I got to see the touring cast of Memphis last night and I am happy to say I laughed, I cried, and I got chills on multiple occasions. I admit I was skeptical, I hadn't heard a lot of buzz about this show out here on the west coast, but I have had the soundtrack for a while and using the classic "If you like 3 or more songs on the soundtrack, you'll like the show" rule, I figured I would enjoy the evening -- I didn't plan on being delighted with the fast-paced show from the start of the opening number! I was particularly enthralled with the choreography, not to mention the brilliant leads: Felicia Boswell and Bryan Renkart; their talent was truly inspiring! I wish them (and the entire fantastical cast!) all the best on the rest of their tour -- thank you for sharing this story with Portland!
Here is one of my favorite songs from the show: "Love Will Stand When All Else Falls" sung by the Original Broadway Cast starring Chad Kimball and Montego Glover.
Hockadoo!
"The sun is sinkin' and time's got me thinkin'-
As we grow old, will our love stay strong,
Or will it disappear?
Tomorrow's unknown, but today is our own.
So take my hand, hold on with no fear,
'Cause baby, 'cause baby, 'cause baby- I'm here."
"Whoa, there's one way to live, be kind and forgive.
I have the power in me!
Follow me where I lead, I'll meet ev'ry need.
We will endure what life has in store.
Have faith and believe, like the air that you breathe-
Love will stand when all else falls.
Love will stand when all else falls."
I am happy to say that while I may not have been blogging the last few months, I haven't been hiding under a rock ;) I have been performing in a production of Gilbert & Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore! It has been absolutely wonderful and I will be sad to say goodbye to such a fun show ~ being on stage again has renewed my zest for life, and interacting with so many talented thespians has been an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience. I have learned so much and look forward to working with this company again!
Over the past month, every time I have arrived at the theatre for a rehearsal or performance, I find myself humming (and/or singing) "The World Above" from The Little Mermaid. It probably comes as no surprise that Ariel is my favorite Disney Princess - she is a fellow hope-filled [red-headed] dreamer - adventurous & stubborn, putting her heart above all else. So much of what she says resonates with my own heart as I inch ever-nearer to Broadway: "I don't know when, I don't know how...watch and you'll see, someday I'll be, part of that world."
I was meant for the stage...this is where I belong.
"It’s like my life was wrong
And somehow, now, at last I’m in
My own skin
Up here in the world above!"
"It feels so right here
Warm as love...
Life seems to be
Almost calling to me"
Hello, friends!
Today will be a short post -- and while it is not a showtune, it is full of beautiful Broadway peoples. I'm loving this brilliant lip-synced montage of "What Makes You Beautiful" starring the cast and crew of Broadway's ANYTHING GOES (I think 1,000 of the 46,000+now 382,967+ views are probably from me). This is a truly amazing group of people ... and I hope to work alongside them one day. To the amazing people working at ANYTHING GOES: Thank you for inspiring me, and taking the time to share happiness. Brava for following your dreams! To my fellow DREAMERS: Don't give up. While no one may know exactly what you're going through, everyone struggles on the path to their dreams - and your fellow dreamers want to help you succeed. You are not alone.
... This is for YOU ~ Have a truly terrific Tuesday wherever you may be!
Yes, I know it's April; I seemed to have missed March completely!
I had so many moments of "this would make a great blog post" during the last couple months ... but alas, they never made it from my brain to the internet. Part of me (the over-achiever Marcy Park in me) wishes I could go back in time and post everything so you would know I'm "responsible" and "serious" about life. And blogging. And stuff. But a bigger part of me (the 93% of me that has come to terms with my new condemnation-free lifestyle) quickly squashes that "if you had just done more you'd be good enough" philosophy.
After all, no day but today, right? March was full of madness and theatre and friends and new experiences and opportunities -- no wonder I didn't have time and/or energy to blog! Sometimes it's easy to look around at everyone else and think "If I could do that, I would be happy/successful/awesome/etc." -- but a lot of times, they aren't the things we want at all. They're the things that will kill us (figuratively speaking...I hope). I sometimes long for the ability to be uber organized and have a set schedule for ease of mind ... but then I remember that I HAVE lived like that before and HATED it. It went against who I was and kept me focusing on my weaknesses and I didn't have time to use my strengths ... I spent all day doing things that drained my energy and I lived in the world of "not-good-enough" and I never had time or energy for things that made me happy and fueled my soul!
Today? I wrote a scene for a play, did 5 loads of laundry, got paid to be creative and make a room look pretty, spent some time bird-watching in the atrium my backyard, and STILL had energy left over to write this post! Yay!
One of my friends shared a quote with me recently that I absolutely LOVE:
Disciplined living gets you admired - Passionate living is contagious.
I so greatly desire to live passionately and give the people around me a chance to get excited about the possibilities that surround us every day. It's easy to be passionate about life and believe in the beauty of your dreams when those are exactly the things that surround you! When you live in your strengths and do what you love, it's wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy easier to be passionate!
The song I want to share with you today is "Change It" from 9 to 5: The Musical sung by the Original Broadway Cast featuring: Megan Hilty, Stephanie J. Block, and Allison Janney. And as is custom: here's one to listen & one to watch.
"Something gotcha down?
Gotcha chained and bound?
Well, break it."
"If you don't take the reins,
It's gonna stay the same.
Nothin's gonna change
If you don't change it."
"Something in your life
Isn't sitting right
Then fix it."
"...You're made of better stuff
And you can change it."
"You don't want your little light to never shine.
Turn it on and get your
Goals in line!"
"When the road is dark and cold
Walk on...
Fearing not..."
Hey there -- the past couple weeks have been crazy for me! Between moving (and decorating my new digs), directing/working, and embracing a healthier lifestyle ... well, it's been busy!
This is my year of making dreams happen (and it can be yours, too!) so I finally gathered the courage/strength to make changes in my life. After all, why be miserable with the things you can control? One of my dear friends has taken on the role of my health coach, and others have joined me in shedding both the pounds and doubt that have plagued us for years.
The first three days of my "healthy, happy me" journey, I wanted to do a post about "Food, Glorious Food" from Oliver!, and the next few I had "Whipped into Shape" from Legally Blonde: The Musical constantly running through my mind ... well, I still do, actually. But I don't necessarily want to talk to you about losing weight or working out -- those are the things on the surface. WHY I'm doing them is something I think you'll be able to relate to a bit more.
I think for a long time I was just ... waiting. Dreaming of the day the Wizard would ask "Would it be alright by you, if I de-greenify you?" As if someone could just walk up to me and take away all my problems. But that's how a lot of fairy tales go, right? Sometimes we forget that we must dream as well as act (and I don't necessarily mean on stage!). If we don't fight for something, there's a good chance we won't fight to keep it. And I don't know about you, but I want my dreams to last.
One of my biggest dreams for the year is to get back to being the healthy, athletic, energetic person I used to be. And I'm not waiting anymore ... It's a struggle -- creating new habits, resisting the temptation to grab a handful of cookies at an event - or having a salad when we go out to eat instead of a burger and fries. But two weeks into my resolution, and I already feel better/more energetic/more hopeful.
I tried on my skinny jeans this morning -- and THEY FIT! What a great feeling -- knowing that your hard work is not for naught.
I don't know what challenges you are trying to overcome, and what goals feel just out of reach, but let me encourage you to take another step closer to your dreams. What's holding you back? Time? Money? Resources? Chances are there's someone in your life already who is looking for a chance to use their gift, and it's just the thing you're missing.
My friend that's taken on the role as my health coach? She loves healthy living and has been looking for a way to make good use of her talents and share her passion.
You're not alone -- take a deep breath and reach out to those around you. You may be surprised at how much better you'll be together.
This week's song -- in the spirit of togetherness and the idea that people are just looking for a way to help you succeed -- is "Don't Let Me Go" from Shrek: The Musical, sung brilliantly by Daniel Breaker as Donkey.
"You don't know what it's like to be considered a freak!
Well maybe you do.
But that’s why we gotta stick together!"
"Just hear me out! I might surprise you.
I'll be a friend, when others despise you.
Don't roll your eyes! Stop with the mopin’.
You need a pal! My calendar’s open!"
"You and me, we belong together.
Like butter and grits, like kibbles and bits,
Like yin and yang -- sturm und drang -- like Eng and Chang,
Attached at the hip, but not an old lady hip that might break!"
