Sweet Halloween Wishes

Thanks to my great graphic guy, Rob, at whatsyoursigndesign.biz for this fun Halloween card. Have a marvelously magical harvest celebration!

How to Help CA Wildfire Survivors

With the horrors of the CA wildfires emblazoned on TV and computer screens and newspapers, I cannot help but feel a terrible disquiet and desperate need to help the state I grew up in. My adopted Grandma Leta used to live in Escondido where tons of homes were destroyed. I have friends and family in San Diego, San Bernadino and Riverside Counties, and my brother lives in Santa Clarita above Magic Mountain where fires raged as well. Miraculously, all of these people were unharmed, but I doubt that any of us were unaffected.

If someone you know has been affected, or if you just want to help, please investigate the many Red Cross stations or donate to Red Cross directly and there's also America's Second Harvest. I wish I could fly out there right now to wrap them all in a big hug.

Thank you to the brave firefighters, volunteer firemen, National Guard, Marines and other military officers who have fought these fires, and thank you to the incredible volunteers who have been striving to comfort the evacuees. An abundance of blessings, love and support to you all!

Remembering Benny Reehl

I was sad to learn that the "father of the new vaudeville," Benny Reehl, passed away a few years ago. He was one of my directors at the PA Renaissance Faire when the Faire still had a strong Shakespearean improv troupe, and he directed me in the original show, "Bumble, Rough and Tumble."

Benny was a master at physical comedy and was great at inspiring the cast to explore our characters' full range of physical expression. A great teacher, I still remember him painstakingly teaching me to juggle beanbags, and I LOVED our trampoline work. I remember doing a somersault off the trampoline, and as he spotted me, I accidentally nicked him with my nails, and he said, "Those have to go!" But he was very patient, fun-loving and kind-hearted. He touched my life forever.

Kudos and great respect to a master craftsman:

http://mainearts.maine.gov/news/newsletter/2005-2/reehl.shtml

Attitude of Gratitude

It's not Thanksgiving yet, but I had to blog about this today: the attitude of gratitude. Bonnie Gillespie started it with her "I'd like to Thank the Academy" column this week, and I had to accept her challenge. There are so many people who inspire me and rock my world with their kindness, love, friendship, and wisdom. First, there's my guy, Rob, who has been with me on this wild ride since we met in the Shakespeare troupe for the PA Renaissance Faire many moons ago. To quote Jessica Rabbit, "He makes me laugh," and that is one of the greatest gifts ever! There are my soul sisters, the ever essential Tina on the East Coast and Lisa and her family in the West; my real-life couldn't wait until he was born brother, Sean (drummer man for SMUG and Hippie Cream); my "book brothers" and NY family, Carl and Michael and shaman Ataman; my Mom, who always taught me to live life to the fullest; Dad, Lani and John and Johnny Rocket; the Catawissa crew, Mark Sikes and his Casting Corner (actors take heed!), my Singing Nun and Lucky Stiff (MSW and APAC) peeps, all casts and crews actually, Wendy-bird, classmates, teachers like VP Boyle and Marcia Cloyd; writers who make me thrill to read their works, casting directors who've been kind and encouraging in auditions, directors who've helmed projects magnificently and the producers who've produced them; and to all those folks who inspire with kindness, strength of spirit, empowerment and compassion. Thank you for your gifts of friendship, love and insight.

Blog Action Day

My friend Tina is so informed. Since she's an online business owner of The Essential Herbal, she is so up-to-date with whats going on in cyberspace. Today in blogland is Blog Action Day: working to protect and save our environment. Tina's blog captures this beautifully, so please check it out. Thank you!

To Everything... Turn, Turn, Turn

"There is a season.... turn, turn, turn...."

I love this time of year! Autumn has finally hit the East Coast, and as many New Yorkers have been saying, "It's about time!" Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed the extended summer - it takes me back to my Southern CA roots - but there's something about the crisp Fall air that really gets my blood pumping with excitement and anticipation.

Last night, I met up with an old friend from NYU who was production manager of a really lovely 30 minute film I did called Sincerely Yours, which earned me the NYU Craft Award (and which I hope to post online soon). Anyway, we caught up on our adventures while watching the Dbacks play the Rockies, and it was very cool, sipping ale while sharing stories about art, life, and baseball. Jonathan's production company, Myriad Arts, has blossomed beautifully. Definitely check them out!

So many of my friends have been echoing the same sentiment about transformation, feeling a need to refocus, reconnect and create anew. I always feel that way this time of year, and I can't help but wonder if its spawned by the natural changes around us.

There's something about seeing the harvest pumpkins lined up on stands near the small grocery stores and the stalks of corn festooning these stands that just makes me want to celebrate! :) Change is in the air!

For me some of these changes include joining the community of writers for The Essential Herbal. I had written a short story for The Fairy Home Companion a few years ago, and my friend, Tina, has always encouraged me to keep writing. So writing a column for a magazine that just celebrated its 6th year in circulation is a nice challenge.

This is also spurring me on to write my next one woman show. I've written two pieces prior: the serio-comic 10 minute short, CHEER, and the cabaret with a story (or the story with a song list), Love in 35 Minutes. Both received great response and allowed me to bounce around Off Off Broadway. My next piece is noodling around in my head so we'll see what takes shape.

In the meantime, I'm reading lots of plays, getting wonderfully inspired, listening to lots of new music... Speaking of which, I have to share the appropiately Halloween-ish song, Cuddles the Vampire, written and performed by the band Hippie Cream, which my brother Sean plays the drums for. They are truly unique, and one of my FAVORTIE songs of theirs is called 76 Years Young.... about agelessness. :)

"Spreading our beautiful wings...76 years young." Rock on!

New Music

In the musical Ragtime there is a glorious song about "New Music" and how music can inspire us, change us, bring us to life in ways we never dreamed of... And there is something about NY in the Autumn that simply hums with that same kind of energy.

There is a pulse, a heartbeat to the city, that everyone seems to tune into. And though we've been having a bit of a heatwave lately (cue Marilyn Monroe singing, "We're having a heatwave... a tropical heatwave....") I've been enjoying that Fall frenzy that fills the air.

Since most of my auditions are around Times Square, I've been racing about, dodging taxi cabs and tourists as I make my way to the audition studios that are scattered throughout town. I usually walk by the Broadway theatres on my way to these auditions, and I've been delighted to see trucks parked outside the stage doors where stagehands are unloading set pieces for the new shows. The stage doors are wide open, and it's so cool to get glimses of the blackened Broadway stages. They're almost like clean chalkboard slates, waiting to be filled.

So back to this "new music" I was talking about. On Monday I sang in a BMI presentation of new composers' works. My Singing Nun composer, Andy Monroe, had written a song for me and my Singing Nun co-star, Tracey Gilbert, to sing for the presentation, and it was from his new musical, The Kid. It was such a blast, because not only did I get to rock out to Andy's new tune, but I got to hear some of the other composers as well, and what an absolute treat! Each composer has such a unique sense of style, and it's thrilling to partake of such excellent work, to be hearing it and performing this new music for the first time. Incredible!

What I especially love about Andy's music is that its a great mix of today's pop sound with really strong musical theatre roots. It's part of that pulse I was talking about earlier. And to be able to sing that, to make people laugh and feel and be inspired by this new music, it's an absolute delight!

Kickin into High Gear

You know that feeling when you're shifting gears on a car and you're about to go faster? It's especially exciting when you're driving a stickshift, but even with an automatic, you can feel the transition of gears, and there's this thrill of speeding ahead. I feel like that with my life right now, that I've got my hand on the stickshift and I'm shifting into high gear! Woo!

A lot of people have been asking me about Broadway Idol, and while I didn't make the next round, I've run into a lot of friends who said they had trouble voting or that they never received confirmation that their vote went through. Another Idol contestant whom I ran into at an audition mentioned that his entourage had the same problem, and it surprised me that he didn't make the next round either, because he was really good too, so I'm guessing the process was a bit buggy. All in all, I felt good about my song, worked with wonderful directors and producers, received great feedback from the judges, and have been approached by several new folks who wanted to tell me how much they enjoyed my performance. Also, there's been an outpouring of love and encouragement from my friends and family all over the country who couldn't make the show. So it's all good.

Now shifting into high gear....

I was called in for the new musical Wine Lovers, and get this: the director is Holly Anne Ruggiero, who was one of the judges for the intial Broadway Idol audition. She was such a doll to work with and called me back for the final auditions for Wine Lovers. Today was dancing, singing, reading more scenes. It all felt really good, so keep your fingers crossed! :)

I also booked a voice over for a short film, Coyote, and I did that recording yesterday. So much fun! We spent hours trying the scene in all sorts of ways. It'll be fun to see what the director decides to use for the final cut. Will it be my smokey, sultry voice or my Valley Girl voice? LOL

More stops along the way: I had an interview with an agent, and that was really lovely. Some strong possibilities there. I'm also prepping for a song presentation at BMI for Andy Monroe's next project, The Kid, and I'm just enjoying this wonderful life ride, meeting other people and diggin it that we all have a part to play in this multi-facted gem of a business. So cool.

Zooming off into the sunset. Catch ya later!

Broadway Idol

I love the New York Musical Theatre Festival. I had heard of it a few years ago when they first started up, and it was this yummy little big deal of a festival that has just kept going and growing... like the Energizer Bunny in a field of sunflowers! :)

Two years ago I auditioned for them and received phenomenal response. Then last year I booked the lead in The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun and ended up receiving the NYMF Award of Excellence for Outstanding Individual Performance. Woo hoo!

This year I'm performing in NYMF's Broadway Idol. It's like American Idol but more localized to the New York theatre scene. Jess McLeod is our fabulous director, Christopher D. Littlefield is our rocking musical director, and Eric Louie is our lovely producer. It is a thrill to be working with all of them!

Performances start this Friday September 21st at 10 PM at Stitch Bar and Lounge (247 West 37th Street). If you're in the city, come on by! It's sure to be an absolute blast!

Only in Manhattan

Since I got back from Lucky Stiff, I've been a busy bee! Not only am I immersed in living life to the fullest, embarking on auditions and working on my craft, but I'm making sure to take in more theatre. After all, it's one of the reasons I'm here! So when my voice coach Carl Danielsen invited me to "Hooked," a showcase at The Zipper Theatre, I had to go!

It was one of the most fascinating experiences I've ever had and reminded me keenly of The New York Musical Theatre Festival, which I performed in and won an award in last year. This event was more of an intimate concert, a mix of musical theatre and performance art, and The Zipper was the perfect place for it! The theatre has fun, stadium-style seats that are like cushy car seats built for two. And the sound system is great! They also have a lighting designer who has an excellent sense of how to enhance the mood of a song.

Speaking of which, the music was certainly intriguing! There was a very funny song about a man becoming First Lady, written by Drew Fornarola and Scott Elmegreen. Carl Danielsen and Selda Sahin had three passionate pieces about love, life, and travel that are still noodling about in my head. Raymond Bokhour did a music hall number about a British transvestite. The outrageous Aussie, Anna Copa Cabanna, accompanied herself on xylophone and grooved along with what looked like a speak-and-spell. Then there was Corn Mo, a former ringmaster who reminded me greatly of a young Meatloaf. He closed the show with a song he had written for Una, an incredible trapezist who hosted "Hooked." Una climbed up a rope onto a trapeze onstage and did this magical routine while Corn Mo sang about flying like an angel. It was WILD. And beautiful!

Only in New York!

Summer in Saugatuck

So here it is September already. How the heck did this summer go by so fast? My family in Southern, CA are still having a major heatwave, so I hope some cool weather comes their way soon. Today in NY it's sunny and gorgeous and I can't wait to get out there!

But now it's time for a quick picture break. Here are more pics from my Lucky Stiff run at Mason Street Warehouse in Saugatuck, MI:

It was always a lush drive to the theatre. Come rain or shine, it was like cruising through a cathedral of trees!

The theatre itself was in a really neat, industrial-looking building that had once been the town's pie factory. It sat 300+ people and we sold out!

The stage was a great playing space and made me think of many theatres Off Broadway. And our set designer, Todd Engle, was amazing!!! His wife, Ellen, was our Company Manager, and she took great care of us.

Our director, Kurt Stamm, was a dreamboat with a knack for physical humor. Here we are on opening night with the terrifically talented girls in our cast (from left): Sandy Zwier (ensemble), Lindsay Foreman (Dominique), me in the red heels as Rita, and Gina Milo as Annabelle.

"I am woman, hear me roar" is the anthem going through my head this morning, and I have to say it's great to be back in NY.

The request for more Michigan pics has been commented on, and I'm still going through photos to post. I have plenty of stories to tell about my Lucky Stiff adventure, believe me! But in the meantime, I'm back in action in Manhattan! :)

I'm already in the swing of things with auditions, and I've received great response from some of Broadway's best casting directors. What a great feeling to know my work is being well-received!

Ok, I promised pics of my experience in Saugatuck, MI while rehearsing and performing the musical, Lucky Stiff at Mason Street Warehouse, so here are a few to start....

First off, I have to tell you that Saugatuck must be a butterfly haven, because there were butterflies everywhere! A few even deigned to "pose" for me. :)

The town was simply as lush as could be, situated along Lake Kalamazoo. My roomate and dear friend, Gina Milo, and I would picnic alongside the lake during breaks. It was so beautiful!

There were also charming gardens in town and plenty to keep the local artist inspired, I'm sure!


The cast was uber talented, and we all bonded very quicky. The 4 leads, myself included, were all from NY, and the ensemble all hailed from Western University. They were really phenomenal, and our associate director, VP Boyle, kept saying, "There must be something in the water here, because you guys are incredible!"

I have been meaning to blog for the last few weeks, but rehearsals and performances for Lucky Stiff have kept me super busy! Plus the laptop my sweetheart souped up for me is about a hundred years old, so I can't post pics and my internet access is shakey. Don't sneeze or I could get bumped! :)

The minute I get back to NY I'm going to post pics I've taken of this place, because it is so beautiful! Saugatuck, MI is indeed small town America. There's even a Main Street which is only about 2 blocks long and is surrounded by trees. It is SO green here! And the tiny post office only sends mail out once a day. For a New Yorker this may sound primative, but the slow down-home pace is so relaxing and the town of Saugatuck is absolutely charming! Very artsy with lots of galleries, it's a rich resort town right along Lake Kalamazoo, and I love that I can see the water and yachts right across from the theatre, Mason Street Warehouse.

The theatre is AWESOME! It seats over 300 and has a real Off Broadway kind of feel. VERY POSH and fairly new (they're in their 5th season), they have a great reputation. The artistic director, Kurt Stamm, is an absolute delight! One of the nicest directors to work with, he also has a great deal of experience as a choreographer, and I feel like he has helped us approach our characters from a movement point of view, which is really cool.

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty are the creators of this little gem of a musical called Lucky Stiff, and I am thrilled to be doing it again. I played Rita in the Off Off Broadway revival 2 years ago, and getting into this character again is like diving into a favorite pair of stiletto high heels... sexy but off-kilter. That's my Rita!

The audiences have been warm and wonderful and so receptive. They're from all over the country! Florida, Ohio, Arizona, Chicago, New York... And they're so generous with their laughter and applause. Many of them have gifted us with standing ovations.

Since I'm the comic villain, I've been overjoyed to hear the laughs that accompany my character, Rita, through this musical murder mystery. She's been written with great humor and heart, and I get the chance to win the audience over with a big, lusty, powerhouse ballad, "Fancy Meeting You Here." So much fun!

My sweetheart, Rob, came to the show opening weekend, and really enjoyed it. Also Andy Monroe and George Demarco from The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun are here to see it, and I'm so jazzed! I love getting to share this ride with so many wonderful people! :)

I'm having an Elle Woods "Perfect Day" kind of day. :) Seriously, if you ever need a boost, listen to the first song on the Legally Blonde soundtrack - Perfect Day by Hoku - and see if it doesn't put you in a good mood. That song has been bouncing around my head all morning.

I woke up at 6, stretched and exercised, put myself together in a lovely summer skirt and blouse, kissed my sweetheart, Rob, and headed out to my day job.

On the way to work, I chatted with my friend, Tina, who posted this incredible blog today about Sunflower Women: http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/

Tina and I met at the PA Renaissance Faire where she and her sister, Maryanne, worked at the shire's herb shop. Incidentally, my guy Rob and I also met at the Faire when we were cast in the Shakespearean improv troupe, and Rob first introduced me to Tina and Maryanne. We all found a haven in each other as well as lotsa laughs. Now Rob and I are making our dreams come true in NYC, and Tina and Maryanne are successful business women of their own enterprises, many of which can be found at http://www.essentialherbal.com/

Anyway, Tina, Maryanne and I dubbed ourselves "Sunflower Women" since we seem to be always stretching and growing gloriously. Here's to ALL Sunflower Women! :)

I've been so blessed with love and support in all areas of my life. When I arrived at work today, my friend, Jaimee started me off with a smiling salute, "4 days til blast off!" which made ME smile. And my manager, Ross, has been incredibly supportive about this Lucky Stiff gig at Mason Street Warehouse. They've all come to see many of my Off Off Broadway shows these past two years, and I feel so fortunate to have such an incredible team of people who are sharing in the joy.

I was reading about Saugatuck-Douglas, MI where the Mason Street theatre resides and the place looks amazing! This charming resort community has always been a haven for creative people and includes famous visitors like suffragette Susan B. Anthony, aviator Amelia Earhart, poet Carl Sandburg, and pianist Jan Paderewski. I can't help but feel like I'm in good company. :)

Speaking of which, my Singing Nun composer, Andy Monroe and producer George Demarco will be coming out to see me in Lucky Stiff. My guy Rob, famous Swatch billboard designer (see blog below), will also be visiting, and I'm hoping other friends will be able to visit as well.

These past few weeks have been busy, not only with prepping for "take off" but with other projects as well. I recorded a song for Andy's new musical, The Kid, based on the book by Dan Savage. It is really awesome stuff! I was also invited back by The Onion News Network. We had worked together on their upcoming "Country Music" video, and they called me in a few weeks ago to read for their morning show host position, which was a blast! I love working with all these wonderful people!

And now... I'm ready for take off. :) I'll be sure to keep you all posted on my adventures in Michigan. Have a great summer and happy trails!

Look! Up in the sky!

If you live in NY, or you're coming in for a visit, take a walk to Times Square. And there on 45th and Broadway, you'll see a huge billboard for Swatch. Well, my sweetheart, Rob, created that. Isn't it cool?

He was given the initial design and had to recreate it for billboard use. Since he's currently freelancing from home, I got to watch him work on it, and it was so cool to get a bird's eye view of the whole thing.

To see a piece of art go from the size of a computer screen to the size of a billboard is truly amazing! I am busting with pride! :)

Check out more of Rob's work on http://www.whatsyoursigndesign.biz/

What a Difference a Year Makes!

It hit me today that it was exactly one year ago that I launched my one woman musical, Love in 35 Minutes, and I feel so good! I've been thinking about writing another one woman show, and I'm taking notes as I go. It feels a lot like planting seeds in a garden or cooking different dishes on a stove. I have to wait and see what sprouts or is "done" first.

In the meantime, I'm just enjoying the whole process, and when I think back to last year and all that has come to fruition, I'm just amazed! Like doing Love in 35 Minutes, directed by my dear friend Carl Einbeck, and then going right into The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, working with such amazing people on that piece! Winning the NYMF Award for Outstanding Individual Peformance, meeting all sorts of incredible people at the NYMF Gala, including Broadway stars and producers... Cultivating my craft with awesome people in awesome classes, working on The Onion's Country Music webisode, hitting auditions and seeing casting people and directors respond so powerfully to my auditions, whether it's with laughter, smiles and words of encouragement, or absolute physical reactions like diving onto my resume when I've completed my work. It feels SO GOOD!

Now I'm prepping to go to Mason Street Warehouse to play a character I adore: Rita in the Ahrens & Flaherty musical Lucky Stiff. Not only do I love-love-love the show (I did it at the Astoria Performing Arts Center two years ago), but I also received a note from my mentor, VP Boyle, letting me know he will be Associate Director for the piece, which is awesome!!! Working with VP is like working with Willy Wonka. He's so inventive and intuitive and FUN! He definitely brings magic with him wherever he goes. And I've heard wonderful things about Kurt Stamm, the Artistic Producing Director, as well. A lot of NY actors have nothing but high praise for these two fellows and I'm absolutely delighted to be working with them this summer. Woo hoo!

Fun with The Nunnies :)

This has been such an interesting month in that I've been meeting up with cast and crewmates from The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun. It's been like a reunion of sorts, all of us catching up with each other and celebrating our strides forward. It's been delightful!

Krsitine Zbornik, who played my Mother Superior, recently won a MAC award for her amazing cabaret at the Metropolitan Room. Expect to see this talented funny lady on Broadway soon!

Tracey Gilbert, who played my love interest in Nun, shared this incredible photo with me of her, taken by Gary Matoso who has this phenomenal project called "Everyday People. Every Day." Isn't it cool? I love that I get to share this life ride with all these wonderful people who are passionate about life and making good art. It's very cool.

I also recently celebrated my Singing Nun producer, George DeMarco, who had a birthday last weekend. He is one of the sweetest people in the world, and is so passionate about the theatre. Like Company's producer Steven Baruch said in his Tony award acceptance speech last weekend, "Producers have dreams like everyone else," and I'd love to see George's dreams come true.

Andy Monroe, George's partner, not only wrote the music and lyrics for Singing Nun, but he's also working on a ton of other projects and he wrote a beautiful song for George's birthday called, "By George." It was lovely!

I feel so blessed to have met these wonderful people, to have worked on the awesome musical about Sister Smile with them, and to celebrate each other as we grow as artists and friends.

Such Great Inspiration!

The Tonys were last night and they did a great job, showcasing NY theatre for the whole country to see. There were some inspirational performances. I loved all the musical presentations, and I'm so glad they showed some scenes from the dramatic pieces as well, because those are often overlooked.

Frank Langella is a marvel! Watching him and Christopher Plummer (who was nominated for Inherit the Wind) is like taking a master class. What phenomenal actors! And I loved Mr. Langella's acceptance speech:

"There's a line in Frost/Nixon which says, 'Success in America is unlike success anywhere else. That feeling when you are up is indescribable....' The line then goes on to say, "But there's another feeling -- when it's gone, to somewhere else, to someone else." And I know that feeling. Everyone in this room knows it. I suppose we can't stop people from putting us into competition with one another and once we are here, I suppose we all want to win. But I think we must honor the common bond in us, the struggle, the striving for success, because that's a race you simply can't lose. I am very proud and very honored to live and work among you splendid people, thank you. Thank you for giving me that indescribable feeling. I wish it for you all."

And Christine Ebersole's salute to "the Edies -- may they live in our hearts forever because those who take the journey, when they come and see Grey Gardens, help us get in touch with our humanity and our innate goodness."

Spring Awakening composer Duncan Sheik affirmed that "musical theatre rocks!" and writer Steven Sater asserted that "dreams really do come true." We singer/actors are so thankful for composers and writers like these two who push boundaries and give us all such wonderful playgrounds to explore in.

Lastly, my favorite speech was from Jay Johnson whom I've loved since I was a kid and would sneak peeks at the comedy TV series, SOAP. Jay won for his one man show, The Two and Only:

"To everybody that ever had a dream, always believe."

http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/winners.html

Congrats to all of the Tony Award Winners and nominees. Not only did you entertain brilliantly this year, but you moved people to expand their horizons, and you inspired artists like me to keep on growing. Bravo!

It has been such a weird time. My grandmother passed away on 5/19, so I flew out to CA to be with my family. We poured over old photo albums and shared so many stories. My Dad said he would scan a lot of the black and white photos and send them to me on a disc, and I'm grateful for that. Seeing where we came from, what our families went through, it's all very eye-opening. Pictures of my Dad as a child looked just like my brother as a boy, and I found an old high school pic of my Mom that for me was like looking in the mirror.

My grandma was named Eleanor and she was born in 1918. Her mother, Leila, was a great believer in music, so she schooled all three of her girls to play an instrument, and Eleanor played the trumpet. When I first heard this, I thought it was so wild, because Eleanor had always been such a quiet, subdued person. I hope she felt great when she blew her horn.

I think it's so interesting that my brother and I came from a musically inclined family, because the arts are so essential for us both. My great-grandmother Leila would've been delighted that Sean and I are both making our livings with music and art. There's a great freedom of spirit and a lot of love.

Blessed be.