Goodbye Sweeney...Hello Which

Hey everyone!!

Oh jeebus, it's been forever since I've been around to let you all know what's going on. Sorry about that!! Tech for Sweeney, and then Sweeney took a bit of my soul, so I wasn't able to form sentences to let everyone know what was going on.

Anyway...on with the show!!

Sweeney went wonderfully!! The audiences loved loved loved it, and as soon as I saw it up on its feet-the concept of the insane asylum that the director had us using made sense (before I couldn't see how it worked!).

I'm currently trying to get a video of parts of it on youtube or something so people can see it that wanted to, but weren't able to.

Closing was hard...it was my first musical (but not my last-of course!), and I'll always have a soft spot for the cast that was in it with me. I mean, hell, we spent 3 months together just in rehearsals before we went up, then a month and some change DOING the show! I'll always look fondly on Fleet Street, and smile when I hear of the demon barber now :).

BUT! Out with the old, and in with the NEW. While I was in "Sweeney Todd", the producer approached me and asked me to be in their yearly kidsworks Halloween production of a show called "Which Witch is Which". Its a cute little story of a which that's too good for her own good, can't play tricks on people and all tha good stuff. There's a weird doctor, a prankster named Tom Foolery, a ghost named Grimey (picture pigpen from Charlie Brown, just in white), Abby Good (the good which), Abby II (the bad which), and Pamela Pumpkin (the narrator-me).

We had about 10-15 rehearsals, and most of it was us learning the original score-the lines we had to learn on our own.

**side note-the day we had to be off book, I was a little shakey on ACT II. So, when I went off stage after my part of Act I was over-I went backstage and learned ALL of Act II. Just sayin... **

Opening afternoon wasn't without its flaws, but the kids are LOVING it so far! And I said this to the cast, and I'll say it here: Kids are the HARDEST audience to perform for. They have short little attention spans, they want to get up and run around and play and do all these things little kids do. So, as a performer, you need to hold their interest for the hour and some change you're up there, trying to put on a show for them. There are no BAD DAYS in chidlren's theatre-no matter what's going on-you get on that stage with a BIG smile, and do what you need to do.

I have an audition coming up for "It's a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play" in a few weeks, and I'm hoping I get it, and that that show takes me to the end of the year.

Then...who knows?.....

Until Next time...

He hardly uses his fancy chair

Hey everyone!!

So sorry I've been out of the loop for a bit, rehearsals for Sweeney run long and late into the night!

Anyway..on with the show!!

The show is going well, and things are really picking up. Some of the set is up, and we're completely offbook now, just working on the blocking and little details. Next week, we begin running the show from beginning to end, in order for us to time it out, and to see the whole thing cover to cover in case something needs to be altered or fixed.

As I watch everyone rehearse (the main leads, not the ensemble--I'm IN the ensemble), I can't help but get shivers up and down my body at the immense amount of talent there is on that stage. Granted, there's a lot in the ensemble too, never count them out!

I also feel shivers up my spine every time we rehearse, hearing us sing this haunting score, and know that Stephen Sondheim is out there somewhere-smiling that his words are reaching SO so many people!

On MY end... I've been given a few duet parts, and have a bit of a featured role right before the finale :) Very exciting!!

I was also ASKED to do this company's Halloween children's show "Which witch is Which" about a little girl witch who's too good to BE a witch. I'll be playing the narrator, and the owner of the town convience store, Pamela Pumpkin.

A few more audititions coming up in the next few weeks. One for a version of Dracula, and one for another production of Sweeney Todd (don't worry, there will be a blog for my audition prep for each show as my process is a bit different between a play and a musical).

I've also been writing a lot lately, and hope to have this new play done by the third week of September (meaning completed, typed, and beginning to shop it around).

I have also aquired a "day job" finally!! I'm working with infants/toddlers at a daycare, and of course, the money will be used for headshots and such!

Believe that's it for now...planning headshots...etc.

Til next time...

Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd

Hey everyone!!

I know it's been a while since I wrote, but we've all been kicking our asses in "Sweeney Todd" to make sure we get the music right and everything!

The show is going well, we've got about seven ensemble songs now that we've been working on, and we need to practically be memorized by tonight when we get into rehearsal. I have about 3/4 memorized at this point, using the OBC recording to help me to learn the part, since that's how the music is written, and how the director wants it to sound in the show.

It's always a challange when you walk into a new theatre, a new cast, a new theatre company. Anf this has been no exception. While I'm used to a theatre rehearsing and performing one show at a time, this theatre currently has three shows in rehearsal, "Sweeney Todd" and two others. It's a bit odd to me, more like being in a rehearsal studio in New York, where you need to look at a board to determine what room YOUR show is rehearsing in, rather than a theatre that will soon be mounting a show.

Still looking for that "day job", and have been working on my play a lot lately, since I babysit now and I have about twenty minutes before he gets home from school to write and collect myself before he gets home. Now that I'm not sitting during the day anymore, though I should have even more time to write, and hope to have the play done by the end of the summer-I'm talking about like the first week of September, don't everyone start looking for this show in the middle of August all at once, now! :)

I think that's about it for now, but I promise to write more frequently from here on out, as I know I hardly update anymore. I promise to try to bring an update once a week from now on.

Thanks for your patience!

Til next time.....

One ended, and the saga begins again!

I know it's been a while since I've written, but once the ride called "The Heiress" took off, there was very little time for me to blog (though I've been writing a new play!).

So, the run of "The Heiress" was a great one, and the cast became a real family. It's been a long time since I had experienced that feeling to its fullest like this, and it felt really really good to be able to feel it again.

At the end of the run, this past weekend, I actually cried seeing it go. I haven't cried over a show closing in a long time, and this closing really hurt deep.

But! Like every rain storm of a show closing, there's another show that's ready to be rehearsed and mounted-and this time is no exception!

I am currently in rehearsals for my FIRST MUSICAL!!! "Sweeney Todd"!!. New exeperience, new theatre, new people.

We started rehearsing actually the day I got the show, which was a little weird, but we have a LOT of work to get done!

Sondheim is hard, ya'll! Even though I've been singing his music since age 3. It looks very different when I need to read the music for it :-P.

I'm in the ensemble, and actually am really thrilled about it. We're right now working on the 3 big ensemble songs: "The Prologue", "God That's Good!", and "Pirelli's Miracle Elixir". And I gotta say, everything sounds wonderful.

I've also made a fan page for myself on facebook-so go find me, become a fan :). It'll have stuff about my upcoming shows and such, and other little good things.

Not much else is going on (the job hunt continues btw!). Just writing, rehearsing, babysitting and jobhunting.

I will keep everyone posted, thanks for being patient!

Til next time...

Didn't want to have to do this..but I guess I have to

Okay, so a few months ago, I posted a blog on here I entitled "Day Job". This is the blog where I mentioned that it takes me $28 to get into the city, and without a day job it's hard.

THIS is the post everyone has decided to jump on and comment on...so I feel it's neccessary to defend my position, instead of going on, telling people about the show that I'm in.

First off, let me say I'm very sorry for putting that ONE statement in the blog post, because you all grabbed it and ran with it and beat me over the coals for it.

Second, I KNOW that I'm not in NY bussing tables or anything like that-don't you think I'd LOVE to be doing that? LOVE to be in NY somewhere, taking shifts at a part time job? I'm on survivaljobsforactors.com everyday looking for stuff just like that-haven't found anything yet. So let's start there.

I know I'm in community theatre in the suburbs right now-and Im not going to be here much longer, and am scouring playbill.com everyday looking for open calls since I don't have my equity card and can't go to equity calls yet.

As for living at home-anyone that's a RECENT college graduate almost has no choice but to live at home. Unless they've got something set up in terms of a significant other, or a roommate to live with and split the rent with, neither of which I have.

And where did I ever say that I think my life is like Mark and Roger's? I've never used those words, not once, not ever. I know that I don't live that way, I'm not dumb.

I know auditions aren't easy to get, I'm not delusional..but, I could still "audition my ass off" at the auditions that I DO get-right? Right.

Now. If there's anything else I've missed, any other grievenece my "Anonymous" posters have for me...let me know.

If not, let's all move on. I'd really hate to lock comments so that just these 7 people can read them again. And it wouldn't be because I don't want to hear what people say-you guys think you're the FIRST ones to tell me this? Please...

It'd be because that ONE poste, is NOT what this blog is about. If you don't like what I have to say-don't read.

And this is the last time I'm entertaining this type of conversation here. I do plan to make big moves and changes in the next year.

End of story.

The Countdown is ON!!!

Well, here it is folks...FOUR DAYS TIL OPENING!!

Gotta say, I always start to get butterflies as we go into tech week and are fully in groove and tune with out characters, and with each other. Now's the time for the last second fine tuning, and making sure the sound, lights, and props are all where they need to be, and fill in the missing gaps.

This is also the week that we all may as well set up cots in the theatre as we are there longer hours than with regular rehearsal. This is why actors affectionately call this week "hell week"!

Here's what this week has in store for me:

Monday-need to be at the theatre for 6pm...need to be able to eat dinner around 5, or grab something on the way and eat it at the theatre as I get into costume, hair and makeup.

Tuesday-Important e-mail to be written in the morning, 2 hour workout, and need to be at the theatre for 6pm

This goes on until Thursday. On Thursday night, we have our one and only preview performance-we call it our "dress rehearsal", but we DO have an audience, so I call it our preview performance.

Usually, we open the theatre up to anyone who wants to see the show for free-remember, this is the dress rehearsal- and then after the performance, the actors sit onstage and answer various questions and take compliments from the audience.

However-that is NOT the case with this show. On Thursday night, we are having the "women in business" group come to the theatre, and we are hosting a special night full of finger sandwhiches and lessons about how far women have come since the 1850s-now.

The show is scheduled to start...at 6:30pm! This means, I need to be at the theatre for 5pm..Thursday's going to be fun as I make last minute arrangements for people who want to come to the show in the coming weeks, and make sure my butt is in the makeup chair by NO LATER than 5:15, and I've eaten, no later than 5:30.

Man I love this industry!

This will also be the week that you see actors doing their pre-show rituals, more bonding will occur backstage now that we're no longer allowed to sit in the audience and watch each other, and THIS is where the memories start coming from when all is said and done.

I am incredibly excited to begin this show on Thursday night, and even more excited for opening on Friday night!

On Friday afternoon, I'll post another blog and document the pre-show feelings as I sit at home in preparation for leaving for the theatre.

Until next time.... :)

Holy techweek batman!!

Here I am again, getting ready to launch-HEAD ON into another tech week, or as we call it affectionately "Hell week"- the week that we as actors kind of almost have to take a back seat to the tech guys and stage crew and let them rehearse what THEY have to (lights, sound, prop moving), things like that.

It's also the week that we as the actors put the final touches on everything-on our characters, get our final costumes, ask any last-second questions, and sprinkle the theatre magic around the stage and on ourselves that make the show come to life!!!

We have one more rehearsal this week that's just a rehearsal-and we're adding just a part of our costumes this week too. Starting Saturday, we begin "hell week".

With that in mind-I do what I always do right before a show I'm in starts-I take some money and head into the city to see a show. I do this either by myself, or with a friend. This time, I went by myself. I do it as a way of reflection, or reminding myself what the goal is.

I went to see "La Cage Aux Folles" since it announced it will be closing on May 1st, to my absolute HORROR! But, that's another story, nevermind.

Anyway, I got into the city early and got my student tickets (box seats for $36.31-YES PLEASE!).

And I passed the day, doing this and that and meeting up with friends and such. I saw the show and I have to tell you guys-it was the most beautiful show I've ever seen!!! The chemistry between Harvey and his leading man- Christopher Sieber was amazing!!!!

I stagedoored after the show for Harvey, and also for my friend again-I wanted to talk to him! They came out together again, and I grabbed my friend after he was done doing what he needed to do, and we went for a walk.

While we were walking, he was telling me about another acting theorist named Meisner. Now, I had never heard the name before-I was taught Stanislavski, and that was pretty much all I knew. I told him about some difficulty I have been having, remembering my cue lines and everything like that, and how it was worrying me.

He smiled and nodded, listening to what I had to say, and then began to tell me about Meisner's theories. Here's what I've come up with in my understanding, since I purchased the recommended book and have begun reading it:

1) Acting is NOT a representation of life-it IS life. When you go out onstage as a character, that is the ONLY world you have ever know.

2) You and your character are 2 different people. You are you, but when you walk out onstage, you are your character. And they know different people, have seen different things, and know different things. They may even live in a different time period, or be higher or lower on a social scale-but you ARE that person.

3) Saying your lines is instictual. How you deliver your line solely depends on how the person you're in the scene with gives you the line before, or how you deliver your line depends on the circumstances of why you deliver the line.

For example, the way he was teaching the class, he brought up one male student, and one female student. With the male student he told him his only line was "mr. Meisner", he had the student repeat it, and was happy with the results of the repeat. He then went behind the male student and pinched him-causing the male student to scream "MR. MEISNER!"

See what I mean? The male student yelled his line, because of the action of being pinched. But, it was the same line!

My friend by no way discredited Stanislavski-hell, my friend studied him too. But what he told me is that Stanislavski doesn't help in SCENES. It helps in monologues, but in scenes, this guy works better.

I'll let you all know what I think after I read the whole book :)


Well,I think that't it for me today-next update I hope will have costume pictures and everything :) Very excited!!! :D