to George and we get together sometimes for non-Sondheim related events.  Hester/Connie is my true blue friend and we meet up in NY and Chicago for theater sprees.  And thanks to my friend Darin I have an idea about where to get vegan food in Chicago and NY.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: George on Jun 22, 2017, 09:09 AM
Thanks again to Amy & Chris for organizing this Board. I think it's safe to say it's the format most of us are most comfortable with, and provides an excellent framework for our ramblings.

I'm George, and also live in a suburb north of Chicago, not too far from Diane.

I live with my husband Greg (we finally married in December, 2014) and our 18 month-old Miniature Australian Labradoodle, Bennie (short for Beignet - we're foodies and New Orleans junkies), who's quite a handful.

I'm a self-employed real estate broker and have never acted in a play other than a couple school productions in grammar school. I did have an Actor's Nightmare, however, one night in which I was called upon to go on as the Baker in Into the Woods and sing "It Takes Two." Did you ever realize how tricky those words are?

I was introduced to Sondheim via a West Side Story soundtrack my mom bought at the church rummage sale across the stree for a quarter. I must've been around 7. I memorized the entire gatefold, but paid no attention to the creators of the music. Years later in college, a theatre major floor mate, Peter, had the Company OBC and I got hooked. He got cast (as Peter!) in Marquette's production of Company.

I joined the Board in 2001, in anticipation of our attending the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration, to which we'd committed four weekend trips to attend. The rest, as they say, is history.

I've enjoyed meeting dozens of Board members over the years, and count many of you among my best friends. We've shared many laughs, some tears, and some fun vacations; Robert's presence amps up any Disney trip! Chris and Amy ain't no slouches either. And, to quote the Mayor in Roxanne, "I would rather be with the people of this town than with the finest people in the world!"
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Hester Jean on Jun 22, 2017, 10:53 AM
Quote from: Diane on Jun 22, 2017, 08:21 AMHester/Connie is my true blue friend and we meet up in NY and Chicago for theater sprees.

:-*  (That is the Kissing smiley, not the Too Much Lipstick smiley! ;) )
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: artscallion on Jun 22, 2017, 10:55 AM
I'm Paul and I first joined the old board sometime in 2001. I'd been obsessed with the PBS broadcast of Into The Woods. I'd probably shock myself if I knew how many times I've watched it.  and they were launching a revival on Broadway at the time. I was fishing around the internet for info and came across this wonderful group. I've met and spent time with many of them. The guest room in my house is even named after one of them, Hester's Hollow.

My screen name comes from the fact that I am an artist (art) and a chef (scallion). plus I liked that it sounded kind of Three Muskateerish.

I was a city mouse for most of my life but traded homes for one way out in the country, literally on the edge of hundreds of acres of woods, which I occasionally go into. I have to every now and then! The move has allowed me to explore, with my husband, Dan, lots of new adventures. We've become beekeepers and gardeners. A flock of turkey live in our back yard, and we've added a small orchard of apple and cherry trees.

Professionally I'm a graphic artist who designs theatre posters. I also manage a handful of box offices in a college performing arts center. And while I no longer cook professionally, I cook more than I do anything else. So as soon as I figure out how to post pics here, I'll be inundating you all with pics of my latest creations.

I also need to figure out how to make my avatar blink.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jun 22, 2017, 11:08 AM
Re: Connie's too-much-lipstick smiley. I notice that there are alternate emoticon sets available that we can switch to on the board. I may experiment briefly to see if any are better. I have no idea what effect that will have on existing smileys (probably change them, since they seem to be generated on the fly), but don't be surprised if they all suddenly look different. If the other sets are awful, I'll switch them back.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: nulipp on Jun 22, 2017, 12:47 PM
I love Diane's "axe murderer's" story ... I remember getting a similar reaction when I told acquaintances I was meeting "my online Sondheim friends" in NYC.

My name is Michael ... I was born and raised in Connecticut, but have lived in Jacksonville, Florida, for more than thirty years.  I'm hoping to eventually find my way back North for good (not a big fan of the South  :().

I don't remember when I joined the Board, I think it was the early 2000's as well ... I've always been "nulipp" (and I like ellipses ;)).

I've always loved musicals since I saw the original Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, and Godspell back in middle school.  I've been a Sondheim fan-atic since a college music professor introduced me to Sweeney Todd way back when it opened in '79.  I was fortunate to see both the original Cariou/Lansbury production as well as the Hearn/Loudon version and the stunning before-he-became-gimmicky Doyle revival.

I am a high school Math and Physics teacher by day, but my real love is directing and performing in local theatre productions.  And I'm proud to say I've directed a number of Sondheim musicals ... and performed in some as well!

For those of you still "waiting in the wings," come on out and play.  I was very nervous to come out of hiding, but these people are the BEST ... very welcoming and, although I don't see (and haven't been online with) them much recently, I consider them some of my most generous, supportive, and thoughtful friends.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jun 22, 2017, 01:05 PM
@nulipp - I think we decided once that you had joined about the same time I did, in mid-2002. I joined because I'd just seen Merrily We Roll Along in the second set of three shows at the Kennedy Center's Sondheim Celebration and was so excited by it that I wanted to gush about it to other people. (I discovered that there were people who weren't as thrilled with it as I was. ;) )  I'd seen Merrily before, in 1990 at Arena Stage when it was still being revised, with Victor Garber as Franklin Shepard and David Garrison as Charley. It was surprisingly boring, with Garber sleep-walking through his part. But the KC's production really worked, especially with Raul Esparza going over the top as Charley, and I realized that the show was fantastic when done well. I couldn't contain my excitement, which is why you guys inherited me. ;) (And that's why my original name on the board was CharleyKringas.)
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Bobster on Jun 22, 2017, 02:39 PM
Quote from: iheartgranola on Jun 22, 2017, 05:59 AM16 years later, I'm a software engineer with two beautiful and brilliant daughters.

And a beautiful wife.  :D

Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Bobster on Jun 22, 2017, 02:41 PM
Quote from: George on Jun 22, 2017, 09:09 AMRobert's presence amps up any Disney trip!

  :-*




Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Gsavage14 on Jun 22, 2017, 03:11 PM
I'm Graeme, I think I joined the original board sometime around 2003, as something of a Sondheim newbie.

I live between Bath and Bristol, working at the Theatre Royal Bath, but have also run my own youth theatre for almost 20 years, and directed and MD'd various other groups in that time, which has given me the opportunity to direct Into the Woods three times, Sweeney Todd three times, Company, West Side Story four times, and crowbar his songs from Dick Tracy into otherwise dreary productions of Bugsy Malone! I do direct non-Sondheim stuff too, when I have to...
My wife Sarah sometimes choreographs and appears with the adult company which has grown from the youth theatre, and my 9 year old daughter is already a veteran of a crazy number of shows. The 3 year old son is still to decide whether he wants to join in too, although he is word perfect on Hamilton, Spamalot and Guns n Roses... 😂

Have made some great friends through FTC, even those ive not met outside of cyberspace, but they've always been on hand for offering sage advice, listening to problems, and usually diffusing seemingly awful situations with a healthy dose of black humour and a 'show must go on' attitude! Long may it continue.

And in the words of Boadacea Overall, "That's me, and everyone else is just chorus, so shall we crack on...?" 😂
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: KathyB on Jun 23, 2017, 10:05 AM
I'm Kathy. I live in a suburb east of Denver. I joined the original board in 1999 or so, after lurking for five years because I didn't have a regular Internet connection--only one wherever I happened to be working at the time. I'm far from the longest-tenured person on the board, though. Robert definitely predates me, and so do some other people on the member list.

I don't remember what exactly got me into Sondheim specifically. I'm thinking it was Sunday in the Park with George, which came out when I was in high school and going through a major musical theatre stage (which I never grew out of). I already knew that Sondheim wrote "Send in the Clowns" and that it was part of a musical called A Little Night Music, and that he wrote the lyrics to West Side Story, but somehow at that time something clicked in me. I purchased Follies in Concert because it had Mandy Patinkin and George Hearn in it. I purchased the book Sondheim & Co. (still a fantastic book even if it hasn't been updated in how many years). I saw Sweeney Todd in my freshman year in college. I wrote an art history paper on the similarities between the organization on A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte and the music in Sunday in the Park with George, after four years annoying my fellow art students blasting "Color and Light" and "Putting It Together" in art class. 😊

Other than that, I like listening to music (all types), going to the theatre and reading. And trying to find the best french fries in the state of Colorado.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Leighton on Jun 23, 2017, 03:15 PM
I'm Leighton.  I joined in late 2001/early 2002 ... I think I joined under the name Beadle ... although I might be making that up!

I was 15/16 when I joined, and living in south Wales; I'm now 31, and a Head of Department (Drama, naturally) in a private girls' school in Reading, England.  I'm just finishing my fourth year of teaching, having initially trained as an actor at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (though it wasn't royal in my day!) and doing a bit of acting, a bit of directing and running a youth theatre before training as a teacher (best decision I ever made).

I am engaged to the wonderful Emily, and we had our first child in August last year: Benjamin, who is wonderfully miserable!

I first met Sondheim through Send in the Clowns, but it's with Into the Woods that my love affair really started. 

And I am thrilled that this board is back: I have missed (more than I realised) the wise and witty community that we had. 
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jun 23, 2017, 03:38 PM
Quote from: artscallion on Jun 22, 2017, 10:55 AMI also need to figure out how to make my avatar blink.

@artscallion -  Try resizing your animated GIF to 65x65 pixels before uploading it. If the forum has to resize it, it will convert it to a PNG and lose the animation. We can turn this off, but supposedly PNGs (maybe because they offer more colors) resize more  clearly.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jun 23, 2017, 03:53 PM
Quote from: Chris L on Jun 23, 2017, 03:38 PM
Quote from: artscallion on Jun 22, 2017, 10:55 AMI also need to figure out how to make my avatar blink.

@artscallion -  Try resizing your animated GIF to 65x65 pixels before uploading it. If the forum has to resize it, it will convert it to a PNG and lose the animation. We can turn this off, but supposedly PNGs (maybe because they offer more colors) resize more  clearly.

@artscallion - Amy informs me that even if we turn this off, the forum will resize a GIF as a JPEG, so it would still lose any animation. This probably applies to any resizing, up or down. But if you can precisely nail the 65x65 pixels, we're pretty sure it will come through as a GIF, with animation intact.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: artscallion on Jun 23, 2017, 03:58 PM
Quote from: Chris L on Jun 23, 2017, 03:53 PM
Quote from: Chris L on Jun 23, 2017, 03:38 PM
Quote from: artscallion on Jun 22, 2017, 10:55 AMI also need to figure out how to make my avatar blink.

@artscallion -  Try resizing your animated GIF to 65x65 pixels before uploading it. If the forum has to resize it, it will convert it to a PNG and lose the animation. We can turn this off, but supposedly PNGs (maybe because they offer more colors) resize more  clearly.

@artscallion - Amy informs me that even if we turn this off, the forum will resize a GIF as a JPEG, so it would still lose any animation. This probably applies to any resizing, up or down. But if you can precisely nail the 65x65 pixels, we're pretty sure it will come through as a GIF, with animation intact.

Thanks for checking into that! I'll start working on it.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Gordonb on Jun 24, 2017, 06:40 AM
I'm Gordon; the original Gordon from London and never to be confused with the "other" GordonY from Toronto; never I tell you!

My first exposure to Sondheim was I think "A Little Night Music" at the Adelphi theatre in 1975 (I was a baby at the time!) with Jean Simmons, Joss Ackland, David Kernan, Liz Robertson, and Diane Langton; the second was probably in 1976  when the Mermaid Theatre put on a production of "Side by Side by Sondheim" after the original benefit revue at Wavendon Stables.  Millicent Martin, Julia McKenzie, David Kernan and Ned Sherrin were the original cast. At that stage of my life theatre was relatively cheap and I saw almost everything rather indiscriminately, so the 2 Sondheim shows weren't deliberate.

I didn't "get into" Sondheim until 1986 I think it was, when the BBC showed the "Follies - 4 days in New York" film. After that I was hooked.

I joined FTC after lurking for a long time in possibly the late 90s. It was either then or the very early 2000s as I went to New York for the Patti Lupone "Sweeney" at Lincoln Centre in May 2000 (where I met my first "Sondhead" AlanScott/AlanG/Alan Gomberg.

Since the early glory days of FTC I have got to know several "Sondheads" in person both here in London  - Mairi, Sarah, JonA, Ray Rackham, Sebastian (sorry if i missed anybody) and in the USA - @Hester Jean, @George, @Diane together with assorted spouses/offspring.

I live in South East London with my partner Rey who cooks (I cook a bit too but mainly I eat!). I'm retired from "proper" work but still working part-time whilst we figure out what to do in my dotage, and where to do it.

Like all of us I am glad that the board is back;  thanks to @Chris L and @AmyG who I hope to have the pleasure of meeting live and in person in the autumn, not in the fall but in the autumn C:-)
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: JustTheOneAnne on Jun 24, 2017, 09:59 AM
Hi!  I'm Anne, formerly annedahlin (from a youthful Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood phase), but nobody knew what that even meant or how to pronounce it, which I realized when I started meeting people from the board, so I've switched to Anne of Green Gables.

Anyway!  I joined the board as a lonely 14-year-old high school freshman who had just discovered A Little Night Music and Into the Woods and was looking for ANYBODY with whom to discuss them. (My family loves musicals but none are Sondheim fans beyond Into the Woods, mostly because I was in Into the Woods a few times.) I found the board and I learned so much. I was pretty much blown away by the level of knowledge of the posters here, and as I think Jenny has posted on Facebook (or maybe one of the other FTC Youth folks), I learned how to really write on this board.

Almost sixteen years later, I'm an opera singer! Wild. The board and the people I've met through the board have been so incredibly supportive, from coming to my performances (all of the Chicagoland folks--Diane, both Wills, George and Greg--and Kathy, who schlepped to Colorado Springs one summer to hear me sing) to helping me arrange an audition at Welsh National Opera (Mairi!), and just generally always having positive things to say when I have posted videos or news. You all have been some of my biggest fans and cheerleaders, and I am so grateful.  I'm working on my masters degree at Indiana University, but I'm currently in Berlin improving my German, and then I'm going to Paris (no particular reason, just a free week in Europe!) and Harrogate, UK to sing some Gilbert and Sullivan.

I look forward to "meeting" new members when they arrive!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: DrPangloss on Jun 24, 2017, 12:13 PM
Hello, all! I'm David. For a very long time I was DrPangloss, but I'm sure I had another username before that as I was a member of FTC since before I played Pangloss at age 17. I remember being grilled by the Sondheim Youth faction when I first joined (some of whom I later learned were younger than I was!) and knew that I'd fit right in with any group of teens as pedantic as I was about Sondheim.

Now, I'm a working musical theatre writer and director in NYC. I was very remiss in letting you all know about my last long-runner, Wild Women of Planet Wongo, which recently closed after 9 months at Parkside Lounge on the LES. I'm going into previews for Me the People, the Trump America musical, which I assistant directed. We'll be running at The Triad Theatre until September 3rd (or until he's impeached).

Sorry to turn this into a plug, but if you're interested definitely message me here, and most of you I'm facebook friends with and I'm posting all about it there.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jun 24, 2017, 01:29 PM
Quote from: DrPangloss on Jun 24, 2017, 12:13 PMSorry to turn this into a plug, but if you're interested definitely message me here, and most of you I'm facebook friends with and I'm posting all about it there.

We have no problem with plugs, David. In fact, if you want to post more about it, there's an Announcements section under Theater in General that's precisely for that. And nobody's posted in it yet!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: JustTheOneAnne on Jun 24, 2017, 03:26 PM
Quote from: DrPangloss on Jun 24, 2017, 12:13 PMHello, all! I'm David. For a very long time I was DrPangloss, but I'm sure I had another username before that as I was a member of FTC since before I played Pangloss at age 17.

Awww, I remember that production of Candide.  And the Voice for the Actor class at French Woods where I met you! :)
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: scenicdesign71 on Jun 25, 2017, 08:46 PM
I'm Dave.  I joined FTC in 2004 and, after the past year or so of chafing against the limitations of Facebook Groups, I couldn't be happier that this format has been revived -- thanks, Amy and Chris!

I became aware of Sondheim's works in 1983, somewhere around my 12th birthday -- though I'd been fascinated by musical theatre for a few years before that, so I already knew him as the name behind the lyrics of WSS and Gypsy.  But in 1983* my mom took me to see a local university production of Sweeney Todd -- twice, I was so gobsmacked by it -- and I was hooked.  A year later came the Tony clip of SITPWG, and its cast album, causing me to wonder "is Stephen Sondheim God?" well before New York magazine entertained the question, and to start collecting his other OBCRs.  In high school I was briefly distracted by the British megamusicals -- the hot new thing, at the time -- but by the time I came to NYC for college, their appeal had cooled and I was back in full Sondhead mode.

I've probably listened to the recorded works of SJS more than those of any other single artist.  But I've been through phases, sometimes years at a time, of not thinking about or listening to them much.  It was at the end of one such "off" phase that I stumbled upon FTC just by typing "sondheim.com"  into my browser to see whether such a site existed.

I eventually settled in there as something of a resident brainiac (one among many, to my delight) -- relatively shy around social chitchat, but with a hair trigger for long-winded, hopelessly self-serious exegeses of the works of SJS and his peers.  And, occasionally, of my own little design projects (see below), on the Announcements and Show Pics threads.  But I try to make up for it by embracing the general "house style" of friendliness and respectful debate, which drew me to FTC in the first place and kept me there happily for over a decade.  Also by making sure to puncture my own pretensions at regular intervals.

In the real world I'm a set designer (https://issuu.com/davidesler/docs/davidesler) and painter (https://app.photobucket.com/u/scenicdesign71/a/9cb2b905-a86d-4126-988d-321e27bf2dd1/p/eb7d5b1e-001a-4fd2-a9fa-3fb1e48837ce?mode=zoom), sometimes branching into projections (https://vimeo.com/3178389) and (rarely) costumes (https://app.photobucket.com/u/scenicdesign71/p/32a4c02a-360c-4a6c-8944-d9e7602fb8a4?mode=zoom).  My degree is in scenic and costume design, though most of my time for the past couple of years has been devoted to painting other (https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Jungle-Season-1/dp/B00I3MNGCG) people's sets (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2937900/) for television (http://www.cbs.com/shows/madam-secretary/).  I've been a proud union member (IATSE Local USA-829) since 2010, a long-overdue achievement -- almost exactly 15 years after receiving my MFA -- which I remember celebrating on FTC's Pretty Wicker Settee.


Sadly, I've designed only a handful of small productions of SJS's works:  ...Forum (twice, both in summer stock; I've also painted two other productions that I didn't design -- so I've actually worked on four different Forums); Sweeney (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/nyregion/sweeney-todd-at-the-gateway-playhouse-review.html) (summer stock again); and Assassins (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyabd1_dlv0) (on the London fringe, with direction and lighting by two other FTC members).  While Mr. S. Himself was in the general vicinity of the latter two productions during their limited runs, he was regretfully unable to attend either. But I was thrilled to learn that he did see a play I designed off-Off Broadway: a brain-tickling "meta-comedy" (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/theater/reviews/rogerandtom-by-julien-schwab-at-here-arts-center.html) which -- according to friends who were there the same night -- he seemed to enjoy enormously.

_______________________________
* So long ago that I had to google the date -- the Interweb truly knows all: Sweeney Todd, WMT, 1983-84 season (https://www.wm.edu/as/tsd/theatre/_documents/WMT_1926_on.pdf).
I'm the son of two humanities-Ph.D./novelists, what can I say? I use words like "exegeses" and write posts with freaking footnotes.     :-[
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: ignatzmouse on Jun 26, 2017, 10:31 AM
Hello everyone. My name is Simon, i'm from North Yorkshire, England, UK. I am new to this forum.

I am here to learn more about Stephen Sondheim. I am an enthusiast, but have little knowledge of Musical Theatre. Apart from Stephen Sondheim, i don't really like musical theatre. (so far!) There must be some great stuff.. so.. i'm looking forward to being diected towards some new great music.
Is there anyone else on the forum from the UK i wonder ?
Thanks Chris for approving my submission.

Simon (ignatzmouse)
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jun 26, 2017, 10:45 AM
Quote from: ignatzmouse on Jun 26, 2017, 10:31 AMHello everyone. My name is Simon, i'm from North Yorkshire, England, UK. I am new to this forum.

I am here to learn more about Stephen Sondheim. I am an enthusiast, but have little knowledge of Musical Theatre. Apart from Stephen Sondheim, i don't really like musical theatre. (so far!) There must be some great stuff.. so.. i'm looking forward to being diected towards some new great music.
Is there anyone else on the forum from the UK i wonder ?
Thanks Chris for approving my submission.

Simon (ignatzmouse)

Welcome to the cookie jar, Simon, as we used to say on the old forum. I think you'll find that there are plenty of UK members here, possibly more than there are American members. Glad to have you on board and I hope you learn a great deal about musical theater. You'll find that we have several posts already about musicals not by Sondheim in the Theater in General section, more than we have currently about Sondheim. And if you have questions you'd like to ask there (like "What shows/albums do people recommend I see/listen to?",  feel free to ask them. (In fact, that's not a bad idea for a thread.)
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Hester Jean on Jun 26, 2017, 10:51 AM
Quote from: artscallion on Jun 22, 2017, 10:55 AMI've met and spent time with many of them. The guest room in my house is even named after one of them, Hester's Hollow.

 :-*  :-*  :-*
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Bookman George on Jul 04, 2017, 08:43 AM
I'm George, but I couldn't use that as my screen name because the other George had already claimed it. So I used Bookman, a reference to my profession as a librarian.

I was kind of late to the board because for a period of time, membership was closed. But I was a lurker -- and felt like I knew a lot of the posters long before I could actually post myself.

I live in St. Louis, which is where Hester Jean/Connie also lives. Shortly after I joined officially, we met for coffee, and now we see each other at performances of all kinds all over town. She was the one who started calling me Bookman George, so that is the name I now go by.

I am among the oldest of the members in actual years -- I am 68, and now retired. I've loved musicals all my life -- inherited that from my parents. I've attended hundreds of performances at the huge outdoor summer theater here, known as the Muny. It's anything by intimate -- there are 10,000 seats, over a thousand of which are free to the public every night. But amazingly, I have seen a lot of fabulous performances there. When they can take advantage of the size and create a real "Muny moment," there is nothing like it. Not everything has been great, of course -- and it can be hotter than hell out there. But in balance, I have loved it. Now, in my retirement, I am a volunteer in the Muny archives. The theater will have its 100th season next year, and there will be an exhibit at the Missouri History Museum highlighting this unique St. Louis institution. My volunteer work is great fun.

My first exposure to the name Sondheim was when it appeared as the lyricist on our family's LP of West Side Story. Then Gypsy, Forum, etc. Despite not living near NYC, I saw the original casts of Company (when Dean Jones was still playing Bobby) and Sweeney Todd. Besides those show in NYC, I've seen lots of Sondheim in St. Louis, some in Chicago, and a fabulous Little Night Music in Central City, CO. I know some of the Sondheads travel regularly to catch productions far and wide, but I am less adventurous than that, and wait for things to come to my doorstep.

It is so good to be back among this fun and affectionate on-line community!

Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: valmont on Jul 05, 2017, 07:15 PM
I'm Darin.  I joined the original board in 1998.  I think my handle was always valmont, but things were kind of volatile back then and the board went through a few incarnations.

In high school, my older sister and her best friend used to play records after school.  I was much younger but they often let me join them.  He liked musicals, so it was almost always a cast album we listened to.  We sometimes watched the Tony Awards broadcast.  I remember one year the cast of Evita was performing, and I said with all the natural aplomb of a twelve year old, "who wants to watch a show about a married couple in bed??"  (I figured it out, eventually.)  The following year, we saw the excerpt from Sweeney Todd, and Steve, a fan of Angela Lansbury, ran out and got the album and we all sat silently listening, awestruck.

I work as a software engineer but I have advanced degrees in music and always wanted to compose musicals.

I've had the good fortune to meet many of the Sondheads face-to-face.  It has been like meeting a second family.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: George on Jul 10, 2017, 07:22 AM
Quote from: Bookman George on Jul 04, 2017, 08:43 AMI'm George, but I couldn't use that as my screen name because the other George had already claimed it.



Don't you mean the real George?!   ;D
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: mrssondheim on Jul 11, 2017, 06:57 PM
Hello, my name is Aileen.

I have no idea when I started on the board.  I think I was directing Gypsy at the time, and found this group while doing research for the show.

When I first joined the board my name was Gypsydiva, then Mrs. Sondheim.  Now I am MamaRose.

I live in Sunny California, in Oxnard near the beach.  I am an actress and director, having done many Sondheim shows such as Company, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park With George, and Assassins.  There may be others, but I can't think of them right now.  Lol.

When I am not doing the above, I make extra money working with kids teaching them theater and music. I love seeing the love of theater and music grow in them.  It makes my heart burst!!!!

I love passion of any kind, in art, gardening, cooking, writing, etc (especially etc, heh heh). 

Damn, this sounds like an EHarmony profile. This board has seen me through a few boyfriends, but I just recently got married and am very happy.

I have met many of the board members, and miss them very much!  When I first went to NYC to meet up with some, I felt like a freak!!!  Who meets people from a board????  They are all gonna be ax murderers!!!!!  They ended up being wonderful people who I love with all my heart, though the first one I met ended up being a bit crazy, faking his death and so forth.  What was his name???

I love my job, but some times I think about going back to the corporate life just so I can afford trips to NYC and the like.  They are never cheap trips, and art doesn't pay that well.

Well damn.  The above sounds so silly.  To the oldies, I love you and thank you Chris and Amy.  To the newbies, welcome to the cookie jar.  This is a wonderful place to come to and chit chat about the good and bad.  Art and drivel.  Food and heart ache. 

I am so glad the board is back.  I may delete this later and write a new one.  Lol.

Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: KathyB on Jul 11, 2017, 08:00 PM
Quote from: mamarose on Jul 11, 2017, 06:57 PMI have met many of the board members, and miss them very much!  When I first went to NYC to meet up with some, I felt like a freak!!!  Who meets people from a board????  They are all gonna be ax murderers!!!!!  They ended up being wonderful people who I love with all my heart, though the first one I met ended up being a bit crazy, faking his death and so forth.  What was his name???


I am the proud owner of a Lizzie Borden bobble head given to me by Aileen (when she was my Secret Sondheim) to let me know she wasn't an axe murderer. :)
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: mrssondheim on Jul 11, 2017, 08:18 PM
Quote from: KathyB on Jul 11, 2017, 08:00 PM
Quote from: mamarose on Jul 11, 2017, 06:57 PMI have met many of the board members, and miss them very much!  When I first went to NYC to meet up with some, I felt like a freak!!!  Who meets people from a board????  They are all gonna be ax murderers!!!!!  They ended up being wonderful people who I love with all my heart, though the first one I met ended up being a bit crazy, faking his death and so forth.  What was his name???


I am the proud owner of a Lizzie Borden bobble head given to me by Aileen (when she was my Secret Sondheim) to let me know she wasn't an axe murderer. :)

Oh my goodness, I had forgotten all about that!!!  I wish I still had mine.  Alas and alack. 
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Vera Charles on Jul 11, 2017, 11:53 PM
Quote from: mamarose on Jul 11, 2017, 06:57 PMWell damn.  The above sounds so silly.  To the oldies, I love you and thank you Chris and Amy.  To the newbies, welcome to the cookie jar.  This is a wonderful place to come to and chit chat about the good and bad.  Art and drivel.  Food and heart ache. 

I am so glad the board is back.  I may delete this later and write a new one.  Lol.


Me, too.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Bookman George on Jul 13, 2017, 11:37 AM
Quote from: George on Jul 10, 2017, 07:22 AM
Quote from: Bookman George on Jul 04, 2017, 08:43 AMI'm George, but I couldn't use that as my screen name because the other George had already claimed it.



Don't you mean the real George?!   ;D


Of course I do! I defer to your authenticity!!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: JimW on Jul 26, 2017, 04:17 PM
I felt it was appropriate to use my first post here to introduce myself to those who don't know me.  It's like a new beginning.

So I'm Jim, living in Dublin in Ireland.  I work as a Project Manager/Business Analyst by day in the FinTech industry.  Recently had a significant birthday but I look tem years younger (or so I tell myself).

I joined the original board back in 2004 or so and was thrilled to find so many people who shared my obsession with Stephen Sondheim and musical theatre in general.  I will admit though to being slightly in awe of the knowledge base of the contributers back then. Not that this ever stopped me for sharing my opinions and points of view (that's almost impossible) because it was a welcoming place to talk and even if people didn't agree with what you said they shared that in a polite and supportive manner.  In the last few years of the board I did become more of a lurker and only posted occasionally but that was more to do with personal stuff that was going on at the time.  I'll try to be a bit more present here because I did miss the board when it finally disappeared.

I do musical theatre and drama as a hobby, both acting and directing.  It's mainly been onstage in the last few years but I have directed a few one-act plays.  Last role was Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd which I thoroughly enjoyed because I had been waiting to do a production of Sweeney for many years.  No upcoming roles planned at the moment but do hope to direct another one-act in September/October.

That's really it in a nutshell.  Great to be back and thanks to those who made it possible.

Edit to Add: I'm a terrible self-editor so expect to see the word Edit beside practically all of my posts!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: JimW on Jul 26, 2017, 04:31 PM
Forgot to say in my original post that one of my most favourite times from this board was when we all met up for the Encores Follies in New York 2008 or so.  It was really great to meet some many of the people that I knew through the board.  Haven't managed to make it back to NY since then actually as far as I can think.  I'll need to rectify that.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Vera Charles on Jul 26, 2017, 04:51 PM
Quote from: JimW on Jul 26, 2017, 04:17 PMEdit to Add: I'm a terrible self-editor so expect to see the word Edit beside practically all of my posts!
Hah hah! I'm very happy to come out of the closet as one of those, too!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jul 26, 2017, 04:55 PM
Hey, Jim! Glad you could make it and hope to see Edit on many posts from you! ;)
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: AmyG on Jul 26, 2017, 05:20 PM
Quote from: JimW on Jul 26, 2017, 04:17 PMEdit to Add: I'm a terrible self-editor so expect to see the word Edit beside practically all of my posts!
I am too @JimW. That's why I made the courtesy edit wait time, that is, the amount of time you have to edit your post before it's marked as edited, a whopping 10 minutes. I love power!  ;)

Oh, and this post officially makes me a Full Member! 🍾🎉🥂
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: scenicdesign71 on Jul 26, 2017, 07:22 PM

Quote from: JimW on Jul 26, 2017, 04:17 PMEdit to Add: I'm a terrible self-editor so expect to see the word Edit beside practically all of my posts! 
Quote from: Vera Charles on Jul 26, 2017, 04:51 PMHah hah! I'm very happy to come out of the closet as one of those, too!
Quote from: AmyG on Jul 26, 2017, 05:20 PMI am too @JimW. That's why I made the courtesy edit wait time, that is, the amount of time you have to edit your post before it's marked as edited, a whopping 10 minutes. I love power!   ;)
Me too three four!  I had a hunch the wait time was new -- thanks, Amy!  So far it hasn't actually stopped me from compulsively tweaking long after ten minutes, but it's encouragement in the right direction, so who knows -- eventually it might actually "take"!   ;D
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jul 26, 2017, 08:43 PM
Quote from: AmyG on Jul 26, 2017, 05:20 PMOh, and this post officially makes me a Full Member! 🍾🎉🥂
Congratulations! It's nice to have two of us in the household! (Actually, I'm up to Sr. Member now and approaching a previously unrevealed milestone I recently added to the database. I love power too!  ;D
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: fjlumia on Jul 30, 2017, 01:00 PM
Hello, My name is Frank.  I am a retired nuclear cardiologist.  I went to my first Broadway play in 1953.  It was Teahouse of the August Moon with David Wayne.  My brother who was 10 years older took me. (My brother was an only child for almost 10 yrs.)  My first musical was Roberta at the St. John Terrell Music Circus.  Smoke gets in Your Eyes is still a favorite of mine. 
When I was in Jr High I went to NYC 3-4 times a year with friends and in high school we went often during the school year.  As part of our 9th grade trip we went to NYC to see the Diary of Ann Frank.  Our Drama teacher took us to see the Abby Players, too.
I went to school in Chicago and frequented the Schubert and Goodman Theaters.  My friends also dragged me to my first opera and ballet and I have been hooked on the dramatic arts ever since.
My wife and I lived in DC for a few years and then on LI before settling in NJ.  Theater has always been a big part of our lives Took each child to an opera before age 7 and my youngest saw Annie and Barnum before he was 5.  In NJ we attend McCarter and the George St theaters.  Both are professional companies.  McCarter won a regional Tony and produced Tony winning plays.  
Going to NYC can be expensive but we go as often as we can.  We saw Hamilton before the rage took off.  Just saw War Paint.
The first Sondheim was West Side story.  We saw Company and were unsure until we listened to the music a few times.  From then on we knew about Sondheim.  We saw the original A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Passion, Pacific Overtures.  We finally saw Follies with Ann Miller as Carlotta and then the recent revival with Bernadette Peters.  Of course I have the concert version CD!
Got to meet the great man twice.  The first time i complimented him which upset him and he walked away.  The next time I knew better and he signed a book for me although they said that he would not.
One other comment.  Saw Night Music at NY with Jeremy Irons as Frederic.  He dominated the stage and the story was suddenly about Frederic.  Its the only time I do not know who played Desiree!  Think this musical is a jewel and love it.  The Peters/Stritch version was beautiful but was done on cheap.  One did not dine with a Duchess is daytime clothes.  The men should have been in white tie and tails and the women in evening dress.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jul 30, 2017, 01:16 PM
Hi, Frank! Glad you finally came over here and introduced yourself. I spent most of my life in the DC area, but it's not quite as easy to get to New York theater there as it is from New Jersey, especially if you want to drive home afterwards. My first actual experience in a theater was at the age of six or seven when I saw Cyril Ritchard in Gore Vidal's Visit to a Small Planet at the old Schubert Theater in DC. I still remember the set quite vividly, but nothing else about it.

You've racked up an impressive list of Sondheim shows in your theater life. I had the opportunity to see the original productions of both Company and Pacific Overtures, but turned them down, something I've regretted for the rest of my life. (Pacific Overtures tried out in DC and they were papering the theater to get a full house on opening night. I still can't remember why I didn't go.)
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Vera Charles on Jul 30, 2017, 01:35 PM
Quote from: fjlumia on Jul 30, 2017, 01:00 PMHello, My name is Frank.


..... Took each child to an opera before age 7 ....
Hello, Frank. Welcome! 
We should really start an opera going thread, shouldn't we? 
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jul 30, 2017, 03:22 PM
Quote from: Vera Charles on Jul 30, 2017, 01:35 PMWe should really start an opera going thread, shouldn't we?
If by "we" you mean "you" -- yes. ;)

(@AmyG will happily join in.)
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: fjlumia on Jul 30, 2017, 04:45 PM
Yes, I think an opera page would be a good idea. 
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Vera Charles on Jul 31, 2017, 01:08 AM
Quote from: Chris L on Jul 30, 2017, 03:22 PM
Quote from: Vera Charles on Jul 30, 2017, 01:35 PMWe should really start an opera going thread, shouldn't we?
If by "we" you mean "you" -- yes. ;)

(@AmyG will happily join in.)
Hee hee! I promise that I will as soon as I've been to see anything. We also used to have a theatre going thread, didn't we? Again, if I see anything (don't have much planned at the moment) I promise I'll start one, or maybe @Diane or @Hester Jean might get there before me!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Hester Jean on Jul 31, 2017, 01:08 PM
Quote from: Vera Charles on Jul 31, 2017, 01:08 AM
Quote from: Chris L on Jul 30, 2017, 03:22 PM
Quote from: Vera Charles on Jul 30, 2017, 01:35 PMWe should really start an opera going thread, shouldn't we?
If by "we" you mean "you" -- yes. ;)

(@AmyG will happily join in.)
Hee hee! I promise that I will as soon as I've been to see anything. We also used to have a theatre going thread, didn't we? Again, if I see anything (don't have much planned at the moment) I promise I'll start one, or maybe @Diane or @Hester Jean might get there before me!
I was thinking about starting an Opera thread, since Opera Theatre season was just winding up when the Board was born, because we had a great year!  But then I realized only @Bookman George and I would be interested!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jul 31, 2017, 01:20 PM
Quote from: Hester Jean on Jul 31, 2017, 01:08 PMI was thinking about starting an Opera thread, since Opera Theatre season was just winding up when the Board was born, because we had a great year!  But then I realized only @Bookman George and I would be interested!

I think quite a few people would be interested.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: scenicdesign71 on Jul 31, 2017, 06:51 PM
I might not contribute much, but I'd be very interested in reading what others have to say.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Amy on Mar 25, 2018, 08:25 AM
Hi. I'm another Amy. I happened to catch the movie version of, "A Little Night Music" on TV when I was in my 20s and I fell in love with it. I've since learned from critics that movie was pretty bad, but I didn't know it at the time.  :)
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Mar 25, 2018, 02:19 PM
In keeping with our old tradition, welcome to the cookie jar, @Amy!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: DiveMilw on Mar 26, 2018, 08:52 AM
Hi "another Amy"  ;)   Welcome to the board!!

ps - My name is Tom. 
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Leighton on Mar 27, 2018, 11:27 AM
Welcome!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: MartinG on Mar 28, 2018, 12:35 AM
Quote from: DiveMilw on Mar 26, 2018, 08:52 AMHi "another Amy"  ;)   Welcome to the board!!

Hi Amy.
How many do we need for a multitude?
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: It Takes All Kinds on Jul 30, 2019, 01:36 AM
I finally joined a few months ago, but I didn't introduce myself at the time. Many of you know me just as Alan or AlanG or AlanScott or Go-to-Hell Alan or even — what the hell? — Alan Gomberg. Hi!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Chris L on Jul 30, 2019, 10:24 AM
Hey, Alan! Glad to see you were able to get back. If you feel like posting or even starting a thread, don't hesitate. We're way too slow now and need more posts, especially intelligent, knowledgeable ones, to get things rolling. We have a few steady visitors, but we haven't achieved a critical mass yet.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: KathyB on Jul 30, 2019, 02:30 PM
Alan! Great to see you here!
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: It Takes All Kinds on Jul 31, 2019, 01:54 AM
Hi, Kathy! Glad to see you here, too. It's been a long time since we've been in touch, and I've wondered how you were. I should have emailed you.
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: DiveMilw on Aug 03, 2019, 06:18 PM
Welcome (back), Alan!! 
Title: Re: Introduce Yourself
Post by: Jenniferlillian on Aug 07, 2019, 04:10 AM
Hi Alan! Welcome back:)