I Got Bronchitis...Ain't Nobody Got Time For That!

So as the title suggest, I got bronchitis. Not exactly the most wonderful thing to happen before closing weekend of a show with 30ish songs. BUT I am lucky that I am feeling much better. Still some chest pain and congestion but I have yet *knock on wood* to have a coughing fit onstage and I'm able *knock more on wood* to get through my big numbers. So instead of focusing on the negative I've been focusing on the positive. I've almost made it through a run of a show that seemed nearly impossible at the start. I went from being overwhelmed by this amount of music to being able to sing it in my sleep (literally). I feel so comfortable in my own skin and with the ladies I get to share the stage with.

Also, the other day the girls and I did an auditioning workshop at a local high school. The students were auditioning for their school's production of Pippin. Pippin was my first musical in High School. I was lucky enough to be cast in the ensemble as a freshman, which was a feat in and of itself. Then the girl playing Fastrada started to not show up for rehearsals. The director approached me and asked if I would sing her parts in rehearsals. Innocent enough, right? And it was fun. Then she started having me come to blocking rehearsals for that character, and eventually she said they'd probably give me one performance in the role. WHAT!? I was on top of the world. Then this girl drop-kicked another girl in the face into a locker and was suspended from school. I remember two upper-classmen boys coming up to me and hugging me and saying, "Do you know what this means?" I was like... "Yeah, I'm gonna play the part and this girl is gonna beat the shit out of me." I'm not gonna lie I was a little nervous about the repercussions. But I had a lead(ish) role as a freshman and my senior boyfriend (who I was CRAZY in love with. Emphasis on crazy) was playing my husband, Charlemagne. I was on cloud fricken nine. Looking back, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing but I had the time of my life. And it was because of luck. And because I'm a reliable actor. So workshopping these auditions for these kids who want to be in this show so badly brought a lot of that back, and also made me really see just how far I've come from that eager, know-nothing freshman in that purple-sequined dress to the actor I am today. Of course I'm still learning. Of course I'm really just starting my professional career. But it was really cool to be able to pass on some of what I've experienced to high schoolers with some of the same dreams and doubts as I had.


[ I wrote this last week but didn't have time/internet access to upload it. Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!]

Trip to Owego

#nofilter

Opening Performance Cookie Cake!

A funny moment in rehearsal,

The director and I being silly.

I have a friend!

Audition Workshop Action!

Thank You And Goodnight!

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me

Not gonna lie, that crown feels GOOD.

Mr. Lee!

So I've successfully completed two weekends of The Marvelous Wonderettes and it has been an absolute blast getting to play around onstage in cute blue dresses 4 nights a week! The audience seems to really enjoy it and every show is different. Lots of moments for improvising within my character which I think is the most fun and my favorite thing to do. The other night I definitely licked some icing off of some poor girl's cupcake wrapper. Well hey, she shouldn't have left it within the reach of me! Other fun moments include me forgetting to wear my underwear onstage (ooops), Genevieve completely surprising me and bopping me on the nose while singing to me, and (spoiler alert) picking up my gum off the floor only to find a big ole hair on it. And eating it. Nom nom nom! Seriously all of the hard work of rehearsal is really paying off now. I can relax and feel confident that I know the steps and the notes and focus on telling the story and just PLAY! The other night I noticed things that each of my three cast mates were doing in the show that absolutely cracked me up. I wasn't able to notice before because I was in my little world of "oh my god I hope I'm doing this right." Now I am finally comfortable and can't wait for what shenanigans the last two weeks of the run have in store. I'm also mentally preparing myself to get a day job so I don't starve. I'm preparing to not beat myself up for not having anything booked right now. I'm preparing to tell myself, "hey, just because you're waiting tables and/or substitute teaching and/or baristaing right now doesn't mean the success you've had this past year and a half doesn't count. It doesn't mean you aren't finally hitting your stride and it doesn't mean all that positive self-talk you've finally been able to give yourself goes down the toilet. It's just a moment to pause, reflect, get some money in your bank account and get your ass to NYC." (If I'm feeling down you all have to redirect me to those statements I just made. Thanks in advance. Yay friends!)

Moley Mole Moleeee!

Sexy.

Goooo Chipmunks!!

Jamas after broadway night at the bar.