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Let Me Entertain You

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Have you ever woken up from a deep sleep and couldn’t quickly recall if you were dreaming or not?  I had one of those mornings where I shot out of bed in a huge panic.  I dreamt that I was back in high school for my senior year.  All the drama students were huddled around and awaiting the director to announce the spring musical.  Biting our nails and drowning in the anticipation of the words to come out of her mouth.  “The spring musical for this year is going to be…GYPSY!”  I jumped up in excitment, only to be spun around by a unknown brunette girl saying she can’t wait to play Gypsy Rose Lee.  My eyes bugged out, my mouth dropped open and I knew what was happening.  I am a blonde and everyone expected me to try out for Baby June.  Noooo….I wanted to prove to everyone I could be the lead,  I wanted to be Natalie Wood.  Will anyone ever take me serious?  Will I always play the little parts?  AND THEN I WOKE UP.  I popped out of bed with the need and urgency to practice tap dancing, and singing.  Thankfully those feelings passed and I am not in high school and I am not playing Baby June and there is such thing as pink saddle shoes to be worn and dance about the day.  By the way, if you haven’t noticed I learned how to use bold and italic settings for this blog. yip yip hurray.  xo

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The Zen of Shoes

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“I’d rather have a life of ‘oh wells’ than a life of ‘what ifs.” Today started off like any other day. Wake up to the pitter patter of feet in the above apartment and the long-delayed roll off the bed after hitting the snooze button a bunch of times. For the past couple of weeks I have been preparing my “book” of music that will set me up for upcoming Musical Theater auditions (aka Broadway). It has taken me almost a year to get the confidence and proper training to go out amongst the Glee and Smash fans and try to sing a song and not want to vomit and run away. Today I had a voice rehearsal with my coach and we narrowed down some good songs ranging from Lady Gaga to Eric Clapton to Chaka Khan to Bernadette Peters. I am a “music schizophrenic” so my taste is all over the map. I left rehearsal on a high of piano chords in my brain and had only 45 minutes to run to the train and make it to Union Sq in New York for a audition. Luckily I arrived 15 minutes early and what is a girl to do when she is nervous, anxious and early…..She Goes To A Shoe Store!! I had some time to spare and the huge DSW shoe store was a few feet away from my audition location. I rode the escalator up into the heavens of shoes and handbags and the tranquility came over me. All of a sudden, my nerves for the audition were sub-sided by a beautiful pair of pink & white saddle Bass shoes. They gave me hope and clarity that helped me through the next hour. I embraced the crazy dialogue of the script I had to read from, and by the end I landed the role in a new feature film called “Brooklyn.” There is nothing like the feeling of going into a audition nervous as s**t and then being told you landed the role within the same day. I thank all those that look after me and hope as long as I put in the effort I keep trucking along. xo

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Dance Magic Dance

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I woke up this morning with songs from the movie Labyrinth in my brain.  After winding down from the past couple of days, Tim decided to make me smile by popping in a childhood favorite of mine.  If always reminds me of being a kid and being home on sick days.  I would bundle up in blankets, hold onto my favorite dolls and watch this fantasy land unfold.  If you haven’t seen it, definitely check it out to see the magic puppetry of Jim Henson and Kevin Clash (aka Elmo).  Thank goodness my past couple of days were not invaded by Goblin kings, so I was able to continue with my acting.  On Sunday I went to the two script readings felt like a super actor.  Nahh, I just felt good about having an entire day filled with people and things involving the career I want.  The first script reading was for a movie, based on a true story of a writer  that unknowingly got manipulated into crime.  The actors read in front of a mysterious group of people so here’s hoping this script gets picked up by producers and it works out for the author.  As I mentioned in a previous post I was able to read with some friends and it was nothing less than fun, happy and stress-free.  It’s always good to catch up with those you shared such wonderful memories with but haven’t spoken to in a while.  The second script reading was for an upcoming play about a man and his invisible friend.  It is very rare that I absolutely enjoy, and become ecstatic about modern plays but this one proved to be one of the best.  I walked into an intimidating room of talented actors sitting around a coffee table with their shoes off, wine glasses in hand and chatting about how each of them went to school together and what shows they performed with one another.  It was a bit of a slap in the face for little me.  Kind of ironic that I had just come from a similar situation and didn’t take notice to those that were in the position I was in now.  There is a certain dynamic of actors that know each other and I was getting a good taste of how I could have seemed cliqueish in the script reading before this.  So, I put on my “big girl pants” and decided to attack the script the best I could.  After a couple of hours I fell in love with the play and felt blessed to be in a room with such talent.  I truly hope it gets picked up because its gonna be a biiiiig deal when it does.  In fairness to the author I don’t want to tell much more about it.  Monday began the week of rehearsals for Midsummer Nights Dream.  We have less than a month till opening and I hope I am able to memorize my Shakespearian lines for my debut with The Frog and Peach Theater Company.  I have never thought so much about the character actions, and mind-set of a faery, but I guess in this business one must expect the unexpected.  xo

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Faeries, Shopping, and Rain

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Here is some late night writing to just say hi and this is what I have been up to.  The Secrets Love play ended and before I could get a chance to breathe I have been up and about getting ready for some new projects.  The big one so far is being in Midsummer Nights Dream for The Frog and Peach theater company.  I had my first costume fitting and holy moly am I thrilled with what the designer has up his sleeves for the whole cast.  What ever the outcome of the show is as a whole, I can definitely say the costumes are going to be kick ass.  I’m happy to report this since it wasn’t an easy task getting to this fitting so it was a good end to a stressful week.  Running around Manhattan in the rain from soho to uptown is a battle when your trying to get new dance shoes, voice lessons, costume fitting, and then making it to the theater on time for rehearsals.  All the while I’m lugging around big bags filled with all the girl necessities to prepare for stage.  Yes, I do love every minute of it.  I have two script readings this sunday.  One in the morning for a movie and then in the evening it’s for a new play.  I get to read with some friends that I haven’t worked with in a while so that brings a calmness to the situation.  I do miss the days of going to school at Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute.  I was so young and wide-eyed and worked with some great people without the pressure to be perfect.  I miss that carefree sense of acting when you were younger and in school.  But there is a great understanding and wisdom that comes when you get a little older and that I wouldn’t give up for the world.  Now I’m off to bed because I have a big day tomorrow…..I finally have a night free to go see The Hunger Games.  Yes!

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Urban Theater Festival

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Guess what today is?  The last run of The Secrets Love play for The Downtown Urban Theater Festival.  The past couples of days have been spent refining the cast for this special event and psyching us up with massive amounts of cupcakes.  Nothing says “go time” like a delicious gourmet cupcake.  Today is the money run and if we win this festival it could mean some wonderful things especially for our director Summer Dawn Hortillosa.  Check out her blog if you wanna catch up the some local happening things for The Jersey Independent.  In some other news I had my first rehearsal for an upcoming show in April for The Frog and Peach Theater Co.  I play the part of Cobweb in Midsummer Night’s Dream.  I can’t explain to you how excited I am for this play.  I have always loved this piece and to be part of it is a wish come true.  The company as a whole seems intelligent, fun, and enthusiastic.  Now its time to run to New York since there is so much to prep for tonight and get this busy busy day started.  xoxo

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See ya lata Hoboken

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Today was mainly spent nursing my hangover from last night’s cast party.  Saturday was the end of our Hoboken run of the The Secrets Love play.  We still have one more performance for The Downtown Urban Theater Festival on March 29th.  This week showed how well our 45 minute play progessed and only got better with the bond of the cast.  The second night started off a bit sketchy when the entire light board went haywire and we were stalled for 30 minutes before opening the house.  It was a rocky start for most the actors but we pulled through it and then did a 180* the third night and kicked ass.  The audience supported us and gave the play that last bit of life it needed.  Friends and family came the last night and showered me with gorgeous flowers.  In some other creative endevors I played around with some egg-white cups topped with crunchy zuccini and squash chips.  I put the recipe on my Tumblr page if you are hungry to try it.

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Its time to play the music

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Here is a little re-cap of last night.  It was an interesting evening over all to be honest.  Just before arriving to the theater I saw Buddy from the show Cake Boss zoom past me in his Carlos Bakery Van.  I whipped out my Iphone as fast as I can to snap a picture.  All I really got was a distant picture through my rear view mirror.  Giddy and excited I arrived to the theater around 3pm.  We had a lot of last-minute things to do, which included hanging the curtains, setting up the lighting system and staging the curtain call.  All little stuff but time-consuming.  I had some friends and family come and support this original play.  A few lines were missed, some cues were late, and nerves were at a high but over all the show went well.  Later that evening, after a fun time with friends I was walking back home from the PATH train and found a surprise.  For a few weeks now Jersey Shore has been filming around the corner from my apartment and it has remained pretty quiet in the neighborhood.  I have been secretly dying to see Snooki and how small that meatball really is.  My time had finally come.  I cowardly walked passed her and J-wow putting their dogs in baby carriages.  I  awkwardly took a picture and scurried home.  I watched a few episodes of Monster Man and passed out.  Tonight is round two of the play and Im feeling low energy so I must go overdose on some caffeine.  xoxo

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I got the Midsummer’s part!

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This is a happy day.  In contrast to yesterday’s grueling adventure I received good news.  I got the part of Peaseblossom in The Frog and Peach theater company’s production of Midsummer Nights Dream.  I have always wanted to be a fairy and so now a small goal is being fulfilled.  To make the day even better, I had a relatively pleasant time at the DMV and renewing my license.  I was able to keep my old photo which is freakishly not bad compared to many I have seen.  Then when I was food shopping for tonight’s “pot luck” at rehearsal for Secrets Love play, someone let me cut them in line because I didn’t have many items.  Not only was that super kind, but it saved me a hell of a lot of time.  Another positive was that we had an excellent last rehearsal and I feel the show is going to have a great opening.  To top off the evening, I laughed my ass off like a child from watching the new Muppets movie.  Today was a good day.