the people called it "ragtime!"

          In December 2011, I was cast in a dramatic and uplifting musical called "Ragtime." I hardly knew anything about it before my preparations for the auditions. We began rehearsals in January and opened in February and went on to our last show on March 4th. It was at a university in my town with a fantastic theatre department. I had done shows there before, but this was my absolute favorite. Not just the story, but the cast and the crew and the amazingly fun times we had in rehearsals and performances! I'll be posting more photos later, but here are four of them.  

          This is a real vintage 1920's Model T! We rented it from Kansas, and used it for Coalhouse's beloved car.

          Haha! I loved this scene. It was the song "What a Game" where Father takes the Little Boy to a game of baseball, saying "it's a civilized pass-time," only to surrounded by crazy fanatics who spit and scream and jump. It was hilarious!

          From left to right ~ Little Boy, Evelyn Nesbit, Little Girl, and Sarah in the green room! 

           The Little Boy was the child of the leading New Rochelle family, consisting of Mother, Father, Grandfather, and Younger Brother. The Little Boy was energetic and sort of blunt! His signature line was "Warn the duke!" which he said probably 10 times throughout the show. He was played by Jake. 

          Evelyn Nesbit was actually a real person, and you can read more about her here: Wikipedia Nesbit. Her story is actually quite interesting! Miss Nesbit was played by Rachel. 

          The Little Girl was a whole lot shyer than the Little Boy. Her Mameh had died long before she and her father journeyed to America, which is when the story begins. She and her dad, Tateh, struggle to survive in nasty tenements through all of Act 1, but in Act 2, things start to look up for the pair! The Little Girl was played by Kate, me!

          And, lastly, Sarah was the love of Coalhouse's life. They have a child, who is introduced at the end of the show, but at the end of Act 1, tragedy strikes the trio. Sarah was played by Ciji.

         This picture was taken just as the curtain comes up at the beginning of the musical, cueing New Rochelle to start the opening title number! In the middle you see Little Boy, Grandfather, Younger Brother, Father, and Mother.

          If you want to learn more about the musical Ragtime, check out this Wikipedia entry about it.

          On another note, Farrah, from Farrah's Flavor, has rewarded me with the Versatile Blogger Award! 

          I now am going to say 7 random things about myself...

1. I love the 50's. I honestly think I was born in the wrong era. But, that's why I became an actress!
2. Recently I've been really into smoothies. Every morning I make a healthy, fruity, and delicious smoothie to wake me up! Maybe I'll post the recipe tomorrow. It's really simple.
3. Anything vintage or thrifted or yard-saled is totally my thing. I love little vintage boutiques and finding something there that's totally unique! Style, not fashion, is really important to me. :)
4. My idol is Sutton Foster. Always has been, always will be. She's tall and belty just like me!
5. Most of the time I am wearing a dress or skirt. I think they're so much more comfy and cute than pants!
6. I'm obsessed with pasta, pizza, and bread. You could say I eat a little too much grain... 
7. And lastly, I am very outgoing. It doesn't really bother me when I do something embarrassing, because that's life. And most of the time it's hilarious, and to be quite honest, I love being in the spotlight. :) 

           I now hereby award Rebecca from Resemble the Versatile Blogger Award. Also, I reward it to Julia from Au Milieu and The Anywhere and Everywhere. You must put the badge up top on your next post and write 7 random things about yourself. Go!

          I'm sorry I temporarily gave up on this blog, but I'm planning to get back into it now!

oh, the things you can think!

Seussical went great last week! Here are some pictures...

From left to right: Wickersham Brother, Mayzie la Bird, Gertrude McFuzz, Cat in the Hat!

Mayzie la Bird and Cat in the Hat in final bows!

The Cat in the Hat has a stethoscope hanging from her neck, because the Cat played many different parts, which is why this part is so cool! Good accents and humor are a necessity in order to play this quirky role!

These are the Bird Girls, and then me on the right is Mayzie la Bird. 

The Bird Girls look up to Mayzie because of her beauty, but Mayzie isn't too beautiful on the inside!

This is me, Mayzie, with the Sour Kangaroo and Baby Kangaroo. The three of us were the meanest characters in the show. Sour/Baby Kangaroo had attitudes and disliked change in the Jungle of Nool. Mayzie la Bird was more of the popular girl who thought of nothing but herself. 

This is Mr. Mayor, the mayor of Whoville. Actually, a girl played him in our show. But a sleek black tuzxedo, bright red bow tie, and gray hairspray made her kind of look like a man!

Mayzie's makeup was complete with lots of red blush (which is washed off in this picture), way too much purple eye shadow, and red lipstick. Giant chandelier earrings and a bedazzled headband completed her face.

Her costume was a plain purple dress hidden by pounds of red feather boas. Red fishnet tights, long red gloves, and glittery Dorothy-style red heels added to her bad-girl flavor. Also, a huge dark pink feather tail added to her "beauty" and was very important to the show.

This picture is of the Sour Kangaroo, the Baby Kangaroo, and the Wickersham Brothers. These jungle characters stirred up lots of trouble for Horton!

Sorry for not posting in a while, and sorry for the lack of pictures. More will be up soon, maybe with some videos too! Don't forget to check out my other new blog in the works, It's Tea Time!

Toodli-doooooo!

I'm a Broadway Baby....

Just saw this picture and liked it! Once again, my posts are going to be quick, because I'm busy! But, that does not mean I'm giving up!

Toodli-doo-da!

P.S. Pic found on !!!

GREASE is the word!

Hey everyone! I haven't been posting a lot recently, so I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. I've been so so so so busy! Anyway, last night I was watching Grease on ABC Family, and while I was watching I realized I haven't yet posted about this popular movie and "everybody's favorite sing-along!" We're doing it next year for our spring musical at school! Can't wait! Anyway, I'm not one to write reviews (I might start doing that though...) as you know. I just like to post pictures and give you a link to Wikipedia or something. So here's some pictures from... Grease!

To check out more on the show/movie, go to IMDb! All photo credits to Fan Pop.

Toodles!!!

just press play!

Here are two videos of me singing!

Check them out (and more!) on Youtube by clicking here.

That video was of me singing "I'm Not That Girl" from Wicked!

That video was of me singing "On My Own" from Les Miserables!

Toodli-doodles!

"Anything Goes" Review

This is a review from The Broadway Critic Blog, written by Spencer Williams. I love Sutton Foster, so I decided to post this! But be sure you know I do not own this. I did not write this.

11MA

"Anything Goes, Roundabout Theatre Company’s newest revival, is absolutely de-lovely.

It’s delightful.

It’s delicious in every respect.

Not only is it one of the best revivals I have seen in recent years, it’s one of the best shows that I’ve seen on Broadway in a long time. While other Broadway shows are trying to push the envelope, Anything Goes ends up being good-ole fashioned musical theatre fun. It doesn’t need to be technically over-produced like Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark, or pushing the limits on subject matter like in Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s musical, The Book of Mormon because Anything Goes is a classic....

Now to talk about the formidable Sutton Foster. Let’s just say this: if she doesn’t win the Tony Award for this portrayal of Reno Sweeney, I’m going to be flabbergasted. She sings it better than I’ve ever heard before (her belting was sublime), dances it with ease and finds nuance in the script that no one ever knew was there. As Lord Oakleigh would say, “She is the dog’s pajamas.” She is one of the few actors on the Broadway stage that is a true triple threat. She is a becoming a true Broadway legend....."

To check out the rest of this review of Anything Goes, click The Broadway Critic Blog.

Toodli-doo-da!!!

P.S. Again, I did NOT write any of this. This is all the work of Spencer Williams, from The Broadway Critic Blog.

long time... no see!

Busy, busy, busy! That's all I've been! But I've taken a quick 5 minutes to post. So sorry I haven't posted in a long time, but as I said, I've been busy! Friday night was opening (and only) night of James & the Giant Peach! It was a lot of fun.... pictures will be posted asap! On Valentine's Day, we are going over to the elementary school to perform for the kindergartners, third and fifth graders! This will be a very small post. But I promise as soon as this show is over, long posts will be back up. (You don't even know what other Broadway shows I saw in my recent trip to NYC! I am trying to spread them out though.)

Toodli-doo!

it's a jolly holiday with mary! (Mary Poppins)

Yes! The first Broadway show I saw on my journey to NYC was Mary Poppins!

We pre-ordered the tickets, and honestly- I thought it would be good, but not like mind blowingly amazing or anything. I was wrong. It was mind blowingly amazing!

Mary Poppins was played by the understudy (Catherine Brunell) that night, and she was awesome! The kids, Jane and Michael Banks, were actually on stage the most out of anyone. And Rozi Baker and Ethan Haberfield did great with that! Of course, though, they switch off kid characters, so they had 3 different Janes and Michaels.

Here's some pictures from the show!

I reccomend this show to anyone! It's full of music, laughs, and it's a whole lot of fun!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidociously Toodles!

P.S. Pics were found on... Disnology, Broadway World, and Mary Poppins Broadway!

everything today is thoroughly modern!

This musical is amazing! Sutton Foster was perfect originating the role of Millie Delmount. I encourage you to check out the album and the show... you won't regret it! Along with Wicked and Little Women, this is my favorite!

For more info on the show, check out Wiki and The New York Times.

Toodli-doo!

P.S. Pictures found on: Freaky Martian, My Central Jersey, UPI, Gallery Players, and C Stock.

my character analysis!

This is my idea of a character analysis paper. It's so much fun doing these! I copied and pasted from the document... Seriously, read it! It's not as boring as it looks! :)

"Centipede" of James & the Giant Peach

As a centipede, I have a lot of legs. Each one has a beautifully polished boot stuck on top. I tell people I have 100, but that obnoxious earthworm knows the truth that I only have 42. (That does NOT mean she needs to go blurting it to the world!)

I met that beast when I stumbled upon the giant peach one dark night. The minute we laid eyes on each other, we realized we were not going to be friends.

Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted by thoughts of Earthworm... What do I look like? Well, I look like a centipede. 100 legs poke out of my sides, 50 each; and my bright red boots compliment my colorful complexion.

I am a pest. I strive to get my way. My purpose in life is to torment farmers, teenagers, and anyone else I come upon. I am- I must admit, hesitatingly- blind as Earthworm when it comes to the way I treat others. It does bother me sometimes, but I can't help it! Interrupting, annoying, and being the center of attention is just in my nature as a "loathsome pest." (Those are Earthworm's words, not mine.)

Born in an underground town called St. Soilville, my parents- and the city- died tragically of a giant mole attack. I, Centipede Gulliver Jones, am the only survivor of that devastating event.

Now, I've said enough about Earthworm. What about my other new... uhhh... acquaintances I met on my adventure on the Peach.

I do respect the Old Green Grasshopper. She does play such beautiful music! But, Ladybug bothers me... way too polite! Spider can get a tad bit too dramatic about her father. Caterpillar and Ant are decent, I guess. Silkworm actually does make some marvelous clothes, but she whines a little too much. Glow-worm's light is quite useful, if he tried turning it on once in a while.

Overall, they're all pretty good. Not Earthworm, though. She disgusts me. (Secretly, though, I do like her. She has beautiful skin, and isn't afraid to speak her mind!) But she still disgusts me.

On the trip across the ocean, I was feeling so many emotions. I was feeling terrified of sharks, cloud-men, and falling. I was feeling exhausted after all that chewing of string they made me do. (But it was for a good cause, so I didn't stand up against it.) I was feeling pesty, as always. I was feeling satisfied, for that peach gave me all the delicious food I wanted. I was feeling in control and outspoken, which I love.

This journey has taught me even more about myself! It got me to realize that I needed to become less of a pest. And that became my Welcome-to-America-Resolution. This resolution brought me to my first job: the Vice-President-in-Charge-of-Sales of a high-class boot and shoe manufacturer.

I stuck to my resolution until after I got the job. Then it was complete pest mode for me!

Enjoyed? Picture: Flickr. Don't forget... comment and follow!

Toodles!

this is our story!

Hey Everyone!

I know, I know. I said this post would be about pumpkins, but the truth is who cares about pumpkins? Cute and all, but I'd rather write about this. (I might end up showing a few pictures of pumpkins from this year's Halloween, but I might not. We'll see!)

Anyways, I've discovered a new-found obsession for Shrek the Musical! Never seen it, but the songs are oh-so-fabulous and the pictures i've seen are amazing! I won't drone on and on about how I wish I hadn't missed it while it was still on Broadway and how amazing Sutton Foster is (working on a new post about her... ever since I was hooked on Thoroughly Modern Millie a few years ago, I've loved her!), but I will show you a few cute pictures of this inspirational and fun musical...

If you want to know more about the show or find the pictures used in today's post... go to Shrek the Musical and Broadway in Chicago! Also, a couple months ago I posted about costumes all over Broadway, and Shrek was the first one! Here's that link too: all that jazz! 

I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried! Toodles!