For all you New Yorkers who’ve been asking when I’m going to be performing in town, it’s your lucky day! Or at least it will be on March 23rd. I’m excited to announce that I’ve joined the cast of Kingdom Come, a new musical by Matthew Osceola Webster that will be part of the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival next month.

KINGDOM COME is a musical about stories, memories and connections centered around the events of September 11, 2001. Led by interview-style vignettes, KINGDOM COME strives to take you back to “where you were,” and challenges you to move into the future.

It’s one night only, and tickets are already on sale here. See you there!

Well, I’ll be. I’ll be flattered, I’ll be tickled, I’ll be honored: turns out I was nominated for a BroadwayWorld Florida Award (for Best Actress in a Musical) for my performance in Grey Gardens at freeFall Theatre.

Voting is open until December 31st — head on over and help me out!

I’ve been near-bursting for the past couple weeks with this news, but the contract is signed and rehearsals have started and so now it’s official: I’m (finally) becoming a member of Actors Equity! We’re already having a grand old time up in Greene. More to come as things get underway… stay tuned for some fun glimpses of Almost, Maine in action.

Hot off the presses… here’s the video of me singing “Tom” from Michael John LaChiusa’s “Hello Again,” earlier this month at the Laurie Beechman Theatre:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And there’s more video from Michael Pesce’s Old Fashioned Piano Party — check it out!

Ask and you shall receive… but you have to ask.

So I have good news and good news. The good news is, fly woman genius sounds fantastic! and is well on its way to being a real live released EP.

The other good news is, now YOU get to be a part of it! Here I am, “stuck” in the middle with a… budgetary imbalance… And while recording and production were fabulous, it has become clear that additional capital is needed to cover the post-production process: mastering, releasing & distributing, songwriter royalties, my graphic designer for the cover art… and, of course, the release party!

fly woman genius is now a featured project on Kickstarter, a new way to fund and follow creative projects. All pledges are secure through Amazon Payments — and all projects are funded on an ALL OR NOTHING basis. I either get all $1500, or nothing! Check it out here (or click through the widget at right) to see reward levels — at least one includes my famous homemade blondies — and to pledge. The minimum reward is an advance copy of the EP for $10 — and the minimum pledge is only $1. Every little bit helps!

I’ll be honest, asking for money has never been easy for me. (I can still remember being terrified as a child to call relatives and ask if they wanted to order Girl Scout Cookies.) Generally I’m better at doing so under another guise — support for charitable causes, like when I raised nearly $2500 for the 2001 AIDS Ride from Minneapolis to Chicago; or asking for tax-deductible donations to start Choral Chameleon, the chamber choir I helped found in 2008. But asking friends, Romans, countrymen for money so that I can make my own dream come true — well, that’s something this humble Midwestern girl hasn’t quite gotten used to.

But I believe in this project, these songs, this time; and I know there are a lot of music lovers out there. I know I’ve had a lot of support already and I am so grateful for the backers that have gotten me to this point (Abner, I’m talking to you). I also know that “ask and ye shall receive” is literally true — but you do have to ask.

There is no music without an ear to hear it — I can’t do it without you! I’m already almost 20% of the way there. Can you help?

Yesterday we finished tracking fly woman genius.

Do I feel relieved? inquiring minds want to know, and the answer is I’m not quite sure yet just how I feel. I know I had a blast in the studio (see accompanying photo) and I know I love the songs and can’t wait to perform them live at the release party and I know I’m learning a whole lot every step of the way. Mostly I know that this is uncharted territory, and I am enjoying the discoveries and loving the adventure, and I’m glad I’ve got such great support around me.

So now we mix! And listen. And take the next little step of the many that are comprising this big one.

Speaking of Little Grey Girlfriend, check out this New York Times article from Friday’s Arts section about the all-male a cappella ensemble Chanticleer — and mentioning LGG as well as my frequent collaborator Vince Peterson:

Despite the changes, Mr. Oltman still honors Chanticleer’s past; for example, he remains passionate about Renaissance music. This week Chanticleer performs a series of concerts featuring music by 16th- and 17th-century English composers like Thomas Tallis, William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons. Mr. Oltman also intends to continue commissioning new works, especially by young composers and arrangers like Vince Peterson. He is arranging “Cells Planets,” by the New York indie rock band Little Grey Girlfriend, for the ensemble’s tour next season.

Kenneth Salters, Cameron Mizell, Erika Lloyd, Brad Whiteley

Little Grey Girlfriend has an awesome new album out – and a new website to celebrate!

(Did you know I moonlight as an indie band backup singer?)

Check out the new site, buy the new album GREEN-WOOD, listen on last.fm, or follow us on Facebook.

And stay tuned for info on the GREEN-WOOD release party, featuring the full band (including yours truly).

Two gigs still to come this first month of 2010:
First off, I’m back with Little Grey Girlfriend this Wednesday night, January 20th, at Union Hall in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Only $5 cover gets you a FREE copy of Cells Planets! We’re on at 9:30 – come early for a game of BOCCE upstairs.

Then on January 31st I will join a host of great singers in an evening premiering the works of Tony Asaro and Rob Shapiro, at the NYU Grad Musical Theatre Writing building on the Lower East Side. I will be premiering a song of Tony’s from one of his musicals-in-progress. Don’t miss it!

Photo Flash article on Miracle on 34th Street at BroadwayWorld.com!