"So What Else Is Around Here?"

So many times, my parents and I end up somewhere awesome because my Mom talks to strangers. She can, at any time, without warning, begin a conversation about anything. There was no such thing as "shy" for me growing up, because every person along the way was someone new to talk to.

So many times I find my Mom asking, "So what else is around here?"

This time, it landed us in LeClaire, Iowa at Antique Archeology, the home of American Pickers.

Now, my parents and I love antiques. My house is filled with incredible little treasures that we have picked up at garage sales, auctions, inherited, or saved. So television shows like American Pickers are right up our alley. We decided to keep the close proximity a secret and give my Dad directions without telling him where he was going!

Antique Archeology with my Mom (and Starbucks)
Photo Credit: Chuck Manahan

Antique Archeology
Photo Credit: Chuck Manahan

The entire place was filled with picks seen on the show. And motorcycles. Lots of motorcycles!

Down the street in LeClaire there are about a dozen shops all very similar to Antique Archeology... It was hard to leave!

Hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas vacation!
Meghan

Christmas in Chicago

Today my family and I arrived in Chicago for Christmas away from home! We decided to go to the Museum of Science And Industry, a place my Dad has wanted to take me for years and years!

They had an incredible room of Christmas trees decorated for every country, an entire wing dedicated to Walt Disney, and my Dad's favorite... Planes hanging from the ceiling! This museum was stunning and it was difficult to see everything in just a day, but just as every great theme park aficionado would, we made it through every wing!

The entrance at the Museum of Science and Industry

Merry Christmas, bloggers!

Meghan

It's Getting Close to Christmas!

My parents are officially in the Quad Cities! I am so excited to have them see my shows and to celebrate Christmas in Chicago!

You know my dad is around when I have amazing pictures like this for the blog:

Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse
Photo Credit: Chuck Manahan

A Christmas Story at Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse
Photo Credit: Chuck Manahan

More adventures with my parents to come!
Meghan

Halloween For (not quite) Grown Ups

Happy Halloween!

Personally, I have always loved Halloween. Fall is my favorite season, people give you free chocolate, and you get to play dress up! It's always been a blast. Even through college my friends and I have dressed up and made an effort to celebrate Halloween with our inner children.

This year, however, I wasn't sure how Halloween would go. Luckily, my cast likes to do crafts and play dress up as much as I do, so I was not disappointed.

We decided that we should be the Golden Girls for our Halloween rehearsal!
Thank you for being a friend...

Later that night we got ambitious and carved Disney Princess pumpkins! 














Mine was Belle, of course!

Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!

The Next Adventure

Life here in Rock Island is off to a very busy start!

Photo credit: Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse

I arrived in Illinois on the 23rd and began rehearsals with the cast right away! This cast is wonderful already. Everyone is older so there's no drama and the dishes are always done. The show has an audience on November 6th (that's nine days away!) and we've actually made quite a lot of progress in the short time we've been here!

Photo credit: Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse

Above are pictures from the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse Facebook page taken on the first day of rehearsal! There are ten kids in the show and they are so sweet and talented, albeit rambunctious!

The adults, including myself, all live in the Actor's House together, which is basically a gateway to practical jokes, late night laughs, and quick friendships. It's been a blast so far! I'm looking forward to more pictures of costumes and adventures to come!

More to come,
Meghan

Monday Music: Foy Vance

For fear of killing you all with my girly country Music Monday last week, here is a new artist with a completely different sound.

This Music Monday is dedicated to Foy Vance and his new album Joy of Nothing.

I first found Foy Vance on Amazon MP3's Artists on the Rise. If you have never enjoyed the beauty of Amazon's MP3 site, prepare to be amazed. He had a free download of his song "Closed Hand, Full of Friends." I fell in love at first download, went directly to Spotify and found the whole album. 

Foy Vance is originally from Ireland but grew up in Oklahoma. He has been said to be  similar to Van Morrison and Tom Waits, but he definitely makes his own sound. He has toured with Ed Sheeran, and you can totally tell. In fact, the two sing together in the song  Guiding Light on the Joy of Nothing.



So go check Foy Vance out on Spotify, grab his song off of Amazon, and enjoy this up and coming artist.

More to come, 
Meghan

Music Monday: Jana Kramer

So I thought I'd start a few "regular" things to add to the blog!

Today, I want start a "Music Monday" to encourage myself to keep discovering new music instead of listening to my favorites on repeat. (Although, I'll probably share some of those too!)

Today's Music Monday is dedicated to up and coming country artist Jana Kramer!

Jana is quickly becoming one of my new favorite female country artists. She's a mix of Jo Dee Messina, Carrie Underwood, and Dixie Chicks. She is definitely country, with some undertones of pop.

She began her career on One Tree Hill, but debuted her self-titled album in 2012. If you've heard her sing, you've probably heard the song "Why Ya Wanna." However, her song "I Hope It Rains," although very Taylor Swift, is slowly becoming one of my favorites. Jana also won the Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Female Artist in 2013.

I saw her in concert recently, at the Fryeburg County Fair in Fryeburg, Maine. She killed this concert. She sounded exactly as she does on her recordings, and I commend her for that! On top of her songs on her most recent album, she debuted some songs, as well as singing some crowd favorites including Katy Perry's Teenage Dream and Jo Dee Messina's Bye Bye.

Jana began recording a new album in September, and I'm looking forward to it! She also posted this awesome quote on her instagram a few days ago, and I really loved it.

Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @kramergirl! 

Enjoy!

Meghan

Saying Goodbye to New Hampshire

It is officially my last full day in New Hampshire without shows. I am surprised at how quickly my time here has dwindled, and I'm kind of sad to see it go, too.

I spent my morning packing up my car so I wouldn't have to do it over the weekend (also so I could know if all of my things could actually fit in my car) and my room is now empty except for the few things I will need for the shows this weekend.

Now, I am sitting at Starbucks rewarding myself with a Pumpkin Spice Latte and enjoying one of my last days looking at the White Mountains. (Joni Mitchell's "All I Want" just came on. Perfect.)

But, it's time for the next adventure. It's time to try my hand at the midwest and to do a full length musical for the first time in a long time. According to the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse Facebook  the kids have already begun rehearsals! I can't wait to arrive in Rock Island and have a show already being put together. It is going to be an exciting rehearsal process and a great run, I can feel it!

For now, I am off to the outlets. I can smell a Columbus Day sale all the way from here.


Goodbye, New Hampshire. Hello, Illinois.
Meghan

Flume Gorge

This morning Nina and I woke up and decided to travel to Flume Gorge!

Flume Gorge is a walk through granite walls, over water, up and down steps, at the base of Mount Liberty. Here's a picture so you have an idea:

I think my favorite thing about Flume Gorge is how it was discovered. The gorge was discovered in 1808 by a 93 year old woman named Jess Guernsey. First of all, I cannot imagine living in New Hampshire in the mountains in the 1800's. Second of all, I cannot imagine being 93 and living in New Hampshire in the mountains in the 1800's! Anyway, Jess had gone fishing, alone, and happened upon the gorge. When she went back to tell her family and friends, they didn't believe her! She finally got them to see the gorge and they were shocked- wouldn't you be? I was surprised and it's 2013! Initially, when the gorge was discovered, there was a giant boulder between the walls. 

If the boulder were still in place, it would have been over my head in the picture to the left, but in 1883, a huge rainstorm came and swept the boulder away. The rainstorm also created Avalanche Falls, a waterfall within the gorge.









It was stunning. The walk itself was short (especially in comparison to Mount Washington!) But it was a beautiful, cool, fall day and we enjoyed seeing more of what New Hampshire has to offer!

More to come,
Meghan

Portland, Maine

Today Nina and I ventured to Maine! I had never been to Maine before, but we took a trip all the way down to Portland to enjoy some sun and sea.

It was a positively beautiful day and we walked around for a bit and had lunch. We ate outside at this little restaurant called J's Oyster where Nina had the lobster roll and I had the haddock. It was absolutely delicious. I have this theory, about good seafood restaurants, where they should be a little run down with seats right on the water... You'll always see tons of people there, and that's how you know it's good. 

This sign was right outside the restaurant by the dock. It reminded me of my grandpa, because it sounded just like something he would say.

After a delicious lunch in Portland, Nina and I decided to do what we do best and visit the Freeport Outlet Mall, home of the Flagship store for L.L. Bean!

We were actually a little in shock as we pulled up to the outlets. L.L. Bean had a separate store for all of their products: Flagship, Home, Hunting and Fishing, Bike, Boat, and Ski, and, of course, the Outlet. All of the stores except the outlet are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So, you know, if you find yourself in Freeport, Maine in the middle of the night, now you know where to go! Last minute Christmas shopping on Christmas? L.L. Bean has your back!

All joking aside, it was like the mecca of the catalogues I have seen my mother get my entire life.

Nina and I on the L.L. Bean boot!

Hope you are all enjoying your own life adventures!

Meghan

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!

It's finally official! On my birthday, September 20th, I received an email from Denny at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, Illinois offering me ensemble in their production of A Christmas Story!

It was probably the best birthday present ever, because it means I will have a performing job again until January 5th. 

I am so excited to be a part of this production for two reasons. 

One, I love the movie A Christmas Story. It is a family favorite that has played at my house every year during the holidays ever since I can remember. We have a leg lamp, wrapping paper, the trivia game, and too many ornaments of Ralphie in his pink bunny pajamas to count. My family quotes this movie all the time. (Yes, even when it isn't the holiday season.) A Christmas Story is also the last thing we watch on Christmas in my house. It usually runs 24 hours straight on AMC on Christmas Day, and as soon as we have finished dinner, on comes A Christmas Story. (It is also regularly seen in the background of my family's famous "Wrapping Paper Picture." We basically cover ourselves in the wrapping paper from the presents we open as if it were our blanket.) We really just love this movie.

Second, I will be working with Tony Parise, a director I have worked with twice as a child. He was my director for Bravo! On With The Show on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre in 2004 as well as the director for the opening number of the 2005 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!   Both programs were done with Camp Broadway, a really awesome camp in New York City for kids interested in Musical Theatre. I knew he was the director when I auditioned for the show, but I didn't realize he would be at the auditions in New York when I went. I am so thrilled to be working with him as an adult after all of these years, it is sure to be a wonderful experience.

The best part about all of this is that I didn't even think I would be able to audition for this show. I had gone to an audition for a different show the day before, and had been called back the next day for an all day callback. On a lunch break, I took a chance and ran to the audition. Luckily, they had gone through most of the people they had in the morning and allowed me to walk right in. I cannot repeat it enough, but everything happens for a reason.

I'm so excited to be able to keep working, but even more, I'm excited to have more adventures to share with you.

This is only the beginning.
Meghan

Hiking Mount Washington

So about the second day I arrived here, Nina, my housemate and fellow performer, asked me if I would hike Mount Washington with her. I thought, "Sure! Sounds like fun, I bet it will never happen, but sure!"

Well, let me tell you one of the many good things and bad things about the life I am currently living. The good thing is that you get to meet new people all the time. The bad thing, is that you never know what to expect from them. 

Nina is an adventurer, thank God!, because she basically became my tour guide for the entire time I was here. She wanted to do anything and everything- and she brought me along for the ride.

So, September 25th, Nina and I woke up and decided to hike Mount Washington.

We started at one of our favorite breakfast places the White Mountain Cider Company to get sandwiches and coffee and get to the base of Mount Washington.

Nina decided that we were hiking the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail up and the Jewell Trail down. Here's us, before the hike around 9am...

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (or at least caffeinated) we began our hike. It was a cold,  cloudy day, not the best day to hike the mountain, but we were determined and there was no going back. Initially, it was easy. The Ammonoosuc trail was beautiful. We hiked much of the trail next to water and we were having fun taking pictures and talking.

As we got higher, we past the treeline and it got increasingly colder. We added more layers we brought in our backpacks and trekked on. We passed the Lake of the Clouds and up, up, up we went. We were completely in a cloud.

Did I mention that there were signs and memorial plaques commemorating people who passed away along the trail? (Granted most were from the 1920's, but ominous, nonetheless.)

We finally reached a point where there was no clear path, only cairns (cairns are manmade rock piles) and paint on the rocks letting us know we were headed the right way. 

After about 4 hours of climbing uphill, we reached the summit! Mount Washington's summit is the highest point in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 feet and is known for it's dangerously erratic weather. Learn more here.

At the top of the mountain, Nina and I ate some snacks, bought some souvenirs, took some pictures and began our descent.

We were taking the Jewell Trail down, a trail that is supposed to be much simpler and safer on our knees and ankles. We began our descent with the utmost confidence- we made it up the more difficult trail, down the simpler trail should be easy, right? Wrong!

We followed the cairns and painting on the rocks until suddenly, we reached a standstill. We couldn't find any more markings! Nina decided to hike down through the rocks, but we found nothing. We looked at the map, which wasn't much help, but we were stuck. In our back and forth confusion, we eventually found a sign that informed us that we had ended up on a different trail. We retraced our steps and ended up back where we were lost the first time. Out of desperation and with wide eyes, we found our paint marker! It was located down, but in the opposite direction of where we had descended the first time. The paint was white on a gray rock, and with the fog from the clouds, we had just missed it.

Now, an hour and a half off of our approximated route time, we had to rush down the Jewell or risk being on the mountain in the forest at dusk. We pushed ourselves and ended our hike right around 6pm. Here's what we looked like by then!

All in all, it was an amazing hike and experience. But I couldn't help relating everything to the craft I do. At first glance, theatre seems like an unachievable goal. But then, you're in it, journeying up and up with no end in sight. For a moment, it seems easy. But then, your body catches up with you and you need a break. By this time you think you should turn around, but now it's much too late. That's when you find you need mentors, cairns, to keep you on your  way as you go; positive influences that can only put you in the right direction. Sometimes, there is no one to guide you. You feel lost and look for another way, when you realize, it was you all along. You had the work, technique, and the passion, you just needed to trust yourself and find your way. 

Till the next adventure!
Meghan

Coming Soon: Fall in New Hampshire

As my contract at Idlewild was coming to a bittersweet end, I received an email from RWS and Associates.

I was offered a contract at Story Land in Glen, New Hampshire playing Alice in Wonderland! 

The contract would last six weeks and I would be performing alongside a girl named Nina, playing Little Red Riding Hood. I would only performing on weekends and have the week off to do whatever I wished!

I was thrilled! Not only would I have another performing opportunity playing a wonderful character, I would be living in New Hampshire in the fall!

*Just a little background on myself for any of you who don't know, I originate from Florida, a place where fall never really comes. I spent most of my time in college in a city where fall was reachable, but never waiting for me outside my window. Fall is my favorite season because it has such a crisp, beautiful feeling in the air and New Hampshire would be the most beautiful place to enjoy it!

Just look at this tree changing right outside the Story Land gate! So much to look forward to!

More to come,
Meghan

Unexpected Special Guest

So I recently shared this on my website, but I thought I would share it here as well!

Recently a friend who I met while performing at Idlewild and Soakzone sent me a video of a hilarious moment from the summer.

This is a video of me as the character Demi singing "Give Your Heart A Break" in Camp Rockmore Talent Show at Idlewild.

As I remember it... I was starting out the song, everything was going as expected. We had a big audience that day, and we were all excited about it. As I started to get to the chorus people started laughing. I thought, "Okay, what's going wrong? My microphone was working, nothing was wrong with my costume, my wig was still on my head... Did I sing a weird note?" Now people are laughing hysterically, so I turn expecting to see a cast member pranking me, a set mishap, anything! But no, there is a toddler stealing the stage! I wanted to laugh so hard, but I kept my composure and did what my college professors would expect of me and... "Took the coaching." 

I went to the baby and sang to her. If she was going to steal the scene, I ought to let her have it! She deserved it! This baby just adored the stage! I have to admit, I was the same way as a kid. If someone let me have the stage, you can bet they weren't getting it back!

The best part though, is seeing my cast members come back onstage after their quick change and finally realize what went wrong! 

Enjoy this hilarious moment of live theatre!

Meghan

ps: Special thanks to Lisa and Kyleigh for filming this! I can't thank you both enough!

Summer 2013

Today we're going to do a little throwback to my time at Idlewild and Soakzone with RWS and Associates!

I was so lucky to be offered a contract at Idlewild for many reasons. 

First of all, RWS and Associates is an amazing company and one I have wanted to work for quite some time. They take great care of their actors and the company is still growing. (Did I mention that they won an Emmy?) They continuously have amazing opportunities all over the country for their actors and I am so proud to say that I have worked with them not only once, but twice! (More on that later!)

Second of all, the contract I received was long and diverse. I had work and housing in my field for a solid four months. Additionally, got to perform three very different shows for very appreciative audiences every single day!

Last but not least, this cast was and is incredible. They are such a hardworking, loving, and creative team that anyone would love working alongside. We certainly had our ups and downs, but we put on amazing shows together everyday. (If I do say so myself!)

I miss singing and dancing alongside these crazy people! 

Stay tuned for more adventures to come!

Meghan

Just To Start Off...

Hi Everyone!

I've decided to create this blog to keep my friends and family in touch with my journeys post-graduation. So far I have been so lucky to being going on the adventure of a lifetime while doing what I love- and I would love to share that with you!

Till next time!
Meghan