HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
The Walnut Street Theatre Mezzanine Lobby during the Opening Day A Christmas Carol Cast Party
Licking stamps in between sips of warm peppermint goodness, I have been finding myself making up any excuse to kick back during my spare time in a snuggly coffee shop this holiday season, eager as ever to write to my family and friends about my life at the Walnut St. Theatre and send my best wishes to the new year ahead. I have some exciting news that is already making 2011 look pretty darn good and feel blessed to be leaving 2010 behind with one of my favorite Decembers yet!
THE UPCOMING NEWS:
I have been cast in the Walnut Street Theatre Independence Studio Production/National Tour of The Glass Menagerie as the LAURA understudy! I remember studying the Tennessee William's classic in an English Lit class in high school, voicing Laura out loud in the classroom group readings and instantly entranced by her sweet fragility. I had no trouble imagining this woman off the page; I remember just understanding her and feeling for her so deeply. I haven't reread the play since nor have seen it live, but it had such a lasting impression on me that I am ecstatic to be involved with this professional production! The show will begin a short run on the 3rd Floor of the Walnut in mid-January and then will hit the road and travel through March as the Walnut's 1st National Tour. CLICK ME FOR MORE INFORMATION.
*I was doing some online research of The Glass Menagerie and could not get over how stunning the original Laura, actress Julie Hayden, indeed was. Va Va Voom!*
A CHRISTMAS CAROL AND WHITE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY COMBO
Leslie Nevon Holden and I backstage for A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol had a fantastic run, playing to mostly sold out audiences and adding performances to suit even more bus loads of children and families. Performance wise, it was like running a mini-marathon of Christmas cheer, engaging the entire ensemble on stage for its' one hour time, only scurrying off stage for quick changes as we bounced from past to present to future. I was very proud of what our creative team and cast accomplished, feeling like a Hallmark Season's Greeting card come to life. I also just loved twirling in my hoop skirt, hearing the little kids lose it over Marley's ghost (you'd think we were in a haunted mansion haha!), feeling like a Jane Austen romance, and full belting "GOD BLESS US EVERYONE" in unison for the final moment. I looked forward to my favorite dance and scene as Belle with Young Scrooge every show as well as the the little squeals of delight bursting out of the audience during the final song when it snowed right above them. It was a magical experience for both the audience and us.
Speaking of snow, I had a u/s run of White Christmas, in love with the coy and controlled 1940s style choreography, feeling like an old movie musical chorus girl. It has been an amazing test for my feet and my brain learning dance numbers so quickly and the whole process has felt like a privileged master class. White Christmas plays until January 9th and is just a treat. CLICK ME FOR MORE INFO.
OTHER NEWS:
*My WST School Advanced Musical Theatre Class presented our Fall Showcase on November 30th, in which I sang "A Little Bit in Love" from Wonderful Town and "Sing Happy" from Flora, The Red Menace. Both pieces were two songs I may never have sang without our instructor Heidi Hayes' push to challenge ourselves with material out of our comfort zone. I was so glad that my parents and a handful friends got to come see me do non-traditional Tara numbers and thanks this class for making my fall Tuesday nights a paradise and for all the ounces of support and encouragement. In the new year, I will be taking two classes, Audition Technique and Advanced Acting, plus a specialized musical theatre audition intensive a few Saturdays in January. Heidi's class inspired me to load my plate full, always fueled by the possibility of growing and unlocking new doors inside! I also will keep up with my weekly Ballet Tone, Zumba, and newly added Yoga classes at the gym and will also be trying to get into the city some days off to visit Broadway Dance Center or take some possible master classes.
*The Touring Outreach Company has been on our condensed holiday leg of our touring schedule, going out on the road alongside our A Christmas Carol schedule and now right before schools go on break. Its so nice when faculty and the kids themselves come up to us after shows or in between sets to let us know how much our show means to them. We have been feeling the love especially this week in the Vineland, NJ middle schools, having amazing talk backs after Mean Girlz R Bullies 2 and feeling very welcomed by the guidance counselors. Leslie and I have also begun this new lunch break program in which I teach her tap in exchange for Shakespeare monologue coaching on tour, prepping us for spring auditions and keeping us in shape. Today it was hilarious flap ball changing in our character taps through the cafeteria lunch line to the teacher's lounge- haha! It really gives us something to look forward to and keep us active on our days with long breaks!
*I got so extremely close with my cast of A Christmas Carol-baking and decorating my first ever sugar cookies for them (they must have been special people if I ventured into the kitchen)- and fall into even more laughing attacks with my fellow acting apprentices everyday on our adventures. I just love when I'm in good company and that I am. I had a bunch of friends also come out to see A Christmas Carol, which meant the world, also proud to be giving them a live tour of my new Philadelphia life. My boyfriend, who lives in Astoria and will be going on tour come January, got to spend a week in Philly and it was the delicious icing on a perfectly frosted cake of a December. One of our high lights of his trip was walking through Dickens Village at the Macy's on Chestnut because I literally turned four years old.
So many friends and family members to love this holiday season makes me feel like
one happy WALNUT roasting on an open fire.
Wow its late.
I shall leave you with a beautiful montage the yet again amazing Jesse Havea put together from my summer production of HAIR in New Hampshire and also the debut of my long overdue acting reel.
All is calm. All is bright.
Here's to the Happiest of New Years! Love, Tara Tag
"HAIR Montage" and "My College Acting Reel"
Please Watch and Enjoy!
.
