Sunday, March 31, 2019

A Hotel Room In Denver:

Sitting in my hotel room bed, gazing out of the window;
The snowcapped, Rocky Mountain’s are a stunning.
A flashback to my childhood, adventures with my family in Colorado.
It’s an unpleasant feeling to be in the city where loved ones live, and not see them.
Conflicting schedules keep us apart in a city we’re only miles away. . .

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Friday, March 29, 2019

Deep Breath; Let Go

The energy in my body is toxic;
I’ve stopped consciously breathing and allowed anger, fear, frustration to invade.
The power of the present is in releasing everything;
Every moment is a fresh opportunity.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Aging Puppy. . .

I’m watching my dog scratch and spin around on the bed;
She’s 15 years old, so I imagine that finding comfort is even harder than it used to be.
Ginger is an adorable little princess;
It’s hard watching her struggle, but as long as she gets excited when she hears the word, “Cookie”, I’m happy!
Of course, you have to shout the word and inch from her face. . . .
Why don’t they make puppy hearing aids?

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Love:

Expressing it in words means nothing if the person receiving it, doesn’t feel it.

It’s an old cliche, but still true:

“Actions speak louder than words.”

Show someone you love them today!

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Puppy Cuts:

Our dogs hate going to the groomers;

But we love their adorably clean faces…

So off to the doggy spa we go!

In just two hours: little puppies born again with fresh tight cuts.

Sunday, March 24, 2019

The Theatre

I sit in darkness; judging.
That’s literally my job: adjudicating aspiring artists.
Agitated at the current trend in artistic integrity;
Which is yo say that—as far as I can see—there is no integrity.
Blue in the face, I constantly reiterate my thoughts:
Focus on the story, build on the technique, cultivate a career.
Instead, I endure an endless barrage of tilt crotch shots, sickled passés, and gratuitous grinding… .
What is happening to the theatre?!

Saturday, March 23, 2019

Watery Oatmeal

Runny,
Glue-like flavor;
Why did I pay for this?
Starving and feeding my “Rockstar” evening;
I swallow the lumpy, watery, concoction:
Unhappy but fed.

Friday, March 22, 2019

Hot Tub

Thank you for helping me cope.
Your warm energy and soothing bubbles whisper calming thoughts in my ear and heal my body simultaneously.

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Get To Class

Early morning yoga, feelingbthe breath and length in my body;

No line at Starbucks?! It’s a stress free day!

Headed to inspire the creative minds of the next generation; class starts at 8—don’t be late!

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

It's A Fact:

Reading before bed leads to a healthier night’s sleep….Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Sunny LA

After eight delicious hours of sleep, I woke up feeling slightly more myself.

Feeling inspired, I rolled myself out of bed and headed to yoga;

The moment I hit my mat, the jet lag from an 11 hour return flight home from London rolled in like a fog.

Thankfully, I have the weekend and off and the California sky is deep blue; a perfect opportunity to lounge by the pool and sleep.

Friday, March 15, 2019

LA to UK 2019; Travel Day Home

Another successful trip to the UK!

Sharing my passion with the talented artists at Move It and University Centre Weston;

Collaborating with colleagues;

Swapping ideas;

Expanding creative ventures;

Exploring innovative concepts in production and education;

All whilst laughing, eating, drinking, and living our best lives!

Now, onto a full flight back to LA!

Thursday, March 14, 2019

LA to UK 2019; Day 9

Cheddar cheese, in Cheddar, England;

Cream tea in the Gorge Cafe;

A trip to Cardiff, Wales to see The Full Monty;

A bus full of musical theater majors singing at the top of their lungs;

The perfect day off on our last day in the UK!

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

LA to UK 2019; Day 8

I can’t get on Instagram or Facebook;

Apparently there’s a worldwide outage!

If I don’t post a video of today’s workshop, did it really exist?

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

LA to UK 2019; Day 7

Bath, Spa.

UK holiday, whilst working;

Passion, creativity, adventure,

Follow your dreams, refuse to hear “no”, work your ass off;

Break when needed.

Monday, March 11, 2019

LA to UK 2019; Day 6

I spent my morning on a video shoot in a beautiful seaside setting;

My afternoon sharing insight with actors in a lecture and on-camera class;

My evening was filled with laughter, drinks, and dinner in a very British pub.

Sunday, March 10, 2019

LA to UK 2019; Day 5

The show is over;

My work is done;

Tomorrow I work with conservatory students,

Creating content—musical theater fun.

Saturday, March 9, 2019

LA to UK 2019; Day 4

The motivation to create, share, and inspire fuels me past the lack of sleep, aches, and pains that come from age.
Incredibly grateful for my career opportunities and collaborative crew!

Friday, March 8, 2019

LA to UK 2019; Day 3

A backstage press interview;
One master class;
Two seminars;
And a full day of reconnecting with lifelong industry friends… with a genuinely gigantic smile on my face.
All on two hours sleep. Why?
Apparently after turning 40 you lose the ability to bounce back from jet lag;
But the name of this game is enthusiastic endurance; it’s how a working artist evolves creatively, while staying true to their game!

Thursday, March 7, 2019

LA to UK 2019; Day 2

A show on the West End last night;
Matilda, lead a brilliant revolt!
Inspiration and industry:
Directing and choreographing our own production.
Late night Italian dinner in the heart of SoHo,
because carbs after a 12 hour flight and a show on West End ensures a perfect night’s sleep.
Today: up and ready for an adventure in London;
Yoga (of course),
Sightseeing,
Shopping,
And yes, another show!

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

LA to UK 2019; Day 1

Still thousands of miles in the sky;
The flight is always a touch more uncomfortable than you want it to be.
The unlimited alcohol helps.
Once in London,
We’ll hit the ground running.
Dinner and show, then plenty of sleep.
Wiser this time around,
We padded our trip with a full day of rest!

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

LA to UK 2019; Travel Day

My bags are packed;
Our puppies are pissed;
I’m ready for a fabulous adventure in the UK;
If only I didn’t have to spend 12 hours in Economy class to get there.
The glamorous life of an artist on tour;
They can’t all be 1st Class adventures––actually it’s probably for the best––every journey is a growing opportunity;
Delighted to share the stage with my husband, Jeff, and my manager, Michelle;
Let the expedition begin!

Monday, March 4, 2019

Ginger Licks; Constantly

I’ll miss the gentle lap of her tongue;

The heinously offensive $hit breath, which leaves a trail wherever she goes… . Yes, I’ll miss that, too.

She’s getting older,

She’s starting to let go;

I’m devouring every moment with her.

Sunday, March 3, 2019

Memories

Thanks to the generosity of a yogi and friend who couldn’t use her Orchestra center tickets for the matinee of Cats playing at the Hollywood Pantages Theater, Jeff and I got to indulge our theatrical side;
Sitting in the majestic lobby of the Pantages enjoying a cocktail pre-show, Jeff and I shared our Memories of the prancing musical production.
The songs are like catnip (I seriously can’t help it) for my inner theater soul.
The orchestra played the first synthesized note and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical mayhem came flooding back.
My childhood:
Watching the dancer–actor–singers on stage twirling, belting, and bouncing around the stage––which was transformed into a junkyard––was exhilarating.
I staged my own production of “Mad Cats” to avoid copyright infringement, when I was a senior in high school; naturally, I (re)wrote, directed, choreographed, and starred in the production. . . More about that in my new book, “Dancing Out of the Closet” (seamless plug), which will be released Summer 2019!
Now, as an adult, I watched the re-choreographed production.  I used to take class and work with Andy Blankenbeuhler––who did a brilliant job of maintaining the integrity of the show, but bringing it into the 21st Century.
I sat in the theater with my smile (from ear to ear) throughout the entire production.
Is it the perfect musical? NO. But it engaged a side of my imagination as a young boy, and I’m delighted to report that the nostalgia and creative inspiration came bounding back after lapping up the new production of Cats!

Saturday, March 2, 2019

Another Rainy Day...

We need the rain;

Our air quality improves;

There’s green everywhere;

I’m sick of it!

Grey skies leaves my with wet eyes:

Depression sets in—I’m an otherwise obsessively joyful person.

Don’t worry, I leave for the U.K. next week—we’re sure to enjoy sunny skies there!

Friday, March 1, 2019

Paying Bills

Doesn’t make me feel like an adult;
It reminds me that I spend, too much!
Also, I hear the Abba lyrics:
“I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay. . .”
It’s a rich man’s world.