Permanent. I have been made permanent. I have an open ended contract at Billy Elliot on Broadway now. The prayers have been answered by whoever does the answering. “Here you are, a long running Broadway show. Have some salary, get caught up on that mortgage, pay off that credit card debt, get some money in that college savings account for those kids, and never, NEVER, let those last couple of years happen again. Now, run along.”Billy Elliot is a Broadway “machine” that will keep chugging for the next couple of years at least. It is not unlike Wicked, Lion King, Phantom, etc. It is designed for the long, long run. Given my Dad status and family ways, given my life choices, I have always wanted to be in one of these Broadway “government jobs”, and now I am. Hooray. My turn.
Now the task at hand is to not get injured. The fellow who originated the role that I’m doing wound up with a herniated disc, a permanent leave from the company, and a settlement. I would rather that not be my fate. Such are the physical demands of this show, however, that that particular injury story is repeated often among the men who run the tracks of the Billy Elliot ensemble. These are tales of ruptured discs, fractured feet, knees, ankles, and necks. People taking extended disability leaves, learning the byways of workman’s comp that over time proves to be a more treacherous trail than the track the got them injured in the first place. Some of the fellows make it back to the show after healing, others don’t.
Permanence has a price.
Grady Bowman, one of the original members of the company; Grady, the other day as I was going on about trying to stay ahead of the injury curve by keeping in as good a physical shape as is possible on my 45 year old frame; Grady, looks at me through his “I have seen it all at Billy Elliot” shaded and jaded eyes; Grady mutters, “You’re nothing but a herniated disc waiting to happen.”
“Oof.” Says I.
Bless you Grady.
Which makes me wonder, where is the cooking now? Where is the food?
I began working at Billy Elliot in mid August. Training in the roles for three weeks and then joining the company along about September 12, roughly half a year already. Some days we have two shows, some days there are rehearsals and then a show at night. A schedule of 8 shows a week with one day off on Monday results in a lot of time spent in Manhattan, and one has to eat. And, food in Manhattan, like jujubes in the movie theater lobby, doesn’t come cheap.
So I take it with me. I make commuter meals in the morning, and store it in some reliable Tupperware. They are super balanced meals that I portion properly and eat every three hours.
I figure I have saved thousands of dollars in the last six months, and have kept the cooking thing alive. I make enough in the morning to provide for myself for the family left in New Jersey that night then load up my backpack and catch my commuter train.
It means hitting the ground running. It means planning, it means time, and it means keeping the cooking alive.
I am adjusting, slowly after a bit of transformative giddiness, to becoming accustomed to the idea of not being a victim, to not being oppressed. Conversely, and wisely, I am attempting to not don the fanciful mantle of Teflon coated victor. The irony of having a “permanent” position in an art form that is temporal by it’s very nature, it’s actual composition, must not be lost on me. This job, however perpetual my post, will evaporate one day, and this time I must not be without the floor when the rug is pulled.
And of course food is the answer. To that end, I continue make the food everyday.
When I was unemployed and leaking conviction, I upped the food game for several reasons: to comfort myself, assuage “dad not bringing in bacon” guilt, to find a way to literally keep food on the table everyday, and to make that food extraordinary as a kind of lifeline to hope.
It worked.
Now, in the six months at Billy Elliot, I have bought exactly one meal in Manhattan and prepared my own food the rest of the time. Co workers notice, I bring in extras. I cart around tastings of stuff every now and then, turnip latkes, peanut noodles, risotto, and the sausage night party. I’m getting a rep. People associate me with food. All sorts of possible business ventures cross my mind:
Courtesy of Stephen Hanna, my dressing table neighbor, he came up with it.
mcvEATy’s ™
Commuter meals? School lunches? Catering? Menu consultation? Private cheffing? Underground restaurant?
Yes.
Now, for all of you who might think that now that I’ve had some prayers answered and have seen a bit of light that I must be happy as the proverbial clam, understand that even with the good fortune, I am still a petulant little bitch. I have days where it still all sucks and I’m a dick about it. I drive the people I live with up the wall. Up and down I go. The only thing to do is lean into it and say “Whee!”.
Holy discontent keeps me writing.
Suck up one of my commuter meals.
1 cup sushi rice
peanut oil
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Heat enough peanut oil to cover the bottom of a 2 quart sauce pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add rice and toast for one or two minutes. Add stock carefully, as it will splatter when added to the oil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered.
peanut oil
1/2 lb. smoked bacon cubed
1 small red onion chopped
1 carrot shredded or chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup or more frozen green peas
1 egg beaten
soy sauce
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
small bunch chives chopped
grated parmesano reggiano
black pepper
Meanwhile, chop bacon and vegetables and heat a wok over high heat. When wok is hot add bacon cubes and cook until crispy. Remove bacon to paper towels and reserve fat for another use.
Add peanut oil to wok and cook onion and carrot until soft but not brown. Three to four minutes. Remove to a large bowl.
Add more oil as needed and wok mushrooms and garlic. When mushrooms and garlic and nearly cooked, add green peas and cook quickly until bright green. Remove peas, mushrooms and garlic to the large bowl with onions and carrots.
Cook egg in the wok with a little peanut oil. Keeping egg in one sheet, remove it to cutting board and cut into strips when cool.
Add rice to wok and peanut oil as needed. Turn rice several times in wok, add two to three tablespoons of soy sauce and dijon mustard and then add other vegetables and bacon.
Turn and stir until hot throughout and then remove to large serving bowl.
Top with strips of egg, chives, grated black pepper and grated parmesan.
