Updates Galore!

One of the PR shots taken by Mark Kitaoka for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Wow! What a great beginning to 2010! I feel like I'm being showered with blessings. I just landed the role of Maria in West Side Story - my second Equity contract, and this one will running for two months down in southern California, in addition to a full month of rehearsals. This, for me, is a dream come true! I started watching West Side Story when I was about 3 years old, and begged to watch it as often as I could. I'd started to wonder if I'd get an opportunity to play the role - I can only pull it off for a few more years. But here it is landing in my lap at the perfect time. I'm so grateful! The show's opening night is already ALMOST SOLD OUT!! Holy cramoly! So get your tickets NOW! The show is at PCPA, one month in Santa Maria, and one month in Solvang.

Rehearsals for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels have started, and I think it's going to be fantastic! The cast is wonderful. I've bee sick the last few days, so I haven't been able to sing, but we're rehearsing none-the-less, and the sickness will pass, and the show will go on! We preview on April Fools Day! Perfect! And we open on April 2nd!

The show is being put on by Broadway By The Bay, the outstanding company where I met the love of my life, and got to play Cinderella in 2008! And it just so happens that he'll be working this show as well. So, once again, I'll be onstage, and he'll be backstage, chasing people down when their body mics start acting up. I can't wait! We're going to have so much fun, I can hardly stand it!

I was also thrilled to find out that I've been nominated for a BATCC (Bay Area Theatre Critic's Circle) Award for my performance as Natalie/Ed in Center REP's production of All Shook Up. That show just had an essence about it. Every cast member I talked to agrees - there was something magical about that show from the instant we set foot in the rehearsal hall. Everything just glowed. It clicked. If felt right - better than right! I can't explain it. We were on fire every night, regardless of what the audience thought. We were having the time of our lives out there, and maybe, just maybe, the audience felt it too. So it's really lovely to get the nomination, whether I win or not. It gives me a little hope that maybe the audience felt the joy and ecstasy that we did.

Well, that's all for now folks! I'm going to make myself dinner, blow my nose several dozen more times, and then head out to rehearsal. Have a great night!!

Mindy

P.S. My new website is almost ready to launch! Look for it April 1st! www.MindyLym.com

designed by Troy Ziel.

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