A Chorus Line

Just got back to Queens after work when I got a message from a former roomy. He had an extra FREE ticket to "A Chorus Line" and wondered if I was available to go.

As luck would have it - I was! :) So I headed back into the city to finally see this well known Broadway standard.

Although I knew some of the songs and had heard about the gold outfits at the end I really wasn't sure what to expect of the show.

The first surprise was its length - compared to most Broadway shows it is bite-size with no intermission. The production value was relatively simple and at times I thought that the Omaha Playhouse could put on a production just as good if not better than the one I was seeing.

The 2nd surprise was to discover that the famous song "What I did for Love" isn't a song about love lost per say. It is about their love for dance. I wondered aloud why I had thought differently and my friend told me that the movie version (which I think I might have seen parts of on TV a LONG time ago...) actually did portray it as more of a "true" love song.

Having been a dresser I was curious to know what steps they must take to make the quick change into their gold outfit @ the end. No changes occur until that moment and then I'm sure it is just utter (organized) chaos back stage!

Am I glad I saw it? Yes! Am I glad it was free? Yes! Would I recommend it? Well...according to my friend if you are choosing between the show and the movie. You should watch the show. If you strive to be a well-rounded Broadway show viewer this is a standard that you should see @ some point. It does provide an enjoyable night of theatre - But try to get a cheap ticket. ;)

PS - I now see that Mario Lopez is going to join the cast. And I'm not totally sure he's right for the role he's been cast in, so if you're going to see it....see it before or after his run. Unless, you don't mind and just want to see AC Slater dance around for a bit. ;)

Commercial Workshop

Went to another workshop tonight thru Network Studio East. It was a commercial workshop with a casting director from Judy Keller Casting.

As usual, the workshop started with a short intro and q&a, followed by an opportunity to have a one on one with the casting director. Rather than a monologue, this time we were asked to read commercial copy.

Commercial audition tips -

Take Notes
Be Relaxed
Always have your measurements handy
Ladies - Wear natural makeup, no gloss on lips either.
Don't wear stripes

As a general rule, when reading copy there should be texture in your voice and it should be very conversational. (Exceptions would be for the commercials where they want you to shout things like "It's Huge!" wink.)

When it was my turn to read copy, she reviewed my resume and noted my Southern Accent (I told her it wasn't specific to a region and she said with commercials it generally didn't matter) as well as my Radio Announcer experience. She said I was "pretty good" and I needed to get in the studio to cut a demo if I wanted to get voiceover work.

This is a good example of the "starving actor" spending more money to hopefully help get the gig. Being an actor is kind of like running a small business I suppose. You have to invest a certain amount before you can start earning revenue. The key of course is to make the investments that are most likely to help you get from point A to point B. Even then there are no guarantees....sigh. BUT demos for both voice and acting are probably just as essential as headshots so I should stop dragging my feet, right?! Right...

These workshops are great though - very informative and give you an opportunity to network and have an actual contact at some of these casting agencies.

You know you're sick when....

...you walk onto a subway car and don't smell what others are smelling. Apparently someone had thrown up at the other end of the car this morning. I sat down oblivious and wondered why everyone kept leaving. Since I couldn't smell it, I got to enjoy a much less crowded car! ;)

Stayed home sick yesterday, but today...today I had to be one of those that got on the subway at least a little sick. But at least I know to cover my mouth when I cough! ;)

Spring in a Dome

Winter hasn't been all that horrible in NYC this year but it has been just chilly enough that a person still yearns for spring.

Thankfully, Zyrtec created "spring" inside a dome in Central Park (my first visit to Central Park since I moved here!) - although the grass and flowers were artificial it was kind of nice to roam around without a coat for a bit! ;) And they even greeted you @ the door w/ hot chocolate to help you warm up faster!

**Note:The statue is of Mother Goose**

The dome was more geared towards families w/ a storytime area (free kid books), merry-go-round and a clown juggler/comedian performing.

They also had an allergy quiz that you could fill out (the answers were posted @ each station) and then when you turned it in you got a free green Zyrtec Umbrella! (Am finding that even if it has a brand name on it, an extra umbrella is always good to have here!)

Last but not least, my friend and I took turns posing with a giant dandelion but all too soon it was time to head out into the cold again. :(

We had just enough time to walk over to Cafe Lalo (thanks to another visiting friend I heard about this place - they filmed scenes from "You've Got Mail" there) If I go there again, I think I will just go for coffee or dessert as seating is cramped and thus tables are tiny making it hard to fit entree sized plates, glasses, mugs, etc on the table comfortably. It is certainly very quaint and if you do go - BRING CASH! Didn't even think about that until our bill came and my friend stepped out to the cash machine so we'd have an adequate tip for our waitress!

Time looked to be tight to get to the theatre on time but thankfully we made it! My friend saw the show (my supervisor and her friends and the mailman for my work's building also came) and afterwards we hopped on the subway again to see a few more places and grab supper @ Lillys.

I'd been battling a cold and it was winning (our closet-like dressing room seemed to be breeding the germs as more than one actor was struggling with various forms of yuck). Thankfully my friend was okay with calling it a night early. We watched some eps from my roomie's boxset of Flight of the Conchords - goofy fun. Some of the eps appeared to be shot in Queens, too.

Time for sleep...and some airborne...and some meds....snore....

What Calories?!

This weekend it's my friend from Boston's turn to visit NYC.

We planned to meet @ Saks 5th Avenue (more specifically Café Charbonnel) when I got off work. I'd NEVER been inside before and felt a little overwhelmed. As I was figuring out where the elevators and stairs were I made eye contact with John Woo as he passed by me. Whoa! I resisted the temptation to shout out - Face/Off is one of my fav movies!!!;)

I finally figured out where the elevators were and when I got to the 8th floor it was shoes as far as the eye could see - they have their own zipcode!

Uh...where's the chocolate? (Let's face it - the chocolate was going to be a lot more affordable than those shoes!) After weaving thru the shoes hoping I wouldn't knock anything over I finally found my friend and then we found chocolate.

The shop is a cute little place with a chocolate fountain and conveyor belt on the counter to move the treats to you or simply tempt as they pass. Both of us were curious about the Champagne Truffle but settled for hot chocolate instead.

From there we headed back to Astoria to drop off excess and stopped by The Brick Cafe for drinks and appetizers (our reservation was late so we needed something to tide ourselves over!)

Then it was back into the city to enjoy our 3 course meal @ Terrace in the Sky.

My friend had heard of the place because of its views of the city and since it was Restaurant Week it was a good time to try it since generally it is a bit pricey. Unfortunately we didn't get to sit right next to the window but even at a distance you got the idea. It would be nice to dine on their terrace when it is warmer out - perhaps the next Restaurant Week?!