Halloween

This is my favorite time of year. Truly, Halloween has always been right up there with Christmas. I think it's because I'm a big kid at heart!

No wonder I'm an actress! :)

My folks have always encouraged my creativity, and Halloween was just part it. They would safely escort my brother and I and several of our friends on trick-or-treating expeditions.

My mom was great with costumes. I'd raid her closet or hit the thrift store, and we'd come up with all sorts of wonderful ideas. I've been several cats, witches, gypsies, princesses, including Princess Leia, Cleopatra, Wonder Woman, a punk rocker, and I've continued the tradition as I've "grown up."

Luckily, my husband loves this holiday too.

Last weekend we went to a pumpkin patch in PA and carved pumpkins with our niece and nephews.

Seeing the delight these kids have for this time of year reminds me of when I was a kid, and I'm so thrilled to be sharing this life-ride with them.

Hope your Halloween is very happy indeed!

Two for two

Last night, as I was cabbing it past Radio City, I was thinking, What a cool week it's been already!

On Sunday, I performed in a reading of a new musical based on the book, How to Marry a Divorced Man, and it was an absolute blast! The reading was for TRU, or Theatre Resources Unlimited, and it was held at The Players Theatre in The Village.

I've auditioned for productions there before, and so it was a real treat to perform there. There's just something so artst about The Village. It just oozes art! ;)

For this show, I played Glenda, an ex-punk-rocker known as Betty Black, and her "ex" is the Divorced Man of the show's title. Glenda is a wonderful second banana type character, and I had a blast playing her. The "punk rock ballad dedicated to my ex" in the 2nd Act was particularly thrilling because it was like a mini rock concert. FUN!

 The cast was also phenomenal with (L-R) Babs Winn, me, Christine Marie Heath, Jacob Liberman, Richard Rice Alan, and Michael Kirk Lane.

Clare Cooper (far left) composed the delicious pop-rock tunes that I still can't get out of my head! Bryan D. Leys adapted the novel, and Leslie Fram, the author of the novel, made a surprise appearance at the reading. It was a great pleasure to meet her, and a true delight to work with Bryan, Clare, and the sisters of Tweiss Productions once again.

And then last night, I got to perform a scene from the one-woman show Bad Dates for the playwright, Theresa Rebeck. I've been taking a scene study class with Alaine Alldaffer at One on One Productions, and that was the cherry on the cake. I love Ms. Rebeck's plays, and it was a thrill to perform her work! I also loved supporting my fellow actors and classmates who did scenes from Ms. Rebeck's other plays. It was a really great night of theatre all around!  

Make that TWO great nights of theatre in 2 days! :)

Musical Merry Go Round

I'm doing a reading of a new musical tomorrow. It's called "How to Marry a Divorced Man," and it's by the same writer and producers of the musical Hell's Belles, in which I played Judy Garland and Janis Joplin at HA! Comedy Club this past May.

The reading tomorrow is for potential producers, and it's at The Players Theatre in the West Village. I'm excited to be a part of it. I play an ex-punk-rocker named Glenda, who's now a mother, trying to revive her punk-rock career. Hilarity ensues, of course, and I'm ready to unleash that wild side! ;)

Sweet Sounds

Last week started so beautifully. Yes, it rained. And rained. But in the midst of the rain, I was recording some beautiful music for The Victor Herbert Project at the Academy of Arts and Letters.

I'd never been to the Academy before, and it's in an older part of northern Manhattan. So there I was, dressed in a pencil skirt, blouse and heels, trekking through the pouring rain to sing a beautiful song with some lovely ladies in a gorgeous concert hall.

I had to laugh at my choice of attire as I turned onto the semi-cobblestone walkway that led to the side door of the theatre. But somehow I managed to make it through the rain without getting my stillettos stuck in the old stone walkway.

Once inside the Academy, it was dry and warm, and I was delighted to see my friend, Larry Moore, whom I worked with on The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun. Larry was the orchestrator for "Nun," and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

 I've done quite a few demo recordings since Nun, playing everything from a mouse who wants to be a flower-girl (Lilly's Big Day) to a hard-core Janis Joplin rocker and Judy Garland herself (in Hell's Belles).

Most recently, I worked with Andy Monroe on a song from The Singing Nun as well as a delightful duet from his new musical, Sally Peaches. It's about a girl who tries online dating to meet a guy, but she uses her best friend's picture instead of her own. It's a very cute piece, and I had a blast recording it with Zach Berger. The song and scene are on my website. It's called My Best Friend. Hope you dig it!

All of these recordings have been in studios, so it was a neat surprise to record the Victor Herbert song in the Academy's gorgeous concert hall. The sound was stupendous! There were 4 women, including me, and the lead soprano who's currently playing Christine in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.

That was one of the first shows I saw when I came to New York, so I found it wonderfully ironic that there I was, singing with the actress who plays Christine, working with all these incredibly talented people, our voices bouncing off the walls, and getting paid to do it!

It was an absolute delight!

Really exciting stuff

Recording a song tomorrow for what I have dubbed, "The Victor Herbert Project," and I'm working with some out of this world amazingly talented people. I'm talking people whom I've admired for years! Just blown away by this opportunity to join them in song!

Then I dive into Theresa Rebeck's play, "Bad Dates." It's a fave of mine, and I'm so thrilled to get to immerse myself in it again, to "hear" this character and bring her to life.

I'm doing a scene from this one woman show for a showcase of Ms. Rebeck's work, and it's a tad challenging to choose just one section, because the whole play is such a delicious treat! But I realize that choosing any section of it is like cutting a piece of pie. It's ALL good!

Can't wait to dive in! :)

A Full Plate

What's your favorite meal? Many of my friends say Thanksgiving dinner, because it's such a fun, full time of feasting on their favorite dishes. And while we have a month or two to go before we get to Thanksgiving, I feel like my acting career is mirroring this time of Plenty. My plate is filling up nicely with so many delicious projects, and of course, there's always room for more! ;)

I'm recording a song for a major project on Monday. Don't know how much I can say about it, so I'll leave it at that.

I'm also working on material for classes and auditions. I have a "table reading" of a new musical coming up in October, another major recording in November, and I'm researching a project for 2011, which is not far off!

While juggling all this, I've been so fortunate to be supported by friends, family, and by my wonderful husband, who's been so amazing through this time of growth and transition.

Messages of love and support abound! The best advice I've received is "You are you, and that is enough."

I think any artist worries about being/doing "enough," and it's important to realize that whatever we bring to the table is truly good enough.

Still, like any chef, athlete or artisan, I continue to work on my craft each day, nurturing myself and striving to do my best every day. It's wonderful to stretch and grow along the way! I'm never one to rest on my laurels, and I embrace this time! I am enough!

Working Weekend

I have a lot of delicious stuff on my plate this weekend.

I have a scene from the play, Psych by Evan Smith, to memorize for Monday night's acting class.

Musical and monologue prep-work for auditions this week.

And I'm singing for a major recording on Oct. 4th, so I'm working on music for that.

Exciting stuff!

Back to School

When I first moved to New York, I had been accepted into the American Musical & Dramatic Academy. It was my dream to study musical theatre in New York City, and so there I was, making my dream come true!

Shortly out of school, I booked some lovely gigs in CA and PA, and worked steadily as an actor for quite a few years. At that time it never occurred to me to continue my education, because I was learning and developing and applying my skills "on the job."

So when I moved back to New York,  and decided to focus on doing work here, in the city, I found myself doing a lot of Off Off Broadway that didn't pay enough for me to make a living. So I had to supplement my income, and let me tell ya, I've done it all: waiting tables, temp jobs, you name it.

I got lucky with an office gig that's artist-friendly, and they've been great about working around my acting schedule, giving me time off for out-of-town gigs, and rehearsals and performances Off Broadway. They've been with me every step of the way - from Off Off Broadway to Off Broadway - and they said they hope I'll keep working with them til I get my Tony. :)

This reminds me of Susan Blackwell's great interview, "Why I Keep My Day Job." She's a marvelous actress, whom I recently saw in my friend, Andy Monroe's Off Broadway show, The Kid.

In between acting gigs and juggling my thrival job, as Bonnie Gillespie calls it, I've discovered the importance of going back to acting classes. I don't know why I resisted it before. Maybe there was a pompous, "Oh I don't need to do that," kind of naivete, but I tell you, going back to school has been the best thing for me! And I've discovered that major movie stars and top quality actors whom I admire never stop studying with a good coach. It's essential.

So I'm very grateful for my teachers who've nurtured me along the way.

There have been life-changers like Karen Kohlhaas and her Monologue Audition class, in which Karen covers the importance of how to walk into an audition room. You'd never think of how important that is, but it's HUGE! Your body language and attitude signal so much about you before you even open your mouth. And how you walk out of the room, and how you mentally talk to yourself as you walk out of the room, are just as important.

Her steps on "Audition After Care" are PRICELESS.  Seriously, get her book or study with her if you can.

Currently, I'm in an awesome scene study class with Alaine Alldaffer at One on One, and it's another class where I feel any and every actor would benefit from it. Simply amazing!

Also, this week I bounce back into Josh Pais' Committed Impulse Master Class, and I can't wait! This class is such an incredible workout. It's in-the-moment acting!

And that's what hit me the other day when someone asked me why I still go to acting class. Yes, I learn from every audition and performance I do, but acting classes are a workout. They keep my acting skills in shape.

Look at an athlete or a concert musician. You think they just do their jobs "on the fly"? No way! They practice for hours and hours every day!

"People who write about spring training not being necessary have never tried to throw a baseball." - Sandy Koufax

You have to do what you love every day. So I go into my lessons with great joy and a sense of expansion. I love putting what I've learned into practice at auditions and in performances. What we learn nurtures us and gives us fuel to move forward in all areas of our life.

Enjoy your lessons!

Signs

I have seen so many cool signs this week. It's like getting a bunch of green lights while driving down the street.

On Monday I started an awesome scene study class at One on One studios. It’s such a lovely place – lots of wood and warm colors. And they have inspiring quotes here and there.

My favorites are, “Never, never, never give up.” – Winston Churchill

And “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Elliot

There’s also this great black and white photo of Marilyn Monroe at The Actors Studio. It just inspires me!

It’s been such a lovely week, starting this new scene study class, and then the callback on Tuesday for a new musical. Just wonderful!

Now I’m working on music for an upcoming recording session in October, as well as researching a book for a new play. And I’m savoring my audition material: songs, monologues, scenes, you name it! I love the work!

A friend recently asked how I stay so positive. To quote Winston Churchill again, “I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.”

My Favorite Place to Be Today

Singing and acting here:

I had a callback for a new musical, and it was just rapturous to be here.
I love this place.

The Fruitfulness of Fall

I love this time of year. The cool breezes, the sights, the sounds and delicious smells!

There are all these Farmer Markets in the city, and I get so excited when I see the apples come out at this time of year. The apple cider smelled particularly yummy this morning.

This month is especially delicious because I got a callback for a new Off Broadway musical. YAY! I'm doing all these recordings (voice overs, songs, scenes) with friends I worked with in the past. And I'm working with a writer-director on a play for the 2011-2012 season. Really exciting stuff!

I just feel so blessed and bouyant and full of possibility! Wheeee!

Last Days of Summer

New York stores have been promoting the "Last Days of Summer" for a few weeks now, and it makes me laugh, because I know a few states will continue to enjoy summer weather for a few weeks more!

When I was a kid, I used to cling to the last days of summer. I'd spend as much time as I could in the pool.

I guess not much has changed. This summer, I've still enjoyed being in a pool! :)

But as an adult, I understand that the Fall yields a very fruitful harvest. I almost always seem to be doing some fun gig in the Autumn, and this year I have quite a few things I'm working on.

I'm doing a Voice Over tomorrow, and I'm recording some songs for my Singing Nun composer, Andy Monroe on Wednesday. Really fun tunes!

In October and November, I'm working on a new project with orchestrator, Larry Moore, who also worked on The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun. He most recently worked on the Broadway production of Finian's Rainbow, and I'm delighted to be working with him once again!

So I have a lot of lovely work to do, learning lines and new songs, and I'm enjoying every minute of it! :)

Resurgence of the 60s

Is it just me or is there a resurgence of the '60s going on?

This past week, I've had 3 projects come up that are all based on people, music, and/or books from the 60s. It's really fascinating to me, and I'm wondering what it all means. Perhaps a spirit of revolution and expansion... or new beginnings... Either way, I'm enjoying it! :)

I have an audition tomorrow for a new musical based on the '60s girl group The Shaggs. Their story and their music is so fascinating. My brother, the drummer for Hippie Cream, would probably dig it because it's so raw.

As Susan Orlean wrote, "The music is winsome but raggedly discordant pop."

My favorite review, just for the humor of it, is from Rolling Stone, which said they sounded like "lobotomized Trapp Family singers." But RS later called the girl group "priceless and timeless" in 1980, and re-introduced The Shaggs to the world. In fact, 2 of the members were still rocking in 2003.

I understand why some folks saw/see them as revolutionary. Their lyrics, all songs written by Dorothy (Dot) Wiggin, are filled with '60s teen angst:

"It doesn't matter what you do, it doesn't matter what you say, there will always be one who wants things the other way."

And speaking of '60s teen angst, I'll be recording a song from The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, a musical I performed in at the New York Musical Theatre Festival a few years ago. The show won quite a few awards, including the NYMF Award of Excellence for Outstanding Individual Performance for me. That was such an honor!

I'm thrilled to revisit this role and record one of the songs from the show, beautifully written by Andy Monroe.

And my last piece of '60s stuff comes from a book that was suggested to me. I can't divulge too much about it because it's the basis for a new play, so I don't want to trespass on the playwright's privacy. But I have to say, I'm blown away by some of the beautiful words, thoughts, and ideas that came out of the '60s.

So I'll leave you with this thought from The Beatles:

You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We'd all love to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well you know
We'd all love to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Don't you know it's gonna be alright

First Time Winners

Last night, the EMMY's were filled with big stars, some of whom had received the award before like Edie Falco, one of my favorite actresses, who had won years before for her portrayal of Carmela Soprano. I was thrilled that she was recognized for the excellent work she's been doing on Nurse Jackie. She is such a great actress to learn from just watching!

And The Daily Show with Jon Stewart won for the seventh year in a row! Way to go!

But the thing that really warms my spirit are first time winners like David Strathairn for his sensitive portrayal of Professor Carlock in HBO's movie Temple Grandin.

He plays a science teacher who recognizes a young woman's keen insights into math and science despite her autism, and he mentors her along the way.

As I've said before, a great teacher can make all the difference in helping a person overcome the odds.

Strathairn has always been an incredible character actor, easily disappearing into roles from villians to heroes. I believe he's most well known for his portrayal of Edward R. Morrow in Good Night, and Good Luck.

HBO's movie about Temple Grandin also received awards for Best Made for TV movie, Best Direction of a movie/miniseries, Best Actress (Claire Danes) and Best Supporting Actress (Julia Ormond, another first time Emmy Winner, whom I've always loved on the big screen). I saw this show in the winter and was absolutely bowled over by this terrific production about the real-life Temple Grandin and how she came up with a more humane treatment of animals and livestock. It's a must-see!

Congrats to both Temple Grandin and Claire Danes and all the EMMY winners! :)

And I have to give a nod to one of my favorite comic actresses: Jane Lynch for playing the acid-tongued Sue Sylvester on Glee.

I've enjoyed Jane's work since I first caught her on Christopher Guest's Best in Show, and her turn as an "adult entertainer" turned folk singer in A Mighty Wind is a must-see! She's also wonderfully moving as Julia Childs' sister, Dorothy, in Julie and Julia.

Congrats again to all the winners and nominees. Great work, everyone!

The Sookie Stackhouse series

I must confess... I'm a True Blood fan.

My friend, Lisa, first tipped me off to the "Dead" books by Charlaine Harris a few years ago. I loved the notion of a telepathic waitress in Louisiana, surrounded by vampires who were "out" in society. They're delicious books, and I heartily recommend them!

I had already read most of the Sookie Stackhouse books by 2008  when I started to see True Blood posters all around Manhattan.

At first I thought some savvy drink company had bought the rights to TruBlood, Ms. Harris' marvelous concept drink in the book. But then when I found out HBO was making the books into a series, I was delighted!

Like any fan of the novels, I was particularly protective of my vision of the characters, but once I let go of that and just had fun with Alan Ball's concept of the story, I really enjoyed the show.

This season has got to be my favorite!

The mounting sexual tension between Bill, Sookie and Eric (played with great passion by Stephen Moyer, Anna Paquin, and Alexander Skarsgard) is a yummy triangle.

 And I love characters like Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), who is unique to the TV show and is not found anywhere in the books.
 

Her love story with Hoyt (Jim Parrack) is so Romeo and Juliet. Just lovely!

All the characters are a treat!

Pam (Kristin Bauer) and Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) are my favorite "wild cards."

Pam's character in particular is wonderfully close to the book, and I love her dry wit: "Blah, blah, vampire emergency, blah!"

And my favorite actor this season has got to be Denis O'Hare as the ego-maniacal vampire King, Russell Edgington.

A versatile theatre actor, this man knows just how far to push the envelope with this psychotic villain. I love his work, and I can't wait to see what he does next!

The whole show is a great big summer beach ball of fun! :)

The School of Funny Business

I recently took a TV episodic audition class, which focused on auditions for dramatic and comedic series. It was a cool class, and I learned a lot!

One of my favorite homework assignments has been to watch old sitcoms from the 70s and 80s.

I'd already done a little of that for a show I did Off Broadway called Johnny On A Spot.

My character, Barbara, was a southern girl with lots of sass, so I watched Designing Women, particularly focusing on Suzanne Sugarbaker, brilliantly played by Delta Burke.

This week,  I've been watching stuff like Maude, and wow! I am blown away by how well the show has held up after all these years.  But then, watching a master, or should I say, Mistress of Comedy like Bea Arthur is like taking a master class in comedy anyway! Bea's comic timing was impeccable. I mean, she could say so much with simply a "look" or a shift of her body to get the audience to laugh.

In an interview, she said that "comedy was simply being VERY serious."

And Betty White's work has often been called "funny based on truth."

I think that's what makes the best comedians, or comic actors, "the best." They are so incredibly open and fearless about "going there," going towards the utmost of an emotion or situation, and PLAYING!

I love this stuff! Looking forward to putting it to practice! :)

Today's Audition and Manhattan Marvels

Today's audition is brought to you by...The York Theatre Company. This groovy little theatre is known as "the birthplace for new intimate musicals and a place where underappreciated musical gems from the past" can be rediscovered. I'm going in today to audition for their Fall Season.

On the way to and from the theatre, I passed this gorgeous manmade waterfall by the subway, and I just had to take a picture!

The sound of the water was luscious and it was such a pleasant discovery!

That's one of the things I love about Manhattan. Even amidst the skyscrapers, you can still find trees and a waterfall. :)

Summer Reading

This summer has been like a mini play fest for me. As I've prepped for auditions, I've had this voracious appetite for plays, new and old, and I've thoroughly been enjoying each and every one of them!

There have been so many yummy new plays published, and if I couldn't find them at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts...

I'd go to The Drama Book Shop on 250 West 40th Street.

These are two of my favorite places in Manhattan anyway. Both hold a treasure trove of info, and everyone is so helpful!

The library is especially wonderful for having a great musical catalogue. You can find almost any sheet music you need for musical auditions.

There have been some really cool dramatic auditions coming up, and I've been on the lookout for 2 new plays: Indoor /Outdoor by Kenny Finkle and In the Next Room by Sarah Ruhl. I ordered Indoor/Outdoor from The Drama Book Shop and they thanked me for alerting them to it since regional auditions were coming up for the play, and they wanted to have it in stock. I'd done my research and knew the auditions were coming up - hence, my desire to read the play. And it was such a treat! Wonderful play about a cat who is raised indoors and wants to go explore the outside world. Really lovely play!

Now I'm off to the gym, and I'll be bringing along In The Next Room with me.

Always an adventure!