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!

You are getting veeewwwyy sweeeppyy

Some days I feel like the fallen star in this sad little stick figure picture. Doesn't he look so sleepy? MAN I am exhausted. Maybe today I feel more like my once multi dimensional dreams seem to have fallen a bit flat. Or at least fallen by the way side while I tutor my little tuchus off.

Saturday... Saturday. Just saying the name of the day out loud feels glorious. Day off, you are so close and yet so far!

Auditioned for Thoroughly Modern Millie in Paper Mill (New Jersey) on Tuesday, heading back Friday afternoon to dance. Tomorrow it's off to Tuck Everlasting... the tour (I think it could be pretty rogue, but I'll see what they're looking for).

Paying my dues, I'm just paying my dues. We all have to, regardless of industry. So instead of complaining about rehearsals or being irritated that the job I have is perhaps not exactly the job I want, I am just going to keep moving forward.

We all have a choice; focus on the negative or focus on the positive. It drives me a wee bit bonkers when people around me seem to spew forth complaints all day long, especially when they have work. I'm like, you're ALIVE aren't you? Your body works? Your voice works? You're doing what you love and you have people who you love who love you back? Be grateful, don't be gross. I might not say that to others all the times that I'd like, but I sure have to repeat it to myself sometimes.

So full speed ahead.

If only this head cold stuffy nose thing would call it quits!

The Things I Love About Teaching Science

Sometimes we say things like "people don't change." It drives scientists crazy, because change is the only constant in all of science. Energy, matter, these things are always changing. It's the way people try not to change that is unnatural - the way we cling to what things were, instead of letting them be what they are, the way we cling to old memories instead of forming new ones. Change is constant ... how we experience change is up to us.

Our bodies protect us from harm. We have life, and we must fight to live it. Fight to love it!

Firing on All Cylinders

I think I finally comprehend what that phrase means. I've been firing on all cylinders for nearly 40 days straight now, and I feel a cold coming on. This always seems to happen right when I've been pushing my body a wee bit too hard. My mom always says to listen to your body, because it's good at warning you when you need to slow down. If I don't heed the warnings, though, my body tends to force me to slow down. Hopefully it won't come to that this time around; I hear you, circadian rhythms and gathering storm clouds of leukocytes...

This Saturday is the light at the end of my tunnel.... a day off! I cannot wait and I am pretty certain I will spend the majority of the day and night comatose. Miles to go before I sleep and all that jazz. Lesson plans to write, students to teach, auditions to beast, alumni meetings to attend, and common colds to fight off.

Thankfully I have a two week break from the opera while a bagillion other productions go up at the Met, and the Turandot cast shifts. I'll miss Maria Guleghina (she ROCKED IT on her final performance at this past Saturday's matinee). Still... I hear our next Turandot is a Wagner soprano, which means a completely different voice color and interpretation of the role. Color me curious! The show resumes October 30th, and I may or may not be called into rehearsals before then. Hopefully my tutoring schedule calms down a bit!

Until Saturday, though, I'm gonna take the town and turn it upside down... Im gonna live live live until I die!

Love!

How cute are these little guys? They make me happy for all the wonderful people in my life. I think everyone has days when their life seems like it sucks. But then you go to dinner with some of the most awesome people in the world and remember why the sucky times are worth it... because the opposite is so warm and wonderful!

Everybody should have a shoulder to lean on and a friend to go to in their time of need, and there's no shame in it, no matter how strong a person is or wants to be.

Hyper Realism?

There is always a way. When things look like there's no way, there's a way. To do the impossible, to survive the unsurvivable. There's always a way. If you become frightened, instead, become inspired.



This is not a hyper realism painting, this is an actual star forming, courtesy of the Hubble satellite. How incredible and wonderful is it that the universe doles out things like this?

Because I love it so much

The opera is meant to be lavish. I cannot help but love the production of Turandot precisely because it is so incredibly over the top... I shouldn't be partial, but the spectacle of it all is such a stronger base for "character development" in comparison to last season's Don Giovanni. I'm sad that Franco Zeffirelli is no longer with us, because my goodness he had an eye for drama.

My favorite Act (this is the 2010 version so don't go looking for me :-) )

My favorite aria in this, my favorite act, is Liu's death scene at around 44 minutes in the above video.

Marina Poplavskaya (the principal singer in the video) and Hibla Gerzmava (the Liu in my cast) have similar nuances to their interpretations of this role, but I'm partial to Hibla's rendition because I've heard her live, and because she has this wonderful penchant for making notes float into the rafters with some of the most glorious, lilting clarity I've ever heard produced from a human.

Love,

A Broadway Baby