Miranda Sings

Hello All!

Tomorrow is the last show of my tour. We were supposed to finish on Thursday, but the show was cancelled, so Wednesday is the end. I can't believe that this experience is over. I had such a good time and met some wonderful people. I'm going to miss seeing them everyday! Thank goodness we all live in the same city. As much as I am going to be sad, I am excited to have a mini vacation in my hometown of Philadelphia. I'm looking forward to family and friend time over Easter! It will be nice. When I get back to New York next week, I will go back to my old job. I am very lucky because I am an actor who loves her side job! I work downtown at an after-school program. I basically get paid to have fun! Its wonderful and I missed my kids so much! I can't wait to see them. I'm also looking forward to seeing my co-workers. Then, after the school year is over, I will be leaving New York to go to Tennessee for two months to do Into the Woods. Its an exciting time!!! :)

For today's video, I have decided to share something that always makes me laugh, without fail. The actors in the broadway show Rock of Ages started making backstage videos. They are very clever and extremely well-done. For their ninth video, they decided to get youtube personality Miranda Sings to come and give voice lessons to all the actors. I had the pleasure of seeing Miranda perform here in New York and I had a wonderful time. I never laughed so hard, which says a lot! If you don't know who Miranda is, check out her videos. She is a girl who believes that she is a fabulous singer and will one day play Elphaba in Wicked. So, without further ado, here is the video!

A LOOK BACK

Hello All!

So, last night I was taking a trip down memory lane. I moved to New York City on November 30, 2008. It was one of the most exciting days of my life. I was pursuing my dream! I was very lucky because I moved to place where I had a bunch of my friends. Three of my best friends were already living in New York when I moved here! On my first night, one of my dearest friends took me to dinner. It was such a nice welcome! Then the next day, after a long day of interviewing for a job, I went with him and another friend to a cd release signing and performance. It was very exciting for me and seemed very "New York." I loved it and as a bonus I was introduced to a new composer's work! I am a huge fan of Scott Alan now! Well, the next day a ton of videos were put on youtube. I still can't get over the fact that I was there! So here is a video of Natalie Weiss singing Kiss the Air. It is a beautiful song and probably my favorite!

Jackie Hoffman

Hello Readers!

OK, so today I am going to share something pretty hysterical. Jackie Hoffman is currently playing Grandma in the new musical adaptation of "The Addams Family." She has also appeared in "Xanadu" and "Hairspray." I am a HUGE fan of her work. She is always cast in the comedic character roles, which is usually what happens with me, so I feel a special bond with her. I hope to one day be as funny as her. I basically want to play every role that she has played. She's brilliant. Broadway.com has a video blog series and they asked Jackie to make one. She just posted her third video and I have never laughed harder. You need to watch all of them, but especially the third one. Enjoy!!

http://www.broadway.com/videos/show/the-addams-family/the-addams-family-home-movies-starring-jackie-hoffman-video-blog-3/

The Stephen Sondheim Theatre

This is exciting news for the theatre community!! Last night, at the curtain call of Sondheim's birthday celebration it was announced that the Henry Miller Theatre will be re-named The Stephen Sondheim Theatre!! To make this even better, I was watching the news and they reported on the event. They showed Sondheim's reaction to the news and it was absolutely adorable. I am so excited for him. What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful artist!

Here is a video of one of my favorite Sondheim pieces: "Finishing the Hat" from Sunday in the Park with George. I actually saw Daniel Evans perform the role and he was incredible:

Here is the link to the news report:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/138071-Light-the-Lights-Stephen-Sondheim-Gets-Broadway-Theatre-in-His-Name

Happy Birthday Stephen Sondheim!

Today in Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday! For those of you who don't know, Sondheim is perhaps one of the greatest musical theatre composers ever. I love his work and he is just genius. His melodies are haunting and the lyrics are poignant. I'm excited because I will get to be in one of his shows, Into the Woods, this summer. Its a beautiful show, and just like any other Sondheim musical, it has a wonderful message. Happy Birthday Mr. Sondheim from one of your biggest fans!

In honor of his birthday, here is the video of one of my favorite Sondheim pieces: A Little Priest from Sweeney Todd.

FIRST DAY OF SPRING!

Greetings from New York City!!

I am finally home!! Happy first day of Spring everyone! Well, I just returned home from an amazing day! The day started with a lovely lunch at Blockheads, which is this super cheap Mexican food place with great food and margaritas. I met two of my friends from college who came to visit. It was absolutely wonderful to catch up and we got to sit outside! It was awesome. Then, I went and got some cheap sunglasses and a new hat because I lost my other one. I found exactly what I wanted, which was great. After that, I walked to the Lincoln Center library and borrowed some original broadway cast albums that I wanted to put on my ipod. I love going there! They have a great collection! Then, I walked back down to Columbus Circle and just sat and enjoyed the sunshine! After that I went downtown to the village to go to mass at this new church that I recently heard about. It was nice. After that I had some dinner and then I went to Ritas for a free water ice to celebrate the first day of spring. The line was down the block! Now, I am finally home and just reeling from a great day! Its great to be home!!!

PS: Here is the link for Blockheads! If you are in New York, check it out! Its a great place to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful day! www.blockheads.com

PPS: In true tradition, here is another video. The Drowsy Chaperone is my new musical obsession. I can't wait to see the production my old high school theatre program!!!

The Second Video

Whoops! Here is the second video:

HILARIOUS!

Hello Again!

One of the best things about this tour is that sometimes we stay out of the city and other times we have to stay in hotels. It was really nice because I didn't have to sublet my apartment, which was a relief! Tomorrow I am going back to NYC after three and a half weeks away. I am so excited!!!!! The weather is going to be beautiful too this weekend, which is fabulous!

In honor of the end of the three and a half weeks away, I have decided to share two youtube videos that the cast of my show are OBSESSED with. They are quite funny...wait, strike that...they are HILARIOUS!! Enjoy!

Hello World!

Hello World,

Welcome to my blog. I have been inspired by my friends who have their own blogs to start my own. So here it is! I'm kind of excited!

My name is Jackie and I am a young professional actor living in New York City. Yes, I said actor, even though I am a girl. I don't know, I just prefer that term. It sounds better.

Anyway, I absolutely love living in New York City. There is no other place like it in the world. I am still in shock that I live there. There is so much to see and do, its incredible. My roommate and I try to do something new every week. The only requirement is that it has to be either free or cheap. We have found a lot of interesting things. I will have to share our experiences on here.

Right now, I am out of town performing in a children's theatre tour in a Civil War musical. I am having a blast. Its really a blessing to be performing in some incredible theatres. I also love being able to discover new things in the material with every performance. That's truly a gift with a long run. The tour is almost over. While I am sad that its nearing the end, I'm excited to get back to New York. I'm looking forward to a New York City spring!

Well there it is: my first post! Thanks for reading!

-Jackie

PS: This song best exemplifies my feelings of New York City. Its "Only In New York" from Thoroughly Modern Millie: