Thursday, January 31, 2019

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.

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

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. 

Saturday, January 26, 2019

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 



Friday, January 25, 2019

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 PiƱa Colada Song) with special guest, Rupert Holmes! 

Sunday, January 20, 2019

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. 

Saturday, January 19, 2019

Beveling Brunette At The Breakers











I just went to The Breakers for the first time ever last week. It is gorg! We checked out the shops and wandered around for a bit. My favorite was the pretty flowers when you first enter. And oh my goodness...that key lime pie and Flirtini with that ocean view! I absolutely love the glamour of it all. 

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Restoration Hardware WPB



My initials! I think it's a sign
These remind me of the pretty chairs at Bergdorf's <3



Restoration Hardware in WPB is a dream! I used to get their beautiful catalogues so it was cool to see all my fav home things in real life. I am obsessed with the chandeliers. The WPB location is located by City Place and has a restaurant and bar too. We had already eaten by the time we got there, but I hear the lobster roll is amazing. There is so much inspo to be found. 

Cold Brew & Clematis

Coffee: Subculture





Outfit: Free People
It's hard to believe that it has been 3 years since we were ship dancers, traipsing around West Palm and searching for the coolest street art and coffee. One time I drank so much legit good coffee here that I was shaking so badly and almost couldn't do the show (I don't recommend). Clematis Street was our hang. This week, I returned to my go to brunch spot (City Cellar), coffee shop (Subculture), and checked out the latest art around town. Go get yourself a cold brew on Clematis! 


Monday, January 14, 2019







It's important to take time to breathe. The water is so calming. Anyone else come up with big goals at the start of the year and then become completely overwhelmed with them? The expectations I place on myself and standards I have for the way I do things are so insanely high. I'd rather not add something else to the list, but I really need to focus on simplifying my life. Anyway, the above pics are from a day at the beach and a sunset in gorgeous Naples. It's good to be home.