RANDOM: Littlest Girl

Not many of you may know, but I was bit by the acting bug at quite a young age. My mom was always good at taking me to the theater. And she enrolled me in classes at our local children’s theater too. My favorite part was when we’d have staring contests with each other to practice our stage faces. To this day, I consider myself to be a Master of the Staring Contest.

Those classes even landed me a commercial! Not necessarily because I was particularly good at acting, but I was a blonde and about the right age for the part. I didn’t have any lines, but I was really good at sitting in my pretend mom’s lap and playing ‘sad.' I’d post the commercial for you, but I have no clue how to convert a VHS to anything viewable on the internet...


I continued joining the community theater classes for kids my age and shined on elementary gym stages all across the county! I still remember my favorite role... Abbott from “Who’s on First?


After a brief hiatus in middle school I took up acting again in high school. Unfortunately, we did the best show my freshman year - Bye Bye Birdie. And as everyone knows, you can’t get a decent part until you’re at least a junior or senior. Oh well. The other shows throughout my high school years were okay and I had decent parts along the way, but nothing super memorable. Thus, the acting bug was a bit squashed.


I spent most of college performing in choir and stayed off the acting stage. After graduation I moved back home, and didn't do much theater, with the exception of a few roles in our church dramas. But those roles just didn't seem to stir the passion back...


So, that brings us to present day...my performance of Littlest Girl in Ruddigore.


As you may remember, until recently I had kind of forgotten that I had joined a theater group. And who could blame me? For the first few months of rehearsals we primarily had a choir rehearsal followed by happy hour. Once we started staging the show, I expected to be one of those chorus members who stands in the background and smiles as she sings. But no - I've been cast as Littlest Girl. Which means no smiling in the back for me - I’ve got to express BIG emotions so that it’s obvious I’m Littlest Girl. You’ll all be happy to know, I’ve busted out all of my previous acting experiences (including the staring contest skills) and believe to have created quite a believable, and dare-I-say, cutest Littlest Girl ever...



Would you agree?

RANDOM: But Call Me Kristin Chenoweth


So what’s with the long absence this time? Long story short...
I’ve been preparing for my theatrical debut
.

Back in February I joined a theater group here in Philadelphia called the Savoy Company.
The Savoy Company is the oldest amateur theater company in the world dedicated solely to the production of the 13 surviving operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. Each spring we perform one of the 13. This year we’re doing a show you’ve never heard of - Ruddigore. If I would have joined last year, you probably would have recognized the show - The Pirates of Penzance.

When I was considering joining the group, someone described them to me as “a drinking group with a singing problem.” I wanted to make friends in Philly so this seemed like as good an opportunity as any! It wasn’t until about a week ago that I remembered the reason we’ve been getting together every week has actually been to put together a show that will be performed for a live audience. That statement alone should tip you off that I don’t exactly have a lead. I’m part of the chorus, and surprise, surprise, I’ve been given the role of Littlest Girl. For those of you who don’t know, I’ve basically been type-cast as Littlest Girl my entire life - both onstage and off. I had hoped for a role that required me to stand in the background and smile as I sing, but as Littlest Girl I find myself in the front of the stage more often than not. Luckily my previous theater experiences have come flooding back and I’ve even surprised myself with my expressive oohs and ahs...

Kristin Chenoweth would be so proud.


So that’s where I’ve been. Opening night is this Friday! Want to come?!? You should, it's a very fun and clever show! Buy tickets here.