The Audience

One of the things I love about live theatre is the connection that happens with the audience. They are definitely a partner in any live performance!

I feel very fortunate to have had some really magical moments with audiences. When I played Audrey in Little Shop, a little boy begged his mom to meet me at the stage door because he had to "make sure Audrey was ok." :)

 
When I toured with Theaterworks, we played at the Grand Ole Opry, which was seriously amazing. It felt like a rock concert.

From Hell's Belles, I've had people come up to me after the show, swearing I took them through Judy Garland's entire career. Or they'll call out, "Hey Janis!" ;)

With JAWS the Musical, the crowds have been so awesome, just ready to take the ride!

This weekend I performed a song from the show at the Sharkbite Sideshow, which was an incredibly fun burlesque show. The dancers were very talented and had a great sense of humor, and the host, a magician named Cardone, was excellent!

The crowd was made up of a lot of men and women who'd just gotten out of their corporate jobs, ready to unwind at the very trendy R Bar. The entrance to the Sharkbite Sideshow was through giant shark teeth, so that set the tone!

I came on towards the end of the show, and the crowd was just wonderful! I sang the power ballad from JAWS, "At Night He Swims Home to Me," and they went wild! Definite shark lovers! :) A few folks even put up their phones or hands to sway along with me like it was a rock concert. It was so incredibly cool!

I love what I do. :)

Shark Lovers at the Sharkbite Sideshow

Performing in JAWS the Musical has brought me into contact with shark lovers from everywhere!

When the show extended in July, we heard from "Joe the Shark," a gentleman who runs a shark-themed burlesque show called Sharkbite Sideshow at the R Bar on the East Side. Burlesque has been making a major comeback in Manhattan, and I know a gal who's a fellow classmate from Josh Pais' acting class, who regularly performs.

The cool thing about the Sharkbite Sideshow is that part of the proceeds go to shark conservation efforts. Also, any scuba divers or shark enthusiasts get in for half price!

Joe contacted Wayne Henry, the writer of JAWS the Musical and asked if he could raffle 2 tickets for our show at this Friday's Sharkbite Sideshow. Wayne agreed and also asked if I could perform a song from the show, so I'm performing in my first burlesque! I feel like Gypsy Rose Lee! ;)

Billed with "the allure of burlesque, the wit and wisdom of a good story, and the mayhem of a circus sideshow," the lineup of performers look fascinating! There's Sasha FireGypsy, story-telling by Princess Sunshine,  Minnie Tonka, Coco Te Amo,  Nelson Lugo,  Kyssy Kocktail, Bunny Buxom, ballerina Aurora Black, and host Cardone. Sounds like a wonderfully wild night!

I'll be singing the powerhouse ballad, "At Night He Swims Home to Me."

Only at R-BAR this Friday August 24th
218 Bowery. 8-10pm. $10 tickets.

Shark Week

When I was a kid and the theme to JAWS would come on TV, I would immediately leave the room. I was so afraid of even the thought of that great white shark! And now, I play a woman who falls in love with one in the musical version!

Cue Alanis Morrissette's "Isn't it ironic?" ;)

Sharks have been showing up everywhere for me ever since I started doing this show! People in NY are wearing shark shirts more often than not. There are shark bookmarks! Even while on vacation I saw a landshark someone had carved out of the sand!

It's been really cool actually. My husband has always liked sharks and would try to sneak on Shark Week whenever it was on the Discovery Channel. It's their 25th Anniversary, and it seems fitting that next week, I'll sing "At Night He Swims Home to Me" in honor of a shark. :)

 (JAWS cast: Me, John Flynn, Wayne Henry, Jason Salmon and Suzanne Stein)