Introducing the Bloggers of Transcendence Theatre's 'Broadway Under The Stars' This Summer in Wine Country

Hi there! I'm Eric Jackson and I'm one of the handful of performers that has had the pleasure of being a part of Transcendence Theatre in Sonoma every summer since their first concert in 2011. My path has taken me from Rochester, Michigan to The University of Michigan and then to NYC for the past 15 years. But now I'm on a new path. I accepted the position of Executive Assistant to the Artistic Director here at Transcendence and just recently moved to Wine Country to start a whole new chapter of my life! On top of that, I am Associate Directing the 1st Concert, Co-Directing the 2nd Concert, and performing in all 4! It's going to be a busy summer, but it will all be worth it. And as you follow this blog, hopefully you will understand the reason why I keep coming back and why I've decided to stay.

Rachel, Shannon, Nick, Meggie, and I have the pleasure of being a part of Transcendence Theatre Company's full 2015 Summer Season this year. And so we will take turns each week giving you a peek into what Transcendence Theatre does and how being employed here is more than just an opportunity to perform. For this first blog we're all going to take a moment to introduce ourselves. Follow us as we rehearse our shows, experience wine country, perform around the Sonoma Valley, and connect with the community. It's bound to be the Best Summer Ever! Are you ready?

RACHEL LOUISE THOMAS

Hey there, Hi There, Ho There Broadway World! My name is Rachel Louise Thomas and I couldn't be more thrilled to share with you some of my adventures as an Integrative Artist here with Transcendence Theater Company. This summer marks my fourth summer with Transcendence; and as a Resident Integrative Artist to boot! I also had the game-changing opportunity of performing in Transcendence's very first concert at Jack London State Park on October 1, 2011! Co-Executive Director and dear friend, Stephan Stubbins first shared with me this company and it's chief aim back in 2010-I was actually performing in a show in Branson at the time! Deep down in my soul, I just had this gut feeling I would get to be a part of it some day. I guess you could say I am feeling especially grateful these days to be a part of the cultivation of Transcendence, and to keep creating and growing not just in my craft, but in living my life being of service to others!

NICK DALTON

Howdy y'all! I go by Nick. But, my full name is Nicholas Mikhail Sebastian Spore Yensin Myory Davidson Grissom Grimes Heinsohn Marlett Woolrich Dalton. My dad made me memorize that list when I was 3 years old to always remember where I came from because I wouldn't be who I am if it weren't for this family: a collection of immigrant farmers, ministers, outlaws, academics, teachers, tinkerers, government snipers, and huggers. I've been a professional artist since graduating college 13 years ago and it's taken me around the globe! After courting TRANSCENDENCE since 2009, I was finally able to be apart of the final concert in their 2013 season! (I took freshman Jazz class with Artistic Director Amy Miller at Otterbein College---so this journey has been long coming)

Post our closing I hopped a Red-Eye to NYC for a wedding involving a score of close friends from the HAIRSPRAY and LEGALLY BLONDE families (the groom of which is in the first concert of this season at TRANSCENDENCE) before embarking on the greatest adventure of my life in Pune, India----using the arts to teach slum kids values and educational curriculum while writing an amazing World Premiere Musical around their developing skills alongside multiple Broadway composers. I was Director of "The MAYA Project": a Broadway Musical collaboration between TEACH FOR INDIA and the US non-profit ARTISTS STRIVING TO END POVERTY. {insert video?} (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pPRmQkOwtG8)

After 2 years living abroad, I just returned with fellow Transcendent Integrative Artist Shannon O'Bryan (the Love of my Life) #stoked to let my artistic Freak Flag fly while creating art in Sonoma for the whole summer! These concerts and service projects are going to melt hearts and inspire the generations of people that come...they have no idea of the journey our magical Jazzhands are about to take em' on!

MEGGIE CANSLER

Well, well, well ...

I fell in love with the Transcendence Theatre Company and Sonoma last summer after being here for only two and a half weeks for the Fantastical Family Night concert/ kid's camp. I am singer, actress, and *wine enthusiast* who is escaping the Broadway scene for some much needed respite and heart explosions that Sonoma has to offer. This Kansas native, who moved to NYC to achieve her Broadway dreams, has now fallen in love with the west coast! WHAT?? Follow me this summer as I am on the path of finding my bluebird of happiness through the journey of this magical company, performing, and explorations of fully lived days. Paired with vino of course!

SHANNON O'BRYAN

Hey there warriors of the rainbow!! My name is Shannon O'Bryan and I am beyond thrilled to embark on this blog-venture with all of you. I hail from the land of horses, bourbon, basketball, Lincoln, trees, and smiles, Louisville, Kentucky. I have lived out of a couple of suitcases for so long that I couldn't possibly tell you where I call home, but I suppose home is wherever I am, and at this very moment, I am proud to say that I am settling back into Sonoma in the most blissful way possible and it feels more like home than anywhere has felt in a very long time. I am returning to the land of Transcendence after spending the past 6 months in Mother India working with the incomparable Nicholas Mikhail...Dalton and about 300 children during my challenging yet incredibly rewarding time there. (And, yes, one of my first tasks as Nick's partner was to memorize the masterpiece that is his full name.)

Boy, this life of mine has been quite an adventure and has taken me all over the globe. I have worked as a professional artist, in numerous capacities, for the past 14 years... in and out of Broadway shows (42ND STREET; WHITE CHRISTMAS; and many City Center shows), tours, regional theatre's, Moscow, Germany, in recording studios, workshops, readings, commercials, concerts, etc. Most recently, however, I have been spending a little less time on stage and more time in meditation and yoga retreats and classes that lead me to becoming a teacher of many awesome techniques that have simply changed my life (more on this later). Through a couple of decades of exploring the depths of my own heart and the hearts of my fellow artists and the children whom I work with, I have developed a passion beyond explanation that guides every millisecond of my days now. We have developed workshops that approach every question from What makes your inner 9-year-old belly laugh? to What is my purpose? And, now I am quite sure that my purpose is to develop a profoundly deep understanding of anyone who comes within my event horizon and together explore what makes us tick, where our unique strengths and gifts lie and then figure out how we can light those fires and best tap into and enliven all of that beautiful creative energy that is lying dormant inside of us just waiting to be used every day. I, of course want to bring peace on Earth (the quest that has driven my parents crazy since I was a child) and to live in a world where we are all living lives of passion and purpose and exercising present moment awareness as a means to create better art and better lives. I am so excited to continue these explorations with all of you and to explore Sonoma and what makes Transcendence Theatre Company so unique and magical. I am elated to return to Transcendence after spending only a few weeks with this team of Superheroes last summer and having my life completely changed. Transcendence allows me to bring together my love of the arts, wellness, service, and sustainability into a neatly wrapped package that is open and available for expansion and new discoveries. How lucky are we?!?! This summer promises to be the best summer EVER and I cannot wait to share it with all of you.

Photo Credits: Rebecca Jane Call, Sarah McLellan and Mimi Carroll

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