The Quick Pitch

I've been known in the musical theater and cabaret community as an effective storyteller and strong singer. I've performed on almost every small stage in New York City, as well as many large stages on land and sea. It's time for me to have my own show!

What's "Running in Place"?

"Running in Place" is a song from the Kander & Ebb musical "Steel Pier," sung by Karen Ziemba in the original cast album recording. It's jazzy, it's got a great bass run, but the lyrics are fraught with tension and the theme of "the woman unfulfilled." Let's just say I connected with this song, and loved how the song felt in my voice when I sang along with Karen (we kind of have the same quality of voice). The song gave me a working title that sort of stuck...if something else comes along as a title, I may switch it out. But for now...this is where I'm going with it...The show will be a collection of songs from classic and contemporary musical theater (I specialize in character roles), rock n'roll, and perhaps the "odd" art song thrown in.

What I Need

$6000.00 is the goal to collect towards what I predict I'll need. Here's where it's being divvied up into:

• Music Director and pianist: Bill Zeffiro - Multiple MAC-Award winner as music director and songwriter, and was in the trenches with me during the MetroStar Challenge years ago. He's a keeper. He will also play the show and create band charts, and may sing with me too.
• Director: Jamie Beaman - An amazing actor and director, he started out in NYC Cabaret and has proved himself to be an "actors' director." He will be my Third Eye, guiding and challenging me towards an honest performance and sear-your-face-off powerhouse emotions, as well as aid with patter and the general shape of the show. 
• The BAND! Matt Scharfglass* and Rich Huntley* (who have performed with me in Marquee Five for years) will be on hand to hit those low notes and slap that rhythm on the bass and drums, respectively. I must pay for both rehearsals and performances, and give these fabulous musicians what they deserve! Plus, some of my repertoire angles towards the jazzy side of things, and bass/drums are immensely effective for their arrangements.
• Videography: I would love to hire a professional videographer (not my cousin with an iPhone) to put this show on digital DVD and Mp4 for online clips and full viewing when I'm 87 years old and want to relive my New York Debut all over again...
• Photographer: to capture the show's images for generations to come
• Rehearsal studio for band practice, putting it all together
• Promotion: postcard printing and postage, networking events, open mic performances, etc
• Misc: there must be something I've missed...best to add $200 as "buffer" in case I've forgotten something.

*pending final schedule and availability

What if I get more than I initially ask for? With even more money, I can increase rehearsal time, tip my band, even add more performance dates than planned, add more marketing tools or hire a publicity agent, pay for online advertising / Facebook ads, get a $50 MAC Membership so I can be submit myself for Best Debut in 2018, and perhaps even audio record the show for a downloadable CD! Oh, and buy brand new eyelashes.

What You'll Get

I can give back a lot of heart, and from that, my voice. I'm also not afraid to make a fool of myself in public, and my motto is "I don't sing because I'm happy, I'm happy because I sing." If you donate, I will do my best to sing your praises figuratively and literally: you may come away with some pretty cool personalized musical experiences out of it, and tickets to see the show!...

Why will this matter?

My finances go towards many things in life, mostly to do with the day to day drive to balance the living expenses of New York City with my weekly (sometimes daily) auditions, and seeing other shows and theater as my education. Without an individual Producer, I am left with the option of reaching out to my supportive friends and family to give in tiny increments to make this happen!

What Can Go Wrong?

Things that could possibly go wrong:

• I go to musical theater auditions in Jan/Feb/March - maybe I'll be cast in a show that causes me to put this one on hold! In which case, I'd leave the money untouched until I re-start rehearsals and reschedule the shows.
• I have asked my fellow Cabaret artists for their understanding of budgets, and have even used one of theirs as a blueprint for my own, but there are always underestimated costs that no one considers. But I think I overestimated my ultimate costs by about $200.
• I could get sick. One of my bandmembers could get sick. But we'd deal with it and reschedule!!!

Other Ways You Can Help

So, say you can't send me any monies, but want to help?

• Got a social media account? Share the campaign URL with your followers!
• Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to know what's going on with my plans on each step of the way.
• Got friends and family in the NYC area who love good music and stage-worthy performances? Send the campaign URL to them via email, text, or message!
• Sign up for my mailing list and get detailed updates in your email about this campaign and the performances when they get closer to fruition.

What else?

I'm putting my Producer hat on now, so that I can quickly and easily meld into my Singer role without worry or tension. I would love to concentrate on the craft of bringing the songs I choose to life, rather than worrying about finding the next payment for my Music Director or Director, or to cut a band member from my budget rather than bring the full orchestration I want to bring. I want this show to rock, to affect my audiences, and to be a joy to listen to.