Elizabeth Taylor tribute by Paul Newman

Women in the Arts

My first foray into film was with a young director from NYU named Ann Reilly. She had cast me as the lead in her thesis project, a great love story that took place in WWII, and it was a delicious experience, very professional. Ann handled the scenes with great style and delicacy, the cast and crew were exceptional, and the final result was a gorgeous half hour film called "Sincerely Yours."

Then, a few years later, coming off the success of my first Off Off Broadway musical, Lucky Stiff, I was fortunate to work with a young filmmaker named Julia Suo. She had the idea to do an improvisational film about colorful characters who frequent an East Village laundromat in the wee hours of the morning. I played the owner of said laundromat, and the film was called Laundry. :)

It was incredibly fun, not only to improv a film, but also to play with wild styles. Julia had a great artist for my hair and makeup, and she took my hair to new heights. :)

The film was first screened in Tribeca a few years ago, and it was well received. I'm delighted that it's making the rounds again. It's a quirky piece, and I'm glad to have been a part of it.

If you'd like to catch the most recent screening, it's March 19 at 2:30 PM at the Queens Museum of Art.

Work It Out!

Being an actor is like going to the gym. Not only does it help to go to the gym to keep your body in shape, but you have to keep your audition repertoire in shape, and that means Working it Out! 

I've been keeping my voice in shape for musical auditions. I had to belt a lot of high E's this week, but I can belt high G's so an E is a piece of cake. Still, I gotta be in voice for that.

I've also been monologuing songs to be up to snuff with my acting of musical works, and I've been rehearsing my usual monologues for all the non-musical auditions.

I love "re-hearing" the character through trying different stuff (thanks, Carol Fox Prescott, for teaching that rehearsals are just for that purpose). Even in auditions, I feel like I can really "hear" the characters through the playwright's words, and I am so grateful to all my acting teachers, particularly Karen Kohlhaas and Josh Pais, for giving me the tools to do this.

While rehearsing my usual pieces, I've also been expanding my repertoire by reading, reading, reading! I'm currently in the midst of "The Fifth of July" by Lanford Wilson and "August Osage County" by Tracy Letts.

I've also been reading The Intent to Live by acting teacher Larry Moss, and it is INCREDIBLE! If you're an actor, do yourself a favor and get this book. He has some awesome acting exercises in it, and explains things from such a accessible point of view.

Most importantly... I'm enjoying the ride. I love being immersed in this work, learning and growing every day. It's a blast!

Don't Cheat Yourself

I hear this a lot at New York auditions: "Oh the show's already cast. Why go?"

I've fallen prey to this mentality myself, particularly with an upcoming EPA (Equity Principal Audition) this week for "Evita." I love the show, I can sing the heck out of the role, but it's already cast with the amazing Elena Roger who did the role in London.

But you know what turned it around for me? Besides the endless encouragement from my friends (whom I am so grateful for), I was reading an article about Elena, and it started with, "Five years ago, you'd have had generous odds on the career of Elena Roger panning out the way it has."

She's tiny... and so am I! ;) "I don't have a complex," she says. "I have a big nose also. Another girl would be cutting her nose to be an actress. I was always very sure about myself."

You've got to check her out on YouTube. Her portrayal of Edith Piaf is astounding!

She was discovered performing in her native Argentina when the producers for Evita went looking for "the real thing." Even though she barely spoke English and she had to pay for her airfare to get to London to audition, she did it! Talk about odds, right?

It is ridiculous to me how we often head-trip ourselves out of going after what we really want. After all, I've been cast from EPAs, and it is such a rich reward every time I go.

I'm growing from the work I'm doing just from preparation for this audition. I had a great musical rehearsal on the weekend - still high from really hearing the music after all these years, letting it soar through me and inform me - and I've been doing my acting homework on the piece as well. I LOVE IT!

And as I've realized time and time again, it's not about trying to please "them." It's about doing the work I love, and showing up to the audition to put my work out there. It's a wild thing auditioning. I feel like a sculptor, putting my piece together LIVE, moment by moment in front of someone. It makes me think of Sondheim's brilliant song,  "Finishing the Hat."

We are "living, evolving, flawed organisms, still being shaped."

Don't cheat yourself out of what you can discover when you commit yourself to a creative endeavor.

The Play's The Thing

This has been a fun week. I've had 2 auditions for 2 Off Broadway shows. On Monday I played a feisty bookkeeper who survived the holocaust, and yesterday I played a hysterical sleep-deprived mother. Both characters relied on their sense of humor to get through the day - or scenes, as it were - as was apparent in the text, so it was great fun to take them on.

Next up: I'm prepping for an audition for "August Osage County," and I'm working on music for musical auditions next week.

I love my job. I love the research that goes into getting ready for a role, I love the rehearsal and prep work. Even if it's just for 2 minutes a day at an audition, it's still a great chance to do what I love to do. And I know from past experience that auditions lead to gigs, so it's all part of nurturing my career.

Outside the Audition Room

A friend of mine recently blogged about "living the dream," and I thought, "That's what I'm doing!"

Every time I go to an audition, I get to act and sing and meet the creative team for some regional theatre or Off Broadway play or Broadway musical. I get to do what I love!

And sometimes I get the gig! :)

In the meantime, I'm auditioning.

Now, there are some actors who will say, "Oh, why show up? (Rumor is) the show's already cast!" But as Woody Allen once said, "80 percent of success is showing up."

So what about the other 20%?

As Rick Liebling says, "The answer... is creating content with a unique voice," which ironically, my friend Monica recently blogged about as well.

I'm lucky to be surrounded by inspirational people. :)

And speaking of inspiration, Melissa Leo, the actress who's been winning award after award for her portrayal of  Alice Ward in The Fighter says, "For many many years, auditioning was just a chance to get to go and act."

And that's where I feel like I am lately. But you know what? I love it! I love getting to walk into the audition room and perform! I'm taking the lessons I've learned from great coaches like Josh Pais and Karen Kohlhaas and applying it! I feel such good growth with my work, and I swear, I can feel the energy in the audition room.... bloom!

Sometimes just getting into the room can be a bit of a challenge, and I forget that some actors will try to sabotage each other. I haven't run into this in a long time, because I've been fortunate to be around people who are focused on their work.

At today's audition, I ran into a friend, a fabulous actor who's a really nice person, and I was buoyed by his presence. But then right before I was about to go in, one actor began kvetching to the actor in front of me, because this other guy couldn't get into the audition. And 2 girls in line for a different audition that hadn't even started yet decided to make snide comments about the prep I was doing to go into the audition room. I was simply breathing and doing some shoulder rolls to let the energy run through my body, but they had to comment on it.

I was astounded that these 2 different groups of actors had no respect for their fellow artists. But I realized that it was their insecurity, not mine, and that I had to focus more than ever on the work I was about to do.

So I went in and did my best, and I feel good about it. I learn every time I go.

It's like Melissa Leo said, "I still do audition. I audition all the time. I find it more and more of an arcane ritual....to expect an actor to do their best in the worst of circumstances!"

You have to have a good outlook, a respect for yourself, your craft, and your fellow actor.

Ars Nova and The Colbert Report

I'm auditioning for a new play by Bekah Brunstetter at Ars Nova today, and I get such a kick out of the fact that the theatre is right next door to The Colbert Report.

I've enjoyed Stephen Colbert's work since his days on The Daily Show and Strangers with Candy. And to think that I'll be in his 'hood, auditioning for a playwright whose work I adore... well, I'm hoping some of that Colbert luck rubs off!

If he had a buddha belly, I'd rub it! ;)

Cheers!

I've noticed a cool trend with this new year. Almost every gathering I've been a part of has had a toast to good friends and to the future.

The holidays tend to be relegated to family, so my husband and I celebrate with our friends after the New Year. This year has held so many lovely gatherings - either at our friends' fireside (gotta love a Manhattan apartment with a fireplace!) or dining out at our favorite restaurants.

There's been such a comforting sense of camaraderie and hopefulness as we all forge ahead, making our dreams come true.

Cheers to you! :)

Defying Gravity with Tina and Maryanne

Today I had the immense pleasure of escorting two of my dearest friends to their first Broadway show: Wicked.

(Maryanne and Tina outside of the Gershwin Theatre)

Tina joked that they'd already seen a show off Broadway, because they saw me perform as Judy Garland and Janis Joplin in the musical, Hell's Belles at HA! Comedy Club in Times Square this summer.

"Wait til you see Wicked!" I said.

My husband and I saw the show when it first opened with Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, so I was curious to see the current cast. They all did well: good strong voices with lots of energy.

Some of the supporting characters like Kathy Fitzgerald 's "Madame Morrible" were especially good at commanding the large stage.

Katie Rose Clarke, who played Glinda, captured the character's heart and desire to "do good." And Teal Wicks definitely had the pipes and passion to play Elphaba, the green girl who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.

It was still a thrill to see her "fly" at the end of Act One. A great moment and great song: Defying Gravity.

Tina and Maryanne were completely delighted with the show, and it was very special to share their first Broadway experience with them.

They've been champions of my work onstage for a long time, and Tina said, "Now we're ready to see you on Broadway!"

So mote it be!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Growing up in sunny CA, you wouldn't think I'd be a fan of New York's snowy winters, but I love them!

It presents 2 calls to action: either to hibernate or to take on the season!

So far this year, I've done both. But lately, I've been feeling the need to be more active, and I'd like to get to the gym on a daily basis, so today I threw on my snow-gear and hiked through the winter wonderland with purpose.

I can't help but be charmed by the beauty of the snowflakes as they land on everything. I especially love when the snow covers the trees. It looks so magical!

Then there's the pleasure of going inside where it's warm and cozy, and watching the snowflakes drift past the window.

I grabbed an elliptical machine near a large window today and worked on some plays as I worked out, and it was neat to look out the window and see other people moving through the winter wilderness that is currently Manhattan.

"In the lane.... snow is glistening."

The Benefits of Manhattan

One of the things that's so cool about living in NY is how accessible everything is. I've been working on my nutrition with Monica McCarthy whose website Morning Do is such an uplifting tool, and this morning I'm starting with a delicious juice of beets, spinach, apple, carrots and parsley.

Never thought I'd go there, but I've noticed a need to get more veggies into my life, and juicing is such an easy way to do it. In Manhattan, many corner markets offer juicing options, and today's juice is brought to you by Equinox Gym, which has lots of delicious options.

Another thing I love is how art is everywhere here! When I walk to auditions at any of the studios in town, I get to walk by rows of gorgeous Broadway Theatres. Even going to the gym, I pass these charming Off Broadway theatres or I'm right by Lincoln Center. Talk about inspirational!

 

Lincoln Center has always been one of my favorite places. When I first moved here to go to AMDA, I'd sit near the fountain on my breaks, just drinking the whole city in.

I still visit about once a week, usually to go to the Library of the Performing Arts. Oftentimes, I'm just walking briskly by, but I still love it, and I get a kick out of any time a film uses the place - like some of the exterior shots used for Black Swan where Natalie Portman is walking to the door of the ballet. It's neat because this is my stomping ground. :)

Another favorite place to go is the Time Warner Center. I walk by it every day, and it always thrills me.

Right now they have this really neat art dsiplay of Salvador Dali's work called The Visions of a Genius. There's a giant (and I mean GIANT) statue of his famous melting clock:

(Katie Sokoler/Gothamist)

But my favorite is this little sculpture of a woman on a horse, surrounded by butterflies:

Triumphant and beautiful.

The pieces are on loan from Dali's private secretary and confidante, Enrique Sabatar y Bonany, and represent "examples of Dali's creative development at the height of his Surrealistic powers."

The display is available until April 30, 2011. Don't miss it!

Going with The Flow

When I was a kid, my family would go camping with my aunt, uncle and 3 cousins. They had a truck with a camper-shell, and we had a bubble-top van. I was probably around 11 or 12, and it was such an adventurous time of life.

I'm thinking of it today because I have this wonderful "go with the flow" kind of feeling, and it makes me think of the time we went inner tubing down the Colorado River.

We all had our own black rubber inner tubes, and we'd carry them on our shoulders, hiking up the shore of the river to find a good spot to jump in.

The water was kind of green and it moved with a speed you couldn't see right away. But once you got into it... zoom! You're off!

We'd all keep close to each other even though the tubes weren't tied together. There was something so lovely about sitting in the tube, cruising down the river with speed and grace, and that's how I feel today. Like I'm moving along with (and towards) something incredible.

I have an audition later today and I'd like to keep enjoying the ride, you know? Just let go and say, "Whee!!!" :)

An Evaluation

Almost every actor, while trying to "make it," aka succeed as a working actor, has to have some kind of support job. It can also be referred to as a "survival" job, but I prefer to call it a support job, because it is part of the support I need while nurturing my acting career. To survive is another thing.

I have been very fortunate to have long-term acting jobs that span from months to years, and I am also fortunate to have a support job that works around my true career.

Something I've noticed with the corporate world is that most companies have 6 month evaluations where employees are asked to look back at what they've accomplished and then look ahead to what they'd like to achieve. This can easily be applied to the acting profession as well.

In the past 6 months I've been fortunate to do acting work in almost every field: film, comedy, drama, musicals. I am also blessed to have an abundance of artists around me, people who understand the desire to create.

 My brother is a drummer and a great "explorer" of the arts. Besides music, he is passionate about films, paintings, poetry... almost any kind of art there is. He and I often talk about "the business of show" as well as the artistry of it. We share stories and life lessons, and I am always so thankful to hear his point of view.

He recently asked me what I want to focus on moving forward. I have a tendency to want to do it all. But he offered me this life lesson of something he gleaned from an old jazz musician: "Specialize." And Collaborate.

I still want to do it all, but I am trying to narrow my focus, to follow my gut impulses, and this leads me to the desire to nurture some very personal projects which includes writing and producing a short film and working on a possible web series with some friends. When I think about these projects, I get very excited about them, and I believe that is something very special unto itself. It's the fire that keeps the furnace burning, ya know?

So.... my next step is to create a schedule of sorts, so I can be focused on these projects and nurture them into being. To take time to write every day and also keep my acting tools sharp, because it is indeed audition season. There's a lot to do, but I'm excited to do it! Just got to keep things in perspective and keep disciplined and focused while enjoying the ride.

 Off to the next adventure! :)

Seeking Peace

Honoring those who were killed in the Arizona shooting on Saturday, and sending good wishes to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who is fighting for her life.

"...It’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.” - President Barack Obama

(with thanks to my friend, Tina, for the Peace sign)

Black Swan

I saw Black Swan today, and it was a fascinating film. Director Darren Aronofsky doesn't shy away from the brutal discipline required for ballet, and I love his use of Swan Lake for this "play within a play." Natalie Portman's character, Nina, has to go from being a precise perfectionist, people-pleasing dancer to an artist who can abandon precision for that true perfect state of transcendent freedom. She has a total meltdown, trying to bring out the Black Swan within herself, and it's thrilling to watch.

It's also an interesting notion: What do we have to destroy or bring out in ourselves to achieve a higher art?

Obviously, you don't have to go mad to achieve great art. The director and actors in Black Swan aren't mad. In fact, they're brilliant. And I think that's the thing we're all trying to achieve as artists: To take our technical lessons, the work we've done, and then let it go, let it flow.

As actors, we're often told to "let go," and "get out of your own way," to transcend technique to allow the real art to flow.

I know when I've been onstage and have been so utterly in the moment, flowing with the playwright's words, or the music of a song, something magical happens, and there's this connection of artists, artistry and audience. Everything is flowing and alive, and it's magical!

So I came out of this movie, thinking, How can we build ourselves up instead of tearing ourselves down? What is beautiful? And what makes you feel beautiful?

I'd be interested to know.

Make a Happy List

Before the old year retired and the New Year began, I was already hearing this message from several good friends:

Make a list.

Make a list of short-term goals, make a list of long-term goals. And this was my favorite suggestion: Make a Happy List.

What we focus on each day impacts our life experience. There are always options. So what choices do you want to make to make your world a better place?

I especially like this piece from Wayne Dyer: "...set up day-to-day goals for yourself, and then resolve to begin living with present moment awareness for the rest of your life."

Readings, Recordings, and Reel - Oh my!

At the end of each year, I send out a Year in Review or Progress Report postcard to agents and casting directors, and this year has had the recurring theme of working on new and old projects with talented people from my past.

I was involved in some pretty big recordings, which was just thrilling. A delightful director whom I worked with eons ago hired me to do a voice over for an OnStar promo. He paid me a very high compliment by saying I sounded like a video game voice. Very cool! :)

The fantastic composer Andy Monroe, who wrote the music for this year's Off Broadway hit, The Kid, asked me to record a demo from his new musical Sally Peaches, and we also recorded a song from The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, which we had worked on at NYMF a few years ago.

 And Larry Moore, who orchestrated "Nun," hired me to sing for the upcoming CD series, "Unrecorded Victor Herbert Gems," which gave me the opportunity to work with some amazingly talented Broadway and opera stars. Simply mind-blowing!

We recorded in the concert hall at The Academy of Arts and Letters, and it was just thrilling the way the sound bounced off the walls!

I was also involved in some readings of new musicals. This summer, I reprised the roles of Judy Garland and Janis Joplin for the industry reading of Hell's Belles at HA! Comedy Club. I had played these characters (and about 10 others) in a production at the West End Theatre 2 years ago, and it was a blast to revisit the show with the same cast no less!

The producers and writer of Hell's Belles asked me to take part in another reading of a new musical, How To Marry A Divorced Man, based on the novel by Leslie Fram. The music was written by Clare Cooper, who had worked on Memphis and Toxic Avenger, and her style was just delicious! Great pop sensibility and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet!

I also reteamed with the wonderful Richard Binder, who played my husband Sigmund Freud a few years ago in the reading of the musical Vienna. We got to duke it out in a reading of an operatic scene for La Ribalta. Our fisticuffs ended with him sweeping me off my feet and taking me offstage in a very torrid manner. It was incredibly fun and a break away from my usual musical comedy.

Last but not least, I filmed a scene for the independent feature film, Marty's Magnificent Day-Glo Dreamathon, a wild rock musical created by Hippie Cream and directed by Daniel Maggio. I played the lead character's mother in a flashback, and had some juicy scenes which I hope make the final cut. If anything, I should be able to showcase the work in my reel.

So this year has been very fulfilling artistically and financially too. It is so important for an artist to get paid for her work!

I've been very fortunate to work with amazingly talented and good-hearted people, to share in the creative process and nurture each other along the way. This includes family and friends, teachers and classmates, casts and crews. We're all on this ride together! :)

Thanks to everyone who helped make this world bright and beautiful. I look forward to celebrating each day with you!

Happy New Year!

Christmas Stories

Yesterday, I was chatting with one of my best friends about the hecticness of the holidays, and we both began reminiscing about how magical the holidays are when you're a kid. Everything seems spectacular, and your hopes and expectations are beyond the moon.

I would ask Santa every year for a pony, because I loved horses and I was sure I could keep one in the back yard!

My parents tried to accommodate these wild wishes and would get me all sorts of horse figurines, so my dresser was filled with prancing ponies. They were never ones to squash my dreams.

So now that I'm a big kid, turning my dreams into realities, I was interested to hear my friend say, "We all dream of a Currier and Ives Christmas, but it usually ends up like (the chaos) of A Christmas Story."

This made me laugh and think of all my Christmas stories... Many wonderful years of waking up early to see what Santa had placed under the tree... Or the year I found out I'd be performing in my first professional gig as an orphan in "Annie"... Playing with my high school band at The Aloha Bowl, walking on Waikiki beach with my best friends and carrying my bassoon... Performing on Christmas Eve as the Ghost of Christmas Past and Fred's wife in various versions of "A Christmas Carol," and singing and acting in "A Charles Dickens Christmas" with my sweetheart, Rob.

Last year was my very favorite Christmas, because I married my sweetheart, and my family flew out from CA to join us for our winter wedding. It was just perfect. We were surrounded by friends and family, and there was so much love! That was the greatest gift of all.

I hope your holidays are very merry and that you're full of happy memories and hope for the future. Merry Christmas!