I have a lot of energy. It’s a gift, either from nature or from life-choices, I couldn’t tell you which. I basically make my living because of it. I can run around like a crazy maid or pirate for nine hours, hardly stopping for breath. I can stand on my feet handing out samples or talking about cars all day and remain engaging. It’s rare that I find someone with energy that matches mine. Rarer still is when I find someone’s who exceeds mine.

My friend Scott is such a man. Dynamic, chatty, lively, Scott is a true embodiment of “bouncing off the walls”. It’s awesome, in the true sense of the word- awe inspiring. Other people with this kind of energy may come off as manic, off-putting. Scott however, carries it with what I can only describe as grace. Personable and witty as hell, he has you dying to keep up with him. When I have pleasure of performing interactive theater with him, it truly makes my job a delight. Now he’s here to delight my blog as this week’s featured Other New York cliché!

Name/prefered pseudonym:  Scott Lilly – Scott/Scottie/Scooter/’Hey you”.

Borough and neighborhood:  Hamilton Heights, Harlem.

How are you a New York cliché?
I’m that hyper-active theatre kid from that small Southern town that came up to the Big Apple to be a Broadway star…is there a bigger New York cliché than that?

They say no one who lives in New York is actually from New York. Where are you from?
I’m from Asheboro, North Carolina (no, not the cool, college hippie town, Asheville, AsheBORO), home of the NC Zoo…oh, and I think they’ve got a Walmart now, too!

Bloomberg is banishing you from NYC. You have 24 hours before you have to pack up and leave for ever. How do you spend them?
You mean besides wracking my brain for a logical reason as to how I could have offended Bloomberg so completely?  Assuming I get to start with the sunrise, I’d be sure to get up early enough to grab some lox and coffee from my favorite local deli and watch the sun come up over the skyline from my rooftop, after which I’d make my way downtown through all my favorite spots in Central Park, stopping on the West Side to walk through my favorite Museum…the one with the giant whale.

Then I’d trek down to the Village to soak up as much unconventional conventionality as possible before heading up to Midtown to try to hit up any Broadway show I could wrangle tickets for.  After what would be, I’m sure, an emotionally moving evening of theatre, I’d make my way over to Restaurant Row with as many friends in tow as possible, and work my way down and back, savoring as wide a palate of culinary and liquid delights that the Big Apple has to offer…and what my wallet can manage.

What restaurant/bar you keep going back to, even though you’ve been meaning to try a dozen others?
I developed quite a personal and complex history with the Saigon Grill on 90th and Amsterdam, but it recently closed, so I guess it’s time to finally start looking into those neglected dozen.

Favorite pizza place:  There’s this wonderful hole-in-the-wall pizza place down in the West Village whose name escapes me.  I’ve only been there twice and can never find it when I’m looking for it.  It’s like the Brigadoon pizza place of NYC.  Just another urban mystery, I suppose, but if you find it, you won’t regret grabbing a slice!

So you live in NYC, but what’s one super-touristy thing you secretly love?
I am a museum-junkie.  I’ve never had a problem seeing the same collection over and over again.  Also, I’m pretty fond of riding the Staten Island Ferry for no reason at all other than taking in the view.

Ever had a run-in with a celebrity (A-D List)?
I was working at the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle and was on my 10 minute break and having a serious caffeine-crash.  I was rushing down the escalator headed for the nearest Starbucks when I stumbled and fell backwards right into the arms of the poor guy I had just brushed past.  I turn around to apologize and low-and-behold, I find myself in the arms of Kevin Klein.  He was very nice about it all.  If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, remind me to tell you about the time I had jury duty with Michael Kors or the time I did shots with Neil Patrick Harris and Boy George.  😉

You totally saw something weird on the subway or street today (you may not have registered it was weird because you are jaded), what did you see?  
Is seeing a drunken Santa Claus throwing up on an elf on the 94th street subway platform at 4pm still considered ‘weird’?

What is your favorite fictionalized New York? How does it compare with reality?
I grew up on all the Golden-Age Kelly/Astaire/Rogers films, which explains a lot, I guess.  Coming from a small town, it somehow got instilled into my 5 y/o-head that NYC was this sort of Emerald City-Wonderland that hadn’t changed in the past 5 decades.  My perspective changed a bit once I was introduced to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies from the 90’s.  Still, after almost a decade living in reality, there’s still quite a bit of fantastical elements in this city, if you know where to look.

Plug something! Be it something you are involved in, your significant other/roommate/cat is involved in, or just something you think is extra-special going on in NYC.
I’m making the transition from professional actor to professional director…and found I’m actually pretty darn good at it.  So, you know…if you looking for one… 😉