A Chorus Line has always been a dream show of mine. Truthfully speaking, I never expected to get the chance to do this show, let alone the role of Cassie, and be directed by the incredible Baayork Lee. This whole experience has been a dream come true, and it’s not over yet! We are just about to finish the US leg of tour, before we head to Japan in the fall.
Please believe me when I say I have never been more challenged by a role in my whole life. From the moment we started rehearsals, I knew this would be a whole new level of hard. The marathon that is this show is not one to be underestimated, and I, along with the help of the best cast and team out there, have tackled it head on and succeeded. We have played sold out or nearly sold out shows since we left in January, and thrilled audiences from coast to coast! This part has allowed me to explore aspects of myself, and my own journey, and been a daily reminder of what it is that I was made to do, and how much love and sacrifice goes into it. Doing this show on a bus and truck tour is stupid hard. From long, exhausting bus days strait into shows, to injuries on the road, to even just trying to stay fed in a way that allows you to keep going, nothing on this tour has been easy, but everything has been worth it.
Cassie has and continues to teach me daily what it means to risk it all for love. To go for broke, push your body and soul to the limits, and to rely on a strength outside of yourself to get you through. It teaches me every day that growth is inevitable, and so is disappointment, and to celebrate and learn from both, as neither is possible without the other. It has taught me to listen to myself, my body, and have enough respect and love for both to protect them when circumstances can’t. To give myself grace when I fail (even if it’s only in my eyes) and also give credit where credit is due. Balance is the hardest thing to achieve, and through this journey I’m learning how to. However none of it would be possible without the support and love of those who surround me. This cast is made up of the most passionate, generous, loving and fierce people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, and sharing the line with them every night is a gift and an honor beyond my wildest dreams. Being challenged and pushed by the incomparable Baayork Lee, Peter Poleski, and Patrick Vaccariello has caused me to grow and do things that I didn’t think I was capable of, which goes to show you that you are only as good as the limits you put on yourself, and has acted as a challenge to live limitlessly.
I’m so thankful that this journey with this character and this show is not over. I can’t wait to take this show to Japan in August, and experience a new culture and share my heart and soul with a new country. Stay tuned for updates in the coming months!