Opening Night in LA, baby!

      Wow.  That's pretty much all I can say.  Ok, so...being me, I'll say just a bit more...The house was absolutely packed.  And more than that, the audience's sense of anticipation could be felt like electricity.  They were expecting something great--making it easy for us to give them just that.  As soon as the lights dimmed to black, they broke out into wild applause.  You can only imagine how it was when we were actually on stage--performing.  We didn't have to work--not for laughs, not for sympathy, not for anything.  I wasn't sure how the L.A. crowd would react to a show that is set in New York City, especially since it's just so film and television here, while our show is about the stage.  But, they loved it.  Tonight was fantastic.  I will always remember it as one of those standout moments that are hard--if not impossible--to repeat.  

     My brother, Jason, came to the show and loved it (or so he says--just kidding, I believe him).  He also came to the reception afterwards, which was fun.  He got to meet my delightful friends from the cast--these people I am falling in love with (in a strictly platonic fashion. Don't you worry, Drew...).  I must say that Perez Hilton and Julia Roberts were not there (sorry, Jenna). However, Amy Adams (the star of Disney's Enchanted) was there and very sweetly praised the show. I met her and we were able to talk about how her first theater gig was playing Kristine in A Chorus Line (!!!).  Jason got a picture of us on his iphone, too.  Also, Broadwayworld.com was there taking snapshots of us. Plus, I met an actor from Startrek (whose name escapes me), as well as a host of publicists, agents, and people of that ilk.  The director of our show, Bob Avian (who has been with A Chorus Line since its inception in the early 70's) said that this cast is truly one of the best casts the stage has ever seen.  Wow, I am so lucky to be a part of it.  So blessed.  I met a man who is friends with Tommy Tune (a Broadway director/choreographer) who told me to make sure I get seen by him, because I am exactly the kind of person he would like to hire--and that Tommy has a new project coming to Broadway.  I told this to Jase, and he quickly made me write down my info and give it to this man...I am learning that I need to be forthright and even a little aggressive when it comes to meeting people in the business.   Though I always want to conduct myself with grace and humility, that does not mean I have to shrink into the shadows and wait for things to simply happen.  I need to meet people and let them know that I mean business--specifically, once hired, that I will be getting business for me and will in turn bring business to them.  So, business all around, right?    

    Now, I have a seven-week run to look forward to in this beautiful city that has the ocean on one side and mountains on the other.  And in my more immediate future, I have a five-show weekend looming before me...But, a glorious day off on Monday.  Thank God for Mondays.  And for opening nights. And for wedges of cheese (which was about the only thing I found to eat at this reception, which was slightly disappointing considering they had honest-to-goodness hamburgers at our first preview party--and that was just a preview!).  But, other than the lack of hamburgers, it was a very good night.  I really love my job.