 I am truly thrilled to share that I’ve been cast as Diana in Next To Normal at Blackfriars Theatre! I cannot even begin to tell you how much this opportunity means to me. This has been a dream role for me to play since the moment I heard the show. I can't wait to dive in and work with this dream team of artists. I am beyond grateful. Don't miss this one, peeps! ❤️
THE DETAILS: Dates: February 7-23, 2020 CREATIVE: Directed by Kerry Young Musical Direction by Andy Pratt CAST: Diana: Janine Mercandetti Dan: Jay Simmons Doctor Madden: Carl Del Buono Gabe: Zachary Jones Natalie: Hayley Knips Henry: Evan Miller Watelet TICKETS: Purchase here! xo  Musical Theatre Boot Camp at CenterStage was the most magical, fantastic, exhausting, wonderful, fulfilling, and rewarding week working with, learning from, and watching these 16 artists blossom and thrive. I am beyond blown away by how far they have come in just 5 days!!! My heart is bursting and completely full. I’m buzzing. Thank you Ralph for saying yes to this and your support of, encouragement, and help with creating this program. I have loved every second of working with you, LJ (my partner in camp crime!) and Daniel. I can’t wait for next year and beyond! What a gift this has been. I love teaching and I'm excited to continue on faculty at CenterStage year round. Details on fall classes to follow! xo
 Exciting news! The ladies of Raise Your Glass are coming back this year for an all new show and extended performance schedule to rock your New Year's Eve and 2020! Raise Your Glass: Celebrate God Times! opens December 28th and runs through January 5th!
Stay tuned for more details coming soon! xo Had a ball singing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill album with Dial Up at Three Heads Brewing! Thank you to everyone who came out and thank you Dial Up for having me!! Some photos from the evening . . . xo  Broadway World Review: HITMAKERS – THE BRITISH ARE COMING! at JCC CenterStage Theatre by Colin Fleming-Stumpf If you're a child of the 1960's British Invasion, if you're an ardent fan of the Beatles/Stones/Who/etc., or if you're just one who enjoys learning about the vast annals of rock history, Rochester's JCC Center Stage Theatre has just the thing for you. For its annual Hitmakers series the JCC is currently featuring The British are Coming!, and it's a hugely fun compilation of some of the best tunes from both sides of the pond. For this year's Hitmakers series, Directors Ralph Meranto and Esther Winter team up with Rochester's revered music/film critic and cultural stalwart Jack Garner to take the audience on an informative and highly entertaining journey through the history of British rock, from the early days of The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show to the lesser-known (to millennials like me, at least) tunes of the late 60's by the likes of The Troggs and Herman's Hermits. The show weaves Garner's script-a detailed history of the rockers of the British invasion and their impact on American pop hits-in-between the hits themselves, which are performed by nine of Rochester's finest singers (and a killer band to boot!).  While I can't claim any sentimental connection to the music (I was born well after the 1960's), I'm as big a lover as any of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Cream, and their counterparts, and since I wasn't around to hear them at their prime (though the Stones are still trudging along) I relish the opportunity to hear this iconic music performed live. And I can't imagine that there are nine singers out there who can perform this music as powerfully as the folks featured in this production. While it's hard to single out particular songs, standouts include Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" featuring Darren Frazier and Rich Steele; The Beatles' "Blackbird", a gentle and mesmerizing rendition featuring Marc Cataldi and Jordan Bachmann; and, most especially, an absolute powerhouse cover of The Animals' seminal hit "House of the Rising Sun" performed by Janine Mercandetti, whose colossal blues vocals absolutely blew the roof off the place. Seriously JCC staff, there's probably structural damage.  An extra kudos to Ralph Meranto for the production design of this year's Hitmakers series, which practically transports the audience to the set of the Ed Sullivan show; and to Musical Director Casey Filiaci, for marshalling the most killer band to provide the foundation for these iconic songs.
Hitmakers: The British are Coming! is a ton of fun, and an absolute masterclass of talent. It's playing on JCC's Centerstage until February 17th. For tickets and more information, click here. Happy New Year!!! I had the joy of ringing in the New Year my favorite way - performing then pj's! AND I got to do both this year with my best guy which made it all even better! Raise Your Glass was a huge success and we are all SO grateful to everyone who came out to see us! Catch all four of us this February in Hit Makers! I've included a few production and dressing room shots below this post. Stay tuned for news about us gals returning next year! May 2019 be a year of great happiness, risk taking, new beginnings, and soul- filled art! xo |
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