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Come on in and make yourself comfortable. Friends are always welcome, so long as they're up for a little bit of adventure! When you're defying gravity, who knows how high you'll go?

Friday, September 2, 2011

September Already?? (Here's what I've been up to!)

Greetings, readers! My blog tells me that I've not posted to you since August 9th. Wow. I guess that means I've been busy! If you have been keeping up with my Facebook page, I do tend to update that more frequently. But the one nice thing about a blog is that I can give details here much easier!

 So let's see... what has happened since August 9th? Well, the farmer's market in Villa Rica has come to a close for the season. Thank you to all who came out and supported the locals! I started to sell freshly baked muffins there and will keep making muffins if I can find a good venue. You can also order from me online - I do ship!

I auditioned for CAST Productions' fall show, "The Marquis Crossing Ladies' Society's First Attempt at Murder" and was given the role of Beryl Overton, a somewhat dim-witted character. Rehearsals are already underway and we've finished blocking Act 1! Opening night will be October 29th, with a possibility of a special pre-performance on October 22nd at the Woodie Fite Senior Center.

About a week ago, I attended my first singing workshop at AMTC. I wasn't really sure what to expect, and so I came prepared with a song to sing but was rather uneasy about the whole thing. I'm still waiting for my coach to get back with me on my list of song options to see if any are brilliant or terrible ideas in his opinion. One of the main things we were told to remember is to make a personal connection to the song, and share that emotion with the audience. My song was "Big, Bad Handsome Man" by Imelda May, and once I heard that instruction, I started to panic! I mean, I don't have a man.. I never have. So the whole song really had nothing to do with me! I quickly racked my brain for some way I could connect this song to my emotions. Sing it about a fantasy man? No, I don't think so. About my Dad? The lyrics just didn't fit. OK... actor... someone handsome and famous that I could swoon over.

So I came up with Michael Buble. Yeah, I know he's taken now... but for a while, I imagined that when he sang "I just haven't met you yet" that he was singing about me!

So I went up there and sang about good old Michael as if he was really mine. My first reaction to my own singing was surprise at how loud and projected my voice rang out when I was SO nervous! I did run out of air a little, but fought against it and got through the song. My coaches liked it, and gave me some good pointers about how to present it in a way that was more like me thinking about my man, not teaching the audience about him, and how to use dynamics a little better. I think with practice, it will become one of my top two choices for SHINE. Watch for a video of me performing it soon!

I also was cast by ABC as a background actor for the new TV series, "Final Witness." It's a true crime show, with the stories reenacted and told from the perspective of the victim. There was a small group of us as background, so I'm sure I'll be in the episode unless they cut the scene completely. The best part? They needed someone who was familiar with line dancing and could teach it to the rest of the actors. Guess who got to play choreographer for the day? Yup! It was a LOT of fun, and very exhausting by the time they finished shooting that scene. I can't wait to see what it looks like on TV! At first they called me "Jazzercise girl" but shortly after everyone was calling me by name like I was one of the main characters. I loved that, of course. And there's a chance I'll be named in the credits, too. Not that anyone will likely see that, but you know I'll be looking for it! :-)

Tonight, I've been hired along with a group of fellow Jazzercise instructors to do a flash mob at a special event! I'm still looking for full-time work, but between these little paid gigs (which I absolutely love to do) and tutoring students during the week, I'm holding my own for now. I had a wonderful job interview a couple of weeks ago and am told that they have still not made a decision... so fingers are crossed for that.

Thanks for reading, my friends. August was a whirlwind, and in it came a lot of fantastic things. Here's to an equally incredible September!

~Allison