The Journey

My brother and I often talk about making sure to enjoy the journey of being an artist. He's a drummer and he rocks out with some very cool bands like Hippie Cream and SMUG. I also have a feeling something big is about to happen for him, and it just jazzes me, thrills me to no end.

A bunch of people in my world seem to be making their dreams come true this year, and I just have to salute them. There's Kristine Zbornik who's making her Broadway debut in A Catered Affair. I remember watching her incredible cabaret last year where she cried to the heavens, "When's it gonna happen?" And heck man! She'd already done a Broadway tour and created some awesome musical art! And her cabaret was FIERCE!

I actually met Kristine during The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun when she played my Mother Superior. She was one hot mama and her Mother Helen was a mix of Peggy Lee, Ethel Merman and Godzilla (as one reviewer said). At that time she was still aiming for her big break. Well, she sure got it! And I know she's gonna take the world by storm! Rock on, Kristine! Rock on!

Then there's my PA soul sister, Tina Sams, who just released her book, Under the Sun, The First 5 Years of her experience working on and creating the awesome magazine, The Essential Herbal. I've had the pleasure of knowing Tina back when we were both working at the PA Renaisance Faire. I was in the Shakespearean acting troupe (and actually got my Equity eligibilty from it) and Tina was a vendor with her sister, Maryanne, where they nurtured an herb shop filled with handmade soaps, essential oils and other natural delights! The cast and crew would often retreat to The Herb Sisters' shop where it was always warm and welcoming and laughter could be found in great abundance.

With everyone finally going green, I can't think of a better time for Under the Sun to make a splash, guiding folks with all sorts of recipes, remedies, and delicious tales of the PA woods.

Then there's me. As Tina would say, "Look back and see your progress." I think it's her way of saying, "Stop and smell the roses." Well, there have been a lot of roses this past year and a half! Getting paid for my acting, working with incredible people who have inspired me like crazy and who have been generous enough to request me for other projects.

Looking back, it's almost like looking at a map and it all seemed to start with VP Boyle's Musical Theatre Forum. From there I created my one woman show, "Love in 35 Minutes." Right after that, I booked The Singing Nun, won the NYMF Award, rocked out with VP's Pop/Rock Workshop, booked Lucky Stiff at Mason Street Warehouse, sang some songs for the new musical The Kid, reprised The Singing Nun at the Times' Center's Bound for Broadway concert, met the marvelous John Znidarsic who brought me in for Hell's Belles... Irene Stockton who saw Hell's Belles called me in for the new play, SIN, and my lovely Hell's Belles' stage manager, DC Rosenberg, recommended me for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which I just performed last week with Emily Skinner and Stephen R. Buntrock!

What happens next?

Stay tuned!

And enjoy the ride! :)