Tuesday was a day full of logistical nightmares. It was the first time I had to transport some serious desserts across town in a subway. Melanie hosted a wonderful southern dinner party for our fellowship group in her lovely country chic midtown apartment. Before the dinner, I had a My Fair Lady national tour audition to attempt, and Melanie was so kind to let me drop my delta cake and creeping crust cobbler off at her house before I headed to Actors Equity. When the non-equity folks were released, I was strangely relieved to not have to fit the audition in an otherwise crazy over-scheduled day. The party was a lot of fun and Melanie's roast was delicious. With her extravagant fruit display and buffet of goodies, Melanie was quite the hostess with the mostest. Rose-Marie led a group of us to an Easter dinner for the homeless that she was helping out at. My new friend Megan came along and we sang some gospel songs to entertain the folks and also had some nice opportunites to chat with them. It was such a nice way to continue celebrating Easter and also to remember how truly blessed I am with the family and home that I'm able to live in. I'm excited to start helping Rose-Marie on a more regular basis with the choir she leads as a homeless ministry. Her heart for people and for God is so amazing and I admire her tenderness and passion so much!
I went home with my heart full and my bags still unpacked for my trip home! And the bad news was that with a 6:30 flight out of JFK, my super shuttle scheduled a 3-3:15 am pick-up!!!! Ah!
Flash forward a few hours and I get a call at 2:41 in the morning!!! Super shuttle was early and at my door. Luckily, I had fully packed and just threw on my pants and went downstairs. I then settled in a short van ride to LGA and then, JFK, where I was dropped off at 3:30, 30 minutes before the airport actually opens. Fully garbed in CA spring attire, I was fffffffrrrrrreeeeeezing and reflected further on the homeless folks I had met the night before, and what little comfort they must feel.
What a lucky girl I was to be headed towards Mom and Charlie's pick-up!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
He is Risen Indeed!
Happy Easter! The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
On the coldest Easter morning I can ever remember in the requisite all-black attire, I walked to the Hunter College Auditorium, feeling not the least bit kissed by the Easter Bunny. But, oh, what glorious music and stories awaited! When we arrived Megan, the soprano soloist, was rehearsing her “I know that my Redeemer liveth” with full orchestra which included my friends Kyle on trumpet and Louise on violin. Glorious! Megan’s creamy soprano was just the right flavor and she handled every peak and valley with amazing ease. She is my new friend, so yes, Jenny, I believe the count is back to 40 to 1. We rehearsed our pieces with the orchestra, so much more exciting with all their colors and precision. Do I really get paid to sing this favorite music with all these amazing singers and instrumentalists? I love my job! We sat up on risers on the stage which allowing us to see all the cute Easter dresses underneath layers of bundling from the outside cold. We sang both morning services, the first mostly full, the second ripping at the seams with folks trying to enter the auditorium at every door. It is not a small job to usher a Redeemer service, let alone on Easter Sunday. Yikes! The services were amazing and I was blessed to hear the sermon twice about the empty tomb and the assurance that Jesus lives and forgives. I especially enjoyed the testimonies that three different members gave about coming to Christ and didn’t tire of those the second time. I have to say, I was a little bit nervous singing our last song with Tim Keller a few feet away. But mostly, I just felt my cup running over in thanksgiving for the opportunity to express in such lavish music the awe and wonder I feel ever Easter. It was amazing and the two services filled me to overflowing. I joined Laura and her husband Joe as well as the rest of Jenny’s small group for an Easter brunch at Pershing Square, a cute restaurant across the way from Grand Central Station. We had a great time reflecting on the various services and quirks in each (Jenny and others had sung at the West Side) and I ate the best whole-wheat pancakes I’ve ever met. YUM. We all had to jet pretty quickly afterwards, many had more rehearsals and services to come and I had a train to Pawling to catch! I raced home and collected a few things for my overnight adventure as well as the treats I’d prepared and took a cab to the Harlem Metro-North station on 125th Street. Even on a day as filled with light as Easter Sunday, shadiness abounded! And snow was falling as I waited on the platform for my Wassaic train to arrive.
We all had to jet pretty quickly afterwards, many had more rehearsals and services to come and I had a train to Pawling to catch! I raced home and collected a few things for my overnight adventure as well as the treats I’d prepared and took a cab to the Harlem Metro-North station on 125th Street. Even on a day as filled with light as Easter Sunday, shadiness abounded! And snow was falling as I waited on the platform for my Wassaic train to arrive.
I was on my way to meet Heather Gilles, a dear friend from CCM days, and to enjoy an Easter dinner with her family and friends. She has recently moved into an amazing loft apartment on the property of one of her voice student's where open space and horses abound! I loved getting away and seeing the stars, not to mention meeting all of the funny horses! Abby, Heather's longtime friend and fellow singer was there and it was nice to catch up with her and have her serenade us with some Tori Amos and original songs at the piano after dinner. Heather's parents were also a hoot and overall, it was quite a lively time. We ate all sorts of interesting things, including a wild goose that Heather's dad's friend had shot. I have to say, I don't have a favorite new meat to report on...it was strangely dark in color. Heather and Abby made some delicious sausage risotto and of course, there were tons of desserts to share!
Abby and I spent the night. Heather's funny dog, Chipka, spooned me on the coach and kept Abby up with her snoring and farting. It's so nice to have a little animal around on which to blame all those unattractive functions. :)
The three of us enjoyed a leisurely morning of coffee and dishes from the night before (no dishwasher!), only mildly cursing those who had left pieces of salad on their plates. We ate the leftover cherry tart and the girls measured me for my Millbrook Playhouse costume information sheet. Heather was so kind to drop us at the train station where the real adventure began. I guess the day after Easter is the best day to start construction on the Wassaic rail line...and because of that we took shuttle busses for an hour or so until we got to the next big station that took us to White Plains and finally transferred onto an NYC bound train. It was long but it was nice to be with Abby and share stories. Abby and I first met in Aspen in 2000. She and Heather were best friends at Juilliard. It's so nice how all these worlds collide and we keep meeting eachother's favorite people in this crazy business. Heather, a wonderfully talented singer, has turned her amazing brain towards directing opera and she's fixing to move back to the city soon to reimmerse herself in that world. yay for us!
I arrived in Harlem after 1 in the afternoon, much later than anticipated, but such is life. In the short half-a-block walk to the subway from the train station I'm pretty sure I walked through two "transactions." It was pretty scary, even at that hour of the day. Definitely not Kansas, or even the UES. I was happy to get home and collect myself.
I had to race across town to turn in my Millbrook materials and took the opportunity to do some Fairway shopping. I also "drove-by" Jenny's office for a lemon bar delivery and later, after fixing the sunday, now monday pizza as per tradition, dropped by Chris and Laura's. I had made them a box of Easter treats as well and hadn't the time to drop them by earlier as I wished. I just love hanging out with those two. Tressa and Ellie sadly had to go ni-ni. Chris and Laura are the kind of couple I want to be someday and their honesty and listening and vulnerability is so refreshing and inviting. It's funny because I remember where I was spiritually and socially when I knew them at Rice and how I wasn't at that time ready for the kind of Kingdom people they were and continue to be. I love that I totally stopped by without notice and they welcomed me so genuinely. Why do they have to move so soon? :(
On the coldest Easter morning I can ever remember in the requisite all-black attire, I walked to the Hunter College Auditorium, feeling not the least bit kissed by the Easter Bunny. But, oh, what glorious music and stories awaited! When we arrived Megan, the soprano soloist, was rehearsing her “I know that my Redeemer liveth” with full orchestra which included my friends Kyle on trumpet and Louise on violin. Glorious! Megan’s creamy soprano was just the right flavor and she handled every peak and valley with amazing ease. She is my new friend, so yes, Jenny, I believe the count is back to 40 to 1. We rehearsed our pieces with the orchestra, so much more exciting with all their colors and precision. Do I really get paid to sing this favorite music with all these amazing singers and instrumentalists? I love my job! We sat up on risers on the stage which allowing us to see all the cute Easter dresses underneath layers of bundling from the outside cold. We sang both morning services, the first mostly full, the second ripping at the seams with folks trying to enter the auditorium at every door. It is not a small job to usher a Redeemer service, let alone on Easter Sunday. Yikes! The services were amazing and I was blessed to hear the sermon twice about the empty tomb and the assurance that Jesus lives and forgives. I especially enjoyed the testimonies that three different members gave about coming to Christ and didn’t tire of those the second time. I have to say, I was a little bit nervous singing our last song with Tim Keller a few feet away. But mostly, I just felt my cup running over in thanksgiving for the opportunity to express in such lavish music the awe and wonder I feel ever Easter. It was amazing and the two services filled me to overflowing. I joined Laura and her husband Joe as well as the rest of Jenny’s small group for an Easter brunch at Pershing Square, a cute restaurant across the way from Grand Central Station. We had a great time reflecting on the various services and quirks in each (Jenny and others had sung at the West Side) and I ate the best whole-wheat pancakes I’ve ever met. YUM. We all had to jet pretty quickly afterwards, many had more rehearsals and services to come and I had a train to Pawling to catch! I raced home and collected a few things for my overnight adventure as well as the treats I’d prepared and took a cab to the Harlem Metro-North station on 125th Street. Even on a day as filled with light as Easter Sunday, shadiness abounded! And snow was falling as I waited on the platform for my Wassaic train to arrive.
We all had to jet pretty quickly afterwards, many had more rehearsals and services to come and I had a train to Pawling to catch! I raced home and collected a few things for my overnight adventure as well as the treats I’d prepared and took a cab to the Harlem Metro-North station on 125th Street. Even on a day as filled with light as Easter Sunday, shadiness abounded! And snow was falling as I waited on the platform for my Wassaic train to arrive.
I was on my way to meet Heather Gilles, a dear friend from CCM days, and to enjoy an Easter dinner with her family and friends. She has recently moved into an amazing loft apartment on the property of one of her voice student's where open space and horses abound! I loved getting away and seeing the stars, not to mention meeting all of the funny horses! Abby, Heather's longtime friend and fellow singer was there and it was nice to catch up with her and have her serenade us with some Tori Amos and original songs at the piano after dinner. Heather's parents were also a hoot and overall, it was quite a lively time. We ate all sorts of interesting things, including a wild goose that Heather's dad's friend had shot. I have to say, I don't have a favorite new meat to report on...it was strangely dark in color. Heather and Abby made some delicious sausage risotto and of course, there were tons of desserts to share!
Abby and I spent the night. Heather's funny dog, Chipka, spooned me on the coach and kept Abby up with her snoring and farting. It's so nice to have a little animal around on which to blame all those unattractive functions. :)
The three of us enjoyed a leisurely morning of coffee and dishes from the night before (no dishwasher!), only mildly cursing those who had left pieces of salad on their plates. We ate the leftover cherry tart and the girls measured me for my Millbrook Playhouse costume information sheet. Heather was so kind to drop us at the train station where the real adventure began. I guess the day after Easter is the best day to start construction on the Wassaic rail line...and because of that we took shuttle busses for an hour or so until we got to the next big station that took us to White Plains and finally transferred onto an NYC bound train. It was long but it was nice to be with Abby and share stories. Abby and I first met in Aspen in 2000. She and Heather were best friends at Juilliard. It's so nice how all these worlds collide and we keep meeting eachother's favorite people in this crazy business. Heather, a wonderfully talented singer, has turned her amazing brain towards directing opera and she's fixing to move back to the city soon to reimmerse herself in that world. yay for us!
I arrived in Harlem after 1 in the afternoon, much later than anticipated, but such is life. In the short half-a-block walk to the subway from the train station I'm pretty sure I walked through two "transactions." It was pretty scary, even at that hour of the day. Definitely not Kansas, or even the UES. I was happy to get home and collect myself.
I had to race across town to turn in my Millbrook materials and took the opportunity to do some Fairway shopping. I also "drove-by" Jenny's office for a lemon bar delivery and later, after fixing the sunday, now monday pizza as per tradition, dropped by Chris and Laura's. I had made them a box of Easter treats as well and hadn't the time to drop them by earlier as I wished. I just love hanging out with those two. Tressa and Ellie sadly had to go ni-ni. Chris and Laura are the kind of couple I want to be someday and their honesty and listening and vulnerability is so refreshing and inviting. It's funny because I remember where I was spiritually and socially when I knew them at Rice and how I wasn't at that time ready for the kind of Kingdom people they were and continue to be. I love that I totally stopped by without notice and they welcomed me so genuinely. Why do they have to move so soon? :(
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Anne with an "e"
I punished myself a bit at the gym before heading out to midtown for Easter Choir rehearsal. I was glad to see Kathy and John K. again and also happy to meet several new Redeemer singers. We knocked out “Lift up ye heads” and “Worthy in the Lamb/Amens” for two hours. I was reminded of how much I miss singing in choirs and how painfully out of practice I am! And just a note…I think in all those years of singing the entire Messiah at Rice, I never really sang all the notes of the Amens….wowsers, it was 11 pm by then and most of the audience was gone. I was probably thinking about the next day’s music history exam! With this ensemble of 5 to a part, there was no hiding and it was both thrilling and terrifying to sing those crazy passages!
I walked a few blocks to an audition for a children’s theatre company where three really sweet girls about my age listened to my short “Mr. Right” monologue and asked me to sing a bit acapella. It was a pleasant and encouraging few minutes and I was glad I had made the stop.
I then headed to meet Amy K, my friend from Rice, who as a musical-theatre performer but now full-time copy editor, moonlights as a theatre critic. She had an extra ticket to an off-off Broadway musical version of “Anne of Green Gables” that I had been dying to see. Who doesn’t heart Gilbert Blythe after all? I was to meet her at the theatre in the West Village and on my way down Thompson Street I stumbled upon a Cuban restaurant which had a bright mural inside with a large “La Bodeguita del Medio” trademarked sign! The super sly Cuban spy is back in action! I took a picture and their glossy and incriminating to-go menu as souvenirs and patted myself on the back all the way towards Amy. The show was delightful, tuneful and aimed at children. A precious one behind us, on cue, gasped “Ew” at the less than steamy Anne and Gilbert kiss and a dad was wiping his eyes at the same moments as me, to the snickers of his young family. Always a kindred spirit, Amy’s company brought even more delights than raspberry cordial, or blackberry wine, for that matter, and we wiled away the afternoon hours dreaming of our Village mansions to come and catching up over coffee and Brazilian cheese puffs. You can read Amy’s review here:
http://www.offoffonline.com/reviews.php?id=991
After parting, I walked to Union Square for some last TJ wine and some last-minute baking supplies and headed home to begin the sugar extravaganza. I made the world-famous brownies, Mom’s now NYC famous lemon bars and some sugar cookies in the shape of eggs to share with Heather Gilles and family who I would be visiting the next evening. As always, it took far longer than expected to bake all the goodies and I didn’t get my Easter choir voice to bed as early as I had hoped.
I walked a few blocks to an audition for a children’s theatre company where three really sweet girls about my age listened to my short “Mr. Right” monologue and asked me to sing a bit acapella. It was a pleasant and encouraging few minutes and I was glad I had made the stop.
I then headed to meet Amy K, my friend from Rice, who as a musical-theatre performer but now full-time copy editor, moonlights as a theatre critic. She had an extra ticket to an off-off Broadway musical version of “Anne of Green Gables” that I had been dying to see. Who doesn’t heart Gilbert Blythe after all? I was to meet her at the theatre in the West Village and on my way down Thompson Street I stumbled upon a Cuban restaurant which had a bright mural inside with a large “La Bodeguita del Medio” trademarked sign! The super sly Cuban spy is back in action! I took a picture and their glossy and incriminating to-go menu as souvenirs and patted myself on the back all the way towards Amy. The show was delightful, tuneful and aimed at children. A precious one behind us, on cue, gasped “Ew” at the less than steamy Anne and Gilbert kiss and a dad was wiping his eyes at the same moments as me, to the snickers of his young family. Always a kindred spirit, Amy’s company brought even more delights than raspberry cordial, or blackberry wine, for that matter, and we wiled away the afternoon hours dreaming of our Village mansions to come and catching up over coffee and Brazilian cheese puffs. You can read Amy’s review here:
http://www.offoffonline.com/reviews.php?id=991
After parting, I walked to Union Square for some last TJ wine and some last-minute baking supplies and headed home to begin the sugar extravaganza. I made the world-famous brownies, Mom’s now NYC famous lemon bars and some sugar cookies in the shape of eggs to share with Heather Gilles and family who I would be visiting the next evening. As always, it took far longer than expected to bake all the goodies and I didn’t get my Easter choir voice to bed as early as I had hoped.
Good Friday...
The benefit of waiting so long to fill in this blog is that I can’t remember anything before the Good Friday church service. I was excited to meet Jenny at church and especially so because she saved me a seat while I was stuck on a slow cross-town bus. This service was full of worship that brought tears and short reflections by the associate pastors on Jesus as prophet, priest and king. The highlight was a time of meditation accompanied by Louise’s string quartet playing my most favorite of all Beethoven Op. 131 selection. Like the perfect Pinot Noir paired to the choicest dish, this music in that moment of reflection of Christ on the cross was a combination unmatched. The transition from prescribed stillness and silence in our exit to the bubbles of friends uniting and catching up on the street outside was jarring, but indicative of the “alleluias” to come! Jenny and I lingered for a bit looking for friends from her small group to meet for dinner. She was tired and not finding them, we headed to Whole Foods in the Time Warner building for some quick soup. Jenny’s sister Katie is a bona-fide rockstar and I had listened to some of her songs on Jenny’s ipod and loved them! Jenny had been out to visit her in Nashville and returned with my very own Katie Herzig CD! Yay! Check her out on itunes and Myspace....http://www.myspace.com/katieherzig…a little bit of alt-rock, a little bit folksy, very beautiful songs and sounds…my favorite is the one she wrote for Jenny…”Jennylynn.”
Maundy Thursday
They say you should have a headshot and resume with you at all times. I admit I’ve been guilty of forgetting one or the other at home and either ripping into submission envelopes I’ve happened to have in tow or trekking back home between sign-ups and auditions to retrieve one. For the record, I haven’t done that since at least February. I had spent most of the morning preparing for my coaching with Laura and was thrilled to discover some glorious art songs that could almost be disguised as musical theatre pieces (or vice-versa) by Ricky Ian Gordon. I gave myself an hour to make copies at Staples, hop on the subway and arrive at the 411 Space, a “church” that looks an awful lot like a blackbox theatre that Laura uses for her lessons. Small miracles along the way allowed my passage in record time and I found myself catching my breath on one of the couches in the performer’s lounge, a sort-of oasis for the worn-out auditioners that frequent midtown, with 20 minutes to spare. The space was missing the usual squeals of pre-school aged kids waddling about in tutus and ballet slippers, and other than Laura’s lesson, all was still. As I organized the 10 or so songs I was eager to try out, a man stepped into the lounge and comfortably settled into the desk where the computer sits. As he turned it on and started typing away he immediately began a conversation with me, asking if I was an artist. I explained I was there for my lesson and asked him if he was an actor, so unassuming and frank was his manner. He was a producer, director and artistic director of a small theatre company, he said. He mentioned “Fritz and Froyim” a play he was going to be auditioning next week and then asked if I had a headshot and resume with me. Well, what do you know? CA girl is learning something. He looked over it briefly, counseled me to not join Equity in any hurry and then asked if I had a monologue. Well, what do you know? I did and I ended up following him to his black box theatre on the same floor where I performed “Popo Martin,” my schizophrenic, teenaged cheerleader monologue whose propriety I’ve been questioning. He engaged me to try it again as “me” truly communicating the points, waiting until they landed on him, until I moved on. He worked with me for about 10 minutes, encouraging me to use my own voice and to allow the material to be infused by me. Without any prodding, he told me I was “quirky” which is officially 3/3, and that I didn’t need to add anything to the material but find my path within it. So, for arriving early at my coaching, I managed to work in an audition and a mini-acting lesson!!! I love this city! John, the director, was so generous with his time and even offered to help me any other time I was in the building and he happened to be around. I don’t even think he is shady because I looked his company up online and saw that his mission is mentoring young people and producing theatre for public good.
My coaching was wonderful, of course, and Laura convinced me that while not audition-appropriate, my Ricky Ian Gordon songs were treasures to be laid out at a future recital or recording. Exciting! I also made the discovery that I’m never going to be an Ethel Merman belter. I don’t need to be Ado Annie and Laurey in Oklahoma. I realized I was looking for material for all types instead of honing in on what my specific gifts allow me to do…plenty, by the way! What freedom there is in knowing I don’t have to do it all!
So, it does seem like you’ll never here this girl do any brassy Broadway belting…can you settle for a high mix? ☺
After my coaching I dropped some of my heavy music books off at my favorite home away from home, the performing arts library, before hoofing over to the Ethical and Cultural Society for the Maundy Thursday Service.
Max McLean is an amazing Christian actor who travels the world presenting different readings of the Gospels and selected Christian literature to churches and in theatres. This night, he performed the book of Mark, memorized, as a sort of one-man show. He embodied every Pharisee and disciple, and changed from Jesus to the people and back to Jesus with just a flip of his posture. I don’t have enough words for these 90 minutes…totally transfixing each of us, I wish everyone I know could have seen it. We laughed (it’s really funny, some of it) and yes, I cried and I wondered at the arc of the story, of the transformation of the people and the constancy of Jesus. After collecting the applause from enlivening all these pages in a perfect Scottish accent, Max began to address us and answer FAQs…in a perfect American accent! Ha! I loved that for the sake of the drama, he turned up the McLean aspect of his character. It was an unforgettable event and was made richer from the context of weeks of Tim Keller’s sermons on Mark. I’ve always loved the power of God’s word and its capacity for drama…and this, well, he definitely took it to the next level!
My coaching was wonderful, of course, and Laura convinced me that while not audition-appropriate, my Ricky Ian Gordon songs were treasures to be laid out at a future recital or recording. Exciting! I also made the discovery that I’m never going to be an Ethel Merman belter. I don’t need to be Ado Annie and Laurey in Oklahoma. I realized I was looking for material for all types instead of honing in on what my specific gifts allow me to do…plenty, by the way! What freedom there is in knowing I don’t have to do it all!
So, it does seem like you’ll never here this girl do any brassy Broadway belting…can you settle for a high mix? ☺
After my coaching I dropped some of my heavy music books off at my favorite home away from home, the performing arts library, before hoofing over to the Ethical and Cultural Society for the Maundy Thursday Service.
Max McLean is an amazing Christian actor who travels the world presenting different readings of the Gospels and selected Christian literature to churches and in theatres. This night, he performed the book of Mark, memorized, as a sort of one-man show. He embodied every Pharisee and disciple, and changed from Jesus to the people and back to Jesus with just a flip of his posture. I don’t have enough words for these 90 minutes…totally transfixing each of us, I wish everyone I know could have seen it. We laughed (it’s really funny, some of it) and yes, I cried and I wondered at the arc of the story, of the transformation of the people and the constancy of Jesus. After collecting the applause from enlivening all these pages in a perfect Scottish accent, Max began to address us and answer FAQs…in a perfect American accent! Ha! I loved that for the sake of the drama, he turned up the McLean aspect of his character. It was an unforgettable event and was made richer from the context of weeks of Tim Keller’s sermons on Mark. I’ve always loved the power of God’s word and its capacity for drama…and this, well, he definitely took it to the next level!
on an airplane...
I’m on the plane, headed towards JFK, armed with a new/old computer that might have more than 10 minutes of battery power. I won’t let this extended battery life get the best of me and wax poetic on the 10 plus days of adventures that I’ve left undocumented. Instead, I’ll try to boil down the highlights. One of the greatest highlights of the past few days in CA, was the Joh wedding, of course! At that celebration, I was so happy to see my church family as well as faces from the families of my past. Greg Mitchell, Steve’s best man and a long-time friend of mine “used his words” so well to animate the best of Steve and Amy. A blogger himself who admitted he’d read mine, (OH NO! people read this besides Lis and Jenny???) Greg reminded me, “Quality over Quantity.” And with that, I’ll try my best and briefest.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Disappointment and...guests of the star
I realized that this is a slow week in the audition circuit, probably because casting directors are on vacation like everyone else in the country! So, again, I didn't go out for any auditions but instead went to Nia class and did some library research before heading midtown to meet Jenny for lunch. It was a miserable, miserable rainy day. Like I've said before, rainy days in NYC are not very pleasant...between navigating around dangerous umbrellas and flooded subway stations, it's just not a lot of fun. At least Jenny is fun and I loved hearing all about her weekend with her sister in Nashville and plans for her upcoming knee surgery. I took a crosstown bus and then the subway to get to my tap class with Germaine. So fun! I recently switched over to heeled tap shoes and it makes life so much harder but apparently you are a sissy if you are still in flats. No sissies here. I met Kat for coffee after class and we had such a great talk. It is so nice to have her support and friendship...we are both trying to navigate life out here and beyond opera together and we are always trading tips and coaches, etc. While we were together I got a call from Melanie. She had mentioned on Sunday that she might have an extra ticket to "Die Agyptische Helena" at the Met starring Debbie V. I had been waiting to hear from her if her "friend" had been able to get her tickets. Well, her "friend" came through and I made plans to meet her at 7:30 at the box office.
I rushed home to change and grab a bite to eat. Earlier in the day I had gotten my contract for Millbrook via email and had inquired about the fact that it said, "Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan and nun in Do Black Patent Shoes..." whereas he had offered me Sister Helen specifically over the phone. I emailed him back and asked for clarification to which he replied that IF he had said that he was very sorry and mistaken and that I was indeed going to be playing the soprano nun but was down for the Sister Helen cover. He said he would understand if that changed my decision. My stomach turned under me with disappointment. I know that Sister Helen wasn't a big role but something about it was really exciting to me and who wants to be "nun" when you can have a name? I'm so glad I called Mom and received her sweet words of encouragement as well as precious Charlie telling me he loves me. What more could a nun wish for? You know, I am disappointed, because I feel like I just got demoted, but I also recognize that it's a three-week show and is not going to determine my future. God is taking care of me and even in this He reminds me that I'm not on earth to be a star or even a semi-star in the middle of PA, but rather to be his child and bring Him glory in the face of disappointment and success. And boy did He have a sweet gift to soothe me in store!
I feel like I need to set this chapter apart...because this may have been the most amazing experience to date in NYC!!!! So, I knew that Melanie had recently become friendly with Debbie V. but when she was dangling the carrot of these tickets via her "friend" she never made that connection clear. Well, when she walked in armed with 2 dozen tulips for her "friend" my question was answered. Debbie hooked her up with two tickets on the front row, on the center aisle!!! Soooooooooo awesome! I LOVED being so close because not only could I see every breath each singer took, I could also see every breath each instrumentalist took, not to mention hear the sighing and grunting of the conductor engrossed in the Strauss score. I read in the program notes that this opera, one of Strauss' less famous works, had not been seen at the Met since 1928 and was in fact by Ms. Voigt, considered the leading interpreter of Strauss. She was amazing, illustrious, beautiful, so composed and in control of the stage in each moment she was on it. I also fell in love with Diana Damrau singing the lighter, more coloratura part of Aithra. Beautiful, beautiful voice and such an actress. I am so excited to follow her career and hearing her inspired me to practice my Strauss! The production was "interesting" with an extremely raked stage and a harsh set with cutouts of oversized doors and running men with extreme colors in the costumes pointing to the different worlds of mortals and gods. My favorite costumes were the chorus of elves in bright blue with white wigs and beards. At intermission we saw Karen and Mark and chatted with them. I think Mark introduced me to someone really influential in the opera world but I have no idea who she was. I guess Mark had done the opera before at Santa Fe and neither he or Karen were big fans of the work. It's not particularly tuneful but the performances alone were just amazing. I couldn't get over the long phrases that were sung with such ease and all the colors and depths and heights that Debbie had to navigate. At the curtain call someone actually threw a bouquet of roses from the 4th balcony and nearly missed Diana D's head. Melanie opted not to throw her heavy tulips to Debbie. Dangerous! We made our way to the backstage entrance where we had to pass through 3 different guards before being shuffled to the artists' guest lounge. On the way there, we ran into mezzo Jill Grove who played the strange Mussel character and Melanie introduced me to her. We waited for quite a while for our "friend" to get out of costume and make-up and I enjoyed the time chatting with sweet Melanie. She is a singer as well and such a character! I mean, how lucky am I that she chose me of all people to share this opportunity. I enjoyed watching Debbie take the fawning compliments from her fans with such grace and humility. She is so down-to-earth. I tried not to gush too much but thanked her for the ticket and then she invited us to go eat dinner with her at Fiorello's. Weighed down with bouquets Debbie led us out to where her car was waiting. As we got to the parking garage a group of about 12 die-hard fans were eagerly waiting to give her gifts and have her sign programs. She knew many of them by the name because they come to EVERY single performance and wait for her each night. One man had a stack of 6 programs and he named each one that he had missed getting her autograph...I was thinking "EBAY!!!" as he brought out each program. One woman is from Poland and was wearing a home-made t-shirt with her picture on it. She travels all over the world and sees every one of her performances. WHOA! I wish I had videoed the whole scene...it was amazing. We got into the black car and literally drove across the street to Fiorello's where we (because we were with SHE) were treated like royalty. Prosecco and antipasti brought to the compliments, via the management, etc. But other than several interruptions of adoring fans, the four of us chatted mostly about the perils of dating, online and otherwise. I really liked Debbie's friend Jane as well. I had a piece of Debbie's yummy pizza margherita even though it was midnight...and Melanie and I ate some fruit. I hugged them good-bye as they were whisked off to mid-town in the black car and headed home on the subway and then via cab because it was after 1 and apparently the bus wasn't going to come for another 20 minutes. As I sat in the cab I just kept thinking, did that really happen? I mean, how did I go from singing Strauss in my shower to dining with the star of the Met? WHOA. I guess the short answer is the church. Another reason to go to church, folks, in case you needed one! :)
I rushed home to change and grab a bite to eat. Earlier in the day I had gotten my contract for Millbrook via email and had inquired about the fact that it said, "Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan and nun in Do Black Patent Shoes..." whereas he had offered me Sister Helen specifically over the phone. I emailed him back and asked for clarification to which he replied that IF he had said that he was very sorry and mistaken and that I was indeed going to be playing the soprano nun but was down for the Sister Helen cover. He said he would understand if that changed my decision. My stomach turned under me with disappointment. I know that Sister Helen wasn't a big role but something about it was really exciting to me and who wants to be "nun" when you can have a name? I'm so glad I called Mom and received her sweet words of encouragement as well as precious Charlie telling me he loves me. What more could a nun wish for? You know, I am disappointed, because I feel like I just got demoted, but I also recognize that it's a three-week show and is not going to determine my future. God is taking care of me and even in this He reminds me that I'm not on earth to be a star or even a semi-star in the middle of PA, but rather to be his child and bring Him glory in the face of disappointment and success. And boy did He have a sweet gift to soothe me in store!
I feel like I need to set this chapter apart...because this may have been the most amazing experience to date in NYC!!!! So, I knew that Melanie had recently become friendly with Debbie V. but when she was dangling the carrot of these tickets via her "friend" she never made that connection clear. Well, when she walked in armed with 2 dozen tulips for her "friend" my question was answered. Debbie hooked her up with two tickets on the front row, on the center aisle!!! Soooooooooo awesome! I LOVED being so close because not only could I see every breath each singer took, I could also see every breath each instrumentalist took, not to mention hear the sighing and grunting of the conductor engrossed in the Strauss score. I read in the program notes that this opera, one of Strauss' less famous works, had not been seen at the Met since 1928 and was in fact by Ms. Voigt, considered the leading interpreter of Strauss. She was amazing, illustrious, beautiful, so composed and in control of the stage in each moment she was on it. I also fell in love with Diana Damrau singing the lighter, more coloratura part of Aithra. Beautiful, beautiful voice and such an actress. I am so excited to follow her career and hearing her inspired me to practice my Strauss! The production was "interesting" with an extremely raked stage and a harsh set with cutouts of oversized doors and running men with extreme colors in the costumes pointing to the different worlds of mortals and gods. My favorite costumes were the chorus of elves in bright blue with white wigs and beards. At intermission we saw Karen and Mark and chatted with them. I think Mark introduced me to someone really influential in the opera world but I have no idea who she was. I guess Mark had done the opera before at Santa Fe and neither he or Karen were big fans of the work. It's not particularly tuneful but the performances alone were just amazing. I couldn't get over the long phrases that were sung with such ease and all the colors and depths and heights that Debbie had to navigate. At the curtain call someone actually threw a bouquet of roses from the 4th balcony and nearly missed Diana D's head. Melanie opted not to throw her heavy tulips to Debbie. Dangerous! We made our way to the backstage entrance where we had to pass through 3 different guards before being shuffled to the artists' guest lounge. On the way there, we ran into mezzo Jill Grove who played the strange Mussel character and Melanie introduced me to her. We waited for quite a while for our "friend" to get out of costume and make-up and I enjoyed the time chatting with sweet Melanie. She is a singer as well and such a character! I mean, how lucky am I that she chose me of all people to share this opportunity. I enjoyed watching Debbie take the fawning compliments from her fans with such grace and humility. She is so down-to-earth. I tried not to gush too much but thanked her for the ticket and then she invited us to go eat dinner with her at Fiorello's. Weighed down with bouquets Debbie led us out to where her car was waiting. As we got to the parking garage a group of about 12 die-hard fans were eagerly waiting to give her gifts and have her sign programs. She knew many of them by the name because they come to EVERY single performance and wait for her each night. One man had a stack of 6 programs and he named each one that he had missed getting her autograph...I was thinking "EBAY!!!" as he brought out each program. One woman is from Poland and was wearing a home-made t-shirt with her picture on it. She travels all over the world and sees every one of her performances. WHOA! I wish I had videoed the whole scene...it was amazing. We got into the black car and literally drove across the street to Fiorello's where we (because we were with SHE) were treated like royalty. Prosecco and antipasti brought to the compliments, via the management, etc. But other than several interruptions of adoring fans, the four of us chatted mostly about the perils of dating, online and otherwise. I really liked Debbie's friend Jane as well. I had a piece of Debbie's yummy pizza margherita even though it was midnight...and Melanie and I ate some fruit. I hugged them good-bye as they were whisked off to mid-town in the black car and headed home on the subway and then via cab because it was after 1 and apparently the bus wasn't going to come for another 20 minutes. As I sat in the cab I just kept thinking, did that really happen? I mean, how did I go from singing Strauss in my shower to dining with the star of the Met? WHOA. I guess the short answer is the church. Another reason to go to church, folks, in case you needed one! :)
On strike
Tuesday I went on strike and didn't go to any auditions. Honestly there weren't any that were right for me, now that I have June and part of July set apart for Millbrook. But the non-jaded me might have gone regardless. This morning I did a bunch of errands that had been hanging over me, worked out, organized my life and made it to Bible Study armed with my world-famous brownies. We met at Rose-Marie and Louis' apartment near Lincoln Center. They are such a neat couple. I especially adore Rose-Marie. She is French and has some European quirkiness mixed in her very loving and transparent heart. She also uses some fun translations and pronunciations that make me grin. Louis and R-M have a little blue parakeet that was making all sorts of noise while we were reading a passage from Romans. I totally got the nervous giggles but was glad that Amber, sitting across from me, was similarly distracted. The bird who had been swooping over our heads was relegated to the bedroom. Amber had told Mark that I had gone to see the show so as soon as I walked into the apartment he chastized me for not letting him know I was coming and that he would have put me on the list to go backstage. Well, I don't know the protocol of these things. I've never had a friend who stars at the Met! It was a really great study and I feel like I'm getting more comfortable sharing with these new friends. I had to jet right away because Chris and Laura had invited me over to dinner at 6:30. It was already 6 and it was going to be a serious stretch getting back uptown and crossing to the East side. Melanie really wanted to walk with me towards the subway and so I lingered a bit longer than I probably should have. I ended up taking the subway from Columbus Circle and I was so frazzled that I ended up on a downtown train! When we got to 50th Street I decided to hop out, call Chris and Laura and tell them what an idiot I was, and hoofed it to the East side. Of course every tourist and travelling business person is out on the streets of midtown at the same time, so it was quite a challenge. I just hated to be late because I know how hard it is to delay dinner when you have little ones. I finally got to the 6 train and made it one stop to 59th when they held the doors open and announced there was a police investigation regarding an unruly passenger at 77th and the train would be indefinitely held! GREAT! I hopped out and thought about walking the 35 blocks before opting for a quick cab.
On the elevator ride up to their apartment a really cute boy saw my tupperware of brownies and said, "Somebody's lucky." I told him, yes, they were and all about my wild ride to deliver them, yada, yada. He lives on the floor above Laura and Chris and we joked that I should have given him one or gone up to his floor and rung every doorbell until I found him. Ha ha. His wife probably would have answered the door. I had so much fun playing with the girls, setting up a tent, meeting their neighbor, Howard, and his son Eli while Laura prepared an amazing dinner. Howard has a Wheaton named Bernie who was soooo sweet. Howard said I could come borrow him sometime which actually sounds so fun. Whenever I go to Central Park and see all the dogs I get jealous and yet it would be really hard, well, impossible at this stage, to have one of my own. But just to borrow one occasionally, I love it! I loved seeing the neighbors all together and witnessing the Seals doing what I know them to do best, creating community and depth. What an amazing thing that little Eli would be the same age as Ellie. We talked a lot about how it is hard to meet your neighbors unless you have kids or a dog. Thus, I'll borrow Bernie! Dinner was so good...Laura made this chicken on a brick, where she stuffed garlic and rosemary and all sorts of deliciousness between the skin and oh, was it tasty! I even got to take home the left-overs. I'm so thankful for the Seals, for God showing his kindness and care for me in the form of their family, and for reminding me that though the city is big, there are neighbors and friends all around.
On the elevator ride up to their apartment a really cute boy saw my tupperware of brownies and said, "Somebody's lucky." I told him, yes, they were and all about my wild ride to deliver them, yada, yada. He lives on the floor above Laura and Chris and we joked that I should have given him one or gone up to his floor and rung every doorbell until I found him. Ha ha. His wife probably would have answered the door. I had so much fun playing with the girls, setting up a tent, meeting their neighbor, Howard, and his son Eli while Laura prepared an amazing dinner. Howard has a Wheaton named Bernie who was soooo sweet. Howard said I could come borrow him sometime which actually sounds so fun. Whenever I go to Central Park and see all the dogs I get jealous and yet it would be really hard, well, impossible at this stage, to have one of my own. But just to borrow one occasionally, I love it! I loved seeing the neighbors all together and witnessing the Seals doing what I know them to do best, creating community and depth. What an amazing thing that little Eli would be the same age as Ellie. We talked a lot about how it is hard to meet your neighbors unless you have kids or a dog. Thus, I'll borrow Bernie! Dinner was so good...Laura made this chicken on a brick, where she stuffed garlic and rosemary and all sorts of deliciousness between the skin and oh, was it tasty! I even got to take home the left-overs. I'm so thankful for the Seals, for God showing his kindness and care for me in the form of their family, and for reminding me that though the city is big, there are neighbors and friends all around.
7 hours and waiting in line with the die-hards!
Monday morning I was really excited to go to an audition for a Rodgers and Hart revue being performed in CT in the month of May. Apparently I wasn't the only one excited! I was first on the EMC list and because of that, I was determined to stick it out. Again, the pianist was late and the delayed start didn't help my chances. I was still hopeful after the lunch break, however, because they were blazing through the alternates. During the lunch break, I did a quick tour of the Jeff Wall exhibit at the MOMA and visited some of my favorite paintings on the 5th floor. I'm still so thankful for my membership there, and for the opportunity it allows me on an otherwise disappointing audition day to see some beautiful and strange things! It was raining and the MOMA was busier than I've ever seen it. I think this is probably a big spring break/tourist week in NYC. I have learned how to walk around the meandering tourists on the sidewalk and I slithered past them back to the Equity building. I was so confident that I was going to sing that I got back into my cute spring dress and heels. I was happy to see Dani and help her get ready for her two auditions. She is just a ray of sunshine every time I see her with her encouragement and great attitude! I love her! At about 3 the doom was settling in and I saw that the alternate list had gone up to 92. I changed out of my dress and packed up my stuff, grumpy and annoyed, and a migraine began to set in. It just pains me that I wasted a day, more than anything. Maybe I'll just have to be smarter about which auditions are going to be impossible but it's such a gamble. The past week I had been really successful in being seen for the Equity calls...so you never know!
I spent the rest of the afternoon heading towards Lincoln Center where I was going to see "Andrea Chenier" at the Met. On the way I celebrated my pitiful self with a Tasti-D cone and a short stop to get my favorite nephew some Easter treats. I arrived at the Met around 4:30. They have a new program, as of this year, that releases 200 orchestra tickets for $20 2 hours before every weekday performance. Orchestra tickets generally run around $250 so this is quite the deal! Since I am a professional stand-in-line girl, this was a great opportunity to see my new friend, Mark from my bible study, starring in the opera. I was probably about 50th in line, with an hour and a half to wait. There were some interesting folks assembled, and of course, most of them were much, much older. It was nice to see some other young starving artist types sprinkled in. I got the seat the furthest to the side on row L, ran home (well, you know, train and bus) to change and drop my backpack, before hopping back on the bus to Lincoln Center.
The opera, an Italian verismo (realistic style, like Verdi) by Giordani, was AMAZING!!!! I think it may have been my most favorite. The costumes of gold were stunning and the 3 leads (Mark, Ben Heppner and a Lithuanian soprano named Violeta) were so committed and glorious. I ended up being able to slide closer to the middle of the row and it was so fun to be up close and really be able to watch the mechanics of how these singers were producing such beautiful sounds! I was so proud to know Mark and especially loved watching him take the shouts of "Bravos" knowing what a godly man he is. I took the bus home and continued to reflect on how in all these great performances that I have been so fortunate to see, there is nothing casual happening. I feel like sometimes I go into auditions and just sort of apologize for what might be special instead of bringing something truly artistic and energized from my soul to my face. I was definitely inspired!
I spent the rest of the afternoon heading towards Lincoln Center where I was going to see "Andrea Chenier" at the Met. On the way I celebrated my pitiful self with a Tasti-D cone and a short stop to get my favorite nephew some Easter treats. I arrived at the Met around 4:30. They have a new program, as of this year, that releases 200 orchestra tickets for $20 2 hours before every weekday performance. Orchestra tickets generally run around $250 so this is quite the deal! Since I am a professional stand-in-line girl, this was a great opportunity to see my new friend, Mark from my bible study, starring in the opera. I was probably about 50th in line, with an hour and a half to wait. There were some interesting folks assembled, and of course, most of them were much, much older. It was nice to see some other young starving artist types sprinkled in. I got the seat the furthest to the side on row L, ran home (well, you know, train and bus) to change and drop my backpack, before hopping back on the bus to Lincoln Center.
The opera, an Italian verismo (realistic style, like Verdi) by Giordani, was AMAZING!!!! I think it may have been my most favorite. The costumes of gold were stunning and the 3 leads (Mark, Ben Heppner and a Lithuanian soprano named Violeta) were so committed and glorious. I ended up being able to slide closer to the middle of the row and it was so fun to be up close and really be able to watch the mechanics of how these singers were producing such beautiful sounds! I was so proud to know Mark and especially loved watching him take the shouts of "Bravos" knowing what a godly man he is. I took the bus home and continued to reflect on how in all these great performances that I have been so fortunate to see, there is nothing casual happening. I feel like sometimes I go into auditions and just sort of apologize for what might be special instead of bringing something truly artistic and energized from my soul to my face. I was definitely inspired!
Sunday, April 1, 2007
All Caught UP!
So, I'm writing this on Sunday night, about Sunday. Wow! So exciting. A night babysitting allows for all sorts of catching up.
This morning I made my walk across the park, dodging dogs of every sort, to church and barely arrived dry. The rain was just about beginning. Palm Sunday wasn't emphasized too much but we had the opportunity to take the Lord's Supper which always makes me thankful I'm back in the Presbyterian fold...where you take the body and blood once a month. Church was great as always and I had fun visiting afterwards with Laura B. and Melanie G. and Phoebe and even Debbie V. My revolutionary hair was a big topic for discussion. I enjoyed again my walk back across the park and spent most of the afternoon cleaning before heading back to the west side to serve in the nursery at the 5 pm service. Oh, I had the most fun! I was first sent to the two year olds but then there were two crying babies and only one pair of arms so I got to hold lil' Cash, who was crying his head off. In a few minutes, he stopped and after some serious rocking and Charlie techniques I got him to fall asleep in my arms. So special. I could have stayed there for hours!
As I write, I'm sitting in Chris and Laura Seals' living room. I'm babysitting for their beautiful and adorable girls, Tressa and Ellie. Chris and Laura were campus ministry leaders for a few years while I was at Rice. I literally ran into Laura a few weeks ago outside a subway station in midtown, and only then, because I was talking to Nicole Franklin on the phone and didn't want to go underground just yet. I ended up taking the train uptown with Laura that night and we discovered that we literally live across the street from eachother. Ever since then we've been trying to get together for dinner and it hasn't worked out. Finally tonight, I was able to help out and babysit. It's so wonderful to be in their home and to be around their sweet family. I get so focused on myself and my schedule and my budget and my needs it seems and I love disolving all those concerns and feeling like I get to be the church for these friends, while they get out for a movie!
And so I'm all caught up on this silly blog! Thanks for your patience for these last couple of weeks of posts that took so long to get up. I see auditions dying down...I hope I'll continue to be able to bring insight and humor, not to mention celebrity sightings in the pages to come!
This morning I made my walk across the park, dodging dogs of every sort, to church and barely arrived dry. The rain was just about beginning. Palm Sunday wasn't emphasized too much but we had the opportunity to take the Lord's Supper which always makes me thankful I'm back in the Presbyterian fold...where you take the body and blood once a month. Church was great as always and I had fun visiting afterwards with Laura B. and Melanie G. and Phoebe and even Debbie V. My revolutionary hair was a big topic for discussion. I enjoyed again my walk back across the park and spent most of the afternoon cleaning before heading back to the west side to serve in the nursery at the 5 pm service. Oh, I had the most fun! I was first sent to the two year olds but then there were two crying babies and only one pair of arms so I got to hold lil' Cash, who was crying his head off. In a few minutes, he stopped and after some serious rocking and Charlie techniques I got him to fall asleep in my arms. So special. I could have stayed there for hours!
As I write, I'm sitting in Chris and Laura Seals' living room. I'm babysitting for their beautiful and adorable girls, Tressa and Ellie. Chris and Laura were campus ministry leaders for a few years while I was at Rice. I literally ran into Laura a few weeks ago outside a subway station in midtown, and only then, because I was talking to Nicole Franklin on the phone and didn't want to go underground just yet. I ended up taking the train uptown with Laura that night and we discovered that we literally live across the street from eachother. Ever since then we've been trying to get together for dinner and it hasn't worked out. Finally tonight, I was able to help out and babysit. It's so wonderful to be in their home and to be around their sweet family. I get so focused on myself and my schedule and my budget and my needs it seems and I love disolving all those concerns and feeling like I get to be the church for these friends, while they get out for a movie!
And so I'm all caught up on this silly blog! Thanks for your patience for these last couple of weeks of posts that took so long to get up. I see auditions dying down...I hope I'll continue to be able to bring insight and humor, not to mention celebrity sightings in the pages to come!
Practice Acting, Practice Prayer and Knights!
Saturday morning I went to a workshop for actors through Redeemer about applying the discipline of acting excercises to our prayer life. It was awesome! Of course, all the attendees were women, 9 of us in all, but it was a great group. Our leader was George, a Jesuit Priest as well as a professional actor. The morning session was mostly a survey of various acting focusing techniques with an extended time for theatre games and improv. A bunch of us went to Whole Foods at Columbus Circle for lunch before returning to the next session where George applied the practical lessons of the morning to how we can approach prayer. Unfortunately I had to leave halfway through a really cool spiritual exercise where he placed us at the Last Supper with Jesus. I was picked up by Jon, Adrienne, Eric and Sara, Sara's sister and two friends, Brigid and Kimmy, for Eric's special surprise 30th birthday party. We were taking him to Jersey for a night at Medieval Times. I hadn't been to Medieval Times since 7th grade when we stopped there on our LA tour with Dan Ferrari. Oh my. I can still see the picture of me and Julia Bell in our paper crowns. We were so lucky to be in the first row of the yellow-red cheering section and of course, our knight won. Highlights included the cheapest and strongest pina-colada near Manhattan (at 3:30 pm!), eating with our hands, hearing 20 minutes of a list honoring every birthday boy and girl in the house, and the sparkly tiaras that Adrienne bought each of us girls. It was a really fun night and because it started so early we were back at Sara and Eric's apartment by 7:30, stuffing our faces more, with lemon bars and the divine chocolate cake that Jon made. Eric was excited by all his gifts, including an amazing chair massager that we all enjoyed soooooooo much.
Lemon Bars and Direction Changes
Friday morning didn't offer any auditions to lure me out of the house. I continued my research on more modern songs for my "book" that, when push comes to shove, seems to only include dreamy ballads from before 1950. I had planned on doing two classes at Steps but got a call from Scott Six who was literally 9 blocks away at a Starbucks with time to kill before an audition. I ditched the first class for the chance to catch up with Scott, learning all about the perils of his world premiere opera and his general disgust for the people that rule the world of opera. Yes, yes, it's true. I walked across the park in time for Scott T.'s Int. Theatre Dance Class. Yes, this is the same Scott who choreagraphed my personal nightmare in the form of "America" for Maine State on Sunday. I was again a mess but had a huge revelation. My biggest struggle in picking up choreagraphy are all the directional changes and I realized that Scott is obsessed with changing direction all the time!!!! So, even though it was painful for me, I think I should keep going back, knowing it will get easier, while resting knowing that I'm not the worst dancer in the world. Just maybe the worst dancer in NYC.
I went back to Fairway for Lemon Bar ingredients. Eric's special request for his 30th birthday dessert was anything lemony and I told Adrienne about Mom's special Lemon Bars. mmmmmmm....
I met Adrienne at the movie theatre near her office where we saw the new Will Ferrell flick, "Blades of Glory." So funny. She then took me by Bloomingdales to meet her Prescriptives guru, Stanford Smith, who did my makeup for me. Adrienne is a makeup expert herself and had talked up Stanford as the best makeup artist she'd ever worked with so I was pretty excited. He was not disappointing and gave me some great ideas for that audition look that I'm still trying to create. He was also hilarious and offered a lot of entertainment with his constant commentary on the lady that comes in and over applies bronzer every Friday to the shoplifters escorted right next to us. With smoky eyes and pale lips, we took bus home and she made dinner while I made Lemon Bars.
I went back to Fairway for Lemon Bar ingredients. Eric's special request for his 30th birthday dessert was anything lemony and I told Adrienne about Mom's special Lemon Bars. mmmmmmm....
I met Adrienne at the movie theatre near her office where we saw the new Will Ferrell flick, "Blades of Glory." So funny. She then took me by Bloomingdales to meet her Prescriptives guru, Stanford Smith, who did my makeup for me. Adrienne is a makeup expert herself and had talked up Stanford as the best makeup artist she'd ever worked with so I was pretty excited. He was not disappointing and gave me some great ideas for that audition look that I'm still trying to create. He was also hilarious and offered a lot of entertainment with his constant commentary on the lady that comes in and over applies bronzer every Friday to the shoplifters escorted right next to us. With smoky eyes and pale lips, we took bus home and she made dinner while I made Lemon Bars.
Do patent leather shoes really reflect up?
Thursday morning was glorious because I didn't have to be anywhere at 7:15 or even 7:30, although I did go to the gym around then anyways. My callback for Millbrook Playhouse was scheduled for 10-2 which prevented other morning auditions...I actually loved the freedom in that! The first part of our callback was a dance audition...we learned a pretty simple "Ugg-a-wugg" sort of routine appropriate for "Peter Pan" which is part of their season. I tried to have fun but I have to say I was really really nervous, again mostly because of my hyper-awareness of Carolyn in the room. I was decent, I think, but not a stand-out. One funny thing was that one of the directors called out about 5 people who he said were unrecognizable from their headshots. He even went as far to say a few of them looked nothing like their pictures. Ouch. As I start investigating my NY style headshots, I'm definitely aiming for pictures that look like me, whatever ethnicity I am that day! Hahah!
I was really excited to see my new friend Lauren at the callbacks. We had met a few weeks ago at an open call when we both reading our Bibles and that opened us up to discovering we both went to Redeemer. It was really nice to see her and have her to cheer for! I also ran into Amanda, a girl I met on the train on Monday. Waiting for about an hour and a half as they brought small groups downstairs to sing and read, I did get a little antsy and annoyed at all the nervous actor chatter all around. When I finally did get to sing, "If I Loved You" felt a little rough but I got asked to read which was a sign that I was not immediately cut. I was called back for the role of Sister Helen in a catholic-school-meets-Grease musical called, "Do Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" Sister Helen is the soprano, which makes her the nice nun, of course. The director hadn't brought any sides for her so instead he asked me to read a silly poem as a nice nun. I read it once and then he directed me to try it again, but this time a little bit more like an airhead. I had so much fun with that reading and felt like I made a big adjustment. The director seemed pleased and I was released. I had a really good feeling about the outcome of that audition, first, because the reading went really well and second, because I took careful note that I was the only one reading for the nice nun at the callback.
I tried not to get my hopes up as I wandered over to Fairway, the next best grocery store to Trader Joes that is on 74th and Broadway, right next to Steps and also the Vital Theatre Co. where my callback was held. Fairway, just like Trader Joes, is also quite an experience with tiny aisles and people all around reaching for bananas and fresh-ground coffee and brown-rice sushi among the workers who are constantly refreshing the stock. Craziness.
I met Adrienne for a yummy mediterranean dinner at Beyoglu on 80th and 3rd. We had all sorts of mezze with the usual hummus and tabouleh and some exciting zucchini pancakes and spicy shrimp. Adrienne took me to Eli's, a faaaaaaaaaaaaaancy grocery store where only New Yorkers on the UES would spend $7 on a $2.49 box of Kashi. I have to say it was as nice as Adrienne advertised with perfect displays of fruit and pies by the slice and cheeses from every nation. But, I won't be shopping there until Jerry Seinfel leaves Jessica for me. Just kidding, of course. Ew.
The night was uneventful until I got a call from an unidentified (212) number...and the artistic director from Millbrook called and offered me my first two roles in shows since arriving in NYC! Yay! He offered me Mrs. Darling and ensemble (think ugg-a-wugg, ugg-a-wugg, ugg-a-wugg, ugg-a-wugg wah!) in "Peter Pan" as well as Sister Helen in "Do Patent Leather Shoes..." I was probably a bit too eager in my acceptance but I was thrilled with the offer and so excited to get two roles down, not to mention to be hired period! After a while, going to all these auditions and not getting anything, I started to feel like I was never going to get anything. Just having two roles on my resume from the East Coast will be huge for me, not to mention networking possibilities. And just like having a scheduled out 10-2 callback was glorious, even more so is the knowledge that from June 4-July 8 I will be living and singing and dancing in Pennsylvania. And I can start planning my life around that! Yay! I made some fun calls to Lis and Mom to share the news and went to sleep feeling like a real actor, not a fake one, with a heart full of thanks.
I was really excited to see my new friend Lauren at the callbacks. We had met a few weeks ago at an open call when we both reading our Bibles and that opened us up to discovering we both went to Redeemer. It was really nice to see her and have her to cheer for! I also ran into Amanda, a girl I met on the train on Monday. Waiting for about an hour and a half as they brought small groups downstairs to sing and read, I did get a little antsy and annoyed at all the nervous actor chatter all around. When I finally did get to sing, "If I Loved You" felt a little rough but I got asked to read which was a sign that I was not immediately cut. I was called back for the role of Sister Helen in a catholic-school-meets-Grease musical called, "Do Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" Sister Helen is the soprano, which makes her the nice nun, of course. The director hadn't brought any sides for her so instead he asked me to read a silly poem as a nice nun. I read it once and then he directed me to try it again, but this time a little bit more like an airhead. I had so much fun with that reading and felt like I made a big adjustment. The director seemed pleased and I was released. I had a really good feeling about the outcome of that audition, first, because the reading went really well and second, because I took careful note that I was the only one reading for the nice nun at the callback.
I tried not to get my hopes up as I wandered over to Fairway, the next best grocery store to Trader Joes that is on 74th and Broadway, right next to Steps and also the Vital Theatre Co. where my callback was held. Fairway, just like Trader Joes, is also quite an experience with tiny aisles and people all around reaching for bananas and fresh-ground coffee and brown-rice sushi among the workers who are constantly refreshing the stock. Craziness.
I met Adrienne for a yummy mediterranean dinner at Beyoglu on 80th and 3rd. We had all sorts of mezze with the usual hummus and tabouleh and some exciting zucchini pancakes and spicy shrimp. Adrienne took me to Eli's, a faaaaaaaaaaaaaancy grocery store where only New Yorkers on the UES would spend $7 on a $2.49 box of Kashi. I have to say it was as nice as Adrienne advertised with perfect displays of fruit and pies by the slice and cheeses from every nation. But, I won't be shopping there until Jerry Seinfel leaves Jessica for me. Just kidding, of course. Ew.
The night was uneventful until I got a call from an unidentified (212) number...and the artistic director from Millbrook called and offered me my first two roles in shows since arriving in NYC! Yay! He offered me Mrs. Darling and ensemble (think ugg-a-wugg, ugg-a-wugg, ugg-a-wugg, ugg-a-wugg wah!) in "Peter Pan" as well as Sister Helen in "Do Patent Leather Shoes..." I was probably a bit too eager in my acceptance but I was thrilled with the offer and so excited to get two roles down, not to mention to be hired period! After a while, going to all these auditions and not getting anything, I started to feel like I was never going to get anything. Just having two roles on my resume from the East Coast will be huge for me, not to mention networking possibilities. And just like having a scheduled out 10-2 callback was glorious, even more so is the knowledge that from June 4-July 8 I will be living and singing and dancing in Pennsylvania. And I can start planning my life around that! Yay! I made some fun calls to Lis and Mom to share the news and went to sleep feeling like a real actor, not a fake one, with a heart full of thanks.
yet again...more pirates!
Surflight Theatre on the Jersey Shore had their last of 3 days of open calls on Wednesday so I woke up early to compete with the crowds. Arriving at the studio at 7:15 am I was only the 46th craziest person there. I had about 2 hours to kill before they called the list and so I got some coffee and listened to cds I had borrowed from the library. I ended up getting an appointment at 10:30 and met a few girls I had seen a bunch at other auditions. They were both EMCs and we were commiserating about wishing we could be in several places at one time to hold our places in line. Alas. Oh, wait, that's a funny NYC thing....you don't stand in line, you stand on line. You get on line for the audition. Weird!!! I met a sweet girl who had taken a train at 4:30 in the morning to get there from Baltimore. It was her first audition in NYC and she was so nervous so I tried to be as encouraging as possible. I actually didn't sing my best, cracking a bit on a low note, and they didn't ask me to stay to dance. Always disappointing, of course, but I was thankful for the free day ahead. I went to the annual Capezio flagship store sale and also to Anthropologie where once again a pink coat, this time an appropriate weight for spring, called my name in the clearance section. I've never needed a spring coat until this March. I can't wait for you all to see it.
I was really excited to return to Steps and take Germaine's Adv. Beg. Broadway Tap class again. I just LOVE her. She is so encouraging, even when I'm awful and I even feel like I'm improving! Hurrah. I'm hopeful I can go back again in the next few weeks. It had been so long because of the crazy audition schedule.
My friend Dani Marcus, who I met through Molly Bell and her Divas for Life concert is currently starring in the National Yiddish Theatre's "Pirates of Penzance." She plays Malke, aka Mabel in this production, entirely in Yiddish. I was so excited to go see her in this and add one more Pirate show to my arsenal. Dani was a complete standout with crystalline high notes and lots of chudzpah! Oy veh. It was super cute and in a lovely theatre at the West Side JCC. I was actually wishing that I had tried out for one of the other sisters...I think all those voices telling me that I could pass for a nice Jewish girl are sinking in...I think I would've blended right in with those girls! But the yiddish...oy...that has to be tough to learn. Lucky for us in the audience, there were subtitles in both English and German.
I ended up taking a cab home. I never ever take cabs because I have an unlimited metro card and I don't like to throw the money away. Adrienne and I laugh about how she always ends up taking cabs and how we'll be headed somewhere and she'll say, "I'm taking a cab...you can either join me or I'll see you there." But that night, by myself and late at night, I went for it...about 4 minutes and $8 later I felt like a true upper-east-sider, hopping out of the cab in front of my doormanned building. I'm a very lucky girl.
I was really excited to return to Steps and take Germaine's Adv. Beg. Broadway Tap class again. I just LOVE her. She is so encouraging, even when I'm awful and I even feel like I'm improving! Hurrah. I'm hopeful I can go back again in the next few weeks. It had been so long because of the crazy audition schedule.
My friend Dani Marcus, who I met through Molly Bell and her Divas for Life concert is currently starring in the National Yiddish Theatre's "Pirates of Penzance." She plays Malke, aka Mabel in this production, entirely in Yiddish. I was so excited to go see her in this and add one more Pirate show to my arsenal. Dani was a complete standout with crystalline high notes and lots of chudzpah! Oy veh. It was super cute and in a lovely theatre at the West Side JCC. I was actually wishing that I had tried out for one of the other sisters...I think all those voices telling me that I could pass for a nice Jewish girl are sinking in...I think I would've blended right in with those girls! But the yiddish...oy...that has to be tough to learn. Lucky for us in the audience, there were subtitles in both English and German.
I ended up taking a cab home. I never ever take cabs because I have an unlimited metro card and I don't like to throw the money away. Adrienne and I laugh about how she always ends up taking cabs and how we'll be headed somewhere and she'll say, "I'm taking a cab...you can either join me or I'll see you there." But that night, by myself and late at night, I went for it...about 4 minutes and $8 later I felt like a true upper-east-sider, hopping out of the cab in front of my doormanned building. I'm a very lucky girl.
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