Gold Digging Nuns On Wall Street

Sister Act Tour ECC. Quite often word gets around Equity that they aren't really hiring. Today was one of those days. Only a quarter of the women on the last showed up. They saw us all. And sang no one. It wasn't difficult. It was just a lot of mind tricky hand work. I was in the second to last group. The other three girls included two girls who obviously cam together and had no idea what they were doing and a fresh faced youngster who was very eager. She kept doing the proper step when I (front and center baby) skipped an 8. The other two followed me and didn't know what to do. Their ensuing giggles meant we all got to start over from the beginning with the choreographer. And I felt like a total ass. Oh well. Onward to potential gold digging. I was glad to find that none of us were very good at it, but it was fun to get out with single ladies. We had a good time. And Stone St is super cute! It's also nice to have new girlfriends in New York. Late night diner snacking with the roomie and on home I went to business and Beethoven (I find it makes office work seem tortured and more dramatically artsy when it is accompanied by my favorite of dramatic musicians!) Tom- An early start to an open call. New Jersey Transit does not do well with weekends.

Video Round Up

Slow no audition day. Feeling under the weather but I was still productive. Just not with the laundry. I got my Showboat contract. Joining AGMA! It's signed and heading back in the mail for the last set of signatures. I'm a big person now! Edited up a choreo reel. Decided to leave my two favorite Kids on Stage dances off of it. They are on my website, just not the reel. The magic of Bananaphone is lost without their piping little off key voices. Plus, it's such a unique project (choreographed with the kids in two weeks. A vast undertaking with 6 year olds. And teenagers.) I seem to edit my website much like I clean out my closet. Throw a little out. Come back a few weeks later and edit again. Or throw out a stained t-shirt. Whichever I happen to be doing. :) And if you haven't stalked my website far enough to see this (I wouldn't have), this is precious! Kisses! And a happy almost friday to all. :*

It's Cold Outside And Too Darn Hot At The Weathervane

I'm getting into the swing of it. Still not quite on my A game, but not bad. But you also forget when you're away how much auditioning can suck. And why is it cold again? It's almost May! (And I was trying to avoid my laundry. But I have no clean pants. Laundry mat ahoy!) Yesterday I tried to to hit two calls. I was trying for a non union dinner theatre doing Seussical in Ohio. I'v friends who have worked there and currently are working there. The stories have been from downright horror, to I had a good time. Eh. It's a job. They moved so slow with 8 bars that I left to go to a dance call across Times Square. Where they weren't really looking for dancers. It was for another non union theatre but for a huge chunk of their season. They were not looking for Oklahoma ballerinas. Or they thought they could do without them. Which makes me sad for their production. Two auditions no good in one day. Oh well. Went and grabbed food with the always enjoyable Stahcey. And then got home and fell promptly into my bed and fast asleep. The first night in a while without my readjustment insomnia! My body is no longer freaking out about not having a real schedule. Which is great. Today I meant to hit two ECCs, but sleep deprived body didn't like the 7am alarm. They specifically said cheerleaders and I'm not even a 60's cheerleader (Nutty Professor). Slept and hit a 2pm ECC (much better) for Weathervane Rep's summer season. It went well. They have Kiss Me Kate on their season, so we were Too Darn Hotting it. And it was really hot. A furious (and fun) minute long combo that ended with us all falling on the floor. Leaving massive sweat marks. (Or at least I did. I don't know how some dancers stay pretty and clean while I am literally dripping.) We were literally doing several different plays on the jumping jack. My curls were definitely gone and replaced with the wet rat look, but I was happy with how I did. I'm still working on retaining long combos, but it wasn't bad and the style felt good. They're calling/emailing people they want to see sing later on in the week. Which is interesting. They were super nice, and if nothing else, free class. It's the MT dancer's mantra. Not a bad afternoon. It's weird as auditions come up that interfere with my Showboat contract. It's so far away. I had so little time before My Fair Lady it feels weird to have this much time. Weird, but fabulous! Made plans with a few dancer friends for Friday after the ECC. Diane is freshly single, I'm still in denial, and Elizabeth doesn't want to deal with men. (Agreed) And we have all sworn off poor boys.(I like them too much). Plus Diane declared a need for straight non theater men. So we are heading to happy hour on Wall Street after the Sister Act ECC on Fri. It feels gold diggey, but I will do my best to have fun. As always, it's hard to make some of the gay boys look straight. But a ball cap on a gay British chorus boy does not a straight American make. :) And I like the green granny boots. Alot.

The Bitch Is Back

Do me a favor, and play the Bitch is Back while reading this. Or Queen Bitch if you prefer Bowie to Elton. It makes me feel better if nothing else. Off key singing along gets you awesome points. And yes. I picked the videos with the most ridiculous outfits. Which is difficult for those two. Oddly enough, neither look involves a shirt. And I wouldn't exactly put either man on a sex symbol list. It just makes me laugh. Which is good. Start your music! Today was much like the weather. Not cool. Audition number one- Ginger Rogers Musical. Somehow, I can't be tough and feminine at the same time. I just become Idgie Threadgood. I will make you into BBQ and smile if you beat my friends. Plus, I look great in overalls. Yeah. Not what they were looking for. In between that and the next one, got a phone call of- can you come in today? Why not? Trip for free things to kill time. Back to MAC free lipstick and Vicky's Secret free panties. In pretty much the same shade of ridiculously hot pink. (I am enjoying this decade of color before somebody decides we ought to go back to neutrals. And I probably won't go to neutrals when they return. Cause they're boring.) Audition number two- sang my first cut. No great response. Asked for the second. I proceed to get flusteered. I act it and sing it decently, and then my last phrase occurs. Hand soon. Instead of and soon with an odd hiccup along with that h. They did not ask me to come back and dance. If I go to the open dance call on Wed for them, am I being plucky and resileint or just pissing them off? I have already gambled poorly once on singing first. I will probably be pissing them off. Onto the next one. The phone call had been interesting (note sarcasm). It was for a recording for the guy who wrote Santa Baby. He is old and deaf. His mousey middle aged daughters acts as his secretary. The job paid very little. And he wanted me to come back. At this point, I have been lugging three pairs shoes, one of which are taps, and my book all day long. I have trecked from multiple studios to his apartment/office on 77th. I have been up since 7. I was done. I was not going to go to NOLA 5 hours later. I politely declined. And came home. And ate the rest of my birthday cupcakes with my crazy Bettie Davis eyes and Elton John. After I book a job, I always feel like queen of the world. Then I go back to the reality of how many jobs you don't book. Highs to lows. It just makes me whiney which is no good. Reality check to Courtney. At least I am back home with a cup of tea for now. I need to reboot, hire a Sherpa for carrying my stupid tap shoes, and get ready for another day of it. As my father said, make a hot toddy and have a bubble bath. Wise words!

A Birthday List For A New Year (Apologies For The Length)

So today was my 23rd birthday. A rather uneventful one. Which was super nice. Being booked already for Showboat puts me out of a lot of auditions. Result: today got to be gloriously lazy! My roomie made me chocolate cupcakes with pink icing and put at least one pink candle in every one. Some had two pink candles. We then decided pink champagne was in order. After one bottle was split between the crew, we decided another bottle was necessary despite our dwindling numbers. It's a good thing we live almost next door to a liquor store! (I think we entertain the owners. The wife likes my lime green wallet and always comments on it. Though I didn't know what she meant by pocketbook for the longest time. Can you translate that to Southern for me?) Champers flowing and full of cupcakes, we watched Chess (Adam, Idina, and Josh-ee rocking it out) and 42nd St. Really, we talked through them more than anything. I'm another year older. Still green as can be in New York City, but I've learned a few things in the past year. 1. I can do this. I've had my doubts and my insomniac nights. I can make it. I might not be to everyone's taste, but I just have to find the people I gel with. The Dave Campbells and Michael Leeds are out there and waiting to hire me. And you can both hire me again if you like. I had too much fun with you two! What was that Michael said about me making a great Irma La Douce? :) 2. I have to have confidence in myself for other people to have confidence in me. 3. New York City has never been the magical place to me that it was to my MT friends in college. It's a dirty and very fast place to make a living. It's still not a magical city, but I have found a quiet pleasure in wandering through the noise and crowds. Let's be honest. I loved it in January when there were no tourists. I deal with it the rest of the time. 4. Rich Jewish kids have way more fun at bar mitzvahs than I did in the parish hall at my first confirmation. But I gave my grandmother the best gift I could when I asked her to be my sponsor. Her joy made my experience all the better than the glitzy mitzvahs I've worked. Though a DJ would have been cool. 5. My family is always there and supportive. From my comp geek boo to my weather boy boo to my goofy mother and my pooh bear of a dad, each and every one of you has my back. Thank you. 6. Even in New York people surprise you. I'm an overly critical person, but there is a lot of awesome out there just waiting to rise to the occasion. 7. Americanos are tastiest in New York City. I dunno why. Maybe the energy of the two things just matches up. They never quite taste as good as they do when you are walking down 8th Ave. 8. I don't need to always fit in. Confession: I've stopped wearing Laducas to auditions. I'm happier in my Capezio Choruses. Too long in point shoes and pulling toe tricks in tap shoes means the soft box on Laducas bothers me. It doesn't matter if I match the other chick's shoes. It matters most that I am confident and at my most comfortable best. 9. I still want silver heels and granny boots. Most dancers want silver heels. We who do lots of dead white people musicals want granny boots. (My friend who was our Eliza also exhibited granny boot lust. She is also a pro at dead white people shows!) 10. Gay brunch is a special phenomenon. I had LAMAO brunch in college all the time, but I had never experienced gay brunch until My Fair Lady. The biggest difference between the two is the amount of alcohol flowing. And only one discusses books written by dead white people. Your guess which one has which. :) 11. Sometimes I am ready to conquer a fear. Sometimes I am not. Most of the time I'll fall on my face until I figure it out, but sometimes I do need to step back and watch the bruises heal. Just don't step back too long. 12. So much of theatre has diddley to do with your audition. Especially in todays tight budgets, getting covers right, men's heights, existing costumes, and so many other details can cut you out. So I try not to get hurt feelings and throw elevator hissy fits when I'm cut. Cause I've watched enough of those to know that they are not flattering. 13. Facebook venting is also unattractive. And people who can hire me can see those hissy fits. Because if I've worked with you, you are my facebook friend. Facebook hissy fits are an example of bad networking. 14. I will ever be androgynous. It's trendy, but I just ain't! 15. Locals can be bizzare, but there is also a good chance there is a sweet as punch center to their craziness. 16. People in glass houses should not throw bricks. I am also weird and crazy. I shouldn't judge harshly. I have no right. 17. I will never be able to sing S'Wonderful without thinking of my grandma. She was marvelous. :) 18. The price of the the booze ain't important. It's worth only the company that it keeps. (Though I still like my dad's very aged scotch!) 19. Having quirky nail polish makes me happy. 20. I have amazing luck in roommates both on the job and in real life. 21. Bourbon balls are amazing candy from Kentucky. In fact, I think the state deserves accommodation for such greatness. 22. Jersey Gardens is a terrifying and wonderful place. Jersey might not excel at the megachurch, but they excelled at the megamall. In fact, I don't think they can be beat. 23. There is no shame in getting free Godiva chocolate and free panties from Victoria's Secret and nothing else. And for luck... 24. There is nothing like a new pair of heels. (Something I already knew, but it never hurts to say it again. And again. And again.) So there is my birthday list. Fueled by some cheap pink bubbly and happy feelings towards all my well wishers. Hope the upcoming year brings as much as this last one has. I'm ready. Bring it! (And to Hugh Dancy, Stacey and are coming this week to see you in Venus in Fur. And I have some good Scotch in my flask to toast you with!) Slainte!

More Mitzvahs! Hopefully.

I'm on the roster for another party/corporate event company. Who also says that you can make
a lot of dough. We shall see. No choreo for them and generally no silly costumes. Sadly, I secretly enjoy some the supertacky Chezzam stuff. But a girl has got to pay her bills! Hopefully it won't ever become a weird conflict of interest. Fingers crossed that Total entertainment means no background!
I was going to apply at the New York Kids Club, but now I am going to wait and see how this pans out. I can only have so many weekend jobs before scheduling becomes a nightmare! Fingers crossed.

Swinging Showboat Through Christmas And Into 2013

It didn't quite work out the way that I wanted it to, but still not a bad gig to have. I am going to be the dance ensemble cover for Showboat at Houston Grand Opera. In theatre words, I'm the swing.
Good thing:
1. Only three roles to learn. Making my first gig as a swing an easy one.
2. Pay is the same. Still phenomenal.
3. I should get the cherry red granny boots.
4. Lots of space for when I'm getting paid to sit in the dressing room just in case. (See pictures of me in my closet dressing station at the Stage Door. It's so much bigger and better!)
5. Will be with my family for the holidays.
6. Working with a top notch director and a top notch choreographer.
7. Good resume credit.
8. An opportunity to be smarter than Katherine Mcphee's character on Smash. (Not hard to do. She's going to to give theatre people a bad name acting that clueless.)
9. Opportunity to join AGMA.
I had a definite feeling from the audition that the Ellie cover would the middle height of the three dancers. I didn't realize that she would be in the dance ensemble. I should have sung for Ellie. I'm still learning about reading thru the lines on audition notices. But still. Not a bad gig If I may say so. And cherry red granny boots!!!!!!!!!!!!

If You Can Can Can

Came down to Houston for Showboat auditions. It went week. She kept me to the end. I killed the can can and did well on the ballet. If I don't book it, it won't be because of anything I did. Getting an Ellie and an Ellie cover is going to be a little rough out of who was at that call. That is where the real work for the casting will be.
I didn't run into as many people as I thought I would. There were a lot of new and very young faces. A girl I went to high school with was there. As the dancers don't have to sing, she and several others there were not musical theatre kids. She went to school at the University of Alabama and I ran into her ACDFA a few years ago. Her technique is beautiful, but like most of the dancers I see coming out of that program, the soul and the feeling isn't quite there. Addie, who I just did MFL with, came out of OKCU as a dancer. As crazy as the program is there, Addie is a beautiful example of combining the acting with the technique. With really fierce hair and a very sweet person to wrap it all up in. Shannon is also very sweet and very technically strong, but the emotion just isn't there. There is almost a slight sadness at dancing peeking thru her smile that never changes. The need to dance that has to be there in musical theatre is never really there. You sing when you too enthused to speak and when you can no longer sing about it, you move up that escalator of emotion and dance.
It was nice to back in the Wortham and learn a good chunk of new material. Waltzing and can canning are both fun and easy for me. I can canned for Jesus (anyone who knows me knows that this is the kind of hokey nonsense I excel at. And I werked it!) and now I move onto the next thing.
After last week being so slow, it's heating back up in the city. Lots of auditions to go to. Hurrah! There is nothing more panicking that not knowing what is coming next and having an empty planner. I like it to be chock full of dances to learn and songs to sing!

Reel-y Bad Jokes :)

Confessions:
I have spent the last three days working on a stronger demo reel. Which means I have:
1. Rarely left my apartment.
2. Not put on makeup or one my hair. (A rarity for me.Though I did shower daily.)
3. Spent enough time on the computer to make a gamer jealous. (And it was all for work. Hahaha)
4. Lived off a diet of black coffee, cinnamon raisin toast, and clearance Easter candy. (Blue tongue with the robin's eggs y'all!)
5. Have sworn. Alot. Technology does that to me (Especially because I am bad about installing the five million updates. Which apparently were needed for me to use real movie editing software and not just youtube video editor. Balzac.)
6. Have started referring to software updates as Sherpas. I do not want Sherpas, but Windows makes me hire them. (Apologies to any real Sherpas. I am imagining Terry Pratchett-esque Sherpas running around in my computer. Please do not be offended. It's like my version of smurfs. Or sock gnomes.)
7. Put on a variety of old lady hats to see if they help me think. Conclusion: the tiara just helps me twirl and the cloche hats make me want to Charleston. My Grandmother's yellow pillbox with the big bow is my best bet.
8. Thought long and hard about how much of a throwback I am. No freestyle hip hop or so you think you can dance action in any of my videos. (Well. Slight so you think you can dance.)
9. Realized I have lots of crooked picture frames on the wall. Though the Hay Fever one looks a little drunk. Which is highly appropriate.
10. Sat in a variety of really unlady-like positions while wearing a dress. (I'm alone and being a lady is uncomfortable. And a moot point after this list.)
So now I have a new reel and a growing desire to hit any downloading, exporting, importing, or whatever else computers make you wait for in slow moving bars. They really make me feel slightly homocidial. And Robin's Eggs are making me sick. Maybe this isn't that abnormal for me. Minus the no lipstick of course! Frightening thought.
Here it is!



And how do I feel? Like 'zis!



Please excuse my French and the large amounts of awful jokes in this post! (Including and especially that last one.)

A Rough Road (Literally) Into Robert Goulet Day!

My Robert Goulet day ended being a much needed. Sunday was a day of days.
Saturday, however, was fabulous. It was lazy, then I met a few Texas friends up for some coffee in the city. It was fabulous to meet up with old friends and make a few new ones. Plus Texas chocolate from Troy!
Sunday was an adventure as I ony I can manage to have them. I had done my minor Easter celebrations the night before and was ready to work. As Princess Fiona. I was driving thru Manhattan and pick in people up, which is never fun. The potholes in Jersey City made it even more fun.
There is always a debate when driving thru Manhattan from Jersey. Lincoln Tunnel more tolls and traffic. Holland Tunnel-fewer tolls, less waiting, and ganky roads in Jersey City. With the Easter Bonnet parade and the holiday, I went for the Holland Tunnel. Less than five minutes from the Tunnel, I hit a massive pothole. I have hit it before, but this time, it won. My tire was completely blown.
Pulled over at a BP, with panick fluttering in my chest. Luckily, one of the gas station attendants was able to help me out, so my flat got replaced by my spare fairly quickly. Back on the road and onto work.
My garden angel must be a Latin American man. Louis the PA and Pablo the gas station attendant both saved me from possible tears and rough moments this week. Sending thanks to them both! (Though I am sure neither of them will ever find uthi. And I did give Pablo a homemade cupcake. Yum!)
The gig was all right. The dress was fixable with safety pins. The Beyonce wig looked more Fiona like once it was braided. And Shrek, Donkey, and I only made a few kids cry. (I had one little boy who was enamored and will be writing an invitation for me to come visit his house. Though I didn't quite give him an address beyond Far Far Away. Does the postman deliver there?)

Minus my Burger King crown. The wig is also Chezzam's Beyonce wig. Why it doubles this way, I do not know.
I crashed early after my 12 hour day. Onto a new audition. A theatre looking for resident interns for the fall for Rocky, Zelda, Almost Maine, and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. I sang my cut well, casting director Tara Rubin liked my dress, and I didn't fit what they were looking for. One win for the clothes horse! No callback. But I did paint my fingernails Smurf blue when I got home!
Robert Goulet Day for the win! Nothing perks up your spirits like some cheesey stache action. May it always be there when I need it! :-)
Sunrise, Sunset via older Goulet. Thanks to my co-founder! Nixon and Chilton are at it again. Who knows what holiday we will make up next? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63f32Uu3vfc&sns=em

Looking Foward To The First Ever Robert Goulet Day! (Mon April 9)

Got seen at a Legally Blonde ECC today. It wasn't my best moment but
1. I got seen.
2. I retained a big chunk of new choreo since the first time since my return to New York.
3. I always make new friends at calls that include this show. Or run into old ones. Good vibes and good times.
4. I wore a pink flower bow in my hair. Which is always a good thing.
No callback, but no shame. I know I always feel better in old school MT auditions. Legally Blonde has rampant of late, but I really just want a 42nd Street or a My Fair Lady. I'm a throwback, which isn't always a bad thing.
On a very different, grand, and cheesy note, one of my old college roomies and I are declaring a new holiday to help us keep our sanity. This Monday, April 9, 2012, is the first ever Robert Goulet day. Put on your mustache and proclaim "C'est Moi!" Loudly and proudly. Celebrate the swarthy cheesiness of one of my favorite golden age hunks. (And send me a picture of your stash wearing self!)
One of my fav Goulet videos. Go down the YouTube blackhole of Goulet and enjoy these gems!
Young Goulet making hearts melt in Kiss Me Kate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-O_5E_IK9g&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Older Goulet with Dame Shirley Bassey (tee hee hee) with extreme cheesiness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8InyBFkcw8o&feature=youtube_gdata_player
If you deal with Rex Harrison, look who you get next. Just you wait Henry Higgins! I found a better one than Freddy. ;)

The Best Laid Plans....

I was hoping for another My Fair Lady. They were looking for Cats not not cockneys. Type out! Still jobless for the summer. Balzac.
I'm working on Chezzam gig on Sunday. I found out today it is the only Chezzam gig booked for April. So. Let the job hunting begin. I've got several leads. I will enjoy my Sunday as Princess Fiona (wearing flats and hanging out with Donkey, Shrek, and rich kids on Long Island!l and then start the hunt. I always have possibilities in Houston for temporary summer work.
I did my taxes this evening. Three hours of fun. I am now completely fried and drinking wine. So not much writing for me tonite! Actually, considering all that, I have written a lot. Happy taxes to us all!

Back in the Thick Of It

I have been busy as a bee. Well, a bee who underestimates the temperature in New York on a regular basis. Sweaters have not been enough of late.tyI wrote this yesterday at about 11 am. Little did I know it was only the beginning of a very long day.
"Monday Morning, Not so Good To Me"
0 for 2 before 11 am. I am back in New York and suffering from culture shock.
Florida has more New Yorkers than New York does, but they are all retired. And move much slower. The city is full of tourists and bustling. I keep tripping over tour groups.
I checked audition update this morning when I got up at 7. They we already several hundred people at the Addams Family call. So I slept twenty more minutes and went to an ECC for Legally Blonde and Oliver. They typed me out by my head shot, so I ran ten blocks to find the list closed ofr Addams Family. So I am currently on a coffee and breakfast break. Got to get my New York calluses back.
On a perkier note, I have run into people I know all over the place. I am a part of this crazy group of renegades and goofballs. Hurrah! Ready to get running again. (And I am lusting after my HGO appointment in a few weeks) Crossing my fingers I get to dance or sing somewhere!"
Soon after, I got a phone call from Central Casting for some extra work. Not quite being on my New York game (still on the beach!), I said yes. I didn't figure out somewhere to crash if we ran to late. So of course we were.
Luckily, it was one of the sweetest and most relaxed crews I've ever seen (especially for a movie set), and the PA handling the extras managed to get me out of Brooklyn on the last train.
I crawled into my bed a little after 2 in the morning, woke up again in 6 hours, showered the pomade out of my hair (hate it when makeup people put it in my hair!), and went right back to the city. And to the zoo that was the West Side Story call. I got kept to dance again but didn't get kept to sing. Not too bad. Back home and washed out after the past two days. A glass of wine and a crumble in the oven. And an early bed time.
Tom I plan on joining the earlybirds. I want to hit up the Anybodys call after hitting a summerstock call for Gateway Playhouse. Their season includes My Fair Lady. Which sounds quite familiar. Keeping my fingers crossed!They called back several of my favorite beaching singers! :)