Guest Blogger: Arielle Jacobs

It happened again. The slip and fall. The attack of the klutz. The shattering of the illusion of that graceful and poised person that I pretend to be.  And it happened in front of 2200 people.

It's days like this that I wish someone would just tell me what to do. Tell me what the rules are. Or guidelines. Whatever they're called. As I sit here, bundled up in my comfy clothes and steaming my face, I sit in the knowledge that I'm battling a cold. My neck aches and my ears have been clogged for days. My nose is leaking BEHIND my face. Not out the front, but down back my throat.  The kind of drip down your throat that is just annoying and makes you feel like you've got a sore throat in the morning, but then you drink water and realize it's just the constant drip of liquid making your throat slowly raw.

It's OPENING NIGHT.  The night we've all been waiting for… working towards… dreaming about.  Aside from rehearsing the show, we've also spent loads of time and attention picking out the right gifts and greeting cards to congratulate our fellow company members and, of course, choosing the fiercest, sexiest, most stylish outfits for the after-party. Duh.

What a week!  Looking back on it, it's hard to believe that we had the energy to get through all of it and still perform a 5-show weekend afterward…but adrenaline and good company will get you through anything, I presume.

Tonight was our first audience at the Capitol Theater!  It was exciting to finally share our creation with the 1600 friends and family that attended our final dress rehearsal.  Before it started, the whole cast was buzzed, nervous, excited.  After the curtain came down at the end, I sang to our genie, Michael James Scott, "We can never go back to befoooooore!" a la Ahrens & Flaherty. Tonight we crossed over a threshold, giving away what was once our private creative space. It's like spending 6 weeks making a fantastic cake, and then watching everyone enjoy it and eat it up.  But the process of making it ready, making it perfect… the anticipation phase… it's done.

I was recently interviewed by a local Sydney magazine, and I thought you might be interested to read my answers about my childhood relationship to the story of Aladdin, and why I think musical theater is a powerful healing art. Also, I explain what I think it means to be a Princess in the real world.

Our Aladdin company is awesome. They are fiercely talented, funny, warm, and just a blast to see every day. Since day one, they've made a foreign girl feel totally welcome with their smiles, their questions to check in on how I'm feeling, sharing their snacks and their stories… I've been overwhelmed by the warmth and presence of Australians. They always seem to be going out of their way to check in and see if your happy.

I've thought about writing a blog for a long time.  I wasn't sure that I wanted to take on the pressure of figuring out what to write, what is entertaining, who's my audience, blah blah blah.  But I know that when I read other people's words and reflections, it moves me. It speaks to me. And I often see my thoughts in their thoughts.  So I figure, it's about time to share what excites me. Because I am at a point in my life when there is a whole lot of new adventures that are pretty damn exciting!