Secret Identity

Do you ever feel like a superhero? I hope so!

Most of us juggle more than one job, and definitely play more than one role 
in our day-to-day lives.

I've felt a little bit like a superhero lately. By day, I work at an online advertising 
agency which is very flexible with my acting schedule. Its a great company 
and I am very aware of the particular role I play there.  

Then at night (and most days too), I fling off my glasses and become 
Actor Laura. This is a fulltime job too, made up of performances and 
all the work that goes into getting onstage including auditions, classes, 
homework, research, and constant practice, or rehearsal. Its a great gig 
and I love it! 

Sometimes I feel like Diana Prince, sneaking off to a hidden spot to twirl and become Wonder Woman. :) Both roles serve their purpose, and I enjoy the transformation. That's why I'm an actor in the first place.

Every weekend, through Oct. 2, I transform into 7 famous women from history 
and pop culture for the musical "Hell's Belles." Its a very fulfilling gig at HA
Comedy Club's Midtown Theatre, and I love the people I work with. 

I am constantly refining my characterizations. Judy Garland in particular has 
been fascinating to research, and I'm so thankful for all the great YouTube 
clips of her work. There's a ton of great stuff online!  

But back to superheroes. 

My husband is definitely one. All my friends and family are amazing, 
and I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by so much love and support. 

Hope you're feeling "super" today too. :)

Life is a Cabaret, Old Chum

Last week, I had the pleasure of performing in Dana Lorge's Wednesday Night Cabaret at The Iguana. I sang "Let's Sing 'em All," the Judy Garland song from Hell's Belles, the show I'm doing every Saturday and Sunday night at HA! Comedy Club. One of my producers, Eileen Weiss, captured this clip.

Dana Lorge hosted the evening and she was a delight! Such a funny lady!

There was a fabulous woman named Rita  who sang "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?" She was phenomenal! And then there was Cassie Hohn, who previewed some of the songs from her show, Bathing in Bette. She pays tribute to Bette Midler and her early material, but does it with her own sense of style and sass. Cassie absolutely rocked the joint!

She's performing 9/30 at Don't Tell Mama's, and I wish I could catch her, but I'll be in rehearsals for another gig. My plate is filling up! :)

And it makes me realize that you have to sing and dance and play while you can. "Life is a cabaret, old chum. Come to the cabaret! Come taste the wine, come hear the band! Come blow your horn, start celebrating! Right this way! Your table's waiting." :)

Judy at The Iguana

This past weekend, we opened Hell's Belles the musical at HA Comedy Club's Midtown Theatre, and we were packed with fabulous audiences!

The show is about a nightclub in hell, run by a devilish master of ceremonies, and famous women from history and pop culture take the stage. I have the honor of playing Judy Garland, Janis Joplin, Lady Godiva and countless others!

It is a thrill to play these iconic women, especially Judy, because people have such a personal response to her. It's absolutely awe-inspiring, and I am so grateful that people have embraced my performance as her.

Tonight, I'll be performing as Judy in a cabaret at The Iguana which is on 240 West 54th Street. There are a ton of incredible acts, and I'm delighted to be a part of it.

It's called Wednesday Night at The Dana Lorge, listed under Special Events.

Reservations are a must! Call 212-765-5454. Doors open at 7:30 PM and the show starts at 8. Hope to see you there!

Fearlessly Funny

This Saturday, September 10, is opening night for the musical Hell's Belles. This is the third time I've performed in an incarnation of this show, and I'm having a blast! It's wonderful to be part of a show's growth, to see and hear changes in music, musicality, and story-telling. John Znidarsic is our fearless director, and the hilariously talented Mary Feinsinger is our musical director. Both have been angels in guiding us through this musical.

I love going to work on this show each day, because I've fallen in love with my castmates, who are off-the-charts talented, fearless and funny! They have all brought something unique to the table, and its a joy to work with them.

(Me, Omri Schein, Oakley Boycott, Kristen Mengelkoch - all photos by Mark Krieger)

The show is about a nightclub in hell, run by a devilish master of ceremonies named Lester, played with great comic heart by Omri Schein.

Infamous women from history and pop culture command the stage, and I'm honored to play Janis Joplin, Judy Garland, Lady Godiva, Salome, Guenevere, Alice B. Toklas, and Joan Crawford.

Oakley Boycott plays a pop star akin to Lady Gaga, and she also takes on such legends as Marilyn Monroe, Medea, Evita and Princess Di, who's visiting from heaven. :)

Each time Oakley takes the stage, she has such high voltage energy! It is a pleasure to watch her, and a thrill to share the stage with her. We get to rock out a few times, and it such a blast! Boom, baby!

Last but not least is the uber-talented Kristen Mengelkoch, who plays Eleanor Roosevelt, Ma Barker, Eva Braun, Gertrude Stein, Lizzie Borden and Bette Davis.

I love watching Kristen's face, because her faces are so distinctive per character and she is outlandishly funny. Her voice is HUGE! It's no surprise to me that she's wowed audiences in Forbidden Broadway.

We have dress and tech rehearsals this week, and then we're LIVE at HA Comedy Club this Saturday and Sunday at 5 PM.

The show runs every weekend from September 10 - October 2nd. Click Here for Tickets. If you'd like a discount code, send me a ping. :) Hope to see you there!

On a Serious Note

I was shocked to learn that the NYPD, NYFD and EMTs who first responded to the 9/11 attacks have been asked to not attend the 10th Anniversary Ceremony next month. How is this possible?

I remember when it all happened. I live by The Met and was walking cross-town to go to work. Firetrucks and police cars were zooming by, heading downtown. This was before we knew what was really happening, and I thought, "Our guys will take care of this."

And they did what they could. My gosh, they did so much! They deserve to attend this 10th Anniversary Ceremony. They are the true heroes!

Please show your support and sign the petition to reverse this horrible decision:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/allow-911-first-responders-to-attend-10th-anniversary-ceremony/

Thank you.
Laura

The First Day of School

My friend and fellow actress, Gina Milo, often refers to the first day of rehearsals as "the first day of school," and it's so fitting! You show up with your book (music and script), pencils and pens. Your desk is either a music stand or a table for the "table read" of the script. Your classmates might be new or people you've worked with before. And there's always that thrill of excitement in the air!

(me on the first day of school - age 10)

Last night was the first full company rehearsal for Hell's Belles, so my husband, Rob, asked, "How was your first day of school?" ;)

It was GREAT! The cast is marvelous! I worked with Omri Schein in the last 2 incarnations of the show, and he is such a doll! Very funny! Oakley Boycott is a tall blonde drink of water, and her take on Marilyn Monroe had us all breathless! Last but not least is the marvelous Kristen Mengelkoch who had me rolling every time she opened her mouth.

We three ladies play about 20 characters - everything from Eva Peron to Eleanor Roosevelt to Janis Joplin - and it was a delight to watch everyone "transform" last night. The bodies, the faces, the voices! And with Omri as the master of ceremonies, we make a very full-fledged ensemble.

A talented, funny cast, and a wonderful crew, including Ernie Fimbres as our Stage Manager and Gail Cooper-Hecht as our daring costume designer. It's a lovely group, and I'm so thrilled to work and play with them all!

Special thanks to Tweiss Productions for inviting me along! ;)

Hell's Belles Ride Again!

A few years ago, I performed in a concert called "Bound for Broadway." I sang a few songs from The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, and the director of the concert, John Znidarsic, asked if I'd audition for a new show he was working on called Hell's Belles.

The show is a musical comedy about a cabaret in hell. The cast consists of one devilish MC and 3 actresses who play some of the most infamous women in history and pop culture. We play about 20 characters total, and it's an absolute blast! Crazy costumes, quick changes, social satire, and some lovely tunes!

I play Lady Godiva (above), Salome, Janis Joplin, Joan Crawford, Alice B. Toklas, Guenevere, and Judy Garland, to name a few.

Janis and Judy are my favorites by far, though I truly love all the characters I get to play.They're all unique!

I've been with this show through a few incarnations. The first presentation was at the West End Theatre on 86th Street. And last year, we did an informal presentation at HA! Comedy Club, which is where we'll be performing again this year.

Tonight is the first music rehearsal, and I'm looking forward to diving into the music again. The first rehearsal for any show always feels magical. :)

Hell's Belles will be running in The Midtown Theatre at HA! Comedy Club on Saturdays and Sundays at 5 PM, starting September 10th.

Hope to see you there! :)

Superheroes and Sketches

Have you noticed all of the superhero "nods" lately? There are all the summer films, which I'm enjoying, and HBO recently premiered a documentary about real-life caped crusaders, which was just fascinating!

Ironically, I recently wrote a sketch comedy piece about a superhero manicurist named Manny. It was performed last week at  The PIT (The People's Improv Theatre) and received great response. I was surprised by the uproarious laughter my sketch generated and was greatly encouraged to keep writing.


The class itself was my first experience in "round table" writing, though our tables formed more of a square, and I couldn't help but think of us as "knights of comedy" in one way shape or form. Or perhaps we were more like squires. :)

Each week our fearless leader and teacher Alex Zalben, provided us with a sketch format, which we'd write and then read to the class. We'd listen to each other and provide constructive criticism, saying what we liked about the sketches as well as addressing "room for improvement."

It was such a positive environment, and last week's class performance was such a treat, because every writer had tweaked their pieces, following the teacher's guidance, and it made for a really fun evening of sketch comedy.

So what does this have to do with superheroes? Well, one of our projects was to write a superhero sketch, taking a mundane task and finding the funny (and the fantastic) in it. That was my favorite sketch, hence the reason I worked on it for the class performance.

And this makes me think of the Superhero documentary, about ordinary people trying to make a difference in their own unique way. There are a lot of superheroes in my life. I think we all can have an incredibly positive impact on each other. And this gives me hope.

The First Harvest

I love this time of year. There's something so magical about August. It's often the hottest time of the year, and yet heralds the harvest to come. It is a reminder to play and enjoy the lazy summer days before the hard work of Autumn is upon us.

It is a time of Summer fruit and sweet corn.

A time to release fear and take heart, to recognize the star of hope within us.

It is also the time of sunflowers. I don't remember seeing these flowers in the desert where I grew up. But here on the East Coast, the fields are full of them - these tall, radiant flowers that turn to the light.

"I don't think there's anything on this planet that more trumpets life that the sunflower. For me that's because of the reason behind its name. Not because it looks like the sun but because it follows the sun. During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky. A satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it. And that's such an admirable thing. And such a lesson in life." - Calendar Girls (written by Julia Towhidi and Tim Firth)

Comedy Tonight!

When I was a kid, I had a penchant for drama. No wonder I became an actress! :)

But I also loved to write stories! In elementary school, I didn't wait for the latest class play to surface. I wrote my own plays for my classmates and I to perform. I even got my brother in on the act!

Small wonder I've felt the call the write lately.

After college, I mostly wrote dramatic fare. I consolidated the novel, "The Phantom of the Opera," into a 30 minute playlet for The Edgar Allan Poe festival in PA. In NY, I penned a 10 minute piece called CHEER which ran with The Vagina Monologues for V-Day NY, and my last piece was a one woman show called "Love in 35 Minutes," which was wrapped around love and musical theatre.

Lately, since I've found myself consistently cast in comic roles, I've been taking sketch comedy classes at The PIT to strengthen my funny bone. My latest class has been on the basics of writing sketches. Some of my favorite actors are also writers - like Christopher Lloyd, Emma Thomspon, Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Steve Carrell - so I keep thinking of something my husband says: "Learning one skill can strengthen another."

From an acting perspective, I've found that by exploring the formula of a comic scene, I'm clearer on my own work as an actor. But writing it is definitely different! It's made me open my ears and hear how people talk to each other, hearing the patter and patterns, "finding the funny."

The biggest lesson I've learned is that comedy has to be honest. You can't push a joke at people, or... you can try, but then it's not as funny. Stand-up might be different, but for comic acting, I've learned it has to come from an honest place.

The thing I'm digging about comedy writing is the sense of colloboration. I also love how the halls between the studios simply echo with laughter. That is such a gift, and it makes going to class an absolute blast!

So I'm off to join my fellow artists in revelry and comic learning. :) Happy Trails!

The Girl Who Chased the Moon

Have you ever picked up a book that just enchanted you?

I'm currently in the midst of The Girl Who Chased The Moon, and it is such a delightful read! I don't want to put it down! It actually makes me look forward to riding the subway, because that's when I have time to dive into this beautiful book!

It's the story of Emily, a 17-year-old girl who goes to live with her giant grandfather in the fictional small town of Mullaby, North Carolina. And when I say giant, I mean her grandfather is 8 feet tall!

It's a whimsical element that makes me think of the movie Big Fish, and like that fanciful tale, The Girl Who Chased the Moon is full of magic and the uniqueness of perspective.

There's a mysterious wealthy family who can't come out at night. There's a charming baker, Julia, who hides a piece of pink hair behind her ear (from her youth as a punk rocker). She also runs her father's BBQ and has her own story she's trying to piece together. Her refuge is in the cakes she bake that fill the book with such sweet scents. Truly, I swear I could smell Julia's Milky Way cake, or her Hummingbird Cake:

"It was made with bananas and pineapples and pecans and had a cream cheese frosting... She would make it light enough to float away."

I actually bought the book because of the Amazon interview the author gave regarding the giant of her novel:

"I remember when I first wrote elderly Vance Shelby into The Girl Who Chased the Moon. He walked into a room and had to duck under the doorframe. I knew then that this was no ordinary man. This was a giant. But how tall was too tall? When would real become unreal? It’s a fine line. I began to research gigantism and discovered the tallest man in history for whom there is irrefutable medical proof: Robert Pershing Wadlow, the Giant of Illinois. At the time of his death at the young age of 22, Wadlow was almost nine feet tall. It’s a stunning number, isn’t it? Nine feet tall. I pored over old film and audio interviews from the 1930s, trying to get a feel for what his life was like, so I could present with veracity this magically tall man in my story. What I discovered was a soft-spoken gentle giant whose legs were so long he walked like he was on stilts, whose body listed to the side like a skyscraper made of soft wood instead of concrete. But he was always smiling, accepting the stares and the requests for photos good-naturedly as he toured with Ringling Brothers and the International Shoe Company. He never hid himself away. He mingled among regular-sized people like he knew he had to savor every moment. And maybe he did know. Maybe he was tall enough to see into tomorrow.

In honor of Wadlow, I took all that I thought a young giant might wish for--a long life, a wife, a family, a place that accepted him as he was, where he was just another town oddity--and I gave it to elderly Vance Shelby in The Girl Who Chased the Moon. And as an old giant, Vance looks back on a life he always wanted to be extraordinarily small, and finds that it was exactly the size it needed to be. Which I think might be truth for us all."
--Sarah Addison Allen

If you're looking for a lovely book with small-town charm and whiffs of magic, check out this novel.

The author also has an interactive website which details parts of the fictional town of Mullaby and offers Julia's cake recipes! :)

Enjoy!

Benefit Concert for The Trevor Project

Last week, I had the immense pleasure of performing in a concert of original music by composer-lyricist, Andy Monroe. This concert was a benefit for The Trevor Project  (preventing suicide among LGBTQ youth) and was a catalogue of Andy's music, some of it performed by Andy himself.

Andy and I worked together a few years ago on the musical, The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun. I played the title character and won the NYMF Award of Excellence.

I sang a song from The Singing Nun and from one of Andy's other works, "Chasing Garbo," based on the 1980s film, Garbo Talks. It was an incredible treat to perform this material, simply because Andy's music is so much fun!

And I was in great company! My co-star from The Singing Nun, Tracey Gilbert, sang a song from the show, and it made me nostalgic to play these characters again. They're such sweetheart heroines!

Jeannine Frumness performed a song from the award-winning Off Broadway show, The Kid, and Matt Hardy sang the title song. Jeannine then joined Jon-Michael Reese and Raissa Katona Bennett in Andy's latest project, Drive.

Raissa had played Christine in Phantom, and I got such a thrill out of that because it was the first musical I saw when I moved to Manhattan.

Marc Beja and Kate O'Boyle Anderson sang a song from Sally Peaches, and Kate joined Tracey, Jon-Michael, Matt Hardy and Kevin Dozier for Andy's 15 minute musical The Life and Times of Joe Jefferson Blow.

Zach Berger (above right with Jon-Michael Reese) played the title role in this charming musical about the birth, life and death of a simple man who wanted to do great things. Zach was also my partner in Chasing Garbo, and it was such a delight to work with him.

The entire evening was hosted by Andy's partner, George DeMarco (far right with Kevin Dozier, David Gerard and his partner), and we ended the night by singing "Happy Birthday" to Andy. It was a gift to share so much love and music with such talented artists.

Happy Birthday, Andy! :)

The Joy of Doing What You Love

I had an audition for a Broadway show today, and it felt fabulous! It was one of those auditions where nervousness is replaced by sublime joy and the excitement of simply doing what you love.

I could hear the pianist, creating beautiful music for the girls in front of me, and that thrilled me. There's something so delicious about the combination of a voice and a piano.

Across the hall there were male singers auditioning for "Camelot." Potential Lancelots and Mordreds were singing their hearts out.

Then it was my turn. I went in on a wave of joy, delighted to be there and to be singing a song I love (thanks, Chas Elliot)! The accompanist grooved right along with me and it felt like we were playing together, making music and having a grand ol' time.

Ya gotta love auditions like that where you're making music with someone so talented. It makes the room feel like a painter's canvas, and I get to paint the room with my song.

I love to sing, and I've been doing a lot of it lately in preparation for Wednesday's Benefit Concert. I feel so fortunate to be working and playing with such talented artists.

Every day feels lush with opportunity to keep doing that! :)

Music by Andy Monroe - for The Trevor Porject

This week I'll be performing in a concert of music written by Andy Monroe, who recently won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Musical Off Broadway for The Kid.

Andy and I worked together a few years ago on the musical The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, which also won various awards, including the NYMF Award for Outstanding Individual Performance, of which I was the lucky recipient.

Andy's music is wonderfully contemporary, and I feel so incredibly honored to be performing in this concert with such talented performers, including Andy himself.

I'll be singing songs from The Singing Nun as well as another show Andy wrote called Chasing Garbo, based on the 1980s film Garbo Talks.

Other performers include my Singing Nun co-star, Tracey Gilbert; cast mates from The Kid, Jeannine Frumess and Zach Berger (my partner in Chasing Garbo), Marc Beja, Kate O'Boyle Anderson, Matt Hardy, Raissa Katona Bennett, Kevin Dozier, and Jon-Michael Reese.

This sold out concert is a benefit for The Trevor Project.

Central Park on the 4th of July

It was a gorgeous day in Central Park today. Everyone seemed so uplifted, enjoying this fun summer day.

There were musicians everywhere! As I walked towards the famed Bethesda Fountain, I heard the sounds of Vivaldi, played beautifully on the violin. Lo and behold, there was an older woman with silver hair playing the instrument with pure passion.

 

I love that a statue of Shakespeare was behind her, taking in the scene.

 

Further down the path, there was a Peruvian pipe band, a solo saxophone player, and then a fun jazz band, which was surrounded by a very big group.

These were some sweet sounds, I tell ya! And I was heartily inspired by all the music. I went home and practiced my songs for an upcoming benefit concert July 13th. But first I continued my walk through the park.

I came upon a turtle laying her eggs near the famous lake where rowboats abound. It was so incredible to see her so close! She was protected by a low wire fence, but I definitely could have touched her if I wanted to. She was practically at my feet!

I was amazed that Turtle was crossing my path yet again... laying her eggs no less! It was truly an amazing sight!

Then I headed home, walking with a horse and carriage on my way out of the park. It was a such a lovely Independence Day. Hope yours was just as sweet.

Turtles and Travels

This past weekend, my husband and I flew out to CA to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday, and it was such a fun trip. It started with an early flight that was delayed because of a turtle crossing. I kid you not.

Over 100 turtles were making their way across the tarmac to lay their eggs on the sandy shores of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. And you know what was neat? No one on the plane complained about the delay. Everyone thought it was cool! Mother Nature at work.

I'm a descendent of the Cherokee tribe and have always felt an affinity for totem animals, so the appearance of turtles seemed like such a cool omen. Turtle "is the personification of Mother Earth." She teaches us to "honor the creative source within you, be grounded to the Earth, and observe your situation with Motherly compassion."

With this spirit in mind, we flew to CA and had a great time. It was a really quick trip - we only had a few days - but I wanted to be out there to celebrate my mom's special birthday.

(my husband, Rob, me, Mom, my brother, Sean, and his lady, Meri)

As I watch my parents age, I am so mindful of how precious each day is. My mom was a little unnerved about turning 60, but my husband was telling her what an accomplishment it is to have had 60 years of adventures! And there's more to come! Plus my mom looks 50 anyway. She is still so beautiful, and I'm glad she is my mother and my friend.

Concluding our trip, my honey and I headed back home to NY. There weren't any turtles on the tarmac this time, but there were turtles on TV, and I had to smile at that.