Love is...

No matter how WRONG, I laugh so hard every time I watch/listen to this. Enjoy.

Getting Married Today

By the way, I don't think I ever posted this. Here's a clip of me, my Super Talented Husband,and the rest of the cast of Company in my character's song "Getting Married Today:"

Everybody ______ a Critic

Well, put another script on the shelf for posterity. Crazy For You closed on May 10th after what I feel was a VERY successful run. We sold out the entire second weekend of performances, which is a huge step in the right direction for MTD, and I could not be more proud of this show. The cast, the production team, the crew -- everyone and I mean everyone worked their asses off on this show, and we all were boo-hooing on the last performance. Not just because it was the last performance, but because we truly all formed an emotional bond that I can't describe to anyone who hasn't been a part of such a process. I'm blessed to have known and worked with ALL of them, and my thanks go out to each and every new relationship I formed within this production process.

That being said, the reviews are in, and prove that everyone does in fact have their own opinion and that you can't please everyone! This one was written and posted by John Garcia of The Column, a weekly email group that began as a source for Dallas/Ft. Worth theatre-lovers and has expanded to more than 12,000 subscribers. This one was written by a couple of new reviewers who are just starting their "business" as it were and only have a couple of reviews up.

No matter what, though, nothing will take away from my experience and my views on a wonderful, exhausting, emotional, and rewarding experience.

Now. What's next?

I'm going to be assistant stage managing Denton Community Theatre's production of Don't Dress for Dinner, which is a play opening the first weekend in June, and there's a chance I'll be auditioning for a new adaptation/collaboration piece with a smaller theatre in Denton that same weekend. I'll try to be better at keeping everyone posted. I know, I've been bad...but work + two shows back-to-back = one stressed out and tired and BUSY lady! Summer will be a lot more laid back. :)

P.S. those beautiful photos above were taken by my friend and Very Favorite Photographer, Lynn Michelle when I invited her to be my guest at our preview performance. She rules...as usual.

A month? Really?

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted. Seriously, guys, I'm SO sorry! For all three of you who actually read this blog, you must have been on pins and needles!

So what's been going on with me? Well...a lot.

Work has been really insane for the past three weeks or so, and will probably continue to be insane for another three weeks. It's deadline season around here, and we're all working long hours to make sure that our final product is as helpful and informative as it can be to new and prospective students. Whew.

Operaboy and I both have been REALLY busy with our respective rehearsal schedules, him with Fort Worth Opera (he's working on three operas with them right now: Carmen, La Cenerentola, and Dead Man Walking), and I with Crazy For You (that whole process is going to be a blog entry on its own here soon...I promise).

The puppy is doing VERY well. Carmen has adapted to her new home wonderfully. She's learning commands and has just about mastered "sit" and "lay down," but we're still having trouble with "stay" and "stop biting me b/c your little needle baby teeth hurt like a bitch." Yeah we'll keep working on that one. Here's our first family picture, from Easter:



Oh, and due to a director's choice, I am now playing Irene as a VERY sassy redhead:



It's a pretty big change, but I LOVE it. My favorite compliment so far has been that I strongly resemble X-Men character Jean Grey/Phoenix. To wit:



Pretty badass, huh? :)

And yes, Operaboy loves the hair color.

So...work and shows. And Carmen. That's really it! I'd like to say I've been up to much more exciting things, but alas, I have not.

How are you?

MckPrayers

One of my friends from The Knot and The Nest, Jessica, alerted me to the story of Baby Stellan today, via her Facebook status. I just spent my entire lunch hour reading about this incredible family and their unyielding faith in the presence of such struggles and adversity. Please click on the link below to read about MckMama and her family, and make sure you take time to read the story of Stellan, the courageous 4-month old baby with a scary heart condition:

Perfectly Marvelous

The news of Natasha Richardson's tragic and unnecessary death had really been on my heart and mind today. What a beautiful and talented woman she was, and one of the few in Hollywood who had a marriage people could look up to. Below is a clip of Natasha as Sally Bowles in the 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret.

Rest in peace, Natasha.

Carmen, je t'aime!

Everybody, meet Carmen. Carmen, meet everybody.

Obviously, we kept the dog.

We did put up lots of a few "Found Puppy" signs and we DID take her to the vet so that we could have her scanned for a microchip (none were found, btw, but they DID find fleas, ticks and worms. Yay.). So, she's been ours for just over a week now.

Operaboy has been FANTASTIC with her, since he's home during the day. The result of which is that she loves him more than she loves me, but that's okay. She snuggles with Mommy on the weekends while Daddy sleeps in.

Right now we're in the middle of potty training and crate training, neither of which are easy OR fun. She kept me up, whining, until 3:30am on Monday night, so yesterday was a very bleary-eyed day for me. We also think she was a bit mad at us on Monday night. She fought us tooth and nail on her last dose of worming medication (nummy!) and peed in the house 3 times that day (for which she was promptly taken outside and left there while we cleaned up), AND we put her in her crate alone for the first time in the living room while we slept. Ack. I was ready to punt her across the street by yesterday morning.

However, yesterday was a VERY good day. No messes in the house, she went on a walk with us on her new leash, and she stayed in the crate for a few hours at a time during the day yesterday so that she could get acclimated to it. No whining last night from what I've heard anyway (I crashed at 9pm after going all day on 4 hours sleep yesterday). She's being VERY good. Operaboy said she even hung out in her crate (with the door open) for a few hours yesterday evening while he worked on his opera.

Which brings me to her name...

Operaboy is preparing for and learning three opera choruses right now in preparation for his upcoming gig with Ft. Worth Opera. One of them happens to be Bizet's Carmen. He was working on this opera when we found the puppy, AND she's kind of a little gypsy (since we found her wandering) AND we've always wanted to pick an operatic or musical name for our first pet. Thus she was christened Carmen.

NOT Sarah Brightman, as my friend Justin so strongly recommended, though he continues to call her that.

So, I guess we expanded our family before we were ready, but we're blessed nonetheless. Let's hope this trend DOES NOT continue, if you get my drift.

But really...how could we say no to that face?