tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57499156074331281982024-03-19T01:42:15.347-07:00this is lisa michelle.I sing, act, laugh, bite and bake the occasional pie. www.ThisIsLisaMichelle.comAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-84641613352552438652018-03-12T20:45:00.001-07:002018-03-12T20:49:45.201-07:00Once Upon a Time...<h1>
<span style="font-size: 24px;"><em>Once upon a time...</em></span></h1>
A little girl's daddy endowed her with the gift of performance. Even if he didn't know it at the time, his gesture literally set the stage for the young girl's life, as she would continue to build and create upon the magic at her feet.<br />
<br />
And her fingertips. From her feet to her fingertips, this little dancer...<br />
this little piano player...<br />
fell in love with giving of her self on stage.<br />
Through melodic sound, her soul sprung forth from her core, her fingertips and eventually,<br />
her voice.<br />
<br />
She will fight with it. She will love it.<br />
It will abandon her. It will guide her<br />
It will consume her<br />
It will be recognized...<br />
by all who wish to hear it<br />
<br />
She will open more portals to get there.<br />
The feet, the fingertips, the voice, the loins, the heart and back to the fingertips once more.<br />
Dance, play, sing, love, yearn and...<br />
write.<br />
WRITE!<br />
She will write like her life depended on it.<br />
Because it does.<br />
<br />
So when she remembers, she picks up a pen. And writes.<br />
Her destiny. Her future, her past.<br />
But most importantly, her now.<br />
She will write through the thoughts, the words, the ifs ands and buts.<br />
She will write past the insecurities, the doubt, the worries and the fears.<br />
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The time is now. To use her gifts and realize her dreams.<br />
<br />
Isn't it time we all did?<br />
<br />
~ Lisa Michelle<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-40437929484328100842015-03-03T22:55:00.001-08:002015-03-03T23:11:53.089-08:00Power struggles<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Today was weird... No water for the first half, no power for the second. I was forced to live simply... Archaically, if you will. Filling jugs, lighting candles... so weird. Goes to show how advanced we are as human beings, that all these once luxuries are now complete necessities... Because when they go, we are somewhat at a loss as to what to do with ourselves.</span><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8LoaqBKOGmzVe2e0znp6KVlH9RMsmjl3sMD2hF9vFIj-LMhyphenhyphencD6fkKGQVG2iXFIfIRc3NoCcd6-JMo5w2PtuSPqmq-zgKB_6OYFddrWXT1bbYnHw0YtWqPujeSeukYPWiPdI2ti_Xm2T/s640/blogger-image--959509809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8LoaqBKOGmzVe2e0znp6KVlH9RMsmjl3sMD2hF9vFIj-LMhyphenhyphencD6fkKGQVG2iXFIfIRc3NoCcd6-JMo5w2PtuSPqmq-zgKB_6OYFddrWXT1bbYnHw0YtWqPujeSeukYPWiPdI2ti_Xm2T/s640/blogger-image--959509809.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">We could argue that our frustration with power outages is that it's the failure of a service we're paying money for. Definitely a legitimate complaint. But I have a feeling, the money spent is not at the heart of our frustration. It's our fear of having to live without the utilities we're so accustomed to and comfortable with. Also a legitimate complaint. But one we are less likely to admit.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Few people will admit that their main concern is the loss of power to their devices: smart phones, tablets, computers. "How will I connect?!?!? What will I DO with myself!!??" Panic sets in as our battery displays show dwindling percentages. We share our fears and outrage on social media using the very devices we fear will soon be dead. Wanting to conserve the power, but being unwilling to let it part from our hands. So we use them. Down to the very last drop.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">That's what I did. I was down to exactly 1% battery life on the phone I'm using to type this before the power in my condo magically (and finally) returned. I used the sudden onset of light to tidy up the kitchen I had left in a bit of a mess once things went dark, blew out the candles and crawled into bed. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Phone in hand, I tweeted something snarky and terse to my city councillor and the hydro company. Because they should know how pissed off I am at this lengthy inconvenience. Barely a little snow and power outages across the city? Pfft. Unacceptable. Then I read some other tweets - about everything and nothing. And I remembered to google some solutions to this leg cramp that's been nagging me all day. Probably just a typical preggo symptom. Or according to many of the articles I pulled up: it could be cancer.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Ahhh power, Twitter, Google and cancer. All is right in the world again.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Good night, peeps! And stay warm, Torontonians.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-54041122027192976532015-02-20T12:34:00.002-08:002015-02-20T12:49:50.488-08:00Almost showtime!The last post I made, I was just about 3 months pregnant. Now I'm 34 week in, so only 6 more weeks to go before show time! Well, 6 weeks is an approximation. I see "due dates" as estimates, not final answers - because this baby will come out whenever it sees fit... and that may be before OR after this coming April 4th.<br />
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I have to say, I'm very grateful that the journey thus far has been drama-free. My discomforts have been minor: fatigue, sore boobs and heart burn in the beginning... graduating into achy joints and insane amounts of potty trips throughout the night. But nothing crazy. Thankfully no morning sickness, as barfing is like death to me. And above all, every test, report and check up with my Obstetrician has shown that baby and I are both healthy and ready-to-go.<br />
<br />
I'd say the worst of my pregnancy symptoms have been hormonal. Or perhaps, psychological. Being 7 years into marriage and 33 years into life without kids, I've kinda gotten used to the idea of caring only for myself. Yes, of course I care about my husband and my family and people in general, but I don't feel <i>responsible</i> for any of them. So I've been spending some time over-thinking, and perhaps over-dramatizing what this new life as a parent might be like. Or perhaps, I'm not over-thinking it at all. Maybe my concerns are justified and all the little things I'm worried about are what my near future is made of!<br />
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See? That's what I've been doing in my head.<br />
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Then other times, I bravely embrace the moment and acknowledge that this was no accident - this is prayer fulfilled. I am healthy and capable and ready for the challenge and the joy that motherhood will inevitably bring. And when I can't seem to grasp enough positivity to think about all <i>that, </i>I revert to what my husband said once when I was venting to him about my fears of having this baby - "Well, it's too late now". A natural-born poet, that one.<br />
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I can wholeheartedly admit that all my fears and worries are completely selfish. Why? Because none of them have to do with the baby itself. I have supremo faith that this baby will be healthy and that my husband and I, as well as our excited families, will take amazingly good care of it. It will never want for love, attention or FOOD... that much I know for sure. And I am indeed grateful for that.<br />
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My concerns surround my career. My time. My sanity. My sleep. Our money. All the things that are going to change, in one way or another. But most of all, my career. I don't even like calling it that, because my love and attachment to acting, singing, performing, writing, creating... has never been just a job, even when I'm lucky enough to be paid for it. I consider it my <i>life. </i>I tend to define myself on the works I've created and the art I've performed. So unlike a lot of moms-to-be, I'm not at all looking forward to "mat-leave". I don't want to be gone from the industry so long that casting directors don't remember who I am, my agent forgets my number and I have to start building my reputation from scratch again. Worse... what if I'm gone so long that <i>I </i>don't remember who I am? I want to be a GREAT mommy, but I don't want to be <i>just </i>a mommy. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But for me personally, I'm not interested in trading in my dreams as I know them for a crossing-guard vest.<br />
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Part of me feels guilty for these selfish thoughts when they arise, and another part of me is relieved that I am still willing to explore my truths and not fake-the-funk. 'Cause the truth is, you can have a myriad of feelings, all complex and contradictory, all at the same time. And it's normal, it's ok, it's fine.<br />
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Because with ALL that being said, I also really, really love this baby already. With every kick, squirm and dive he or she makes in my belly, I'm reminded that there is a healthy, active piece of brand new life coming to me. To us! And I am already getting a sense of it's personality - stronger kicks when I've taken too long to eat, and poignant stillness and attention when I'm singing. I decode that as "loves food. loves music". SO me. :-)<br />
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It's going to be so much fun watching this little person grow and learn... and especially laugh. We do <i>lots</i> of that around here, so I'm really looking forward to meeting this baby's smile and giggles.<br />
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Speaking of giggles, I gotta start getting ready now for my first Improv performance at Second City! I've been taking classes there and to graduate from Level C, we gotta hit the stage tonight. This will likely be the last stage that I hit before the baby arrives, so I'm gonna make the most of it... as terrified as I am (improv gives me more heebie-jeebies than the thought of childbirth!).<br />
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Wish me luck! And maybe by the next time I hit up this blog, I'll have baby pictures for ya ;-).<br />
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xoxoxo<br />
~ Lisa MichelleAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-2649834819122316752014-10-04T08:40:00.001-07:002014-10-04T09:17:27.049-07:00Hey BABY! Let me whisper in your ear...... if you even have ears yet. <div><br></div><div>Little baby, I am SO GLAD that you've chosen to take residence in my body and ultimately, my world! Kirk and I are excited, and maybe a bit nervous, but more excited than anything to be your mommy and daddy. Clearly, we're of age to wear those titles (and then some) but for the most part, we've been living like free-spirited kids until now... taking action (and trips!) on a whim and flying by the seat of our pants. Basically, we never really have a plan for this 'adult' thing or even this marriage thing, but we always end up happy. So please excuse a few of our fumbles when you join us out here in the oxygen-breathing part of the world and just know that everything we do will be done to make sure that you are happy too!</div><div><br></div><div><b>This is you at 12 weeks!</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAP6uXbs5d_wBEV4rL0caddbrm7roZJI56KhanBJ_L_GDKZnIaxeZ0JrT7RMU9oj0cyF_uo5t2JvOZ2SVFEM7DeS_eIBf44N1Spca5a2cUZk5X_vrkzzOrwijHGvMcMJ4qK9Uz1qTWCYKT/s640/blogger-image--1797439725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAP6uXbs5d_wBEV4rL0caddbrm7roZJI56KhanBJ_L_GDKZnIaxeZ0JrT7RMU9oj0cyF_uo5t2JvOZ2SVFEM7DeS_eIBf44N1Spca5a2cUZk5X_vrkzzOrwijHGvMcMJ4qK9Uz1qTWCYKT/s640/blogger-image--1797439725.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After all, you are no fluke, and certainly no accident. My daddy, your grandpops, died just a couple weeks before you came into our lives. E<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">veryone was heartbroken when he left. I thought I was going to die from it. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">You will come to know just how close we are as a family, and why this hurt us the way it did. But I was most worried about my mom... your grandma. After all, she was married to him for 41 years... which means she has been with him for more years of her life than she has been without him. I was worried about her heart, little baby. I'm sure the whole family was.</span></div><div><br></div><div>I thought your grandma would do well with some REALLY, really good news at a time like this! Who am I kidding... we ALL needed some good news! You sounded like good news to me. I asked your daddy if we could have a baby... he thought you sounded like good news too. </div><div><br></div><div>We always knew we wanted a baby, but as to <i>when</i>? That, we were never 100% sure of. We've been married for 7 years, and at times it <i>felt</i> like we were sure... then one of us would flake out on the whole thing. Okay, it was me. Mama LOVES performing... more than almost anything else in the world. So a lot of that indecision had to do with my fears of losing the ability to do that. Daddy always respected my fears, and perhaps had a few of his own. So alas, we often went from "yes, NOW is the time!" To "um... maybe after this National Godspell Tour??" </div><div><br></div><div><b>See how much fun I was having with no responsibilites!? </b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_AEhxnXcTB-9bk8h7srxen-5FoUyAApqsA6zVk5WV2rmketj_qSQMF6ANpQ3LN9RvLDYlQQjAqdU02vLwmnWLUY2rhrQ6gmR411Fvx7uHNXKo3m4kL3XX2cwg-1effDzpx2jww3w3qmh/s640/blogger-image-295069407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_AEhxnXcTB-9bk8h7srxen-5FoUyAApqsA6zVk5WV2rmketj_qSQMF6ANpQ3LN9RvLDYlQQjAqdU02vLwmnWLUY2rhrQ6gmR411Fvx7uHNXKo3m4kL3XX2cwg-1effDzpx2jww3w3qmh/s640/blogger-image-295069407.jpg"></a></div><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>But when your grandpa died, nothing became more important to me than the heart. And to my own surprise, much of my little heart belongs not just to my personal aspirations, but to my family - the one that I have and the one I was hoping to have one day. And now I know for sure that like you, my creativity will always be a part of me. It's been faithful to me my whole life, even when I actively <i>tried</i> to put it aside. And seeing as how you will be my ULTIMATE creation, I believe you are indeed part of my dream fulfilled.</div><div><br></div><div>So here you are! We took you all the way to Europe this summer and we didn't even know it! You spent much time under the Maltese sun, inside historic Roman architecture and ate LOTS of pizza and pasta. And maybe a little wine... sorry. I said I DIDN'T KNOW! :-)</div><div><br></div><div><b>Me & you... in Malta! (I didn't know you were there... but I knew my boobs were getting out of control!)</b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3alqXAKM06Q97Hio-bHC0WEI-n67Gnl_ut6zKz1M4e3tx_ufmnPNxBZcXiQB0h7LPi6sTmXMFSxLPaKSTvxszLklVUgplslzI-QFovY27fDpPSIH4qQOxiwVmXRQirp8DTIs0EEUULVyo/s640/blogger-image-51844136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3alqXAKM06Q97Hio-bHC0WEI-n67Gnl_ut6zKz1M4e3tx_ufmnPNxBZcXiQB0h7LPi6sTmXMFSxLPaKSTvxszLklVUgplslzI-QFovY27fDpPSIH4qQOxiwVmXRQirp8DTIs0EEUULVyo/s640/blogger-image-51844136.jpg"></a></div><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>So far, you've been growing with me for 13 weeks... thank you for not causing mama too much 'morning sickness'. But wow, are you ever using a lot of mama's energy! I can barely complete the simplest of tasks without feeling like I ran a marathon or ingested an entire pack of Gravol!</div><div><br></div><div>But I don't want to complain... at least, not <i>too</i> much :-). If you're using all this energy to grow, than it must mean you are growing quite nicely. And it's good pracitise for me to know just how much I'll have to give in order for you to get what you need... both now, and forever!</div><div><br></div><div>I'm going to end this because it's time to feed us now. I fear that this blog may become a "mommy blog" for a while... something I used to roll my eyes at! But I have a feeling there are a lot of things that are gonna feel normal to me that I used to cringe at before you came along. Like minivans. And suburbs. And leaving the house without makeup on. Well... I don't know about all that :-D.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Me and you... at 13 weeks :-)</b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT_MYr0U6bTSoILWbUiJe7UQ3c5WlvU5fwQZSzqyKYFW_Aa7MeKFzQBc8i_gKA8RKn-1vq37LOwoPmbKqlzTw-rq93UkG3ZtKMTyX6JX_IQ54kR2ztpf_h4oImew_Xl9txV9RbGxcylBi/s640/blogger-image--328689700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT_MYr0U6bTSoILWbUiJe7UQ3c5WlvU5fwQZSzqyKYFW_Aa7MeKFzQBc8i_gKA8RKn-1vq37LOwoPmbKqlzTw-rq93UkG3ZtKMTyX6JX_IQ54kR2ztpf_h4oImew_Xl9txV9RbGxcylBi/s640/blogger-image--328689700.jpg"></a></div><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Love you, baby. Now let's EAT!</div><div><br></div><div>Xox</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-41168766139872367802014-06-11T11:44:00.000-07:002014-06-11T11:44:09.484-07:00A Neo Soul Cabaret<div>
The music I write and create with my beloved *collaborators* (past and present), has been called "R&B". Sometimes "Neo-Soul". Once in a while, "jazz". And because I don't actually know what characteristics a song or musician must have to fit in either of these boxes, I tend to describe my music by what it's been called. The categorization of art can be frustrating at times, but generally, I feel that musicians have to compare their sounds to SOMETHING if we're asking strangers to listen to us, watch us, buy into us. Because not many people are going to open an unmarked box. </div>
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Speaking of which, let me get to the point, and start talking to you about my FAVOURITE music box! The one marked "Neo Soul". In lies the words and sounds of Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Angie Stone, Maxwell, Musiq, Eric Benet, India Arie, Floetry, Foreign Exchange, and the list goes ON. And on... </div>
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This music. This MUSIC! These poetry sounds of blackness, and mystique. Sexy, sensual, melodic, hypnotic fusions of hip hop and jazz, mixed with R&B soul... my cup runneth over with its goodness. Before the Neo-Soul movement came on the scene (late-90s) I had been singing... but these particular artists made me want to SANG!</div>
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And I did. And I'm thankful for all the inspiration and motivation I was given by these artists to do so. </div>
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This NEO SOUL CABARET is hopefully just the first of a SERIES of my dedication to the music that continues to "make me". </div>
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You're invited:</div>
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<b>@ a Neo Soul Cabaret</b></div>
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<b>Saturday July 5th, 2014</b></div>
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<b>The Flying Beaver</b></div>
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<b>488 Parliament St, Toronto</b></div>
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<b>Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door</b></div>
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<b>Purchase via: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/732853 or <a href="tel:416-347-6567" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors="true">416-347-6567</a></b></div>
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<i>FREE DOWNLOAD of my album "This Moment" for all ADVANCE TICKET buyers!</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-40389451968278241142014-05-15T01:40:00.000-07:002014-05-15T01:43:34.429-07:00Black Coffee<h1 style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">
Hi.</h1>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I've missed you. All of you! My fam (</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">especially</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"> my fam), my </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">BFFs, my band, my favourite sushi restaurants...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">My latest musical adventure comes to an end this Friday - <i>Avenue Q,</i> the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical I've been performing in at the Sudbury Theatre Centre (about 3-4 hours North of Toronto). As mentioned in my <a href="http://www.thisislisamichelle.blogspot.ca/2014/04/whatchutalkinbout-lisa.html" target="_blank">last post about<i> Avenue Q</i></a><i>,</i> I got really lucky and was cast alongside</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"> a fellow Godspell alum (and great friend) for this show. Winning!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I only had one month between the end of the Godspell tour and the beginning of Avenue Q, so I made the most of it. I enlisted the love and talents of some members from the Godspell band, and together we recorded a live-off-the-floor performance of my favourite jazz standard: Black Coffee. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">"Live-off-the-floor" means all instruments in one room, on one mix (well, that's what it means to me). No chance to correct vocal blips or musical missteps once we walk away from the mics. So what we ended up with are just beautiful, organic performances by Daniel Baerg on drums, Mark Laidman on bass and John Yun on piano and arrangements. I like these people. I like this song. So here it is!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">with pleasure,</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">~Lisa Michelle</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-32474361382427927302014-04-18T08:46:00.001-07:002014-04-18T09:28:53.176-07:00My longest bio... Or shortest book ;-)Over the last year, I've been asked a lot about my background as an artist. I've been a recording artist for about 4 years (I've released 3 R&B albums) and a professional (i.e.<i> paid</i>) musical theatre performer for just over 2. That's not a whole lot of career experience for someone my age, so the questions are usually: <i>how did you get here</i>? Or <i>what were you doing before</i>? <div><br></div><div>I tend to envy the people who always knew who they were and what they wanted to be. Although I began piano and dance lessons at the age of 6, I wasn't aware of my calling until the 7th or 8th grade. I grew up in Mississauga and we took a class trip to downtown Toronto (kind-of-a-big-deal at the time) to see "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat" starring Donnie Osmond. It was the first time I'd seen live theatre and certainly the first time I'd ever seen a musical. They sang, they danced, they splashed me with colours and lights and costumes... I was enchanted (<i>and</i> a crush on Donnie Osmond was born, but that's another story). <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">By the time the show was finished rocking my world, I certainly did NOT want to drive back to school that day. I wanted to stay with whatever it was that just happened to me . I wanted to </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">be</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> those people I saw on stage who appeared to be </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">living</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> and </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">glowing </i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">in their purpose.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> It was right then that I knew I wanted to perform. </span></div><div><br></div><div>So by 9th grade, I found myself auditioning for community theatre and high school plays alongside one of my besties. By 12th grade, him and I founded the school's first Drama Club with the support of one of our favourite teachers. </div><div><br></div><div>I ended up at York University with hopes of getting my BA in English, then going to Teacher's college so I could then <i>teach </i>the thing that in reality, I wanted to <i>do</i>. I was too scared to enter a straight-up Theatre Program, so this was me compromising with myself. Well, York U went on strike very early into my first year. I don't remember the reasons or politics around the strike, but I remember feeling almost relieved. In my heart, I knew I wasn't where I wanted to be, so during the 11-week strike I got an agent and started working as an extra in film & TV. It certainly wasn't "acting", but I was on set almost everyday, surrounded by and learning from artists and filmmakers and crews. I got those same tingly feelings that I got watching <i>Joseph</i> all those years prior, so I knew that environment was feeding my passion and purpose.</div><div><br></div><div>So when the university's strike was over, so was I. I rushed out of there and applied for the shortest post-secondary program that would still give me a diploma. Even though I was now eager to begin my life as an artist, getting a diploma (in <i>anything</i>) was important to me. And my parents. So I ended up at Sheridan College for Advertising.</div><div><br></div><div>And because life is ever full of surprises and left turns and contradictions, I ended up <i>loving</i> the program! The teachers, the students and the classes were much more fun and creative than I thought they would be. Here I thought I was going to rush in and out of this two-year program just to get to the other side, but I ran into "possibility". I was actually relieved to have found something I loved outside of acting and performing because I felt I had a better chance of making a living in the Ad industry. There were plenty of jobs! There was salary, benefits and security! And no one ever got stage fright!</div><div><br></div><div>I took a job at an ad agency upon graduation and swiftly discovered that... nope. There is no way in hell I would or could sit at a desk for 60 hours a week. I need a microphone, an audience, some make-believe and some magic. </div><div><br></div><div>I spent the next 5 years waffling back and forth between auditions and ad agencies before finally committing to life as an artist. I eventually left the advertising business for good, singing backups for local bands, writing and recording my own music, taking acting classes, and trying to convince agents that even though I had no performance training and little professional experience, I have <i>always </i>been an artist... it just took me some time to own it.</div><div><br></div><div>I used to lament the fact that I took the longest possible route to following my passion. If I had just gone to school for theatre in the first place, I wouldn't be starting my performance career so much older than my peers have. Where would my career be by now?</div><div><br></div><div>But truthfully, I love where I am now, personally <i>and</i> professionally. I met my husband at that first advertising job I took after college. I made lifelong friends at some of the jobs I 'hated'. And all the while, my passion never deserted me, even when when I thought I'd left it behind. </div><div><br></div><div>To quote one of my favourite musicals: "Forget regret. Or life is yours to miss".</div><div><br></div><div>If you're still breathing, and you haven't yet taken your passion by the hand and let it lead you, it is still laying in wait. The path is still clear, and you are still able to walk it.</div><div><br></div><div>At least, that's what I've learned :-).</div><div><br></div><div>Xox,</div><div>~ LM </div><div><br></div><div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-26519104066188331782014-04-07T12:34:00.001-07:002014-04-07T12:45:43.705-07:00Whatchutalkinbout Lisa!<div>I have no idea how I successfully packed for a 13-work tour. This was my thought as I was sitting on and swearing at my suitcase this morning, getting ready to leave for "Avenue Q".</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP_9h-O6mz2Un3bPxOKfEx2GJ97Ft4U_hRF4T42DfL3h-uNjP5Cz2kVvC5f20owMsM7eDt9tA4EYVqqfF5328xPl4FEqaQ_vUz4sQpexMzCVx-Xnmzhu5QTPqp9BRX5zTzFLrMKWPuWtF/s640/blogger-image-1797845176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP_9h-O6mz2Un3bPxOKfEx2GJ97Ft4U_hRF4T42DfL3h-uNjP5Cz2kVvC5f20owMsM7eDt9tA4EYVqqfF5328xPl4FEqaQ_vUz4sQpexMzCVx-Xnmzhu5QTPqp9BRX5zTzFLrMKWPuWtF/s640/blogger-image-1797845176.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Yes, I'm beginning a new adventure! A 6-week gig in Sudbury is perhaps a little less glamourous-sounding than a National Tour across 20+ cities. Ok, it IS less glamourous, but I assure you, I'm still as nervous, excited and anxious to begin this journey as I was on the last one. I've been blessed with a wicked momentum of musical theatre experiences as of late, but still consider myself very much a newbie to this world. </div><div><br></div><div>As I write this, it's Monday April 7th, and I'm on my flight to Sudbury, which is about a 4 hour drive from Toronto. Home. Our first day of rehearsals for Avenue Q is on Tuesday, so the plan was to leave by bus yesterday afternoon and give myself time to settle in before getting down to business. Alas, I got a second callback for a REALLY BIG audition that I absolutely HAD to accept and it took place this Monday morning at 10am. So I shifted things around, and here I am. The audition went really well, thank you for asking! But now I have to do what performers do: put the audition behind me and focus on the task at hand. In this case, the role at hand.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcV3HvwLs6AsqOmW9rmUF3Y9tI1CoLDznbcg3oEEfhWJL7zZTjJu1yg_QEAUcBZW2TxE5DhLzYy2RPrr0dRqxtRRCBE8eiTdsyz1LWAJ-GLg0NTNXSmwhsKe-ncb_1bitQklku3QEDflmj/s640/blogger-image--1185033186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcV3HvwLs6AsqOmW9rmUF3Y9tI1CoLDznbcg3oEEfhWJL7zZTjJu1yg_QEAUcBZW2TxE5DhLzYy2RPrr0dRqxtRRCBE8eiTdsyz1LWAJ-GLg0NTNXSmwhsKe-ncb_1bitQklku3QEDflmj/s640/blogger-image--1185033186.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>My role? Well, if you are privy to the colour of my skin and the script of Avenue Q, you have already guessed that I am playing the role of Gary Coleman. Get your giggles out, it's true! Needless to say, this musical is a comedic piece, and comedy is well... new to me. In real life, I think I'm rather hilarious (the hubs may disagree), but I haven't really dug my teeth into a comedic ROLE - on stage OR screen - as yet. So I'm really looking forward to presenting this side of me for a paying audience. </div><div><br></div><div>It also doesn't hurt that I get to live this opportunity alongside THE Michael DeRose!!!!! No big deal or anything, but he is just one of my BELOVEDS who TOURED with me in the cast of GODSPELL. You know, the same tour I posted over a dozen blogs about? The one that changed my life? If you read any of those blogs, you'll know it was the PEOPLE who were involved in that show, on AND off stage, who made that magical experience what it was. So Michael and I hit the roof when we realized we'd been hired together once again, for another piece of awesome work. I feel like I'm living a blissed life and I am SO grateful! Like, who do I owe?!?!? :-)</div><div><br></div><div>Ok, I've got to power off my device now before I get another glare from this flight attendant.</div><div><br></div><div>I love you. I don't even know who's reading this right now, but I know that I love you, lol! I've got so much to give, so why not?</div><div><br></div><div>Pray for my broken legs on this production... I'll do my best to keep you posted xoxoxoxo</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FaH_QJlIGcUUoD9EupuzOZY_ii2Nl5nT7AmRTW9lic9EtYXxwzJvU6P4ElQ8MbMAHpYt44BM_j1-Eqx3-ZzDJGd-adW2LPJ5N5OzSV8Rz94nieIli9EtBCtApfuJnc11BExZ5spHUYv8/s640/blogger-image-1378982563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FaH_QJlIGcUUoD9EupuzOZY_ii2Nl5nT7AmRTW9lic9EtYXxwzJvU6P4ElQ8MbMAHpYt44BM_j1-Eqx3-ZzDJGd-adW2LPJ5N5OzSV8Rz94nieIli9EtBCtApfuJnc11BExZ5spHUYv8/s640/blogger-image-1378982563.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-42660075376677585862014-03-03T13:18:00.001-08:002014-03-04T07:24:51.681-08:00Godspell National Tour: the final update!<div>
The Godspell National Tour is now officially over. My heart is full and running over. And I'm not the only one. This will be a long post...</div>
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Over the past two weeks, we performed 16 shows at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Texas. We were then supposed to have our final performance of the tour last night in Tyler, Texas. But miserable weather conditions barred our route from Dallas to Tyler and our final show was cancelled. We only found out on the morning of.</div>
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What that <i>means,</i> is that our final Godspell performance was on Sunday night and at the time, we didn't even know it was our last! It breaks my heart until I remember that nothing can change or take away what has already taken place. WE DID IT! It may be done, but it will always be OURS. I can still smile about that.</div>
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Thank you to our extended Godspell family, friends, fans and angels who became a part of our journey in loving & encouraging ways.</div>
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I extended this final Godspell post to include some of the thoughts and reflections from our cast & crew. Read it and weep (perhaps literally): </div>
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<i>"<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This whole experience has been like a magnificent Dream! One that I know when I wake up from it, I'll be laying in my </span></i><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">bed at home, crying like a little baby."</i></div>
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- Jake Stern (Jesus)</div>
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<i>"<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I'm going to miss seeing my family everyday on stage. Whenever we felt anything negative, we shed it off through performing our story about love. </span></i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>The best part about the tour was creating this incredibly unique and heart fulfilling experience with this small group of people. Nobody will ever know what this experience was like accept for us. We will treasure it and keep it so dear to us for the rest of our lives. The good, the bad, the ugly, the cold- we lived and lived it in style! This experience will have a piece if my heart forever</i>.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">." - Graham Parkhurst (John The Baptist / Judas)</span></div>
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<i>"If I could describe in words the way this tour has impacted my life, I would. But I can't. I could never possibly do it justice. So much love, so much joy. This is not the end, thank you all."</i> - Alex Baerg (Guitar 1)</div>
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<i>"I</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i> will miss the laughs. Most of them at inappropriate times... But I have never met a group of people who could make me laugh so hard!!!"</i> - Stacey Kay</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>"</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>Since we started this tour my days have been full of belly laughs and smiles. I feel like we are all a part of something so much bigger than just this show. A community. There is an unspoken support and understanding that unites us, and to me that is so special. Years from now when you are all doing meaningful and marvelous things, I know I'll still have a place in this community. You are all the older brother's and sister's that I never wanted (seriously... I'm a bossy first born) but always needed. Thank you."</i> - Rebecca McCauley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>"Oh my heart I'm so sad... I'm trying to think of words to send to you and I can't even... How do you possibly explain how special this situation was? </i></span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Maybe that can be my quote lol</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">..." - Alessia Lupiano</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>"Thank you all for the love. Many, many memories... It has been an incredible journey that will not stop here. The family connection will continue for many years to come. Thank you to everyone that made this journey possible... An experience that will never be forgotten. Love."</i> - Janelle Murray </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>"</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>On this tour I found my soul, lost then wandering from city to city it came to rest at home. A family on the road, faith and adventure. My soul came alive and learned to love again." </i>- Kirsten Upchurch (Swing Tech)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><i>The quote above says: "The Artist must be sacrificed to their art.</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Like the Bees, they must put their lives into the sting they give" - </i></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Ralph Waldo Emerson (added by Ivan Lo)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>"</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>Thank you Godspell Family - for the hope this work has brought to my life and those around us, the flood of memories I deeply cherish and more love and friendship than I could have imagined." - </i>Lauren Karbowski (wardrobe lead)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>"I got a gift. It came two years ago from one of the craziest auditions I've ever done. I sang every song in my book, jumped on a trampoline, sang like Sinatra, spoke like Katherine Hepburn and then I prayed...publicly. Then I smiled at Janelle and left the building. </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>Then I got the job. WINNING! This experience made my heart bigger, it restored my faith, it made me redefine the word 'family' to myself. </i></span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I found the light in my world because of 15 minutes in a room. An arbitrary 15 minutes of audition that could have led nowhere. But instead, it led me to you. Thanks for letting me play.</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">" - Michael DeRose</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">" I can think of only one time where the performers were all immensely talented, the music was exhilarating, and the audience was completely breathless. It happened in an unlikely town called Petrolia [where we had our first run of Godspell]. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Then we showed them, all over North America, our love for theatre, our love for music, and our love for each other. We sang about love. I</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> got to do what I love, with people I love, giving love to our audience, and getting it right back again. I</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i> have one hell of an awesome job." </i>- Daniel Baerg (Drummer)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; line-height: 22px;"><b><i>"The Babel was explained, and we've been saved and prepared. Day is night. Lessons learned. The Lord has been blessed, and it was all for the best. Our gifts have been received and our light shines towards the new. The Ol man has turned his final time, Alas. He was by our side the whole time. No more need to Beseech. It was a Beautiful city of men, with willows at it's gates... E</i></b></span><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; line-height: 16.5pt;"><b><i>very soul on and off stage, left their eternal mark on the history that is GODSPELL. And as we take one more close look at the face of our subject, we notice that Godspell has also, left a life-long mark on him</i></b>." - Michael Hogeveen</span></div>
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~ Lisa Michelle</div>
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Twitter: @itslisamichelle</div>
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www.ThisIsLisaMichelle.com</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-53981985515643158252014-02-21T23:43:00.001-08:002014-02-22T02:06:23.441-08:00Godspell National Tour: Week 11<div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We've reached our final stop on the first National Godspell Tour! We arrived in Dallas, Texas on Sunday February 16th for a two-week run at the Winspear Opera House.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I couldn't think of a better way to close out this experience: a two-week stay in a great hotel and 16 shows at what is agreeably the most spectacular theatre we've performed in for this entire run. The Winspear Opera House seats 2200 and is adorned with a six million dollar chandelier that raises into the ceiling at the top of each show. For real.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Winspear Opera House</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Top Balcony view</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our first show at the Winspear was on Tuesday night and was rife with emotion and adrenaline as it was the first time we've performed Godspell with our understudy David Cotton. He came in for Michael Hogeveen a few minutes into the show, and did an amazing job! The presence of a new soul on stage heightened our focus, as we took care to ensure that this new audience received the same magic all our performances have bestowed. Mission accomplished. Check out this sparkling<a href="http://thecolumnawards.org/columnonline/review/02-19-2014_GODSPELL/" target="_blank"> REVIEW</a>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Michael Hogeveen & David Cotton</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So what's so great about being in just ONE city for two whole weeks? For starters, most of us have UNPACKED for the first time since October! We also hit up a nearby grocery store and requested mini-fridges for our hotel rooms so we can eat like happy, healthy people - hummus and veggies and fruit, oh my! It's like we've arrived in the land of milk & honey. (We were able to buy and refridgerate those too).</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We're blissfully located right downtown here in Dallas: steps from the theatre, minutes away from restaurants, and a quick train ride to some really good shopping. I MAY have indulged in some retail therapy since we've arrived, but only because I'm going to need some TANGIBLE memories of my tour experience, right? ;-)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Speaking of which, I complimented an audience member on her sparkly, faux diamond ring as I was handing out kool-aid ("communion") during an intermission last week. This was at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. The woman later had it sent to me backstage to keep! Such a sweet gesture and one that I'll never forget:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>My new Godspell bling</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Lots more to do in Dallas between shows, and many of us have our plans laid and ready: trips to the aquarium, the art museum, the North Park mall, The Little Mermaid stage production (nothing like seeing another musical to stir up some inspiration) and who knows what else!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Rebecca & Stacey being themselves on one of the hotel's poolside canopy's</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Jake in the Dallas wind, lol</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rGJrtAe89HOrKHQgGSFUQbEo6bFEdhmpjedIaxi-xZBDYIiIw3aSF169u9Dg5yIMmfYgm1VQodn6mLLW1bYNdu3IX0RoUJiToKWOQQli6ixJO5FZEhRNwj61zlUnr2rPqzQR97bj5_ho/s640/blogger-image--899898392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rGJrtAe89HOrKHQgGSFUQbEo6bFEdhmpjedIaxi-xZBDYIiIw3aSF169u9Dg5yIMmfYgm1VQodn6mLLW1bYNdu3IX0RoUJiToKWOQQli6ixJO5FZEhRNwj61zlUnr2rPqzQR97bj5_ho/s400/blogger-image--899898392.jpg" width="400"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Mark & Alessia in front of a giant... eyeball park?!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This family affair we call "Godspell" has almost reached it's end. That final scene where we say our goodbyes* just might get harder and harder as the days go by (*I was going to say "spoiler alert!" but I know you know how it ends). </span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Anyhow, I refuse to get ahead of myself. We still have 13 more shows to knock out of the park and many legs to break.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">See you next week for the final blog post! FYI, it will likely come out after our final show, which is not next Friday, but rather Tuesday March 4th in Tyler, Texas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Until then.... Xoxo</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>~ Lisa Michelle</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Twitter: @itslisamichelle</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>#GodspellNationalTour</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-55691341372799051802014-02-14T22:18:00.001-08:002014-02-15T01:39:47.127-08:00Godspell National Tour: Week 10<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">t's the end of Week 10 on the Godspell National Tour. I was feeling a little more homesick than usual these past few days. We travel more than we perform, have no home cooking, sleep in different beds almost every night and live out of our suitcases. Add to that the obvious difficulty of being apart from loved ones for so long, and you can see how even an extraordinary experience such as this can take it's toll. But that's just it. Touring is an EXTRAORDINARY experience. It has it's cost, but it is unlike anything else I've ever done. And Lord knows, it's everything I've ever wanted to do. And it's Godspell. And it's us. :-)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Soundcheck!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Airport naps </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Party? Always.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last week, I left off telling you about our time in Milwaukee. We celebrated our 100th performance of Godspell there! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our 100th Godspell Intermission :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx5-s-7LPwf6_cLAjxHkMt93rKBndHEbHAsCfqwJI3YukZYGvKQlhNCn9ooWJ-GkSywTZhI6Y90L4qDgNZ80udKaltjp_zlgChf8L5LchquDDiiocMdtKpQKOoy2N5nGO7VgaHqkGJO5f/s640/blogger-image--164193491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx5-s-7LPwf6_cLAjxHkMt93rKBndHEbHAsCfqwJI3YukZYGvKQlhNCn9ooWJ-GkSywTZhI6Y90L4qDgNZ80udKaltjp_zlgChf8L5LchquDDiiocMdtKpQKOoy2N5nGO7VgaHqkGJO5f/s400/blogger-image--164193491.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then it was off to British Columbia. Although I've never been to the province before, it was still kind of like being home, just being on Canadian soil. We flew into Vancouver, arriving quite late on Monday night and drove to the city of Vernon on Tuesday morning. The long bus ride took us through the mountains and treated us to breathtaking views. Like these:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We performed at the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre shortly after arriving on Tuesday night, and all too soon, our trip to BC came to a close. There's been so many great city stops on this tour, but this is definitely one that I'll be revisiting on my own in the near future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wednesday morning we had another long drive to Seattle. We spent a night there before flying to Rapid City, South Dakota the next day. And here we are! In the most beautiful boutique hotel with uniquely decorated rooms. Life ain't so bad...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My room</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mark's room</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had our first show here in South Dakota already, at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Centre. Fun times! The crowd had as much energy as we did, so it was a beautiful exchange. We get to do it to the South Dakotans (Dakotians? Dakoes?) twice more with two shows and then... TEXAS!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You know what to do. See you next week, right here ! Love to all those who care enough about us to keep on following along! We'll be home soon...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Xox,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">~ Lisa Michelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Twitter: @itslisamichelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">#GodspellNationalTour</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-21605124189304482852014-02-07T14:49:00.001-08:002014-02-07T16:17:54.220-08:00Godspell National Tour: Week 9<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I won't lie. I almost forgot to write this blog today. It's Friday already??? Time flies when you've taken four flights in less than a week. After a 7-day hiatus, the Godspell cast, crew and band are back to put forth the last 4 weeks of a 13-week National Tour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We left Toronto on Monday February 3rd, the beginning of Week #9. Two flights and a shuttle bus later, we made it safely and soundly to our first destination: Newberry, South Carolina.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>But not before earning free bottles of Jack for belting out a Godspell tune on the flight!</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGtyrvCBRIgNJ2T-MeUHxJbZ6lRM18etFgBF2NTIwuykDDAQlA5ysNrXZmtJ8QcTtjMG7k3KGYwIdCxAUX1lHr2IgS5FQ_CYcLnoXVNWWycvwaZnc7C_3lFnNEZPrVgshyVAkf6xKIIA2/s640/blogger-image--283900500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGtyrvCBRIgNJ2T-MeUHxJbZ6lRM18etFgBF2NTIwuykDDAQlA5ysNrXZmtJ8QcTtjMG7k3KGYwIdCxAUX1lHr2IgS5FQ_CYcLnoXVNWWycvwaZnc7C_3lFnNEZPrVgshyVAkf6xKIIA2/s320/blogger-image--283900500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We jumped right in with not one, but two shows on Tuesday at the Newberry Opera House. It was a sweet little theatre conveniently located right across the street from our temporary home at the Hampton Inn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Newberry Opera House</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Inside the Newberry Opera House</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> After the matinée performance, the kind people at the theatre had a southern-style dinner prepared for us: fried chicken, green beans, green salad, macaroni salad, mashed potatoes & sweet tea. Perhaps not the leanest meal a group of performers could/should choose for themselves, but hey... a kind gesture is a kind gesture. And it saved us both time & money between shows, so no complaints here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We also had extra special guests in the audience: a group of new friends who had already seen our production of Godspell when we were in Charlotte, North Carolina before our Christmas hiatus in December. They loved it (and us) so much that they made the two-hour drive to come and see it again! They're a bit* younger than us (*tee hee) and will be putting on their own production of Godspell in March. We met them after our Charlotte show and again after this one in Newberry. Both times they expressed how much we inspired them with our performance. So sweet!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Some of us with some of them</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wednesday was another travel day... a very, long travel day as we had two flights to get is to Milwaukee and there were some lengthy delays and a layover in between. But we're a funky bunch, so we tend to make the most of our down time. For instance, Ivan was crowned "Sauce Boss" for dancing in a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant at </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">the airport. He kept the crown on for hours. We laughed at him. He threw the crown in the garbage. A good time was had by all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ivan The Sauce Boss and our Wardrobe Queen, Lauren</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We eventually made it to Milwaukee. It is FREEZING here, but our hotel is beautiful and there are so many things to do in the city. We had yesterday (Thursday) off, so between our arrival here on Wednesday night and this Friday afternoon, our group has had quite the itinerary. Brewery tours, trips to the art museum, bar-hopping, live theatre ("Evita" and "In The Heights" are playing nearby), figure skating, good eats and...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hotel-lobby-ping-pong</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mark Laidman, Alessia Lupiano and myself starting from tha bottom</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We have our first show at the Milwaukee Theatre tonight, so hopefully everyone saved enough energy to do what we always do - bang out a kick-a$$ performance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That said, it's time for me to annoy the hotel guests next door with some tongue-trills (an obnoxious, yet effective vocal warm-up). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Come back next Friday for another update! And you might want to l</span><span style="font-size: large;">ook for us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram if you haven't already, as there are always wayyyyy more stories and happenings with this tour that I couldn't possibly fit into each blog... or wouldn't dare too ;-).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Til next time ... Xox,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">~ Lisa Michelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Twitter: @itslisamichelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">#GodspellNationalTour</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-42099652627883075402014-01-24T09:13:00.001-08:002014-01-24T14:07:38.710-08:00Godspell National Tour: Week 8<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Another Friday has come... It's the end of Week 8 of the Godspell </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">National Tour!</span></div><div><br></div><div>If you've been following along, you know that last week (our first week back from the Christmas hiatus) landed us in Florida. Leaving our Canadian winter for the Sunshine State had us all very excited, although it wasn't quite as hot and balmy as we'd hoped. We most definitely made the best of it though, still dressing much more summery than the locals (shorts, tees, tanks, dresses) making us highly identifiable as foreigners. We're performers though, so not only are we used to getting extra attention... we bask in it, lol. All the strange looks and queries we got while we sunbathed and "they" bundled up, bothered us none.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWev1WqLgey8SvQwaL3qF0YqAv41KiRtHiwfBg3t9B1pHgic4_NeMtKSD6gbFauPrNKCqeCtRIhq02pSJNAbhWRhF6diTIN6tYaHkK883fBOkFMT3p7nx7YA68z8TeK-TrRX8akQAI3iyB/s640/blogger-image--73072567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWev1WqLgey8SvQwaL3qF0YqAv41KiRtHiwfBg3t9B1pHgic4_NeMtKSD6gbFauPrNKCqeCtRIhq02pSJNAbhWRhF6diTIN6tYaHkK883fBOkFMT3p7nx7YA68z8TeK-TrRX8akQAI3iyB/s640/blogger-image--73072567.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Last Friday, we made the long drive from Bell Glade to Orange Park, Florida. We had little more than an hour in the hotel we arrived at before having to dash off to the Thrasher Home Center for a 7:30pm show. </div><div><br></div><div>On Saturday, we made another long drive, this time to Miami where we'd be staying for 3 days! We had two performances at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts centre: a Saturday night performance and a Sunday matinee. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI4f0uRU2ho_Np3G_mSZYA4t8cSzy7HWCLeRadUOLlGSJhl0OSwYmpq-6S2JTRHOVqmnz85RZQVVH3531-OcJSUilPG4hvmA4TWbvzLq4MqrXmkWit4HBauLoBZtLd0rCBbt63dTLBB7j/s640/blogger-image-297005762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI4f0uRU2ho_Np3G_mSZYA4t8cSzy7HWCLeRadUOLlGSJhl0OSwYmpq-6S2JTRHOVqmnz85RZQVVH3531-OcJSUilPG4hvmA4TWbvzLq4MqrXmkWit4HBauLoBZtLd0rCBbt63dTLBB7j/s640/blogger-image-297005762.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div>The theatre was bright, colourful and fun, much like our production. Even when we're tired or a little under the weather or our bodies are a little banged up from the last performance, our Godspell is always, always a great show - truly! Somehow, we are always moved by some energy or force that's larger than us, even when we're not sure how it's going to be possible. I like to call it, "blessed"! :-)</div><div><br></div><div>The blessed faces of Rebecca, Janelle, myself and Jake</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1s6YJQfx5y872JiiTn5fAt0YTtFXNbRXyCmfyoIdqvxAyW6Jd0w02qI1F_Njc977hNk_8rSrW4fS1Z9kefsTSk9EYVOaTCqxkCWQ8hDjUmA0ALJ4XHztd_ZiR1aN9waddtLlYpk_nkdP5/s640/blogger-image-33234631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1s6YJQfx5y872JiiTn5fAt0YTtFXNbRXyCmfyoIdqvxAyW6Jd0w02qI1F_Njc977hNk_8rSrW4fS1Z9kefsTSk9EYVOaTCqxkCWQ8hDjUmA0ALJ4XHztd_ZiR1aN9waddtLlYpk_nkdP5/s640/blogger-image-33234631.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Monday January 20th was our first day off of this tour leg so far, and coincidentally, it was also the HOTTEST day we had in Florida - about 25 degrees (Celsius, obvi)! Most of us spent the day and night in South Beach, Miami: sand, sun, shopping, dining, and club-hopping. I even started my day with mimosas and scrambled eggs because... why the hell not? It was amazing how such little time off can feel like a full-on vacation when you're in<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> the right location and with the right people.</span></div><div><br></div><div>Our bassist Mark Laidman and Alessia Lupiano working hard in Miami</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPnblTOV_7D0qFSsA4s54RF75PZxCQFHPBrGBZNT6TU1ZtqwXz9ssFQgS-8Rj1jysWoXsBmKGT6RK74lftQSOIdwsb9ZxyA_eQDOtbpb8uPWevi1wZlk8Bom-0LhBF65J3LAlMnsF3vze/s640/blogger-image-1293767183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPnblTOV_7D0qFSsA4s54RF75PZxCQFHPBrGBZNT6TU1ZtqwXz9ssFQgS-8Rj1jysWoXsBmKGT6RK74lftQSOIdwsb9ZxyA_eQDOtbpb8uPWevi1wZlk8Bom-0LhBF65J3LAlMnsF3vze/s640/blogger-image-1293767183.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>On Tuesday, we got up to drive to our last stop in Florida: a performance at Youkey Theatre in Lakeland, Florida. This venue was literally attached to our hotel, which was pretty cool because a) it was a really nice hotel and b) we had more time to lolly-gag before sauntering over at the last minute for our soundcheck. </div><div><br></div><div>That night after the show, we had a little soirée in Jake's room. Drinks, hummus, jokes, friendly massages on grateful shoulders, more jokes and as always, crazy amounts of laughter. It was a much needed get-together after a full week of performing and city-hopping with little rest and stability in between.</div><div><br></div><div>Wednesday afternoon, we braced ourselves for the cold and flew to Ohio. We arrived around dinner time, so some peeps immediately dropped their stuff and headed out for food. Others called it a night and knocked out almost upon arrival. Ok, I knocked out almost upon arrival. </div><div><br></div><div>Our stay in Ohio was a quiet one until our Thursday night show at Kent State University's Performing Arts Centre. They were a lively crowd that gave us lots of boisterous laughs and loving appreciation. </div><div><br></div><div>Kent State University - another beautiful venue</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgcIoLmxrAhoKVW_Jdy4aPQ-WcqMETRvS5cPmdhjFYePw8DE7PooIxP0V6YbmhyHcqaK3XdKCdYjAq5qR0LzGCyGhA93v2M6_0cpwcMFoXSur4AtPqVn-PymzSq6O0O4qRFrCuw6mV_3r/s640/blogger-image--2128705101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgcIoLmxrAhoKVW_Jdy4aPQ-WcqMETRvS5cPmdhjFYePw8DE7PooIxP0V6YbmhyHcqaK3XdKCdYjAq5qR0LzGCyGhA93v2M6_0cpwcMFoXSur4AtPqVn-PymzSq6O0O4qRFrCuw6mV_3r/s640/blogger-image--2128705101.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>As I write this, we're making our way to Toledo. Just three more shows until we have another, albeit shorter, hiatus beginning on Monday. Though we were just home two weeks ago, I think we're all still looking forward to seeing our families and sleeping in our own beds. It'll only be a week off this time, then we come back for our 3rd and final leg of the tour. </div><div><br></div><div>That being said, I won't be posting another Godspell blog update until we complete our 9th tour week... So that's two Fridays from now. </div><div><br></div><div>Most of the cast is on Instagram and Twitter, so you can keep up with us there in the meantime!</div><div><br></div><div>Much love and talk to you soon!</div><div><br></div><div>~ Lisa Michelle</div><div>Twitter: @itslisamichelle</div><div>#GodspellNationalTour</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-41222259240774571522014-01-17T22:34:00.000-08:002014-01-16T23:04:38.197-08:00Godspell National Tour: Week 7<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">... Aaaaaaand we're back! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm one of ten cast members on the first National tour of the musical Godspell, and we're back on the road after a 5-week hiatus over the Christmas holidays. We all live in Ontario, where the weather has been cold, dry and icy for a good chunk of that break. So you can imagine how excited we were that our first stop on this second leg of the tour is in freaking FLORIDA!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">(Sorry, I don't know what the question marks on this poster mean. Not sure if anyone does. That's why there are question marks)</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMH_DwntgglDMS-oBVvLV2DkMSbW8OaUOwqJuI2-XmBpxiceyYBh_ieK88-TxWiwhvu1FLZ-2b40Giur1S30RniWxijllU9Yab13AWV3Tvyu30KvWPW3OTuN2_8GAAm41oACQJatKo27K/s640/blogger-image-536868218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMH_DwntgglDMS-oBVvLV2DkMSbW8OaUOwqJuI2-XmBpxiceyYBh_ieK88-TxWiwhvu1FLZ-2b40Giur1S30RniWxijllU9Yab13AWV3Tvyu30KvWPW3OTuN2_8GAAm41oACQJatKo27K/s640/blogger-image-536868218.jpg" width="636" /></span></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We flew from Toronto's Pearson International Airport into the warm, welcoming skies of West Palm Beach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>*Sidebar: why doesn't anyone clap for pilots when the plane lands anymore? Like "hooray, we didn't die! Great job!" Stacey Kay and I are reeeeeally trying to bring that back.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Most of my cast mates learned their lessons well from the first leg of the tour and packed lighter this time around. For some, that meant bringing only ONE super-sized suitcase instead of their previous two. For others it meant leaving the beloved, yet non-essential ukelele at home. Be the star of a post-show jam session or lug less weight around from hotel to hotel? Priorities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">From the airport, we were reunited with our tour bus (aptly crowned "the Soul Bus") as well as our favourite driver, Robert. It was a short drive to our hotel in Fort Pierce, and we were settled into DAY 1 before dinner time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">By settled, I mean it almost felt like no time had passed since we'd seen eachother last. Yes, some of us saw one another over the break, but I still thought it was pretty cool how quickly we got right back into the groove. Ugh, it's probably that 'love' thing again. It won't really leave us alone ;-).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A bunch of us headed across the street to Red Lobster for dinner that evening, but overall it was a quiet night. We all wanted to be rested and ready for the rehearsal AND show we had the next day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Enter Tuesday morning: hotel breakfast, sunny walks and poolside chillin. We all did our own thing, but most of us partook in some combination of the aforementioned activities until rehearsal began. It went great. Then we performed in front of a full, enthusiastic crowd at the Sunrise Theatre that night. Also great. I said "we're back!", did I not?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sunrise Theatre</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wednesday morning, we drove to Sarasota. Sadly, we've been experiencing unseasonably cool temperatures in the Sunshine State. Gladly, it's still warmer than it is at home. So, there's that. And in Toronto, we don't have mini-putt courses with live alligators, either. Jake (Godspell's Jesus) was all about it, but the nearest alligator-captivity-golf-course was a bit too far from our hotel. Also, it's weird.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In Sarasota, we performed at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall: all-purple everything! It's my favourite colour too, how did they know?!?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thursday we drove to some other town in Florida. I'm really not sure where the heck we were, but it wasn't a long drive, the theatre was small but nice, and they kindly prepared dinner for the entire cast and crew before the show. We like food. Especially of the 'free' persuasion, so thank you Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Centre.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>*Another Sidebar: I don't know what Lauren (our wardrobe lady) was doing to Jake's costume here... but I AM certain that taking this picture and putting it in the blog was the right thing to do</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">.</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's super-early on Friday morning right now (some might call it "Thursday night"), and we'll be making the long drive to Orange Park, Florida, where we'll perform inside the Thrasher Home Center. Sounds intense. Surprisingly, I don't really dread the longer bus rides as much as I thought I would. I've got books, movies, games, music, snacks, a pillow, blanket and good company. Just yesterday, I turned around in my bus seat and saw this staring back at me:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's Michael Hogeveen. He enjoys acting, singing and long walks in and out of Crazy Town (...and no, the picture has <i>not been</i> photoshopped. His head is indeed floating between the seats, lol).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So! That sums up our first week back after our big break... Making it officially the end of Week #7 on the Godspell National Tour. Remember, I'll be posting Godspelly updates every Friday, so come back and read it! :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ciao for now,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">~ Lisa Michelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Twitter: itslisamichelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tweet us! #GodspellNationalTour</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-38232103374742269592013-12-28T21:24:00.001-08:002014-01-16T22:17:33.917-08:00LIVE @ The Drake!!<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">!!!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm excited about two things. One: that I'm actually using my blog to talk about something other than Godspell (although I really, really love Godspell). And two: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I HAVE A SHOW COMING UP!!!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On Thursday January 9th, I'm performing with my band at The Underground inside the Drake Hotel (in Toronto)! We'll be bustin' out a full one-hour set of originals from my albums <i>This Moment</i>, <i>Love Lessons</i> & <i>Rebound </i>(all available on iTunes, btw). And maybe a cover or two, 'cause we can ;-). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since October, I've been<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> touring the US with the musical <i>Godspell</i> (lucky, blessed ME!), and just came home December 9th for what will be our 5-week hiatus/break. We hit the road again for Florida, Texas and a few other spots beginning January 13th. Which means, I should probably be using this time off to rest.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">BUT... knowing I'd be HOME for FIVE long weeks... I couldn't resist reuniting with my band members (love them), my fans (the real and the imaginary), and the taste of R&B Soul on the tongue. I missed my music!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So here it is... If you can be in Toronto on this night, know that you are invited and that I would LOVE it if you came! I won't be able to perform at home again until the spring/summer, so this gig is special!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All the details are in the beautifully designed flyer below (thanks Ashley!). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">See you there!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Xo,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">~ Lisa Michelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">@itslisamichelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">www.ThisIsLisaMichelle.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">www.facebook.com/lisamichellemusic</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-10796148997308101632013-12-06T15:05:00.001-08:002013-12-06T15:40:02.717-08:00Godspell Nation Tour: Week 6<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Well, O-M-G (pardon my language), but I can't believe this is the FINAL week of the tour before our December hiatus! It's the end of week 6 on the first ever Godspell National Tour, and we fly out this coming Monday to our respective homes. Well some people are flying straight to their vacation spots, but the point is, we're leaving the tour until it starts up again in mid-January.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The truth? I'm very excited about going home. Because like most, I miss my family, I miss eating food that didn't come from a restaurant (or truck stop), I want to rest my body and I really can't wait to see my regular hairstylist. BUT... I know for a fact that I am going to miss the heck out of the show AND I'm going to miss seeing all the pretty Godspell faces I get to see everyday when I'm here. Have I made it clear in my other posts how much we love eachother? Yes? Okay, good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For this last week before the break, we get to live and perform in the beautiful city of Charlotte, North Carolina. It's significant because we've been doing so many one or two-nighters, moving from city-to-city, so being in one place for a little while is quite refreshing. We've been able to unpack and settle in a bit - a simple thing you might take for granted until you've lived without a home base for a time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It took us two days and two overnight stops to drive here from Crockett, Texas. OH YEAH!!! Crockett, Texas! That was the super-small theatre we played in last Friday night, where we'd been warned that our set & lighting would be significantly scaled back. Well, I'm a little sad to report that there isn't much to report, lol. We were actually able to fit our colourful, round stage inside the theatre, we just had less space than we normally do around our disc. There were also no stage wings and the lighting was... different. But overall, we didn't have to change much, just a few tweaks in the blocking here and there, but that was it. Another good show. It's not that I WANTED anything to go wrong, I just think we were prepared for a bigger challenge than the one that was presented to us. Ah well... I think this just means that we're awesome. Let's go with that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After Crockett, we stopped one night in Jackson, Mississippi and another in Atlanta, Georgia. My cast mate Stacey Kay had the brilliant idea to look up concerts in the area when we got to Atlanta and stumbled on info for Kanye West tickets! As it turned out, only myself, Stacey and our conductor John Yun went to the concert and had an amazing time. But not before becoming entangled in a CRAZY fiasco to get the tickets in the first place. I have no idea what the rest of the cast and crew did that night, but I know my outing with Stacey and John ended with a fireman-carry, cold pizza and my foot in an ice bucket.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fast-forward to this week. We arrived in Charlotte on Monday and the first thing we see before stepping foot off the tour bus is our faces on lampposts all over the downtown core. You know, those little lamp post banner-thingies? We screamed. You would too.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Graham on a lamp post in Charlotte, NC</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had our first show here at the Knight Theatre on Tuesday evening and the crowd was amazing. Since we have a full week's stay here, it seems there was time to generate a good buzz about Godspell before we got here and it showed. We were graciously treated to a post-show reception that night, and were made to feel like stars. I really can't believe this is a job sometimes. I mean, performing is hard work no doubt (just ask my joints), but the rewards can be so grand. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today during some down time, a bunch of us decided to go on a segway tour of the city! I'd never ridden one before, but it always looked like fun, so why not! I was a little nervous in the beginning, as the segways are quite sensitive and move very fast if you let them. But we all got the hang of it in no time and had SO much fun learning some haunted history and zipping around town on this strange-looking vehicle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our tour guide was amazing and is apparently coming to our show tonight! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We have five more shows here in Charlotte this weekend: tonight, two tomorrow (Saturday) and two on Sunday. We're closing out this leg of the tour with a Kris Kringle party and a Christmas Carol Cabaret in our hotel's restaurant. Again... how am I NOT going to miss this?!?! Even though we have another tour leg in January, I feel there's going to be a lot of weeping during our last show this Sunday. Well, a lot MORE weeping than usual. Uh oh, I hope I'm not giving too much away. You see in Godspell, one of our friends dies and... I've already said too much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To my faithful readers, this will be the last 'official' Godspell National Tour blog post until the new year, but I will indeed still be blogging throughout December. I'm sure I'll be involved in other exciting or interesting shenanigans before the next tour leg, likely even with some members of my Godspell family. So feel free to still check back here, or on my facebook (www.facebook.com/lisamichellemusic) for new posts and thangs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wish us broken legs for our shows this weekend and I'll talk to you soon!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Love to you from me... and from Godspell! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Xo</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">~ Lisa Michelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Twitter: @itslisamichelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">#GodspellNationalTour</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-46066341734742268502013-11-29T14:35:00.001-08:002013-11-29T15:39:08.409-08:00Godspell National Tour: Week 5<div>Here we are at the end of week 5 on the Godspell National Tour! Just one week left until we fly home to Ontario (then we hit the road again mid-January).</div><div><br></div><div>When I left you last Friday, we were set to perform in Clinton Township, Michigan that night. It was another fun show and surprise, surprise: our director David Hogan and musical director Mark Payne drove across the border to see us! More than just the 'creative team', they're also the heart of this Godspell family. Thankfully, we did them proud and they loved the show. It was really nice to see them after all this time, though they couldn't stay for long. They were in the middle of producing yet another stellar show back home!</div><div><br></div><div>The cast & friends w/ dir: David Hogan & musical director Mark Payne in Michigan</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkWiY73Aaj4MSyiVbCRkcDC1L4CeuGXGGFOWbmI05KPaxm7DZrIR8OTNLAWru3wqbKcrRvnvi4LDIflBxVFSiuO2Z9yis5GPVB44roTUXM7_N8bKllT3NbDRUEscuhHXUAVEIrv4TMnYA/s640/blogger-image-1120731418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkWiY73Aaj4MSyiVbCRkcDC1L4CeuGXGGFOWbmI05KPaxm7DZrIR8OTNLAWru3wqbKcrRvnvi4LDIflBxVFSiuO2Z9yis5GPVB44roTUXM7_N8bKllT3NbDRUEscuhHXUAVEIrv4TMnYA/s640/blogger-image-1120731418.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>We performed twice more at the Macombe Center in Michigan the next day (Saturday), and were fed and watered by an older lady known simply as "Mom". She's a long-time matriarch and employee of the theatre who's as sassy as she is generous, and as witty as she is petite. She graciously prepared a huge thanksgiving feast for us between our matinée and evening performances. </div><div><br></div><div>We also had a number of out-of-town visitors that weekend including parents and grandparents, wives & kids, siblings, friends, and by the time we got to Texas on Monday, my husband joined the fold too! We like to think of these people as honourary Godspellers. And/or groupies. </div><div><br></div><div>Alessia with friend Aly Workman</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoRksAIBSU1bUxfPpNkN6c-u6vHKAXq0cWcCWuMj5kFNTW3mLHIGYpDnaensdAZmKDMBp3IFYEknZmuk8IfHH_X5l7GDsHvlXnoBBV9GWYt1mIHEHX7jtfH8egjx3i1XRzZOE61VmpkTB/s640/blogger-image-1440962940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoRksAIBSU1bUxfPpNkN6c-u6vHKAXq0cWcCWuMj5kFNTW3mLHIGYpDnaensdAZmKDMBp3IFYEknZmuk8IfHH_X5l7GDsHvlXnoBBV9GWYt1mIHEHX7jtfH8egjx3i1XRzZOE61VmpkTB/s640/blogger-image-1440962940.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>We arrived in Austin, Texas on Sunday night after a stopover in Charlotte and a few delays. It was the first flight we'd taken on the tour so far (we've been travelling solely by bus), and it went pretty well, all things considered. We had the next day (Monday) off, so that's when our Texas adventures began. </div><div><br></div><div>A bunch of us sat down for an authentic Tex-Mex lunch and it was gooood. I was the first to brave a server-recommended drink called 'The Hurricane' that was a tasty blend of EVERYTHING. It was icy, sweet and so strong that it was probably the only drink I needed for the rest of the day... or week (as if). Some castmates began a bar-hopping expedition after our spicy lunch that continued into the wee hours of the morning! Texas has amazing night life & a thriving live music scene, so naturally it's become the new favourite tour stop for many of us (I'm still holding on to good memories of St. Louis, but that's just me :-).</div><div><br></div><div>Bright and early on Tuesday morning, Jake Stern, Alessia Lupiano and myself had an interview at KUT - a radio station operated out of the University of Texas. The host was (unintentionally) hilarious, teasing Jake about his cowboy hat, leading us into an impromptu acapella performance, and closing our interview with some random song called "Day After Day" because he couldn't find the song "Day BY Day" in his track listings (the one that's actually in our show). So much funny in a single morning.</div><div><br></div><div>Alessia, Jake and I after our KUT interview</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tGCq1x0NpPQDrjS1-Ro5QB0fyVZNMVlTlI-l5WpI0aNDr6bLqX_yZpbBqVyd6oGrWNJaT0AYbfxtE-iIiM0bU8sfa5GfrCOwdYZemTQe4NlKrBpGG36z7hBC8uVCjxmB6cvXbVV0WsfR/s640/blogger-image-1373455302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tGCq1x0NpPQDrjS1-Ro5QB0fyVZNMVlTlI-l5WpI0aNDr6bLqX_yZpbBqVyd6oGrWNJaT0AYbfxtE-iIiM0bU8sfa5GfrCOwdYZemTQe4NlKrBpGG36z7hBC8uVCjxmB6cvXbVV0WsfR/s640/blogger-image-1373455302.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Amidst all these Texas shenanigans, we had a SHOW to put on! Tuesday night was our first show in Austin at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. It's a phenomenal venue, seating approximately 2500 patrons, and the crowd was on fire! It was one of our most exciting shows, where the audience was with us from note-to-note. </div><div><br></div><div>Our stellar band at the Long Center in Austin, Texas</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNg250khLbU2zwJgehBN64X1YyjlFskESxinyWIzVtgdarhWPJHI5cHf6Zzg-lgMBColyMNU4phJADkoRuwaQpXmoTcKupjhgEvmhgDH_L5BY_IzG3UCl2ayAYKIMmBOOYS6AIWjTqjLo/s640/blogger-image--1225177790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNg250khLbU2zwJgehBN64X1YyjlFskESxinyWIzVtgdarhWPJHI5cHf6Zzg-lgMBColyMNU4phJADkoRuwaQpXmoTcKupjhgEvmhgDH_L5BY_IzG3UCl2ayAYKIMmBOOYS6AIWjTqjLo/s640/blogger-image--1225177790.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>These were painted all over the sidewalk outside the Long Center:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8X_K0qxbecUfjWfXEW3iKEPK8wyK82alhaQsH4UHp1tMzlZV_QYTjtAM5hmZG9V9oLXqtpEqnHtougWefdmAWtdacooZuAHZRQLQE7Wu6_Wh5TcxY92t4oRfcb2K14Qyircm1OZ53seg/s640/blogger-image--962308839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8X_K0qxbecUfjWfXEW3iKEPK8wyK82alhaQsH4UHp1tMzlZV_QYTjtAM5hmZG9V9oLXqtpEqnHtougWefdmAWtdacooZuAHZRQLQE7Wu6_Wh5TcxY92t4oRfcb2K14Qyircm1OZ53seg/s640/blogger-image--962308839.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Wednesday night was another great show, another great night on the town afterwards, and Thursday we were blessed with an American Thanksgiving Dinner at one of the few local restaurants that were still open. After dinner, some of our crazy little bunch went to a make-shift amusement park situated behind our hotel. Bumper cars, rides and gaming ensued, with winners and stuffed thingies all-around. The fun just never stops. Unless you're this guy:</div><div><br></div><div>Jake's new bus-buddy</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd36ctdSfReBL7SSjCX6D1VNMp9i00Pm1V9YUJSYkm1hl4sJ-LzdGq1QMc90jM1ukI0CneuBFkwWC2eW-lYY8_GvPpiLdJrgPKM4Amk7KPMf7cRowxYYBNhBE0ntccVzdh9rzAn1Z2VYFR/s640/blogger-image-1075495729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd36ctdSfReBL7SSjCX6D1VNMp9i00Pm1V9YUJSYkm1hl4sJ-LzdGq1QMc90jM1ukI0CneuBFkwWC2eW-lYY8_GvPpiLdJrgPKM4Amk7KPMf7cRowxYYBNhBE0ntccVzdh9rzAn1Z2VYFR/s640/blogger-image-1075495729.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>It's Friday, and we've just arrived in Crockett, Texas for another show tonight. It's a wee little town with a population smaller than the seating capacity in some of the venues we've played thus far. Apparently the theatre here is unable to house some of our larger set pieces like... our stage. And much of our lighting. But have you MET this Godspell cast & crew? Do you know what we say to that??? Challenge accepted. Our set may be scaled back, but our performances would never and could never be.</div><div><br></div><div>I can't wait to tell you how it all went down in next week's post. So check back!</div><div><br></div><div>Xoxoxox</div><div>~ Lisa Michelle</div><div>Tweet us! Use the hashtag: #GodspellNationalTour</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-89054504312856634702013-11-22T14:16:00.001-08:002013-11-22T14:22:00.241-08:00Godspell National Tour: Week 4 update!<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Time is flying by! We're already at the end of week 4 of the Godspell National Tour, and we've just left Kalamazoo. Yep. It's a real place. And nope. Nothing to see there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But that was just a 2-day pit stop as we made our way to where we are now: Clinton Township, Michigan. We have three performances here this weekend, beginning tonight at 7:30. Some cast members have family and friends visiting from back home this weekend, and in good time too. A taste of home is just what some of us need at this point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When I posted last week's update, we were about to begin performances at the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis, Missouri. Once again, we were able to make our mark in another great city, and inside their theatre's walls:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Peabody Opera House in St. Louis, MI</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Before leaving St. Louis, we celebrated cast member Michael DeRose's birthday! We held a pseudo-surprise soirée for him in Jesus' hotel room, then skipped out to a fantastic live music joint called BB's Blues Bar. The band was i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e. When we weren't salivating over their musicianship like the geeks we are, we were tearin' up the dance floor to the beat of their funked out, soul-stirring set list. It was the final note on why St. Louis has been my favourite stop on the tour thus far.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Love for Michael De Rose! :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We also performed at the Grand Theatre in Wausau, Wisconsin this week. I'm still not sure how to pronounce that, but I can tell you they gave us another beautiful house; velvety red seats, exquisite design, and the 'wow-this-place-is-huge' vastness. We've been very lucky, as all the venues we've played on this tour have been aesthetically impressive. Hence the intense camera-phone action that happens upon our arrival in every new place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Grand Theatre in Wausau, WI</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well today's blog was kinda late, so once again I'm dashing off to eat and get set for another evening show. And to break all my legs, of course :-).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Talk to you next week! xox</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">~ Lisa Michelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Twitter: #GodspellNationalTour</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-72067310431021100082013-11-15T10:19:00.001-08:002013-11-15T11:48:38.659-08:00Godspell National Tour: Week 3<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Today marks the end of week 3 on our Godspell National Tour!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Right now, we're in St. Louis, Missouri and have our first show here at the Peabody Opera House tonight! We arrived here on Wednesday afternoon after 3 days of driving and nightly pit stops from New Jersey, so tonight will actually be our first performance since last Sunday! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since getting off the bus on Wednesday, we've been making the absolute MOST of our time off and have been having an amazing time in St. Louis so far. Just some of the things our group has gotten into include visiting the Gateway Arch (a 630-foot monument), getting spa massages, enjoying the food, daytime strolls and a trip to the St. Louis Zoo.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-size: large;">The highlight was our excursion to an NHL game last night at the Scottrade Centre! I'm certainly not the world's biggest hockey fan and yet it was still an extraordinary experience. We had great seats, "our" home team the St. Louis Blues SLAYED with a 7-3 win, we got to meet the players and coaches AND Godspell got so much love on the big screen. A huge thank you to our generous stage manager Paul Pembleton for organizing, and to Jesus, *ahem*... Jake for his star-power connections. It was a wild night!!!</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9A12ejcsvcks_LOSJSwmGnRdSMggLc0cL5bj_snkMYysOJ7yuOfVe0zlN69d_iAvOqBdo2oRoYSesnK6diyxe0P5PYNVg0ItkJxrZYjgYR9i3OEG_7vUUlo1jDJWopGq0vqd5V5VxsZgq/s640/blogger-image--1151089487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9A12ejcsvcks_LOSJSwmGnRdSMggLc0cL5bj_snkMYysOJ7yuOfVe0zlN69d_iAvOqBdo2oRoYSesnK6diyxe0P5PYNVg0ItkJxrZYjgYR9i3OEG_7vUUlo1jDJWopGq0vqd5V5VxsZgq/s320/blogger-image--1151089487.jpg" width="320"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFPQEHtrXio2-IuyZqRpYFX1TZQtqikwtvj2MNTeLkGvroEl9PDHdqVkI7F36wmWZnl5k9B_k_GltM8mepJCc_1G5uQlZTVK1XMxx2-IwX7lfftz8rqIA4y2RrGoqY6R9QZexf0IM86BZ/s640/blogger-image--1766892926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFPQEHtrXio2-IuyZqRpYFX1TZQtqikwtvj2MNTeLkGvroEl9PDHdqVkI7F36wmWZnl5k9B_k_GltM8mepJCc_1G5uQlZTVK1XMxx2-IwX7lfftz8rqIA4y2RrGoqY6R9QZexf0IM86BZ/s320/blogger-image--1766892926.jpg" width="240"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIY6hl4dQKTFss4j1R9X0KIDViWus4zQ_PuMq1EUWlAMik0g3bxgJE9PUFxChaXhRL27z0ji6rr_f4qh1BqbAw-LjEyJCsExejVCT-PNvRU5Yd-KkWIdnABBPcz1XnbE7oUzb7FqD8dJWw/s640/blogger-image--532538376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIY6hl4dQKTFss4j1R9X0KIDViWus4zQ_PuMq1EUWlAMik0g3bxgJE9PUFxChaXhRL27z0ji6rr_f4qh1BqbAw-LjEyJCsExejVCT-PNvRU5Yd-KkWIdnABBPcz1XnbE7oUzb7FqD8dJWw/s320/blogger-image--532538376.jpg" width="320"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I must say, our good times have been well-earned at this point... We recently came out of a crazy, hectic journey of 8 shows in 6 days in 6 different cities. That means daily traveling, one-nighter hotel stints, lots of go-go-go, and most notably; little time to rest our bodies and vocal chops between shows. Here's how it went down:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tues Nov 5: </b>Capitol Centre in Concord, New Hampshire</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wed Nov 6: </b>Zelterion Theatre in New Bedford, Maine</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thurs Nov 7:</b> Symphony Hall in Springrield, MA</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fri Nov 8:</b> Tilles Centre in Greenvale, NY</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sat Nov 9:</b> Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, NY (2 shows)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sun Nov 10:</b> State Theatre/New Brunswick, NJ (2 shows)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Symphony Hall, Springfield MA</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Inside Proctors Theatre, Schenectady NY</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tilles Centre, Greenvale NY</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you've seen our production of Godspell, than you are privy to just how much physical and spiritual energy we put forth in our performances. So having this many shows (and this much travelling) in that short amount of time was a challenge. But what was truly incredible to me was watching how each one of us gave the show our EVERYTHING, every single time. Our passion and commitment to the show and to taking care of eachother became even more apparent when we all needed it the most. As one cast member emphatically put it (and I paraphrase): "I would rather DIE than miss a moment on that stage!" Extreme? LOL maybe. But that individual was dead serious and wholeheartedly understood. It's called LOVE, baby! And we have so much of it. Well... except when we're fighting over a game of Euchre (WWJD?!?).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Aaaanways... it's time for me to get my game face on! Hit the gym, warm up those vocal chords, eat something delicious and prepare for SHOW TIME! I'll leave you with this crrrrazy video from my beloved (and did I mention, crazy?) cast mates Stacey Kay & Rebecca McCauley. This video was clearly made before that hectic week I described above and it's... Oh geeze, it needs no intro. Just laugh. And pray for our sanity. Lol</span><br>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Click here: <a href="http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpBtdTj7ovY" target="_blank">PRANK ZONE!</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">See you next week!</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;">~ Lisa Michelle</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;">Twitter: #GodspellNationalTour</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-46416527269751471112013-11-07T23:02:00.001-08:002013-11-08T06:13:38.249-08:00Godspell National Tour: Week 2<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's Friday! Time for me to encapsulate the happenings of week 2 on our Godspell National Tour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In case you missed the first post, we are the FIRST national tour of this production, and we are still letting that sink in and fester in our happy (and tired) minds, bodies and spirits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Before I get into the factual business of where we played this week, (venues, cities etc), I would be remiss if I didn't speak about the relationships between our cast, band and crew.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We spend a LOT of time together. There's the show of course, but outside of that, we choose to eat, laugh, play, shop, gossip, meander, sing, facebook, tweet and instagram... TOGETHER. We LOVE this show and more importantly, we LOVE each other! Apparently the kind of chemistry we have flowing between us isn't common place. Even singing & dancing can start to feel like any other kind of work after a while, but we've still got that joyful thing going on. We look after eachother in ways that a healthy family would. If someone is hurt or sick, virtually everyone will offer a hand, an ear or a remedy to help. If one of us is stressed or blue, you can bet another cast member (or two, or three) is on the case and ready to kiss it better. And don't even get me started on the shoulder rubs. With all the physicality Godspell demands of us, there are lots of friendly massage circles happening at any given time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our pre-show group sing/love-fest</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Guacamole fights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Outside Symphony Hall in Springfield, MA</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Being far away from home, I've found this closeness to be one of the best things about touring another country for what will be a total of 13-weeks. I miss my family, I miss my home, but all the while, I know I'm wholly loved and taken care of by my Godspell family while we're out here on the road. We really are living out a beautiful, crazy dream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's super late on Thursday night/early Friday morning as I write this from my beautiful hotel room at the Sheraton in Springfield, Massachusetts. We performed at the Symphony Hall tonight, which is right around the corner from our accomodations. It's a stunningly beautiful theatre with a grandiose exterior and glamourous interior to match.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Outside Symphony Hall in Springfield, MA</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Symphony Hall</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since last Friday's post, we've performed in St.John's NB, then crossing back into the US for New Hampshire, Maine and now, Massachusetts. Some of the more adventurous souls in the bunch spent their downtime discovering these new towns on foot, snapping away at local sites and nature. It is them you have to thank for the following few pics... my downtime was more often spent enjoying the hotel beds and hot tubs :-).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Day off in Maine! Zzzz...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jesus discovering New Bedford</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The show itself has been going well, and many of us in the cast even marvelled at the fact that we're still discovering new things within our characters and stories every day. I think we're all grateful (and surprised) that no matter how many times we do this, it never gets old. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I mentioned our tour bus in my last post, but only briefly. Well it's AWESOME, and not because it's decked out with comfy beds, a kitchen and a living room (it's not), but because a) we still like eachother, b) we all packed headphones, pillows & snacks and c) we have the coolest, down-homiest bus driver anyone could ask for. His name is Robert and he's funny, kind, and plays sweet throw-back tunes when he's good and ready.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ok, my lids are getting heavy and I really want to get up on time for the Lobster Benedict I saw on the breakfast menu before we have to leave. We're off to Greenvale, New York in the morning and performing at their Tilles Center at night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please wish us broken legs! And check back for next week's new news :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Xo</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">~ Lisa Michelle</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Twitter: #GodspellNationalTour</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-39318740081248776292013-11-01T09:22:00.001-07:002013-11-01T12:08:41.160-07:00Godspell National Tour! Week 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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We've just hit the end of week one on our 13-week National Tour of "Godspell"! It's already been a fun & crazy ride and we still have so much more to go.<br />
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First stop was Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut (with a one-night stop in Syracuse along the way). I don't know if it's possible to exaggerate the magnificence of this particular venue or how excited we all were to be performing there. But it was INCREDIBLE! Built in 1914, it has 1600 ruby-coloured seats, golden nostalgic design and a rich Broadway history... which OUR cast of Godspell is now blissfully a part of :-)<br />
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We spent the better part of our first soundcheck taking photos (shhh!) from the stage, OF the stage, of eachother on the stage, the marquee... you name it, we were taking pictures of it. We all had the same "I'm-doing-something-right-with-my-life" grin on our faces the whole damn day. It's not that any of us are new to performing in theatre... some of us may have even played bigger houses than the Shubert. But it wasn't about size... the MAGIC in this building was undeniable.<br />
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We opened the show, and ultimately our tour, at the Shubert on Friday October 25th. It's safe to say 'we brought it', because they loved us as much as we loved them! We had new friends/fans waiting for us at our stage door for pictures, autographs or just to tell us to our faces how much we made them laugh, cry and love.<br />
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Our experience at the Shubert was THE perfect way to kick off this tour and after our four shows were done (two nights, two matinees), it was hard to say goodbye. After all, they even hosted our opening night party rife with hot eats, drinks on the house, and lots and lots and LOTS of dancing. But... we did leave our mark, as indicated by the signatures we scrawled on an inside wall* as the 1st EVER National Tour of this Stephen Schwartz musical. Thanks New Haven!!!<br />
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We got on our tour bus that Sunday and headed for our next venue: Fredericton Playhouse in New Brunswick, but with another one-night stop in Portsmouth to ease the stress of an uber-long drive. Oh, someone remind me to say more about the tour bus and border crossings in next week's post. Fun times. (Was that sarcasm or do we really love it? You'll have to wait and see!)<br />
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The Fredericton Playhouse has 763 seats and has a very intimate set up. I felt like we could reach out and touch the audience at any time (and if you've seen Godspell, you know that we DO). I, personally, love the feeling of being physically close to the people I'm performing for. They can hear us breathe, see our sweat and our tears. They have the opportunity to be a part of our world in a way that's not as accessible in larger venues. But let's be honest... I love it all and I would perform just about anywhere.<br />
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Anyways, we had one of our best ever shows on our second night in Fredericton. The chemistry and connection between us just seemed especially 'right' and it shone through. Meh... Perhaps one or two cast mates may have seen it differently, but 'alas for you', I'm the one who volunteered to write the weekly blog ;-).<br />
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Right after that show, we had THE best Hallowe'en party in our hotel's party room. The cast, band and crew came together in the form of a grease monkey, a couple kitty cats, a hamburgler, a lumberjack, a girly boy (nothing wrong with that), a botox junkie and more. Definitely more. (You really, really need to meet these people).</div>
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As I write this, we have one more night here in Fredericton than we're off to St. John's! At some point, we're heading back into the U.S.... I can't remember where and I'd check for you, but my room service has just arrived (See ma? I told you this was a real job!).<br />
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More updates next week!<br />
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~ Lisa Michelle<br />
Twitter: #GodspellNationalTour</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-44920590509879506212013-09-15T21:49:00.004-07:002013-09-15T21:55:57.952-07:00GODSPELL! (again:-)This morning, I embark on the first day of the second chapter of what was one of the coolest experiences of my life. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="background-color: black;">It's Day</span> One of rehearsals for the musical <em>GODSPELL</em></span></span> which I had the blissful pleasure of performing in last summer with (almost) the same cast of awesome human beings. Last time around, we did this show for a few weeks at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia, which might be the sweetest small town I've ever been to. Think the town of "Charming" in the TV show <em>Sons of Anarchy, </em>but without the sexy motorcycle gang.<br />
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Well this year, our cast of 10 was invited to re-live this vibrant telling of the Gospel of Matthew in another small town called St. Jacobs (Waterloo, Ontario). <em>Godspell </em>is an amazing piece of work composed by Stephen Schwartz (<em>Pippin, Wicked, The Prince of Egypt) </em>so the show's success since it's conception in 1971 until now is not surprising. In 1972, it played at the Royal Alexandra Theatre and starred Victor Garber as Jesus, and also Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Gilda Radner & Martin Short. Yeah. <br />
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Since then, <em>Godspell</em> has been staged in countless high school productions, community theatres, multiple stints on Broadway(right up until last year) and now... it's here, with us :-). And this makes me SO happy! Because in addition to our love for the story and the work, we had this crazy-cool-bond-y-connection-y thing going on that no one wanted to let go of - the cast, the crew, the band... everybody got caught up, at least a little. So... by the time our six weeks together had flown by in Petrolia and the show was coming to a close, we were all praying for some sort of remount, swearing that we would all remain friends forever no matter what happens, and exchanging necklaces with viles of eachother's blood as pendants.<br />
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Ok, maybe we didn't get into bio hazardous risks, but you hear what I'm saying. The show was undeniably special and we knew it. We FELT it! So imagine the spaz we all had when we got the news that it WAS going to be remounted! Drayton Entertainment, a prominent fixture in the Canadian theatre landscape, had picked it up and was taking us all with it!<br />
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So here we are, 2013, doing it again - praying hard and about to work even harder to make it as inexplicably awesome as we did before.<br />
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By now, you <em>must</em> be dying to see show, right? I really think you should. <strong><span style="color: white;"><em>Godspell</em> runs from October 2nd to 20th at St. Jacobs Playhouse in Waterloo, Ontario.</span></strong> There's a variety of show dates and times between there, so break out your smartphone calendar and get your tickets before it sells out... again ;-) .<br />
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<strong><span style="color: white;">TICKETS & info: </span></strong><a href="http://www.draytonentertainment.com/"><strong><span style="color: white;">www.draytonentertainment.com</span></strong></a><br />
Directed by: David Hogan<br />
Musical Director: Mark Payne<br />
Choreographer: Adele Mackenzie<br />
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xoxoxAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-80351652588215120822013-09-12T12:32:00.001-07:002013-09-12T12:37:25.476-07:00Dear Erykah Badu...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: purple;"><em>“What good do your words do, if they can’t understand you?
Don’t go talking that shit, Badu…”</em> – Erykah Badu in the aptly titled song, <em>"... & On?". </em>(Not to be confused with her first major release "<em>On & On</em>".)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love that lyric because I’ve often wondered exactly that
when it came to the beloved Miss Badu and her music. And I know I'm not the only one, because it's as if she released this track on her second album (<em>Mama's Gun </em>in 2000) specifically to address a selection of her oft-perplexed fans/devotees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since her first major release “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CPCs7vVz6s" target="_blank">On &On</a>", <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it was clear from the start
that she had something to say. Her music is jazzy, funky, soulful, sexy and sometimes odd - and I like that. But once in a while, I'd feel like I was missing a certain point she was trying to make or a poignant message she was trying to spread. Be it a peculiar lyric (usually a peculiar lyric), a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hVp47f5YZg" target="_blank">political statement</a>, or a straight-up <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmWjpfYrihw" target="_blank">weird music video</a>, every so often she would drop a body of work that I didn't fully "get". And I always <em>wanted</em> to get it because I revere her so much as a pioneer of the musical genre that changed my life as an artist and a human being: Neo-Soul. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So... my adoration for her
music and divinity has always been mixed with a teensy droplet of frustration. Sometimes I wonder if by the time I get around to deciphering one of her beautifully melodic riddles, my
opportunity to implement the wisdom will have long passed me by.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Geeze... I'm so dramatic, eh? It's really not that serious and more often than not, I <em>do</em> get her (I think). So I still love her to death. And it’s also quite possible that I’m putting wayyyyy too much
responsibility on a person that I’ve never met, to tell me something about who
I am (understatement-much?). I just always thought, you know… that that’s what she was trying to do.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-78626829136796181252013-07-03T18:23:00.003-07:002013-07-03T19:10:46.571-07:00The Montreal Jazz Fest & me...HELLOOOO Good People!<br />
<br />
I hope you're all feeling nice now that we're getting some hot, sunkissed weather! <br />
<br />
As an artist, my life can go from extremely uneventful to extremely awesome in a matter of seconds - and sometimes back just as fast, ha! But keeping things positive... I'm writing to tell you about my experience at the <a href="http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/program/concert.aspx?id=11259" target="_blank">Montreal Jazz Festival</a>!<br />
<br />
If we're friends on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/lisamichellemusic" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or following eachother on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/itslisamichelle" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, than I may have blown up your timeline with one of my 10,001 posts about it last Friday *tee hee*. Alhough it was very much a "you-had-to-be-there" kind of experience, I still wanted to somehow share every blissful moment with everyone and anyone who cared!<br />
<br />
This was my first time playing this festival and I had the best combo of talented souls with me for the ride: my bandmates Chris, Dave, Irina, Steve and the one who takes care of all things Lisa Michelle (including my heart) - Mr. Kirk Cornelius. To those I know who really wanted to be there with me but couldn't, please KNOW that I received the love and good vibes you were sending my way and I even put it to good use!<br />
<br />
Road-tripping started a little dreary. We had to leave super-early in the morning, and it was raining like hell for a good chunk of the drive. I was starting to fear that our concert would be rained out, but Kirk reminded me of how the sun came out just in time for me and my band to deliver an outdoor performance on Sugar Beach just last week. Sure enough, the skies beautified hours before we took the stage at 10pm that Friday night. <br />
<br />
Now, I'm going to put my cute, Canadian humility aside and tell you that the band and I MURDERED our performance, haha! Our one-hour set was heavily stacked with songs from my latest album <a href="http://www.thisislisamichelle.com/music/" target="_blank">"This Moment"</a> (executive produced by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Solitair</a>... he's someone you should know) and a dash of contrasting covers. Like <i>Blind Melon</i>, kinda contrasting. But it was good! WE were good! <br />
<br />
It was an outdoor crowd of perhaps 2000+ festival goers - the largest crowd I've performed for thus far. Well....... I did sing the national anthems at a sold out NBA game once, but<i> </i>that audience wasn't <i>my</i> audience. They left their homes to see a basketball game. But in Montreal, it felt like everyone came out to love on the artists that night! They blessed us with positive energy from start to finish, even calling my name for an encore once I'd left the stage! Like, OMG I wasn't expecting that! We were so humbled and happy and... unprepared, lol. We didn't have an encore ready. And while I should be ashamed at my lack of foresight, a part of me reeeeally likes the idea that I may have left some people wanting more ;-).<br />
<br />
And before you read too much into the wink at the end of that last comment, I'll end this with a few pics and video clips I hope you'll enjoy. It was just one night, but I'm learning to cherish every good vibration that comes my way! I've only got THIS life! and THIS moment! <br />
<br />
Sending you love & support for your own dreams-in-progress!<br />
<br />
xo<br />
<br />
~ Lisa Michelle<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151693169836162.1073741825.45857486161&type=1" target="_blank">(more Festival photos by suilenrock)</a></div>
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"Let's Ride"</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s2FK4cPu5c" target="_blank">More footage from the Montreal Jazz Festival</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5749915607433128198.post-86443129286130847422013-03-19T10:16:00.000-07:002013-03-19T10:19:11.463-07:00Waiting in VainAs a self-employed artist, things can feel awry when you're experiencing a whole lotta "self" and not much of the "employement" side of things. But as always, things start to look up again once I remember the obvious: I am the employer. I am in control. So what am I waiting for?<br />
<br />
As a recording artist, I create my own work. That doesn't mean that I don't have help: My music is supported by so many talented musicians, producers, writers... and the best husband in the world (fact.). All of whom help me breathe life into my art. So when I say "I create my own work", I simply mean that <strong><em>I</em> have to <em>instigate</em> the work that I wish to bring forth</strong>. I have to be my own driver if I want to maintain a satisfying, productive existence. <br />
<br />
Sure, my network of artistic friends invite me onto their projects and shows from time to time - I am incredibly grateful for that. And they are grateful when I do the same. This is something we do for eachother, because we all need one another's gifts and support. But if we always wait until we were "picked" by someone else before expressing our artistic selves, we become the weak link. We strengthen the circle of our community by being the creator of something new.<br />
<br />
I have learned that I personally must <em>continually</em> express myself or I get bogged down. I get so full of ideas, love and inspiration, that if I don't find or create the opportunities in which to release them, it begins to hurt. It starts to feel like a burden, and all the potentially beautiful art suddenly becomes the bain of my existence.<br />
<br />
As of right now<em>?</em> I know I have many, many words and sounds swirled up inside me that need to be released. I've been debating with myself as to <em>how</em> I want to do it this time around... another album? A new song? Or maybe even my first book or musical theatre production! (I felt some of you wince at that last one... sorry, but I really do have a soft spot for this oft-cheesy genre of entertainment :-).<br />
<br />
Who knows. What I <em>do</em> know, is that something beautiful happens with every new creation: I thicken my sense of purpose, I get to share a piece of my soul, I get to connect and collaborate with <em>other</em> souls and I always learn something new about me, about you, and how we affect eachother.<br />
<br />
All fancy thoughts aside... I have work to do. Because whatever this next project of mine is, it hasn't fully revealed itself to me as yet. Perhaps it will be soon, perhaps not-so-soon. Just know that it's coming. And it will be good :-).<br />
<br />
Lisa Michelle <br />
*~*~*~*~*~*~*<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"waiting in vain" - bob marley </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(my 1st ukelele cover :-P)</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14181463670575563342noreply@blogger.com0