FOREVER FOSSE

I don't know what I was thinking but I was recalling my earliest memories of acting. Most notably my "debut" in Annie when I was 10 years old and I thought to myself, "hey, I'd love to do musical theater again, I'll look into it tomorrow."

So "tomorrow" which, was actually Monday morning, August 10th, I saw a casting notice on the breakdowns for the role(s) of Sally Bowles (made famous by the fabulous Liza Minelli) and Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta Jones) and I thought, what the heck, I'll throw my hat in the ring. I wasn't expecting a call but sure enough, the next day I received a call from the Director asking me to come in the next day to audition. Kind of crazy, right? I didn't even have a song rehearsed and the last time I "sang", was a lip-sync to my vocals that had been pre-recorded during the Miss Oregon pageant back in 2001. Even then, this was a stretch but at least I had the benefit of a sound editor and some choreographed "razzle dazzle" to distract the audience.

I literally went onto Youtube, found the song "This Time" from Cabaret, and videotaped myself singing it with headphones on and it didn't sound half bad. Seriously, though the great thing about not being 19 in this town is that I have the mentality that I truly have nothing to lose and auditioning and being uncomfortable is why I moved to LA in the firsts place!

Armed with about 2 hours of vocal practice and my resume, I threw on some bright red lipstick, and walked into The Hollywood Fight Club with confidence. I have realized that confidence can get you places you never dreamed and if you don't believe in yourself, how can you expect a casting director to believe in you, right? I was offered the parts of Mama Morton (Queen Latifah's role from Chicago) and Lola from the musical Damn Yankees on the spot! I accepted and literally two weeks from our first rehearsal on August 13th, we had our first show.

Being in Forever Fosse has been an extraordinary experience and I absolutely love the theater. While I wouldn't call it "Broadway", it has been wonderful to be a part of something and the cast is extraordinarily talented! Being in this show has also reignited my love of dance, which I had done for 13 years and then just stopped one day - - well, not anymore. I'm dusting off my jazz shoes and gonna start hitting the studio again!

I am already looking for more shows to be a part of and will keep ya'll posted. I think the Lord is working in mysterious ways because I could never have predicted this path when I moved down here 18 months ago but what a journey it has been!

If you live in LA and want to come to the show, let me know! We just finished the first three shows and it runs every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday until September 13th. Pics to come!

Marketing/Branding - JENN CHIANG ROCKS

I believe it is critical to an actors success to have an online presence and a marketing strategy. I also believe that an actors and their work should be easily accessible. One way to do this is through a web-site. Another way to do this is to mail information directly to various casting directors, agents and managers.

I am working hard to find work, which will give me more material for my web-site and I am also creating a direct-mail plan. This plan needs to be consistent and one that is branded properly. I am a big believer that image is everything. I know this may sound trite and vein to many but it is true nonetheless. I should clarify that I don't mean my "physical image" and that it is the most important thing (although, it is important), I believe that the image or the "brand" we communicate with can either increase my chances of getting work or decrease them.

Lucky for me though, I hit a jackpot when I met my good friend JENNIFER CHIANG! Jenn is an amazing designer and graphic artist and she has graciously and joyfully taken on the task of creating a web-site for me as well as my logo, business cards and some mailing materials. If you agree, I would highly recommend her services for anything you may need her for. She is ultra collaborative and is a perfectionist. I feel SO incredibly blessed to have her friendship and her expertise. I look forward to paying her back when I get my big break.