Hey there,
I've had some major personal things going on and this past weekend, I was thrown for a whole new unexpected loop.
Some of you may know that pimarily what I do in life is produce theatrical events and benefits. The larger-scale event that we do is the World AIDS Day Concert that started two years ago with Children of Eden and continued last year with a concert of Pippin. We chose this year to start working with a new charity that we felt may be able to be a little more hands-on with the event and came across the Joey DiPaolo AIDS Foundation. We had selected The Secret Garden as our concert for this year, and I quickly met up with Mike and Carol, who run the foundation. You hear "Mike and Carol" and you think about the Brady's...this Mike and Carol are quite clearly closer to The Sopranos. Staten Island. Clearly "Family," and some of the kindest, hardest-working people I'd ever met.
Carol started the foundation along with her son, Joey, who contracted the virus through a blood transfusion during open-heart surgery. It was 1984 and he was four years old. When they discovered he had the virus (at age 8), Joey decided he needed to stand up and be a ray of hope for other children that had no one.
Now, in 2005, Joey is 26. Six years ago, Joey, his Mom, and her husband, Mike started Camp T.L.C.. TLC is a one-week summer camp program for teens living with the challenge of HIV and AIDS. Most are inner-city kids. Most are orphans who've lost their parents to AIDS during their childhood. Most are either foster children or live in group homes, never to be adopted due to their illness.
I do a lot of benefits, but for the first time, I had the unique opportunity to visit Camp TLC and see with my own eyes, (and ultimately my heart) exactly where the money raised goes. I'd expected to visit for a few hours on Friday and head back that night. Carol immediately started begging me to stay and see the talent show that evening, spend the night and return to Staten Island with them on Saturday for the counselor de-briefing with the therapist. I agreed and started seeing the camp for myself.
Kids being kids...for the first time in their lives. For this one week, they're not a red ribbon and they don't have to hide. Physicians going out in rowboats to deliver medication to them so as to not interrupt their day. Water fights, soccer tournaments, and a talent show...kids getting up and dancing in groups to hip-hop music. Kids getting up and reading poetry they'd written earlier in the week. Kids getting up and playing the piano-for the first time, unafraid of judgement and condemnation. Kids being Kids, instead of a disease.
I heard stories from children who nearly died this year, but chose to live...the most astonishing thing...they chose to live so they could come back to camp. Some children did pass away this year, and together, with a circle of friends who had compassion, they sent a boat into the middle of the lake. The boat had a phoenix-shaped flag with the names and pictures of the 3 young girls lost this year. The boat was filled with candles the living lit in hope for their souls. And together, they said goodbye. And together they chose to embrace life.
I'm forever changed. For the first time, I know why I've been doing what I've been doing. Not to say any charity I've worked with was worth less than another, but to see with my own eyes these children who need help, I'm changed.
If I could share my eyes and ears with you right now I would, because writing about it cannot possibly describe what I feel right now and what I experienced this weekend.
So...go visit the World AIDS Day Concert Website and support if you can.
Again, thank you for your patience with me and I wish you all the best the world has to offer.
Much Love, Jamie
with love from Jamie at 12:27 PM
My life is altered. I'm far too exhausted to write about the past two days, but...my life is definitely altered.
with love from Jamie at 11:45 PM
Hey there,
Just wanted to let you know I'll be attending some conventions in the coming weeks.
I will be in Dallas at AnimeFest from September 3-6
Big Apple Convention September 10, 11th along with the original "Jason" from the Friday the 13th movies-How cool is that???
And back in Texas, but in Houston this time, in October at Oni Con.
Lots more going on in the next few weeks I'll tell you more about shortly!
Love, Jamie
with love from Jamie at 11:36 PM
Hey there,
Just wanted to give a little update...not a ton happening immediately. Been working hard on The Secret Garden Concert. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have such an amazing team of people working on the show this year...they're all just brilliant.
And this week, we will have a chance to go visit CAMP TLC, run by the Joey DiPaolo AIDS Foundation. This is the foundation benefiting from the World AIDS Day Concert this year. It's been great working with them...I feel like I have a whole new family in them-really wonderful crew of new friends. A young man doing a video for us to get potential sponsors did an amazing job for us. He loaned me a screener of his new film "Xtacy." It's been making the rounds at the film festivals and making a big impression. He stars in it and directs it and is just unbelievable. Tom DeGrezia is his name...keep your ears open...you'll be hearing a lot about him in the future very soon.
NY1 had some fantastic footage of the FLOPZ Concert on their OnStage program this weekend. And as an added bonus, at the very end of the show, they went back to me singing "Words He Doesn't Say." It was really unexpected as I tend not to include myself in my benefits since I think it's tacky, but it was my birthday so I said "what the hell!" Anyway, it was a very sweet gesture of Ron and Frank at NY1 to include it.
I picked up the new box set of Will and Grace Fourth Season this weekend and it's got the episode with Glenn CLose as this eccentric photographer. SHE IS BRILLIANT...and worth the price of the box set.
Hmmm...what else? Not a whole lot...I hope to have some casting announcements for Secret Garden soon...should be fun! Anyway, that's about it...gotta get some sleep!
Be good!
Love, Jamie
with love from Jamie at 12:11 AM
So apparently I'm 30.
The Flopz Concert on Sunday was fantastic, I had a really great time and as far as I know, everyone in the audience and onstage did as well. My birthday party following was also a really fun time.
Then last night,I threw a little surprise Wedding Party for my friend Laura (since her wedding was pretty intimate and she couldn't invite everyone). But knowing her friends, they all still wanted to celebrate. So despite the negative circumstances surrounding the restaurant we chose, it was all-in-all a nice surprise for Laura and Chris. And while I can't recommend the restaurant, Luxia to anyone in the future, I hope I can find another restaurant somewhere in Manhattan. They seem to be scarce.
I once heard that you can eat at a different restaurant in Manhattan every night for your entire life...and STILL not eat at every restaurant in Manhattan. One would think this would mean that those working in the restaurant would want to have your business and that repeat business was something valuable. Perhaps I was wrong.
Needless to say, I can't wait to have another party at Hurley's Restaurant again on 48th between Broadway and 8th. They are always a pleasure to deal with and welcome me there like I'm family.
Go have a drink there!
Hope you're all well.
Love, Jamie
with love from Jamie at 4:34 PM
Helloooo
So...I spent 8 hours in the recording booth today...to date, the longest recording session I've ever had. It was rough but I think the game is going to be great. I ended up finishing about 3 hours earlier than they expected on my main character, so they had me play a bad guy Irish dude. fun.
I've been busy preparing for the FLOPZ Concert this Sunday. I've been told there will be a lot of press there, so I'm a little terrified...but I'm sure it will be fine...and who cares? it's my damn birthday (that will be my excuse for everything).
My friend Laura's sitcom was on tonight. She's pretty fantastic on it, but I can't say I'm a fan of the show as a whole...a touch offensive, but it's pretty good for her career, so I'm supporting her in it.
I think theres going to be an interview printed in Friday's AM New York (this fun free paper that's hjanded out to everyone getting on a subway between 5am and 9am...so hopefully that will sell out our concert for Sunday...should be fun.
Anyway, I'm pretty exhausted so I'm heading to bed...Hope everyone is fantastic and I hope to see you at Joe's Pub on Sunday!
Love, Jamie
with love from Jamie at 12:43 AM