Passionate Park Rangers

I'm a big research nut, so when I won the role of Pat the Park Ranger for Sasquatched! The Musical, I started researching right away. I was surprised to discover what passionate people park rangers are. They're champions of the environment, and I've added that element into my characterization of Pat, for sure! I really do see park rangers as super heroes. :)

 (me as Pat the Park Ranger in Sasquatched! The Musical)

One of my favorite sites about park rangers is Tarol.com, hosted by a lovely lady named Carol who used to be a park ranger. It's a highly competitive job, but you can see that these people love what they do! :)

(The Lodgepole Interp gang of Sequoia National Park, courtesy of Tarol.com)

As Pat, I sing a song about being "an eco-friendly, multi-cultural, left of the center, politically correct, highly interpretive, big recycler, a bonafide tree-hugger aware of global warming danger, contemporary, fully inclusive park ranger." :) It is such a great anthem and I feel so honored to sing it!

Big thanks to Phil Darg for writing the show, and to him and Jules Darg for bringing me on board. As one audience member remarked, "It's FUN and educational too!" ;)

 Phil and Jules Darg

If you'd like to catch Sasquatched! The Musical, we have 3 more performances at the Pearl Theatre at 555 West 4nd Street:

• Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 4:30 pm
• Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 8:00 pm
• Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 11:00 am

Tickets are $25:
http://www.nymf.org/tickets/2013-events/sasquatched-musical/

Hope to see you there!

An Original New Musical: Sasquatched!

When I first came to New York, it was my goal to perform in original, new plays and musicals. As I look back on my career here, I am delighted to realize I have done exactly that!

I'm adding another new show to my resume with the NY Musical Theatre Festival Production of "Sasquatched! The Musical!" Rehearsals have been an incredible experience, working with such a superbly talented cast and crew. To quote my character, Pat the Park Ranger, "It takes a village!"

We rehearsed with the band today, and it was such a rush to hear the electric guitar and feel the beat of the drums. Talk about rock 'n roll! Can't wait to share all this with an audience!

The story is about a gentle sasquatch named Arthur who finds a lost boy in the woods and encounters a crazy bunch of characters (cast below). At times it's like a giant cartoon, but there's also a strong heart beneath the humor, and I've found myself in tears in various scenes. I hope audiences will love it as much as we do.

We open at The Pearl Theatre Company's PTC Performance Space on 555 West 42nd Street.

Tuesday, Jul 9th, 2013 at 8:00 pm
Wednesday, Jul 10th, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Saturday, Jul 13th, 2013 at 4:30 pm
Saturday, Jul 13th, 2013 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, Jul 14th, 2013 at 11:00 am 

Hope to see you there! :)

Tix are $25 and can be found via the link to NYMF below:
http://www.nymf.org/tickets/2013-events/sasquatched-musical/

Meet the Cast and Crew of Sasquatched! The Musical!

I'm very thankful NYMF picked Sasquatched the Musical for this season. I love working with these people! :)

Phil Darg (Book, Music & Lyrics)

is an actor, playwright, writer, and composer. He has been seen in many roles in recent years both on stage and in local television including Charley in Where’s Charley?, Mr. Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors, Patrick O’Reilly in The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, and Charlie Fox in Speed the Plow. He has also appeared on local television and in several independent films. Phil is the author of more than a dozen plays and musicals, and the composer/producer of more than an estimated 200 musical works (some of which have been composed for the stage, and broadcast on MTV, The History Channel, and Turner South). His latest creation is Sasquatched! The Musical. Phil has a B.A., M.A., M.A. and Ph.D. (ABD). Phil would like to thank all those that made this incredible opportunity a reality

Leasen Beth Almquist (Thelma)

Broadway: revival of Annie Get Your Gun (u/s Dolly), Broadway tour of Joseph and the Amazing Dreamcoat. Off-Broadway: Go Go Killers,The Queen, Broadway workshops 9 to 5 and Eve’s Turn. Regional: Cabaret atPittsburgh Public for Ted Pappas. PBS My Favorite Broadway with Julie Andrews. Indie film feature Transatlantic Coffee (Carole). Assistant choreographer Legends in Concert John Stuart Productions. Choreographed Really Bad Things for NYMF in 2012 and Assistant Director for Standby the Musical at the New York Fringe Festival in 2012. Leasen is very pleased to be a part of this production and sends her love to her “familia” and friends! www.leasenalmquist.com

Cole Canzano (Sam)

Cole C. Canzano has a passion for acting, singing and dancing and hopes to become a great actor someday. Over the past four summers, he spent four weeks at the Mid-Summer Theatre Company Summer Program. He has performed with the Gas Lamp Theatre in Beauty and the Beast, Annie and Just So. He has also performed with the CDC Community Theatre in Gypsy, the ATC Studio Production Company of Narnia and with the Montclair Operetta House in Oliver. Other credits include Independent filmFool’s Day with Director Cody Snider, Sesame Street, and a Hess Commercial. He has also taken art classes and piano classes. His parents introduced him to the theatre at the age of five and ever since he has enjoyed performing onstage. His motto is “the sky’s the limit and I will always believe in myself."

Laura Daniel (Pat the Park Ranger)

Winner of the NYMF Award for Outstanding Individual Performance as the title character in The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, Laura has fallen in love with other "monsters," playing Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors and Sally the Great White Shark's love interest in JAWS The Musical! Other New York credits include playing Judy Garland and Janis Joplin in Hell's Belles, Rita in Lucky Stiff, Kandy in Kaboom at Cherry Lane, and working with F. Murray Abraham in the play, Sin. Laura received the Inland Theatre League Award for Educating Rita and the NYU Craft Award for the lead role in the film Sincerely Yours. Endless love to Robbie, my friends and family, and Table 5.www.lauradaniel.net

Ryan Dietz (Bert)

New York: A Wonderful Life with Brian Stokes Mitchell and Judy Kuhn, Chess with Josh Groban, Illyria & Rites of Passage with the Prospect Theater Company, Star Messengerwith The Talking Band, as well as numerous readings and workshops for Theatreworks, The York, Second Stage, Abingdon Theatre Company, etc. Ryan has also written and performed his solo show, The Box Turtle Incident, about being bullied in middle school, which premiered at The People's Improv Theater. National/International tours include: 1776, All the Great Books (Abridged), and was an original cast member of Disney's Villains Tonight for Disney Creative Entertainment.  Regional credits include: Paper Mill Playhouse, Great Lakes Theater, Cleveland Play House, Riverside Theatre, Northern Stage, Hangar Theatre, Clarence Brown Theatre. Film/TV credits include: Celebrity Ghost Stories (Biography Channel),Target Audience (Showtime), The Joke, Office Jam and commercials for Twingings Tea and Virginia Lottery. He is BMMT graduate of Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory. www.RyanDietz.net

Chris Gleim (Chaz)

NYMF: Tess, A New Rock Opera (Alec d'Urberville), Sophia's Fall (Beelzebub). NY Theatre: The Radio City Xmas Spectacular; Junk, A Rock Opera. Appearances at the York Theatre, Naked Angels Workshop Series, and Joe's Pub. National Tours: Jesus Christ Superstar (Peter, u/s for Ted Neeley as Jesus). Regional: Titanic (Barrett), Godspell (Judas), The Threepenny Opera (Street Singer). TV/Film: Boardwalk Empire, All My Children, Blue Bloods, and The Good Shepherd (directed by Robert De Niro)

Leslie Henstock (Cindy)

Leslie is very excited to be a part of her first NYMF show! A Michigan native (but New Yorker for 12 years), Leslie earned a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan. Off-Broadway: Frankenstein (Justine/Agatha u/s and Original Cast Recording). Tours: The Light in the Piazza (Clara u/s), Les Miserables (Cosette), A Christmas Story, The Musical (Mother u/s). Regional Shows include: Kathy in Company, Maria in The Sound of Music, Woman 2 in I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof. Film/TV: HBO's Boardwalk Empire, Investigation Discovery's Deadly Devotion (Sharon). Founding member of the concert series, People You May Know www.peopleyoumayknowcabaret.com. www.lesliehenstock.com

T. J. Mannix (Arthur, the Sasquatch)

Previous NYMF appearances include: Howe and Hummel (2012), Hurricane (2009), The Piper (2007), and Warrior (2006). T.J. spent the last few years touring with Chicago's The Second City as well as flying over the stage in a fat suit in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. T.J. is a voiceover and commercial actor, appearing in over 80 TV and radio commercials. His television credits include: Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, All My Children, One Life to Live, As the World Turns, and Late Night with Conan O’Brian. T.J. is a comedy improv veteran and the founder/producer of the 5th annual NY Musical Improv Festival  www.NYMIF.com. A proud member of Actor’s Equity, T.J. admits to spending a very dark year as a Mouseketeer.

Don Meehan (Zeke)

Off Broadway: Play Dead, Drama Desk nominated one-man show, Directed by Teller (Penn &); Vieux Carre, Nightingale u/s Pearl Theatre, (Austin Pendleton/Director); Regional credits: To Kill a Mockingbird at NJ Shakespeare; Frankenstein – A Rock Musical (Alphonse), Ontario Canada; European production of  Fame – The Musical(Myers); Best Actor Nominee in Strawberry One-Act Festival; Threepenny Opera - NJ Shakespeare; A Christmas Carol (Scrooge) Jenny Wiley Theatre, KY; Footloose (Shaw), Phoenix, AZ;  Film/TV: The Men Who Built America (Thomas Scott), As The World Turns; House Of Cards, new NBC Pilot Believe, A&E’s The Fugitive Chronicles, and the upcoming Love, Lies and Seeta.

Patrick John Moran (Chris the Seismologist)

Originally from New Jersey, Patrick received a BA from Greensboro College and a Master’s degree from UCF. Favorite credits: William Morris Barfeè in The 25th Annual...Spelling Bee (Broadway in Chicago), Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha (Flat Rock Playhouse), Norman Bulansky in The Boys Next Door (Identity Theater), Nicely-Nicely in Guys and Dolls (Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre). He also wrote/starred in a 2-man show entitled A 16 Bar Cut: The History of American Musical Theatre. He would like to thank everyone and anyone willing to financially support him over the next few years.

Laura Oldham (Dakota)

Laura Oldham is thrilled to be a part of Sasquatched! The Musical. Some of Laura’s favorite quirky roles include Stubb in Moby Dick: the Musical!, Kazoo Girl in Bawdy!(www.bawdyshow.com), and a singing/dancing polar bear with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Much love to mom, dad, and Morgan.

Jonathan Randell Silver (Steve)

Jonathan is thrilled to be back in NYMF!  Last time he played Harpo in the award winning NYMF production of the new Marx Brothers musical The Most Ridiculous Thing You Ever Hoid!  Other recent theater credits include: The Marathon (Ensemble Studio Theatre); Shear Madness! (Charles Playhouse); The Fantasticks! (Long Wharf Theatre); Robin Hood Prince of... Monsters! (Irondale Theater); Charlotte's Web(TheatreWorks USA); Under Milk Wood, Threepenny Opera (Williamstown); Peter Pan & Wendy (A.R.T.); The Lower Depths (Connelly). Film/TV credits include: Rover (fall release); Mary & Louise (fall release); Keeping the Faith; Jack; Dear John; Bored To Death; and Royal Pains. www.jonathanrandellsilver.com

Billy Clark Taylor (Jim)

Billy Clark Taylor is excited to be a part of Sasquatched! The Musical. This show marks his fourth appearance in the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Other NYC credits include work with the West Village Musical Theatre Festival, Musicals Tonight, Inside Broadway, Emerging Artists Theatre, and NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. Billy’s voice can be heard on P.S. Classics’ recordings of Vernon Duke’s Sweet Little Devil and George Gershwin’s Sweet Bye and Bye. Favorite roles include Dan Goodman in Next to Normal, Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden, Fred Graham/Petruchio in Kiss Me Kate, and Man 2 in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Billy is a proud member of Actor’s Equity.

Donald Brenner (Director/ Choreographer)

Directed the NYMF production of the new Marx Brothers’ Musical, The Most Ridiculous Thing You Ever Hoid which won the NYMF Award of Excellence in 2010. Other Off-Broadway productions include Emmy Award Winner Sherman Yellen's December Foolsand Mike Vogel’s March Madness at Abingdon Theatre Company, Joanne Sydney Lessner’s Critical Mass at the Lion Theatre, and A Tale of Two Cities at the Mint Theatre. He directed an original adaptation of Ali Baba at Lincoln Center, and the world premiere of Beyond Gravity by Ruth Wolff at New Jersey Repertory Company. His over seventy regional theater directing credits include Jeffrey Hatcher’s Wilde Goes West for the Pioneer Theatre in Salt Lake City and The Gym at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. Other regional credits include The Light in the Piazza, Philadelphia, Here I Come! and Our Town. His production of 1776 was named one of the "Top San Diego Productions of the Year" by PBS and earned him a "Best Direction of a Musical" Robby Award Nomination. Recently, he directed and adapted the stage version of The Christmas Sweater for a sold out national tour.

Joshua Zecher-Ross (Musical Director)

Joshua is thrilled to join the Sasquatched! family.  Joshua’s New York credits include Ludo’s Broken Bride: A Rock Opera (conductor) at the Ars Nova ANT Fest 2013. The Little Theatre on the Square (Sullivan, IL): over 25 productions as resident musical director and artistic director including the 2010, 2011, and 2012 summer seasons, as well as Pete ‘n’ Keely, White Christmas, and most recently, Les Miserables. He also created new musical arrangements for the 2011 and 2012 Little Theatre Christmas Shows and Baggy Pants Burlesque, and is the composer of the children’s musicalRescuing Rapunzel. Cohoes Music Hall (Albany, NY): 20 productions includingDreamgirls, Cats, The Full Monty, The Producers, The Mikado, Sweeney Todd, andDames at Sea. Mac-Haydn Theatre (Chatham, NY): Over 25 shows onstage and in the orchestra pit including Crazy for You, Sweet Charity, A Chorus Line, Beauty and the Beast, and 110 in the Shade. Upcoming: Next Thing You Know at TriArts (Sharon, CT). Joshua is a vocal coach and accompanist in New York and is a proud graduate of the program in Vocal Performance at the Steinhardt School at New York University. Many thanks to Phil, Jules, and Donald, and love, as always, to Mom and Dad.

Andrew Lu (Scenic, Lighting and Props Design)

Andrew Lu is a New York-based set and lighting designer for theater, dance and performance art. He has worked with some of the most celebrated and award winning artists and theater companies in the United States and Canada. He specializes in cultivating and designing new original works in world premiere performances on stages across the United States and Canada including New York City, San Francisco and Toronto. In a recent review, the New York Times said of Andrew's design, “The unabashed star of the production is the striking design . . . a giant tangled tree, built of seemingly endless ropes, transform the Abingdon Theatre Company’s black box theater into another world — perhaps one where plays meet their full potential.” Andrew earned his MFA in design from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Kima Baffour (Costume Design)

Kima is presently based in NYC after working extensively in London. While there, she created the costumes for the feature film Internal which will be screened at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.  London costume designs include the promenade opera The Secret Consul andThe Importance of Being Earnest, music videos for many local London artists inclduing "Coco Channel"  by Tina Barrett, "Make the Call" by Camo and Krooked ft TC, "Sheer Heart Attack"  by the renowned Queen Tribute Band -The Bohemians. She co-designed Upper Lip and American Star at New York's East Village Theater for the New City.  Her styling work has been featured in Italian Vanity Fair. Kima would like to thank her family for all their love and support.

Telba Cavero (Make-up Design)

Telba has a BFA in Theatre (concentration in Performance and Directing) from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. She is currently working for City Harvest as a Spanish Interpreter and translator. This is her first time collaborating with NYMF. She is excited to be part of the team for Sasquatched! The Musical!

David Cohen (Stage Manager)

David is glad to be in the woods with Sasquatched! The Musical. His Broadway credits include: The Normal Heart and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Additional venue credits include: Georgia Shakespeare, Lees-McRae College, The Juilliard School, Holland American Cruise Lines, World Science Fair, Interactive Media Labs and Food Play! Much love to Jimmy and the pack, and many thanks to the cast and crew.

Stanley Ralph III (Assistant Stage Manager)

Stanley hails from Long Island, New York, and has been working as a Stage Manager for over ten years. He has worked the New York Musical Theater Festival, the New York Fringe Festival, the West Village Musical Theater Festival, and many Off-Broadway and Off Off-Broadway venues. Various theatre tours has taken him around the world to many countries and now it has taken him back to NYMF.

Jules Darg (Producer)

Jules received her B.A. in Theater/Speech and has over 15 years of formal training in piano and voice which led to her love of musicals. Favorite roles include: Nancy (Oliver!), Susan (All American), Reno (Anything Goes), Audrey (Little Shop of Horrors), Philia (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), Wife (Rashomon), and Karen (Speed the Plow). Past work projects include planning, promotion, and management for visiting film artists, including film directors Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air), Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, Mildred Pierce), and Ali Selim (Sweetland), and also coordinating independent film festivals at the University of Minnesota. She has earned a Master of Science degree and is currently completing her Ph.D. Jules is delighted to co-produce this show along with her partner, Phil Darg, and is proud to be part of this amazing, creative team for the world premiere of Sasquatched! The Musical.

Gordon Green (Assistant Music Director)

Gordon is a conductor, pianist, bassist, and composer originally from Atlanta, GA. He graduated from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University in 2008 and earned a B.M. in Composition. With a minor in Conducting and a concentration in Bass performance, Mr. Green has built the foundation for a varied career. In addition to music directing, he has played bass and guitar in numerous musicals in Atlanta, Baltimore, and New York. When he is not conducting or composing, Mr. Green is also a private instructor for guitar, bass, cello and piano in New York, and is very excited to be participating in his first NYMF show!

Deepika Mirchandani (Production Assistant)

Deepika Mirchandani is a Vice President for Global Compliance with a leading U.S.-based bank. She holds over ten years of international banking experience specializing in transition of businesses across international locations and change management with compliance and operations as her major streams. Rising from a family which had theater, literature, music and arts as their first love, Deepika was strongly influenced to remain involved with the arts. Sasquatched! The Musical will be her debut at NYMF and certainly a beginning to many more events!

Jenny Prada (Producer's Representative)

Jenny is currently a consultant and arts producer of Estrata, a dynamic  production company based in Lima, Peru, which specializes in  musicals and workshops with talent and performing arts organizations from New York and Lima. She has collaborated with the New York Latino Film Festival, HBO, The Food Network, Food & Wine Festival, Tribeca, Fringe Festival, and NY-Teatro Stage Fest. This will be her second year with NYMF. Jenny is working on the creation of Broadway Live: One Night in New York, a cabaret-style concert inspired in New York with songs from beloved musicals completely in Spanish.

Mark Dundas Woods (Dramaturg)

Mark has worked for New Professional Theatre since 2000, and for the New York Musical Theatre Festival on the shows Marrying Meg (Mark Robertson, 2009), The Great Unknown (William Hauptman/Jim Wann, 2010), Man of Rock (Daniel Heath/Kenneth Flagg, 2011), and Living With Henry (Christopher Wilson 2012). His reviews and articles have been featured in Backstage and American Theatre, and his features and news blurbs appear regularly on the entertainment websitewww.SimplyShowbiz.com which he co-founded with Michael Roman in 2010. Mark is a graduate of the Columbia University MFA program in dramaturgy.

They Really Like Us! ;)

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the kickstarter campaign for Sasquatched! The Musical! We met our goal! Woo hoo!

And we keep getting more "likes" every day on the show's Facebook page. We're almost up to 4500!

That's me with Patrick John Moran as Chris the Seismologist and Pat the Park Ranger, having a "moment." ;)

It's so cool to be part of this World Premiering new musical. I love going to rehearsal every day, and I love the people I work with! They're GREAT folks!

Wanna be a Producer? Kickstart "Sasquatched!"

Mel Brook's "I Want to Be a Producer" is in my head as I write this.

"Sasquatched! The Musical" is off to a great start, and we open July 9th. The show is listed on Kickstarter and could use your help. Check out this rockin video promo!

Sasquatch Sightings in Manhattan!

Who knew Bigfoot had so many fans? Since joining "Sasquatched! The Musical," I have been delighted to discover that some of my friends love the Bigfoot legend. And I have to join them! Since I play Pat the Park Ranger, I get to join the Sasquatch on his adventures, and it's a real treat!

It's a blast being a part of such an original new musical. The show is fun, funny, and has a lot of heart. While rehearsing the final number last week, I found myself in tears. It was so moving!

I'm also enjoying the "Sasquatch Sightings" which have been happening in the city. Our Sasquatch, Arthur, has been seen at the Guggenheim and made an appearance in Time Square!

Tickets are now available for this limited run. Hope you'll come join the fun! :)

Sasquatched hits Playbill.com!

Rehearsals have started for "Sasquatched! The Musical" and it's very exciting. The music is really catchy, and we've all walked out of the studio, still singing along, which is a great sign! :)

I have my big number today, which'll be fun to dive into. It has a Joan Baez / Grace Slick kind of feel, which is  a blast to play with! When I was prepping for auditions, my husband and I checked out "White Rabbit," which became a fave in our house. I also dug Joan Baez's music. What talented ladies!

Tickets for "Sasquatched!" go on sale June 17th, and we're featured in Playbill.com!
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/179027-Leasen-Beth-Almquist-Chris-Gleim-Cole-Canzano-and-More-Cast-in-NYMFs-Sasquatched-The-Musical

Woo hoo!

Sasquatched! The Musical!

I'm excited to start rehearsals tomorrow for the NY Musical Theatre Festival Production of "Sasquatched! The Musical!" The music is really fun, a mix of folk and rock, and I've got an anthem in the 2nd act a la Grace Slick / Joan Baez. I play Pat the Park Ranger, a pivotal friend to the Bigfoot named Arthur. :)

Tickets are moving along, and it's a limited run, so if you want to catch the show, it's at The Pearl Theatre Company's PTC Performance Space (555 West 42nd Street)

Tuesday, Jul 9th, 2013 at 8:00 pm
Wednesday, Jul 10th, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Saturday, Jul 13th, 2013 at 4:30 pm
Saturday, Jul 13th, 2013 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, Jul 14th, 2013 at 11:00 am 

Hope to see you there! :)

http://www.nymf.org/tickets/2013-events/sasquatched-musical/

I love NY

The city is abuzz with the Tony's, and I'm loving it! As Neil Patrick Harris sang about the kids who watch the Tony's and sing along to every Broadway musical, I flashed back to watching the Tony's from my parents' TV in the little desert town of Hemet, CA, dreaming of making it in Manhattan. Now, my husband keeps telling me, I'm doing it! :)

This Tuesday I start rehearsals for the NY Musical Theatre Festival production of "Sasquatched! the Musical." I play Pat the Park Ranger. :)

My first experience with NYMF.org was a few years ago in "The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun," which ended up with me winning the award for Outstanding Individual Performance as the title character. It was so cool, and there were Tony Award winners up for the same honor as well!

As I grow in this community and see others I've worked with make their marks as well, I feel so thankful to be able to do this, to have the love and support of my husband, friends and family to keep on making strides. It is such a thrill to be making my dreams come true in this beautiful Big Apple!

Back in Hell ;)

Today's been busy already! I was up early, working on scenes for an audition tomorrow to play a diva in a new web series. Very fun stuff!

And later today I'm playing Judy Garland, Janis Joplin, Joan Crawford and Alice B. Toklas in the invite-only performance on Hell's Belles.

 Really fun show! As Judy says, "Let's Sing 'em All!" ;)

Busy booking!

This past month, it's been raining scripts! I've been juggling so many different versions of text and research. It's been a great test of focus, and miraculously, I've been booking gigs!
 
I booked a radio spot for Toyota, posted under Voice Overs on my Media page. I'm the excited caller. :)

I also just booked the role of Pat the Park Ranger in Sasquatched! The Musical, running in the New York Musical Theatre Festival July 9-14 at the Pearl Theatre. It's an incredibly cute show, and I'm excited to start rehearsing next month.

I got a call to play a devious debutante on the recording of Jerome Kern's "Roberta" this Fall.

And I just completed Heidi Marshall's on-camera class, which was AWESOME. I loved diving into a new script each week, casting my net wide, learning to trust my instincts and fine-tune my on-camera skills. It'll help with a web series callback I just got as well! ;)

Love love love this exciting time!

Bloomin!

I love this time of year! Everything's in bloom! And I feel like that too!

Last week I booked and recorded a radio spot for Toyota, working with the lovely Laurel Coppock. It was a great gig, giving me the opportunity to try a gazillion voices, finding the right tone for the piece.

I also booked more "concert performances" (backer's auditions) of Hell's Belles the musical. Seems we might be getting close to a sit-down Off Broadway.

And I was called back for "Sasquatched! the Musical" at NYMF.

My friend, Tina, joked that last year I fell in love with a shark in JAWS The Musical. This year... could be Sasquatch! ;)

Taking the reins

"If you don't take the reins, it's going to stay the same. Nothin's gonna change if you don't change it!" :) - Dolly Parton

I've been hearing this call to change the past few weeks. Someone even told me to "change your tactic," and I guess it finally got through, because I just kinda let everything go and opened up to possibilities. And you know what? I feel lighter. And things just seemed to blossom easily. I received 3 offers for gigs this week. REALLY cool! And I booked a BIG gig, a radio spot which I'll blog about after the fact.

I'm just digging the changes, ya know, that feeling of riding the wind. It feels great!

Writing for SNL at the PIT

Last week, I completed the "Writing for SNL" workshop at The PIT (aka The People's Improv Theatre). It was a blast! Taught by the brilliant Ali Farahnakian, the class was set up like a writer's room with Ali as the head writer.

We'd bring in a new sketch each week - lots of homework, kids! - and we'd learn from each other's examples as Ali helped us to fine-tune our ideas. It was incredibly fun and expanded my mind in a really neat way.

The cool thing was that the class gave me the structure I was looking for to start working on other short scripts. I'd had a few ideas of things I wanted to work on, going into the class. Now, I've got a bunch! The river of imagination is flowing! :)

I find myself writing every day, and applying the same daily discipline to my acting. When I started the class, Ali said, "A writer writes (and rewrites) daily." I immediately thought, "And an actor must act. A singer must sing!"

One of the challenges of living in a big city like NY is the need to pay the rent while doing shows. Even some actors on Broadway keep a day job so they can pay their mortgage. The key is to do it in your field. So that's my goal: Focusing on growing my art and repertoire every day. Because it makes me happy. :) And life's too short not to invest in what makes you happy.

                                  Rose Petal Pool by Rounder (Joanne Jovinelly/Figment)

Happy Easter!

Happy Spring!

Tweiss Productions

I have to thank Eileen and Sharon Weiss of Tweiss Productions.

I've been working with these tenacious ladies since Hell's Belles took the stage on at the West End Theatre on 86th Street, and it is always a pleasure to circle up with them.

We had a lovely private reading for potential investors last week, and it gave me such a boost to do the show again. Playing larger than life women like Janis Joplin and Judy Garland will do that for a girl, and I'm so thankful to these ladies for giving me the opportunity to do just that! :)

An Imitation

Have you every heard that saying, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"? I'd like to think that applies to some of the acting the work I do, paying homage to Janis Joplin and Judy Garland in the musical "Hell's Belles." I'm doing a concert version of the show this Thursday March 21 at the new HA! Comedy Club. We've done several private performances, garnering support for the show to have an Off Broadway run. It's a lot of fun!

I've studied these ladies in depth, and it's an honor to slip into their guises for a song and a scene. One producer told me he saw Garland's entire career in my performance, and another producer delighted in my unbridled no-holds-barred expression of Janis.

These "imitations" are meant with great respect to the original artists.

However, a friend of mine recently had her work stolen, and that blows me away. She's a writer, and she created The Essential Herbal magazine. This print magazine (she also has PDFs for the digital side) brings together a fantastic community of herbalists, who in turn share their recipes and herbal adventures. Well, someone decided to steal these recipes word for word and re-issue them in an e-book, selling for a hefty fee.

I was furious when I heard about this. How could someone think they could just lift her material and publish it as their own? That is not only incredibly disrespectful but against the law!

Tina, always a class act, is now posting these recipes (with permission from her partners) for free on her blog.

"The truth will out!"

I marvel at Tina and am so glad she's my friend. I love the work she and her sister Maryanne do. We've been friends for a long time since we met at the PA Renaissance Faire. My husband and I were in the acting troupe, and Tina and Maryanne were vendors. It's been a lifelong friendship ever since.

                                                        (Maryanne, me, and Tina)

Tina's situation makes me think of something I constantly hear as an actor, which has really begun to resonate with me: "Bring yourself to the table," and to the role, because you are unique. Your experience is unique and informs the work you do. Embrace that!