Archive for February, 2010

The good, the bad, and the UGLY

Friday, February 26th, 2010

There is so much to be thankful for. I am surrounded by people that are so talented that it’s almost unbelievable. On a daily basis I get to be inspired by my peers. This week was no exception. In a two day period I was able to see Private Lives at Chicago Shakespeare, Fiddler on the Roof at the Marriott, and attend a benefit celebration for a company I’ve worked with and have a place in my heart for: Bohemian Theatre Ensemble. This weekend I’m going to see some Tennessee Williams directed by my dear friend David Zak and last week I saw the stunning production of Oh Coward! at Writer’s theatre. Next week I’m going to see the opening of Chess at Theo Ubique, my wonderful friend Danni Smith in Living Quarters for Strangeloop theater, and the lovely Christin Boulette in Pride and Prejudice at the Chamber Opera Chicago. This is not to mention getting to see my roommate in Bailiwick Chicago’s  Show us Your Love every weekend. He’s one talented fellow.

If you didn’t get it, that’s the “good.” The inspiration, support, and strength I get from my friends, family, and peers is invaluable and keeps me going day to day.

We don’t really need to talk about the “bad,” do we? Poor wages, scraping by, rejection, blah blah blah blah blah. I get tired of talking about it. You get it. It’s not as rosy and glamorous as people who are NOT in-the-know would think.

Let’s talk about the “ugly,” shall we? This career can be hard enough as we briefly covered in the bad section. What makes it worse is ugly behavior. There is back stabbing, drama, jealousy, rumor starting, deceit, unhealthy competitiveness, downright vindictiveness, and the worst… bad-mouthing a peer to a fellow professional. It’s the underbelly of the Chicago theater community and it’s frankly gross. I have from one time or another been a victim of all of that behavior and so have most the people I know. It’s just not conducive to anyone.

Now we ALL TALK. That’s a given. And of course we’re going to bitch about each other from time to time to friends and lovers. Everyone in ANY career field does that about their co-workers. I would just like to request that we try to stay positive, that we try to be happy for each other’s successes even if it’s hard sometimes, and that under no circumstances do we attempt to hurt someone else’s career. We already have so many strikes against us just for the mere fact that we want to be actors. Why make it harder for ourselves than it has to be? And if none of that works just think about a little thing called karma. I strongly believe in karma and what goes around comes around. So let’s look out for each other!

I’ll leave you with a quote that was going around FB a couple of days ago:

We live in an era of enormous cynicism. Do not be fooled.

Don’t act for money. You’ll start to feel dead and bitter.

Don’t act for glory. You’ll start to feel dead, fat and fearful.

We live in an era of enormous cynicism. Do not be fooled.

You can’t avoid all the pitfalls. There are lies you must tell. But experience the lie. See it as something dead and unconnected you clutch. And let it go.

Act from the depth of your feeling imagination. Act for celebration, for search, for grieving, for worship, to express that desolate sensation of wandering through the howling wilderness.

Don’t worry about Art.

Do these things and it will be Art.

John Patrick Shanley

AND PLEASE CHECK OUT THESE SHOWS AND SUPPORT LIVE THEATRE!!!!!!!

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Private Lives

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Following his celebrated production of Amadeus this season, CST’s own Gary Griffin directs Noël Coward’s stylish, savvy comedy about the people we can neither live with—nor without. Divorcés Amanda and Elyot meet up again quite by accident—on their second honeymoons, with brand-new spouses in tow. Fireworks fly as their reunion reveals just how quickly romance—and rivalry—can be rekindled.

Thru - Mar 7, 2010

Fri, Feb 26: 7:30pm
Sat, Feb 27: 3:00pm & 8:00pm
Tue, Mar 2: 7:30pm
Wed, Mar 3: 1:00pm & 7:30pm
Thu, Mar 4: 7:30pm
Sat, Mar 6: 3:00pm & 8:00pm
Sun, Mar 7: 2:00pm

Price:$44-$75

Show Type: Comedy

Box Office: 312-595-5600

www.chicagoshakes.com

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Fiddler on the Roof

Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire

This Tony Award-winning musical has captured the hearts of people all over the world. It is the bittersweet tale of a family coping with a changing world. Tevye, a Jewish dairyman, and his family live in a small village in 1905 Tsarist Russia. With the help of the local matchmaker, Tevye and his wife are in search of acceptable husbands for their three lively daughters. While their daughters are determined to break tradition and marry the men they love, Tevye begins to face bigger issues as Jews are being persecuted in his homeland. A hopeful celebration of the human spirit, Fiddler on the Roof features an unforgettable score with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein.

Thru - Apr 25, 2010

Wednesdays: 1:00pm & 8:00pm
Thursdays: 8:00pm
Fridays: 8:00pm
Saturdays: 4:30pm & 8:00pm
Sundays: 1:00pm & 5:00pm

Price:$35-$55

Show Type: Musical

Box Office: 847-634-0200

www.marriotttheatre.com
0811213803Not About Nightingales

CCPA at Roosevelt University

First written in 1938,the script remained unproduced until 1998. This early work was written by Tennessee Williams when he was only 27, before any of the great plays that established his later reputation. Based on true events, this play attempts to shine a spotlight on the corruption, degradation and murder that occur in prisons, outside the light of social norms of human decency. In the setting of an “escape proof” prison, acts of torture and brutality replace humanity, in this work that Williams described as filled with unprecedented violence and horror.

By Tennessee Williams
Directed by David Zak

Friday and Saturday Feb. 26 and 27 at 7:30pm
Sunday Feb. 28 at 2pm

$10 General Admission
$6 Students/Seniors/ INDUSTRY

(312) 341-3831

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Oh Coward!

Writers’ Theatre

You’re invited to a marvelous party at Writers’ Theatre! Weaving together songs and literary delights, Oh Coward! celebrates one of the theater’s greatest entertainers, Noel Coward. His effervescent music and charming quips combine for an unforgettable evening of the most memorable tunes of the 20th century.

Thru - Apr 18, 2010

Fri, Feb 26: 8:00pm
Sat, Feb 27: 4:00pm & 8:00pm
Tue, Mar 2: 7:30pm
Wed, Mar 3: 7:30pm
Thu, Mar 4: 8:00pm
Sat, Mar 6: 4:00pm & 8:00pm
Sun, Mar 7: 2:00pm & 6:00pm
Wed, Mar 10: 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Thu, Mar 11: 8:00pm
Fri, Mar 12: 8:00pm
Sat, Mar 13: 4:00pm & 8:00pm
Sun, Mar 14: 2:00pm & 6:00pm
Wed, Mar 17: 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Thu, Mar 18: 8:00pm
Fri, Mar 19: 8:00pm
Sat, Mar 20: 4:00pm & 8:00pm
Sun, Mar 21: 2:00pm
Tue, Mar 23: 7:30pm
Wed, Mar 24: 7:30pm
Thu, Mar 25: 8:00pm
Fri, Mar 26: 8:00pm
Tue, Mar 30: 7:30pm
Wed, Mar 31: 7:30pm
Thu, Apr 1: 8:00pm
Sat, Apr 3: 4:00pm & 8:00pm
Sun, Apr 4: 2:00pm & 6:00pm
Tue, Apr 6: 7:30pm
Wed, Apr 7: 7:30pm
Thu, Apr 8: 8:00pm
Fri, Apr 9: 8:00pm
Tue, Apr 13: 7:30pm
Thu, Apr 15: 8:00pm
Sun, Apr 18: 2:00pm & 6:00pm

Price:$40-$60

Stage: Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue

Show Type: Musical

Box Office: 847-242-6000

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Chess

No Exit Cafe

Chess is a Cold War musical, first premiering in the 1980s, with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by former ABBA members, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. Among the notable hit songs from the cult musical are One Night in Bangkok and I Know Him So Well.

Presented by Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Previews: Mar 5 - Mar 6, 2010

Regular Run: Mar 7 - Apr 25, 2010

Sat, Mar 6: 8:00pm
Sun, Mar 7: 7:00pm
Thu, Mar 11: 8:00pm
Fri, Mar 12: 8:00pm
Sat, Mar 13: 8:00pm
Sun, Mar 14: 7:00pm
Thu, Mar 18: 8:00pm
Fri, Mar 19: 8:00pm
Sat, Mar 20: 8:00pm
Sun, Mar 21: 7:00pm
Thu, Mar 25: 8:00pm
Fri, Mar 26: 8:00pm
Thu, Apr 1: 8:00pm
Sat, Apr 3: 8:00pm
Sun, Apr 4: 7:00pm
Thu, Apr 8: 8:00pm
Fri, Apr 9: 8:00pm
Thu, Apr 15: 8:00pm
Fri, Apr 16: 8:00pm
Sun, Apr 18: 7:00pm
Thu, Apr 22: 8:00pm
Fri, Apr 23: 8:00pm
Sat, Apr 24: 8:00pm
Sun, Apr 25: 7:00pm

Price:$15-$30

Show Type: Musical

Box Office: 800-595-4849

www.theoubique.org

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Living Quarters

Trap Door Theatre

Subtitled After Hippolytus and first produced by Dublin’s Abbey Theatre in 1977, Living Quarters recasts the mythology of Theseus, Hippolytus, and Phaedra into an isolated Donegal homestead.Commandant Frank Butler returns home to Ireland as a hero after saving nine United Nations peacekeepers from enemy fire during a siege in the Middle East. Reunited to celebrate Frank’s triumph are three daughters and a son by his first marriage and the young wife Frank married days before his deployment. But the revelation of secrets kept while Frank was away threatens to divide the Butler house forever.

Presented by Strangeloop Theatre

Thru - Mar 14, 2010

Thursdays: 8:00pm
Fridays: 8:00pm
Saturdays: 8:00pm
Sundays: 2:00pm

Price:$10-$15

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 773-276-0458

www.strangelooptheatre.org

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Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: A Musical Play

Jane Austen revisits her rejected first novel, First Impressions, and overcomes all obstacles to transform it into the timeless classic, Pride & Prejudice. What writers Lindsay Warren Baker and Amanda Jacobs have accomplished is not just a powerful, musical retelling of a classic love story. They show us, through the journey of the author herself, what it takes to create a masterpiece. See Elizabeth and Darcy’s romance come to life from a whole new perspective and immerse yourself in Austen’s creative process as she interacts with the very characters she has created.

By Lindsay Warren Baker and Amanda Jacobs
Directed by Steven Daigle
Orchestra conducted by Victoria Bond

Saturday, February 27, 2010, 7:30pm
Saturday, March 6, 7:30pm
Sunday, March 7, 3:00pm (with Christin Boulette Dorton)

Chamber Opera Chicago Office/Studio

Tel: 312-951-7944
FAX: 312-951-7948

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Show Us Your Love

Mary’s Attic

Show Us Your Love celebrates love and relationships, featuring both comic and dramatic selections from some of Broadway and Off-Broadway’s very best, including HAIR, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, PIPPIN, FLOYD COLLINS and BROOKLYN THE MUSICAL. Audience members will have an opportunity to “show us their love” by informally voting for their favorite shows, which will influence Bailiwick Chicago’s show selection process for future seasons.

Presented by Bailiwick Chicago

Thru - Mar 28, 2010

Sundays: 7:30pm

Price:$15

Show Type: Musical

www.bailiwickchicago.com

Posted in Harmony's sage advice, Musings, Talented Colleagues | No Comments »

Dancers

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

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When I was five years old I was in ballet. My favorite book, which I still have in tatters and bound with brown tape, was Little Ballerina. I had a collection of tutus which I modeled shamelessly. Well, for whatever reason, I stopped. I think I asked to stop or maybe my parents couldn’t afford it anymore. For whatever reason…I stopped.

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Skip to high school. One of my closest friends, Tori, was a ballerina. I went to a couple of her recitals and ballets. I was so inspired by it. I signed up to start taking lessons again. I never made it to the first one. I couldn’t afford it and I lived about a 45 minute drive away. I was 15 at the time and couldn’t drive yet.

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Skip to college…well my third college (long story). I was a musical theatre major at Columbia College. I had to take ballet and jazz. I had to go shopping for a leotard as a grown woman which was a little frightening. I got through it though and I really LOVED barre work. It’s just you and the barre working on technique together. What I did not love was when I had to go “across the floor.” Those words make me shudder. Basically that means everyone takes turns going from one side of the room to the other doing some sort of combination of dance steps while everyone else watches. Horror. That’s the stuff of nightmares I tell you.

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I used to DREAD class because I knew that after my beloved barre work that I’d be required to “go across the floor.” I remember one day I was crossing Roosevelt Avenue downtown to get to class. If you’ve never been to downtown Chicago, you’ve missed out on the lovely wind tunnels that the sky scrapers create on certain streets. Roosevelt is a REALLY wide street, and when the wind is really going it can be really difficult to cross. You really have to bare down and make yourself as grounded as possible. One day it was so windy that my feet were barely staying on the ground. A bunch of ballerinas that were walking with me GRABBED ON TO ME. Their fight or flight reaction was to grab the STURDY one. “Her stocky legs will keep us from blowing into Lake Michigan!” I’m not sure why I just shared that story. I suppose I am still incredibly bitter about it. :-P How dare they!?!?!?!?!? :P

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Jazz class was almost all floor work. I would feel myself hyperventilating and breaking out into hives while crossing the dreaded Roosevelt wind tunnel to get to class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And then as soon as class was over I started dreading the next one. I wasn’t even the worst person in the class or anything like that. I just had a phobia of people watching me GO ACROSS THE FLOOR. ACK! Anything but that!  Needless to say I became an acting major after the first year. I’d love to say that it’s due to me wanting to focus more on my acting. And to be fair, that was the majority of it. BUT I’d be completely full of it if I didn’t admit that part of it was my floor work phobia.

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If I have these kind of issues in dance class, you can imagine how I feel about DANCE CALLS.  hahaha Okay, honestly my phobia is way less debilitating than it used to be. I can make it through a dance call and not need a xanax instantly. I have also been in dozens of shows at this point that I’ve had to do some sort of choreography in. I’m not completely hopeless, but I know that I will never be a real dancer. I can fake it till I make it, but that’s about it.

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I have so much respect for dancers. It’s hard to even put it into words. I think it’s so beautiful to tell a story completely through your body. It’s amazing and I’m always in awe of it.

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The Aida dance call (which I was FACILITATING not dancing in) was REAL. The choreographers, Kevin Iega Jeff and Gary Abbott, are the Artistic Director and Associate Artistic Director respectively from the Deeply Rooted Dance Theater. The dance they put together for the dance call was so beautiful and passionate. There were moments of yearning, moments of anger, and moments of grace all worked into this 32 bar cut that they choreographed. I don’t know how Aida is all going to come together yet, but I can say completely confidently that the dance portion of it is going to be PHENOMENAL. I seriously can’t wait to see what they do with it. I continue to be inspired.

Posted in Embarrassing stories, Harmony's stories, Musings | No Comments »

My secret weapon

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Ahhhh the joys of having a graphic/web designer as a roommate/best friend. Not only did Eric design my website and this blog, but he also does all of my photo retouching. Normally this just means getting rid of bags under the eyes, but as you’ll see he went above and beyond his duty of friendship!

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So this was the original shot that I picked to be my headshot. It’s not that bad. The pros: I liked the mischievous look in my eyes. It’s very Harmony. I like that the angle tamed the angularity of my nose a bit. AND let’s face it, the girls look good. The cons: I was strapped for cash so the retouch of my hair color didn’t happen before the shots. I’d like to point out that the discoloration did not look THIS bad in person, but when you put very bright lights on me and put a white background behind me this is what you get. I had also walked through a rainstorm to get there and try as I might I could not get the curl to stay or the frizz to leave. There was also the typical things to retouch…such as bags under eyes, my bra poking through, and horror of horrors…some deodorant residue on my dress!

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This was the first attempt. I had decided that I was going to dye my hair to match the bright red at the ends of my hair, so Eric matched my roots to the bottom part of my hair and my eyebrows to match. He changed the contrast of the photo so that I wasn’t quite so washed out. I told him to leave my crow’s feet alone. And he did. You can’t really tell online, but if you saw the photo you would see the lines. I like them. They add character. I DO NOT, however, like wrinkles UNDER my eyes. So I had him zap them. He also fixed the bra problem, the deodorant incident, he whitened the whites of my eyes, and in an effort of pure disclosure: he slimmed the bottom of my arm a tiny bit.

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So I used the red one for a while. I felt a little silly, like I was trying to look like Jessica Rabbit or something. Instead of  going for the bright red I decided to try for an auburn or brownish red. I dyed it the night before I had a double audition day. I could tell that it was darker than I had anticipated, but it wasn’t until I woke up the next day that I saw how freaking dark it was! This picture is NOT an exaggeration. So I knew I couldn’t show up at auditions with brassy red headshots and dark brown hair. That’s a major NO NO. Eric to the rescue. In about 10 minutes he changed the color of my hair in the headshot to match. With the dark brown hair it looked a little silly with a white background, so we settled on this heather gray instead. I got so many compliments on my headshot that day! Little did they know….well I guess they know now…that Eric had just done some last minute computer wizardry right before I had to walk out the door to get to the auditions. Oh and on a side note…I booked one of the shows from those auditions! :-)

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After the color faded a bit it looked more like this and still does. So Eric changed the color again. This is the shot that works for me right now. Of course since I’ve been using it for a while, I’m ready for a change, but that’s just my nature. I get bored. Maybe I’ll return to this:

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Sigh….I miss being a blonde.

Okay so I sincerely apologize for posting 8000 pictures of myself. It’s obnoxious. There is a point to it. I wanted to show the skills of my roommate and I also kind of wanted to take away some of the mystery around it. The blonde picture I don’t have an excuse for. I like it. It makes me feel pretty. SO THERE! But seriously, we are constantly barraged with photos of perfect celebrities. Guess what? They’re not perfect. I mean I guess there are people that are more perfect than others, but most of them need a lot of help with make-up, hair, and yes a retoucher. If the above photos can be the same girl as this girl…..(seen with Eric):

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…then seriously anyone can be made to look good with the right team.

That is my lesson for the day.

I won’t post another photo of myself until 2011. I promise.

Harmony

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Posted in Embarrassing stories, Harmony's sage advice, Talented Colleagues | 2 Comments »

Scenes from BEHIND the casting table

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

I’m completely exhausted and my brain is fried. Callbacks started today. There are so many lessons to be learned from being on the other side of the casting table. Some are as common sense as “don’t apologize for mistakes, be prepared, and have a good attitude.” Others are way more subjective. Everyone in that room has opinions and is drawn to certain things. Some things are agreed upon. Some aren’t. I’m learning my own aesthetic and my own taste. Like for instance, I am much more drawn to someone who puts emphasis on their acting before their singing. I suppose I didn’t need to sit behind the table to tell you that. ;-)

Another thing I found myself responding to very much was people’s energies and how they held themselves. It must be from my Laban training. :-) (What is Laban you ask? I will do a post on it. I promise. In layman’s terms, it’s a study of different energies. Curious? Janet Louer is THE WOMAN…for coaching or Laban.) Everyone brings a different energy into the audition room with them. Some are light and playful. Some are grounded and regal. Some ooze sex. It’s so interesting to see. What REALLY impresses me is when someone walks in with one energy and then when they perform they transform to something completely different, but an energy that is still them and equally genuine. I like to be surprised!

So what advice do I have? Unfortunately, nothing you haven’t already heard. Go in. Be confident. Make strong choices. Be nice to everyone. Be patient. The biggest piece of advice I have is to leave the audition/callback in the audition room. My roommate is fantastic at this. I, on the other hand, sometimes take to my bed with a xanax. Just kidding! Sort of. I’m getting better at dealing with it.

The thing is, you really don’t know what the casting team wants. Sometimes the casting team doesn’t know what they want. So many things go into it and just because you don’t get the job doesn’t mean you weren’t EFFING awesome. It sucks, it’s not fair, but that’s just the way it is. Sometimes it’s look, sometimes it’s matching actors up, etc. The one thing it definitely is, is OUT of your control. So do this to please yourself! Do the auditions for you and then leave it in the theater Gods’ hands. If it’s right, it’ll happen. If it’s not, it won’t. It’s that simple. (Note to Harmony: read and heed your own advice!)

The last thing I can say is both encouraging and discouraging I suppose. Discouraging first: There is A LOT of talent out there. A shocking amount. There is a ton of competition. None of us are irreplaceable. It’s amazing how many truly talented, lovely, intelligent people will come out of the woodworks for a project they believe in.

BUT as a working actor I take comfort in the fact that I have stood there before, against all the talented people that Chicago has to offer, and guess what? I GOT THE JOB. And I keep getting the job. It hasn’t always been the job I wanted, but it’s THE job. I stood there and out of gobs of talented people, they chose me. If you think about it that way, it’s pretty special.

So I’ll leave you with that thought. If you didn’t get it, that was the ENCOURAGING part of it!

Oh by the way…..Operation Flapper Dress is working:

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Posted in Harmony's sage advice, Harmony's stories, Musings | No Comments »

The Flapper Dress Project

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

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So right now I’m supposed to be answering THIS question: What has your trajectory as an actor been up to this point and where do you want to go from here? (p.s. I promise I’ll stop dropping cryptic hints and let you guys know what I’m talking about soon.) Instead of answering that question, however, I find myself procrastinating and writing this blog.

So what is the Flapper Dress Project you ask?  Really it’s a fancy title for a weight loss effort. My rehearsals for Oh Boy! start a month from tomorrow so I’m doing a 30 day overhaul. Oh Boy! is being set in 1923. Let’s just say the flapper is not my most flattering dress shape. I’m much more of a corset and bustle kind of girl. So starting tomorrow I’m back on Jillain Michael’s 30-day shred and a low carb, low fat diet (pretty much like South Beach). I’m also restricting my booze intake to the weekends and only red wine and bloody marys :-) .

So now for the inevitable…I KNOW I’m not fat. I just want to point that out before all my friends start worrying about me. BUT I do have to wear a flapper dress and none of us want to see that right now. AND I DO have to do the Charleston (God help us all) and I really would rather not have things flopping around whilst doing so. The space at City Lit is only so big after all, and ingenues can’t have flabby arms. It’s my rule, no one else’s.

So….if you see me in 7-11 sitting on the floor ravenously eating a bag of barbecue chips, please slap me good and hard across the face and escort me out of there with some semblance of dignity. Thank goodness I’m not working in Munster, Indiana right now. Those Munster Doughnuts would be my downfall.

So wish me luck!

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Posted in Musings | 1 Comment »

The Scoop on Harmony/ Big changes are a’comin

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

I haven’t done a scoop in a while, and the last long blog I wrote was a little depressing. It’s part of living a creative life or ANY life for that matter. Ups and Downs. Ebb and Flow. Feast and Famine. Flood and Drought. Highs and Lows. ummmmmm….you get the idea.

Anyway, I feel pretty UP right now. I’m really enjoying my time off now that I have gotten over the initial panic of gloom and doom, and never working again, and other such nonsense. I am able to actually take care of my body. I am able to sit down and plan my next move. More on that later, but first here are some things coming up and going on!

In my hiatus from theater (I’m being dramatic. It’s only two months!), I am keeping myself busy in other ways.

I have always been extremely interested in casting. In my last update I talked about how the new Bailiwick Chicago asked me to be an Artistic Associate. Well, at my request they have expanded my role to include casting assistant.

I’m helping them cast AIDA and I’m having a wonderful time. I’ve been on the other side of the audition table before, (Someday I’ll talk about my old theater company, Blue Moon Studio Theater. But not today!) but never with a project as difficult and interesting to cast as this one.

It is nothing less than an education to watch auditions. There are people who thought they did horrible, that worried for nothing and got called back. There are people that came in and were so amazing we were thinking of shows we could produce JUST to showcase them, but that just weren’t right for this particular project. Those people, if they’re like me, will feel bad that they didn’t get a callback not knowing what a fabulous impression they left on us. It just goes to show, you seriously never know what’s going on in that audition room. Just go in, do what you do, and leave the rest to them. Don’t try to figure out what they’re thinking. It’s fruitless and frustrating. Easier said than done, right? I know.

The thing I’m loving the most about casting is that I can make sure that some of those crazy talented people that aren’t known yet can be seen. It feels so good to do that.

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Another behind the scenes venture for me is SHOW US YOUR LOVE, a musical review also produced by Bailiwick Chicago. I’m only house managing this one, but I have to plug it because my INSANELY TALENTED roommate, Eric Martin, is in it (And he designed the poster). AND one of my best friends and crazy talented herself, Kate Garassino is directing.

SHOW US YOUR LOVE features songs from HAIR, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, PIPPIN, FLOYD COLLINS and BROOKLYN THE MUSICAL to name a few. Audience members vote for their favorite selections. So you, in fact, will help us pick our next season. So come, listen to some tunes, vote for your favorite shows, and afterwards have a drink with me!

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After all that behind the scenes work I’m gonna be itching to get back on stage. I can’t tell you how excited I am to get started on OH BOY! Not only does it re-unite me with some of my favorite gals, Jenny Grubb and Annie Passanisi, but I get to work with Sheldon Patinkin again who is a mentor of mine and one of the people I respect most in this business.

Sheldon is not only brilliant and timeless…think the Dumbledore of Chicago theater, he casts me in pretty roles!!!

He’s the reason I got to wear this:

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After a year of this,…

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…this character actress/occasional leading lady is so darn excited to play an ingenue! It’s just so different from what I normally do and I’m positively thirsty for the challenge. I’m playing Lou Ellen and I sing a song about how all I want in life is to be a housewife. I seriously couldn’t be more different than this character and I couldn’t be more thrilled to play her.

OKAY…SO THIS IS THE LONGEST BLOG IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD! But the title is “Big changes are a’comin” so I have to talk about the changes. I mean, it’s in the title! You can sue or something for false advertising, right? Who am I kidding? No one read this far down. Maybe my roommate did because I made him and my mom because she loves me. Hi Eric! Hi mom!

Well since it’s just the three of us I’ll let you in on a little secret. Something huge is coming. It’s so exciting and so game changing that I can’t even talk about it on here lest I jinx it. I know! I know! I’m a tease. You both know what it is anyway.

I am more excited and terrified of this venture than anything I’ve ever done including bootcamp and a one-woman show. I will know in 2 weeks if I can share it with the world or not. Until then I at least want to thank Janet Louer, David Zak, Scott Olson, and Sheldon Patinkin for supporting me on this new and scary adventure. I love and respect all of you more than you’ll ever know.

Completely exhausted and deliriously yours,

Harmony

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