Wendla Bergman?! Like a tree nymph...

It happened!!!!! Oh. My. God.

It wasn't exactly how I imagined my first time. But it was more than I could have ever wanted. Oh, how do I begin this story?! Let's start with...

It's a freezing cold December morning in Denver, Colorado. I bring my computer to the theater and leisurely grab a cup of coffee on my way. I'm off for the matinee, so I decide to call my mom once the show starts. I'm talking to my mom about football - literally - when all of a sudden Sarah rushes into our dressing room yelling "Krista, you're going on!" Of course my immediate reaction is, "for who??" I then hear these words on the loudspeaker over the boys reciting latin: "Krista Pioppi, please get into costume, you will be on for Wendla for the remainder of the show." AHHHHHHHHH! Well, I dropped the phone. Sarah had to call my mom back and tell her because by this point I'm standing naked in the middle of our dressing room hyperventilating waiting for someone to bring me my costume. I finally get my underdress and I run downstairs to hair, but no one is there, so I run back upstairs and now I'm completely out of breath and I feel like I'm going to puke all over the place. Thankfully, I don't.

So now I'm finally dressed. My hair is simply held together by 3 bobby pins, and now I hear Bitch ending, so I make a b-line for the stage when I actually realize what I'm about to do. I'm about to finally play the role I've dreamed of playing for 3 years. This is it. I start freaking out. I calm down a little. I tell myself Krista, it's your job. You just need to get out there and do it. I freak out a little more. I make it to the stage just in time to fix a strand of hair, listen to Kimiko say "Breathe" and open the curtains. And I ran out right behind her in that long blue dress.

I've never felt a feeling quite like that before. It was a mixture of excitement, nausea, adrenaline, pure joy and sheer terror. My favorite part was looking around at my cast mates as they stared at what they THOUGHT was going to be a small blonde girl. To their surprises, out came a 5' 5" brunette, clad in the biggest smile I'm sure they've ever seen. I felt their shock and excitement for me pour out of each of them, and I've never felt more connected to them in the eight months I've been on tour. Side note: Jake didn't realize it was me until halfway through Touch Me..so his line "Wendla Bergman?!" was truly not acting!! After the beating scene, Jake and I are both offstage, and he ran up to me and gave me the biggest hug ever, and then said "What is going on!?!!". Understandably so, haha.

One of the moments I'll remember forever is taking my first bow as Wendla. It was overwhelming - I started to cry!! I'd always dreamed about wearing that babydoll dress at the end of the show and taking a bow as the leading lady, and it was finally here. I couldn't believe it. I was living proof that dreams really do come true. And if that wasn't enough, I got to do the whole show again that night!! Standing on that chair in the beginning of the show might have been the scariest moment of my life, but I got the dress on and everything went fine!!

I've truly never had an experience on stage like that in my entire life, and I'm so glad that it happened with my favorite people, in my favorite show, playing my dream role. And I got to do it TWICE!! It was the best early Christmas present I could have ever asked for. Thank you, Santa.

PS: Christy is feeling much better, thankfully!! What a trooper.

Until next time,

Krista

Birthday/Dark I Know Well pt. 2

Hi Guys!

So as all - or at least most - of you know, I am the youngest member of this SA family. And while that is still true, I finally turned 18!! I'm so happy to finally be an adult, and for all the 17 year old jokes to end! Trust me, they get old. Even though I'm still the Spring baby, I feel like I'm maturing with each day I spend on tour, which is really awesome.

My birthday was absolutely amazing. We got back from our cast party at exactly 11:58 pm on November 19th, and at midnight, the whole cast sang Happy Birthday to me while Andy played on the piano in the lobby. It was the best start to any birthday I've ever had! In the morning, I talked to all my friends and family which was really nice, and then Steffi and I headed out to the mall for some birthday shopping! On our way, we passed this cute little bakery and she bought me 2 mini cupcakes :) They were so cute! We met up with Kayla and Taylor in the mall, shopped for a little, and then found this amazing carousel ride that me and Steffi ended up going on haha! Finally, to end my day of shopping, I found this kiosk in the middle of the mall with these ENORMOUS balloons, and I was like "Guys, I NEED one of those balloons". So I treated myself to a balloon! Check it out - it was white with skulls & pirates on it...and it LIT UP!! Coolest balloon ever. So then after the mall, we went to Friday's for my birthday dinner with everyone!! Yay! It was so much fun :) To my surprise, in walks Christy with ANOTHER light up balloon. I died. It was pink and had Disney princesses on it - which was actually my second choice if I couldn't get the skulls!!

Also, I got another amazing belated birthday present on our closing night in Cali - I went on for Martha!! I only got to play her twice in the summer, so it was amazing to revisit her. I love singing Dark, especially with Steffi! It was such a great show, and the audience was so responsive which made me feel awesome. This was my first time on since the end of July (crazy!!), so I was really excited.

I can't believe that we had to go to from sunny Costa Mesa, to freezing cold Denver! AH! But that's ok, because I love snow during the holidays!! And Denver is absolutely beautiful! The streets are all decked out in lights and wreaths, and you can hear holiday music playing in every restaurant/store. It's FABULOUS!! I have a really good feeling about these next two weeks. It's weird to think that at the end of Denver, the '09 Spring Awakening National Tour is over. When we come back in January, we will be the '10 cast. A whole new year of Spring Awakening.

Until next time,

Krista :)

<3

Do you know the way?..

..to San Jose!

Hey guys! Here we are in beautiful San Jose :) This stop is special to my heart because - drum roll please - I've never been to California before! So here I am, and I absolutely love it. In the past 2 days I've been to San Fransisco with some amazing friends, shopped on Haight street and ate Indian food for the first time (PS: naan is now my favorite bread ever). Last night, our entire cast had the privilege of seeing American Idiot the Musical. It was absolutely ridiculous! The cast was stacked and the set was unbelievable, plus we got to see some friends/Spring awakening alumni, John, Gerard and Brian, who were so incredible! After the show, some of us went backstage and saw how the intricate set really works. It was truly an amazing night.

Opening in San Jose tonight! Hope to see you all there :)

Until next time,

Krista :)

Austin, Texas!

Hey guys!

Sorry it's been so long! We just got settled in our beautiful hotel in Austin. The city is wonderful! A bunch of us went to dinner and stumbled across this amazing pond/brook with a stone bridge that could really be the bridge in the My Junk scene! There's also this red swing in the middle of the pond, and Freddy, Justin & I all took turns swinging on it :) It was so fun! Also, the past 2 cities have been cold and rainy, so we're all excited to be going to warm places for the next month! We're having a put-in rehearsal for a few of our newest cast members on Thursday and I'm playing Anna, which should be fun since I haven't rehearsed Anna since July! It feels so great to be back here, and back at work with these amazing people. I really have the best job in the world.

Until next time!

Krista :)

ps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOZLXqa-eVo

We're Back! :)

Hey guys -

What an amazing 6 weeks I had at home! But I'm feeling even MORE amazing now that I'm back with my Spring family starting up the second leg of our tour! We're at a gorgeous hotel in Milwaukee - my room is enormous. Just wanted to give a quick update of what's happening on our first week back! We have rehearsal with Michael and Kimberly today, and also a huge rehearsal on Monday, where we will welcome our newest cast member Justin Scott Brown! :) That's really all for now, I'll post some pics from our first weeks back soon!

Until next time,

Krista

Update! :)

What Krista has done in the last 5 weeks:
1. Saw my old acting teacher in Avenue Q twice! He/the show was incredible. For those of you who don't know, it's coming back to Off-Broadway in late October! Go out and see it!
2. Visited my best friend at Scranton University for the weekend. Met some crazy kids! They were awesome.
3. Visited my friends and soon-to-be classmates at Pace University! :)
4. Saw Next to Normal, again. Oh...and went across the street to the BBB theater and finally saw my huge face across the Henry Miller Theater - in person. I cringed and smiled and laughed at the same time.
5. Ran a 5K for Race for the Cure! I pretended to be a nursing major at Scranton and ran for free. I also got a cute purple nursing tee-shirt. Ha. My body still kind of hurts.
6. Saw a lot of Paper Mill friends, thank goodness.
7. Went to the U.S Open and sat 3rd row courtside for James Blake. The most surreal experience OF MY LIFE! (next to my opening night in Spring..hehe)
8. Found my new obsession with the TV show Bones. I just can't get enough of it...and David Boreanaz.
9. Ran. a lot.
10. KEPT HEALTHY! yay :)

So, we're more than halfway through this crazy break and I've accomplished most of what I wanted to do! Now I'm just anxious to get back to work and start this next year with these amazing people :)

Until next time,

Krista :)

I MISS THEM. (along with the boys, but this picture was cuter!)

Home sweet home

Hey guys!

So sorry for not updating at ALL this past month, I've been ridiculously crazy with going on for Martha in DC, rehearsing Wendla in understudy rehearsals & playing her in the big put-in dress rehearsal for the new cast members, and being sick for the last half of Chicago! As most of you know, we're on a 7-week layoff right now, and it's AMAZING! At the same time, I'm missing my Springies, but we've all been chatting via countless internet sources - fbook, twitter, texting, you name it. It's really strange to send all my friends off to college and not be right along side of them, buying textbooks and dorm-y things. I'm no longer the college graduating class of '13, and it freaks me out just the slightest bit. That being said, I couldn't be happier to be a part of this amazing show, and I count my blessings every day that I get to be a kid for another year and just goof off and perform this beautiful piece of art with the craziest, most talented people I've ever met. My dad always says, "If your passion becomes your career, you never have to work another day in your life." I don't feel like I have a typical 'job' because I'm truly living my dream, and it's more than I could ever ask for.

Side note: Ten of my best friends got to see me go on as Thea in DC, how did that happen?! The universe was on my side that day. I told them I'd write about them in my blog, so I am. Happy now, snails?! I love you. :) PS - They were the greatest audience ever. It was a Sunday matinee. They cheered when I legitimately just walked forward in Mama Reprise, DURING the song. God, I love them.

Here's a list of things I'm planning to do during the next 6 weeks of my life:

1. New York City. At least once a week, maybe more.
2. Get my left cartilage, third holes, and right upper ear pierced on Monday. I can let them heal for 6 weeks and be ready to go when we go back to Milwaukee! Love my planning abilities :)
3. Broadway shows - In the Heights, Hair (again), Avenue Q (my acting teacher is playing Princeton in the closing cast! AH! go see him) Billy Elliot, Bye Bye Birdie (seeing friends! and my face plastered all over the theater...yikes.)
4. Visit Claudia, Nicole, Spencer, Kelsey & Charlo at school. Lots of train tickets for lots of weekends.
5. Seeing The Fray with Kels at her school! CRAZY, I know.
6. Organize my life. And my closet. Maybe shop a little. I don't know.
7. Finish writing the 3 songs I started writing at the beginning of the summer.
8. Play a lot of tennis with Mommy & Gi.
9. KEEP HEALTHY. DO NOT GET SICK.
10. Spend lots of time with family.

Until next time,

Krista :)

The Dark I Know Well.

Hey guys!

So I think I'm the luckiest swing on the face of the planet. I've only been here 8 short weeks and I've been on 9 times, for 2 different roles! Playing Martha yesterday was unbelievable. Don't get me wrong, Thea's my girl, but being able to put my own spin on Martha's dark storyline was so thrilling for me as an actress. Once the lights dimmed, the haunting music started, and Steffi came out with my microphone for Dark, I started to cry. I really felt Martha in every ounce of my body, and I think that definitely helped my performance. Singing with Steffi was ridiculous. Our voices both have some rasp, so I think they blended really well. By the way, my bruise didn't come off until this morning, no matter how hard I scrubbed! I don't have any Martha pics from yesterday since I was thoroughly freaking out, but here's some from my last time on as Thea! Enjoy! :)

First time on!

Swing Awakening! :)

Until next time,

Krista :)

What a crazy week!

Hey guys :)

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, things have been really crazy around here! This week has been SUPER crazy because I've been in Wendla rehearsals all week, which is SO much fun but also a lot of work. We also went to see Harry Potter 6 at midnight, which was so much fun! AND we're all preparing for our new cast mates to join us next week, so that adds a level of crazy to our schedules! I have a 4 hour Wendla run-through understudy rehearsal tomorrow, so I'm trying to take it easy today and just relax :) Also, a bunch of my theater friends are coming to see the show on Sunday - which is when I'm playing Thea!! I'm so excited :) Overall, things have been really great, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world.

Until next time,

Krista :)

Thea, goodbye's, vacation.

Hey guys!

First let me start off with how lucky I am to be in this show. Going on for the first time in Philly was one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences I've ever had. I didn't really want to show it, but I was freaking out. I got the call Friday around 6 pm saying that I would be going on for Thea both shows the next day, and I immediately called my parents. My mom started to cry, of course. Since Philly is legitimately only an hour away from home, they were able to see me do the matinee. Mama Reprise was probably my favorite part of the show. Being a swing, I never get to sing it which is VERY unfortunate because it's my favorite song in the show, besides Those You've Known. Finally being able to unleash all of that energy was so cathartic, and unbelievably amazing. I also got to do Thea with two different Melchiors, Jake in the afternoon and Kyle at night, which was an experience in itself. I don't think I've ever had more fun on stage, and I still can't believe I got to go on after only 4 weeks of being here! I know I'll never forget my first time :)

Although it was a happy weekend personally, we had to say goodbye to two amazing members of the family, Kyle & Julie D. It was heart wrenching to see everyone so upset. They are both amazing and talented people, and so genuinely nice. It was hard to see them go. We were all ridiculous messes in Left Behind, and tried to harness that energy in to kicking ass for Fucked, and for the most part we did. But, as soon as we all thought the crying was over, Henry and Angie slowly and loudly said "Melchior Gabor, FOR THE LAST TIME....DID YOU WRITE THIS?!". And Kyle responded with the loudest yes I've ever heard. And then we all started crying and going crazy. I've never swung on those bars harder than I did Sunday night. It was one of the most memorable performances I've had so far on tour.

We've been on vacation for the week, and it's been great. When you're on tour, you see the same people every second of every day, and it's nice to come home and remind yourself of the people you left behind. I saw Hair with Anthony on Tuesday night and it was RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING. I reccommend it for everyone! I also got to visit my friends at the Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory, which I've attended for the past 6 years. I've recieved almost all of my training from the teachers at Paper Mill, and it broke my heart to go back there and see what I'm missing this summer. But, listening to my peers and directors ask me about tour and saying how lucky I am really reassured me of how truly blessed I am to be touring in this show.

See you all in D.C! Until next time,

Krista :)

First time!! :)

Ahhhhh hey guys! Just letting you know I'm going on for Thea tomorrow & tomorrow night (saturday)! Can't wait - hope some of you are there to experience my first time with me!!

Krista :)

Goodbye NJ, Hello PA.

Hey bloggers :)

So I went home yesterday for the first time in 3 weeks! It was so nice! I'm officially a graduate of Roxbury High School :) It was amazing to see all of my friends and family, although it's nice to be back with my Spring family here in Philly! The show went really well tonight; GREAT crowd. Hopefully there's more crowds like tonight! Me and Steffi just got back from this awesome 24 hour diner called Little Pete's, where we proceeded to stuff our faces with amazing french toast and eggs. Rehearsal tomorrow - I'm playing Martha! We're also having a big put-in rehearsal for me and Jake on Thursday. The two of us will be in full hair and costume with full band and tech as well, I'm so excited! Martha should be fun, I can't wait to sing Dark with Krystina tomorrow/Steffi on Thursday :) Until next time!

Krista :)

Swing Awakening.

Hey guys,

So I called out for the first time tonight :/ I've only been here two weeks and I'm already sick! UGH. But, it's not just me - Christy, Andy, Gabby & Perry all called out too, which puts Julie on for Wendla again, Lucas on for Hanchen, Krystina on for Anna, and only Chase in the chairs of rock. Crazy crazy crazy swing madness! I think it's going around to everyone. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow so hopefully I'll feel better by this weekend...

Oh, and I caved. I'm tweeting. Follow me! :) www.twitter.com/kristapioppi


Krista

Baltimore, Jake rehearsals, Twitter.

Hi guys!

So here we are in Baltimore, Maryland! I'm absolutely in love with the Inner Harbor, which equals the smell of salt water, shopping, and great food. The shows have been going pretty well overall - I had my first show off since I've been here on Tuesday night! The audiences haven't been responding to everything, but they're laughing at appropriate times and such. My cousin came to visit me yesterday which was fun! It's nice to see a familiar face once in a while.

We've been rehearsing all week with our soon-to-be new Melchior, Jake Epstein. We had a full work through yesterday, and I got to play Thea, which was fun! He's such a talented actor and his voice really fits Melchior, so I think he's going to make an amazing replacement.

As a side note, I may be giving in to twitter...we'll see how that goes!

Until next time,

Krista :)

Opening night.

I can't even begin to think of words to describe my opening night...but I'm going to try. First, let me say that being in this show is one of the most incredible experiences ever. I've seen the show 11 times now, and actually being in it last night was the most surreal experience I've ever felt. Yesterday truly changed my life.

I had rehearsal at 12:00 with Jason, our dance captain, and learned both chairs of rock and Thea. It was literally the most information I have ever had thrown at me in 4 hours! But I loved every second of it :) I went back to my dressing room after dinner (about an hour before call time) and just did some yoga to calm myself down, because my excitement was getting the best of me. Everyone started showing up, and everyone was so excited for the show tonight - my opening, Lucas as Melchior, and Krystina last show of 6 as Ilse. We all felt like it was going to be a good one.

I finally get into my costume and go outside to meet Perry to walk on stage. By this point, I'm shaking. We grabbed our mics, grabbed hands, and walked out onto the stage with our fake tickets. I almost started crying. As soon as the usher sat us down - in separate seats - the two girls next to me asked if we wanted to switch so we could sit together. I was absolutely ecstatic that they had no idea we were in the show. We said something stupid like "Oh, we've sat next to each other plenty of times" and they just laughed it off and asked me if this was my first time seeing the show. It was awesome.

Throughout the whole beginning of the show, ever cast member gave me a little look or a pat on the back when no one was looking, and it felt so nice to have everyone supporting me. I hear the music for Touch Me starting, and I can feel my hands starting to shake. I looked over at Julie and she smiled at me, reassuring me that everything's going to be fine. It was time to take my mic out, so I reach into the pouch sewed into my leggings, and set it on my lap. I suddenly feel a pair of eyes glaring at me, and out of my left eye I see the girl sitting next to me, staring at my microphone. I looked across at Julie and Chase and almost started laughing. This girl was freaking out, probably more than me. She had absolutely no idea that I was in the show. Finally, it's my turn to get up, and I'm praying that my shaking legs will hold me. Thank god they did.

It was the most amazing feeling in the world to get up on that chair and sing. Every number kept getting better and better, and by the time Totally Fucked came, I was not nervous at all, just ready to rock out. It was incredible. I actually almost kicked that same girl in the head when I was singing the Blah Blah's and hanging off the bars. We got a huge ovation, and I even saw a man and a woman standing up in the back! We all knew that this show was one to remember, and we worked hard to make it happen. Something happened that has actually only happened once before in Spring Awakening history - on Jonathan Groff's last day. During Purple Summer, the entire audience applauded when Lucas came out through the back door. It was incredible. We all just smiled, and everyone looked over at me at some point, and finally I started crying. I couldn't sing the a cappella section! It was just an overwhelming feeling; honestly, one of the best feelings I've ever felt.

After the show, I went to sign autographs, and this group of kids brought me a gift! It was so nice! I took a picture with them to remember my first Spring Awakening stage door experience. It was an amazing way to end one of the most memorable nights of my life, and I can't wait to do it again tonight. And the next night. And the next night.

Krista

Louisville!

Hey bloggers!

So here I am - Louisville, Kentucky. I never thought this day would come! I'm currently sitting in my hotel room, listening to Adele, and unpacking. We're all going out to dinner in about an hour and I can't wait because I'm STARVING since I didn't eat anything on the plane. It's still kind of weird that I'm here! Anyway, I'll probably put up some pictures before the end of the week and post something after my opening night on Wednesday - until next time! :)

Krista

It's officially here! :)

Hey guys!

Wow - it's really here. I'm officially the newest member of the Spring Awakening family! I finished my last of 3 rehearsals with Kim Grigsby yesterday. She's AMAZING - she never let me quit until I worked my hardest and gave her every emotion she wanted, even just in her living room. She literally made me get up on a chair and sing Totally Fucked with a microphone jumping up and down; I was afraid the apartment below us would call about noise control. We rehearsed for 3-4 hours every day, and I feel absolutely ready to be in that chair! I'm so physically and vocally tired from this past week, so I'm sort of saving my voice for my first performance in Louisville next week (FREAKING OUT!), even though it's going to be hard with prom tonight (haha).

I can't really describe the emotion that I feel right now. It's a mixture of happiness, bliss, anxiety, and - to quote the show - pure and certain joy. I still can't believe that this is really happening, but it's slowly starting to sink in. I'm so excited to start building these characters and exploring the differences between them, vocally and emotionally. I think that's what I like the most about being a swing; there are no limits. One day I'm playing Martha, and the next I'm playing Wendla - two totally different characters with completely different stories, emotions, and experiences. I will never get bored, that's for sure :)

Until next time - in Louisville, Kentucky!

Krista :)

One more week of normal!

Hey guys!

So, this is it. Tomorrow starts my last week in high school, and probably the last normal week of my life. Honestly, it's starting to sink in more and more, but I won't completely believe it until my rehearsals next week, maybe not even until my first performance! Anyway, my going away party was yesterday - so much fun! I literally had everyone I love in one room for 4 hours. It was at my favorite Italian restaurant, Scerbo's, and we just ate and talked and sang karaoke (which was a HUGE success since all my friends are ridiculously talented) all afternoon! At the end of my party, all of my friends got together and had me sit down by the karaoke machine, and they sang the graduation song by Vitamin C to me...I cried! And I got it on video, but you can hear me crying in the background haha.

Well, that's it for now. I suppose the next time I post on here will be when I'm an official member of the Spring Awakening family! Still weird saying that outloud. Until next time!

Krista :)

http://totallytrucked.blogspot.com/2009/05/saying-goodbye-to-claire-saying-hello.html

Rhode Island.

Hi guys :)

Sorry it took me so long to post about last weekend, this week has been CRAZY with my school choir and stuff. Anyway, visiting the cast last weekend was amazing! I got to RI around 4 and then met up with Anthony to go to their hotel. They were all so nice and really excited that I was there! A bunch of us went to Fire & Ice for dinner, and then I had another costume fitting with the wardrobe supervisor Eva in the theater, which was pretty cool! I tried on all of Claire's outfits (and actually all of them fit me perfectly!) I met a bunch of new people, and everyone was so nice, from the hair dresser and stage crew to the company manager and sound guys. I felt like I belonged there, which was an amazing feeling. After my costume fitting, I went out into the audience to see the show. This was actually a special moment in my Spring Awakening timeline, because it was the 10th time I was seeing the show! Well, they made my 10th time incredible. Every single one of them is disgustingly brilliant & talented; I literally started shaking during MWBM reprise thinking that I'm actually going to be up there in less than a month!(CRAZY, it's May 1st! where did April go??)

After the show, I met up with my mom who was sitting in the nosebleed section (I got a separate ticket so I could be closer haha) and Anthony took us on a backstage tour, which was incredible. He took us on the stage and showed me a bunch of little things that I should know, like where the quick change booth is for when I'm on as Wendla and some other cool things :) I literally never wanted to leave that stage.

It's surreal that I only have 15 actual days left in high school, and that I start rehearsing at the end of the month! I have senioritis multiplied by 50, if you can imagine that. On top of learning 4 sets of lines, a crapload of different voice parts, and a massive amount of blocking, I have a research paper and a lit circle book/journal due at the end of the month and a cat practical in Anatomy. So honestly I have MORE than enough to keep my mind busy for the next 31 days, but in reality, this is all I think about.

Until next time!

Krista :)

Wendla dresses!

Hey guys!

So I had my fitting today with Maiko, the associate wardrobe supervisor. It went so well! I tried on all of my Wendla costumes and picked out what my chairacter costume will be! It's going to be a babydoll dress with tights and flats, very Wendla-esque! I'm so excited to see the show in Rhode Island tomorrow!! I have another fitting scheduled tomorrow in RI around 4, and then I'm having dinner with the cast, and then seeing the show! Can't wait :) Until next time!

Krista

Just too unreal, all this.

Hi bloggers :)

So I'm finally starting to realize that this is all really happening. It's crazy and amazing and scary and everything I've ever wanted, so it's kind of overwhelming to think about haha. I've been getting emails this past week from the stage manager about my first rehearsals and my script/score and my costume fitting - which is next friday! freaking out!! - and the SA press rep about my headshot and bio and all this is happening so fast and I couldn't be happier :D Hopefully I'll snap a quick pic of me in the Wendla dress and knee socks next week and post it!!

Also, to top everything off, my parents surprised me with tickets to see the tour in Rhode Island next weekend! I'm SO unbelievably excited to see my new cast members perform, and to hang out with them for the day :) Pictures to come! Until next time!

Krista :)

The start of a blog.

Hey everyone!

At the request of a few close friends, I've decided to start this blog to keep track of my soon-to-be crazy life on the road in the 1st National Tour of the Tony-Award Winning Broadway Musical Spring Awakening! I've been auditioning for the casting team of SA for about 3 years now, and I am so excited that my time has finally come to be a part of this incredible show!! I will post events, memories, videos, and photos to keep everyone updated on my status across the country :)

I just want to share with you guys the story of how this all happened - it's a crazy one! I started this whole journey when I was just 12 years old. My mom read the script for the original workshop, called my agent, and said "My daughter is absolutely NOT auditioning for this show." I was devastated, but a few years later, when they decided to bring the show to Broadway, I got my chance to audition. The casting team really liked me, and called me in for a final callback for one of the female ensemble members after months of auditioning. The final 10 girls went to Kimberly Grigsby's apartment to rehearse Mama Who Bore Me, Dark I Know Well & Blue Wind. In my group was Jenn Damiano, who eventually got cast in that role. I was so upset, but I never gave up. I kept auditioning for them for a year, and they kept telling me to come back when I was a little older. Finally, the auditions for the National Tour arrived, and they wanted to see me. I was 2 weeks away from my 16th birthday, and I wished and prayed with all my might that I would finally be old enough. The final tour audition days were so much fun. There were about 45 of us left; we all rehearsed together in a studio in NYC to learn The Song of Purple Summer for the next day's audition, which took place on the stage of the Eugene O'Neill Theater for the ENTIRE CREATIVE TEAM - including the amazing director Michael Mayer, and the geniuses who wrote this amazing show, Steven Sater & Duncan Sheik! My audition went so well, and I was so excited. Unfortunately, I got the call from my agent that I was too young, yet again. They told me that they couldn't see me anymore until I turned 17, because they wanted me to understudy the role of Wendla. I was excited that they wanted me for the lead, but upset at the same time because my dream seemed so close, but yet so far out of reach, and out of my control. It felt like I would never turn 17.

Well, thankfully, and inevitably, on November 20th, I did! And then March came, and I found out one of the girl swings is leaving the tour at the end of May. I hoped and prayed that they would call me in to auditon. They did. My last audition for the casting team was about 3 weeks ago in NYC. I sang Whispering, MWBM Reprise, & My Junk for Kim Grigsby and Carrie Gardner. I walked out of the Ripley-Grier Studio feeling like I nailed the audition, but second guessing every note I sang and every facial expression I made. Less than an hour later, my agent called me with the most incredible news I've ever gotten. I was the new female swing/Wendla u/s on the National Tour of Spring Awakening!!! I literally started balling my eyes out in front of a hotdog cart on 8th Avenue.

My dream is finally a reality, and I am so excited to meet my SA Family in only a few months! I've been facebooking most of them, and they're so excited for me to join them, which makes me even more excited! I start rehearsing music with Kimberly on May 26th, then I have prom on the 29th (yes, I'm still a normal kid who goes to her senior prom!!), and then I head out to Louisville, KY on June 1st. I'm literally counting down the days!! As of this moment, I have no idea when I will be going on, but as I find out, if I do, I will let you guys know. :) Hope you guys will enjoy being along for this crazy ride with me :) Until next time!

Krista :)