In Good Company

It has been such a glorious Spring! I just absolutely marvel at this time of year.

Coming from the dry desert town of Hemet, CA, where we actually have "tumbleweed season" in the Winter with tumbleweeds almost as big as cars (see the pic I took on my visit last winter for proof), the seasonal changes on the East Coast have always been a source of inspirational delight to me.

So last week I brought out my camera to snap some shots of the gorgeous blooms springing up all over Manhattan.

Last week I also took part in the reading of the new play, Sin, based on Isaac Bashevis Singer's short story, adapted by Mark Altman, and it was one of the most amazing readings I've ever done. Some readings consist of actors with their scripts, sitting at a table, or with scripts in hand, just reading out loud for the audience. This is done for many reasons, one of which is that it gives the playwright a chance to hear the script performed for a live audience and to see how the material is received. Well, this reading for Sin was very well received.

It took place at the 78th Street Lab Theatre, which is such a neat place! You definitely have to be cool with climbing stairs because the mainstage is 2 flights up, but once you get into the theatre, the whole place just exudes creativity. Bare brick walls enclosed us, and with the theme of this play being all about people being torn apart by sin and the hell that follows, it was very fitting.

Surprisingly, the play had a great balance of humor and pathos, and our director Robert Z. Kalfin kept us on our feet for the reading, creating a natural sense of movement for these characters that was very engaging for all of us as well as the audience.

The cast was FANTASTIC, led by the lovely Lee Beltzer, the radiant Marilyn Chris, our delicious devil Ronald Guttman, the hilarious Larry Hankin, my Hell's Belles buddy Deborah Radloff, and me. Casting director Irene Stockton brought us all together, and it was such a privilege to work with these amazing people! Just... WOW!

And next week I'm jumping into rehearsals for the next phase of production of the revised script for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn with the Peccadillo Theatre Company, another incredible company of players, so the wow-factor continues. It is such a blessing to be growing and blooming with such amazing artists. AND I get to run around through the blooms of Manhattan as I make my way to and from the theatre. So cool!

Signs

I love the universal language of signs. From danger red to cautionary yellow to greenlight go! With so much going on in our lives, it's good to pay attention to the signs.

This week one of my favorite column writers, LA casting director Bonnie Gillespie, addressed the importance of being a smart artist with the new business model of self-publishing. I find this especially well timed because one of my dear friends, Tina Sams from The Essential Herbal, is about to self-publish a gorgeous book detailing the first 5 years of her self-published herbal magazine, and it looks awesome!

Adding to this realm, I've been taking classes in html and Dreamweaver so I can take over the maintenance and promotion of my website (created by my guy Rob at whatsyoursigndesign.biz who is focusing his efforts on being the visual planner for Godiva chocolates - yum!), and I absolutely LOVE the creative expression that accompanies this! Digging into the code, troubleshooting, playing with text and images and linking it all together... it's a blast!

Even further, I'm taking a film class via One on One Productions with casting director Ellen Parks, and I must say what everyone says: Whenever you can, take classes! By seeing what others go through in a class environment and experiencing it yourself, you cannot help but grow!

Lastly, twice this week it's come to my attention how important it is to do your research! Whether its for a class or an audition (and especially once I've booked a gig), I've always been a big research nut when it comes to figuring out the "world" within the script. From the playwright's style to the influences of the time period and how the characters relate to each other (and especially digging deep to see what your character wants and how they go about trying to achieve that), it never ceases to amaze me how much more can be discovered! The more tools you have in your toolbox the better!

So keep your head up, your eyes open and enjoy the ride! :)

Birthday blessings

It's my birthday week and I've been inundated with blessings and love from friends and family. My sweetheart has kept me smiling with his unending rendition of "Happy Birthday," which was inspired by my nephew's 2nd birthday party. My nephew is also an Aries and he loved being sung to so much that he kept asking us to light his big "2" candle and sing to him again: "Light! Again!" And I just totally got where he was coming from. Who wouldn't want to be serenaded over and over?

Maybe it's an Aries thing. :)

I've greatly enjoyed all the serenades that have come my way this week, and I'm so grateful to have such wonderful people in my life. As I make my way through each day, it's the friends and loved ones who make the journey that much more enjoyable.

In other news, I booked a role in Mark Altman's adaptation of Isaac Bashevis Singer's short story, The Unseen. The play is called Sin, and we're doing a reading of it next Wednesday 4/23 at 2 PM at the 78th Street Lab. It's an interesting morality tale and should be a nice stretch for my acting muscles. I play a demon "cursed with a sensitve soul."

It's funny - it just hit me that last year around this time, I had auditioned at the same theatre for a role in Arlene Hutton's beautiful Nibroc Trilogy, Gulf View Drive. The playwright herself was at the audition and she was so gracious. The play of course was already cast with actors who had been with the show almost from the beginning, so Ms. Hutton invited me as her guest to see a performance. What an honor and privilege! And such a good piece of theatre! Haunting and humorous at the same time. Quite a feat!

And here I'll be performing at the Lab in a darkly humorous piece next week. What a trip!

Got the gig!

Yesterday was GORGEOUS! I got to run around the theatre district in the luscious sunshine, delighting in the blossoming trees and beautiful blue sky. What a great day to be out and about!

I made it through the final callbacks for the revival of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, again getting to "tread the boards" of the Theatre at St. Clements where I played the Singing Nun 2 years ago. The audition went beautifully. It was a pleasure to sing and read for the production team, including director Dan Wackerman. We ended my session by reminiscing about Jean Harlow since I seemed to remind them of this glamorous gal. Dan said to check out her film Dinner at Eight. You know I will!

And later that day, I got the offer to join the cast for Tree. I'm so excited to be a part of this! It's a beautiful show with great music.

Very cool stuff.

Callback!!!!

Got a callback for the next phase of production for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn!!!! Reading scenes for the production team today. I'm SO EXCITED!!!

Play on!

So much good stuff happening!

My original short story, Fairy Parade, compiled in the book The Fairy Home Companion, an Essential Herbal publication, has been reprinted for the 3rd year. Woo! I love being able to cultivate my writing with other fabulous writers via this amazing compilation.

I've also in the midst of writing a 2 person show with my Hell's Belles partner in crime, Deborah Radloff, so that's been cooking in my head.

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of singing for director Dan Wackerman and his crew at the Theatre at St. Clement's. I was called in to sing for the next phase of production for the new script of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and it was such a delight to be at St. Clement's again. It was like coming home in a way, because I had played the Singing Nun in the same theatre and it was so nice to be in the space again.

I'm also bouncing into classes! Tonight I'm taking a Dreamweaver class because in this day and age of do-it-yourself-ism, I LOVE learning how to expand my horizons via the web. Speaking of which, I finally had a chance to edit my song clips, so you'll find shorter versions of most of my vocal work, specifically the Janis Joplin piece, "Sex Drugs Booze and Rock n Roll." :)

And next week I'm taking a film class with renowned casting director Ellen Parks. I'm really excited to meet her because I LOVE her style of casting and I particularly enjoy the films she has worked on. So.... stay tuned! :)

Spring Showers

I LOVE this time of year! Everything's in bloom and daffodils seem to have popped up in Manhattan overnight! They're everywhere! Near the Laura Pels Theatre on the way to the Actors' Equity building... planted near trees on the sidewalks... and of course, they're flourishing in the parks throughout the city. I'm in heaven! Love these cheery little flowers!

I feel like I'm in bloom too! :) I've been receiving really wonderful responses from people at my auditions. One production team visibly relaxed and opened up to the ride I was inviting them on, and at the end of the song, everyone was quiet but intensely involved...holding onto that last moment of my song. And the director finally broke the silence, saying, "What IS this moment in theatre called?" And I said (after a beat), "...a lovely moment?" And he said, "YES! A truly lovely moment!"

So I feel greatly encouraged.

I also got a call to come audition for the next presentation of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I had participated in the reading of the new script in February, where the script was performed by actors while the songs were sung separately by contracted singers. At this next stage of the building-a-show process, they will now need actors who can sing for the producers. And I am so thrilled to be brought in for this next step, to be recognized as an actress and a singer. :)

I've also been reading a bunch of plays and listening to all sorts of musicals, just opening myself to new stuff, and I am in love! Theresa Rebeck and Douglas Carter Beane have absolutely charmed the pants off me with their incredible plays! A few years ago, I'd read Mr. Beane's Country Club and As Bees in Honey Drown, but I just finished The Little Dog Laughed and was absolutely blown away by the characters, comedy, tone, and passionate pathos behind all of it. Likewise with Ms. Rebeck's Mauritius, it was an absolute headtrip of great characters and rich drama. Mmm! A feast for any artist!

So I am certainly enjoying this Spring, even though its raining today. April showers tend to make the city cleaner and fresher, and certainly make the flowers bloom.

In the works

I had two auditions the past two days that just had that magic feel to them, and regardless of what happens, I wanted to blog about them, because there's something special about these two shows.

The first is the new musical Angels, slated to hit Broadway this year, and the show looks and sounds INCREDIBLE. Download the video preview to get a glimpse of the angels and demons in flight. So cool!

The entire creative team was at this audition, which was an astounding experience! At an Equity Principal (AEA) call, usually just the casting director is there, but Angels had the producer, director, composer, music director, music superviser, associate producer and assistant directors there, and they were a lovely bunch! It was such a pleasure to get to sing my song for them, to share in that connection that music provides.

Before going into the audition, I'd read about the 2 students from Sydney who wrote this "little show that could." And since I had also performed in the 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival with The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, where Angels got its NY start, I couldn't help but feel an affinity for this beautiful show. I wish them great success!

Then today I went into the chorus call for the new musical of Little House on the Prairie, a story I grew up and always loved as a girl, and I just had a blast, doing my thing, singing what I needed to sing today.

Glenn Close once said that "you bring your day with you (onto the stage)," which I believe is from Harold Guskin's guidance on How to Stop Acting, and I feel like I've been doing that lately. Going from where I am, bringing what I have to the table, trying to stay out of my way, and letting the energy flow. It doesn't always happen. As actors our heads often get in the way and we get overly-critical of ourselves or feel we have to put on some sort of air. But I am learning I am enough. And when I let go and go with the flow.... it is a blast! :)

Hey Buds!

I have this song in my head from On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, sung by the character Daisy, as she encourages the flowers to bloom:

"Hey buds below ...
up is where to grow...
Up with which below can't compare with.... Hurry! It's lovely up here!"
(lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, music by Burton Lane)

There is something so thrilling about this time of year. Yes, it seems like Winter is still trying to chill us all here in New York, but as my sweetheart and I walked about the city this weekend, I was delighted to see almost all of the trees dotted with these little green leaf-buds. And I felt this kinship those little leaf-lings, for we are all growing each day, stretching, reaching out to the blue sky and turning towards the sun. It's exhilirating!

I'm working on a bunch of new music for a cabaret with my partner in crime from Hell's Belles, Deb Radloff. And the incredible Robby Stamper, my music director from The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, is guiding us through tunes. Man, he is amazing! And so is Deb! It's a pleasure working with them both.

I'm also reading new plays, gearing up for auditions and classes in the next few days/months. I'm particularly excited to be diving into my artistry, getting a boost that comes with this rush of Spring, this energy to take to new and old tasks with unbridled joy.

"Wake up, bestir yourself,

It's time that you disinter yourself

You've got a spot to fill - a pot to fill

And what a gift package of shower, sun and love

You'll be met above everywhere with...

Come up and see the hoot we're giving!

Come up and see the grounds for living!

Come poke your head out!

Open up and spread out!
Hurry it's lovely here!"

(Alan Jay Lerner)

Hark! Hear the Belles!

A few weeks ago I did a recording for the devilish new musical that pays tribute to many famous and infamous ladies, Hell's Belles. It was such a blast being in the recording studio with our music director Elaina Cope and writer Bryan D. Leys, singing along with my cohorts, Omri Schein and Deborah Radloff. We sang a few group numbers and then did the solo numbers. Here are some of mine:

That's Lady Godiva!

Let's Sing 'em All (Judy Garland)

Sex Drugs Booze and Rock n Roll

These songs are also up on my website: www.lauradaniel.net/audio_new.htm

These are the complete songs, which I'm in the process of editing down to smaller previews. Godiva is fine because it's a 30 second song, but Judy and Janis' songs are all about 3 minutes. So if you have time, please groove along. :)

The Kid

My good friend, Andy Monroe, has been working with the lovely lyricist and producer Jack Lechner on a new musical based on Dan Savage's book, The Kid. I was fortunate to sing one of the songs from the show at BMI's Smoker, and it looks like the show is definitely on its way!

Andy and Jack did a podcast on Friday at Four, talking about the show, and Cheyenne Jackson sang the title number.

Check it out! http://fridayatfour.blogspot.com/

Bravo, guys! :)

Friday and Finding Freedom

I know I've been blog-happy this week. It's just been a wild and wooly ride, but as my sweetheart and all of my friends and family have been saying, "It's about the ride and enjoying it."

Ok, I hear ya loud and clear. :) And usually I'm right on track with that, but every once and a while we stumble and fall and get in our own way.

Then I saw this article by Bonnie Gillespie and it all just clicked: The Power of "Eh."

Letting go and going with the flow, finding ways to free myself up and let my art/song out... enjoying the ride.

I had two auditions today and almost all the actors who went in before me were screaming their lungs out. It was bizarre, and I thought, "The casting people must be deaf after a day of this." But there were some absolute standouts and people who inspired me as well, and I realized the "screamers" were just desperate to be heard.

One of my coaches, VP Boyle, is a master at helping an artist remember and find dynamics, and I LOVE doing that in my songs. And hey! I got to audition for a Broadway show today. How many people can say that?

I LOVE that I get to do that, that I get to put myself out there and learn from the whole process and connect with people in such a fascinating way. And then getting to share it all with my friends and family and my honeypie, delighting in that home base and enjoying their stories and adventures just as much I enjoy getting to share mine.

"Energy is currency. How do you wish to spend it?"

Broadway Home Movies

Oh my gosh! I just had to share this link with you:

http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/index.html

There are clips to all sorts of old and current musicals! This is nothing short of an absolute treasure! To see young and "old" stars in their heyday... what a gift!

Just select the musical you want to see, and you can view a clip of that production. I was just trippin' on Barbara Harris' "Apple Tree" performance right alongside Kristin Chenoweth's recent revival. WOW!

If the shoe fits

It's been such an interesting few weeks. I've had quite a few auditions lately - even callbacks - where I've received great response from the casting people and directors, but it just hasn't been "a fit." For one show, the writer wanted a Carol Burnett type, and I'm more Judy Holliday. For another show, the casting director liked my voice and how I could really rock, but the production team wanted a heavier woman, so... there wasn't much I could do about that. Even if they opted to "pad" me, as I looked at the women at the callback, I knew it just wasn't "a fit."

But the cool thing that came out of the one circumstance was that the director and casting director both called me to say how much they loved my audition and that they would definitely keep me in mind for future work, so that's excellent. And I know I'm making strides just by getting a callback or by having a casting director talk with me after an audition. All good stuff!

Of course, there can be a bit of that frustration factor because you want to book the gig, but it hit me today that it's like trying to fit into a shoe that's too small or too big. Either way it'll be painful or very difficult to navigate. But when the shoe fits - when the show fits - it feels GREAT! And this whole experience has been so useful in helping me embrace my type. So whether you're a hightop sneaker or a stiletto high heel (or a stiletto hightop), embrace who you are and what you have to bring to the table, and work to enchance those skills that make you even better. And most importantly, enjoy the ride! :)

The beauty of language

When I was a kid, growing up in the suburban desert of Hemet, CA, one of my greatest joys was to "go adventuring" into books and plays. Thus I started acting at age 5, playing the Big Bad Wolf in my first school play. I still remember hurtling into the pigs' houses, which were made of cardboard, throwing myself fully into these constructs to emphasize blowing them down. What a little whirlwind I was!

This brings me to today's blog about Helen Keller. Some new photos of her and her teacher, Annie Sullivan were recently discovered. AOL is showcasing this rare find, and it brought back all sorts of memories for me.

I had always been fascinated with Miss Keller since my friend Kara Herold gave me a book on this phenomenal woman while we were in elementary school. Helen had been locked in a world of silent darkness when she fell ill at the age of 2 and lost both her sight and hearing. Thus she became a wild child until she was 6 and a half. Then Annie Sullivan, who also suffered poor vision, became Helen's governess and teacher and worked tirelessly with Helen for over a month, finally breaking through the walls of silent darkness by finger-spelling the deaf alphabet into Helen's hand. Helen later recounted this:

“We walked down the path to the well-house, attracted by the fragrance of the honey-suckle with which it was covered. Someone was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten, a thrill of returning thought, and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me.”

Can you imagine? Only a month and Annie was able to get through to Helen! What a break-through!

In high school, I was fortunate to play Helen in "The Miracle Worker" and it was such an intense experience. I will never forget it! Got a lot of bruises in the famous "breakfast scene," and I still remember that feeling of just.... throwing myself out there... imaginging what it must be like to move through a soundless darkness, relying only on touch, taste and feelings. Then finding the breakthrough, that sense of insight and understanding found through human contact.

To find ways of reaching out to each other.... to connect... that is such a gift.

A Good Script

I've been so fortunate lately to be working on really good scripts. Praise the writers!

Last week I was juggling 3 scripts actually! In between takes for the short film, Everyday, a nod to Hitchcock, I was working on the farce A Cable to Gibraltar. Then I got to dive into the revision of the old musical A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. And today I read sides in the audition for a new Off Broadway play, Substitution, a beautifully poetic piece about life and death.

As I've been watching my script pile grow at home, I just feel so fortunate to be on the receiving end of these pieces, getting to read these incredible scripts and bring them to life with voice, body and (e)motion. Very cool stuff!

Wonderfully busy!

Just had to celebrate! Every day has been filled with something artistic this week, with me making strides in my craft. And best of all, I'm getting paid for my work, which is such a milestone! Truly, any actor will tell you that to get paid for your acting is an absolute achievement - especially in NY where there is so much theatre and so many actors that most have to start out doing work for free. Since I'm part of the union, I've been compensated for showcases with travel fare, etc, but since last summer, I've been getting nice paychecks for all of my acting work and that just feels so good!

Monday I played Hildy in the reading for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and the music is still swimming about in my head! So beautiful! Tuesday I was called in for the new play, A Cable to Gibraltar. The casting director had seen me in Hell's Belles and was very sweet, saying she was glad to see more of what else I could do, regarding my work for Gibraltar. Two very different shows since Hell's Belles is a musical romp and Gibraltar is a British/French farce. Both very fun! On Wednesday, I had an audition for The Big Show and got a callback. Woo! Wednesday I also went into the recording studio to lay down tracks for a CD for Hell's Belles. It was a blast getting to play Janis Joplin, Judy Garland, and my lovely little Lady Godiva once again. Thursday was the callback for The Big Show, and though that just wasn't a fit (I have a huge voice but not the large physique they were looking for), it was still nice to get the callback. Then Friday was a chance to relax and get ready for my next postcard mailing, because I haven't had time til now to do it! And when I got home, another bit of my work showed up in the new issue of The Essential Herbal. My friend, Tina, who runs the magazine, has been encouraging me to write articles for it, to give an urban view of the herb world, and as I've always loved to write and I love what the magazine stands for, that has been a very satisfying experience. To do quality work in my craft and to work with such wonderful people... what a blessing!

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Last night I had the immense pleasure to take part in a reading of the updated script for the musical, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The Peccadillo Theatre Company produced the reading at The Bank Street Theatre in the West Village, and it was so cool to head down there. The Village just oozes this artsy vibe, and I always love going down there.

When I arrived at the theatre, most of the cast was just getting there as well. Our stage manager, DC Rosenberg, whom I worked with on Hell's Belles , had everything set up for us. Since this was a "table read," there were 3 long tables set up with chairs facing the audience. The main idea of a reading is to simply hear the script brought to life. It is still acted but the actors are seated (in most cases) and are "on book," referring to the script.

I was cast as Hildy, a brassy dame character who starts out as the leading lady's best friend, but quickly becomes her enemy when Hildy's boyfriend (the lead fellow) goes after the best friend, Katie. It was fun to be one of the first voices heard in the show, setting the tone with brass and sass, making way for the bittersweet love story that ensues, and keeping the sparks flying. I also had a juicy scene at the end, showing this "dame" had a heart as well.

The delightful Dan Wackerman directed the reading and also narrated. He welcomed the audience when they arrived and gave them some background on A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, saying how the original musical had veered from the novel, focusing on the talents of Shirley Booth, who played the supporting character of Aunt Cissy. If you listen to the original cast recording, you can see how Ms. Booth stole the show. Very funny lady!

Susan DiLallo revised the script to get back to the core story of Katie and Johnny, a young couple trying to get by during hard times, and it seems most effective. I teared up twice during the reading - it is such heart-breaking stuff! And there's still plenty of humor with Cissy, so it's well-balanced. A really beautiful piece.

I was very honored to take part in this production and hope to move forward with the piece as they enter their next phase.

In the meantime, the Hell's Belles cast are getting ready to record some songs for a promotional CD, and I'm looking forward to jumping back into my characters, especially Janis Joplin and Judy Garland. It's gonna be fun to see the whole crew again! Although last night's reading of "Tree" was almost like a Hell's Belles reunion with Omri Schein, Deb Radloff, DC Rosenberg and costume designer Gail Cooper-Hecht there to help make it all happen.

Good stuff!

No Time to Lose Steam

As the Northeast gets hit with a snow storm, I'm girding up for a filmshoot this weekend, praying we make it through the snow and that I get over this flubug that's gripped everyone. Luckily my friend, Tina, at The Essential Herbal has been guiding me with all sorts of natural remedies, and of course, my friends in the biz have turned me onto old standys like Wellness pills and ginger root tea. But enough of that! I leave in a few hours for the filming of Everyday, a short thriller. I promise to take lots of pics! Should be great fun!

When I get back, I'm doing a reading of the new script for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn at The Bank Street Theatre. My lovely stage manager from Hell's Belles, D.C. Rosenberg, recommended me and I'm ever so grateful! Tuesday I have an audition for a casting director who saw me in Hell's Belles and called me in to read a new script for an upcoming farce. Whipping out my British and French accents for the roles. Wednesday I got called in for the new musical The Big Show and later that day we go into the studio to lay down some tracks for the Hell's Belles CD.

Full speed ahead!

Whee!

I'm glad I had a few weeks off after Hell's Belles, because I'm back in high gear! Woo!

I just booked a yummy role in a short film called, Everyday. The director and some of the crew are from CA and we were all digging it that we've got CA roots. We're shooting in an old Victorian home at the crossroads of NY, NY, DE, and PA. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? I play an overly sweet Southern real estate agent who pushes her luck too far in a Hitchcockian battle of wills. We started rehearsals this morning.

Then I zoomed to a music rehearsal with Robby Stamper, my music director from Singing Nun. He's helping me put together a cabaret piece. We had a great jam session then I had to boogie for another appointment.

I hit the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts on my way home to check out more tunes. In the meantime, I was also sent a script for a new play and am prepping on that audition. I'm also hoping to hit a Born Yesterday audition for the Cape Playhouse mid-week.

Zoom!