I am filled with rage at the moment. So, I didn't want to blog about finding our apartment until I knew 100% that we'd be living there, and now I'm glad I didn't. Long story short: Alex and I found a great apartment this weekend in Jackson Heights that was big and in a good area. It was through a real estate agency in Queens (NY is probably the only city in the US where you have to use a realtor to find an apartment), and we decided to take it because we are both SICK of looking. We went back to the agency, filled out tons of forms, got about 100 forms for Alex's parents (our co-signers) to fill out, and we put down a deposit of $800. They told us it would take a couple days for everything to go through.

The agent called me today and told me that we didn't get the apartment. Apparently, we were approved and our paperwork was great, but another agent at this same agency had shown the apartment to someone else who had gotten their application in before ours. So, the apartment board approved theirs instead.

They have another similar apartment that is a little closer to the city and a little bigger for $100 more a month that is opening up on October 22nd, and apparently we can "be at the top of the list" for that. I hear it is in a similar building. After talking to Alex (he helped calm me down), we decided we are going to look at it on Friday. We just don't want to deal with any more paperwork. It'd be nice, though unlikely, if they could give us some kind of a discount (maybe a little off the top of their finder's fee?) for putting us through this trouble.

New York City is pushing my mental buttons while making me jump through hoops. This is one of the ultimate tests to becoming a New Yorker, I swear. After starting the hunt for places to live in mid-July, I'm just ready to settle down on a sofa with some nice cable television. My roommates at my current apartment (mice and cockroaches) don't help the situation, either. OK, I'm going to stop complaining about it now and be happy.

Tomorrow night is Opening Night for Mauritius! I will be working in the Patron's Lounge with Jen and then working a little bit at the party which will take place at Bryant Park Grill. There, I will be acting as a table guard (telling important people they can't switch the name settings to sit by famous people and vice versa) and a door monitor (think bouncer)...haha. There is going to be an after-after party for MTC staff after we are all done working, so that should be good! We all still have to be to work on-time Friday, however.

With Opening Night here, things are crazy at the office. There is so much politics involved when it comes to seating at the performance and reception. With so many important and famous people in one room at one time, there has to be a lot of meticulous planning on our end. It's also even crazier because two of the people I work under (Antonello and Sage) are on a cruise this week, so there's a lot more work.

I served Ethan Hawke the other night in the P.Lo. He came in and looked really out-of-place among all the well-dressed patrons. He was scruffy and was wearing a cap and an old hoodie. I almost asked to see his patron card (which we are supposed to do if we don't recognize someone as a patron) but then realization set in when we made eye contact and he started talking to me. He was really friendly and he even tipped me!

Also, Matthew Broderick was in the office the other day. They are busy casting the other roles for his play with us in the spring, The Starry Messenger. I heard he was coming in, and I didn't even recognize him the first time I saw him. I had to go back and look a second time (very nonchalantly, of course). I just finished reading the script for this, and it's very good. I guess that it's also going to be made into a movie in the near future starring him as well.

I met with Leslie Giammanco Thursday, a close friend of my old voice teacher Lauri at Mac www.lesliegiammanco.com . She actually lives near me, so I went over to her apartment. Although it's only about 7 blocks away, it's an entirely different neighborhood with beautiful luxury apartments. She is a prominent voice teacher who is opening her own business called Divagrams, where she lines up well-known performers to do singing telegrams. She was actually in the original Broadway touring cast of Phantom of the Opera. Before, we had emailed about me possibly working for her in trade for voice lessons, but she doesn't need the help right now. She's very nice, however, and treated me as a good friend from the beginning of our chat, giving me wonderful advice. She really does know many industry people, so she's a good contact to have. And Lauri's coming to visit in a couple weeks, so we are all going to get together then.

Yesterday some friends and I went to a seminar that is specifically for people doing theatre internships in New York, and the speakers for the evening were agents. After hearing all about what they do, I've found that it's a new area of interest for me. I never before really considered becoming an agent, but I think that it's something I might be good at and enjoy. I'll have to look into it a little...