A Dirty Rotten Update

Remember when I actually used to keep up with this theatre blog? Unfortunately, work (!!!) has been completely insane during the months of March and April due to looming deadlines, and will continue to be pretty busy throughout mid-May or so. I still need to post a blog with my pictures from The Column Awards and a post about our upcoming One for Mahler performance, but, first things first...

I'm in a show. Did I mention I'm in a show? I'm sure I mentioned I'm in a show.

I'm currently in rehearsals for Music Theatre of Denton's production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as Muriel Eubanks (the role Joanna Gleason created in the original Broadway cast). This cast is honestly (no, really) one of the best casts I have ever worked with in Denton. It contains some of my closest and dearest friends, and we are having the time of our lives.

The show runs May 14-16 and 21-23 at the Campus Theatre in Denton. Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 7:30pm and Sunday matinees are at 2pm. More information can be found here.

This is really going to be a fun (and SO FUNNY) show, so try not to miss it. Here's a quick little video I made of our leads, Kelsey Macke (as Christine Colgate) and Justin Harmon (as Freddy Benson) and the ensemble rehearsing "Love is my Legs," one of my personal favorite songs in the show:



The cast will also be performing four songs this Saturday (April 24th) at 2:00pm on the Festival Stage at the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, so that'll be a good time, too!

In the meantime, while you're waiting on pins and needles for OUR show to open, I encourage you to trek on down to the Kalita Humphreys theatre to see the Uptown Players' production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as well! There are some incredibly talented people in that cast, and I am personally super proud to go see one of Denton's own (Miss Whitney Hennen) dance in the ensemble. I'm going to see the preview tonight, and I can't wait to see what they're doing with the show!

It'd be easy to get intimidated by a larger theatre with, let's face it, more money and resources, doing the same show you're working on and running right up against yours (we share one weekend—our opening weekend is their closing weekend).

However, I'm just excited that the D/FW theatre community gets TWO opportunities to catch this show the first time it's done in the area (other than a tour). So get out there and see both!

2009 - Year in Review

This is a little bit late, but here it is anyway. 2009: A Year in Review (and in pictures)!

January -March: COMPANY

Role: Amy

Company: Music Theatre of Denton

March - May: CRAZY FOR YOU

Role: Irene Roth

Company: Music Theatre of Denton

June: DON'T DRESS FOR DINNER

Role: Assistant Stage Manager

Company: Denton Community Theatre

June: ENCORE II: CALLBACKS
Role: Performer
Company: Denton Community Theatre

June - August: SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS
Role: Milly
Company: Denton Community Theatre

Let's not forget Pottygate 2009:

In October, I trashed my wedding dress with my wedding photographer, Lynn Michelle, and we ended up on a nationally televised segment of The Today Show:

Screen shots:

Video on YouTube of segment:

Photo Evidence:

October: CHICAGO
Role: Matron "Mama" Morton
Company: Music Theatre of Denton

October-November: TALKING OF MICHELANGELO
Role: Dayna
Company: Fight Boy Theatre

December: A TUNA CHRISTMAS
Role: Assistant Stage Manager
Company: Denton Community Theatre

December: One for Mahler (a musical cabaret)
Role: Founder and Performer
TWITA (This Week in the Arts) Podcast & Interview Here

I also wrote the following reviews for John Garcia's THE COLUMN:

Oliver! (Theatre Coppell)

The Spitfire Grill (Stage West)

Man of La Mancha (OnStage in Bedford)

My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra (Rover Dramawerks)

Funny Girl (Lyric Stage)

Christmas My Way (Garland Civic Theatre)

A Christmas Survival Guide (Runway Theatre)

I unofficially wrote my thoughts on these shows, as well:

Carousel (Denton Community Theatre)

A Feminine Ending (Water Tower Theatre)

Evil Dead: The Musical (Level Ground Arts)

Crushing Grain (Level Ground Arts)

*****

Whew!! No wonder I was so exhausted at the end of 2009! But what an AMAZING and successful year! Here's to even more fun in 2010! Happy New Year!

Haul out the Holly...

HOLY MOLY has it been a busy couple of weeks since my last post! Thanksgiving came and went, and I just seemed to completely lose track of the blog. I haven't forgotten you, though! Lots to talk about...

First of all, some of you may have read my last post in which I (unoficially) reviewed Level Ground Arts' production of Crushing Grain. It seems that the Higher Powers that Be needed me to see that show and find a catharsis I didn't know I so desperately needed. If you'll recall, the show dealt on one level with the JFK assassination, but was mostly about cancer. A little over a week after I saw this play and just wept from the pure emotion it brought out in me, my brave and wonderful aunt passed away from lung cancer. I feel certain that, had I not seen this play and gotten out a lot of the emotion I had been storing up inside, that weekend would have been much harder for me to handle. So...my family is strong in their faith and has banded together during this holiday time (now missing so many loved ones), but that has been one reason for my lack of blogging.

I've written a couple of reviews for The Column lately as well, which can be found online at PegasusNews.com here and here.

Also -- I have been a busy little Christmas bee working backstage on the HILARIOUSLY funny production of A Tuna Christmas at Denton Community Theatre. The two brilliantly talented men in this show, Justin Harmon and Buster Maloney, are both actors with whom I have had the pleasure to share the stage this year (in Crazy For You and Company, respectively). The show has been selling out, and there is one more weekend of holiday hijinks in Tuna, Texas before it closes. I suggest you try to get your tickets ASAP before you miss it!

Also Also -- Did I mention that I've been cast in Show Boat at Lyric Stage in Irving, Texas?? Yep, remember when I blogged about auditioning for that way back here? Well a few weeks ago, I finally got a call that I've been invited to be part of the cast. It's looking like a stellar cast of people, and I cannot wait to perform this beautiful music next month on that gorgeous stage with a 40-piece orchestra under the baton of Jay Dias!

Finally -- You guys? The FIRST EVER PERFORMANCE of One for Mahler is TOMORROW NIGHT! I am really ridiculously excited about this. We've gotten a lot of unexpected publicity, including an interview on a recent This Week in the Arts podcast! (The interview begins around the 30-minute mark.) The singers are myself, Tyler Donahue, Aaron White, Shane Strawbridge, and Stephanie Felton, and we are accompanied by Aaron Albin on piano. There are 19 SONGS on the program, including favorites such as "For Good" from Wicked, "Always a Bridesmaid" from I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, "Adolpho" from The Drowsy Chaperone, and MANY MORE.

Please plan to come out to Art Six Coffee House (located at 424 Bryan Street in Denton, TX) tomorrow night (Wednesday, December 16th, 2009) from 9pm—11pm and hear some great tunes & drink some great coffee!

That's it (I think!) for now! Happy Holidays to you all!

I'll Drink to That

Remember in this post when I talked about how I was brainstorming with friends about how to start up a cabaret for singers in Denton?

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you One for Mahler, the latest and greatest thing to hit the North Texas (or at least Denton) music scene!

Our first performance will be on Wednesday, December 16th from 9pm—11pm at Art Six Coffee House, located at 424 Bryan St. in Denton, Texas.

Here is the awesome lineup of singers, including myself, Stephanie Felton, Tyler Donahue, Shane Strawbridge, and Aaron White!



Come on out and start off your holiday season with a bang!