Re-enter stage right!

Hey everyone,

I know it's been a really, really long time since you've heard from me-but I promise, its been for a good reason! Actually, 4 good reasons!

On with the show...

That's right! I picked up 4 shows in 9 months! To say I'm thrilled would be an understatement, and to say I'm exhausted would just make me laugh. Here's how everything's been going:

After the children's show ended, I did take a little bit of a break, after all I had just gotten over nodes and wanted to give my voice pleanty of time to heal itself. And heal itself it did. Not only did my speech therapy work wonders, I was back at another musical audition by the end of the year.

The show? "Into the Woods"! I couln't believe it, I've wanted to be in this show since I first saw it at age 3 on television. It was at a theatre I had never worked with before, and to say I was a bit nervous around the people there would be an understatement.

I played Jack's mom, and was able to really get into her and her reasonings and everything like that-and of course sing my face off! I learned a lot from the experience, and to date is as close to professional theatre as I've come.

During "Into the Woods", I picked up another show. A new play called "Home front: Between the Lines", about a mother and son going through her father's WWII letters back and forth to his family and revealing a family secret. We played one weekend and 3 shows before the theatre (not the theatre company, but the actual, physical theatre), asked us to leave and not come back. Long story, won't get into it here so don't ask me to. There's no politics in theatre!

A few weeks later, I saw a post on my friend's facebook. All it said was "RENT ensmble still needed, if you're interested let me know." My heart stopped. I read it a few times. It couldn't be real! RENT! As in, Jonathan Larson's RENT. And they were looking for ensemble members! This is my show. I know everything about that show inside and out, have done in depth character studies on all the characters, and have physically BEEN to 11th street and Ave B in the village where the show takes place. I knew I had to do it.

Long list of e-mails, phone calls and a Skype audition later-I'm told I'm in the show and where the rehearsals are and everything! WHAT WHAT?! I got RENT! I couldn't breathe and immediately began trembling and took to facebook to speak to friends who I knew would calm my fried/excited nerves.

RENT went off with a bit of behind the scenes drama that I quickly learned from, adapted to, worked around, and laughed about when the final curtain went down on closing night. I learned a lot from RENT, I learned a lot from the experience, I learned a lot from the people, and I learned a lot more from the show, being on the stage instead of in the audience admiring the work. I became the token RENThead of the cast, and even the director would sometimes ask my approval of things to make sure they looked and sounded right. It made me feel good to know I could bring justice to the piece.

Not long before RENT closed, that same theatre company decided to do a concert. But what concert would we do? Some ideas were thrown around and eventually we landed on a show. Well, the show had to be changed for behind-the-scenes reasons, and we ended up doing a tribute to Mr. Cole Porter.

I'll let you in on a little secret--I didn't really know a whole lot of Cole Porter before this, but I was pretty sure I wasn't a huge fan of his music. But, I agreed to do the show, and do the show I would. Rehearsal lasted about 3 weeks and we went up for ONE night only. Again, things were learned, fun was had, and it was a wonderful night!

So, now here I am--show less for the first time in almost a year. In the time it took all of this to happen, I lost a job, got a new one, read 2 books, started taking some acting classes, and have continued my singing lessons.

Now that I'm show-less, I find that I want to go back to my other projects that have been on the back burner, such as working on the play I've been writing since college, and writing a book based on my experiences as a temp--and many,MANY other projects I put off.

C'mon, you guys know me by now! Did you really think I'd just sit at home and wait for the next auditions?! Never!

Until next time....

Who's afraid of HORATIO Wolf? Not ME!

Hey everyone!

I know it's been a bit, but I've been kind of laying low and off the radar recently due to the nodes. HOWEVER, I'm BACK on the radar and in a new show, as I mentioned before. It's called "The Musical Adventures of Horatio Wolf and Little Red".

Yes, it's a kids show, but it's really cute you guys! It takes Little Red Riding Hood, and The Three Little Pigs and combines them, and the combination works really well!

I'm playing the storyteller, or the "boss" in the beginning, as we come onstage dressed in street clothes, and are supposed to be actors (duh!), and I'm supposed to be the boss of this acting troupe.

Throughout the show, the audience sees how UNscared the characters are of the big, bad, Horatio wolf. They beat him up, laugh in his face, and even swordfight with him throughout the show!

The three little pigs are there too, building their houses of hay, sticks and brick. But they get in on the action too, yelling at Horatio, and making him HELP them build their houses.

Then, there's Pierre-the wolf hunter. Though, he's not very good at it, and is kind of a baby, he's one of the characters that's genuinely scared of Horatio.

Little Red and Grandma and even Little Red's mom is there as well.

We invite the audience (comprised of children) to actively participate, answering the character's questions and having the actors go out into the audience.

I can't wait for tech to start, and can't wait for the show to open!

If you'd like to see it, or even have a little kid who would love to see it, go to http://www.centerplayers.com/ and order tickets! :D

Can't wait to see you all there!

Until next time...

I'm back, baby!

hey everyone,

I know I've been in hiding lately since I've been diagnosed with nodes. Since I haven't been able to sing, I've sort of been sitting OUT this season, unfortunately.

Recently, I went "home" to Center Players in Freeehold, NJ to see my friends in a production of "Tuesdays With Morrie". While I was there, I was approached to audition for the summer childrens' production of "Little Red Riding Hood". This version, is a musical...

DUN DUN DUN!!

The question became-could I do it? Was my voice healed enough to carry me through this simple audition (I was told it was a "light" musical. No song is more than 2 minutes long. I went to my speech therapist, and explained what I had been told. Her response? Sing something SIMPLE. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", simple, one melody, one voice range-no bopping up and down, nothing too extremely difficult.

YES!!! I could pull off doing this audition for this very simple, light musical!

I went to the audition, and was the OLDEST one in the room, looking to fill the roles of the young women in the show. The grandmother role was already filled, we were told.

I sat there, quietly humming to myself, going up and down the scales to warm up my voice. Did a few massages on my vocal cords by massaging my neck, ran my fingers over my face to make sure I was loose enough to do this--after all, the audition nerves had taken over just like at every other audition. I just couldn't go up there tight due to the nodes.

ANYWAY-the person before me goes up there and does "do a dear" from "The Sound of Music". Really? Really? I'm supposed to follow that with "Twinkle twinkle little star"? The musical theatre performer in me pretty much stamped her foot and refused to move until I mentally opened my box of musical theatre songs I had been working on in therapy-desperately trying to pick something better than "Twinkle...".

I get called up and the director gives me the simple command.

"Sing..anything you want. I just wanna hear you sing."

Okay. I took a breath, and before I knew it, I was singing "On the Steps of the Palace" from "Into the Woods"!!!! I had been working on it in therapy, and did a decent enough job that I didn't feel as if I were straining myself of my precious cords. I should also mention I only did the FIRST verse, as after that, the song gets rather high, and I'm not mentally prepared again for that quite yet, as I haven't sung for real since MARCH.

She asks me to do an improv scene in which I'm a caught lightning bug. I have her, the other actors, the producer and the stage manager ROLLING.

To say I felt good about this audition would be an understatement!

She promised to let me know by the end of the week (this was MONDAY), if I had gotten a part or not.

THE WAITING GAME!!!

This went on for 2-3 days, watching the phone, watching facebook-waiting for ANY sign as to whether I had picked up this project or not.

Then, FINALLY, on Wednesday my phone rang. I picked it up, and a cheerful voice said:

"Hi, Sami! This is the stage manager for 'Little Red...' and I just wanted to call and CONGRATULATE you on getting the role of the storyteller...we'll see you Sunday morning for our first rehearsal."

YES!!!!!!!!! A new project, a new show, a new cast, in my "home base" theatre!!! I couldn't believe it! I knew I had a good feeling at the audition.

So, now here we are...ankle deep (it goes deeper and further up the body as I get closer to tech week) in rehearsals for this children's show. And I am having a BLAST!

I'll keep everyone updated as the rehearsals go! Also updates about my new play coming soon, as well!

It's great to be back on the boards!!!

Until next time....

Nodes, Nodes, and more NODES!!!

I know it's been a while since I've written, but work and rehearsal have been a bit nuts! Anyways...

On with the show!!

SO over the past few months, I've had this ever loving sore throat, and my singing has sounded flat and out of tune, which I know it normally doesnt sound like. My voice has also been raspy, quiet, and almost a little difficult to get out.

Of course, being busy, as everyone is, I kind of..brushed this problem off until it got to the point where I could no longer sing--at all. Period.

Panic set in. I knew I could sing, why wasn't my voice working. The word that kept coming back to me in my mind was-NODES. Or nodules, which are like callouses on the vocal cords from improper usage (my improproper usage was my time spent at the daycare, yelling or calling OVER my kids-not my singing).

Quickly, I took to facebook to ask people for ENT recommendations-and I got one! After doing a bit of research on him, and getting another person's opinion of him as well, I made an appointment.

I couldn't have been more excited! FINALLY! I get to find out what happened to my voice, what la la land it went to, and when I could expect its immediate return to my body so I could carry on with my projects.

The day came, and I went to see him....

The first thing he told me was that my tonsils were HUGE! They do not require surgery as of now. Then he told me that I had acid reflux (total news to me-I had no symptoms, and later found out its a different form of acid reflux and people don't know they have it as there are no symptoms), AND...CALLOUSES on my vocal cords!!!

NOOOOO!!!! Oh the absolute horror! I looked right at him, and the first question I asked was- "Will I need surgery?"

Now, refresing everyone's memory, and the way I originally heard about nodes, is singer, Adele. Due to improper singing, Adele developed nodes that had to be removed surgically and she was out of work for a few months.

THIS is all I could think of. Nodes are a singer's worst nightmare because you need to stop singing, and almost speaking altogether, for them to heal properly.

With that being said, he told me that I MAY need surgery, but that he wanted to start me on speech therapy first to see if that helped (after reading an article, I found that speech therapy DOES help them to clear up and most people dont need surgery).

He also asked me to go to a sleep clinic to see if I have sleep apnea (due to my huge tonsils), and put me on PRESCRIPTION, GENERIC Prilosec-not the OTC stuff. This stuff is stronger and doesn't mess around.

I thanked him, told him I' d see him in 2 months (he wants to see me again). I then went to my car-and CRIED. I called mom and she told me that SHE had had nodes back when I was a kid, and it stopped her from singing-yeah, that's what I needed to hear! Thanks, mom!

I went back to work in almost a zombie like state-doing what I needed to do without speaking (except to the occasional parent), and just did my job.

After gathering more information over the weekend, Im not as freaked out about it all as I was initally, but the thought of surgery still looms over my head like a dark cloud. I'm trying to stay positive though and to not think about that.

However, as a result of the nodes, I'm not allowed to speak at much higher than a stage whisper. This is making work difficult and I am relying on others to BE my voice. I'm hoping my co-workers understand-this isn't JUST about singing, this is about my real health. I can't speak, I can't sing, and it may result in surgery.

End of story.

I'll let you all know how this goes. As of right now, Im taking the prilosec, need to make a sleep clinic appointment, and am in the works of getting a speech therapist.

We'll see....

Do you bite your thumb at me sir?.....uhhh..

Hey everyone!

BIG things going on, so let's get RIGHT to it!

On with the show....

So a few weeks ago, I auditioned for "The Taming of the Shrew", being done in front of my alma mater high school. I went because I was told about it through the person who will be the stage manager-a good friend of mine.

I bought the play, and began to read it. "No Fear Shakespeare" is awesome, since I hadn't read Shakespeare since high school. HIGH SCHOOL! A good seven years ago. And, I had never read "Shrew" before. Without the no fear stuff-I woulda been kind of stuck.

Anyway, I went to the audition, and after leaving felt so-so about it. I didn't know if I'd get a part, or anything like that. But-in my mind, that was alright-I was gearing up for another audition. "The Wizard of Oz" at another theatre-so I left, thinking in my head about a song I had to pick for that audition, since I was POSITIVE I wouldn't be given a part.

Three days later, I had a day off from work. My cell rang with a number I didn't know-if my phone rings with a number I don't know, I don't pick up. If its important-they'll leave me a message.

AND IT WAS IMPORTANT!

It was the director, wanting to speak to me about the show. I called him back and found out I GOT THE SHOW!!

I will be in my first ever Shakespeare piece. I don't know yet what part I have, but I will find out when rehearsals start on Monday night :).

As soon as I know the important things, like how to get tickets and what part Im playing, I'll let everyone know!

Until next time...

Project X

Usually I write a big, long introduction apologizing for my absense or whatever, but this time it's different--I'm going to go RIGHT into it.

On with the show....

So for the past few weeks, I've been talking about 'project x'. This is the name I give to things I don't neccessarily want to talk about, but am working on behind the scenes--mostly by myself, and sometimes, with some support from other people.

This time is no different. I've told different people about this specific 'project x' and have gotten mixed reviews-some people LOVE the idea, and some people think I'm crazy for wanting to do it.

This time, 'project X' is a 4 song CD I'm looking to record, of myself singing covers of Broadway songs.

Now, before everyone gets up in arms, telling me how expensive this is, blah blah blah, and how I'm wasting my time, blah blah blah--hear me out.

1) I've gone to 2 different studios, to compare and contrast them, talk to the people in charge of them, get prices, and figure out how the process would work in each studio. Therefore-I've been doing my research.

2) my vocal coach has been prepping me to record the songs I've selected for the past few weeks, and they will sound awesome when I go into the studio

and

3) the way the pricing breaks down-this will cost me NO MORE than a day in New York would. Really, I've done the math-this is exactly what I'd ultimately wind up spending in New York.

With all that being said-I would like opinions. My best friend thinks I'm a bit nuts for wanting to do this, but she understands WHY I'm doing it. Other people think it's awesome and can't wait to hear it, and I haven't asked others, due to not actually WANTING their opinion.

But--Faithful readers, I want YOUR opinion. What do you guys think? Keep in mind--no money has been spent yet, no date has been selected, and I dont have an accompianist lined up quite yet (I need to call him tomorrow-one of the studios recommended him).

Let me know what you guys think :)

Til next time....

My adventure on the open-call Road!!

Hey everyone!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, got to spend some time with friends and family, got what they wanted for your respective holidays, and got to spend some time relaxing!

This blog post I'm about to do has been about three weeeks in the making-as in, I'm late putting this thing up, and for that I'm sorry!

Anyway-On with the show...

So, a few weeks ago, my best friend and I went for coffee and drove around aimlessly like we do whenever we get together for coffee. While we were parked in a random parking lot, I recieved a twitter (follow me on Twitter: @BroadwayBaby23), saying "Could YOU be the new Cosette? Les Miserables hosts an open casting call!"

What what??? Les Miserables is my #1, all time favorite musical beyond any other I've ever seen. To be Cosette-uhm, I'm there!

Turning to the article, I see that the casting agents for the MOVIE, were going to be holding an open call for Cosette.

I quickly tell my friend, who thinks it'd be pretty cool to try it-even if I don't get it, I could still say I went!

The next day, I call my college roommate-another Les Mis freak,and leave a message, basically telling her that we were going-there were no options of NOT going to this!

On the day of the open call, I caught a 6:28am train. Anyone who knows me, knows I love sleep, if I could-I would MARRY sleep I'm so in love with it, so for me to get up this early, there had to be love at the other end of the stick-and there was!

Open call registration was going to start at 10am, with the actual auditions beginning at 11. I picked up my roommate from Port Authority, grabbed a tea, and headed over to Ripley Grier studio, where the casting call was going to take place.

Blah blah blah..confusion about what was going on/where to go/who had what list...Let's move on!

We FINALLY got numbers to audition around 10am-turns out, the registration began with an unofficial list at 6am when girls started getting there-oops!!

Now we're all hanging out-all 300 of us, waiting for our number, to go in and sing at the top of our lungs, hoping to get a part.

Now, it's 11:30 or so, and girls have stopped being called in. We were packed into a dance rehearsal room, just kind of staring at each other, each of us lost in our conversations with whoever was around, or whoever we had come with.

I decided that Im going to die in the hot dance studio, and my roommate and I go back out into the lobby where more girls were milling about-everyone very confused.

Finally, one of the casting directors comes out and says:

"First off, let me thank you all for coming down! We know some of you have traveled from other states just to be here!

There are about 300 of you, so we need to move this along! Therefore, we're going to call you in, in groups of 25, and start typing girls out. We will ask those of you we want to stay, to stay and sing for us!"

A little disappointing, but not entirely unexpected! Welcome to casting calls, kids! YOU WILL BE TYPED!

Type- when a casting director is looking for a specific: height, weight, haircolor, age, resembelence, etc, to fit the part of the character they are casting. Those that don't FIT type during an audition will sometimes not be seen/heard because they don't fit what is being looked for.

Finally, our group is called in and we're lined up in front of the main casting director, and her two associates. They were very friendly, and had us all spread out. You could tell we were all a bit nervous by the way we were looking at each other, and how we were all standing and everything.

But, they were very nice, and kept thanking us for coming down. They told us this had been a project they were working on for a long time, and they had a very specific type of girl that they were looking for to play the role of Cosette.

With that, they took our resumes and headshots-which had been collected earlier in the day, and began doing little interviews with us as we stood there (where we went to school, what our major was, when we graduated, where we were from, and even asked about some of the things on our resumes).

After speaking with us, they went through our resumes again, whispering to each other and taking little notes, writing things on our resumes and put them in 2 different stacks-those they wanted to hear sing, and those they did not.

Thaking us again, they reminded us they were looking for something specific-and in my group of 25 girls-they asked 5 to stay. My roommate and I were NOT on that list.

So ended my day.

But, looking back on it, I'm GLAD I did it! Look, you go on these open calls, and you know you have MAYBE a 50/50 shot of being seen or heard. They're called OPEN calls for a reason! And they drive you insane, and they make you wait, and you know you'll spend ALL day sometimes, sitting in a room full of competition, making polite conversation with each other while you size each other up-ALL in hopes of getting seen for a single part.

If I hadn't gone, I would always think "I should've gone to that...I wonder", and I wouldn't have been able to look at myself in the mirror anymore!

Yes, I wish things had ended differently, and I would've been asked to sing for them. But, I'm glad I went, I would go again, and I had a good time!

Besides...they ended up casting Hollywood anyway-even AFTER all that!

Oh well!

Til next time....