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 

It's a Miracle to be heading back to Rio.

Ok so if you don't know, the title of this post contains 2 of the songs I will be performing again with my friends ;) This week has been absolute insanity, but it was all worth it. I had interviews in the mornings and rehearsals in the evenings. Tonight is the AllStars of Theatrezone fundraiser in Naples. There were only 4 nights of rehearsals, but it came together and we can't wait to show what we've been working on. We will be singing and dancing in a bunch of numbers including favorites from past shows. We even get to sing along to Escape (The Piña Colada Song) with special guest, Rupert Holmes! 

Thoughts On Switching Your Path.

Job hunting is hard no matter what industry you are in. You can be educated and experienced and still not be right for the positions or companies that you think you are. So many don't offer benefits or even pay that you can live on. As a performer, it is hard to explain that the only reason you have jumped from job to job is due to the fact that each contract must be auditioned for and has an expiration date. There are few consistent positions in this industry. It almost feels as if we are punished for having followed our dreams while we could. The hard thing about applying for jobs is that everything is online now. This makes it easy for employers to reject an application before even giving you the opportunity to sell yourself and explain your previous career path. Lucky for us though, performers are extremely resilient and used to rejection. 

When transitioning to another career path, I believe that getting in the door is difficult since all they see on your resume is a plethora of jobs all over the place. You look like a risk. Having pursued my dream for so long has been a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I have seen parts of the world I never dreamt I would. I was paid to perform in beautiful venues with like minded artists for packed audiences. On the other hand, it isn't easy to explain to someone you are ready for stability and how your performance skills relate to a job in another industry. I studied communications and have held jobs related to my degree, but I truly believe that my most invaluable skills were learned in studying and performing as a dancer. 

As performers, we are required to have excellent time management and attention to detail. We have the ability to be flexible and adapt to new situations. We have social media and marketing experience as we must promote our personal brand. We work so hard in the pursuit of perfection even though it is impossible to achieve. We are smart and go with the flow when we have to try new ways of doing things or change choreography on the spot. We don't give up until we reach our goals and still keep practicing long after. Performers are resilient and hopeful and fun to work with. My hope is that more potential non-entertainment employers can take this into consideration. I have been fortunate this month to have been given the privilege of a couple interviews. Stay tuned.