Beveling Brunette in the Bahamas

Tryon Entertainment event in The Bahamas <3

I was in The Bahamas for 24 hours last weekend. An awesome entertainment company I work with offered me and a few friends the opportunity to perform in Nassau at a private event. We did our performance on the beach and then danced the night away. The next morning, we had some pool and beach time at our hotel before catching our flights. I had been to The Bahamas many times while working on a ship, but never Nassau. It was so so beautiful! We stayed at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. It reminded me a lot of Vegas. Apparently they have a million restaurants and things to do. It was my first time performing in another country (not on a ship) and it feels like a dream now. 

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

I have been listening to Andrew McMahon since 8th grade. Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin got me through high school and I was finally able to see Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness live last week! It was in my Top 3 shows I've ever been to (and I've been to a lot). I love when bands sound exactly like their albums. They played the perfect combination of SC, JM, and current songs. I freaked out when they played Punk Rock Princess. It has always been my fav. He even came out and sang in the audience. I hadn't heard of opening acts Flor and Grizfolk, but enjoyed both. This tour is so fun and worth going to. 

Lyric West Side Story

My favorite place of work thus far is without a doubt Lyric Opera of Chicago. I had the most glam experience living out my dream as a Stro girl, performing as a dancer in The Merry Widow. I decided to audition for West Side Story at Lyric. My only expectation was to learn the original choreo from the amazing show and to see my ship friend. I ran into a bunch of my Merry Widow friends and had my stamina tested hardcore. The choreographer for this show, Julio Monge, is awesome. Seriously that choreo made me so so happy as I was performing it. I made it through the dance cuts and ended up having to do it 4 times in a row. Wow! You know all those jumps I do in my beach pics? We had to do that in heels multiple times *hairflip.* What an awesome experience! I ended up being cut after singing, but everyone was belting their faces off and I'm new to that game. I will continue to take voice lessons to build my book and confidence, but I feel that I improve with each audition. 2 of my friends made it to the end so fingers crossed for them! Lyric will always have a special place in my heart. This year wasn't my time, but maybe I'll give it another shot in the future. 

Also...it wouldn't be a trip to a city without Magnolia Bakery. I had nanner pudding and a chocolate cupcake. YUM.

I Picked The Coldest Time To Visit Chicago

I am stuck in Chicago. At 630am, I woke up to a text from my mom telling me my contacts would freeze to my eyeballs if I went outside and that cars were freezing and breaking down. Drama. So many flights out of Chicago were canceled with the exception of mine. I ended up finding a different flight though so I am stuck inside for at least a day. Today is giving me Bird Box vibes. We are just trying to avoid the outside world and it's all over if you go outside. But in all seriousness, I hope everyone around here is safe and warm. 

During my time in Chi, I stayed with my ship friend, Kevin, whom I lived with when I worked with Lyric Opera of Chicago a few years ago. We went to Eataly on my first night for amazing pasta, wine, and dessert. I also had time to explore Evanston a bit. I found a cute coffee shop with legit cappuccino called Colectivo Coffee and had burg and a beer at one of my faves, Farmhouse. I also had the opportunity to audition for a dream show of mine, but I'll save that for my next post. 

AllStars of Theatrezone

With Rupert Holmes. We like pina coladas : ) 

We did it! Performing with Theatrezone is always a blast and the night was a success. From the stage, it looked like people really enjoyed it. The highlight of the night was Rupert Holmes, who was so sweet. We got to sing along to Escape with him at the end of the show. I'm looking forward to continuing voice lessons and hopefully improving. I've learned so much during my time with Theatrezone <3