Living the Dream!

Meryl Streep likes Italian food.  How do I know this, you ask?  Well, because she was a guest at my restaurant yesterday while I was hostessing!  As wasone Mr. Robert Duval!   Now, for those of you seasoned New Yorkers and LA-ers who are used to seeing say, William Shatner at Subway, you’re probably thinking "Well so?  Multiple Oscar winners gotta eat too!"  Well I KNOW!  But it still got me to an almost dangerous level of hypernes! Thankfully, the poor soul who had to deal with me afterwards physically sat me down and forced me to bring it down a notch so my head didn’t explode!

But it got me to thinking about New York and other favorite places of mine, namely the Grand Canyon and Disney World.  Now, I remember very well seeing each of these three places for the first time. I was overwhelmed by the this feeling of pride at being a part of them.  I’d seen pictures, movies, commercials, but to actually stand in Times Square or to walk down into the Grand Canyon or to see the castle…those were experiences I’d always dreamed of, and they did not disappoint.  My ages were 11 (Disney World), 15 (New York) and 24 (Grand Canyon).  I’ve seen them many times since, but I am proud to say that my awe, wonder and excitement at their existence has yet to fade!  And so, I admit freely to being excited to see actors I’ve admired in the flesh! I also admit to owning geeky geology books about the formation of the Grand Canyon.  AND I admit that I’m so excited that I’m guarenteed 5 days in the parks in Orlando this August.  I love that I am a part of NYC.  I love that I am a part of the magic of Disney.  I love that I have looked up from 3 miles down in the Grand Canyon.  They are places that have captured my imagination and I hope that I never take them forgranted.

That goes for other things too.  For me, the obvious one is music! You can hear a song a million times on a CD or an I-pod.  But what about the first time you get to sing it to an audience with an orchestra behind you?  Or what about hearing it being played and/or sung for you by someone you care about?  The things that are ordinary can be made magic in an instant!  So don’t lose the joy of living in New York.  Go to the park on a spring day or walk up and down Broadway and feel the energy that drew us all here (or wherever you live!)  Don’t let life make you forget about living!

Wow!  That was a sermon if I ever gave one!

Ok, my Wonder-ful readers, brace yourselves:  Looks like I have some new friends!  I will be spending the second half of 2006 keeping company with Ariel, The Blue Fairy, Blonde Muse and Cruella DeVil back on the Disney Wonder! 

Now, for those of you who speak Disney, I know what you’re all thinking:  "Can Karen dance? "  Ha! I fooled you all!  Yes I can!  In fact, I’ve done a lot of dance shows, including Will Rogers Follies, 7 Brides, Footloose (twice), and Superstar (thrice!).  The question I’m curious about is not "can I do the track?"  I know I can and I’m really looking forward to it.  No, my question is why?  For whatever reason, I’ve been put into a dramatically different track than I had last time.  On one hand, I’m flattered. Disney thinks I’m versatile, which is the best thing a performer can be.  On the other hand, I can’t help but wonder if they found me lacking somehow the first time around.  I’m not asking for reassurance here, I’m just thinking out loud. And you all get to hear! 

Truthfully, its gonna tug my heartstrings a bit.  Although, I think Ariel will be just as good a friend as Belle and I’ll like Ms. DeVil even better than that narcoleptic Princess Aurora!  But Meg was my girl!  I loved her so much and missing her will be very hard for me.  On the other hand, my Hercules is in Europe getting stabbed by the Sharks every night, and I can’t imagine falling on my weak ankles without him to catch me!  Plus, I get to go back to the Wonder, bank some more cash and add another Princess to my list!  Therefore, I shall embrace my inner blonde and get my rear end to the gym!  Because if you all thought I was a workout freak last time, wait til the motivation of seashells and a fin kicks in!  Wow…this is the first time I’ve used this blog as a sounding board. I don’t know how many of you actually read this, but its nice to have people to bounce my thoughts off of!

Oh and I just thought of one more plus about this! I get to have my first NYC spring, a Toronto summer and a Bahamaian winter!  Not too shabby for ‘o6!  So to all my New York friends (old and new!) its springtime in The Big Apple!  Let’s make the most of it!

In Serendipity, John Cusack asks Kate Beckinsale what her favorite New York Moment is.  Well, I had mine last night!  I was going to see a movie and I somehow ended up chatting with Sutton Foster about how gorgeous her engagement ring is!  Why, you ask?  Well, thanks to a friend (whose shall go nameless, but you know who you are!) I got to watch the final dress rehearsal of "The Drowsy Charperone!"  For the uninformed, its going into previews this weekend and stars Sutton Foster as a beautiful Vaudeville star about to marry a handsome young man.  There are many wedding guests at a country house, including a British butler, a senile dowager, an Italian playboy, two tough-but-funny gangsters and of course, the drowsy chaperone.  Identities get mistaken, pastries are baked and wackiness ensues!  Its really wonderful, and a tribute to those great old musicals where no one had to die or wear a puppet!  The greatest part about it, I won’t reveal, but it involves a running commentary by a huge fan of musicals.  GO SEE IT!

So, somewhere between the glamourous costumes, the sweet humor, and the bubble wrap (don’t ask, but it was really funny!) I found myself inspired to do "this" again.  I don’t know about you all, but over the last few months, I’ve almost forgotten that I’m an actress, not a hostess.  Its something I never thought could happen to me.  I scoffed at people who got here, got a day job and stopped auditioning.  I now I understand why it happens, but that show last night made me decide to fight that with all my being.  Maybe its seeing a Tony winner out of make-up, grateful to have an audience full of friends.  Maybe its chatting with Lisa (Spelling Bee Actress extraordinaire) about what color she painted her dining room.  Maybe its being with people who’ve done what I’ve always dreamed of and are still themselves (only with better stories!).  Whatever it is, I found that feeling again that things I want may be within my reach if I just can remember to grab for them! 

Well, my friends, it was a night for the books, and it will be hard to top!  So that’s my New York Moment, Mr. Cusack.  (Actually, my New York Night, I guess!)  And to my official tour guide of the Marriot Marquis, who needs summer stock when you’re around?