From the Mouth of Leigh Ann Larkin

I found Andrew Gans' Playbill interview with A Little Night Music's Leigh Ann Larkin to be insightful and inspirational.

Andrew Gans: When did you get to New York?

Leigh Ann Larkin: I got to New York in 2002. I graduated in 2002, and I came here with my bells on thinking, "I'm gonna conquer the world!" And a lot of my classmates were really successful right off the bat and were booking major national tours. I mean, one of my classmates booked a Broadway show within the first six months of being here. And I was just like, "Why can't that be me? I want this so bad." It took me six years before I got a Broadway show, which was Gypsy.

Think about how discouraging that must be--six years is a long time of auditioning and believing in yourself. I've been trying to do something for about ten years now, but in between, I've been working on other projects in my time in my attempt to "make it"--my novel, trying to get into grad school, and so on. She kept at it for six years! Could you imagine if she had given up after five?

Thank you for the encouragement, Leigh Ann. I look forward to seeing you perform while I'm in New York next week!

In the Heights performs "96,000" on Lopez Tonight

I was so excited to see the tour cast of In the Heights perform on So You Think You Can Dance. I loved that show so much, it was like a mini reunion with some beloved friends. A big "I Miss Your Performance" to Kyle Beltran and Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer.

See you in September, In the Heights!

Here's a video I just found from Lopez Tonight.



the Broadway Mouth
July 9, 2010

I'm Impressed: Laura Bell Bundy

I hate country music. Let me say that again. I hate country music. I bought a Johnny Cash CD after seeing Walk the Line and never finished listening to it. This, however, impresses me. The music video isn't to my liking (though I love its theatricality), but I have to admit to really liking this song and Ms. Bundy's performance of it.



After seeing the MTV broadcast of Legally Blonde (and listening to the CD about a trillion times), I'm a huge fan of Laura Bell Bundy's talents. She’s versatile and has a powerhouse voice. I hope her country career skyrockets to prove that with a little brains, a little talent, and a boatload of hard work, a Broadway artist can become a star beyond the Broadway stage.

the Broadway Mouth
April 24, 2010