Wishing, Hoping, Lighting a Candle... quote of the day by Eric Woodall

Lovelies, I'm such a slacker with the blogging! Uugh! Usually I'm so on top of this!

But have been preparing for the 8 week musical theatre forum with VP Boyle and also taking classes with Eric Woodall on Monday nights - I love that class! The more I take it the more I enjoy the work that I'm doing and I feel like Eric is good at sensing how to guide me away from old habits whilst adding a positive spin on what I can improve upon.

The quote of the day above was given on Monday - we were talking about if you should go into auditions even if you're a little under the weather. He said if you can still present a respectable product that you should go and that it's better than sitting at home "wishing, hoping, lighting a candle". (I drew a little picture of a candle in my notes - made me giggle!)


I sang I Dreamed A Dream in Class on Mondays- felt really good about the vocals and OK about the acting thing. I really LOVE singing that song & I'm going to sing it tomorrow for Musical Theatre of Wichita.

Update on employment of Acting: Still no Shows on the horizon (sigh) but I met two REALLY nice people today and tomorrow I have two auditions I'm looking forward to! Exciting, no?

So I've slept in the past 3 days (one word: Awesome.) and today was the first day this week that I auditioned.

The first audition for the Untitled Gershwin Project went great! I finally met Mark Brandon of Binder Casting, so that was fun! He's a good egg - but looked like he'd seen one too many auditions. I've heard that that people at Binder like your movement to be bigger so I tried to move a little more - sang Mambo Italiano - it always goes over well! Jose was playing at the piano and he rocked it out!


Second audition for this new soon to be on broadway show called Angels wasn't my best ever, but I felt OK about it. I sang the middle of Meadowlark and it went alright. I didn't give a tempo to the pianist because I thought everyone knows the tempo of Meadowlark.

I was wrong.

It was like the funeral durge of Meadowlark. But I tried to act the pants off it, so that was a fun challenge! I love me some Stephen Schwartz.... and coffee... and pretty dresses. All were a part of my morning!

Good times, lovelies, good times!


Tomorrow I have my audition for the Guthrie for Little House on the Prairie the Musical and also have my invited audition for Musical Theatre of Wichita! Both will be a blast! (Singing my new favorite Rogers and Hammerstein song at Little House & then going to sing I Dreamed A Dream and Love Song for MT of Wichita! Should be fun! (and nerve-wracking!)


And then I fly back to Minnesota tomorrow night! (and I just found out that my fav. vocal coach Andrew Cooke is all booked up this weekend - so if any of you lovelies who are taking from Andrew this weeked feel like you could move your lesson time to next Tuesday or Wed. that'd be swell! Mama Musical wants a lesson with Andrew Cooke! :)

Ain't life Good on Good Friday!

Lovelies, pardon my non-blogginess in the past few days. I actually have been less busy than usual, but more tired.... Weird.


Last night I went out with my buddy British Fellow to see "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" at the Paris theatre. Was a LOVELY movie! Very deep, but also very charming! I enjoyed the monochromatic nature of the film and thought it evoked the prefect feeling for seeing change & turmoil through a young persons eyes.


Then we went to the Russian Tea Room after for a quick cocktail! Was super fun - I'd never been there before & I guess it's a NYC landmark! The had a great cocktail that had Vanilla Stoli and also Creme de Cacao. Was quite yummy!


Today I have an audition for My Fair Lady and then I'm going to go & work at the Pan Asian Palace and then hopefully see a Broadway show! I'm hoping to go to either In the Heights or to South Pacific! We'll see!

Shooting Oneself in the Foot and Letting a Dead Dog Lie

Why is it when I care about something or someone that the particular something or someone doesn't go the way I planned?

Case in Point - I did a brilliant audition yesterday for Theatre By the Sea. Lovely, fun, etc. But today I went in for them (was my third audition of the day) and I wanted to be considered for their Evita, so I sang the end of "Rainbow High". It was not my best showing, but I love singing that song & enjoy doing it, however today I just blew it. (I didn't have the best arrangement either, but whatever...)

So I shot myself in the foot with that, but the other two auditions I did this morning I felt really good about!

One was for Surflight Theatre - they're doing White X'mas, Oklahoma, Swing time Canteen and also Swing -all of which I think I'm pretty right for! So I went in and sang the pants off of "Stuff Like that There" a la Kelly Clarkson. Rocked it out friends, rocked it out... But the guy behind the table looked like he needed a Bloody Mary more than I did. C'est la vie!


Next up was the West Virginia Public Theatre. They're doing Urban Cowboy - really the only show I'm right for... Sang "Amayzing Mayzie" and that was fun! I love singing that for all my snotty girl songs! Sounded great.

Then I went down to Chelsea and did my OK audition for Theatre by the Sea. Uugh... Well, maybe it serves me right as I guess they didn't want people to come to both days of auditions. But I went anyways because it went so well yesterday that I wanted to sing the Eva stuff for them today.

I should've just let a dead dog lie....

Oh- but I did go to a fun St. Patrick's Day party at Lo-Lo & Natey J.'s last night! I love those guys! Didn't drink at all (because of early auditions today) but still had a nice time!

I'm Singin' & Dancin' in the Rain....

Hello my lovelies! Spring is so close to being here in NYC -- it rained a little this weekend and probably one of my favorite things to do is put on my wellies and tromp into a big rain puddle! (While whistling "Singing in the Rain", of course!) Unfortunately, or fortunately - depending on how you look at it - it stopped raining and Sunday was quite lovely!


I just love old movies! And new ones that try and mimic the old ones! Like the one that I saw on Sunday - Miss Pettigrew Lives for A Day. FANTASTIC!!! Now, I don't know what the critics think, but I had a smile on my face from start to finish! And it's so nice that there are still movies out there that take on that sense of 1930's/ 40's campy-ness and silliness while still remaining quite moving at times! Brilliant! (And had great costumes, sets, cars, all wonderful old-fashioned stuff!)


My auditions today were fun! (and now I'm so tired - time for a Starbucks run, soon!) I managed to make it to the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma principal call at 7:30 - roomie was with me. We saw the dudes on the way to the St. Patrick's Day parade and they were wearing kilts with bagpipes in hand! Super fun! So I got my 10:10 time slot, ran to Equity to be there for the 9:30 chorus call for Theater by the Sea and got my number there. (on the chorus call sign up list I was number 265 - so I thought I'd go around noon -ish... Well that wasn't the case, because when almost no one showed up I had to go in the 10:30 group! D'oh!

So I ran BACK to Lyric Theatre of the Stars audition (at Pearl Studios) threw on my dress & was put on line right away to sing. I did the song "I Said No" from Sweater Girl. That was fun & it went really well! (no callback - they were telling people right in the room - whatevs...)

Ran back to Equity and managed to make it 2 min. before they called the second group to go in the Chorus call! I sang "On the Other Side of the Tracks" for my first song & they asked for a second where I sang "Stormy Weather" - rocked 'em both out! Then they asked me to come for the dance call at 12:30! (YEA a CALLBACK!!)

This was all done at 11:00. So I trucked my cookies back to Astoria, ran home & threw a bag of dance clothes together & took the SLOW N Train back into the city! Finally got back for the Theatre by the Sea dance call.


So first we danced very basic music theatre dance stuff (jazz squares, chasses, etc) and I was a rock star at that. THEN we tapped. Lovelies - I have not tapped in 2 years! Was SO MUCH FUN!!! Just basic time square, military step, buffalo stuff - easy to remember! And Fun!

Our group went up to tap and the artistic director asked me what song I sang that morning. This is an easy question, right? WRONG!!

Lovelies, I totally blanked out & said "Oh, my God! I don't remember!" Seriously - blank slate -- sometimes I think the blond hair dye sinks into my scalp & penetrates my brain. SO my dear friend Morgs told me it was something that started with an "O" and then she kept prompting me - "It's not your Hollywood song Miss Musical - it's the other up tempo one". Then it came to me: in bits. Here's what I said out loud:

"With an O?"
(pause while I was thinking what the devil it could be)

"Not my Hollywood song - but an uptempo?"
(another pause)

"I think it's from Little Me.... What's that one?"

The people behind the desk are on the path with me now - one of them starts snapping his fingers like he's got the answer and the director says at the same time as me:

" -- YES!! It's On the Other Side of the Tracks!!!"

Lord - I don't think that the audition panel or all my friends who were dancing in the room with me could've laughed any harder. Everyone was just in stitches. So was I! (even though I was slightly embarrassed -- but darn it - I did 3 auditions that day and I was going on 5 hours of sleep!)
But they didn't ask anyone else that question. Wouldn't that be swell if I got to spend the summer in Rhode Island by the beach?

Well, a girl can dream, can't she? :)

What the Freakin' Friday is that Light Thing in Rockefeller Center??!!

Lovelies, the other day I was walking to Banana Republic on 5th Avenue. I decided to cut through Rockefeller Center (don't you like it spelled Centre better - sounds more European, right??)

...and Holy Jeebuz - there was a big freakin' blue & white light statue!

I asked someone if they knew what it was & they didn't know. Asked another person & they didn't know - so I decided to do some research & here's what I found:


Feb. 27 through Apr. 5, the Plaza at Rockefeller Center will be bathed in the LED-generated light of Electric Fountain, one of the few major public art installations by the acclaimed British artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster. This monumental 3-D outdoor light sculpture will be 35 feet (10.72 meters) high and 30 feet (10.6 meters) in diameter. Fabricated from 3,390 LED bulbs and 527 meters of neon tubing, the design and sequencing will replicate the movement of water: streaming, pooling, splashing and flowing, creating a hypnotic experience for viewers. Presented by Art Production Fund, sponsored by Lexus, and hosted by Tishman Speyer, co-owners of Rockefeller Center, Electric Fountain will be on view, free and open to the public.

Electric Fountain represents Noble & Webster's modern take on the world's oldest form of public art, the fountain. It simultaneously references iconic pop culture symbols, such as marquee signs in Las Vegas and Times Square, and historical fountains built in civic spaces, such as Bernini's Triton Fountain.
Now, I love me some electric blue fountain as much as the next person, but there's something so reminisce of the Minnesota State Fair Midway with this statue. Hmm... suddenly I had the strange craving for a corn dog & a beer... Hmm...

Aren't my non- audition day blogs fun??!!

I was supposed to go to Barrington Stage Co. today & also to Walnut Street Chorus Call - but I realized that the only part in Spelling Bee I'm right for is Rosa - and even that I'm not totally perfect for. And I didn't go to Walnut Street B/C I wanted to make sure I got to metropolitan moms (my third job - if you're counting ) on time.

Oh, well, got 3 more tomorrow! Perhaps I'll even pass through Rockefeller to stare at the big blue octopus-like creation... Then again, it does induce cravings for fried food. Better not.

I Want to Play Fantine (just like Patty LuPizzle)

Lovelies,  I auditioned today for Les Miserables and Light in the Piazza for Weston Theater.  They wanted us to sing 8 bars at this chorus call.  (I'll say it Again: typing is good - 8 bars is not.)  But then again, I got to sing the last 8 bars of "I Dreamed A Dream" so that was fun!  (I totally got into it!  Even though it was less than 20 seconds of singing...)

I just hope I get to play Fantine in Les Miz sometime before I'm 30.  That'd be really swell...  Too bad it's not on Broadway anymore - I got typed in for that show when it was still running.  Maybe they'll revive it.... Again... That's not asking too much, right?  A third revival in a span of 2 years after the original run had closed??  With me as the Lead Role?  (LOL - that's such a pipe dream, friends!)  

But I really would love to play it at a regional theatre around the area!  That'd be GREAT!!  And Evita - I'd love to do that show again, too...  

As long as we're on the subject of Roles that Miss Musical wants to play I'm just going to be uber ambitious and make a list.  (The Secret says to do that, right?  Make a list of the qualities you'd like in a guy -- so I'm making a list of dream roles I'd love to play & sending it off into the universe!)

1. Fantine "Les Miserables"

2. Eva Peron "Evita" (again - professionally this next time)

3. Elphaba "Wicked"

4. Mary Poppins "Mary Poppins"

5. Mother "Ragtime" (in 10 years)

6. Violet "Violet"

7. Paulette "Legally Blonde"

8. Meg Broke "Brigadoon"

9. Eve "Children of Eden"

10. Mama Rose "Gypsy" (in 20- 30 years people, if that!)

11. Witch "Into the Woods"

12. Dot "Sunday in the Park"

13. Betty "White Christmas"

14. Cathy "The Last 5 Years"

15. Nellie "South Pacific"

16. Miss Adelaide "Guys & Dolls"

17. Ella "Bells Are Ringing"

18. Esther "Meet Me In St. Louis"

19. Judy or Garland "Beyond the Rainbow"

20. Queenie "The Wild Party"

Wwhew!  That's a long freakin' & quite ambitious list - but I think I'd be great at any of these!  Now it's just a matter of finding a director who thinks I fit into their puzzle....

Am trying to get done with updating the christmas card list (have to update all addresses, new kids, etc to both the contacts & the excel spreadsheet).  On a positive note - the cards for HHC's 2nd Birthday came in today and they look SUPER cute!  

I'm a proud "Auntie Musical" today (that's what the family I nanny/ P.A. for calls me - I love it!)  They're coming back home from Grandma & Grandpas house the day after tomorrow!  

Me Gusta Classe de Teatro Musical!!!

Lovelies, It's nearly 1 a.m. here in NYC and Miss Musical is a little drunky-wunky right now -so please forgive if spelling isn't perfect, grammar sucks & I'm all over the map!

So - last night I had my first Musical theatre class with Woodall! Super exciting stuff - as he is one of the "casting gods" here in NY. But the coolest part of the class was just chatting it up with him & getting his viewpoint on my stuff!

I brought in Aretha Frainklin's "Since You've Been Gone - Sweet Sweet Baby" and rocked it. Was fun. He told me to do it like Rizzo in Grease - cool, no? Worked so well. Also, he's really into the just standing & singing & being honest.... that's cool & I totally respect that. It's makes you work harder in some areas & less hard in others...

Today I didn't go to my personal assistant job on the Upper East Side like I was intending, but instead decided to sleep in - beautiful stuff- and went to my chorus call for White Plains at Chelsea Studios for How 2 $ (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying). They asked for tall & statuesque girls, but must have wanted girls who looked like my roomie - because she got asked for a dance callback!! Yea, roomie! I'm pumped for her!

Got out of that audition early & went & got seen at that Equity Building for Flat Rock Playhouse - they were SO nice! (and they're doing some great shows for me -Dames at Sea and Meet Me in St. Louis --- HELLO - I'm a total Esther in Meet Me!) So I sang the Trolley Song from Meet Me in St. Louis and kicked it to the curb. People -seriously - why does Mama Musical not get cast more - I'm fierce at this singing & acting thing!!!

So tonight I went to my musical theatre class with Waldman - my last one in 3 months (sniff, cry). I sang the Wizard & I (which I would NEVER usually do, considering that I'm a Glinda not an Elphie) but I just connect with the material so freakin' much & I want to add it to my book! Plus, I'm singing it at the History Theatre benefit in Minnesota in another 2 weeks! Hooray!

Let me tell you, lovelies - I felt really great about singing it! Put a little green make-up and a black dress on me & let me have at that part! I'd give my left boobie to play Elphaba! (and if you haven't heard the songs from the show yet - you must you tube it immediately and watch the Wizard & I -- fantastic stuff!)

So that was fun! Then came home after chatting with my three new fav. gal -friends from classe de Waldman Musical theatre... had a half a bottle of Domanie Ste. Michelle Extra Dry Champagne (sparkling wine - whatevs...) and am feelin' mighty fine!

Am going to an audition tomorrow - for Les Miz & Light in the Piazza - ready to get cast, friends. I'm so ready to get cast..... or at least give a fierce audition!

Graceland and Patience were both required.

(That's the top of my head & the Graceland Mansion behind me!)


Well lovelies, I'm back from Memphis- of which I saw very little, due to working like a crazy woman! (and thanks to a steady supply of Starbucks, I made it through!) Here's a little glimpse into my weekend:I arrived at Mrs. Mol's home on Wed. morning ready to have a great trip to Memphis with her two cute kids, Sara (4) and Sam (2). They are just adorable & very well behaved, so I didn't think anything of it when she asked me to come along.

So I was pumped to spend a weekend with them! (And she'd told me that I'd get an afternoon off to go & explore the city - so I was super pumped then!)Well, lovelies, our travel experience was not the best - our flight was canceled, the new flight was in a different terminal, the kids were tired, and the little Sam threw up all over on the flight there. Uugh.


But then we got to Memphis and pretty much the whole weekend was spent with the "cousins" who were ages 5, 4, and 2. Now, I'm a good sport, but the parents of the "cousins" just assumed that I'd take care of them too! (Two kids is a lot to begin with - but 5 under the age of 5 -- you might as well ask me to rip my hair out from the start!) Note to self - must ask how many kids will be there & negotiate after finding out info.... I requested insane amounts of Starbucks coffee - and happily, none of the adults had any problem grabbing me one! (Funny how the coffee makes child watching easier...)

That said - I ate so well this past weekend! Their Great Grandmother "Mi-Maw" was celebrating her 90th Birthday! They had a whole weekend of brunches & dinners planned for her! Was quite nice & the food was AMAZING!! I've never eaten all Kosher food before, but it was quite nice - tasted like regular meat to me. Also, they had a Shabaz service for Mi-Maw and a dinner after... Those people know how to throw a party! Makes me want to convert! (Lord only knows if I did convert my dating life might become easier in NYC - seeing as it's a Jewtopia here...) Aaah, well, I'll have to stick to being a Shiksha Goddess for now.

A high of my weekend was going to visit Graceland! What a fun thing to do! I was so excited to visit this, as I'm a "do-er" when I go on vacation -- I like to go places & see things! Drove from Germantown all the way to Elvis Presley Blvd. and turned into the Graceland parking lot! Was a blast!
Loved seeing the Mansion - it really felt like he was trying too hard to make it grand & royal, but back in the day I'm sure it was some of the finest decor you could find! (and let's be honest here - late 70's is not my favorite furnishing-period). Also, I never knew he recorded music in the Jungle Room! Cool, huh?

Got to see his planes & cars, too! (The Lisa Marie - below - was such a trip!)


This was Elvis's Moms Favorite Car - Mine, too... Since I'm a Pink-a -holic...

Elvis was also big on giving to charities & organizations - was fun to see the HUGE wall of checks written out. He also paid for peoples hospital bills & gave away cars & homes to those who he felt deserved it. What a good guy! (Too bad he couldn't stop popping the pills...) Also, they never even mentioned Linda or Ginger in the tour - the last girlfriends of Elvis. Probably because the estate is owned by Lisa Marie...)


A disappointment of mine this weekend was checking my voicemail on Thursday. The people from Totem Pole called me Wednesday night for a callback Thursday at noon for the Taffetas. I was SO bummed because I checked my voice mail at 2p.m. on Thursday and by that time the callback was over & done with! AAAUURRAGH!!! The one time I get a freakin' callback, I'm out of town! And the reason I didn't check it earlier is because I was SO busy playing with the kids on Wed. & Thursday morning!

I promptly called the director & music director & apologized - they totally understood & said that they weren't holding any further auditions. So I couldn't sing for them when I got back... All I could do was say "Well, that's a really Shitty thing that I wasn't able to sing for them." Lovelies - I could've totally gotten this job. I KNOW I'm perfect for it. Uugh.

Today I slept in, because Sam & Sara gave their cold to me this weekend. So thought it was better for me to sleep in & rest instead of getting up at 6:30 to go & audition for Musicals Tonight. I'm just going to submit to them instead.

I'm so happy I'm back in NY...

Walkin' in Memphis...

Lovelies, I am so excited to go to Memphis tomorrow! I'm working for one of the other families I do personal assistant work for on the side of my regular job in Memphis -taking care of their kiddies & a little smattering of P.A. work.


And I'm pumped to go to Graceland - see pic above, Beale Street, (I'm pumped to try some ribs) and also am excited to just get out of NYC for a little bit. Will be a nice break!


I did two auditions this morning & both went VERY well! (They actually applauded at my Totem Pole Playhouse audition! I sang Mambo Italiano and the fuckers clapped after! LOL! I almost wet myself in the room I was laughing so hard at that!) Now watch them NOT call me back -- oh, joy. But they were VERY nice in the room!



My second audition was just as fun! For Alpine Theatre - they're doing the Full Monty (of which I would make a great Vicki - Harold's Wife) and I rocked it out at the audition! Show 'em tons of personality & asked if they had a preference of song choice. (I did the song A or song B method - they got to choose between Aretha Franklin's "Sweet Sweet Baby" and "Mambo Italiano") I thought for sure they would pick Mambo, but they ended up wanting to hear the Aretha instead!


Of course, I rocked it out. And the piano player was FIERCE!!! He was on fire and totally rockin' out with me! (this is a RARE case people) - and because he was so freakin' fabulous I'm going to mention his real name - Kim Steiner: Rock Star. They were giving away Hershey's kisses after the auditions - funny & kind of sweet (another RARE thing to happen in an audition). I was so impressed I told him "You're a fierce piano player!" - and he stands up, hands me another chocolate & says "Thanks - you just got a big gold star in my book!" LOL! And turns out he's the music director of the Full Monty! Well, Golly Day! Isn't that something?!?

Maybe auditioning can be fun after all...

Frustration is not fun...

Lovelies, I am trying to keep a stiff upper lip, really I am... but the whole audition process is sometimes downright heart-wrenching! I care so much about having things go "perfectly" (and what is perfect, really??) that when they don't go my way I just get so frusturated! Today, especially!


Case in point: Auditioning for Barter Theatre this afternoon. Lovely people in the room, lovely day, lovely audition outfit, hair, etc. I actually was lucky enough to get typed - in! Hooray! There were only a handful of girls that were kept and I went in the room & sang "Out of the Blue" from the Wild Party.

It sounded OK and I made sure to ask the pianist if he was comfortable playing it (it's got 5 sharps) - which he said he was. And gosh darn it - I should've offered a second song right off the bat, because I knew when I put down the music and the pianist kind of waivered.... But maybe I was too confident?? I now wish DEARLY that I would've given them 2 song choices... I feel like I just totally lost out on what could've been some really great parts. (they were looking for an Eva Peron in Evita - which I've played before - and also for an Acid Queen in the Who's Tommy)

Why do I always fuck things up that I care about??!! I just want to get better! And I want to get cast!
Also, got a note from the director of the Back-In-Time Theatre in St. Paul. He said that he's thrilled I'm coming home to sing at their benefit in late March, but didn't want to use me in the trio show number that I LOVE singing in. Uugh.... But he said I could do a solo, so I'm going to do something totally different than what I usually do - I'm going to sing a kick ass rendition of the Wizard and I. (I really relate to that song & I'd love to sing it in public!!) Of course if they don't want that I'll have to resort to Meadowlark, He Ain't Mr. Right, or Lily of the Valley...

Hmmm....