It's Just The Truth- Confessions of a Girl Who Wants to ROCK

This morning I did the Ah Meditation with a recording by Wayne Dyer's guru Siva Baba (it's a powerful and amazing meditation for manifesting your desires- try it!), and at the end of the recording Siva Baba says "Embrace Your Manifestation."    So I decided to go all out today and embrace one of my greatest desires:  I WANNA ROCK.


Last week I had yet another round of auditions for ROCK OF AGES on Broadway.  I had so much fun (how can you NOT have fun dancing to "Pour Some Sugar on me"?!  I have wanted to be a video vamp in a Whitesnake video since I was old enough to crimp my own hair).  And I felt so empowered as a woman- I was in my body, my voice sounded great, and I felt totally solid about what I did.  


I think in musical theatre, we are very cautious about admitting when we really want something, because - let's face it- more often than not we end up not booking the job.  And it's the ultimate adrenaline spike, which makes it harder.  We get all gussied up, we prepare, warm up, dance our faces off, sweat, get out of breath, get a callback, sing, get another callback, read, dance again, and then... nothing.  And this process happens over and over again.  So we develop this protective armor, and we suit up under our fishnets and half tops and La Ducas, and put our stoic, yet best foot forward.


But every once in a while, a show comes along that is just the perfect show.  It melts the armor.  You see it and think "oh man, that is my show."  Well, ROCK OF AGES is my show.  I know it, my agent knows it, and I'm fairly sure the creative team knows it, as they keep calling me in.  I have been through four rounds of auditions so far.  ROCK OF AGES is my show because I grew up in the '80s. The summer between 6th and 7th grade, Michelle Bruno and I would go to Whitehall pool every day, and listen to our tape recorded mixes from B94 FM while we worked on our tans... "Be With You," "I Wanna Know What Love Is," "Welcome to the Jungle"... On the way home, we would sit in the back seat of her mom's burgundy Cadillac, sun-drenched and sucking on candy cigarettes.  We would pretend we were on our way to a big sold out arena show, where we were the stars.  We'd get home and cut up our t-shirts (sometimes even fringe-ing them ourselves) while we waited for "Pour Some Sugar On Me" to come onto the MTV rotation.  We'd walk to the drugstore and buy frosty shades of Wet 'n' Wild lipstick for $.99 as "Dead or Alive" piped through the store's speakers.  


You see, I'm from Pittsburgh, the place where 80's hair band music never dies.  I am flying home today, and I can guarantee I will hear one of the aforementioned songs on WDVE on my way home from the airport.  My peeps are hard workin', beer drinkin', sports lovin', mullet headed balls of love.  I want to represent, for my hometown.  For my childhood, for my passion for thrashing around while scantily clad.


Yes, ROCK OF AGES is my show.  And I want it.  In my class I encourage my students to leave it on the floor, to play full out and take risks, and if they fall, not to worry, it's just the gym.  Well, I'm going to leave it all on the floor right now.  It's just the truth.  I want this.  I want it bad.  Siva Baba does not say "guard the manifestation" or "protect the manifestation" or "doubt the manifestation."  I embrace it.  I like the image of hugging it.  Nurturing it.  and rocking it.  With horns and fist-pumping.  


So this one goes out to all of my musical theatre girls and guys who go home and silently pray that they get the job they just told their friends they are ambivalent about.  I'm turning up the volume on my prayer.  And just like at the gym, if I fall, if I don't get it, I am willing to publicly admit that I fell.  But I want this, and here goes.  I REALLY REALLY WANT TO DO ROCK OF AGES ON BROADWAY.  NOW.  I WANT THIS JOB WITH MY WHOLE HEART.  I EMBRACE MY MANIFESTATION.  THIS OR SOMETHING BETTER.  AND SO IT IS.  


Whew!  That feels good.  I hope you will embrace your manifestations.  We are not meant to hold our greatest dreams inside.  We are human.  We are emotion.  Even in musical theatre :)


Today I am heading back to Pittsburgh for some family, fun, friends, and Primanti's.  I won't be teaching until Tuesday of next week, UNLESS you are in the burgh and come to Dance Workshop by Shari tomorrow, Sat 5/29 at 11:30am for intenSati!  $10 gets you in the door and I have DVDs!


Please, for your own sake, ROCK OUT.  Thanks for reading, be well, and see you soon.