Cabaret, Footage, and a very Full Calendar

June is filling up quick, and I decided to add it all to my Get In Gear calendar, an incredible 100 day program built by Show Biz coach, Bonnie Gillespie:

This is helpful in keeping track of all the footage I've filmed for my web series, Laura Loves NY, as well as setting up days for post-production. I also added the cabaret class I'm teaching with Mary Feinsinger, my Music Director from Hell's Belles the Musical at the 92Y. 

I'm amazed to find myself teaching! I've done round-table musical theatre sessions with other performers where we share recommendations to improve performance, and this class has a similar feel. It's really exciting to see each performer work on music they love, and I enjoy being able to help them make adjustments. It also reinforces what my teachers have taught me. Funny how that works, passing on knowledge. :)

I've been fortunate to craft two of my own cabarets. I performed "Love in 35 Minutes" at The Actors Fund, and I created a mini cabaret to promote Hell's Belles when it was running Off Broadway. I performed it at the legendary Don't Tell Mama, or "Mama's" as most cabaret kids call it.

 

 I've also got the usual stuff of auditions and working with my acting and voice coaches, and it helps to see how I'm filling my days with so much good stuff!

Hope you are too!

Broadway Bites with the Queen of New Jersey

I met Erin Zapcic a few years ago when she was a wench at Medieval Times. Since my first professional gig was in the Shakespeare troupe for the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, I could relate. We both connected via Self Management For Actors by Bonnie Gillespie, and we did Get In Gear together, which is a unique program that is truly life-changing as well as career-changing.

Erin recently made history as the first queen of Medieval Times, and it took me back to my brief stint as Queen Elizabeth for Penn Ren. My husband said I swaggered like Bette Davis ;)

I invited Erin onto my web series, Laura Loves NY, to hear about some of her adventures. She met me at one of her favorite spots: Broadway Bites:

Distilling Essential Oils with The Twisted Sisters

When I finished school, one of my first professional acting gigs was part of the Shakespeare troupe for the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. It was a great place to learn and grow and spread my wings. We did improv and kept it in the language of the Renaissance. We didn't do it in verse. Think Shakespeare in Love - that sort of thing - with a lot of "thee" and "thou."

And at the Faire I met my husband, Rob, and made lifelong friends with these two wild women we called, "The Twisted Sisters."

They were hired to run the Herb Shoppe, and they always had great natural remedies for everything.

Fast forward to Now, and The Sisters, Maryanne Schwartz and Tina Sams, run various small businesses, including The Essential Herbal Magazine and Lancaster County Soapworks. Plus Maryanne makes jewelry out of her Torchsong Studio.

I went to see them to learn about Distilling Essential Oils and to interview them for my upcoming web series, Project PrePause, which is about the wild adventures of perimenopause. Since they've both been through it, I wanted to tap into their wisdom, so I can share it with other women going through The Change.

Tina had her distiller all set up, and we a had a lot of fun!

Auditions, Steel Magnolias and Mother's Day

Yesterday, I was up early for an audition, and I ran into a little gal who looked like The Little Mermaid. I kid you not. And she was auditioning for The Little Mermaid, which was just too perfect for words!

It was so easy to chat with her. With some actors, there can be a beautiful flow of conversation, and this was one of those actors who was uncensored and not "in her head" about the anxiety of auditioning, which let's face it, a lot of audition rooms are filled with fear, so I tend to walk out of those holding rooms and find my happy place.

We chatted for about 10 minutes, and then it turned out her audition was in another building, so she had to dash down the block. I wish I would've gotten her name, because she inspired me, and made me think of some of the wonderful women in my life. 

So to all you ladies out there, celebrate yourselves and the women in your lives! We deserve it :)

"Aaron's Uber" on Funny or Die!

I recently filmed a fun sketch with my friend, Wayne Henry, whom I've done a ton of work with over the years! He's the genius behind Jaws The Musical in which I played Sally, the love interest of the Great White Shark.

So of course, when Wayne said, "Do you want to do a sketch?" I was totally on board!

Enter "Aaron's Uber," written by the hilarious Brad Heller. He's a UCB alum who totally reminds me of a young Jerry Seinfeld.

I play a country gal who has no problem squeezing into an already packed Uber:



And we're on Funny or Die! How fun!

The First Flush of Inspiration

I'm doing Masterclass with Helen Mirren, and one of the questions that's asked is, What was your first flush of inspiration? What was the first play or film you saw that inspired you?

When I was little, my folks couldn't afford a babysitter so they took me to all the movies they saw. I feel like I grew up at the movies.

I have vague memories of the film, Network, with some angry little man yelling vehemently. Even though I was too little to "get it," something about that film is ingrained in my memory, and I know I need to revisit it as an adult. As BBC.com put it, "It's the 40 year old film that predicted the future." Way too timely!



As a kid, of course, I resonated with Disney movies. They had a big impact on me, because they were all about imagination! In fact, the first play I did was in first grade: The Three Little Pigs. I played The Big Bad Wolf, and I loved it! Being onstage, dressed in a costume made by my mother - all black! - I was probably the tiniest Big Bad Wolf in history, and I was FIERCE!

I didn't have any idea that I was the villain of the piece. What villain does? I was excited because I got to huff and puff and blow their houses down! I accomplished this by hurling myself into the cardboard boxes that represented The Houses of Straw and Sticks. I was terribly bummed that I couldn't destroy the Brick House, but that was part of the story, so I had to act defeated. Ha!

I loved the whole communal aspect of the experience, sharing a story with an audience, hearing them gasp when I destroyed the houses, hearing them laugh, hearing them cheer. I felt like I was part of something BIG, some place where I could be BIG too! And everything pulsed with life!

That's why I love working in theatre and films - a film set is just as thrilling! - and that's why I love creating to this day.

Bad Girls

It never ceases to amaze me how often I'm cast as the "bad girl." I think it's because I don't look like a villain, but have a wild-card rollercoaster kind of energy which can work for the villain. Add to that a wicked sense of humor, cultivated by living with a humorous husband, and voila! As Daffy Duck says, "Despicable!"

I recently revisited some fearsome characters I've played, everything from The Big Bad Wolf when I was 6 to Annie Richmond, a sinful Southern belle who was trying to drive Edgar Allan Poe mad in "Poe Evermore." I especially thought of Annie when I was running around Washington Square Park. She would've given The Heiress a run for her money!

And now I'm pouring over a script with a character right out of the Wicked Stepmother realm.

The writer told me, "Have fun!" You know I will!

The March For Our Lives

Last weekend felt like the whole city of New York showed up to March for Our Lives. I knew so many friends and colleagues who were going, including people who were heading down to DC, and I wasn't going to miss it! If there's anything I've learned from people who've marched before me, it's that we must make a stand. I did it for the Women's March, and I was definitely marching for the kids.

I sprained my ankle a few days before, so I could only get so far. But I ran into my friend, Marta, and walked with her for 20 blocks. I took lots of pix, and marveled at the masses of people who kept moving towards the March. This was miles upon miles of people, and I couldn't get the song, "Found Tonight" out of my head.



My favorites were the Bubbes (Yiddish for Grandmothers). I heard one woman say, "I was out of town for the Women's March, so I couldn't miss this one!"

As I went home, I saw an old man with a cane. He was walking by a young man - his son? his grandson? - and he said, "See what people can do when they put their minds to it?"

Laura Loves NY - Snow Day!!!!

It's been a leonine March. "In like a lion, out like a lamb," they say, but March is almost over, and we're seeing lots of stormy weather.

Still, there's something about a Snow Day that just totally appeals to me. I grew up in the CA desert, so snow always seems so magical.

Adding Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett to my groove helped me get through the pelting icicles.

Making Movies

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with my grandpa's movie camera. My mom inherited it, and my Dad started using it to film home movies. Me being an actor, I kept asking if we could "make REAL movies" with it, but film was expensive so I only got to make one. It was called, "The Seasons," and it starred me and my neighborhood friends, including Kara Herold, who went on to make documentaries about the female experience.

Flash forward to this February when I did a 6 day film challenge led by Ela Thier, who teaches at the Independent Film School. I had a BLAST! Each day had a different focal point, and it made me look at my world - and hear it! - with different eyes and ears. It also gave me a chance to explore editing and all the cool things I can do with iMovie. My final film, incidentally, was called, The Seasons:



I enjoyed this so much that I created a YouTube channel called, Laura Loves NY.  I'm a Southern CA girl who's always loved NY, so I've decided to show you around "my" New York.

Last month, I visited The City Bakery, which does a yummy hot chocolate fest in February:



And I'm going to keep on running around the island. If there's any place you'd like to see, let me know!

Strange Days

How is February almost over? This year has been flying! Between visits to CA, recording a podcast in NJ, catching the tail end of the Women's March in NY (because I was recording a podcast in NJ), and running around Manhattan doing a short film challenge, it's been a busy, creative time!

It's also been heart-breaking, seeing what happened in Parkland, FLA. My heart catches in my throat every time I think of it, and I look at those kids who are stepping up and speaking out, and I admire their undeniable bravery.

It makes me look at the world with wonder and appreciate every moment. I hope you do too.

Looking back to look ahead

My friend, Tina, always reminds me to take a look at what I've accomplished over the year, and this one has been lush with artistic adventures and financial rewards. I am very thankful, especially since some of these gigs have already propelled me into new bookings for 2018.

It all started with Dear Evan Hansen. My friend, Wendy, was bringing her family to the city for the first time, and asked if I'd like to go to a show with them. "Of course!" I said. And she asked for recommendations, so I sent her some info about Dear Evan Hansen. This was at the start of the New Year, so it hadn't become as difficult to get to tickets. Well, Wendy knew one of the actresses in it:  Kristolyn Lloyd, who played Alana, so that sealed the deal!

In the midst of this, I was called in for Truvy in Steel Magnolias for Stomping Ground Theatre Company in NYC. When I got the callback, I had to ask to leave early so I could make the 7 PM curtain for Dear Evan Hansen. The director, Angela Shultz, was fantastically understanding, as she was going to see the show the week after callbacks. So I did my scene and then dashed off to the theatre.

After seeing Dear Evan Hansen, which was amazing, we went backstage and then onstage to meet Kristolyn. She was marvelous, and Wendy told her how I was in callbacks for Steel Magnolias, so we were all in the biz! It was an incredible night, to say the least.

And I booked Steel Magnolias. :)

After that, the year flew! I did an interview with Indie Activity, guest-starred on The Mike Jones Show, made my debut at Signature Theatre, one of my favorite Off Broadway theatres. I got to revisit Pat the Park Ranger for a professional recording of The Park Ranger song from Sasquatched the Musical! for composers Darg & Rayne. And I revisited The Singing Nun for producer George DeMarco's birthday concert!

I also re-teamed with Kristen Penner and Lorelei MacKenzie, writers of Pageant Princess, for a reading of a much more serious pop musical about identity called, "Pieces." I got to sing, "Move On," from Sunday in the Park with George for Stomping Ground's cabaret, Perspectives, and I was called back 3 times and put "on avail" for a commercial! Woo!

I booked the role of Joey in the web series, Human Telegraphs (coming out next year), played Linus' therapist in It's The Pumpkin Part 2 by the fabulous playwright, Joe Gulla, and started filming fun bits and pieces with sketch friends.

My most recent project is, Laura Loves NY, which was inspired by my friend, Tina, who said she wanted to see some of my adventures in the city. I recently filmed with PLANT star, Liz Days (Plant The Second Coming is on Amazon!), and she showed me around Bryant Park. Liz is hilarious, and I can't wait to go adventuring with her and many other Manhattanites in 2018!


Looking forward to the next adventure! I already have some gigs in the hopper, so there's good things coming!

Happy New Year!

A long time ago....

... in a desert town far, far away, I grew up wielding light sabers and traveling in imaginary spaceships with my cat, Spookie, who reluctantly filled the furry slippers of a Wookie.

I'll always be glad my dad was a sci-fi nut and took our family to the drive-in to see Star Wars that Summer of '77. At $2 a car, we went and saw this movie to the point where I could quote it. I even got the record and jammies that Christmas:

So every time a new episode comes out for Star Wars, that 8 year old version of me does a happy dance and gets ready to join the battle of Good vs. Evil.

May The Force be with you. Always.

Terrific Teams

Last weekend, I filmed a sketch with the fabulous Wayne Henry, whom I've worked with for several years. He brought me on board with this wonderful cast, all of whom were deliciously talented. We spent most of the shoot cracking each other up! And afterwards, we were all abuzz with ideas and stories about Art and The Biz.

This is something I just LOVE, the energy that bubbles up amongst artists when they're in the groove and creating something as a team.

I've been so lucky to do a tremendous amount of that this year, working with terrific teams to create wonderful productions for the stage and on various screens.

It started with Steel Magnolias at Stomping Ground Theatre Company:

The co-founders, Angela Shultz and Melissa Harlow, the crew, the team spirit of SGT was simply amazing! It was everything theatre should be.

Then I re-teamed with Darg and Rayne for The Pound at the Signature Theatre. SO excited to have had my debut at this amazing Off Broadway theatre!

We also managed to record my big Park Ranger song from Sasquatched The Musical

Then I joined my Pageant Princess creators, Lorelei McKenzie and Kristen Penner, for a reading of the new pop musical, Pieces:

I went back to Stomping Ground Theatre Company to sing for their cabaret, Perspectives:


And I just wrapped filming with the incredible team behind Human Telegraphs:

 What a crew!

I feel so thankful to have worked with so many talented people this year, and I'm grateful they've invited me into their wonderful worlds, telling unique stories with heart and humor!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Human Telegraphs

A few weeks ago, I guest-starred on this delightful new web series called, Human Telegraphs.

It's a charming show about 3 friends who decide to create an in-person messaging service, and they find themselves conveying very personal messages: everything from "I'm leaving you" to "You shoulda put a ring on it!" The humor is delicious, and the thing that really gets me is the HEART behind each story. 

Created by Three Bright Lights Productions - Kayla Conroy, Rachel Kay Barclay, and Fern Lim - these ladies are GO-GETTERS! I met them in May when they had me in to read for a few characters,  and then they contacted me in October to play "Joey," a whacky real estate gal from Brooklyn.

I had so much fun, working and playing with these gals! I'm in episode 4: "H Team vs. the Pemberlies"

The crew was mainly women - Samantha Pyra was the Cinematographer - but there were some marvelous men on set as well, particularly Michael Parker Kozak on Sound.

As our Script Supervisor, Alia Azamat said, "Professionalism has no gender."

"Only got a New York minute?" Check out the trailer here: http://humantelegraphs.com/watch

Happy Halloween!!!!

I've always loved Halloween! Playing dress-up has always been one of my favorite things. When I was a kid, I'd dive into my mother's closet, which held all sorts of treasures from the '70s like silver sandals, metallic belts with chunky turquoise, flowy nighties, and fun falls (hair extensions), and I'd emerge looking like a mini diva! At least, I felt fabulous! :)

My mom was awesome about making Halloween outfits. One of my favorites was Princess Leia. Observe the previously mentioned metal belt!

And of course, there was Wonder Woman, whom I emulated last year too :)

No wonder I became an actor! I get to dress up and play every day! :)

And I'm so lucky, because my husband is right with me!

Gotta fly! Have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Honor your playful, magical side. You're super!

Stomping Ground Theatre Company's Cabaret

Last weekend was LUSH!

I got to sing for Stomping Ground Theatre Company's cabaret, celebrating their 1st Anniversary in New York City! What an incredible amount of work this company has done in a year, and they're zooming into the next one!

They focus not only on new musicals, but on productions that empower people and tell stories from the heart. Thus, they got the rights to and produced Steel Magnolias last Spring, and I had the good fortune of playing Truvy! What an honor!

Then they did the new musical, Strike, based on the true story of Barbara Johns, a high school junior show led the entire student body of Robert Russa Moto high School to walk out in protest of their school's conditions.

And now they're producing "Christmas Letters," a musical they did a reading of last Fall. It'll be in full production for this Christmas :)

A song from that show was featured in the cabaret SGT hosted last weekend, and, to quote my husband, "The cabaret blew me away! Every single performer was unique and brimming with talent!"

There were 17 songs and 1 stand-up piece, the latter of which was done by Katie Donnelly, who played Annelle in Steel Magnolias (below left). She is off-the-charts funny, and I'm so honored I got to share the stage with her! More Magnolias lent their talents, including Anna Laura Strider, the gorgeous redhead below, who played our Shelby and hosted the evening. Our director, Angela Shultz, (bottom right), brought the house down with her rendition of "Not Getting Married Today," and our Oiser, Rebecca Hoodwin (top right below), gave us a sweet taste of "Georgia (on my mind)."

I sang, "Yes," by Cabaret masters, Kander and Ebb.



Then I sang the duet, "Move On" with Scott Koonce from Sunday in the Park With George.


Since the cabaret was called, "Perspectives," this song fit so beautifully since it's about an artist trying to find his own way of making "something new."

As Sondheim wrote, "Anything you do, let it come from you. Then it will be new. Give us more to see."

Stomping Ground is conducting a fundraiser to get some headset mics for their space, so if you can, please help them MAKE SOME NOISE! Thank you!

Perspectives

I've been working on my songs for Stomping Ground Theatre Company's cabaret, Perspectives. There are a bunch of talented people performing, honoring SGT's work for the past year, and it's a joy to be on the bill with them! Scott Koonce is directing and Brett Kristofferson is our marvelous piano man. There are even a few songs of Brett’s which are being sung.

It's also a mini reunion with 4 of the Steel Magnolias, including Katie Donnelly, who rocked the house as Annelle; Rebecca Hoodwin (far right below as Oiser); our director, Angela Shultz (below right); and our Shelby, Anna Laura Strider, the gorgeous redhead in the middle, is the emcee for the cabaret.

I'm singing 2 songs for the show, and one of the things I love about singing is the homework that goes with it: practicing the music, finding how it feels to sing it, where it moves in my voice, which places need strengthening, how to let it flow. And then there's the acting part of character creation, script analysis, understanding where the song fits into the story, and how can it stand alone for a cabaret?

It's FUN! I love all that stuff! And since I have a very busy life, I'm singing wherever I can, whenever I can. Sometimes it's in a rehearsal studio with my coach. Sometimes it's at home in my bedroom. When my husband and I traveled last weekend, I was singing in the hotel room. And I'm almost always singing on the street when I walk to my support job, or classes, callbacks and auditions. It's Manhattan! I WALK! :) And I rehearse where I can! Learn where I can! Enjoy it all where I can! That's my Perspective. :)

Fittingly, I'm singing "Yes" by Kander and Ebb, which is pretty much my anthem. And I'm doing the duet, "Move On," by Stephen Sondheim.

Years ago, I posed near a replica of George Seurat's painting in Saugutuck, MI, and I dreamed of playing Dot in "Sunday in the Park with George."

Tomorrow, I get to do just that!

Isn't it marvelous how the roads we travel loop back around to something we wanted to do. It's like everything's in bloom!

Tomorrow night's performance is at 8 PM at 410 West 40th Street "behind the red door!" Tix are available at the door, and are a suggested donation of $15.

Hope to see you there!

Singing in September

It has been a busy MUSICAL month! Cue Something Rotten's "It's.... a... musical!"

I kicked off September with a reading of a beautiful new musical called, Pieces. I don't know how much I can say about it, because it's so unique, and I want to respect the writers' decision of when, where and how to promote it. Suffice it to say, I fell in love with this cast in 3 days. It was incredibly special, and I was honored to be a part of it.

In the midst of "Pieces," I was called back for another musical, and got a callback for a commercial. Then received another callback for the same commercial. Woo! Now I'm hold (in the midst of "first refusal"), so I'll know next week what's what. Either way, it's been a blast!

I'm also in rehearsals for "Perspectives," a cabaret celebrating the first year of fabulousness (and next year's lineup) at Stomping Ground Theatre Company. I was fortunate to be hired by this fantastic company as Truvy in Steel Magnolias, and I'm beyond delighted to be part of the cabaret. I'm singing the joyous anthem, "Yes" by Kander and Ebb, and the duet from Sunday in the Park with George, "Move On," by Stephen Sondheim. Scott Koonce is my George :) And I'm loving every minute of it!

If you'd like to come to the cabaret, old chum, it's on Saturday September 30th at 8 PM at 410 West 40th Street (bet. 9th and 10th Ave). Suggested donation $15. Hope to see you there!

The Trek

When I was on vacation a few weeks ago, there were a TON of caterpillars, and they were so delightful! These fuzzy little creatures were orange and black, and had unique variations of those two colors. They were all trekking across this dirt road to get to a field of trees, where my husband said they would build their cocoons.

Then I got back to Manhattan, and I've been seeing butterflies everywhere, even on people!

So I asked myself, Which stage are you in? Are you making the trek to create your cocoon, or is it time to acknowledge your wings, to open them and FLY? Right now, it's that last one, and I feel like I'm just opening my wings, testing them, knowing I have to take a leap and trust that I can fly!

There are many stages of life in which I'll go through The Trek, The Cocoon, and The Flight, and I want to celebrate it ALL!

Hope you are too! :)