Sarah's Choice: A Tale of Hurricane Sandy

She had to have it. Two days of being stuck in the house. The plate of muffins was only half eaten, but they no longer fulfilled her. Nor did the bags of frozen vegetables, the Greek yogurt, or the bizzare varieties of cheeses sitting and waiting in the forbiddingly black fridge. What she wanted was a thin crispy crust of delight. Covered in oozy cheese and just waiting to be folded in half and devoured. Screw the hurricane. Her destiny was pizza. Trying to get thru the shoddy phone lines, she cannot reach Dominos. The internet tells her nothing. Crawling over her room mates half packed suitcase, she gazes out the window. Is the mob up and running the pizza joint across the street? Jumping over the suitcases, she grabs her phone and dails the elusive number on the awning. Once again, the phone fails her. It looks open, but is it? Dare she brave the lack of winds, rain, and cold for just the possibility of the cheesy god across the street? The debate with herself gets intense. Pizza or the promise she made to her fiance to stay inside? Who is really her true love? The panic moves back to the kitchen. The big black doors open and close again. Then to the pantry with a fury. She irritatedly grabs a bag of popcorn and throws it into the microwave. The cheese she will place on it won't replace her cheesey and delicious true love. It is merely a second choice. The true tragedy of the hurricane blinks from across the street. It declares "Pizza." A taunt or a challenge? Or possibly just an expired dream.

Waiting For Godot Sandy Style

Due to the hurrican, I ended up canceling my DC audition plans. All transit is shut down, so no work. Lot of movies, Irish coffee, and muffins (the roommate and I both ent on a pre-hurricane baking binge). Staving off boredom and trying to stay safe and sane. Currently watching "Scoop." Which means bits of "Swan Lake" will be stuck in my head. Hopefully we don't loose power and I can fight it off with something else! My calves just start to hurt when I hear this music. Dance Olympus days of old. When you're an assistant you get to do it over and over and over again. But pretending to be real Trina was half the fun!

She Works Hard For The Money

I have hit the ground running upon returning to NY. I temped for a day, then did 7 straight days of promo work. Which is nuts. So tom will be just for me! Starting with a buddy from Houston grabbing lunch and then hitting a bakery, and a later jaunt with my the ladies from Broward. Yes. We are going to Panera. While doing my legwork tonight, I treated myself to a fabulous cocoa face mask and a hot toddy. I'm getting closer to being back at work in the best way possible. Things are looking up! I tapped to this as a kid. We didn't get the variety of occupations (why is one a lion tamer?) But we rocked a similar hip wiggle with our trays. Sassy little ladies!

Fingers Crossed And Feet Bare

I'm going to jump the gun. I haven't ironed out details and contracts, but today work was so lousey I have to pretend like it's all a go. And eat cookies (though eating cookies isn't as a very unusual occurence. I listened to Cookie Monster's wisdom as a child and have heeded it as an adult.) This way my mantra of "18 days" was not a lie. Fingers crossed that it was reality (and that I will manage to stop singing "You're never fully dressed without your pants.") Here is a link to Emotion Dance Ensemble's website. Check it out. http://emotiondanceensemble.com/cash/ Or you could eat cookies. Either will help improve my day. This is an old promo video for the project I'll be working on. Starting the country music before I hit Texas. Back to barefoot concert work and no granny boots at all. Maybe I can sneak them in. Or wear my kicker boots!q

19 With Plenty Of Bengay

So in between my rock and my hard place, I have found myself working promo an insane number of days this week. Auditions are slow/for shows I am unavailable for, so I have taken lot of sickees shifts. Take the work when I can get it. Making the perpetual Bengay feet better was a message on my answering machine. I'm off hold for "Cash." Contracts and details still have to be worked out, butI have high (and hopefully realistic) hopes. Thank heaven. (For little girls. I can't help it. That phrase always becomes a "Gigi" moment.) So now I can work as much as possible with a very clear end in site. I just need to figure out getting my car back to Houston for "Showboat."19 days til I'm back to working my favorite way!

(I'm skipping my original comment about vanishing scent Bengay being no fun. Much funnier spellcheck doesn't believe in Bengay and keeps adjusting it to Be gay.)

Epiphanies in Space: David Bowie Optional

Being back in New York after my trip to Chicago has been a series of strange epihpanies. I've been in and out of New York for about a year and a half now. At first I felt ashamed of being another actor in New York City. I told people who asked that I was a grad student, like my lovely room mate. I was ashamed. And I shouldn't have been. In Chicago, I caught a preview of a new stage adaption of "Trainspotting" that one of my old college friends had worked on. He did a beautiful job as the assistant director. It was masterfully done. From the staging, to the actors, and the design elements. Even the script was better than many plays you run across in NY. In it's own way, it was even oddly Hipster commercial. But the entire company (except the director) was nonunion. Which means the pay scale was lousy. Which is absurd. There was a skill set and some hardcore balls (literally in quite a few cases) being shared and unearthed with the small but appreciative audience.

(The cast of "Trainspotting: USA") Today, after temping at the New York Historical Society and answering a number of questions about my profession to my very sweet and energetic superior, I went to see Jersey Boys. I'm promo-ing it in Times Square for the next few weeks. The producers are picky about their baby, and they should be. It's pretty decent for a big Broadway jukebox show. But it's just as decent as the dedicated cast and crew in Chicago giving their all to "Trainspotting: USA." Only the talents are more valued and paid for in NY. Which brings me back around to my New York epiphany. Here, my skill sets our valued. I can and will make a living. It won't always be the best. I'll be a gypsy on a regular basis. But I will be in a community that values and supports what I do. That pays me for what I do. Which is awesome. And now I step off my soap box preaching. Some silliness to take away from my soapbox.

New York State Of Mind

I stuck out like a sore thumb yesterday. My look, style, and energy didn't blend in at all with the tall slender concert dance locals. So I expected the cut. I was happy with how I danced. What else can you do? I got to see some lovely friends from college days and take a slight break from NY. It did make me grateful that I moved to NY instead of Chicago. I'm not the only variation on me in a room in NY. Which means I can compete for jobs cause they fill full choruses with mes! Even walking up and down the street, I fit in more in NY. These midwesterners are so friendly and working class. Where is snotty and weird? :-) Back to my east coast home I go!

Put On Hold?

So I just got an offer from Sacremento. I sh. They are having problems with their housing situation and want to put me "on hold." I'm going to ask some more questions, get the details, and make the decision. I'll prob say yes, just because I can always still turn them down if they want me and it doesn't work that last minute for me. No contracts. Just an email. Though the latest devolpment with the "Rebecca" debacle makes me vervous. Read about it here! http://www.playbill.com/news/article/171133-Arrest-Made-in-Scheme-That-Hobbled-Rebecca-Musical So people are scummy. And I am always nervous. Also got any email from a web series to come in for an audition. They were looking for someone Kat Denning I sh. Of course they wanted to see me. Hahaha. Well, I'm off to Lyric Opera to put on my granny boots and dance my big old butt off. Hopefully it results in a job. Not in being put on hold.

I Like Sacramento in Nov

So yesterday I went for a dance show based off Johnny Cash's life. Somewhere in between concert dance and a musical. I think. Details weren't real specific on the posting but I gleaned what I could from the company's website. Turnout was tiny. They said they were hiring two girls. I was in the final five. Apparently there is some singing, so the last thing they did was sing us all. The notice had said country, but my country song is from college and rusty as hell. One of my belty songs sounds like a salooon, and belting is country, so I went for it. The music director like it and gave e a fierce as he handed my music back. Hurrah for Ethel and Liza belting for gay men! All five of us were drastically different, so it will just depend on who best fills their gaps. General consensus of the tail enders- Sacramento sounds much better than New York in Nov! I agree. Made it to Chicago early this morning for some r and r with old friends and Oklahoma auditions. I've got my card and my granny boots and I'm ready to go!

My baby brother playing rugby 7s for Texas A and M this weekend. He's the dirty blonde one. He gets a picture because he actually read something I posted. I think. And it's a funny picture. Love you boo bear! :*

Sometimes It Takes You By Suprise

Back on the hustle, and I got a big surprise today. I hit up two ECCs, and they surprised me. First was Tuck Everlasting. Totally working a quirky contemporary dream ballet. But they didn't have their own music yet, so it was to "Out of My Dreams" and right up my alley. I felt really good about it. They aren't calling anyone back until Nov. Onto Millie ot at Papermill. I did all right but I wasn't happy with it. I got cut. At least it was quick. Lord knows there are five million gorgeous showgirl tappers in New York. I always look like a small spunky mutt amongst the greyhounds. Oh well. Back to my granny boots and high kicks.I've got an interview tonite with a call center, a dance audition tom for a project in Sacremento, then I'm off to Chicago for an audition with the Lyric Opera and some r and r with an old college roomie. I spent my college career singing "O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A." Maybe I can finally get paid to sing it. (Let it be noted that this show involves boots, can can dancers, and petticoats. Which seems to be all of the shows that I book.) Fingers crossed and ever optimistic! We floozies enter about ten minutes in. This is a recreation of the DeMille choreo (like the lyric will be doing) but hopefully they will replace those hooves with boots! (And me)

Instead of Sheep

So with the end of the show, I'm back at the grind. I thought I would get a good chunk of promo work with my return, but instead got scheduled for five hours a week. Which don't pay for nothin'! So sending out more job apps, talking to temp agencies. Those fun things. I probably should refrain from saying I'm employed in another city in less than two months, but businesses around here know the score. If they don't already have a high turnover rate, they don't want to add actors to the mix. I don't blame them. Amongst the search for the next job and the panicky ramen noodle eating, I find the body clock switch to be hard. You're used to slow mornings, perhaps a matinee, and then no holds barred evening show, which is way different than most schedules. Getting up for a job at 7 or having to be on a set at 630 feels like living hell. (Mild exaggeration unless there is no coffee at crafty. In which case it is hell). Working from home, I find I work the best from 8 to 12. PM. Which does not help sleeping schedules even if it got things done. Fingers crossed for the future and taking it one day at a time. When I start to panic about the little things, I just have to remind myself of how lucky I truly am. I booked four shows in my first year in New York and managed to make money teaching and dancing at parties in between shows. I have an awesome beginning at becoming part of the "tribe" of performers, techies, and other theatre folk, and I have an amazingly supportive family (who also happens to be going in a nutsier direction. (I look nuts next to my engineer and accountant relatives but not next to pastry school, the oboist, and my baby brother who wants to be a stormchaser. Flying into hurricanes or playing lets pretend and sing and dance for a living? Equally crazy.)Count those blessings as only Rosemary can!

To My Can Canners

Another one bites the dust. I closed Can Can today. I can honestly say it was the most enjoyable cast and crew I have worked with so far. As one of my fellow Can Canners declared "I feel like my next cast will suck because this one was so amazing." (slight paraphrasing) We did one last matinee kicking and belting for Jesus and then went on to one of the cast member's gorgeous apartments in the Upper West Side for a little unwinding and some partying. Jazz, booze, food, and an all around good time. Sending all my love to the crew at Westchester. They were starting the changeover for Fiddler before we even left the building. They work so hard and are so amazing. Kisses to get you through this sleepless week. And kisses to everyone involved with Can Can. It' not goodbye, it's au revoir! (And that was a hokey line said with sincerity, love, and a French accent that keeps sounding rather Bavarian.)

Hugs and Kisses!!!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Bits and Pieces

I've been doing a little editing on the blog. Working on it keeping it up to date and matching my career. Which means granny boots! Cool news: local hire for Cpt Andy for Showboat is none other than Tommy Tune. Which will be fierce. He will dwarf me so badly. I've been hitting up auditions on my day off. Evita'd it yesterday. "What's new Buenos Aires? I am very sweaty." Then went to Prather today. Dragging my butt out of bed was not fun, but I've got to work my audition skills back up. Hopefully, I can book some work for the spring before I leave for my winter contract. Fingers crossed. Prather own a few non union theatres. The always call me back and then don't hire me. Pay isn't great but one of them is in Florida. And as anyone who knows me can attest, I like jobs in vacation destinations. I have an early morning tom dancing for them before my last Wed matinee of Can Can. I'm sad to be so close to the end of what has been a fabulous experience. It is an amazingly talented, kind, and funny cast working out some Cole Porter sparkles. From the swing to the leading lady, everyone has been a joy to work with. Hopefully, I will work with them all again! Here are some backstage photos taken by one of the incredibly talented Can Canners. They are disgustingly good! As I told him "You made me look pretty in pin curls! I didn't know that was possible." Bjorn is too sweet and too talented. And he's my carpool/train buddy!