Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Mike's Miyata



When I was in Los Angeles last week promoting Nunsense II, my pal and former Chicagoan Mike picked me up in West Hollywood in this red Miyata. I had been marketing in my nun outfit and so we drove down Santa Monica Boulevard in this convertable. My habit was flailing in the air and we were feeling groovy!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Going to Church





Spent this past weekend jaunting around the different areas of L.A. in my nun outfit. Went to bars and shops in North Hollywood, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Silverlake, Melrose and downtown. My marketing effort culminated in an appearance at the Metropolitan Community Church in the Valley, where we will be performing Nunsense II: The Second Coming. I got to sing a song from Nunsense and it was so well received. I feel I met a whole bunch of new friends. Here are some pictures of the venue and the church's congregation. Here's to our trip there in three weeks!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Los Angeles Yard Sale




My Los Angeles marketing trip this past weekend went really well. But it all started with a yard sale! My cousins were organizing a yard sale last weekend and I looked through all the stuff to try to get some props for the show. We don't want to ship everything from Chicago, so this was a great start. I found a few straw hats, a fake ax and even roller skates!

My cousin Celia's dog Won Ton could smell a bargain ... More from my trip to come later this week.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Plugging in L.A.


This weekend, I'm off to Los Angeles to promote Nunsense II: The Second Coming prior to our weekend of shows in September. The production is an opportunity for me and my buds to sing and kick up our Midwest heels on the West Coast. I'll be putting up posters, dropping off pluggers and bopping around in my nun outfit. I even get to sing for mass this Sunday at the gay church where we'll be performing our show.

I'll be hitting a couple of events, one of them being this downtown L.A. soiree called The Hideaway. Another one is put on by a group called Sh*ts and Giggles. I'll be hitting that one Friday. Should be fun; I can't wait! I'm there from Friday to Sunday. I'll let you know how it went when I get back!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Nunsense II Rehearsals


With the show in Los Angeles coming in less than a month, we're deep into rehearsals for Nunsense II. But we've worked really hard this weekend and (gasp) plan for rehearsals just about every day between now and Sept. 12-13. I'm actually off to Los Angeles this weekend to promote the show and pass out our pluggers. It'll be a quick weekend, but I'll be able to meet with the congregation at the gay church where we'll be peforming and also, hopefully, talk with some of the gay newspapers to gain publicity. If you hear anything about a nun in a gay bar in L.A. this weekend, you'll know it's about me.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Market Days 2008


Some of the Asians and Friends folks gathered yesterday to romp around Market Days. I can't believe how long we stayed. But the night ended with a packed street of folks watching none other than Jennifer Holiday of Dreamgirls fame. "And you, and you, you're gonna love meeee."

And we did. A great day, fantastic weather and fun company. Market Days 2008!

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Project Runway Birthday Party




John's Project Runway birthday party was two weeks ago, but I just got my pictures back now. My team had to work with paper towels and we fashioned a "wood nymph" ballerina. We also had to pair our creation with an Abba song, so of course, we went with "Dancing Queen."

Our competition was a tin lady and another one with words on her skirt. The words on her skirt won.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

A Little Captain Morgan In You

What did I say about our post Nunsense romp through Saugatuck last weekend? Rev. Mother!? What would Seattle Sutton say?

Bar Poles and Nuns





Here are a few revealing pictures of the nuns and our post-show day romping around Saugatuck. It's a wonderful little town set up along the river that runs along Lake Michigan. The crazy antics have no bounds.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Saugatuck Loves Nuns!


Well, I have to say that while it was a harrowing for me, our performances of Nunsense, A-men! in Saugatuck, Mich., last Saturday went really well. For the first time ever, we did an improv "Jesus Look-alike" contest that was just hilarious (one of our nuns went wild, waving these fake palm trees she found at the winner). Everyone was pleased and we're definitely invited back next year.

What happened was that I was fatigued from nun practice and last-mintue rushing around, and pushed my voice in rehearsal when we got there. It was a cavernous barn scenario and I did not use my voice correctly. By the end of our afternoon show the next day, I could barely talk.

Then when the second show came around, it was hard for me to say anything without my throat clenching up. I was freaked and horrified at myself. Well, the audience was filing in and we rushed about, making a few cuts and doling out a couple of my lines to other nuns. "In character," I carried around the microphone for my audience-participation segment and leaned into the standing microphones for other sections. But was I going to make it through my solo--the second-to-the-last number that's pivotal for the plot's development?

As the show progressed, I fell out of doing many of my choral parts. That helped. But I was also distracted and blew a couple of little lines. I wasn't as "on" as I typically am and the raspy, in-and-out quality of my voice showed. I was really feeling like I was blowing it for everyone.

When it came time for my solo number, my character literally asks the audience if they want to hear me sing. You could hear crickets. But I took it as a breath of anticipation, knowing that I was having vocal problems.

So I walked to upstage center and microphone in hand, took a relaxed breath in. The piano played and quietly, the words came out. I felt a flow building, like a warm, gentle tide. I'd hold notes longer and began to reconnect with what I was saying and to the audience's energy. I kept in that zone and when it came time for the high parts, I hit every one.

The last thing I sing is "Amen" and believe me, I've never felt relief like I had singing that last word. Everyone applauded. I felt most people were "in" on what was going on and happy I was able to carry through with that important piece of the play.

Driving back to Chicago, I reflected a bit and realized how important it was to really take care of myself. Even if I'm just performing in a show here and there, my body needs to rest and I have to be vigilant about singing and just plain ol' talking correctly.

It was a tough way to learn a lesson, but as God is my witness Katie-Scarlet, I will never lose my voice again!