The Footlights: 'Amazing Race' star Nick Spangler on his 'Fantasticks' day

(And the TV world plucked him from the thea-tah unlike the more-prevalent opposite.)

10:10 a.m.Saturday mornings, once dedicated to cereal and cartoons, have changed.

The sudden fall weather makes it hard to leave the haven of my bed.

Credit: Joan Marcus

I head to the kitchen to gargle and I jump in the shower.

I read a bit of my current book, Clive and Dirk CusslersTreasure of Kahn.

Heck, my theater is across the street fromWickedandMamma Mia!.

Weve got 30 minutes to showtime and there is a flurry of activity.

Performing inThe Fantasticksis like nothing else.

Our theater is so intimate that when I hit thestage I can see the faces of nearly everyone watching.

The front row isliterally sitting on stage and theyre an active part of the story.

Wetalk to them and feed off of their energy.

We gather to make ourentrances and were off.

2:33 p.m.I make my first exit with a smile on my face.

The audience is totally with us.

3:06 p.m.IntermissionI pull out my laptop.

I cant resist thetemptation to peek at the latest posts on the reality TV blogs.

Namelybecause my name now appears on them.

4:03 p.m.The curtain comes down.

I grab a Subway sandwich and eat backstage while enjoying an episode ofThe Officeon my laptop.

5:20 p.m.A crew arrives from Broadway.tv.

Theyre interested ina New York actor competing in one of the greatest televisioncompetitions of all time.

7:10 p.m.My castmates begin to return.

The mood is much morerelaxed.

Our audiences are generally in a good mood to begin with.

Asthe show starts, their good mood increases.

Beautiful music, hilariouscomedy, and happy endings have a way of doing that.

8:07 p.m.The curtain rises on performance number two.

10:13 p.m.Lights out on stage.

Changing back into my streetclothes, I think about tomorrows performances.

10:36 p.m.Back home to Monica.

Its been a busy Saturday.

But a damn good one.