The Condensed Story

 

I was born in the Bronx (just like Rhoda Morgenstern!) and moved to the suburb of Edgemont in Westchester just in time to have missed the bar mitzvahs but not the sweet 16's.

 

It was at summer camp at the Bungalow Colony "SGS"  in the Catskills that we went to every summer for 8 years that I saw my first musical: Guys and Dolls performed by the older kids.( I was 5 or 6 years old). The next day getting ready to go to the pool, I sang all of "Take Back Your Mink" for the moms- complete with my own strip tease with my beach robe and slowly revealing my navy blue bikini... to which my dear mom delightedly squealed oy vey!  That winter I was taken to see my first professional musical The Fantastick's and was so mesmerized after having seen it that I couldn't think about anything else. Two summers later I played Act 1 Luisa in the SGS production of The Fantasticks. The director felt all kids should be in both of the two performances so the double cast was by Act- not night! Though I wanted to sing "This Plum is too Ripe", I was told by the director that the other Luisa couldn't sing "Much More" so I had to be Act One Luisa ( my first lesson in the harsh reality of the business!).

 

My first solo performance was in Junior HS in a student talent show- I sang "Have You Never Been Mellow" and wore a light green diaphonous gauze dress. Already a slave to fashion!

I was involved in every theatrical production in High School I could be involved in from musicals to Shakespeare. I was in the Madrigal Choir and started private voice lessons in my junior year of High School with an adjunct professor from SUNY Purchase.

 

I received a BFA degree in Musical Theater from SUNY Fredonia (Both Purchase and NYU being too close to home and I was ready to get out on my own). I was one of two musical theater graduates chosen for an honors graduate recital- a great honor at Fredonia- and was also asked to teach voice for non majors my last semester.

Since graduating, I have made NYC my home base- working extensively in some of the most prestigious regional theaters in the country. I have received critical acclaim and honors for my solo cabaret performances here as well. 

I love what I do- I love my life and I love being part of the theater and cabaret communities here in NYC.

 

Additional Passions

I have been teaching voice ever since I learned how to sing and I love sharing my knowledge with my students who run the gamut from professionals to children to anyone with a song in their heart.

I am the artistic director of Manhattan Cabaret Arts- a full service cabaret community teaching performance workshops, directing individual shows and teaching private voice lessons. visit the website here for classes and other info: http://www.manhattancabaretarts.com

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