Unscripted - A Blog for Actors - Backstage

I'm Writing a Song!

In my efforts to build working relationships in the industry, I've met some fantastic young composers. But what I'm particularly interested in is collaborations. I want to be involved from the beginning, give opinions, and help make changes. In a fun turn of events, this desire has led me into one such collaborative relationship with an up-and-comer: 

We are writing a song together. Possibly a musical theater song cycle.

I'm a writer (blogger, creative writer, playwright), but I have never really tried to write a song. When I was in junior high and high school I certainly thought about it. I attempted to write lyrics. I thought up melodies. But I never knew what I was doing…and believe me, none of it was any good. 

Working with this composer has been an incredible learning experience for me so far. I get a peek into his brain. Right now we are developing a character and story. We haven't yet pinpointed exactly which parts of the story will make it into the song. 

Thanksgiving is Over and I'm Still Thankful

As I walked the city streets, headed to my Monday dance classes yesterday, it hit me- New York is my city. Performing is my life. I am so lucky to be where I want to be, doing what I want to do.  

I returned to New York at midnight on Thursday from an extended Thanksgiving trip in my hometown of Birmingham, AL.  The next day I went into rehearsal. The show was a cabaret showcase type deal for a composer friend of mine. She had put together an incredibly talented group of people to sing from her body of work. This is exactly the work I want to be doing! These are the people I want in my network.

Getting to the day of the show was tricky. My song was changed last minute to a duet, which I had to learn on my own while in Alabama. The only rehearsal my song partner and I had was the Friday one I mentioned above. Yes it was only one song, but this concert was for the composer. We wanted to get it right for her. 

Is It Always Beneficial to Work with an Agent?

Unscripted readers, I have a question for you. When you are focussed on projects at the reading and workshop levels are agents interested in working with you?

Living and working in New York for over 4 years now, I've gone through a lot of transitions. 

When I first got here it was all about gaining experience. I auditioned for anything and everything, wanting to build my resume with New York and regional credits...it didn't really matter so much what the credits were. I wanted to be able to support myself financially through my craft alone. And eventually I wanted this all to lead to life as a Broadway leading lady. 

A few years later I realized I specifically wanted to focus on musical theater, as apposed to booking just any kind of paying gig. When I realized I wanted to get laser-focussed I pretty much stopped auditioning for anything else. But, within the MT realm, I auditioned for every project out there that fit my type. Of course…always with Broadway in mind for my future. And oh yeah, I started actively trying to get an agent to help reach all of these goals. 

When Life Hands You Lemons...Sing Through It

Today, for the first time, my voice malfunctioned in an audition. Contrary to what I would have expected, the sky didn’t come crashing down.

My singing voice is pretty reliable. Even if I’m not feeling great, and I don’t sound my best, it tends to perform well under pressure. I’ve had moments of concern upon entering the audition room and then ended up pleasantly surprised by how well things went. And even if my voice isn’t at peak performance, it’s rare for it to be in such a state that the panel can tell something’s wrong.

But today was a new day my friends.

I went to an audition that I was pretty excited about. The show was by a composer I love whose work is little performed. I was all geared up to do a piece by him. 

When I woke up this morning I knew my voice wasn’t at it’s best, but figured I could make it through my 30 seconds in the room. I went in, talked with the accompanist, and was excited to sing this song I love but don’t get to do very often.

The music started. I opened my mouth. As soon as I started singing I new something was wrong. I could feel the gunk moving in on me. And this time it was audible. It was obvious that I needed a drink of water or to clear my throat. Of course, there was nothing else for me to do but to sing through it.

Why are Holding Rooms So Quiet?

I had a lovely audition this morning for a new musical world premier. On Friday I auditioned for two shows to run at incredibly well respected theaters. Those auditions went well too. The interesting thing is how empty all of these great opportunities were. Where did all of the actors go?

I've noticed this happening a lot lately with auditions. No one is showing up. Usually things are slower during the summer months, but come fall the audition studios are hopping! New college grads just moved here, or just got their Equity Cards at a summer stock or tour. They are jazzed about getting start and audition for everything. Audition veterans are making up for the lost time in the summer when they decided to take that extra week of vacation. But this year things are different. What's going on?

Help Me Find My Dance Home

I’m on the path to being a dancer again, but I need your help!

Even before getting injured, I was never a big fan of ballet. Tap, jazz and theater dance were much more up my alley. But my lack of ballet training was always evident in my dancing. I’m convinced that lack of technique was a big contributing factor to my injury.

Since I was starting over again anyway, I decided why not do it the right way this time? I have been going to 2-3 ballet classes a week for almost 3 months now. At first, I forced myself through the ballet with constant reminders of how important it is for me. But as I started to gain back some dancer confidence, and just allow my body to take it all in, it became less of a struggle and more enjoyable.

That part of my brain is starting to defrost a bit, and my dancer muscles are slowly but surely re-engaging. Thankfully, I am starting to feel less like a beginner and more like dance and I are getting reacquainted. 

But even though ballet and I are friendly now, I’m still left wanting more. At this level, ballet class is almost all technique work. I’ve had few opportunities to completely let go. To just be on the dance floor. I guess that’s why I am feeling a constant pull to get back into tap and jazz classes. 

8 Bars vs. Typing

Yesterday I went to a packed audition. We all expected the casting team would decide to type. To our surprise they didn’t! Instead, they asked us to sing 8 bars. 8 bars! Oy.

Did they make the right decision? I understand the need to take action when an audition is that crowded. I appreciate the desire to give everyone a fair shot by not limiting the audition to a certain number of people. But here’s the thing: Whether it’s typing or 8 bars, does either situation make sense for the casting process?

Let’s consider typing first. Sure, some shows require a specific look. For others though, this isn’t the case. What purpose does typing serve then? I suppose the casting team gets a chance to consider your resume and see you in person. But doesn’t this mean they run the risk of missing out on auditioning someone truly wonderful because her resume doesn’t look like someone else’s?

On the other hand, if they do have a specific look in mind, or want someone with a certain level of credits, then no matter how fantastic you are, auditioning for them would waste everyone’s time. Right?

As for 8 bars, pros are that they get an example of the quality of your voice and get a hint at your personality. But one very important con: when it comes to acting, there are very few songs that tell a story in 8 bars. Heck, I have some songs that end with 8 bars of one note. (Side note: can you imagine going in and only singing 8 bars of a held note? Hilarious! I’m sure that’s happened at an 8 bar audition before).

Anything Can Happen in a Recording Session

I woke up in the morning expecting to do some writing, teach a voice lesson and have a coffee meeting. Instead I ended up trying to help an Italian politician I never heard of get the women’s vote. Oh well, that’s the life of a voice talent!

I got a call to do a voice over gig!...that day...in Italian (or maybe not. They weren’t sure yet)...and no idea what the content or project type was..and oh yeah, it was to take place an hour after I received the call. Phew. This business moves fast!

 “No problem!” I said. And why not? Here was someone offering me work in my chosen profession. What a fantastic opportunity!  And to top it all off, the call came from a production company I admire and have been dying to work with. I didn’t even consider turning them down.

 Off to the recording session I went!

How Newsies Changed My Life

Newsies is on stage! A childhood dream come true. I will never forget the hours I spent watching my Newsies VHS and the impact it had on me growing up. And since that first viewing I dreamed of one day putting it on stage. Well Disney and Paper Mill Playhouse beat me to it, but that's ok.

The movie came out the same year I started working with my hometown theater company. They held (and still do) an annual musical theater youth summer workshop. The release of Newsies and my attendance in that first summer workshop changed my life.

My interest in musical theater started when I was no more than 4 years old, and my parents took me to see local shows and touring productions that came to town. Some shows had children in the cast, and I always wondered if maybe one day I could be one of those kids. Then I saw Newsies. 

It was amazing to me that kids could sing and dance like that, and doing it in a movie?! For the whole world to see?! Well, I couldn't believe it. Even at that young age (I was 7 at this point), I could recognize the accomplishment of these kids both on and off screen.

Ever Wonder What It's Like to Be a Child Actor?

An audition today for Mary Poppins left me thinking about my childhood. Apparently they were auditioning children too, and I couldn't help but think about how different my life would have been had I grown up near the city.

I have always worked in professional theater...just not in New York. Various people carted me off everyday to rehearsals, lessons and performances. I spent my summers in awe of the b-list Broadway actors brought in to star in my local pro theater company's main-stage shows.

As a child I worked with these people and learned from them, longing for the day when I would be flown in from New York to fill their shoes. I imagined the children in the cast looking at me, their eyes all aglow, and I would tell them stories of when I was a little girl on that same stage.

Seeing Great Work Keeps Me Going

A word of advice: If you are ever feeling lost in this business and need a little boost, I highly recommend going to see a really great live performance.

I also think seeking out smaller theater companies is a great way to remind yourself why you do this. There tends to not be a lot of money in smaller local theater companies. That means that the forces behind them are there because the work is important to them. Well, the work is important to me too, so that environment should be a good fit.

Last night I saw, for the first time, Side by Side by Sondheim with Singing OnStage Productions, and it was inspiring!

Do Actors Ever Take Breaks?

No, that's not the New York City skyline folks. That's Chicago, and it's where I spent my lovely Labor Day weekend. 

I was there half on vacation and half for a family event. And even though I fully intended to enjoy all the city has to offer, and take a small break from New York and work, I found myself thinking about popping into a few auditions.

I’m curious what it’s like to audition in other markets. But is it just curiosity or the fact that I don’t know how to stop working?

Horoscope = Amazing Advice

One day early last month I was feeling kind of low.  I didn't get called in to audition for a project that I really wanted to be a part of and it seemed like every other girl I know did.  I hadn't booked anything in awhile and after logging on to Facebook, I was bombarded with status updates of everyone's recent bookings.  I wanted to scream.  I actually did scream.  I just couldn't understand why nothing was happening  for me.

I needed some comfort food to make me feel better.  So I went to my local grocery store and picked up chips with queso.  While there I randomly bought the NY Post (I never buy the paper on Thursday).  I turned to my horoscope and it read:

Learning How to Network

I attended a great (free!) event this week: The Savvy Summer Happy Hour. 

If you haven’t heard of Savvy Actor definitely look into it. It’s an organization that teaches actors how to be business people. Taking their course has changed my entire career. 

Among a whole host of other things they do, Savvy Actor sponsors frequent networking events. Like any business, a big part of performing is who you know.

A Much Needed Vacation

As you read this post I am most likely lounging lakeside with my Kindle, or taking in the view from a mountain-top hike. Maybe I'm even on a boat savoring a sumptuous picnic lunch. Frankly, I can't say what I'm doing because I am writing this post in advance.

I leave for a week-long vacation tomorrow!

I have learned so much about New York City since I moved here over 4 years ago, but perhaps the most important fact I’ve picked up is this: it is extra important that you leave it from time to time. 

We have family on Long Island. On occasion, we go out for weekend visits. The moment I get off the LIRR and breathe that fresh air, look around at all the space, and listen to the quiet I feel at ease. 

Roosevelt Island

My boyfriend is an avid biker.  He uses his bike to go into Manhattan from Queens more often than he uses the train.  I am not an avid biker.  In fact, when I played the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz, my understudy had to ride the bike in the tornado scene because the figure 8's were just too much for me with wooden cows flying around.  Hey, let's face it:  once the Wicked Witch crashes her bike she's just not scary anymore!

The idea of biking in Manhattan terrifies me, but on our quest to get healthy my man has convinced me to ride a bike around Queens and into Brooklyn.  I am, of course, always a beakon of safety with a helment and flashing things and bells all over me.  For the past few weeks, he was on a quest to get me to ride to Roosevelt Island with him.

Why I Love the Equity News

One of the things I love most about being an actor in New York is reading my Equity Newsletter on the Subway.

When I first moved to this city, more than anything else, I wanted my Equity card. I know that being part of the stage actor’s union is not the most important thing for all actors. Perhaps there is even more work out there if you are not a part of the union. But the fact of the matter is that my goal is to be a Broadway actor. Broadway stages are Equity stages and therefore, I need to be Equity.

I did attend a few non-eq auditions when I got here, but for the most part it was Equity all the way. I was one of those fools who arrived at 5:30 in the morning to put my name on the unofficial sign-up list*. I would bring my lunch and a good book and sit around all day. 

I knew that, usually, if I waited long enough the other non-eqs would give up and most of those on the Equity alternate list would not come back. And because I was willing, on occasion, to wait around for up to 10 hours (yes, this actually happened) I got seen. There I was, newly a New Yorker, auditioning for The Great White Way. It was not glamorous, but to me it was amazing.

I was really lucky in that I didn’t have to endure those crazy hours for too long. I started actively going to Equity auditions in October and had my card by January. Flash forward 4 years to me riding the subway enthralled by my Equity Newsletter.

Part of my love for the newsletter is that I know what went into ensuring it arrives in my mailbox every month, but it goes deeper than that really. A specific community of people receive this paper, and the common thread of being a stage actor ties us all together. As I peruse the theater-related headlines and read about things like which theatrical veteran is being honored where, there are 49,000 members doing the same thing. 

Give It a Chance

"Busy is thee!" As stated  plenty of times before, I am trying to become the best multitasker one can be. So much to write! Oh my, where do I begin? From my frustrations and low days, to my high & feel good days. The ups and down of being a working actor. A working but also student and full time-working in the real world-actor. Will do my very best to update and write down my thoughts on Unscripted as much as I can.

Re-Capturing the Joy of Dance

I had a breakthrough! In my last post I mentioned that dance no longer brings me the same joy it used to. Today, for one brief moment, I finally re-captured that joy.

My transition back to dance has been tough so far, and very humbling. I am supposed to be a professional performer, and I look like an amateur. I've felt that dreaded self-consciousness creep in at times, and I've definitely looked like a fool. And after nearly 20 years of training I've had to start at the beginning, almost as if all those years were just a figment of my imagination.

Today I attended a Theater Dance class (at the beginner level) for the first time in who knows how long. As a musical theater actor Theater Dance is like comfort food for my body- or it used to be. And even though the across-the-floors were rudimentary, they gave me an incredible opportunity.

We went across the floor to "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray. It is impossible to hold back when dancing to that song, isn't it? I'm realizing now that that sense of abandon is what I've been missing in my return to dance. The combination was incredibly simple, but it went perfectly with the sentiment of the music.

Strong Roots

FOR my first year at USC, I struggled with a lot of the movement that was casually yet seriously demanded of us from the very first days. I had no idea what a physically challenging program I had been accepted into! Tiger leaps, full backbends from standing, forward and backward rolls, headstands, peking opera jumps and a general level of flexibility, strength and stamina was expected and encouraged from the first week and throughout the first year.

At times, I was stunned by what was asked of us -- and after repeatedly failing, I felt exhilirated when I finally was able to do something I thought impossible. Succeeding required me to talk to myself differently. I was on new terrain. Though I thoroughly enjoy dance, yoga, and subtler movement practices like Feldenkrais work and frequently try out new things at the gym and like to move freely as much as possible, I hardly have a gymnastics background and wouldn't have dreamed of the things I am doing or practicing regularly now.