Confessions of a Singer/Actor from the South

New Semester, New Me!!

2012-02-04T21:21:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!
My Christmas holidays were so great that i almost didn't want to go back to school! I got to spend 5 weeks at home doing absolutely nothing but spending time with my family and doing whatever i felt like!

Now that i'm back at school, things are really changing for me. I'm loving all of my classes this semester! I especially love my Monday/Wednesday schedule since it's packed with all my music classes. I've really gotten back into an exercise routine and a good diet, so i know i will get a lot healthier this semester after spending Christmas break eating whatever i wanted. I'm also really liking all the songs that my voice teacher picked out for me this semester. I just know that this will be one of the best semesters i will ever spend here at LSU!!

I wanted to mention that i recently made a brand new blog, so i want all of you to go check it out!! http://rachelshappinessproject.blogspot.com/

Will update you guys more when i have a bit more time to type it all out!

XOXO
Rachel

College!!!

2011-10-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
Sorry i haven't posted in a while, but my life has been such a whirlwind lately! I started going to school for my undergrad at LSU in August, and i am a vocal performance major for those of you who don't know. I am planning on staying with this major because i have now decided that classical music is what i should be studying. I'm not completely sure if i will go into Opera or Musical Theatre, but right now I'm leaning towards Opera. It's smart for singers to study classical music because it is the foundation for all other types of music. Plus, a Bachelor's of Music degree will make me a well-rounded musician which is what i need to be in order to survive in the music world once i graduate.

The pros of LSU: I love being treated as an adult by the professors! It really shows that they respect us as students. Also, I love being able to do whatever i want. Granted, I tend to study and do homework more than go out but it's still nice to have some freedom. Also, I'm loving the food here! It's not the most healthy, but it is possible to watch what you eat in the dining halls. I'm also taking advantage of the gym here, which is a wonderful facility to use if you want to get healthy. There are also many pros about the music school. The opera program here is in the Top 10 in the nation! Plus all the professors are amazing at what they do. I love my voice teacher because she knows exactly what to say and do to make me the best singer possible. I really should stop here because i feel like I'm rambling LOL!

At this point, I can't really think of any cons. Yes, the classes are challenging, but that's what i need to get a good solid education. I'll try to update you guys some more over Thanksgiving break!

XOXO
Rachel

Rachel, How Has Your Summer Been?

2011-08-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!
I can;t believe i haven't posted on this blog (or my beauty blog) in sooooooo long!! I could've sworn i updated this back in June, but i guess not. So much has happened since i last posted, so i'll just get right into it!

First, i wanted to talk about my high school graduations (i went to 2 high schools). I had a lot of fun at both my academic school and NOCCA's graduations. I didn't cry or tear up at either which really surprised me. I actually got the musical theatre award at my NOCCA graduation, which i didn't expect at all! Overall, high school was a wonderful experience for me and i wouldn't go back and change any of it.

Second, I wanted to update you guys about the production of Annie i auditioned for. I got in the ensemble, but also had a couple small roles within the show. I wasn't all that disappointed that i didn't get a lead because the people who got those roles were older and great for their roles. It was a fun experience! I still got compliments on my voice even though i didn't really have any singing solos, which was cool.

Third, I got to go to Destin, Florida with some friends from high school. It was such a fun and much needed trip for me since i hadn't gone on a trip just for fun. all the trips i took recently were for college auditions. i had a lot of going to the beach pretty much everyday and bonding with some of my very best friends!

Lastly, i wanted to talk about college. As i said before, i am attending LSU for vocal performance and i couldn't be more excited to start developing my technique further and becoming a well rounded musician. I'm also excited about getting involved since i don't think i did that enough in high school. I've already started getting involved be volunteering for a community service project where i will be going with a group of LSU students and faculty to help renovate schools in the Baton Rouge area. I will definitely try my best to update this blog as much as possible on my progress at LSU and in the voice program.

XOXO
Rachel

I Know Where I'm Going To College!!

2011-04-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!
As you know, I auditioned for many musical theatre & vocal performance college programs and had to wait a very long time to hear from them all. And the verdict is...I got rejected from all of the musical theatre programs. BUT, i got accepted into one vocal performance program and one BA music program with some pretty good scholarship money to go with it!! So, i didn't have many colleges to choose from, but i still had a choice to make. Yesterday, i finally made my decision and...I'M GOING TO LSU FOR VOCAL PERFORMANCE!!!! I'm super excited about taking my voice to the next level and getting the training i need to become the musician i want to be!! I'm still waiting on scholarship money from the music program, but even if i don't get any money my family can still afford the tuition and everything so i won't have to go into any debt, which is great!

Alright so onto the next subject. My time in high school is almost finished. Right now i'm working on the Musical Theatre senior showcase that the NOCCA MT seniors put on at the end of every year. I couldn't be more excited! And just today i auditioned for a production of Annie at the community theatre i always do the summer musicals at. I'm pretty sure i'm being considered for Grace since the director asked me to sing one of her songs, which is great! We'll just have to see whether i get the part or not.

XOXO
Rachel

P.S. The Secret Garden at NOCCA came out wonderfully and i'm so sad it's over!! I absolutely loved playing Lily!!

Update: Chicago & College Auditions

2011-02-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!! Soooooo happy to start getting back into the swing of things after pretty much all of my college auditions!! First update: My CCM (Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music) audition went very well, but i unfortunately got rejected.

Now onto the bulk of my auditions, which took place at the Chicago Unifieds! Basically unified auditions are these big events where a whole bunch of colleges come to one city for about 3 days to hold auditions for their musical theatre, theatre, and theatre design programs (as well as some other theatre related programs). NOCCA takes their musical theatre, drama, and theatre design seniors to the Chicago unifieds every year, and this year was no different. We left New Orleans on Feb. 6 and came back on the 10th, so i unfortunately had to miss almost a week of school, but it was totally worth it since i got to audition for a lot of colleges at once.

So on my first day of auditionsm which was Monday, i auditioned for Penn State and the Hartt School's musical theatre programs. My Penn State audition was not a good experience for me. The faculty was very rude to me as well as other auditionees, so i definitely thought they were going to reject me right then and there. But they gave me a dance callback, which was cool, so i guess they liked me after all. They did compliment me on my voice, which was also nice. Only about 20 people out of everyone who auditioned that day got a callback, so i felt very lucky! My Hartt audition was awesome! the dance audition went well and the judges asked to come to campus and take a voice lesson after my singing and monologue audition, which i definitely take as a good sign! That night, the whole group from NOCCA saw a show at The Second City, which is a very famous comedic acting company that originated in Chicago. The show was absolutely hilarious and i would definitely want to do something like that once i graduate from college!

On Tuesday, i only had one school to audition for, which was Boston Conservatory. The dance audition was a lot of fun and went well. My singing and monologue audition went very well and i think the faculty liked me. There's not much to say about that audition. One of the faculty members complimented me on my soprano range, which was nice. That night, we went as a group to see Steppenwolf's production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff?" which was absolutely amazing!!

On Wednesday (the last day of audition, yay!) i auditioned for Oklahoma University and Ball State's programs. My OU audition was ok, but it's my Ball State audition that i really want to talk about. The faculty was super nice and funny in my singing and monologue audition, and my interview went really well with them! My dance audition with them was super fun and went very well. I really like their program and my audition made me like them even more!! The dance teacher complimented the NOCCA kids on our dance technique and i could tell the faculty liked my voice.

Overall, Chicago was an amazing experience for me! I got to bond with the NOCCA students and audition for some great schools!

On Friday, i left for Tallahassee to audition for FSU's musical theatre program. Saturday morning was the dance audition, which wasn't as hard as some people made it out to be, but was still rigorous. It went very well. Then came the singing/monologue audition. I thought they liked my voice and it was overall a positive experience. That night my mom and i saw their production of "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee". It was soooo funny and well done! i was very impressed!

So, this is a very long post and i'm tired of typing. Will update you guys as soon as i start hearing from colleges on whether i get in or not.

XOXO
Rachel

The Secret Garden Audition & Outcome

2010-12-28T11:10:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!!
I keep forgetting about posting on this blog regularly, and for that i'm sorry. BUT, a couple weeks ago were the auditions for NOCCA's spring musical "The Secret Garden", which is a musical based off the children's book. For this audition, they had us prepare a side (which is basically a sample of music or script) of music from the show for the particular character we were going for. I decided that i wanted the role of Lily ( you can go on wikipedia to read a synopsis to get an idea of the characters since it is different from the book and movie), so i prepared her side. The director seemed to like my audition. He asked me to sing Lily's side twice because he wanted me to sing it differently the second time. Overall, it was a great audition. I definitely think i'm getting better and better at auditioning, though i don't think it's possible to master the art of auditioning.

Then came the callback list. It's understood at NOCCA that if you don't get a callback there's no chance of you getting a lead, so this was a big deal. I needed a callback because i wanted to prove to the director that i could play this role. plus, it's my senior year and this will be my last show at NOCCA. I GOT A CALLBACK FOR LILY!!! i was so relieved i thought that i was gonna pass out right then and there LOL. The callback consisted of every girl considered for Lily singing her side twice. After the first time, the director gave me feedback and just wanted me to sing it again. He told me and all the other girls who got a callback for Lily to stick around. I thought that we would do a reading, although Lily doesn't have many lines in the show. The director then stepped out of the audition room after a few minutes and told that we were done. DONE?!? we didn't even get to read!! i felt kinda nervous then. that of course meant that they had made their decision and i thought in my mind that i had not gotten the role. I was pretty confident of myself but i still doubt my abilities a lot.

The day that the cast list was supposed to come out was here. These are always weird days at not only NOCCA but any school because everyone is nervous about the outcome and is around their competition the whole day. luckily, my only real competition was a really sweet girl that i got to know through doing "Music Man" this past summer. what was cool about this day was that a couple cast members from the touring cast of "Spamalot" had come to teach us a masterclass. it definitely got my mind off the cast for a little while. Once the day was over, everyone headed to the place where the cast list was to be posted, and there it was. but before i could read it someone told me "now, don't get upset, Rachel". All i was thinking in my mind was that i didn't get it. but, i read the list and...I GOT LILY!!! i got double casted with my only competition for the role and i couldn't be happier!! i'm just excited that i got the role at all, and honestly there are a lot of pros to being double cast. there are also cons, but i choose to ignore them.

alright, this blog post is long enough. i hope everyone had a great christmas and will have a happy new year!!

XOXO
Rachel

Urinetown!!!

2010-11-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!!! long time no see! as promised, i'm doing a blog post all about my experience with doing "Urinetown: The Musical" at NOCCA. I played the role of Penelope Pennywise, and i couldn't have asked for a better role to play. I honestly had the most fun i've ever had on stage with these very talented actors! i'm so blessed to have been given this opportunity. our run ony lasted one weekend, and i really wish it would've lasted another month! Everyone who saw it loved it and thought it was very funny and professionally done. what made this production so great was that all the creative team members were so talented and made the actors look so good! it also helped to hve insanely talented actors playig not only the lead, but also the ensemble!

now onto my role: Ms. Pennywise. she is the only character role for women in the show. she is a big role with one crazy song, called "Privilege to Pee". the song went up and down and everywhere in between and it was not an easy song to sing but many people told me i sang it well. what i loved about playing Pennywise was the humor that i had to portray. her character is fll of melodrama, which is very fun to pla onstage. i got a lot of laughs because of the faces and gestures i made, but i also got laughs by how i would say lines. i really hope i get to play this role again because i had so much fun playing it, and i would love to pick up the script for "Urinetown" and interpret the role differently even though i was hppy with how i played it.

so that's really it for now. what's next for is preparing for college auditions as well as auditions for NOCCA'a poduction of "The Secret Garden". wish me luck!! i will try to keep ypu updated on everything!

XOXO
Rachel

YAY!!!

2010-09-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!

So as promised, i'm going to update you guys about the outcome of my "Urinetown" audition! the first audition went really well, and i ended up getting a callback for one of the leads, Penelope Pennywise to be exact. you have no idea how excited i was about being considered for any role, especially a lead!!

For the callback, the director had us read some scenes from "Urinetown" for each specific character we were called back for. i was only called back for Pennywise, so i put my all into it! i even dressed up like Pennywise would. The reading went really well, so now came the waiting. luckily, we only had to wait one day for the cast list to come out!

So the day the cast list came out, everyone was nervous. you could just tell everyone just wanted to see that piece of paper! the director waited to post the list til right after school ended, and we were all waiting for him. i didn't want to be one of thoise annoying kids who would badger the director when he went to post the list, so i went to the restroom. when i came back, i saw the director walking out of the building where he posted the cast list. so many people were crowding around the list, so they already knew my fate (i know i'm being dramatic). i walked into the building and pushed past everyone's way. I was the second name on the list. I GOT PENNYWISE!!!!!!!!!! i felt really more relieved than excited at first, and my mom felt the same way when i called to tell her that i got Pennywise. but then the excitement set in, and i'm sure i looked like a fool because i was so excited.

Last week, we finally got our scripts, i highlighted my lines and have already read through the script once. the director told us to read it atleast 3 times, which is what i plan on doing to get a good understanding of the role and the show. we officially start rehearsals next monday, but we're supposed to start music rehearsals this week.

i will try to do another post in a couple of days!!

XOXO
Rachel

Well Hello There!!

2010-09-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! Sorry it's been almost a month since my last blog post!! I've been getting really busy with all kinds of stuff lately (which i will talk about in a second!) so i kind of forgot about this blog for a couple of weeks!

School is going pretty well right now, there's nothing exciting there since all i do is take Physics and English whenever i'm there.

So onto a more interesting subject. As you all know i didn't get in the production of "Hairspray" that i auditioned for back in July. But, since it's such a big dance show they needed singers to be in the orchestra pit to supplement any singing that was absent when the actors were running out of breath from dancing so much. so i volunteered to be one of those singers! I now go to rehearsals pretty much every day they have them and i'm having such a blast!! The songs are so much fun to sing and the cast is so nice!! i was kind of afraid we (as in the pit singers) would be shunned from the rest of the cast because we weren't actually in the show performing on the stage, but it's completely the opposite! i've already made some new friends and we've only been going to rehearsals for about a week or two! This is definitely going to be a great production because everyone on that stage is so talented! The show itself is also great!!

Something else i'm getting excited about is NOCCA's fall musical. They're doing "Urinetown" which is one of my favorite shows quite honestly!! Auditions are on Monday and i;m beyond excited about it!! I'll definitely do an update on here telling you guys whether i get a callback or a role or anything like that!!

XOXO
Rachel

A Great Start to Senior Year!!

2010-08-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school, and i couldn't have been more excited this morning!! I woke up right as my alarm went off (which never happens because i love my sleep) and got ready straight away. I had some extra time after i got ready to watch TV and browse my facebook and twitter accounts. I even set a trend on twitter for "senior year" cuz i tweeted a before going out for the bus that i was excited about senior year!!! I thought that was really cool. The only thing that stunk about today was the fact that i had to ride the bus. I think i can get a ride to school for the rest of the year, so that's good. I don't have my license or a car so i can't drive myself.

So i go to 2 separate schools: my academic high school and NOCCA (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts). i go there for musical theatre (of course!). I love the classes i'm taking at my sending school right now. there are a lot of fun people in the classes and i'm taking classes in things that i like (in other words, not math). I know it's going to be a great year at my sending school!

Then there came NOCCA. I always come to NOCCA super early (about 11:15) because my mom drives me straight there from my academic school. I love being at NOCCA early because i can either do homework in a great environment or work out at the gym they have. either way i always look forward to coming to NOCCA early. The actual classes today consisted of a lot of talking. In both acting and vocal class we talked about what we did over the summer, which was nice. you all know that i had a wonderful summer so i loved sharing it with everyone. We also talked about what we'll be doing in the classes throughout the year, which really excites me!!

I just know this is going to be a great year!!! how is everyone liking their school year so far??

XOXO
Rachel

The End of a Very Productive Summer

2010-08-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

Music Man is over now, and it was such a great experience for me. Like i said in my last post, i will definitely audition for Tulane Summer Lyric again and i explained why in my last post. But basically everyone was so professional, nice, and fun at the same time. The rehearsals and performances were really quick because the show was put together in 2 weeks and there were 5 performances altogether, but that definitely didn't take anything away from the experience for me.

So the day after the show was over, i went to go help direct a play for a summer theatre workshop. The theatre company that put on the workshop was the same company that put on the production of "The King and I" that i was Lady Thiang in. The play the workshop was putting on was called "I Didn't Know That", a play about fun facts and world records. I find stuff like that very interesting (i know i'm a dork). The directors of the workshop wanted me to come help with what music was in it. None of it was actual singing, it was all rhythms. I also helped fix some scenes that were weaker than other scenes in the play. The kids really listened to me, and they were really improving because of my help. I feel like i made a difference to the performance that they put on, and it made me feel good about myself.

At first i wasn't sure if i wanted to go to the actual performance because despite my efforts they kept messing up things that i taught them, and i knew i would go crazy if they messed up during the performance. but i'm so glad i ended up going. They really got the show together and did such a great job. I was so surprised at how well they did!!

Helping with this really made me think about myself as a director. I loved directing the things i had control over (i wasn't the only director, so i didn't have control over much). I think i would really enjoy directing musicals when i get older and i don't nessecarily want to perform as much. I would love to direct the scenes as well as the vocals. I think i would also enjoy being a private vocal teacher because i have a very good ear for music and love coaching people on singing technique.

That's all for now. I'm going to start school next tuesday and am very excited about being a senior and about possible shows i'll be doing throughout the year!

XOXO
Rachel

Definitely In A Better Mood!

2010-07-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! i'm definitely in a better mood from my last post, and i'm sorry if i sounded like i was giving myself a pity party or something. i didn't want to come across that way.

I just got home from the last dress rehearsal for "The Music Man" before we have an audience, and i'm getting super excited about the show! I mean, Tulane Summer Lyric (the company that's producing music man) is just so professional but i've also had a lot of fun with the cast. there was definitely a great balance between the two with this production. Also, everyone is putting more energy into the show, making it more fun for the cast as a whole and the audience!

What's also great is that there is practically no drama with this cast because everyone is so professional but fun at the same time. with community and high school productions there is always drama and it's not fun at all whether you're involved with the drama or not.

After this experience i will definitely audition for Summer Lyric next year no matter what. i have to be in another production there! I will do another post most likely once the show's run is over, so keep checking back for that!

XOXO
Rachel

I Know I Should Accept it, but I Can't Right Now

2010-07-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

As you know (from my first blog post) i'm in a production of "The Music Man". I'm in the ensemble as an adult. I love playing older than i am, but sometimes it bothers me that people that are older than me are playing teenagers in the show. I mean, i am a teenager, you know? It bothers me that I look too old on stage and in real life to play my actual age, which is 17. Even if/when i lose weight, i'll still look too old. I'm also 5'9", which is pretty tall for any woman at any age, so that also makes me look older.

I guess what started my thinking about this was the fact that i didn't get into the production of "Hairspray" that i auditioned for. I know one of the reasons was that i'm chubby and they didn't want to cast anyone that would "compete" (i guess you could say) with the person playing tracy. but i can't help but notice that i didn't get in because the ensemble is full of teenagers and i look too old to play a teenager. I can't control how old/young i look, and that bothers me the most. I want to be able to be in all kinds of musicals, but now i realize i can't no matter how hard i try.

I know I need to accept my body/character type, and i will with time. It just stinks that a lot of my friends are in "Hairspray" and i'm the only one that isn't because i look too old to play a teenager. I think it's good that i'm realizing this now though, so i can accept it in time to audition for colleges so i'll look more confident for the audition panels, although i've been told that i already look pretty confident on stage.

Going back to "Music Man", don't get me wrong, i'm having such a blast in the show and am so lucky to have been cast! I also know i'm blessed with the roles i've played (as well as the productions i've been in) and the people i've worked with over the years. i know there are a lot of roles i can play and shows i can be in, and "Hairspray" is just one i can't be in the ensemble in.

Thanks for reading this!

XOXO
Rachel

And the Verdict is...

2010-07-21T13:49:00.001-07:00

So i just found out whether i got in the production of "Hairspray" that i was auditioning for and...i didn't get in. but don't worry about me, i really didn't get my hopes up for this one. although it would've been a really fun show to be in, it just wasn't meant to be.

I was very proud of myself after the audition though. My singing audition was pretty much perfect as far as "audition etiquette" goes (i most likely didn't spell that right). I greeted the audition panel with a pleasent "hi how are you?" and told the accompaniast exactly how i wanted the song to be played. then i slated for the panel, which means telling them your name and what song you're singing. I sang the song perfectly as far as my standards go (i'm not being cocky here) and then the director asked for me to do some scales to see how high my belting range is. now, mind you, i'm no belter and i'll be the first to admit it, so it didn't take long for me to go into my mixed range haha! Then i politely told the panel that was as high as my belting would go. then we exchanged some thanks you's and it was done.

Then came the dance audition. that part went really well, too i think. i am my worst critic so i would admit if the audition went badly. honestly though i'm a pretty good mover, but will never be in ballet company or anything. the dance was also really fun and i got to show my personality, which was great. Then it was over and i didn't get a callback, which i expected. So i went home and created this blog haha!

now i know what you're thinking, "if your audition was so good why didn't you get in the show?". well, just because an audition goes well doesn't mean you'll get casted. I simply wasn't fit for the ensemble or any role for that matter, and i'm ok with that. it's just one show and one audition. maybe i'll be fit for the next show i audition for. we'll just have to see.

XOXO
Rachel

First Blog Post

2010-07-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

So my main blog is linked to my youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/broadwaybound121492) which is about all things beauty, but i wanted to make a blog about my personal life because the viewers on my channel and beauty blog aren't interested in my life, which is understandable. here's the link to my beauty blog if you're interested: http://broadwaybound121492.blogspot.com/

This blog is going to be centered around my life as of now. right now my life is great. my summer has been filled with shows and auditions. some weeks back i was in a production of "The King and I" where i played Lady Thiang (yes it was an asian role, but i was convincing with the make-up haha!). it was such a great experience for me because i got along with a lot of the cast and i love the show so much! also the song i got to sing ("Something Wonderful") is so beautiful and i enjoyed singing it every night the show was running. Now i'm in a production of "The Music Man" with a very professional company. this company is so professional that people would kill just to be in the ensemble! so you could imagine my excitement when i got the letter saying that i got in weeks after the auditon. the show opens in about 2 weeks, and i'm loving every minute of rehearsal.

Right now i'm currently going into my senior year in high school. I can't believe how quickly high school has gone by! This year is going to be all about looking for/preparing songs and monologues for college auditions since i know i want to major in musical theatre in college. I'm also planning on doing some shows throughout the year, which i know will add some stress in my life but i know i can handle it. Just yesterday i auditioned for a production of "Hairspray" and we're supposed to find out about the casting tomorrow, so i'll mention it in my next post whether i got casted or not.

That's about it for now. I hope people start following this blog!

XOXO
Rachel