A New Argentina!

This has not been much of a performance blog since I have been ailing, but there is light at the end of the tunnel on that front. The Duke doctors have been very aggressive in diagnosing me. They have found a growth on my lymph node which is pressing on my C2 nerve, which makes sense why the pain is so acute. My doctor believes it's a benign tumor and I am having another MRI tomorrow to get a closer look. It's all been a little scary, but hopefully soon they will cut me or laser me or do something proactive and I'll be on the road to recovery.

Our final dress rehearsal for EVITA was tonight, and boy has it been an exhilarating but exhausting process. You try putting up a big budget musical in 3 weeks! Somehow Patrick and Cinny and the Moore Onstage crew have achieved it. I cannot wait to open and for my friends and family to see the show. It takes place in a giant theater, a 1500 seat house with a big orchestra, New York and Broadway actors in the show, vintage costumes and crazy costume changes. I have a 25 second costume change that me and my fabulously dresser Ryan manage to pull it off seamlessly. (pun intended).  To perform on that big stage is breathtaking...it's like having a little piece of the Broadway dream.

I am in the featured ensemble, I play Eva's sister, get a few solos here and there. I have had many epiphany moments during this show that I realized how much of a professional I actually I am. Despite how silly and quirky I am, I always come to rehearsal focused and committed to work and explore. The pay may be diddly but it's my job and I treat it with respect. I began to notice that cast members were looking to me for musicality and blocking cues, even coming up to me with questions and helping them run numbers. And I was getting so many compliments on my soprano voice even from the leads. Che is played by a Broadway actor named Jose who is one of the coolest and most down-to-earth actors I've ever met (we bonded over our respective spinal injuries) and though many an Evita has had a reputation for being a diva, Rebecca is a complete sweetheart and humble and gracious and fun offstage. It's a wonderful production and I wish we could run longer. I have never ever considered myself a leader but it's funny how I just fell into that position.