BroadwayGirl NYC - Page 2

This week is Valentines Day, the occasion set aside (by Hallmark or otherwise) to celebrate that which we care about most. And we all know what I care about most...

Have you heard of the 24 Hour Plays? It's a simple concept that is ridiculously complex to pull off. Every year, a big group of actors, playwrights, and directors volunteer a single day -- 24 full hours -- in which they create a night full of original theatre. It started in 1995 as a group of young theatre-makers who set out toput on a show where, as founder Tina Fallon explains, 'opening night and closing night could be at the same time, so our friends would actually show up'.

A night in the theatre can seem to go by in an instant. A fabulous cast album can have the same effect - which is why I never travel without an ipod loaded up with lots. I asked via twitter: 'What are your favorite cast albums when you're traveling?' Responses flowed in. Needless to say, I'm not the only one who depends on cast recordings when I have a long trip ahead of me! Depending on my mode of transportation, my listening criteria vary. Here are my favorites!

The holiday season totally snuck up on me this year. I'm writing this on December 11, just TWO WEEKS before Christmas (and already three nights into Hannukah), and I'm more than a little bit panicked!! Two weeks to do all of my shopping? EEK to say the least. Luckily I have the BC/EFA Catalogue of Giving, which offers hundreds of Broadway-themed gifts, my favorite of which I'll share with you below. Proceeds to the wonderful causes supported by Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS, which this year includes help for victims of Hurricane Sandy and similar disasters.

A debate started up tonight when a tweeter suggested that Cinderella shouldn't be brunette on Broadway.

The Performers - starring Cheyenne Jackson, Henry Winkler, Alicia Silverstone, Ari Graynor, Daniel Breaker, and Jenni Barber - will close on Sunday night, November 18, after 23 previews and only seven regular performances. See this hilarious show, before it's too late.

This weekend my friend Jill & I went on The Ride -- a big tour bus with seats facing sideways, and one giant window like an imax screen looking out on the city. This is not just a facts-and-snapshots experience. It's more like being inside a virtual reality version of midtown Manhattan... except there was nothing virtual about it! Let's call it enhanced reality -- an energetic, showbizzy, glitzier version of a bus-about-town, where instead of being observers, the riders become part of the city experience.

Earlier this week I had my iPod on shuffle as I walked around the theatre district. Somewhere around 47th & Broadway, a beautiful instrumental track came on, which I didn't recognize for the first few bars. Then I heard a snippet of a song I knew... and then another... and I realized with a smile that it was the Entr'acte from Merrily We Roll Along. I enjoyed it so much I started scanning through my vast collection of songs for other Entr'actes. As soon as I got home, I too made a iTunes playlist of my favorites.

There are cast albums that we blast as we decorate for a party. There are those that are perfect for driving along an open highway with the top down. Certain albums make perfect workout soundtracks, or deliciously accompany us as we're getting ready for an exciting big date. There are those we love to sing along to, and share with our friends as we giggle at the lyrics. Then there are those, as Spring Awakening is for me, that are best enjoyed like a bubble bath: warm, slow, and solitary.

I go to the Bway Flea every year; I love the piles of t-shirts and tote bags, the stacks of cast albums on both CD and LP, the buttons and keychains and stickers and promotional items. My favorite sources of treasure are the overflowing dollar boxes, ripe for rummaging through, which are full of countless fun little tchochkes and the occasional something-amazing that has slipped in either by accident or by someone who didn't know the difference. I'll keep a few things from today. But the vast majority of it, I'm sending away. I'm sending it, in fact, to YOU.

Sometimes, we just need to turn on the waterworks. Stressful day at work, fight with the boyfriend, missing a family that's far away… sucks. And tears help. Here is a list of the Broadway songs that bring on the tears. Use it to soothe yourself. Bathe in the sadness, the anger, the heartbreak, the loss. Make yourself a pot of tearwater tea. And when you're done, dab those eyes dry, and stand strong to face the world again.

What's better than grabbing a mic and having your moment in the spotlight?! Whether you're a seasoned pro, an amateur who knows her way around a microphone, or a fan who only sings in the shower… karaoke is a great way to feel the delicious heat of the spotlight and the cheers of an adoring crowd, without the pressure of forgetting lines. You may not be on Broadway, but singing a showtune to a prerecorded track in a dark bar will make you feel like a star.

You should have heard me squeal when I saw the media shelves at Housing Works Thrift Shop on 9th Avenue today.

In New York City, we're fortunate enough to have access to a bevvy of theatre-related events -- many of which are free or low-cost -- to enjoy on the days we can't get to a show. Here are a few that I have hand-picked: the events about which I'm the most excited. These ones get the official BroadwayGirlNYC stamp of approval for the month of August.

When a friend recently had a baby, I sent a basket that included baby gifts, and the Once CD. What I didn't expect is that the album was as much of a gift for baby as it was for Mom; it became a surefire way to get the baby to stop crying. Inspired, Auntie BroadwayGirl went to work creating what I hope becomes a playlist for the whole family, with an emphasis on those very tiny future members of the audience. They do call it 'The Lullabye of Broadway,' after all.

Tweeting and writing about theatre has brought me back into the community I lost when I was an actor. The solitary act of tweeting became a means to connect with thousands of theatre-lovers like me. As my list of readers grew longer, I also sought out other voices sharing their words & thoughts with the digital world. It has been a delight to join a community, not unlike the casts I knew in my acting days, of passionate consumers of theatre. I want to thank every person who has shared their fervor by way of written word.

The Tony Awards Drinking Game has become a tradition, and this year it's going to be sloshier and more dizzying than ever before!! Choose your favorite Broadway-themed cocktail (or mocktail!) and make sure you have food in your belly; it's about to get tipsy in here. Let's all play… The 2012 TONY AWARDS DRINKING GAME!!!

It's Tony Awards time, and I've put together a menu based on this year's musical & play nominees. I include references to twenty different nominated shows. Can you recognize them all?

Every person I know who is successful in the arts has something in common: they all worked for free, or very low pay, for a long time before hitting it big. This includes administrators, producers, stage managers, directors, and especially - especially! - actors. Show biz has lots to do with talent and lots to do with luck, but without preparation and knowledge of the business, talent & luck won't get anyone very far.

This week the 2012 Tony Awards Nominations were announced! I always get up early to watch the nominations on NY1; but my favorite part of the noms is the day after, when the nominees meet the press. Here are excerpts from my favorite nominee reactions in recent years.