Tara Tag News: July 2010

From Anne of Green Gables:

Diana Barry: I wish I were rich, and I could spend the whole summer at a hotel, eating ice cream and chicken salad.
Anne Shirley: You know something, Diana? We are rich. We have sixteen years to our credit, and we both have wonderful imaginations. We should be as happy as queens.

(Gestures to Sun)

Look at that. You couldn't enjoy its loveliness more if you had ropes of diamonds.

UPDATE FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE:

EEEGODS! I bid farewell to River City last night and it was actually quite sad! The Music Man 'twas the fabulous kick off to our season at the Mt. Wash in all its old fashioned Americana fabulousness. Being a fan of the Robert Preston/Shirley Jones film version and adoring the music as a kid, I was happy to get the chance to sing this iconic score for very excited audiences who were ready to hum along. From collecting silly bands (they are all the middle school rage) with our children cast members, to the women's dressing room raps and reality TV show "The Real Housewives of River City," and to having a blast marching through the house during "76 Trombones" and dancing the "Shipoopi"- we kept it fresh and fun every night on stage and off and it was a wonderful show to dive back into after our rehearsals during the day. So I am really glad I gave Iowa a try. And...BALZAC.

I have been exploring the VHS collection of the ski lodge I am living in-its pretty fierce- and found all the "Anne of Green Gables" movies, which I use to watch countless times in my childhood and haven't seen since. It has been beautiful reliving those films on my meal breaks, being taken to stunning Prince Edward Island and into Anne with an e's wild imagination. I cried my eyes out! I opened this blog with a beautiful scene in the first film between Anne and her best friend Diana that I think of when I stare at the sky in NH. I have never seen such illustrious sunsets and skies nor so many stars at night.

I also have been reading David Mamet's True and False-something I recommend all actors to read- and this used book I bought off the sidewalk in the city near the Met published in the 1930s called Listen Little Girl: Before You Come to New York by Munro Leaf, which is this brilliant manual that resembles How to Succeed..., but only for women. There is this amazing chapter on theater and this opening passage is just the bee's knees:

"Any one who thinks of the theater and the people of the theater in terms of mere practicality is a fool. Like patriotism, religion, and mother love, acting has an unexplainable factor that makes mince-meat of drab reality and logic. You have had at least a clue to this if you have ever taken part in any sort of performance at anytime in your life. It doesn't matter whether it was the Sunday School Christmas play when you were one of the Three Wise Men at the age of five or the Tuesday Ladies' Club's rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream; there was, I guarantee, a fine flush of frenzy about it that made the show's "going on" the most important thing in the world."

--I just love that statement. Thanks Mr. Leaf.--

Other happenings include my parents making their first visit up for 4th of July to NH, securing an amazing brownstone apartment in Philly for next year that makes me smile from ear to ear, organizing a MSU 2010 newsletter with fellow classmate and current roommate Shannon Connolly, filming the silent picture and talkies my character Lina Lamont stars in in Singin in the Rain, and just getting ready to open this crazy beast of a musical. I'm in love with this character and am happy to be doing another musical I grew up with amongst an extremely hardworking cast and creative team. I can't wait to get pied in the face every night and to be a blonde!

My summer really has been amazing thus far and I am grateful for each day. More to come soon!!!