The Comfy Corner

When it comes to auditions, I have some stories. I mean, suffice it to say, I'm no stranger to creepy warehouses in the Bronx, okay? Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking casting couch, I'm just talking strange people asking me to do strange things. The kind of stories that make me breathe a deep sigh of relief that my mother doesn't read my blog ("Internet? That's becoming a thing now, huh?"). But let's be honest, most performers have a mental rolodex of uncomfortable audition stories, right? I mean, my roommate just got cast as a lead in a musical and when she went to her first rehearsal it turned out to be an acting class for homeless people. I mean, legit crazy people. One guy signed in as Christopher Guest - and it wasn't Christopher Guest. So with that said, I think a sufficient amount of time has passed and my emotional wounds have healed thoroughly enough that I can finally reveal the story of how I got my microwave.

I responded online to a casting notice for a "Music Video - seeking dancers." Sounds harmless enough, right? I dance, sure. I like music videos, who doesn't? "Who knows?!" Thought I, "Maybe this is actually a Beyonce music video in disguise!" I'll go ahead and quash the excitement for y'all right now - it wasn't a Beyonce music video. The guy responded casually asking me what kind of dance I do. I told him, "I'm primarily a tap dancer." He didn't seem too pleased with that. So he proceeded to ask me if I owned tights or any other "dance uniform pieces." Breezing by that little red flag, I responded, "Yes, of course, I'll bring plenty of options!" I was still hanging onto the thread of hope that this could be my chance to finally meet Beyonce. I got to the location which turned out to be his apartment (red flag) and I was the only one there (RED FLAG). It was just me and him. No Bey. He was still in his pajamas and camera equipment was strewn across his eerily empty living room (RUN AWAY, NATHAN!). He told me just to get changed, get comfortable, stretch and put on whatever music I liked. So I put on a nice long sleeve turtle neck and long pants and I asked him, "I can pick whatever music I want? You don't have a specific song that you are making the music video for?" He said, "No, I just want to film you dancing and I'll pick the music later." So that's when I said, "Peace out, dude, you're a fucking weirdo." Right? No, that's not what happened. That's what should have happened. What happened was - confused, and with an astounding amount of innocence and naiveté, I asked him, "What sort of dance are you looking for?" He said, "Ya know, contemporary." And that's when he handed me a black rose and said action.

Now, I'm usually pretty game for anything. And when I get into uncomfortable situations like this, I turn to the wisdom of Kelly Clarkson and say to myself, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." Of course, I wasn't totally sold that I was gonna make it out of this alive. So I danced. I cued up some Adele - and I danced. Literally, for my life. In his living room. While he filmed me. Then he asked me to change into some tight, short, white shorts. So I did that because I respect and listen to my directors, ya know? And he filmed me more. Then he asked what other shirt options I had. I showed him my options but none of them were good (revealing) enough. He said, "Wait a minute, I think I have something for you." He came back with a tight, mesh shirt. The kind of shirt I've only seen on creepy Latino men in the dirty corners of the Ritz. I put it on (what doesn't kill us make us stronger, right? haha... ha...ha..) and I danced with that rose like it was the last time I would ever dance (#kisstodaygoodbye). Posing. Posing. Then he asked me if I would take off the shirt entirely, maybe just dance in my underwear. I stopped dancing. Looking back, that may have been the moment in my life when I became a New Yorker. I told him absolutely not, I was not comfortable with that, and then I asked him what that microwave was doing on his floor (I had been living without a microwave for like four months because I couldn't afford one and the first thing I noticed when I walked into his apartment was that he had two microwaves #selfish). He told me it was an extra microwave that he bought on accident. I told him I wanted it and I took that microwave and left his apartment. That was that. A few minutes later he sent me a still from the video (below).

About a month ago I was lying in my bed. I had just woken up from a lovely night's rest but my eyes were still closed. You know how it is when you are awake, but not quite ready to get out of bed? That was me. And that is when the cheeky little ghost grabbed both of my big toes. The second his little ghost hands touched my toes, every drop of blood in my body turned to ice. I couldn't move a muscle. My whole body had seized up and my eyes were clamped shut. Slowly, every so slowly, he pulled on my big toes lifting my feet off of the bed and then slowly he released them back onto the bed. And after what seemed like ages, when he finally let go of my toes, my blood immediately went back to normal and I was able to open my eyes again with a sharp intake of breath. When I regained my awareness, I looked down and he was gone. The mischievous little casper had escaped!

And it is because of this incident (and several others, I could go on and on) that I believe in ghosts! I hear too many stories and I've experienced too many strange things in my short, eventful life that I have no other choice but to believe it's all real. I mean, it all kinda makes sense, right? It is scientifically proven that the soul of a human has a weight. And that soul leaves the body when it dies. They measured the weight of humans at the moment of death. And there is consistent weight loss of about 3/4 of an ounce coincident with the moment of death. Where does that weight go?! HUH!?! Huh, doubters?? Does it float away? Well, this particular soul decided to grab my toes one morning and now I'm a believer.

And that faith carries over into my belief of psychics and mediums as well. As hilarious as I think the Long Island medium is, I also think she is absolutely brilliant and deserves everything she's gotten in life. She pegs the craziest details about people! And psychics too! There was a white witch that came up to Hugh Jackman while he was working at the front desk of a gym, before ANYTHING happened for him. Before Les Miz and the Wolverine and the other ones. And she said, "Don't freak out, but tomorrow, you are gonna get a call from an agent. You should take him up on his offer. You are going to be very famous." Excuse me? Did that happen? I think it did. So now, I am patiently waiting out my days for my white witch to come and deliver MY good news. Bring it on ghosts! Bring it on dead people! Bring it on psychics! I'm ready. And as a  rebuttal for those of you who are maybe doubters of psychics and mediums... You can't deny that even if they are full of shit, they are offering people some much needed advice. They are helping people get over and deal with things they've been avoiding. Sometimes, I think psychics and mediums can tell people things that their friends or therapists just never quite figured out. So, I'm gonna call a psychic and get some things sorted out and you should all do the same. Stay comfy y'all.

I recently have been spending a great deal of time in Tribeca. For those of you who aren't familiar, it is a small neighborhood in NYC. It stands for "Triangle Below Canal" and it is literally a little triangular neighborhood just below Canal street where the rich, artist folks live. A paradox, right? Rich and artist? I honestly have no idea where any of their money comes from, but the residents of Tribeca (including Beyonce, okay? Excuse me.) are some of the most fascinating people I've ever met. Just imagine every character in the TV Show, "Girls." Here are a few of my favorite overheards:

1) "If I told you that I was actually a huge celebrity in Sweden could I get a discount?" - Rich girl whose daddy probably cut her off

2) "What if I told you I was pregnant? Do you have a pregnant discount?" - Same rich girl
"I hope you're not pregnant, because you've had 5 mimosas." - Me

3) "I haven't been in anything for a long enough time now that someone actually stopped me on the street and asked me to take a picture of THEM!" - Renee Zellweger

4) Said nonchalantly "Oh yeah, I almost forgot, your grandpa gave you five hundred dollars for your birthday." Pulls out a white envelope of cash. "Do you want it now or should I hold on to it?"

The son, equally non-chalantly, "Yeah, just hold onto it."

5) "We can drop by the candy shoppe right after the Balloon Saloon, honey." - A mom

6) "No, absolutely not, you cannot get the berries. You can have a cone of ice cream but no berries." -Questionable Tribeca Parenting?

7) "I have so many tiny hats, it's ridiculous." -Asian woman

What makes your life beautiful? It is a question that comes back to me in my toughest moments. And I think it is an important question for everyone to ask themselves every now and again. Because even though we are surrounded by beauty, it is one of those things that we get used to and take for granted. And we can't take beauty for granted, cause beauty will be PISSED! So here's a list of my personal favorite beautiful things:

1) Family and Friends - Top of the list, duh. Even though I often forget to return their calls and only call my dad when I'm really sick or need money and on Father's Day (don't forget!!!), I love my family!  And I have the best friends in the world, no arguments please.

2) Morning Coffee and Morning Talk Shows - I am a firm believer in starting your day off relaxed and stress free. It's why I always try to get to work early and have coffee. Because whatever you start your day with, you are gonna carry with you throughout your whole day. And I love Rachel Ray, I don't care what y'all think, haters gonna hate.

3) So You Think You Can Dance - The best reality show on TV, surpassing The Biggest Loser by just a tiny bit.

4) Underwear - Happiness should be built from the inside out and I am happier in really fun underwear. I just am. I know they are fun, nobody else needs to know, it's my little secret. Nathan's Secret. OOH! Trademark.

5) The Beach - For the second week in a row, my beach plans have been ruined by the rain. I'm FURIOUS! Because I LOVE the beach. I grew up in the mountains and the beach is such a foreign, exotic thing to me. I could stare at the ocean for literally hours and I have. The beach at night? Excuse me. Magical.

6) New York City - NYC and I have grand plans for this summer. It's the #summerofchang and I am gonna milk this city for everything it has. Free movies, rooftop excursions, every park, every exhibit, restaurants, bars, clubs, I'm there.

7) Trader Joe's - Not the process of shopping there because that makes my life anything but beautiful. In fact, it is probably one of my greatest sources of stress. But once those groceries are in my apartment, all is at peace in the world.

8) Babies and Marriage - I lump these two things together because they give me similar warm feelings in my uterus-stomach. I love everything about them, babies in the subway, babies at the restaurant, babies in the park, marriage anywhere, Say Yes to the Dress, David Tuterra's My Fair Wedding. It gives me life.

9) My Roomate - She gives me tough love. She tells me what I need to hear even when I don't wanna hear it. And it helps a lot. And she is also just an incredible, incredible friend. And FUNNY! Cast her! www.vanessmoyen.com

10) My Sodastream - I LOVE soda water. I drink like fifteen glasses a day. Once Sodastream entered my life, everything changed for the better and for good.

So take a moment, think about the beautiful things in your life and your comfy corner will be just a little comfier. Guaranteed. Stay comfy y'all!

In life, we can expect only the unexpected. It's depressing. It's exciting. And it's why I am so fond of the theatre. Theatre embraces the unexpected. You never know when a prop will be forgotten, a mic won't work, or an audience member will fall through a window and land on the marquis of the theatre. Every time that first word is spoken or that first downbeat of the overture is given, the dice has been rolled. And I find that as soon as that first applause moment or burst of laughter hits, actors like to get all Judge Judy on the audience. "Ugh, what a terrible crowd." "They don't know what funny is." "If they'd stop texting, maybe they could enjoy a little ART!" "This is a SOCIETY, there are RULES!" I'll be honest, these words are no stranger to my vocal folds. I love a good audience hate-fest just like any other thespian, sure - BUT, I have recently decided that from now on, when I walk onto a stage or into an audition room, it isn't gonna be about them - it's gonna be about me.

If someone says, "Wow they LOVED you tonight!" I'll respond with a casual agressiveness, "Yeah? Well, I wasn't doin' it for them, was I? I was doin' it for me!" Because life is too short to constantly and obsessively stress over whether or not other people like you. It is hard enough in this life to convince yourself to like yourself. Am I right? Can I get an amen? And I have found in the past that I will bend over backwards to make myself into exactly what other people want or need me to be. And I'm done with all that, ya see?! It's exhausting. So from now on, I'm doin' it for me. Selfish? Perhaps. But is not our primary goal in life to seek some form of happiness? And I find absolutely no joy in trying to decipher what other people think of me. Despite a few striking personality similarities, I am no Long Island medium. Hey nah-nah, what's my name? I'm Nathan Chang. And I'm bein' me. And I hope and pray that myself will be enough. That's all I can do.

Miley was just bein' Miley. Outkast was just bein' honest. And I'm just bein' me. And I'm starting today. Because why wait for the perfect moment to start something amazing, huh? I'd rather live moment to moment instead of sitting around waiting for the perfect moment. Especially since the unexpected is all we can hope to expect. Stay comfy y'all!

I've recently discovered something very odd about myself. I always start my journeys before I realize that I don't know where I'm going. For instance, I get into the car and start driving before I realize that I have no idea how to get where I'm going. Which proves to be a dangerous endeavor because I'm always fighting with Google Maps instead of paying attention to the road.  Or when I'm not in a car, I often start walking down the street in a random direction before I realize that I don't know where I'm going (so I'm fighting with Google Maps and walking into traffic - I seriously have a death wish). Now, one could analyze this a couple different ways.

One could say that I'm being a terrible Boy Scout, and one would be right, because I'm living my life in every way except prepared. I'm making decisions heedless of the consequences. Jumping into things without the proper tools needed to do them well. I often do this while I'm cooking. I'll just turn on the stove before I know what I'm cooking or before I've even taken a pan out of the cabinet or an ingredient out of the fridge (a waste of gas, don't tell my room mate). One might say I'm getting ahead of myself, putting the cart before the horse. Jumping to results instead of enjoying the journey.

Or one might say the opposite. That I'm only focused on the journey with little interest in where it will take me. I'm just jumping headfirst into things with full commitment and an open heart. Yeah, it's dangerous. Yeah, I run the risk of wrecking my car because I'm never exactly sure how I'm gonna get where I'm going. But isn't it an exciting way of going through life? Just getting in the car and driving? Just picking a random direction and walking? Just turning on the stove and figuring out a meal? Exciting? Yes. Dangerous? Yes. But I like to think that I'm at a point in my life where I'm not so much concerned with the how as I am with the what. I know what I wanna do and where I wanna go. And I think I've subconsciously decided that I'm just gonna do it and the how will figure itself out along the journey. So jump in y'all. And, as always, curl up with something or someone soft and stay comfy. Cause life is short.

I have recently started reading "Eat, Pray, Love" - a book that my male, lesbian, and masculine female friends told me was awful and I shouldn't read it - so I knew I'd love it. I'm learning so much about how to deal with men! And I am reading it during my offstage time in the current show I'm doing (...Millie). Just picture me dressed in stereotypical Asian rice-picker garb, with watery eyes and a sympathetic frown on my face reading "Eat, Pray, Love" offstage. I'm only about eight chapters in, which, for those of you who know the book, is like 8 pages. But it has immediately got me thinking about change. Change is something that I think our world is starting to accept. Well, I can't decide if it is something we have decided to accept or if we've just grown weary of fighting it. Either way, I have thought of some examples for you to chew on so that you don't have to think of any on your own.

Example one: I remember back in the earlier days of Facebook, every time something changed on my profile, it was like the world shifted off orbit a little bit. I had to blog about it, talk about it at lunch with friends, make a sassy status about it, etc. But now, it is changing with such frequency that every one seems too exhausted to care. We have become unfazed. Change on Facebook is about as big a deal as that new reality show "Splash" (Nobody cares! You guys aren't even good at diving!). Or here's another one: what about the new G-mail compose layout? I switched right on over to the new feature and didn't bat a single eyelash, not a one. And I figured there was no use "taking a tour of the new features" because it's just gonna change again (And honestly, I use Gmail to write and receive emails. That's the only feature I need from you Gmail). Ain't nobody got time to take tours of Gmail!

And to use a bigger example, gay marriage is at the forefront of political debate right now and public opinion has drastically shifted in a very short amount of time. And I wonder to myself, "Self, what made everyone change their mind so quickly?" And then I talked to a friend who said, "Yeah, my mom called me and was like, 'Hey, should I vote yes or no to this gay marriage thing?' And my friend said, 'Yes mom, obviously yes.'" And that was that. Opinion changed. So maybe most of the people in this country have just called their kids and asked them what they thought! Because they are all just tired of caring or thinking about things. Just a thought.  

All in all, I'm happy that we are growing accustomed to change. As they say in that space wars movie thing with the robots, "Resistance is futile." And I've decided to take sides with a friend of mine you may know who's named Obama. Change has become something that I believe in. And as a return-the-favor to Obama, I am consequently going to become a Chang that others can believe in. I have goals y'all! And I'm gonna make ya proud. Embrace change, embrace Chang, and stay comfy y'all!