What Has She Got That I Ain't Got?.....COURAGE!

In about 7 hours my oldest daughter will step onto a stage in New York City to sing. About a month ago she went to New York to audition for a Showcase. For those of you not in the theatre world, a showcase is an event where several people perform to exhibit their talent for casting directors and sometimes agents. She made it into the showcase, a feat in itself, and yesterday at 8AM I dropped her off at the bus station to start her 3 day whirlwind adventure. I have blogged before that my oldest wants to be an actress. So did I at her age (25). Heck, I still do! I'm 54. But she has one thing I really didn't. One thing that will propel her at least half of the way, COURAGE! I would have been scared to death to get on a bus all by myself and travel to the Big City and venture out alone to find my audition site, my performance venue, my whatever. And this isn't the first time she's done it. I know it's the way you have to be in the business, and I am so glad that she got that fearlessness, from where I don't know. It's not in my genes. It is killing me that I can't be there to hear her New York debut, but I know she will kick ass because she wants to! I love you more than anything, sweet girl. This is just the beginning of great, great things! Break a leg and "Sing out, Louise!"

Give my Regards to Broadway!

Back in January of 2011, I wrote a blog post about a very special young man that I had the fortune of performing with back in the spring of 2003. That young man was Zak Resnick. The subject of that post dealt with the fact that he was going to be on American Idol. He didn't make it through the Hollywood cuts. Now, let me interject here that I don't put a lot of stock in American Idol. We all know that Reality TV is not really reality. Wow! That's a lot of "R's" American idol is not based on talent alone. If it was, Zak would be in the Top 10 if not your next American Idol, but I digress. Hollywood's loss was Broadway's gain. Tonight Zak debuts on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater as "Sky" in Mamma Mia! Now, I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Wow! He's lucky!" Honey, luck had nothin' to do with it! Well, maybe a little luck, but mostly, I think, it had to do with Zak's awesome talent and his persistence and determination to live his dream! I have never seen anyone work any harder at getting himself out there. All of us actor types can take a page out of the Zak Resnick manual on how to make it in the Biz. I couldn't feel any prouder than if he were my own son. I know this is just the tip of his career iceberg. No one deserves it more. Zak, all your hard work has paid off, and tonight you fulfill your dream. Enjoy it! Revel in it! and know that all of us are so thrilled for you! I wish I could be there! I know the audience will fall in love with you as we all have! Break a leg!