Matt gets sappy about his first year in NYC and network television… box wine was not involved.
Wow! What a fantastic day. What a fantastic first year in New York for that matter. April 30th marked one year in this crazy city. It was a year of cold showers, cockroaches, hunger, profiteering sublessors, poverty, rejection, rodents, nights without heat, homesickness, superficial socialite hypocrites, and destroyed credit. Despite it all, the year was so amazing that none of the nonsense could keep me down.
Right now I’m reading Dracula, something I thought I’d never do as vampires are one of the few things that terrify me. In it, Bram Stoker writes, “we learn from failure, not from success!” I can’t count count the amount of times I failed in this past year. But I can tell you that each time, and I’m so thankful that this is the case, something inside me said, “get back up, brush yourself off, and do it again.”
There were lots of risks involved with coming to New York. First off, I didn’t have anywhere to live. My family all thought I did but they would’ve been worried sick if they knew I didn’t. I started in a hostel which wasn’t bad, the main problem was lack of privacy and you could only stay for 14 days by law. So I would’ve been moving very frequently had I not found a permanent place to live. Second, I got rid of almost everything I’d accumulated in my years on this planet. The things I was able to sell, funded my trip — I made a mere $4,000. I came here with two bags and a guitar. The rest, went to charity. Third, I left an amazing life in L.A., fantastic friends, a network of people who knew me, but I just felt something here calling me — maybe it was the theatre, maybe it was the city, maybe I anticipated Ugly Betty would move to New York. But I followed my dream. This year, I performed in my first Off-Broadway show. I did an Off-Off-Broadway Show. I wrote part of a score. I quit my day job. I studied acting with one of the city’s best teachers. I learned a lot about acting and singing. I’ve been in productions non-stop since the beginning of 2009. I learned a lot about life. I also realized I’m in this for the long haul.
Anyway, I’d been meaning to post something up here for a while besides, “look I’m in another show” — trust me, I don’t mind doing that at all. But tonight, I was very compelled to reflect on how lucky I am when I saw the pilot for FOX’s new show “Glee”. It reminded of my joy for all of this growing up. Where would I would I be without my parent’s realization that my overactive imagination could be a benefit on stage, or without my tape recorder, or without all of the teachers who gave their time so passionately. “Glee” brought me back to a simpler time — and the music was soooo good. It materialized on television the feeling inside me that kept me going. That’s what made me give up everything, that’s what will keep me going, that’s the place I go inside whenever I feel like things are so difficult. Anyway, I hope you check it out.
