I AM NOT DONE WITH YOU!!!!

I was 23 years old, just left The Boston Conservatory, and had finished a year traveling Europe, performing in the German Company of Starlight Express. I felt like I had the whole world at my feet. I moved into an apartment in Hells Kitchen, on 47th street btwn 9th and 10th Ave. I lived with three other roommates, and payed a million dollars for a hole in the wall! I just had to be in the center of it all, right in Manhattan! It is funny looking at the success level of all my former roommates in that apartment. We called each other the 515 crew, because our address was 515 W.47th Street. One roommate, is now the head of casting for Ugly Betty,and owns his casting agency! One has like three Broadway credits and works all the time. The other has been on Broadway and is now the stand by for lady of the lake in The Spamalot Tour! Not to mention the two floating roommates we had. One is a Broadway Star, she is the lead in many musicals. The other has been the lead on a soap for like 6 years now. We called them the floating 515's cause they came in out depending on gigs. Then there is me, who is a working actor as well.

I remember one day going to the roof of 515! The night was beautiful, the stars gleamed as bright as the lights on Broadway. The noisy cabs roared down below, fast and furious down 9th avenue. The people walked with confidence, and at a quick pace. I stood up there people watching until the evening came. I remember at 11pm, I stood there and screamed at the top of my lungs "New York City I'm Going To Conquer You"! That is when my life began for me! New York City listened to me I believe. My career went up very fast, and I was turning down jobs. Don't get me wrong, there were def. times of struggle in btwn those moments. Times when I ate a slice of pizza, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Maybe some oddles of noodles for desert. MMMMMMMM, them were the days.

I have been toying with moving to L.A. after I finish the A Chorus Line Tour in November! I have finally made my decision, ex specially after being back in New York City for the past two weeks. I am moving back to THE BIG APPLE. This place I once called home, is calling my name in my dreams, and in my head. I have things to do here in the theater scene. I have to put the J.R. Whittington stamp all over Times Square. You need to know my name, and all my dreams need to come true. I've been blessed to continuously work so this next part of my career is going to be a change, and a possible struggle. I have to make casting people who see me as one thing, view me as another! I have to go back to my roots, and train really hard, pound the pavement, and make things happen. As you can see I still dream big, with that, and faith, nothing can stop me. Just like the boy who stood on the top of the roof yelling, I now say at the top of my lungs, "I AM NOT DONE WITH YOU YET CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS"!