After performing in the incredible 90-minute, 5 actor version, at the Saltland Festival- I am extremely excited and honored to perform Dirty Legal Secrets: The Flowers, a One-Woman short play at The Tank on February 11th at 3:00 PM and 12th at 7:00 PM!
It is an absolute honor to share this
story with an audience, and I hope to see you there!
Directed By: Dana Iannuzzi
Written By: Sarah Feingold, Esq.
The last 72 hours have really been an adventure. I flew back from WA to MA, saw family, had a Scoliosis re-evaluation (all good news!), drove and moved back to NYC, saw a show, AND helped with the MSM MT callbacks.
I have finally had time to take a moment to reflect on the gift these last three months have been. To say that the opportunity to portray three dream roles in one summer was beyond my wildest dreams is an understatement. Leavenworth Summer Theater placed their faith in me, entrusting me to lead their summer productions of “The Sound of Music,” “The Music Man,” and “The Secret Garden” this year. I am proud of my determination to grow, story-tell, and discover throughout the process.
The three incredible women I had the honor of portraying, have similar hearts. Each one is moved to heroic advocacy founded on their love for both children and life partners. Yet, each expresses themselves quite differently.
Maria Rainer, thank you for your story. It was an honor to meet your grandson, Stefan (see him below). He -and sisters from an abbey in Spokane- felt I uniquely captured your spunk. I discovered this dimension of your character in your book “The Story of the von Trapp Family Singers.” To hear this, I felt I had done my job well; to connect your voice and story while also honoring the beautiful interpretations of the great dame Julie Andrews. To tell this story IN the town of Leavenworth, literally IN the mountains, was a dream.
Marian Paroo, you and I are much alike. When we open our hearts to someone, it takes quite a bit of time to build trust and we always love fully; but boy… loving and trusting another takes quite a bit of courage. I loved reading several books by Meredith Wilson and I really feel I was able to use that research in my portrayal of Marian, and your vision. I grew up loving Shirley Jones, this musical, and I know she would have loved the show.
Lily Craven, words cannot express the heart and soul expressed in the music that I had the honor of singing. It was a great challenge portraying you; an ethereal spirit of another world, and to experience the tremendous yearning to reach your loved ones, yet to be invisible. I discovered so much through your experiencing the obstacle of never meeting someone’s eyes. Like the garden, shuttered and waiting, the veil has to be lifted. This barrier really pushed my emotional connection. I grew up listening and reading the book “The Secret Garden” and my inner child wept tears of happiness, and sadness, throughout the whole show. What a heart and tear jerker.
I think of this summer as “my Rebecca Luker summer.” Each of these roles she had once played. Knowing this kept me focused and present. I felt her guidance along with our dear SG assistant director Carolyn Wilson, who passed after actively creating the production with us.
I was blessed this summer with a true community of support, both in the very special connections made on stage and beyond; extending to dear friends made in the town of Leavenworth, my hosts, my co- worker, and the families of my cast mates who welcomed and supported me. I had incredible directors and scene partners.
I was artistically challenged. I successfully performed in all 36 shows, changing show every day (except Mondays where we had the day off!) I was encouraged to follow my instincts and to explore by my incredible directors: Kevin McKee, Tiffany Mausser, and John Wagner. I was buoyed by the love and support from the cast and crew. I made lifelong friends whom I will miss until I see them again. This summer was a dream and yet also very real. I will never ever forget. Thank you everyone who made this possible.
I also wanted to shoutout Carl Knowles, Drew Hope, and Barbara Roberts. They all made me feel and look beautiful in every single show, on and off the stage.
Carl: Thank you, and your wife, so much for being so attentive and sensitive to costuming Archibald Craven. I really appreciated when you took the time to talk with me about my experience with scoliosis, to find the most appropriate and respectful way to create a curve! I also appreciate how much time and effort you took to create the back brace for Colin. 
Melanie Spees, Margy Hesse, LST
NOVEMBER 20TH – DECEMBER 12TH
We had a wonderful opening weekend of Man of La Mancha! I am grateful to my fellow cast members and our audience which has made this show and my experience such a critical success (Reviews below).
I am performing the role of Antonia, the distraught niece of Quixote, and am the understudy for Aldonza!
In preparation for this role I read the original text “Don Quixote” (Almost 1000 pages) by Cervantes. The themes could not be more relevant today. The book gave me deeper understanding of the context in which the original character was created!
I look forward to continuing to share this story with more audiences!
Man of La Mancha performances are Thursday’s through Sunday’s with additional days and matinees. Tickets can be purchased at https://plazabroadwaylongisland.com .
Join us just outside the city at “Plaza Broadway Long Island” – Nassau County’s only AEA theatre!
The Reviews are in!
Recently I was the recipient, of a grant from the MA Cultural Council. My idea was to put on a entertaining performance, for all ages, while providing an outlet for artists to use their creative juices during the COVID-19 pandemic. I teamed up with the Cultural Council, MMTV, and asked some performers to join me to help create this vision. I chose the month of February (Valentine Month) for Love All Ways to celebrate the message of the universal and limitless language of Love and music. I described this experience as follows,
“We embrace the freedom to reinterpret songs, some of which may be familiar to you, and turning them on their head. We have fallen in love with these songs and are eager to share this new way of hearing and seeing them performed. The musical theatre term for most of what we are performing is “gender bending.” This is interpreting music that is traditionally attributed to male or female identifying characters and/or performers and rendering a more fluid interpretation. We have had a wonderful time singing songs we love and hope you will enjoy the experience as much as we have in assembling it for you. As we navigate through COVID-19 we find our friendships and music carry us through even though we cannot all be together and cannot celebrate in person.
Thank you MMTV, Melrose Cultural Council, and my fellow performers for making this possible, and spreading love and positivity as we navigate through this time. “
After my wonderful experience with Lynn Kao on “Think of Me” I heard of another opportunity to work with her. There was a wonderful creative team and full cast of Into the Woods in the search for a Rapunzel. Immediately I thought, ah yes, a tall, dark, brunette, soprano is just what one wants for Rapunzel. I have always wanted to play Rapunzel, but felt my features would restrict me, but I was wrong. So of course, I submitted and audition.
To my surprise, I was exactly what they were looking for. Finally someone was ready to break the stereotype and they were ready and eager to cast a brunette Rapunzel! The first one!
We filmed throughout MA and NYC, in some of the most gorgeous areas. With all the appropriate COVID-19 PPE, I would sweat through our masks and costumes, but I was just blessed to have another story to tell.
The Summer Institute of the Vocal Arts really taught me about the wonders of film making and movies. That is when my love for movies and story telling in this way grew! Not only do I love to share stories through live theatre, but I love the experience filming it too! That is when it lead me to my next project… a Netflix Film!
After COVID-19 shut down theatres in March 2020 I felt helpless. Where would or could I share the next story? How long do I have to wait?
Just when I thought I could not wait any longer, a teacher reached out to me and expressed her excitement she had recommending me to audition for an international conductor and composer Lynn Kao, for her upcoming film project of excerpts from The Last Five Years. I immediately submitted my audition for her and impatiently waited for her response.
It was like the classic moment from A Chorus Line “God, I hope I get it.”
After what felt like forever, I was delighted to receive an email for Ms. Kao expressing she had loved my audition but had a different film project in mind for me… “What are your thoughts on Phantom of the Opera?” “Heck yeah, Ms. Kao…” or rather, “thank you so much for the opportunity I would be delighted….”
After several meetings, Lynn Kao zoomed in with me, from Germany, directed and conducted me on our collaborated vision of “Think of Me” and we created art! With the help of a tripod, a selfie stick, my cat, my colleague Chandler Sinks, and my oldest sister Tina, the vision had started to become a reality.
Click the Link above to see what we created!
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, I needed another stress mechanism, besides my usual of baking. I started doing yoga. I already have a love for and experience with Alexander Technique and I felt yoga would provide me with the opportunity to be able to use the Alexander work as I also find a new sense of self.
I started to do Yoga every other morning, and then it became every day, sometimes before my classes, before bed, or after a run. I started to get very comfortable very fast. Every day I wanted to master a new yoga pose, and the next thing I knew I was on my head in a headstand.
In my vocal lessons I work on body alignment, with a 45 degree curve in my back, it is especially important. I found if I was in a headstand, I had the alignment I searched for in my lessons standing. If I gave into any of the detrimental curves-I would fall. If I moved a part of my neck or jaw forward- I would fall.
I began to sing on my head, not feeling any the tensions I would have standing, because if I did.. I would fall. Initially, I would use a wall to help support me- it was a lot to think about without the wall. But over time I was able to sing like this without the wall (granted the wall did help me stay in it longer, but part of the fun and challenge was to do it without).
The Phantom of the Opera is one of my favorite Musicals. Christine fascinates me and she has a great deal of strength. I knew if I could sing Christine’s music on my head, I could do it anytime. So, of course, I go for the E6 (aka the high note) at the end of the song “The Phantom of the Opera.” Below is the outcome…
Right after Beauty and the Beast I had found myself in France once again in La Cage Aux Folles. Not as the town outcast, but as the town flirt, Colette. Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston had the original costumes from the Broadway revival and it was an honor to wear the adorable outfits Colette had. I especially had a blast wearing an adorable pair of 3 inch red wedges- and I am 5’9″!
Rehearsals flew by and the cast and crew were incredible. I learned a great deal from each actor, especially from the warm, beautiful, talented and kind Maureen Brennan. The director, Susan M. Chebookjian and the Music Director, Dan Rodriguez had this amazing vision for the production and it was a smooth, educational and I was extremely blessed to have transported an audience to France, yet again, with this incredible cast and team.
Before I knew it I was actually traveling to France for real- to sing in French for a wedding! Talk about foreshadowing with performing in Beauty and the Beast and La Cage Aux Folles all in the same summer.
