Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Wow!!! My first EVER, full length Equity contract. Thanks to CenterREP, who got me into the union during the last two weeks of "All Shook Up", I'm receiving an Equity Contract from Broadway By The Bay for playing Christine Colgate in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". I could fly!

First of all - what a role! I so thrilled about that. But what makes my spine turn to jelly, and puts a permanent grin on my face is the fact that I'm actually going to get paid. I get all that joy from doing a show. But suddenly the stress is gone. It used to be that when I did a show, I was working full time and taking classes during the day, and then at night, driving myself into the ground (and loving every minute of it), pouring my heart into whatever show I was doing, and just barely paying the bills.

But now I'm getting paid... Which means, yes, of course I'll keep my students, because I love them, but, my God - my income isn't going to DECREASE from doing a show, it's going to INCREASE. Whudda thunk it?? It's like I can breathe all of a sudden. This means that shows are no longer this great love that I make enormous sacrifices for... They're this great love... that love me back and take care of me! This marks the beginning of a completely new relationship to my art. Hallelujah!! I could sing! In fact, I think I will!

SO. "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". Aaaahhhh. I can't wait. The show is utterly hysterical. I've never played anybody like this before, and I can't wait! I can't tell you too much, I don't want to give away the plot - but I'll tell you this much: I watched a bootleg of the show on youtube before it was taken down, and I had trouble staying on the couch because I was laughing so hard and so long!

The show will be directed by the fabulous Brooke Knight, music directed by the brilliant Rick Reynolds and choreographed by the wonderful Robyn Tribuzi. This is sure to be a knock out show! I'll keep you posted as I find out about the cast. I hope you'll come see it!

Happy New Year!

-Mindy

All Shook Up!

I'm delighted to announed that I've been cast in another show! I'll be playing Natalie in Center Rep's "All Shook Up". It's all music by Elvis Presley, and the plot is loosely based off of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night". What can be funnier than Shakespeare? Really? She love him, and he loves her. But she loves the other guy, who loves the first girl, and the last guy loves the other guy. Wait. What? In the 50's? Ok. Cool!

I'm playing Natalie, a girl who, in the 50's, is a mechanic, and loves motorbikes (as she calls them). She has no idea how to be girly, and then, of course, she falls in love. Since she has no chance of winning her guy (Chad), she decides to dress up as "Ed", and quickly becomes his best friend, hoping he'll take him (her), on the road with him. Added to the mix is a sexy, sophisticated museum running bombshell, Natalie's best friend (a guy with, perhaps, more than friendly feelings for her), the mayor of the town who wants none of it, and a young star-crossed bi-racial pair of lovers being kept apart by their parents. Set it to the fantastic and irresistable music of Elvis, and you've got All Shook Up.

I think I'm gonna have a LOT of fun with this one.

It just so happens, that the guy starring opposite me (David Sattler), played Prince Charming to my Cinderella. So, as our ASM said - a reunion! And this time, we'll actually have stage time together. It was amazing. For being a stage couple that meets, gets married, and then gets divorced again, we were hardly EVER on the stage together. Our characters never even kissed in Into The Woods! Ah well. They will this time!

Whoops. Did I let that slip?? Sorry! Didn't mean to spoil it for you! :-)

Don't worry, I havn't ruined any surprises. It's far from a conventional love story. And that's what I love about it!

Love,

Min

Evita

I'm thrilled to announce that I will be portraying Eva Peron in CCMT's spring production of Evita. The complete cast has been announced announced on the website, and it looks like it's going to be a great show! I'm ecstatic about the opportunity to play a non-fictional character. There's so much research to be done, and so many opinions and myths to be sorted through. On how she got to Buenos Aires, alone, there are so many version of the story. She was called a saint before she was on her deathbed, and her picture sits, in many Argentine households next to a picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This woman who created so much love and hate around her fascinates me, and Webber has created a musical which also looks both at the immense good that she did for her people, and the vast corruption under and during Eva Peron's rise to power.

Tickets are already onsale, and rehearsals begin February 1st. I hope you'll come out and see the show. This is the greatest role I've landed to date. In fact, possibly one of the greatest female roles in musical theatre history. Of course, this is only my opinion. But that just tells you how excited I am.