No Need to wait for the New Year!

The week in review:

Monday:
Wake up, go to gym to take spin class, audition for Disney cruise lines, super healthy lunch, work a modeling gig, tutor two tiny humans, return home, super healthy dinner, fall dead asleep.

Tuesday:
Wake up at 6am to go to gym for morning Pilates and yoga, go back in for Disney cruise lines (always a jolly joy this time of year... sarcasm aside the people running the call seem quite genuinely kind and more importantly - thoroughly on top of it), eat salad, tutor two tiny humans, make lentil dish, 7pm call time at Met Opera for Don Giovanni, field distress call from one slightly less tiny human whose shameful college counselor made him think he is not good enough to get into the colleges he has applied to (this young man happens to be one of the brightest PEOPLE not to mention 17 year olds I've ever met... what is WRONG with some educational professionals?) return home,  fall dead asleep.

Wednesday:
Struggle out of bed, dance for Jersey Boys on Broadway, sing for Zorro (coming to Broadway), come back to dance for Zorro, smack my quads so intensely during the epic flamenco number that I break blood vessels, sing for Zorro again, eat pasta with asparagus and sausage, tutor one tiny human, wrap some Christmas presents, eat salad, have sleep over with the lovely Reanna Wilborn.

Thursday:
Wake up at 6am to escort the lovely Reanna Wilborn to her illustrious personal training position at the Carlyle hotel, go to gym for morning Pilates and yoga, go back to Disney to dance, healthy lunch, go to Trader Joes for groceries, tutor two tiny humans, have Shake Shack dinner with last family of the evening (not so healthy), get home early, go to sleep at 10pm like an old lady.

Friday:
Wake up well rested for the first time all week, banana, get DESTROYED in a work out session with my new trainer, go back to Trader Joes because I need stuff to bake holiday stuffs for my tutoring clients, tutor two tiny humans, have holiday date night at Danji (mmm Korean) with Anna, and end the night with fond, knowing glances toward starry eyed tourists at the Rockefeller Tree, and genuine awe at the INCREDIBLE De Beers window lights and Bergdorf Follies holiday window displays on Fifth Avenue.

Fabulous darling look at all the feathers!

Saturday:
Sleep four hours before seeing a matinee of the Hobbit (not to be viewed sans slight buzz, I didn't and wiiiiish I did), brunch with fwend at my favorite spot in West Village, napped briefly, went to the Met for call time at 7pm, just now steamed, stretched and semi hobble-hopped into bed. Of course I can't sleep yet with all the adrenaline and chocolate truffles in my system.

In summary:
Instead of waiting for life to happen, I'm happening to life.  Resolutions of 2013! Hyper healthy weekdays where I work out every day and eat well consistency, Substances-allowed Saturdays, and Sleeping in Sundays are definitely presenting some yields already.

Lastly, it's been a grim week news-wise, so I'm borrowing this happy maker from my friend Jon:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/moments-that-restored-our-faith-in-humanity-this-y

Here's one of my favorites:

You can watch the full story here.

Grown A** Acting

Okay so I'm copy-pasting the below article from Backstage, courtesy of acting teacher Craig Wallace because I think it's fabulous advice that's useful even beyond the realm of performing. When I was still a lowly undergrad at Columbia, I wrote my neuropsych/English thesis on research that demonstrates the value of daily reflections in written form. Catharsis turned productive has the same cognitive benefits associated with therapy and other self-reflective yet contained activities.

People don't facilitate lasting improvement through self-punishment!

Hope you find this valuable! 

***

A winning audition requires you to be great at a number of jobs. It’s like making a movie, and you’re the entire cast and crew. You need to be a good actor, obviously. You also need to be a wise and insightful director during your preparation and a charming, charismatic producer in the room. Oh, and one more thing, you’re going to need to be your own best friend when the whole thing is over. This last step of friendship and taking care of yourself is many times the most important; it’s what enables you to learn from and then let go of the audition. Too often I will hear students obsessively rehashing auditions they had weeks and sometimes months ago, all because they didn’t take the time to sit down right after their audition and go over their experience. They didn’t take a moment to pat themselves on the back or lick their wounds. They missed the chance to learn their lessons while they were still fresh, and now they’re living with the consequences. They’re stuck wondering why they didn’t get the job; trying to remember the exact tone of the “thank you” from the casting director; and generally spinning webs of neurotic scenarios that usually have nothing to do with what actually happened.

Over time this can get really toxic because without closure, on many levels the audition is still happening and it’s getting bigger and bigger. This one little audition is now taking on a disproportionate significance and carrying an emotional weight that can wreak havoc on the actor’s psyche, their confidence, and, you guessed it, their next audition. Here’s a very simple suggestion for how take good care of yourself after an audition: Keep a notebook just for your auditions. Have it with you at the audition, and when it’s over, find a quiet place to reflect on and examine the experience you just had. Do this right away, while you are still in the mental space of the audition. It’s also important to be specific, so write down everything: how you felt in the waiting room; how you entered the room; your opening beat; how you listened; your commitment to choice; your closing beat; how you handled adjustments; and finally how you exited the room.

Be honest about what went well and why, and what could have gone better and why. Be firm, gentle, and complimentary as needed. Treat yourself as you would a best friend, remembering that no one has ever improved through self-punishment. When you’re done, close the book. That audition is finished, and you’ve taken the time to learn the lessons it had to teach you. Now, you can let it go. Open the notebook up again when you have your next audition. Use the lessons from your past experiences to guide you in your preparation

After just a few entries, you’ll start to see patterns, both positive and negative, and you’ll be able to prepare for different rooms and different projects with greater specificity and clarity.

By writing and then closing the book on each audition as it happens, you make it easier to let go and move forward with ease and ever growing confidence. You're free to write the next chapter of your career, unencumbered by emotional baggage and rich in learned experience.

Craig Wallace is the creator and award-winning teacher of The Wallace Audition Technique, an audition preparation system that he developed based on his years of experience as a studio executive, talent agent and casting consultant. In his 14 years of teaching, he has seen the careers of hundreds of his students take off. He is also the author of the best-selling book, “The Best of You – Winning Auditions Your Way.”

Craig is currently teaching his audition technique classes and his Meditation for Actors classes in Santa Monica, CA. For more information visit www.wallaceauditiontechnique.com.

Seven Client Sunday

Welp. I've finally made it home at half past midnight, after having back to back clients since 10am. I'm endlessly grateful for this atypical way of making income, though the pace of today was a wee bit draining.

There is an equity audition for Guys and Dolls in Michigan this spring. I'm feeling a bit blah about the lack of nonequity/open calls, and a bit over the audition scene in general, so I may just decide to actually sleep in tomorrow, for once.

It's about that time of the year when evening comes so quickly, and the combination of cold weather and distant family makes me yearn for warmer, friendlier, Southern California shores. Soon enough. A little less than three weeks and I'm home.

Better get to that holiday shopping!

Under Construction

As I left my hatha yoga class this afternoon, I took with me the gifts of refreshed awareness, focus on being "present" in this moment in my life, and a renewed love of sunshine. It occurred to me how incredible it was that I could perceive such a marked change my ease of breath after only an hour or so of treating my body with kindness, instead of punishing it (which I usually do).

This glowy yoga bubble was soon punctured by the sounds of jackhammers, the garish bruises of blue and black tarp slathered across building fronts all along my block, and dudes in hard hats bellowing out across sawhorses at each other and smoking on fire escapes.

It was in that moment that I realized that this city, unlike any other place I have lived or visited, thrives on an inescapable sense of being under construction. It's the palpable forward-thinking energy born and bred here. When I first came to New York six years ago, I could not get enough of the city's vibrant pulse and the motivated people who seemed to push life forward by their will alone. Before I knew it, I was catering to that energy and lost in trying to make myself into something bigger, better, and more impressive instead of being okay with who I was from moment to moment.

Being reminded of the benefits of practicing self awareness has completely cemented my decision that it is not only okay to take "rest" days, it is critical to one's mental and physical health. Granted, I only have from when I woke up this morning until 1:45pm today to do exactly what I want to do, as opposed to what I feel I have to do in order to move forward. At 1:45pm, I gear back into the traditional expectation of what life looks like; commitments to follow up on, promises to keep, miles to go before I sleep. Sure, my schedule looks different from the good old 9 to 5, but like most, I have some preparation to do for work, several clients to work with, and if time is on my side, a dance class to sneak in between my last two clients of the day. What I don't want is to wake up one day years from now and be incapable of recognizing myself.

Taking these two years post graduation to pursue dancing and performing - something that feels unapologetically selfish for really the first time in my life - has been rewarding in so many unexpected ways. Though the sassy know-it-all girl is still very much alive and well in some corners of my personality, I have been humbled so thoroughly that I am on my way to becoming a better, kinder, more patient, more understanding person. Of course, like New York, I still have a long way to go before I'm "finished," but somehow the harsh contrast between the very accepting and open practice of yoga and self-care on the backdrop of a very harsh and unforgiving perfection-focused city made me all the more grateful for the luxury of conscious self discovery and self acceptance.

Inspiration from Bruce Lee

When asked about his positive outlook on life, Bruce Lee countered with a question of his own. “Are you going to make your obstacles stepping stones to your dreams, or stumbling blocks because you let negativity control your life?" 

I appreciate that outlook right about now, especially considering it implies I must be pretty close to my dreams, because my amount of obstacles-turned-to-stepping-stones has been steadily increasing over the past few weeks. 

Had the most wonderful surprise of an unexpected visitor from Brazil. When you're lucky enough to find those friends who brighten your entire life just because you have the fortune to be in their presence for a few hours, those are the friends to hold on to for dear life. 

Been pondering many things of late, the frustrations of adapting to an industry that's less a meritocracy than I would have expected, the debilitating educational inequity plaguing our nation, the prevalence of mental illness among the homeless, and the impending holidays.

Fortunately, I'm slowly but surely coming to a place where I understand I can't expect myself to fix every problem I am affected by and have enough energy left over to fix myself. Learning to put myself first on occasion hasn't been easy, but on the days when I manage it it's magical. Today, I've managed to do everything I wanted to do and everything I needed to do, and procured and decorated a Christmas tree with girlfriends to put the icing on the cake.

I'm borrowing the words of a Secret Agent Man when I saw that it's how we deal with diversity that matters. If my conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time, why, then I ought to choose a positive thought. You should too... life is much easier when we focus on improving what could have gone better and being happy with what went well.



In other more exciting news, the holidays are coming!!!

Picture > 1000 words

Motto of the week.

Maybe month.

More to folllow!

The way of things

I used to think that life was about finding answers. In every quote, dance performance, art piece, music composition, novel, relationship, etc., I would find something that resonated with me enough to give me a momentary illusion of resolution. Recently, I've realized that I seem to shift from one pristine, clear moment of acceptance of reality to the next, with gestational periods of unrest, uncertainty, frustration, and dissatisfaction in between.

Of late, I've begun to think that life is really all about asking the right questions. Like any other human being, I have those moments where I worry about my output. I occasionally wonder whether I do anything of significant value. Then I look around me and realize that everyone else feels and wonders the same things, regardless of how socially acceptable and stereotypically impressive their lives may seem to the omniscient observer.

Now that I've gotten to the place where I see inherent camaraderie and consistent patterns in the arc that is human existence, I've found opportunities to refocus my energies and hone my efforts to suit more specific goals. I guess its the main way I find meaning and continuity in what currently feels like a wonderfully diverse, yet draining life style.

In the wee hours of the morning after exhausting multifocal days like this one, poems like this are the most soothing remedies to a racing mind.

On Looking Up By Chance at the Constellations (Robert Frost)

You'll wait a long, long time for anything much
To happen in heaven beyond the floats of cloud
And the Northern Lights that run like tingling nerves.
The sun and moon get crossed, but they never touch,
Nor strike out fire from each other nor crash out loud.
The planets seem to interfere in their curves -
But nothing ever happens, no harm is done.
We may as well go patiently on with our life,
And look elsewhere than to stars and moon and sun
For the shocks and changes we need to keep us sane.
It is true the longest drought will end in rain,
The longest peace in China will end in strife.
Still it wouldn't reward the watcher to stay awake
In hopes of seeing the calm of heaven break
On his particular time and personal sight.
That calm seems certainly safe to last to-night.

Ow + Cold

I cannot remember a time I have been more tired or more sore. Rehearsals and auditions are going well, but my hamstrings are so over utilized I legit had difficulty walking today!

On top of that, it's really just in the 30s, which is not a pleasant temperature place. Not many auditions this week or next, but lots of rehearsal, class time, and tutoring clients.

Keep on keeping on, and remember to keep your birds of a feather close so you can flock together this winter!!

Net Gain from Net-werk

Frustrating as it sometimes is to me, the performing art world is not a meritocracy... even at the very top, it is who you know that helps you more than what you are capable of doing. Don't get me wrong; to even be considered, it is critical to also have the talent and the luck to be in the right place at the right time with the right look and the right people behind the casting table. Being able to spin and werk a net is a skill that has never come naturally to me, but has only now begun to dawn on me as a necessity.



Tonight's blog entry is courtesy of a dear dear friend and fellow performing artist professional (hereby known as R), who saw her netwerking swag pay off in significant and commendable dividends:

A long time ago.... [a few days ago]

In a galaxy far, far away .... [actually the Carlyle hotel is only a few blocks away from this Baby's apartment]

All within the span of 24 New York hours:

***

Lesson 1: Unexpected encouragement and respect


A woman came into the Carlyle yesterday while R was working and they started to chat about this and that. She told R she was from Saudi Arabia, R told her R's brother just went over there for work (in oil). The woman asked which company...R told her Schlumberger and she got very excited about this...Turns out she's on their board. R told her that R was an actress and then the woman began to go on and on about how much she admired actors and how we can do this and that... She introduced herself as Lubna. 

Turns out she is Lubna Olayan... voted by Forbes and Times as one of the world's most influential women. How overwhelming and invigorating that Lubna...with all her experience, business acumen, and prestige, admires people like you and I who struggle in our daily lives to do what we love!

Lesson 2: You never know who knows who you know.


Fast forward. R goes to a watch party (for a new film) later the same day. An actor she worked with, Travone, texted R about some famous fashion photographer's birthday party and picked her up to go with him:

"So I met this photographer and all his friends... And Carson Kressley (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy). As we walked up...guess who we see outside... Johnny Nunez...FAMOUS celebrity photographer who's shot all of the hip hop greats...and who invites is to Ne-Yo's private election watch party dinner. So of course we go. I meet Ne-Yo's fiance Monyetta and her friend from like Basketball wives or some show, and of course I met Ne-Yo who refused my handshake and went in for the hug. [How nice!!] 

I felt so legitimate because I told Monyetta that I had seen her at a private listening party two weeks ago and she said "I thought you looked familiar" (Probably lying but at least she was trying!) We got gift bags of yummy liquor and Ne-Yo's new album and headed back to Astoria where we watched the President's speech and cuddled."

Lesson 3: There is opportunity in every scandalousity

"After 3 hours of sleep I got up and headed to work the next morning. Fully energized mind you, considering the night before. When I get to the Carlyle, I see that the Spa is open (it shouldn't have been), all of the lights are on (not supposed to be), and the women's room is a MESS. There are towels and robes everywhere and a men's undershirt on the floor. I call Security and they tell me they will look into the matter. Shortly after I get a call. "Hi Reanna. The spa was opened around 3:30 this morning for a VIP guest. Mr. Beiber." Jokingly I say, "As in Justin." He said yes. Justin Beiber had decided to not only take over the spa for a shower and a steam...he has decided to do it in the ladies room. I thought I would never stop laughing. Then, shamelessly, I proceeded to the ladies room to take his undershirt out of the trash can. I figured someone would want it. Turns out my cousin's a fan. So I'm gonna frame it. Yay free Christmas present!!!!"

***

In summary, networking is not an easy skill, but regardless of your industry (but especially in the performing arts world), it is a talent worth cultivating, because you never know where it might take you and whom you might meet. 

Even though rehearsal was cancelled for "singer problems," which I imagine is code for diiiivvaaa, I've had a long exhausting day.

Keep your heads up and on to the next one!

Love, 

A Broadway Baby

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Things along the Eastern seaboard continue to be chaotic post Hurricane Sandy. I have survivor's remorse as I sit working in my apartment with functioning electricity, heat, and gas. You may have noticed that my focus has been somewhat diverted from performing arts of late. I'm slowly but surely trying to return to a baseline level of forward progress in that arena.

Elsewhere in the North East, people are still without homes, food, and warmth. I just learned today that for the first time in history, Doctors without Borders has set up a disaster relief zone within the continental United States to address the needs of those displaced by Hurricane Sandy.

No heat on the Rockaways until Christmas? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/10/opinion/nocera-no-heat-till-christmas.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121110

In that context, it feels woefully self aggrandizing to be frustrated that there are hardly any auditions happening because casting companies are also still recuperating and getting their operations back on track.

Out of necessity, I've shifted my focus a bit to skill building (lots of acting and dance class), life-organizing, and maximizing my students' potential. After meaning to do this for a while, I'm finally taking advantage of this Saturday off to lesson plan and bust out my GRE book.

The recent election roller coaster reminded me how much I miss engaging in discourse about issues and ideas that are either important to me or new to me and therefore provide an opportunity to inhale new information. I can't help but feel grad school looming in my near-ish future, especially considering the omnipresent back pain and dearth of intellectual challenge.

In summary, I want to share with you the president's acceptance speech. We need more politicians who believe that "whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made a difference, you made your voice heard" and that we can actually work together to move this country forward. Barack Obama believes these things, and I do too. 

No matter your party affiliation or lack thereof, you should watch this speech.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/11/06/us/politics/06-obama-election-night-speech.html?ref=politics

To the President, from little kids who care (courtesy of Teach For America)
http://www.teachforamerica.org/blog/dear-mr-president

I only hope that Speaker Boehner can get over himself long enough to actually work with his president to address the fiscal cliff that a Republican majority Congress has constructed for us. (I unabashedly pronounce his name Boner because I am sometimes immature and I just do not like him very much).

In the meantime, I'll be keeping one foot in the dance world, one foot in the education world. I'll also have my first two fingers on the pulse of national progress, if for no other reason than this little girl holding her mini American flag.

Have a safe and healthy weekend!!

All my love,

A Broadway Baby

25 Reasons from 25 People Voting Obama

25 reasons from 25 people who are voting Obama:


1. "The Affordable Care Act is saving my daughter's life."Stacey, Arizona


2. "Obama is for the vets. He helped us wind down in Iraq, he's improved mental health policy with VA benefits."Joel, Minnesota


3. "Obama stuck his neck out for us, the auto industry. He wasn't going to let it just die, and I'm driving in this morning because of that, because of him."Brian, Ohio


4. "Osama bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive."Joe Biden, Delaware


5. "Supreme Court Supreme Court Supreme Court."Andrew, California


6. "Arithmetic."Bill Clinton, New York


7. "He cares for the 100 percent."Shana, Texas


8. "When Obama came into office, he successfully renewed our country's place in the community of nations, making cooperation in tackling the world's challenges possible."Willis, North Carolina


9. "The actions he has taken with respect to protecting us from terrorism have been very, very solid."Colin Powell, Virginia


10. "I was really very grateful to him for standing up for those kids who are having a really rough time out there because of their orientation."Jane Lynch, California


11. "For me, President Obama is our best choice because he has a vision of the United States as a place where we are all in this together."Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey


12. "He has a real plan for rescuing the economy that passes the 'math' test."Teresa, Virginia


13. "Having someone in office who understands how powerful our voice can be is very important."Jay Z, New York

14. "I am voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden because I can trust them to care for the middle class and restore the American dream."Steven, Florida


15. "The first measure he signed into law after becoming president was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- so a female high school counselor or physical education teacher can fight for equal pay for equal work."Connie Britton, California


16. "I believe in the America he wants for my grandchildren."Nancy, Michigan


17. "We need four more years of repair, of helping the middle class achieve a sustainable economy."James Taylor, North Carolina


18. "I've watched him fight for our country, stand by the middle class, the working class, the military, the education of our children, universal health care, women, the environment, and matters of national and domestic security."Susan, Virginia


19. "The gifted 12-year-old I taught, whose parents were deported and left her here with her grandmother, will be allowed to stay and finish her education. She's been in the U.S. since age one."Jamie, North Carolina


20. "I want our president to place scientific evidence and risk management above electoral politics."Michael Bloomberg, New York


21. "I have four children who are under 26 and able to stay on my health care plan. That's been huge."Amy, Pennsylvania


22. "He's fighting to defend and better Social Security and Medicare -- because millions of Latino seniors rely on them."Cristina Saralegui, Florida


23. "Thanks to the President's efforts to keep student loan rates low, I can expect to save nearly $1000 as I work to repay my student loans. And I don't have too many of those, thanks to the Federal Pell Grant program."Sam, Minnesota


24. "It's been wonderful to have President Obama as a champion for access to health care for all women in this country."Cecile Richards, New York


25. "Re-electing Barack Obama would lead to a stronger economic recovery than would be the case were Mitt Romney to win on November 6th."Jared Bernstein, Washington, D.C.

Forward, not Backward

I had to roll my eyes at myself a bit this afternoon, when upon reading my Backstage, I realized of course there would be no casting updates for New York ... you know, given our recent hurricane.

Sometimes the pervasive sense of hustle clouds my logic.

My days feel SO long lately. Today was particularly daunting, rehearsal, a five hour modeling gig, tutoring clients, and the second to last Turandot performance of the season. I'll miss the show... Specialized movement is so much more engaging than what we supernumeraries usually do!

Maintaining motivation is hard some days. I was talking to an actress at this modeling gig, and she laughed at me when I shared that I was only two years out of college and worried I wasn't booking enough work. It's a recession for everyone, and there really are so many mitigating factors that make landing your dream role difficult.

There are only two auditions this week, Footloose in Wisconsin (I really don't want to go to Wisconsin) and an audition for Arizona Broadway Theater, which I really should not have turned down two years ago because they were offering $200 a week. Oy vey... perils of a performing arts life. I plan to go to both on principle, to practice my auditioning craft and hone my somewhat sleepy skill set.

In other news, another Nor-easter is heading our way Wednesday, and a storm of an entirely different kind may crash come Tuesday night.

PLEASE GO VOTE! Your country is depending on you!

Sophia and her dads are counting on you:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-mcgonnigal/obama-responds-to-10-year-olds-heartfelt-letter-about-her-dads_b_2074213.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

My cousin and her pre-existing condition of cancer are counting on you!

Let's go FORWARD, not backward:

http://www.barackobama.com/plans?source=hp-presidents-plan

Savings Time

What a week!

Post hurricane, things slowly, but steadily began to resume functioning as normally as one can expect. The subways are operating at about 80% of their usual efficacy levels, lower Manhattan once again has power, bus schedules are normalizing. Sometime next Monday, I imagine it will start to feel like nothing has changed (at least in Manhattan). By next Tuesday, anyone reading this BETTER have voted!

Dance studios and gyms were closed, auditions were cancelled ... so last week was a bit too much of a break from my usual routine. Most of my parents/clients were wringing their hands at the fact that their kids got a week off of school, so I was tutoring two times as many clients as usual, while most of my friends got at least a five day weekend.

Saw Fuerza Bruta last night; what a kick a*& multi media, multi dimensional performance-dance party hybrid! I'm totally going to see it again before it closes in January 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3aw07wxoCM&feature=relmfu

Now the public transportation has largely righted itself, I have lost my excuse to take cabs all the time in true Carrie Bradshaw a la Sex and the City form... I'll miss it.

Met some FANTASTIC personalities from the passenger seat. On the way between tutoring clients last Wednesday, I met a 60 year old Lebonese man who shared my love of classical music and the end of day relaxation activity of epsom salt bath + glass of red wine. On Thursday, I met a Senegalese man who was shocked that I should be working when everyone else was off, and asked me if I was going to be a millionaire one day (he preferred to be affectionately referred to as "Billionaire Bob." I also met a young Dominican man (only a few years older than me, if that) who was putting himself through college at Fordham University by driving cabs at night.

All in all, last week was a humbling reminder of how much determination and hard work constantly percolate in cities like New York.

As you might imagine, I'm inspired and ready to attack this coming week with renewed zeal. The last two performances of Turandot until January will be Monday and Friday, and I have at least ten clients to prepare for. Couple that with workouts/dance classes/auditions, and I certainly have my work cut out for me.

Sending you light and happiness!

Love,
A Broadway Baby

On Second Thought No Turandot

Just got the email from the Met's General Manager, the Met will remain closed this Tuesday after the storm. I'm sad because I really like the show and the perils of a freelancer are such that I don't get paid unless there is a performance. But in the scheme of things, I have my health; I have food, energy, plenty of water, and there are no sharks swimming in the streets. Oh, and I still have tutoring clients to get to! Gotta love the tiny humans!

The skinny trees on my street are mostly broken; if they had been bigger we might have been in some trouble, but the sun is shining! I consider myself lucky and wish my fellow New Yorkers and Tri State area people speedy cleanup and recovery.

Some of my favorite images from this raucous visitor:

Lady Liberty standing proud, with the storm advancing behind her:

Until the storm got serious:

New Jersey sharks:

Sharks in the mall:
http://instagram.com/p/RY8jVCwmaT/

Things I've been a thinking

I'd prefer well thought out deliberate plans with concrete actions than plans that either rely on magic or referring back to a website for the finer points.

Obama > Romney every time, especially considering that the difference between the two is that with Obama, 45 million more Americans will have health insurance: 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/opinion/krugman-pointing-toward-prosperity.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121026

This story inspires me to be better (Click on the Title for link)

An Open Letter to Ann Coulter

specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com

The author, an incredibly inspiring young man, draws attention to how divisive dialogue focused on attacking people does no one credit, and in a most eloquent way. I hope you enjoy!

There have been a lot of changes in my life recently. I got two reminders that I'm actually really good at this thing I love, and just a little more work away from booking the jobs every time. I also realized that settling for less than what I want is not a way I want to live, and hey, I'm game to trying [almost] everything at least once. 

Met Opera reopens Turandot with a new cast this Tuesday(a Wagnerian soprano in the title role should be leee exciting!)... you know, provided that Hurricane Sandy doesn't blow us off the map.

As for the musical theater forays.. asthe great Jay Z says, it's on to the next one.

Until next time, I'll be doing my best to live the best life I can, be the best I can. I may not be able to change what I've done, but I can change my life. You can too!

Lots of love and battening down of the hatches,

A Broadway Baby

Sitting Waiting Wishing

I've been hesitant to write some of my most recent updates because they're almost too good to be true, and I'm worried these audition experiences won't turn into jobs if I talk about them! You know, because I'll jynx the weirdie performer's luck or karma or destiny or whatever.

Let's just say that there have only been two auditions in these past two weeks since I have been off from the Met Opera. Both of those auditions had 200 girls or more at the beginning. By the end of the first of the two auditions, the only two girls that remained were myself and another young lady. To make things better, we looked completely different and were reading for different parts. Now, there was an entire other (equity) day of auditions for this production, so it's possible the director will cast based on the union talent instead of taking a risk with someone non union.

Still, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping. The good juju took me through to this week, because today I found myself at the end of another audition for a production that may be staffing as soon as tomorrow and sending out calls! Eek!

People who don't do performing arts have a difficult time understanding the crazy unnatural expectations and highs and lows of working as a performing artist. Some dancers may audition (interview) for years to get a good contract, and then one comes along like this gig I've got at the Met. Employment is never guaranteed permanent in this field, and employment periods are traditionally short. So you hold onto a gig that you like as long as you can, always keeping your eye on the next opportunity.

It's exhausting, but it's worth it. And performing artists thrive on support and love and engagement with their craft to keep at it.

I only hope that my country elects a president who shares my values about the importance of education, of exposing people to a wide variety of experiences, and of funding the arts to ensure the mental, spiritual health of our country. 

Last week I went to a fascinating New York Magazine election event, where a room full of media specialists tried to get to the bottom of how to make the world a better place. In the past few weeks, I've been doubting the soundness of the decision to spread myself across two things I love so much instead of focusing on one of them. I realized at the NYMag event that it is a wonderful thing that I have the energy to be passionate about and advocate for the importance of many things: education, selflessness in interpersonal relationships, open-minded dialogue, social policy, and the arts, and that those passions have led me to a wonderfully diverse life filled with fulfilling work that enables me to pursue each of them. I certainly may not be able to live like this forever, but I'm going to try like heck for as long as I can!

That said, I asked a question at the NYMag event, and I was flattered that it prompted a complete stranger behind me to suggest I should start a new Twitter or blog based on my question, since he didn't follow anyone on Twitter, but would come onto Twitter for me. My question seemed an obvious one to me at the time "What can we do to promote a shift in the national dialogue, away from the glee of dissecting and criticizing the person, and focused on dissecting and criticizing the policy, without being blindsided by party platforms, so that at the end of the day we can have civilized discussion about what is best for the majority of Americans." But the more I think about it, the more I realize the circus that has become our political structure has dazzled us to the point that we are no longer able to focus on the nitty gritty connective tissue upon which our national identity relies for stability.

To that end, here are some of my thoughts from tonight's debate:

Obama inherited a debt and an economy in the largest crisis since the Great Depression. Bush had a whole eight years to destroy the surplus left by Clinton and send America's economy and debt spiraling out of control to fund unnecessary wars. Any one with a brain can see that it takes more than 4 years to create policies, pass policies, and then have those policies go to effect and show results in less than the time it took for the problems to be made. We have a democracy, the president has to work with the representative government, he's not a dictator. The problem was, we had a representative government (majority of Repubs) who would not work with Obama. These intransigent Republican congressmen held back the growth of their own country for most of Obama's term - solely because Obama's party is not their party - and their bad policies and lack of integrity or awareness of the interconnected relationship between social policies & economic health 
share the same platform as Romney's policy. 


OBAMA 2012!

Lots of things on my mind

I love teaching physics, so I really loved the way this author used conceptual physics to describe the infinite possibilities each of us have in performance, and really, in life:

http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/want-change-your-life-and-book-job-lets-talk-physics/

Also, it's too bad that this image is still relevant more than 100 years later. Get out and vote because Susan B. Anthony fought for us once, and just because the battle is under wraps does not mean the war for women's rights has stopped raging.

I just donated to my president, who ensures that only my doctor and I (not my legislators) can make decisions about my health, especially my reproductive care. Not to mention the fact that my president has ensured I actually have health insurance until I'm 26, which is especially important to me, since employers these days are not inclined to pay to fully insure their employees.

I like to talk in facts: Reagan tripled the deficit during his two terms (in true Keynesian fashion). The budget was not balanced until Clinton's administration.There is a lag associated with economic policy and long term consequences. Bush squandered Clinton's surplus. Bush and the Republicans are directly accountable for the biggest recession the US has since since the Great Recession. President Obama inherited a U.S. economy in free fall and stepped in to avert a disaster.

In case you're not sure what your president has done for you, for your friends, for your mother, for your grandfather, against INCREDIBLE odds, check out this link:

http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/

Full Speed Ahead

I'm too young to be taking these long, world-weary sighs.

Being unaffected and bulldozing through an experience is not strength. Being defeated, being made to feel small, failing, but still moving foward... THAT is strength.

There was a Chicago audition this morning, but like many of the other auditions I have attempted to attend since returning from Africa, they chose not to see Non-Equity.

Instead, I took an acting class from Bronwen Carson at BDC, and tried to focus on moving forward, despite being frustrated with what I perceive as a lack of progress in my performing endeavors. The above bits of wisdom were gleaned from that class.

I like being vulnerable, because sometimes it helps others commiserate, I like being open and sharing something wonderful, because sometimes it helps others feel some kind of wonderful as well. I just wish it didn't seem like it was so hard to do this thing that I like! I know that this industry is all about playing the game and staying positive throughout. I know that. Still. Inevitably, the whole business just gets to a girl!

This afternoon, I went to an audition for Miracle on 34th St, directed by Richard Stafford. I've auditioned for him a few times before for other productions and have made it to final callbacks, so imagine my chagrin to be turned away at today's audition because ... big surprise... there wasn't enough time to see non-union singer/dancers.

Counting my lucky stars to have friends and family around to encourage me to keep going, especially because I know that not everyone has people like my people to prop them up when they are feeling down. Maybe some day I'll be able to prop myself up on my own all the time... but until then...
Ah well... full speed ahead to more class and more auditions tomorrow!