Author: eyesonwhitney

Kisses for Barbara!

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This Sunday was Barbara Robertson’s last performance with the Chicago cast of Love Loss and What I Wore. The cast and crew celebrated with a little bowling at Lucky Strike. (Best game Whitney has bowled to date!)

Barbara is a phenomenal actress, singer and teacher. Some of her incredible credits include Wicked and Working.  Sitting next to her every night was a gift and one that will not be forgotten. There is so much girl power in the cast and it really is a great show for ladies of every type. LLWIW will be running at the Broadway Playhouse through December 3rd.

*Special thanks to our wonderful Company Manger Susan for setting up the event.

How we gonna pay…RENT

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This weekend was another round of auditions for ATC and About Face’s joint production of RENT. RENT will run Spring of 2012 at ATC and is now being directed by the very accomplished and highly acclaimed David Cromer .

   Whitney has worked on two productions with About Face (Stupid Kids, Oklahomo for the Holidays) and our fingers are really crossed for this one! About Face has an amazing way of combining a focused mission with great artistic programming. Their outreach programs have helped hundreds of GLBT youth across the city. About Face is led by Bonnie Metzgar.

ATC is helmed by the multi-faceted PJ Paparelli, the company recently closed the smash hit Grease. Whitney first did RENT in 2009 with Night Blue Theatre company directed by David Walters and Brian LaDuca.

The callback was packed with many friends and old cast members. The fact is all of those actors could and should do the show but we all know the realities of the casting process.

Nevertheless it was a great audition to have before the holidays and seeing all those familiar faces was a reminder that you never know what is in store for the future. As 2011 comes to a close it’s great to remember that there are many opportunities for all of us and many paths to take.

Only Love is Real

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    Sometimes you have to give a shout out to memorable experiences so here is some Passing Strange Love!  The show premiered in Chicago this past spring and was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award (Best Ensemble) and won several awards from the Black Theatre Alliance.

It was one of the singularly most exhilarating theatrical experiences Whitney has had to date as the piece pushes boundaries and features a stunning score. The musical first premiered on Broadway in 2008 and won the Tony for Best Book.

Whitney had the privilege of playing Desi, a revolutionary living in an artist commune.  Special thanks to Bailiwick Chicago, Lili-Anne Brown and everyone who came out to the show during its run.

As Desi says “Only Love is Real”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Berlin! by Jay Kennedy

Watch the trailer below!


Weekend Gigs

| eyesonwhitney

   It was another busy weekend full of shows and concerts. It started off with opening night of Love Loss and What I Wore at the Broadway Playhouse. The show runs eight times a week through Dec 4th which means plenty of weekend performances.

Each show brought the cast closer together and audiences went away charmed and entertained. The process has been really unique as the cast only had two days of rehearsal before going into performances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday night Whitney had a floor thumping show with JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound at the Double Door. It was a funky way start to Halloween weekend and the venue was packed. In addition to several Uptown Sound songs they also covered Janelle Monae’s Tightrope which was an instant crowd pleaser.

 

This was Whitney’s second performance with the group.

Special thanks to everyone who came out!

With Love

| eyesonwhitney

*Recommended listening: Atlas Sound “Shelia”

A large part of being a working performer is staying connected to your sense of self; your life force and true being. It is expected that we will bring that force to the stage, screen, TV or whatever medium it is we are performing in. It is what people expect to see when they go to a show. They want it. They purchase a part of it with each ticket or subscription and wait faithfully night after night to be lifted into a better space by our energy.

Nevertheless there are times when we are disconnected from ourselves. Those bad days, that string of less than phenomenal callbacks, the argument we had with a loved one, or that crazy street encounter, become a chorus of static distorting the streamline of our artistic consciousness that keeps us going.

Walking out onto the beautiful stage at the Broadway Playhouse, in front of a full, listening and eager audience I felt a wave of reassurance. I thought to myself, I am ready for this. I have practiced, I have trained and I am willing to take the risks necessary to tell the stories in this show.  My cast is one with a strong foundation and each member has the ability to deliver. Any moment of panic was instantly quelled by the beautiful voice of Barbara Robertson, whose skill and warmth would calm anyone.  This was the right place for me. The disconnect may have occurred but I was once again ready to make that leap of faith.  As revelations abound from our first performance, one can only wait to see what the rest of the run has in store.

With Love,

W

 

An Education

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   Yesterday Whitney auditioned at SAIC (The School of the Art Institute of Chicago). The audition was as much of a learning experience for Whitney as it was for the students; it was a mini class on how to take direction. There were about 9 directors in the room and while one was “leading” the audition, others were free to give direction or request a piece to be performed again.

    For this audition Whitney had to prepare a contemporary monologue and a silent gestural piece which was right up her alley.  At Northwestern Whitney had the privilege of working in the Performance Studies department with Carol Simpson-Stern who always pushed for non verbal performance to be rooted in thorough analysis.  Carol teaches performance courses on modern and contemporary American and British exploring their aesthetic qualities, literary foundations, and implications through live performance.

   The Film, Video, New Media and Animation department at SAIC focuses not only on technique but also on cultural and societal significance. Students have an incredible amount of resources at their disposal; from The Art Institute and the new Modern Wing to the Gene Siskel Film Center. The recent inclusion of a New Media program suggests that the department is progressive and provides students with the tools they need to compete in the changing industry.

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Curtain!

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We were so excited to see Whitney’s info up on the Love Loss and What I Wore site! Check it out! Her cycle’s cast includes the incredible Cindy Gold (Jeff Award nominee, Northwestern University Prof.), Taylor Miller (All My Children), Loretta Swit (MASH), and Roni Geva. Whitney will be joining the cast through December 3rd and her first performance will be October 26th.  Looking forward to working out those opening night jitters and sitting alongside these accomplished women on stage!

Read Hedy Weiss’ of the Chicago Sun Times review!

Read the Broadway World Press release

 

The Last Shoot

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The last day on set for The Playboy Club was unforgettable. The episode featured the very talented Javier Colon, winner of the The Voice. Javier is a force! He was gracious, talented, and supportive. See Whitney, the Hefettes and Javier below.

 

   Through and through, it was a truly amazing experience. Every episode and rehearsal was physically, mentally and artistically challenging. Working with famed choreographer Fatima Robinson (Dreamgirls, Aaliyah, The Black Eyed Peas) and directors like Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire), Scott Winant (Californication, My So Called Life), and Holy Dale (Flashpoint, Cold Case), was humbling and inspiring. Additionally Chad Hodge, the show’s main writer and one of its producers, has one of the best work ethics in the biz.

The show will be living on in other forms so be sure to check back for updates, DVD release info and more. Many wishes and best of luck to the cast and crew going forward.

Weekend Gigs

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This weekend Whitney did two gigs with the Sunshine Reggae band. Friday night they performed at the Marriott in Burr Ridge for a two-hour event.  It is always funny when the audience begins to participate and let’s just say this group was REALLY active! The crowd went nuts for Bob Marley classics.

    Sunday the group performed at an annual function at the Martinique Banquet Hall.  The group has over 50 songs in their repertoire spanning Calypso, Reggae, 50’s Jukebox songs, and classic rock.  They have performed at almost every type of event and on November 20th the group will be performing at the beautiful DuSable Museum of African American History located in Hyde Park.

For booking and for more info click here.