Windows of My Mind

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I can't believe I am awake at 4:00 a.m. on a Monday morning but there it is. It was raining all evening and very cold for southern CA. I don't like it one bit and I'm glad that I stayed home instead of going out in this mess. Traffic to and from LAX was a nightmare. I felt sorry for the poor folks who were out in the mess.

Ah yes, the windows of my mind. Well, now that things have slowed down a bit and I am recovering from a cold that has lasted two weeks. Funny when you don't feel well how your mind can wander. I feel like the opening scenes of Chicago when Roxie Hart is watching Velma Kelly perform onstage. There is that watching and knowing that she can do what Velma is doing onstage. Of course the music is fantastic and the choreography, wow!

So Thanksgiving is in a few days and it reminds me of some previous turkey days. Where have the years gone? Sometimes I think I can hear the kids playing in the other room and me scrambling to get everything cooked and prepared on time. Now they are all grown and working. I never thought I would miss all those hectic times but there it is. Sometimes you don't know how good things are until they are gone. But I'm glad that they are living their own lives now and making their own memories.

I am staying positive to new opportunities around the corner. And I realize that in this showbiz you cannot wait around for the phone to ring, you have to make your own opportunities. I've had some new opportunities this year and made some new friends. My goal right now is to be kinder, to not say the first sarcastic thing that comes to my mind. I must get all the facts before I speak. I must learn more before I throw myself into that next project.

Dollars and Sense

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Well now that The Wizard of Oz is over I am back to looking for another job. Such is the life of an actor. It is what we do. What most of you don't know is that prior to being an actor or I should say, in addition to being an actor, most of us hold day jobs. Now that is not always an easy feat. One must find a job that has some flexibility because if an important audition comes up, well we have to go and do the audition. Many actors work in restaurants. Many work in temp jobs. I was working as a banker. A mortgage banker.

I actually started working in finance years ago when I lived and worked in Ohio. A job transfer had me working in the Finance Department. At first I was very nervous. But then I found I was good with dollars and cents. I enjoyed reconciling figures. I enjoyed doing reports that showed the bottom line. And then I started applying those same financial principles to my own life. Bookkeeping became not a chore, but a well needed review of where we were financially and it became a time to think and plan for the future.

When women are around each other I noticed the conversations would turn to family, children, recipes, upcoming family events, etc. When I was around men the conversations turned to money, financial investments, the best place to take your autos, etc. In other words, how we could make more money and how can we save money? Needless to say, I enjoyed being around the men because I learned something from them. At first I was dismissed with a raised eyebrow. But when I started to talk about investing, saving, 401-K and portfolios then I was embraced into the fold.

Actors and good financial common sense many times do not go hand in hand. Many creative folk have talent to spare but when it comes to dollars, well their financial decisions don't make much sense. To be an actor today, you must invest in your livelihood. And that means you must pay for a good photographer, you must always have good head shots that look like you look right now. It means being able to pay for acting classes. You must pay for sites where you can submit yourself for acting jobs.

I am constantly amazed when I meet people who tell me that they want to do what I do. It is not an easy job, being an actor. You must have a thick hide! Nine times out of ten you will not get the job that you just auditioned for. And that is if you are lucky enough to even get called in for an audition in the first place. There are many actor friends that tell me that they will submit themselves for acting jobs once they contact a photographer because they have no head shots. Or they just don't have the money to join any acting sites where they can submit themselves. Or they took one acting class five years ago and now they don't feel the need to take any additional classes. I just smile and nod my head because they just don't get it. And that is one less person to take seriously as an actor. Because if they don't take their acting career seriously, no one else will either. So they should not be surprised when they don't get called in to audition.

And so people, and I am serious here. Don't think pennies. Think dollars. If you get hired as a professional actor -- and by professional I mean, they are paying you to act. Then you must reinvest some of those monies towards future acting jobs. Put aside some of your earnings towards future jobs. Many times those paying gigs are too few and too far in between. It is tempting to take all your other starving acting friends out to dinner or lunch. We have all been there. However, that is the time to think about the future.

Believe me, I had many friends asking me for comp tickets to see me in the Wizard of Oz. I would have loved to be able to give all of them comp tickets. However, financially this makes no sense.

Being an actor or any kind of artist is difficult, believe me. So if you have a friend who is an artist, we do suffer for our art. Take them out to lunch or dinner. Treat them to a film you both want to see. Listen patiently when we cry over a role we didn't get or an audition that didn't go well. And do cheer us on when we do get a role! It means so much to have supportive friends in your corner. And do come and see us when we perform. It means the world to us knowing we have friends and family in the audience. And that is something that is a pay check of the heart.

I truly hope that this post answers some financial questions for my actor friends out there. Save, save and save for a rainy day. We all have them and by being prepared for that rainy day will mean all the difference between a stressful life and a life that is comfortable. You have the power in your hands to choose what kind of life you will have. Be well, my friends!

Is it really over?

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After 3 weeks of rehearsals and 3 weeks of shows, the Wizard of Oz is over. Our play went so well, everyone loved it and we received some great reviews. There were parties, and sad goodbyes. Our Dorothy will work the cruise lines in January. Our Tin Man will go to work at Disney Tokyo. The rest of us including yours truly will go back to auditioning again.

However before I do that I am going to relax this week and go to Las Vegas. I deserve some needed time to relax and enjoy. My sister Linda is in town and we are going to have a blast.

I enjoyed making new friends in the cast and Geraldine and I enjoyed a great sushi dinner prior to leaving for the final cast party. I had a really good time.

Well, have to get ready, pack my bags and hit the road. Next week, back to hitting the pavement in search of my next adventure. Adelante!

The Show Must Go On

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Wow, it has been a whirlwind of activity since our show opened on Friday, October 14. We had an 8 pm show on Friday, Saturday and a 2:00 pm show on Sunday. We received standing ovations at each show. And two reviews have come out and they are saying, Wow! It is so exciting! We had a few glitches on our first show but the subsequent shows have been great.

My friend, Geraldine is so excited because this was her very first time onstage. She plays a Munchkin, a crow, a poppy flower, flying monkey and a character in Oz when we are in the Emerald City. I help her with some quick costume changes. We both learned all of the songs with the exception of the four main character's songs. So she doesn't get a chance to do much singing.

I play the part of the Barrister in the Munchkinland scene. And I do sing and dance in that number. And then I sing and dance in the Emerald City. I am glad to not have more scenes that the ones I have because I was worried that my little legs would not be able to keep up. But I am doing great and having a blast! I don't like to toot my own horn so I will tell you what happened after our Saturday night show.

We remove our costumes and make-up before we leave the theater. Geraldine and I were walking out of the theater on our way to the parking area when a man and his wife came up to me and he said, "I just want to say how good you were and I'm so glad you are part of the show". I looked at him because he was wearing a name badge that said STAFF on it. I said thank you so much, what is your name? He told me his name and that he is a part of the Production Staff. He said I can tell that the children performers are Munchkins but when I saw you, I said now she is a performer. That was so cool because even though I have very few lines in that number, it was great to know that he noticed that I was giving my all.

It is great to take our final bows for the night, look out into the audience and see a full house and they are all standing and clapping. I get to do it all again Thursday night through Sunday. After we finished our bows on Sunday, I asked Geraldine how she felt about finishing our first weekend shows. She was so excited and said she didn't want it to end. And I said, exactly and that is show biz! I think she is hooked now. She is currently studying to be a registered nurse but now that she has gotten a taste of show biz, well she may not ever get that out of her blood.

Some of our ensemble cast members are regular performers at Disneyland. Our Dorothy will go back to working as an entertainer on a cruise line once she wraps up in Oz. And even our little dog who plays Toto will go back to the east coast as he is a working dog too. Well, I won't get sad because we have two more weeks of the show.

And now that I have a few days off, I am back to voice lessons every Monday afternoon. Back to doing laundry and cooking for my family. I am enjoying watching my favorite tv shows like Rachel Zoe, Glee and Modern Family. I have to line up some more auditions and give my Agent a call. Yes, it is a crazy life being an actor. You can feel like a gypsy going from job to job. One week you are working then you are unemployed again. But to be a working actor in the theater, oh there is nothing like it.

Very quickly I have returned to finding a spot in the green room where we all apply our make-up and talk about our day. We rush to get into costumes, finding shoes and hairpins. Getting our wigs on just so and grabbing our props. It is a great feeling and it is like riding a bike. It all comes back to you, the smell of the grease paint the roar of the crowd.

Three Films in One Year!

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Well, rehearsals are coming along nicely. I had a few days off and then back to rehearsing on the weekend. After Saturday's time I went to a party. I ended up leaving at 12:30 and went to bed at 2:00 a.m. I haven't done that in a long time. I made sure to only have one glass of wine so I was not drinking and driving.

I do end up doing quite a bit of dancing after all. Fortunately, there are no difficult steps. Being a dancer is one thing, being in the chorus is something else. We are dancing too but not like the dancers. They are center stage and doing difficult dips, waltzes and ballet moves. It's coming along beautifully.

My partner is an older gentleman who has many years experience as a dancer and choreographer. He has even danced in some shows in Las Vegas and on several cruise lines. He will make me look good! Thank you, Jim! Plus he is very nice. One of the little girls had a birthday the other day and we all sang happy birthday to her. Per parents surprised her with several boxes of cupcakes which she shared with all of us. And that was just great because I realized I had not eaten all day and that cupcake tasted pretty good.

Now I know you are wondering, how can you forget to eat all day? Well I get up kinda late (8:30 a.m.) and I have my morning coffee. I don't like to eat breakfast so I usually skip unless I'm craving protein so I will usually boil an egg. Then I go onto house cleaning, doing laundry, running errands. Then take a warm bath, get dressed and go to rehearsal. We rehearse for 3 or 4 hours. Then I come home, watch late night tv, eat a bowl of cereal and go to bed. Then I get up the next morning and do it all over again. Needless to say, I keep hearing songs from the show in my head all the time.

I am looking forward to the screening of the film, White T. We are waiting for the film to be finished, it is in post production right now. When the screening is scheduled, I will be invited along with the other actors to walk the red carpet. I have come along way from working on background on television and film projects to actually have a role in a feature film. So I will let you know more once I know more. My contract says that I have to make myself available for any additional pick up scenes, interviews and advertising of the film. No worries so long as it does not interfere with my current production.

And I did another film earlier this year, Attack of the 30 Foot Chola which is also in post production. And I did another film, Lean Like A Cholo. Wouldn't it be something if all three films were released this year? This is turning out to be another great year for my acting career and I know next year will be even better.

It's Not the Poconos!

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My family back home is vacationing in the Poconos mountains in Pennsylvania having a good time. I do admit that Fall was my favorite time of year and I still miss the changing of the leaves. However, I am relaxing by the pool and getting ready to eat dinner before I go to rehearsals tonite.

The show is going great, many talented folks. There are the dancers, the children who are munchkins and some of the vocals are beautiful. Can't wait to see the sets and I've heard there are some great effects too. My part is coming along nicely and I am not sure if I will be dancing after all. I had to learn the dance just in case and I'm glad I did. We will see if my costume fits because whoever wore it before me sure was tiny.

I am meeting some new folks and making some new friends. I forgot how much I love doing musical theater. All day long I was humming some music from the show. I'm trying not to get too comfortable here at home. Have to start making dinner soon before heading out the door for a late rehearsal.

The kids are off for a few days. I have to admit they are as cute as they can be. They are so talented too. One little girl was telling me that she is taking dancing lessons in every form, except hip hop. I was not surprised that she picked up the steps very quickly.

There are some other acting jobs out there and I am hoping to get some more auditions before the show is completed. Well, I would love to go away on vacation sometime soon. Maybe we'll go to Big Bear before it snows up there. The weather is still in the low 90s which is nice for swimming. It seems hard to believe that we will actually get to use the fireplace again.

Okay, I have to stop yawning and gear up for tonite. Later, folks!

Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead!

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We started rehearsals last night for the Wizard of Oz. I think I heard this song in my sleep all night. It was a long rehearsal, singing, dancing. I haven't done in a musical for a very, very long time. I am hoping that it will all come back to me but I admit it is taking awhile. Of course this was just a first rehearsal.

The little children that are playing munchkins, poppies, crows, etc. are so precious. Their little voices were so sweet as they were singing. It's going to be a great show!

I ran into the Ex. Producer of the show as I was leaving and he gave me a big hug and told me how glad he was that I am part of the show. I told him how excited I am to be a part of the show too and how all this dancing is going to help me lose weight! I won't need a personal trainer since we are dancing five days a week. And as it comes closer to show time, we are rehearsing six nights/week.

"Wicked" is coming back to the Pantages theater November 30 to January 30 and I am so excited, even though I've already seen the show twice. I have to get some girlfriends together to see the show again. I made the mistake of listening to the soundtrack all the way home from rehearsals and of course now I can't get those songs out of my head too.

Well, wish me luck people! I am going to need it to keep with these little munchkins!