diff --git a/stepmania/src/Actor.cpp b/stepmania/src/Actor.cpp
index 4516db7f10..cacb91c023 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Actor.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Actor.cpp
@@ -486,9 +486,6 @@ void Actor::Update( float fDeltaTime )
 //	LOG->Trace( "Actor::Update( %f )", fDeltaTime );
 	ASSERT_M( fDeltaTime >= 0, ssprintf("%f",fDeltaTime) );
 
-	if( m_bFirstUpdate )
-		m_bFirstUpdate = false;
-
 	if( m_fHibernateSecondsLeft > 0 )
 	{
 		m_fHibernateSecondsLeft -= fDeltaTime;
@@ -500,6 +497,14 @@ void Actor::Update( float fDeltaTime )
 		m_fHibernateSecondsLeft = 0;
 	}
 
+	this->UpdateInternal( fDeltaTime );
+}
+
+void Actor::UpdateInternal( float fDeltaTime )
+{
+	if( m_bFirstUpdate )
+		m_bFirstUpdate = false;
+
 	switch( m_EffectClock )
 	{
 	case CLOCK_TIMER:
@@ -1052,6 +1057,13 @@ bool Actor::HasCommand( const CString &sCmdName )
 	return it != m_mapNameToCommands.end();
 }
 
+const apActorCommands& Actor::GetCommand( const CString &sCommandName ) const
+{
+	map<CString, apActorCommands>::const_iterator it = m_mapNameToCommands.find( sCommandName );
+	ASSERT( it != m_mapNameToCommands.end() );
+	return it->second;
+}
+
 void Actor::PlayCommand( const CString &sCommandName )
 {
 	PlayCommand2( sCommandName, NULL );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Actor.h b/stepmania/src/Actor.h
index 68d8e4fe49..93835b8082 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Actor.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/Actor.h
@@ -87,8 +87,11 @@ public:
 	virtual void DrawPrimitives() {};	// Derivitives should override
 	virtual void EndDraw();				// pops transform from world matrix stack
 	
+	// TODO: make Update non virtual and change all classes to override UpdateInternal 
+	// instead.
 	bool IsFirstUpdate() const;
-	virtual void Update( float fDeltaTime );
+	virtual void Update( float fDeltaTime );		// this can short circuit UpdateInternal
+	virtual void UpdateInternal( float fDeltaTime );	// override this
 	void UpdateTweening( float fDeltaTime );
 	void CopyTweening( const Actor &from );
 
@@ -333,6 +336,7 @@ public:
 	virtual void PushSelf( lua_State *L );
 	void AddCommand( const CString &sCmdName, apActorCommands apac );
 	bool HasCommand( const CString &sCmdName );
+	const apActorCommands& GetCommand( const CString &sCommandName ) const;
 	virtual void PlayCommand( const CString &sCommandName );
 	virtual void PlayCommand2( const CString &sCommandName, Actor *pParent );
 	virtual void RunCommands( const LuaReference& cmds );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.cpp b/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.cpp
index 819160bfa0..29b0b0b57f 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.cpp
@@ -216,16 +216,13 @@ void ActorFrame::RunCommandsOnLeaves( const LuaReference& cmds )
 		m_SubActors[i]->RunCommandsOnLeaves( cmds );
 }
 
-void ActorFrame::Update( float fDeltaTime )
+void ActorFrame::UpdateInternal( float fDeltaTime )
 {
 //	LOG->Trace( "ActorFrame::Update( %f )", fDeltaTime );
 
 	fDeltaTime *= m_fUpdateRate;
 
-	Actor::Update( fDeltaTime );
-
-	if( m_fHibernateSecondsLeft > 0 )
-		return;
+	Actor::UpdateInternal( fDeltaTime );
 
 	// update all sub-Actors
 	for( vector<Actor*>::iterator it=m_SubActors.begin(); it!=m_SubActors.end(); it++ )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.h b/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.h
index 87e9ce2e0d..25c4f849d2 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.h
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public:
 	virtual void RunCommandsOnChildren( const apActorCommands& cmds ) { RunCommandsOnChildren( *cmds ); }	// convenience
 	virtual void RunCommandsOnLeaves( const LuaReference& cmds ); /* but not on self */
 
-	virtual void Update( float fDeltaTime );
+	virtual void UpdateInternal( float fDeltaTime );
 	virtual void DrawPrimitives();
 
 	// propagated commands
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.cpp b/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.cpp
index f12523394e..5ac3fd23c4 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.cpp
@@ -153,12 +153,9 @@ void ActorScroller::LoadFromNode( const CString &sDir, const XNode *pNode )
 	pNode->GetAttrValue( "QuantizePixels", m_fQuantizePixels );
 }
 
-void ActorScroller::Update( float fDeltaTime )
+void ActorScroller::UpdateInternal( float fDeltaTime )
 {
-	ActorFrame::Update( fDeltaTime );
-
-	if( m_fHibernateSecondsLeft > 0 )
-		return;	// early abort
+	ActorFrame::UpdateInternal( fDeltaTime );
 
 	/* If we have no children, the code below will busy loop. */
 	if( !m_SubActors.size() )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.h b/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.h
index d2e4418bcd..e6248341ff 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public:
 		const CString &sTransformFunction,
 		bool bUseMask );
 
-	virtual void Update( float fDelta );
+	virtual void UpdateInternal( float fDelta );
 	virtual void DrawPrimitives();	// DOES draw
 
 	void LoadFromNode( const CString &sDir, const XNode *pNode );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/BGAnimationLayer.cpp b/stepmania/src/BGAnimationLayer.cpp
index 663ed4a702..1fd9165eb7 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/BGAnimationLayer.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/BGAnimationLayer.cpp
@@ -556,12 +556,9 @@ void BGAnimationLayer::LoadFromNode( const CString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
 	}
 }
 
-void BGAnimationLayer::Update( float fDeltaTime )
+void BGAnimationLayer::UpdateInternal( float fDeltaTime )
 {
-	if( m_fHibernateSecondsLeft > 0 )
-		return;
-
-	ActorFrame::Update( fDeltaTime );
+	ActorFrame::UpdateInternal( fDeltaTime );
 
 	fDeltaTime *= m_fUpdateRate;
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/BGAnimationLayer.h b/stepmania/src/BGAnimationLayer.h
index fb78899e5b..d08bd56201 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/BGAnimationLayer.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/BGAnimationLayer.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ public:
 	void LoadFromAniLayerFile( const CString& sPath );
 	void LoadFromNode( const CString& sDir, const XNode* pNode );
 
-	void Update( float fDeltaTime );
+	void UpdateInternal( float fDeltaTime );
 	void DrawPrimitives();
 	bool EarlyAbortDraw();
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp
index 9707558902..9bf358f355 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp
@@ -629,9 +629,7 @@ bool ThemeManager::GetMetricRaw( const CString &sClassName, const CString &sValu
 
 	CString sFallback;
 
-	for( deque<Theme>::const_iterator iter = g_vThemes.begin();
-		iter != g_vThemes.end();
-		iter++ )
+	FOREACHD_CONST( Theme, g_vThemes, iter )
 	{
 		if( iter->iniMetrics->GetValue(sClassName,sValueName,ret) )
 			return true;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Transition.cpp b/stepmania/src/Transition.cpp
index ca95cfdc0a..11fffaea07 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Transition.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Transition.cpp
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ void Transition::Load( CString sBGAniDir )
 }
 
 
-void Transition::Update( float fDeltaTime )
+void Transition::UpdateInternal( float fDeltaTime )
 {
 	if( m_State != transitioning )
 		return;
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ void Transition::Update( float fDeltaTime )
 		SCREENMAN->SendMessageToTopScreen( m_MessageToSendWhenDone );
 	}
 
-	ActorFrame::Update( fDeltaTime );
+	ActorFrame::UpdateInternal( fDeltaTime );
 }
 
 void Transition::Reset()
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Transition.h b/stepmania/src/Transition.h
index f74fa5904f..120d85f653 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Transition.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/Transition.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ public:
 
 	void Load( CString sBGAniDir );
 
-	virtual void Update( float fDeltaTime );
+	virtual void UpdateInternal( float fDeltaTime );
 
 	virtual void StartTransitioning( ScreenMessage send_when_done = SM_None );
 	virtual bool EarlyAbortDraw();