Auditions: Join Me in the Lyric Victorian Carolers!

Who doesn't like Christmas Carols? If you do enjoy carols and would like to be a part of a very exciting Lyric opportunity to sing these lovely carols, we would love to have you join us. We are the Lyric Victorian Carolers and are looking for ensemble and quartet members to join this extremely successful caroling group for Lyric Theatre.

We will be singing from the 45+ carols in our repertoire from the tradition to some more contemporary holiday favorites. The events will be throughout the holiday season and range from private parties to various mall and large-scale events. There is no minimum number of engagements required and we will try to accommodate scheduling as best we  can. We realize the holiday time is a busy time for all but bringing the sights and sounds of a Victorian Christmas to our audience is really an extra special gift.

All auditions by appointment. Audition times: (Durations are 10 minutes)

Tuesday  October 8   6:30pm - 8:30pm
Wednesday  October 9  6:30pm - 8:30pm

We need all voice parts. We provide MP3s to help you learn your music.

This is a non-paid opportunity, as with all other Lyric productions. Auditions and rehearsals will be held at the Lyric Theatre Rehearsal Facility, 430 Martin Ave., Santa Clara. Further information about Lyric Theatre and directions to our facility are available on our website: www.lyrictheatre.org.

Please visit the sign up page or call 408-986-9090 and leave a message to schedule an audition appointment. Please allow 48 hours for a response.

Please prepare your favorite Christmas carol and come to the audition with your music, if needed. Please refrain from O Holy Night and Ave Maria for the auditions. We are an a cappella group so minimal accompaniment will be provided. Rehearsals will begin on Tuesday October 15 and run on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Conflict information will be solicited later.

If you aren't the performing type, but would like to see singers at  your church, community gathering, holiday party, wine tasting event, corporate party, etc, please contact us through our website: http://lyrictheatre.org/jl/outreach/caroling.html

Hope to see some of you there!

Valerie Appearing in the Musical "9 to 5" at West Valley Light Opera!

I am so excited to announce that I will be singing and dancing in the ensemble and as a hospital intern for West Valley Light Opera's production of Dolly Parton's "9 to 5".  The show is running on weekends from June 29 to July 27.  There is a Saturday matinée (instead of evening performance) on July 13th. The matinées are approaching sell out.

The show will be familiar to many of you who saw the original motion picture starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman. Much of the same music (plus so much more) and scenes appear in this show. Come take a flash back to the 1980s. See how far we've come - and in which ways office politics are still the same. We've got a strong cast and it's shaping up into a great show.

We're well into rehearsal now, busily learning all the songs and many dance numbers.

This is very exciting to me, as many of you may recall, I had a serious injury in 2010 (3 cm x 1 cm tear in my quadricep tendon), which had a treatment that led to a back injury.  In January 2011, I could do about 1 flight of stairs a day, walk for short distances (often with aid of a cane), and could not ride my bike nor get dressed without pain.

My old doctor and physical therapist told me that was "as good as it gets at your age"!  I found a new doctor and a new PT, received additional treatments and - well, I'm DANCING!  I'm a bit rusty, but a patient choreographer and fellow cast members are getting me back into the rhythm of things.

Please come and see the show! If you call the box office, you'll get to skip some of the ticket fees, or you can buy online.  Either way, let the box office manager know you're coming to see me - there is some kind of reward for bringing the most people into the theater. I hope it's chocolate! :-)

Joinging the Lyric Carolers this year!

As I'm not quite up to dancing, yet, I was excited to find another venue for getting to perform - The Lyric Carolers!

The Lyric Theatre typically performs Gilbert and Sullivan light operas, or other similar period type pieces, but what to do after their fall show closes and their spring show opens? Why, sing holiday carols!

I successfully auditioned and joined the group this year. What an honor to be with such amazing singers! I even have a wonderful Victorian costume and bonnet to wear for the season. The bonnet's got a bird on it. Yes, a bird! :-)

We're still available for booking large groups of singers and small. Whether you're looking for a simple quartet to lighten up your holiday party, or the full choir for your corporate event - we can do it all!

To book, simply fill out the booking form, or send mail to ask any questions.

All proceeds go to supporting the theater's regular efforts.

Palo Alto Players: Nunsense with a Twist!

This weekend, we went to go see Palo Alto Players' production of Nunsense with a Twist. There are quite a few versions of Nunsense out there, but this was the first one I've seen. The twist, in this case, was that Mother Superior (Sister Mary Regina) was played by Chris Blake... and Chris is not short for Christina. :-)

The basic premise is the nuns are short on cash for a very important project and they are doing a fund raiser, which explains why they are all on stage and singing. Hilarity, of course, ensues, as the show goes on and things just keep going wrong.

What I loved most about this production is that there was no mention or issue made of the fact that Mother Superior was being played by a man... Mr. Blake wore the same shoes as the rest of the ladies and the same habit. They didn't tart him up nor did Mr. Blake act like a man in drag. He was, quite simply, just Mother Superior.

Okay, not "just" - Mr. Blake brought wonderful physical comedy to the show, peppered in his priceless expressions throughout, and even sang wonderfully.

All five cast members were a joy to watch and brought something unique to the production, particularly Charlotte Jacobs as Sister Robert Anne, who really shined in "Growing up Catholic" and "I Just Want to Be a Star".

The show also featured great performances from Juanita Harris (Sister Mary Hubert), Jennifer Martinelli (Sister Mary Amnesia) and Jennifer Gregoire (Sister Mary Leo, the ballerina nun).

Of course, these actors did not direct themselves, nor choreograph their own dances! The wonderful staging and delightful dance numbers deserve kudos as well! Mark Drumm directed and Alexandria Kaprielian choreographed.

I loved that the band was behind the performers, as this theater, like so many poorly designed theaters in the bay area, has no pit for the orchestra. Even behind them, none of the cast struggled with tempo or cut-offs. Definitely a well-oiled machine, kudos to band director Matthew Mattei.

Excellent lighting, of course, as Ed Hunter was behind lighting design, as he is for many shows that I've seen, performed in, or merely heard great things about. (When Mr. Hunter is not lighting a show, he may be playing cello in the orchestra. Definitely a love of theater!)

My only complaint would be about the slow start to the show, which had some awkward audience interaction at the top. I believe they were delaying due to late comers for the show, as parking was particularly difficult that night. Once the show actually started, with Sister Robert Anne welcoming us all to the theater, it was a delight.

One other small nit: On the back page of the program, along with the donation envelopes, there was a bizarre lack of apostrophes. For example, they have a "Producers Circle" level of donors. Instead of either "Producer's Circle" or "Producers' Circle" (depending on how many producers own the circle). Hopefully they'll get that cleaned up for the next production. Maybe I've just been reading Cake Wrecks for too long ;-)

This post is syndicated from Thoughts on security, beer, theater and biking!

Peaches en Regalia

My husband and I had the pleasure to see Peaches en Regalia from Wily West Productions at the Stage Werx Theater in San Francisco last weekend.

This is a new work, being presented for the first time as two acts. It's a sweet play revolving around the ever changing life of the title character, Peaches, who has recently taken a job at a restaurant where they serve... wait for it... Peaches en Regalia.

Sarah Moser, as Peaches, takes the stage by storm with her opening monologue which describes college, her internship at a financial institution and why she decided to take a job at a diner. Moser is energetic and her monologue comes to life as the other actor's help her reenact scenes from her recent past.

The hilarity continues when Philip Goleman comes into the diner as Norman and then gives us a hilarious monologue on bathroom etiquette and working on his flirting skills.

Of course, the two come together. The fast paced and delightful show moves along as Nicole Hammersla (Joanne) and Cooper Carlson (Syd) fill in the picture. Joanne has a nervous tic (picking at her sweaters) and Syd is a soft-hearted republican.

This was a wonderful production that will keep you entertained throughout! Even with a short 10 minute intermission, the show was still about 90 minutes running.
Definitely worth a trip up to San Francisco!

This post is syndicated from Thoughts on security, beer, theater and biking.

Life is a Cabaret at Sunnyvale Community Players!

Me and the gang went out to see Sunnyvale Community Player's production of Cabaret on Saturday night and we all had a great time!

It's interesting to see a show with such a small staff. Lee Ann Payne doubled as director and choreographer (no easy task, given the complexities of the choreography in this show) and Dan Singletary was music and vocal direction. It seemed to me that this gave them a better way to focus their efforts and the results were a seamless production that was beautifully staged.

As I've said before, one of my favorite things about seeing shows with the Sunnyvale Community Players is that the actors and actresses are not typically mic'ed, leading to a amazingly rich and rewarding sound.  We could hear the gentle shakes in Emily Bliss's voice as she belted out the title song, Cabaret, as the lead of Sally Bowles. While her emotion was clearly written on her face, hearing the subtlety in her voice made the number that much more enchanting.

Dan Singletary did a great job balancing the orchestra with the vocals - I could hear both perfectly at all times!

The Emcee, Paul Araquistain, was just downright amazing! Every time he appeared, the stage brightened (or darkened, depending on his intent) and the cast just seemed to focus around him.  One of my favorite numbers was "Two Ladies", where Araquistain was joined by Cheryl Ringman (Kit Kat Girl/Susan) and Denise Lum (Kit Kat Girl/Ting Ting).

The costumes were sexy, where necessary, and total period otherwise. Great job by Ana Williams (costume design), Sue Howell, Mary Beth Buzzo and Barbara Morgen (costume construction).

It's hard to call out specific actors or actresses that stood out, as everyone was great, totally in character, always in the moment. Very impressive, indeed!

I'm not exactly sure which revival this one was based on, but did miss the darker ending of the last version I had seen.  Let's face it, Nazi Germany was not a fun place for homosexuals and Jews in the early 1930s...

One thing is for certain, this show only runs for one more weekend (through May 15th) and deserves a sold out house! Treat yourself, you'll enjoy it!

Sheherezade XI: 2010 A Year in Review!

Wow, what a delightful time out last night! My husband and I drove up to San Francisco to catch this year's fund raising installment for the Playwrights' Center of San Francisco at the Stage Werx Theatre, Sheherezade XI: 2010 A Year in Review.

Again, we were presented with 8 short plays, all centered around events that occurred last year. From somber to hilarious, we were taken on quite a journey!  I have never cried so much, followed directly by so much uncontrollable laughter.

With all of the recent news out of Japan, I had all but forgotten the plight of the fishermen in the Gulf Coast, but Rachel Ferensowicz, Charles Lewis III and Richard Egan brought all of that destruction and worry right back into focus in Oil and Water.

And who could forget the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion? I certainly won't, after the great performances by Philip Goleman, Wesley Cayabyab and Shubhra Prakash in Emergency Contact.

Another favorite of mine was Many Winters, featuring Heidi Wolff and Rachel Ferensowicz. Rachel and Heidi took us through a heartbreaking tale of losing a child, and the great weight it puts on the mother's shoulders. Could she have prevented the loss? Was there something society could have done? When does the grieving end?

Lighter plays covered such topics as the psychic octopus, Paul der Krake (played by Wesley Cayabyab), iPads (iWhat), and an intriguing take on Prop 8 (Prop Ate).

The only disappointing thing, for us, was the audience was not full. This is a wonderful show, benefits a great group and should be sold out every night! The benefit runs through April 9 - seven more shows. Go get your tickets now!

Now Appearing in Gypsy!

Sorry for the long delay since my last post - I've been busy rehearsing for my opening of Gypsy at Hillbarn Theater in Foster City!

I'm playing the role of Miss Cratchitt in Act I and Renee in Act II, and having a blast! I haven't been on stage at Hillbarn since I appeared as Minnie Fae in Hello Dolly several years ago. It's a great production with an amazing cast and crew!

Annmarie Martin is amazing as Mama Rose and inspiring to me as an actress. When I have my scenes with her, I feel a passion and character connection that forces me to be perfectly on my game and in the scene. She's a total pro - literally! Not to mention an incredibly nice person who does some amazing knitting and crochette. Oh, and she's an avid Sharks fan - check her out singing the Canadian and American national anthems in the Shark tank!

Every actor I'm sharing the Hillbarn stage with are taking the production very seriously - always in character, hair & makeup always done as designed, costumes kept nice, and engaged in the scene - even if they don't even have any lines.

And the crew.... first of all, it's the first time I've ever been on a show with an entirely female run crew! [1] Yay, women techies! They are super organized - everything just runs smoothly. Sets are where they need to be and props are always in the right place. Thank you, Joey, Rosie, Haley, Aya, and Andrea!

Beyond the run crew, the orchestra is spot on; the sound guy, Steven, monitors the levels perfectly throughout the show; sets are repaired as needed by our fantastic set designer/builder, Lee Basham; gorgeous costumes from Shannon & Mae; lovely hair-dos from Dee & Kathleen; and things run smoothly thanks to producer Lee Foster!

If you get a chance, please come see the show - we've been selling out nearly every night, so buy your tickets sooner than later! Let them know you're coming to see me. It's a wonderful production - you won't be disappointed!

[1] Nick, our fill-in techie, is not a woman and still really awesome!

Sweet Charity at West Valley Light Opera

We were lucky enough to catch the great production of Sweet Charity at West Valley Light Opera down in Saratoga CA this Saturday. While I'm familiar with most of the songs (like, Hey Big Spender!), I'd never managed to see the show before.

One thing that really stood out to me in this show was the ensemble! Each and every one of them were able to dance, sing and act! When they were on stage, they were in the scene - never just standing there.

Katie O'Bryon was amazing as Charity, getting you immediately on her side, no matter how bad her choices were. She was hysterical - especially in the Vittorio Vidal's Apartment scene - the portions where she was in the closet (which, very cooly, we could see into through a scrim) had me laughing myself silly.

My friend, Michael Carey, was charming, sweet and endearing as Charity's first "sensible" love interest, Oscar. His chemistry with O'Bryon, particularly in the Coney Island and Barney's Chile Hacienda scenes, was delightful.

Other standout performances were seen from ensemble members Ian Teter (loved him as door man for Club Pompei & in Rhythm of Life Church) and Valerie Valenzuela (fantastic dancer & super cute Fairy), Marcie Marshall (Ursula), Patty Reinhart (Nickie), and Brittany Blankenship (Helene).

This only runs for one more weekend, so please be sure to check it out!

Enjoyed Sheherezade: Year in Review!

Mark & I made it up to San Francisco last night for the Playwrights' Center's annual fund raising presentation of 8 short works, Sheherezade; Year in Review! My friend Phil was in the show again, which is a great motivator for getting me up to the city for theater :-)

You know what I love about short works? It gives the authors a chance to explore some really bizarre topic, but not for very long - so before you realize how ridiculous this is. Like, Fara Fawcette and Michael Jackson meeting in a hair salon in heaven. :-)

Each of the pieces deals with some big event from last year. In addition to the deaths of those two beloved celebrities, they covered the Muni problems, H1N1, trouble in Tehran, gay politicians, Bernie Madoff, a 14 year-old's discovery of a new type of supernova, and... a cult of transvestite Radha worshipers.

My favorite had to be Muni Aphrodite, by Bob Hayden. I loved how straight both actors (Phil Goleman and Cory Tallman) played what could've been just a silly story. Of course, they brought humour into it as well. While I don't live in SF, so couldn't fully relate to the Muni problems of 2009, it was obvious that most of the audience was right there with those actors.

They have two more performances - tonight & tomorrow. It's for a good cause and lots of fun, too, so go check them out. I'm also hoping to catch Sweet Charity with West Valley Light Opera this weekend, which I hear is great!

TADA Presents Godspell!

We were lucky enough to catch one of the final dress rehearsals for TADA!'s musical, Godspell! TADA!'s group of "Blue Plaid Players" put on an annual production to raise money for the performing arts at Presentation High School in San Jose. This year's cast is full of teachers and alums from the school, along with a few parents and just happy actors. With such a motley collection, you might think the performance would be subpar - but it wasn't!

I had originally thought they had brought in ringers for Jesus and John the Baptist/Judas, but Chris Cozart (Jesus) and Eric Buell (John the Baptist/Judas) are both teachers from Presentation! Who knew the halls of this Catholic girl's school was holding so much talent!

I loved the costumes, by Diana DieBold, which were very eclectic and reminiscent of the Original production of Godspell in 1970. Director Jim Houle took the usual liberties with the script by updating a few scenes. One demonstrates the pitfalls of greed with a recent flash back to the housing debacle, and the prodigal son was retold with ... Star Wars characters! Great lighting from Heather Kenyon, too.

Other standout performers included Kristen Gradwohl, Kris Heiser, Dave Coldren, Scott King... well, and everyone else in the cast! If you get a chance to catch this show, it opens on January 16th and runs through January 24th.

Sun Carolers do it again!

The Sun Carolers did it again this year, touring the campus and delighting our fellow employees! This year was different, though - it was caught on video!

I can't embed this first one, but please check it out: The 12 Bugs of Christmas!

These other two were recorded by Deirdre Straughan and feature "I'll Be Home For Christmas", "Merry Christmas, Happy New Year" (ala Hallelujah chorus), "Carol of the Bells", "Jingle Bells", "Hanukah, Oh, Hanukah" (partial), and "Let it Snow". Enjoy!

Enjoying revival of Floradora!

We caught a fun "staged reading" of the nearly lost light opera, Floradora, this weekend. The original book was by Owen Hall, with lyrics by E. Boyd-Jones and Paul Rubens (*not* Pee-wee Herman), and music by Leslie Stuart.

This show was originally put on at the Lyric Theatre in London on 11 November 1899.  The show is about an imaginary Philippine island, Floradora, and a very sought after perfume that carries the same name.  Like many of the light operas popular at this time, the plot revolves around hidden identities, lost loves, nearly lost loves, and the making of new love connections.

While there was no single source for a score and libretto, Neil Midkiff and Mark Kenig scoured everything they could find on the show in the British Library, the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library as well as private collections, to come up with this new version. I can imagine that this was a bit like archeology and I think they did an amazing job!

The show pokes fun at the wealthy aristocrats, Americans, Phrenology (the popular pseudoscience about discerning personality traits from the bumps on one's head)  and the Royal Aquarium (which never actually housed any living fish...).

This was a lovely show. The cast of characters all had wonderful voices that carried easily in the Mountain View Center for the Performing Art's second stage, and the orchestra was a delight to listen to.  I was happy for the supertitles all the same, as the unmiced voices were sometimes difficult to understand when the singer's back was turned to you (the theater is nearly "in the round", with three audience seating areas).

We were forewarned at the top of the show that the traditional performances of this would've included a cast of up to 90 people. As the theater was quite small, the ensemble carried many roles (including being both Philippine island natives to leftover English débutantes). This was handled in quite an entertaining way - if the women had on a flower lei, she was a native. Carrying a parasol? An English deb.

My English husband did note at one point that you would never say: "a perfume at a shilling and three halfpence a bottle", but rather: "a perfume at a shilling and thrupence ha'penny" :-)

Myself, I had to wonder if the authors may have intended the chorus to have a West Country accent, as the opening number seemed to attempt to rhyme Floradora with "...we adore her".  (this opinion comes from listening to things like bananer, instead of banana... around my house :-)

The show was a bit on the long side, though, I enjoyed every song, so I can see why it was difficult to make cuts. If this were to go on the main stage at the Lyric Theatre, they may want to consider cutting "Willie Was a Play Boy", which was the only number that I noticed did not progress the plot (though it was very cute and sung well, so I can see an argument for keeping it as well).

There were only two (sold out) performances of this, but keep your eyes peeled for this to maybe one day appear as a fully staged production. It is an outstanding light opera with classic tales that does deserve to be told again.

WVLO's My Fair Lady was Fantastic!

A group of us went to Saratoga to check out West Valley Light Opera's most recent production of My Fair Lady, written by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner, based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.

Doug Baird did an outstanding  job with direction, as even with the minimalist sets, I was brought back to turn of the 20th century England.  While I expected to be jarred by the dreadful English accents, instead I found myself delighted at how I could really imagine all of these actors being from England.  Okay, my husband, who is actually English, said they weren't perfect, but on the other hand he did not find them jarring (and his father was born within the sound of Bow bells, so he knows a Cockney accent when he hears one).

Without even looking at the program, I could tell the wigs were the wonderful work of Ms Rande Harris, as the styles were spot on for the period.  Most impressive were the costumes and hats for the day at the races (Ascot), a fantastic job from Carol Clever and her long list of assistants (I'm pretty sure I recognized the handy work of Linda McKee and Richard Gaetono in there somewhere).

While there wasn't a ton of dancing, Jillian Toby-Cummings, as choreographer, did a good job getting everyone to go from street buskers from London, to Lords and Ladies at the ball.

Jade Shoejaee was fantastic and believable as Eliza Doolittle, changing her accent from a thick Cockney to a very intelligible East End lilt.  Linda McKee, as Mrs. Pearce, delighted us with her varied expressions, humorous dialog and constant costume changes.  Chris Blake had me laughing, uncontrollably, as Professor Zoltan Karpathy (the only actual English bloke in the cast... playing the Hungarian).

The Cockney quartet, (Chris Blake, Earl Masuda, Matt Tipton, and Peter Vigil) were lovely (or should I say, loverly?), and the ensemble was perfectly in tune for each scene, effortlessly taking the audience from the streets of London to the races at Ascot.  Speaking of Ascot, Kady Blake's delightful "slow walk" during that scene had me in stitches.

TJ Paganini, along with the other servants at the Higgins Estate, were top notch.  I also really enjoyed the leading gentleman, Kevin Kirby as Henry Higgins, and John Musgrave as Colonel Pickering.  Really, the entire cast was wonderful.

The show was essentially sold out on Friday night, and all of the matinees are as well, so I highly recommend you buy your tickets in advance (though I understand there are often no-shows, so you can always take a chance and show up at the theater directly).

The show is three hours long, but you would never notice, as it just keeps you laughing and humming along the entire time.

Bat Boy: The Musical!

This was quite a theater filled weekend for me, as I ventured off to see my second show of the weekend on Sunday (after a fast paced and fun bike ride) at Foothill College to see Bat Boy, The Musical!

Now, I was, I must admit, a regular follower of the Bat Boy saga, as chronicled by the Weekly World News at cash registers in supermarkets throughout the 1990s. I never actually made a purchase of that tabloid (probably why they are no longer published, as I'm sure I wasn't alone), but could not resist being drawn to the bizarre chronicals of the supposed Bat Boy. Was he good? Was he evil? Or simply misunderstood? It is a question Foothill has attempted to answer.

My friend and I enjoyed every minute of this musical experience that while never taking itself too seriously, still managed to get us to feel for Bat Boy (or Edgar, as they called him).  Robert Brewer was amazing as the Bat Boy - hanging upside down and integrating every strange character ticks that made you truly believe he was a mutant person.  His singing was beautiful and so powerful.

I've seen Tim Reynolds in many productions down in Saratoga, but never have I seen him show such depth and dynamic growth. Truly a pleasure to watch.

Many actors and actresses played several characters - switching with ease from male to female characters, delighting the audience. One of the best at this was my friend, Mike Rhone, who had us laughing uncontrollably. His portrayal of Pan was bar none!

Other standout performances were from Lisa-Marie Newton, playing the mother character Meredith, and Kateri McRae as Shelley.

The harmonies were fantastic, voices blending in such amazing ways!  The ensemble took their role very seriuosly, never broke character and really built the mood.

There's only one more weekend left - this Thursday through Saturday. Check it out!

Sheherezade: 2008 Year in Review - Fun!

Three of us went to San Francisco to catch The Playwrights' Center of San Francisco's "2008 Sheeherezade: Year in Review", a collection of very short plays - each about 8-12 minutes.  This was my first time in this cute little theater (hidden in the basement of another theater space). My friend Philip Goleman was featured in these shows, and was quite a delight.  All of the actors were very good, and they covered social issues such as Gay Marriage in California all the way to the fires that devastated Big Sur this past summer.  I did need to explain a few of them to our visitor from across the Atlantic Ocean... For example, he did not understand the motivation short play, "I Do!" about a lesbian couple contemplating getting married before the November 2008 election..."just in case", because such unions are perfectly legal in the UK.

My favorites were "How I Phelps for You", "Woman in a Box", and "Big Love: The Bigfoot Musical!"

Over all the shows were fast paced, thought provoking and/or very funny. This is their big fund raiser show, so show up, have a glass of wine and bid on some silent auctions.

Oh, and Phil was fabulous!

Look for me in Babes of Hollywood!

So, I got an email (well, several, actually) from my friend Doug this week about a fund raising show he is producing at his daughter's high school, Presentation High School. They are doing Babes in Hollywood: The Music of Garland and Rooney.  I was taking a break from performing, but, as always, after a couple months off, I start reading the audition announcements again... I saw a lot of great shows, but they either conflicted too much with ski season, or my grandmother's birthday, or upcoming friend's wedding, etc. Then I looked at this show - we get a break from rehearsal for Thanksgiving and Winter break, and perform in early January. So, I decided on Tuesday that I'd audition on Wednesday.

That didn't give me much time to prepare, but I quickly updated my resume, grabbed a head shot, listened to the few Garland tracks I have on my iPod a few times, and ran through my traditional audition song, "Turn Back O' Man" (Godspell), a few times. The ending was rusty, I haven't been making it to the Sun Singers rehearsals or my voice lessons, so I just sang it on the way down in the car and hoped the notes would be there...

It was quite a comfortable audition environment, with the director & producer on stage with me and the piano player, making it a bit easier to focus and not think about all the other auditioners sitting in the house. I was nervous, but I have sung "Turn Back O' Man" hundreds of times (it was my "go-to" audition piece long before I ever played the role of Sonia in Godspell, even though I didn't use it as an audition piece for Godspell, so it was just luck I got that part).  It all came back and I hit the high ending note - all in my chest/belt voice!

Then the director asked me, just like he'd asked everyone else, to sing Garland's "Over the Rainbow", that's when I got really nervous! What key would it be in? Where will my break be in this song? Will this stupid cold I just can't seem to get rid of screw this up?  Do I sing it hopefully like in Wizard of OZ or despondently like the tracks of Garland on my iPod? I did have to bounce between my head & chest voice, but I think it went okay. I went for the despondent ending.

The dance audition was all simple things, like pivot-turns and grapevines, so I actually did well.  As I was leaving, I asked the director when we would hear about casting decisions, and he simply told me I was cast and he'd see me at the first rehearsal. I can't wait!

Last Chance: Valerie in Best Little W****house in Texas!

Hi everyone!

We're down to our last three performances for Best
Little W****house in Texas with Actor's Theatre Center in th Historic
Hoover Theater in San Jose. Reviews have been great, but audiences have
been small. Thank you so much for all of you who have already come out
to support us! Tonight, tomorrow & Saturday night (all 8PM curtain)

This
is the toughest acting role I've ever had - my character, Shy, is not
your typical happy-go-lucky musical role, but a woman with a shattered
past that was so tragic and difficult that life as a "working girl" was
seen as a big step up. This show is so much more dynamic that most
other ones I've seen - there are sad and touching moments, right along
with amazingly hilarious ones and upbeat dance numbers!

This is
based on a true story, right down to the wig-wearing, over the top,
"consumer activist" television star - that will have you rolling in the
aisles.

I am so proud to be working with everyone of the actors
on this stage - everyone is top notch (many of whom you've seen before
with me or in shows we've gone to see together).

The Palo Alto Daily quite liked us:
http://www.paloaltodailynews.com/article/2008-5-2-brothel-musical
(actresses are mislabeled - I haven't gone blond! :-)

Folks on Artsopolis enjoyed it, too:
http://www.artsopolis.com/event/detail/29869

Theater info:
http://theatrecenter.biz/id126.html

You can buy tickets online or at the door.

C'mon down! A good time to be had by all!

ATC's Best Little W'house in Texas is honkey tonkin' along!

So we had a fantastic opening weekend for ATC's Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, even though I was sick.  I'm just now starting to feel a bit better, so I'm really excited about this weekend.  The show is really great, if I do say so myself :-)  Everyone who has come has had nothing but nice things to say.  I can't get the music out of my head, which is probably a good thing - it will help me keep the harmonies straight.  This show is never done, which is odd, because it has such a touching story, fantastic songs and so much more depth than a normal cheesy musical.

Y'all come back now, ya hear! 

first rehearsal on stage....

Last night we got to use the actual stage for the first time for ATC's Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. In some places, the stage is MUCH bigger ...in others, smaller than what we practiced with. That's what adding props and set pieces does to a little theater group ;)  The stage is much wider, and now we have access to the stage and the platforms that are between the orchestra pit and the rest of the audience.  Spacing was an interesting challenge last night, so we spent a lot of time last night fixing the big dance numbers. I only whacked one person with my tamborine last night... unfortunately I got poor Heidi more than once. I promise I'll be much more careful tonight!

Tonight we should have a few more of our costumes - I'll get a chance to try out my velcro tear off denim overalls (how else do you take off overalls over cowboy boots when you have 15 seconds to change?!?!)  I never thought I'd be wearing tear off clothing for a show... :-)