Sun & Ice

Hi everybody,

Happy Summer to you all. I hope that you're enjoying this lovely season because it will be over in the blink of an eye. I wanted to say hello and tell you a little bit about the amazing experience I had appearing in the Encore Entertainment production of Ragtime. I completed the run at the Toronto Centre for the Arts earlier this month, and what a fabulous experience. As I've said before it is my second favourite score of all time (to my ears Les Miserables remains untouchable) and rehearsing and performing that music was a joy beyond measure. I had a blast singing my solo in the song His Name Was Coalhouse Walker, and I'm so happy to say that I got over my nerves and just had fun in every show. Fun is a good thing. It was amazing and I admit that I've shed tears a few times since it ended. At the cast party on closing night I gave a completely unplanned speech about what being in the show had meant to me, and I started boohooing, and by the time I sat down half the room was crying too! We all knew that we'd been part of something special.

Thank you so much to our producer & stage director Merle, stage manager Jim, wardrobe manager Alex, beautiful rehearsal pianist Anita, the orchestra and crew. Most of all, special thanks to Ellen Kestenberg - musical director extraordinaire - and the stellar cast who I was so fortunate to meet and honoured to work with. You guys rock sooooo hard. Big hugs especially to the gals in dressing room #2, who made me fall down laughing every night and taught me that it's possible to strip faster than I ever could have imagined. =) Ragtime was a shining light for me during a very, very difficult spring. Life has been hard but I'm grateful that I'm able to give voice to both the bliss and the woe. Although the way that I choose to express myself during times such as these is to write music, sometimes there is no melody or rhyme careening around the thoughts. Sometimes there are only the thoughts.

Be well everyone. See you next month.

Peace&Love, Tanisha

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