On June 7th, 2011, Dayna's dad came into town to spend some time with her and to celebrate his birthday. He very, VERY generously bought us all tickets to a New York Yankees baseball game!!! I had never been to one before, and it was such a "New York" thing to do! We started the afternoon at Think Coffee, where we met Dayna and her dad for some beers. David, Dayna's dad, came up with the brilliant idea that we put our 2nd beer in a coffee cup and take it "to-go" on the subway up to the stadium, which is ALL the way in the Bronx! For the rest of the night, we all kept asking each other who wanted "more coffee"....too funny!

The game was super exciting, it was Yankees versus the Boston Red Sox....definitely a very heated crowd! I'm not a huge baseball fan either way, so I wore yellow and stayed very neutral. We mostly enjoyed Bud Light and talked to each other about life, since baseball games are pretty long and relatively uneventful. In the picture, there's Cameran, Sean, Dayna, me, and Dayna's friend Lewis. SO MUCH FUN. What a great way to spend a Tuesday.

Now that New York has warmed up, I have found myself in a much more consistent gleeful state. Everything is happy, every day is awesome, and I am so lucky to be in such an exciting, vibrant city with so many people that I love. I hope I can hold on to this feeling even when the weather starts to cool down.

And Basquiat Continues...

I was invited to perform yet ANOTHER time with Red Blisset, Paul Stancato, and the Basquiat crew. We performed at John Forslund's "Bound For Broadway", the same showcase that I started in! This whole thing has come so beautifully full circle. Well, almost!

Sunday, May 29th, Memorial Day Weekend, and yet STILL a sold out house! John is so talented....I don't know how he does it! We performed "Tom Song", "Mudd Club", and new piece that we had all just learned two days earlier, "Come Back". "Come Back" is really cool because it uses phrases and lyrics from some of the other songs we were familiar with. And then, since the lovely Miss Felicia Finley hosted the show, we ended it with her single, "Closin' Time", which is the number where I get to sing under her! She told me in person after the rehearsal, "I really want to feature you in the song, so you should really sing out more! I think we really mesh well together, so just go balls out, girl!"

She really is fantastic. Such a fun lady and what an incredible spirit! I hope she becomes someone who can act as a little bit of a mentor to me. I've already learned alot from her by just WATCHING her interact with other people. She has a huge personality and is definitely an individual, but she also can totally command the attention of a room. And also by being nice and polite! Amazing.

I hope they keep inviting me back! This Basquiat project is totally inspiring....and I am so fortunate to have stumbled across it!

Perfect Friday Night

Memorial Day weekend, 2011. I haven't made any big plans in particular for this weekend, I figured it would be a good opportunity for me to pick up some extra serving shifts at the restaurant. I also got offered ANOTHER gig singing with Red, Felicia and the "Basquiat" team, and I'm certainly not one to turn down an opportunity to perform!

Thursday afternoon was one of the most perfect "start of summer" days I could imagine. I met Katie, Jen and Katie's mom and Aunt Linda at "The Frying Pan", a very famous summer-time hang out. The Frying Pan is a bar, restaurant and grill all on a BOAT off of 26th St at Chelsea piers. It was SO, SO COOL! We started with Bloody Mary's and then moved to the roof of the boat for some wraps and coronas. I feel so at home with Katie's family. They are very similar to my own, so I feel right at home. They were so kind to offer me an invitation to come spend some time at their yacht club in New Jersey this summer, I can't wait!

Then, yesterday, after my rehearsal for Sunday's show, I was all a-twitter with inspiration. I ended up having lunch with Eric, another featured singer in the production, and listening to his experiences in the city. I'm ALWAYS, always inspired talking to people who are in the business. After lunch at this really cute Thai place (with and AWESOME $7 prixfix lunch special....) I walked around the theatre district. It was warm and sunny, and kind of took me right back to when I was here 3 years ago. I looked at all the theatres and wondered what it would be like to actually be coming here to WORK. And everyday, too, except Monday. If you're working the way I want to work, you are working 6-10 hours every day, on weekends and through holidays.

I love it. Thinking about it makes me tingly.

I let myself sweat in the sun and enjoyed the heat. I've been longing for warm weather ever since I got here, and it's HERE. I stopped in the theatres for "How to Succeed" and "Phantom" to see if they offered any student rates...which they didn't. No big. I'll figure it out some other time.

After my stroll I worked myself to the bone at the gym (getting in better physical shape is just something I need to make a priority every day. If I am pursuing a career in entertainment, this is just what people who are successful DO. They are active. They are active DAILY and they eat well. And they are cut. I need to become this.) I was inspired there to cook a feast!!!

It was such a lovely evening. I invited Dayna, William and Geoff over for my feast of homemade mango and cucumber salsa, and baked bell peppers stuffed with turkey, garlic and spices. Throw in a few glasses of cheap malbec, and you have yourself a feast! We sat on the couch and the floor in my living room, since I have no proper dining space, and talked about weddings and Germany and theatre and New York. I love them. I could not manage to survive in this city without knowing that they are there. I also love these times of being able to spontaneously plan these lovely get togethers. I love that my life isn't in any kind of routine, that I can pick up and take off wherever I want to when I have the free time. I love being in the same place as my loved ones, and I LOVE not being tied down to anything. It's a great life, and I really need to soak up every second of it!

INSANE. THIS CITY IS SO SMALL.

So.....the past few weeks have been UNBELIEVABLY eventful!!!! I'm sure there will come a time in my life when I will look back on these days in New York and think, "Sigh...remember when my life was so exciting and eventful? I miss those days." I must appreciate this now while I have it!!

To begin, I got fired for the first time, EVER. It was a very unfortunate situation, and it has been resolved...my primary objective was to end things on a good note with my supervisor, which I achieved. So there is no use in wasting anymore space on this post about it. Point is, I was horrified and felt terrible and now I feel better and have overcome!

I spent one very much needed week at home. I reached the end of my threshold with the cold weather, and spent the last week of April in the warmth and green of Raleigh, N.C. That, too was an eventful week....phew! But I won't get into that now.

When I came back, even though I was in need of a job, one just plopped into my lap. A regular at the bar at Brother Jimmy's approached me about meeting and discussing employment opportunities...he needed an assistant to maintain connections and communication with his contact list. I can totally do that.

My first assignment? Sort through literally about 2,000 business cards to a) see which ones were still valid and b) tell people about new services being offered...etc. As I began to make these calls, I realized that what I was doing was making a SALES call. It was really interested to hear the variety of responses, some people were totally mean and some people were very nice. I learned how to handle certain scenarios over the phone, and I've ended up with about 100 people who I can actually email. I also think it was important to touch base in person before just straight up sending an email out.

ANYWAYS. So I'm sitting at Think Coffee with Dayna and a bag of cards....I'm on like, card number 150 for the day, and I pull out a cream colored card that says nothing but the name "Gerard Basquiat", a SoHo address and a phone number.

"Oh, that's funny," I thought, "I just did 'Basquiat, the Musical'....tee hee hee...what a coincidence!" I wrote a quippy post on Paul Stancato and Red Blisset's wall about it.

I called the number on the card. I had a very nice conversation with an older sounding man with an accent. I gave him my sales schpeel, and asked if I could send him an email, to which, he replied, "I don't have email, but you are welcome to send me a fax." I thanked him and hung up.

The more I started to think about it, the more I realized that Basquiat isn't exactly a common name. And WHO in the world DOESN'T have email these days? I Googled the guy, Gerard Basquiat, and it turns out that he is Jean-Michel Basquiat's FATHER. HIS FATHER. The project I JUST WORKED ON ABOUT BASQUIAT.....Here was his DAD. I had just spoken to his dad ON THE PHONE.

I freaked out and contacted the guy I'm working for, enthusiastically asking him how in the HELL did he know Gerard Basquiat and how did he obtain his card?! "Oh, I grew up in SoHo and was friends with his son, Jean-Michel. He died several years ago."

.....

I had the golden ticket. THE GOLDEN TICKET. I've written Paul and Red about it, and got the response I hoped for, which was, "I'd love to meet with the guy you're working for to pick his brain." And BEFORE I coordinate these meetings, I am going to make damn well sure that I can be present and a part of this process. Being involved is a key in order to moving forward with the project!!!!!

I just can't believe HOW INSANE this was?!? Of ALL the business cards of ALL the people in New York, I pulled out THIS GUY'S CARD. This connection to something that I am working on RIGHT NOW! Just made me realize how incredibly small this world can be sometimes. And....that there is some greater force out there in the universe. Some greater force that pulled all of these cards together and put them on my table.

Theatre of Rock

In April of 2011, John Forslund, the first person to say, "Yes!" to me here, offered me a gig singing backup for some up and coming Broadway people. The gig was to be called "Theatre of Rock", and I would be singing back up for current Broadway stars Felicia Finley, Brenda Braxton, and working with music director Chris Blisset and Broadway director Paul Stancato.

Uh, yes please?!?! When do I start!?

I was thrilled! John had recruited me from his "Bound for Broadway" singers showcase, and I feel so fortunate to have come across his path. And apparently have made an impression! The concert was featuring some of Chris's new music and wrapping a reading of 4 new rock musicals into one evening.

Upon my first listen...I was really nervous. This music was like...rock, dude. It was rock, infused with some metal, infused with some hip hop elements, too. And I am so, so NOT a rock/pop singer. Rodgers and Hammerstein? Yes, absotively positlutely. Gilbert and Sullivan? I'm your gal. AC/DC and Janis Joplin? Uh....what? I thought, HOW am I going to pull this off?

Well, I learned. The rehearsals were a fantastic process...Chris, or "Red" as he told us to call him, was such a great leader and I really felt connected to the music. I snagged the featured solo underneath Felicia Finley in her number, "Closing Time", written specifically for her by Chris himself. I just used the breathing support and ear training I had learned in school and tried my best to blend with everyone else, and as it turns out, I felt like the fastest learner and one of the strongest listeners in the group. THIS ONLY EMPHASIZES my belief that if you wanna do music, no matter what kind of music, study that classical shit first. Train your ear, learn your theory, and ESPECIALLY if you're a singer....learn how to breathe. Once you've obtained these skills...you can do ANYTHING YOU WANT and be a smart musician.

The shows we were featuring were: Basquiat, the musical (a musical biography of the life of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, a very prominent figure in the New York pop culture scene in the early 1980s. He died at age 27 of a drug overdose) Basquiat featured my favorite songs in the program, "Tom Song", which was an account of Basquiat's death...amazing number, and also Mudd Club, and Genius Child. The other shows featured were "Kung Fusical, the Kung Fu Musical", and the "Country Christmas Show".

Crazy thing?! So when I decided to move to New York in January, I spent some time surfing the web about new musicals and potential venues that I should keep in mind and keep updated on. And what did I stumble on? A posting for music from "Kung Fusical, the Kung Fu Musical". NO KIDDING. And here I am, 4 months later, performing THIS MUSIC ON A STAGE with the guy who wrote it!! I remember that name specifically because, let's be real, how could one forget that name?

The concert was fantastic...my pants almost dropped when I got up on stage to sing with Felicia. I couldn't hear a damn thing because the guitar and drums were so loud, but I just trusted my instincts and rehearsal, and just let myself go with her. Red told me to sing out like it was a contest with Felicia, but, just let her win. Of course. Felicia was great. She was definitely a huge personality, but very friendly to all of us. A diva in the nicest way, in a way that I hope to be later in life.

I will never have a voice like Felicia's. But that's okay! Felicia has a specific kind of voice, very poppy and very cut-through-the audience vinegary in a fascinating way. She owns any room she walks into. And I LOVE that about her.

So, after the concert, we were invited to sing with Red and Felicia the FOLLOWING night at Therapy, a club in midtown, not far from the Theatre District. Again....YES PLEASE!!! The opportunity to sing with Felicia and Red in yet ANOTHER venue that I can put on my resume?! Awesome.

This has turned into something even further...I'm singing with Red and Felicia AGAIN on the stage where it all started. John has invited us to be special guests at his show at the Duplex in a few weeks! So excited! Yay for doing what I came here to do!

Gearing up for another week...

This week is going to be very eventful....and I'm just trying to take a few moments on this rainy, Monday morning on the couch with my coffee to meditate and mentally prepare myself.

For starters, I do have a full work schedule this week...meaning walking dogs from 9-5 everyday. This, I don't mind, as the absolute COLDEST it will be this week is 50 degreeees!!!!! Yay! It's a little wet today but it could be and HAS BEEN WORSE! I also have my restaurant shifts at Brother Jimmy's on Wed and Thursday. I have been so much happier since I've cut down to 2 days. I can't even tell you.

The most exciting development of the week is that I have an audition appointment for SOUTH PACIFIC.....the most amazing, in my opinion, piece of musical theatre in the literature!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dave Clemmons is casting it, hence the whole reason why I have an appointment. I know that I have my foot in the door, and I also simply know that I CAN DO THIS. There is NO reason why I shouldn't be more right than ANY OTHER GIRL who will show up to this open call. Non equity girl, that is. Regardless, I'm going to go in with my pretty green dress singing "I Whistle A Happy Tune", all Nellie Forbush like and blow them away! I want to radiate: "HIRE ME. I'M AWESOME. I'M A TEAM PLAYER, I'M SMART AND I AM THE PERFECT FIT FOR THIS SHOW."

But what I must continue to tell myself is that while I know that I am 150% capable, if this gig doesn't work out, I need to be unattached to this outcome. It means that there is another opportunity for me out there that is better suited. And that I should learn from the process but continue moving forward.....I'm still trying to learn how to separate Sara Abernethy the human from "Sara Abernethy": The Product. Seeing as they are the same thing...it becomes difficult after enough people tell you, "No". But it's completely out of my control. What I CAN control is my presentation at my audition, which I know I will rock, because Rodgers and Hammerstein is my thing. rock on.

So there's that. And then this weekend, I've given myself a weekend of in Philadelphia to visit my darling Emily! I'm so excited! It's her birthday and I'm going there to celebrate it with her.

I also have my 2nd rehearsal for "Theatre of Rock", this concert of new music sung by Broadway singers in a few weeks. I'm singing back up....the music is superfresh and exciting, and it's a stupid networking opportunity for me. I LOVED every second of working on Saturday....I'm so hungry for work, I just gobbled it up! I can't wait until a time in my life that will consist of NOTHING but that kind of work. Surely, it comes along with new struggles, or maybe some of the same old ones, like, "HOWAMIGOINGTOMAKERENTHISMONTHA;LSKDJF;LASKJF;...." But, we'll just have to see when I get there!

And....we're off!

Spring is coming!!!!

A few new developments in the New York scene...

I got promoted as a dog walker, so now I do that full time and am spending less time at Brother Jimmy's. It makes me alot happier on an everyday basis, and it's totally flexible with auditions.

I got another gig...."THEATRE OF ROCK" and we just had our first rehearsal yesterday!!! It's really exciting, fresh new music that Chris Blisset composed for some new shows that he's working on. CRAZY networking opportunity!

Not really much to say...I've just decided to stop saying, "I'll let myself be happy when I get this first job..." or "I'll let myself be happy when I've dropped 20 pounds" or "I'll let myself be happy when I find the next person who I'll be in love with..." "I'll really be happy when the weather warms up..." It's just silly to keep myself from that place. I should let myself be happy NOW! I should let myself live now! I have an awesome and exciting life in the most exciting city in the world!