CrossFit (Or How I Joined a Cult)

One day after being frustrated from not seeing any progress from my gym time, I called my best friend. "Joooosh! I'm just so frustrated because it feels like I'm doing all of this work with no visible progress." To which Josh simply said...

"CrossFit."

Now, I know you're skeptical. I was too. Perhaps even more than most considering my dance background, but Josh reassured me. "Just try it."

Famous. Last. Words.

I stood up, brushed myself off, and dove in head first.

I was SO nervous about my first CrossFit class- I have no upper body strength! How am I going to lift barbells and do pull ups? As a competitive person, I was prepared to fight to the finish, but I had no idea what that entailed.

My first class was amazing. I had never felt so good after a workout. The box (CrossFit gyms are called boxes) was so welcoming and so helpful. Everyone wanted to do the work, no one was slacking off, and while it was competitive, everyone was so supportive of one another. I wasn't an individual at the gym anymore, I was part of a team.

Now, I clearly waited to post this, unsure if my initial reaction to CrossFit was just a rush of endorphins. But now, a month later, I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed working out more in my life! Ready to see some #gainz?

The difference for me was truly made when I woke up one morning and desired to be strong, not skinny. Fight for strong!



Stay humble,
hustle hard,
Meghan

Back to the Burgh

Remember in my last post how I shared about how wonderful RWS and Associates is?

Well, they're at it again!

Thanks to this incredible office of people, I had the absolute pleasure to drive down to my college town of Pittsburgh, PA for a performance and a visit!

I hadn't been back to Pittsburgh since I graduated, so I was truly jumping out of my skin to see this beautiful city I lived in for four years of my life.

In true RWS fashion, they teamed me up with two of the most wonderful people I have ever worked with! We learned our show in two short days, drove to Pittsburgh on the third, and performed on the fourth! Talk about a whirlwind experience. However, I made sure to get in all of my favorite, albeit touristy, spots on my Pittsburgh checklist.

As soon as we arrived in the burgh, we dropped our stuff off at the hotel and drove through the Liberty Tunnel (You know that scene in Perks of Being A Wallflower?) to "dahntahn Pixburgh" for Primanti's sandwiches.

My Primanti's sandwich was comprised of freshly baked Italian bread, french fries, tomato, coleslaw, provolone, and sirloin steak! The classic!

Michael and Brittany were as in love as I first was with this sandwich! If you're ever in the Pittsburgh area, I recommend it wholeheartedly.

We went to bed early, however, because we had a show the next day! As much as it can be joked about, I love doing children's theatre. It's so magical to have children looking at you, so enthralled by your every word and movement. 

After the show we did some shopping, and I headed to meet one of my favorite dance teachers from college, Miss Maria Slutiak. This woman is a force to be reckoned with! She has four beautiful children and can teach anyone how to land a double pirouette. She's tiny, she's loud, and she has one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen.




Eating my way through Pittsburgh! Primanti's, Pamela's, and Razzy!





Next stop, meeting up with one of my favorite people from college, Bucci! (Apparently he goes by Jonathan now, but I don't buy it!) We walked around one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh, Squirrel Hill, and then we headed to our old college stomping grounds in Oakland for the best frozen yogurt I've ever had: RazzyFresh. I actually can't talk about it for too long because truly, nothing compares!










My last morning in the burgh was the cherry on top of a perfect weekend. I met up with Bucci again, but this time the one and only Ian Sulkowski met us too! We pulled up some chairs at Pamela's, ordered big breakfasts, and got caught up on everything we've missed. (We took some jogs down memory lane, too!)

Then I headed back on the road with my country music Pandora station and my windows down. I hope you all had beautiful weekends!
Meghan

Country music, Crinolins, and Coffee

These past two weeks I had the extreme pleasure of workshopping a brand new show with RWS and Associates headed for Hershey Park!

Workshopping a show is a great experience. You get the opportunity to be a part of something constantly changing and growing, create something brand new, and it's all put together in a very short time!

The show is called Rollin' Down The River and features three couples on a riverboat. It's chock full of great country songs (Wagon Wheel, Tortured Tangled Hearts, Homegrown Honey, Walkin' In Memphis...) and I love the opportunity to sing some country hits!

Whenever I work with RWS and Associates, I'm surrounded by the greatest people. I don't know how they seem to find incredible talent with such kind hearts, but I'm honored to be a part of it! This time around, I got to work with my dear friend Nicole, and meet some new wonderful people as well!

In under two weeks, this team of people were lead fearlessly under John Charron, Jens Kramer, Robbie Eicher, and Molly Tynes. Despite all kinds of changes (like a cast member halfway through our process!) we pushed through and created a product I was proud to be a part of.

Look how much fun we had!

Have a great week!
Meghan

Welcome, 2015!

Happy New Year, friends!

This past year has been such a whirlwind, but I'm so glad I've kept this blog to keep track of it all! Illinois, New York, Florida, Hawaii! What a year it has been!

I spent the day ringing in the New Year with my awesome parents, my best friend Kathryn, her husband, and her mom at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Because what else is a Florida girl supposed to do except go to a theme park?

Clearly, Kathryn and I had a blast. There's never a dull moment when we're together! There truly is nothing like starting off a year with your best friend.

I hope your 2015 is off to a great start! I'm off to watch some serious championship bowl games!

XO,
Meghan

Falling in love with Fall

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love fall. Maybe it's the weather cooling off, everything tasting like pumpkin and cinnamon, or the leaves changing. No, it's all of those things! This Florida girl yearns for autumn all year round, so getting back into the city just as the leaves started changing was the greatest gift.



Although I didn't get to see fall from the White Mountains this year, I did get to spend time in Central Park soaking in my favorite season.
















Without further ado, go outside! Stop looking at my fall pictures and take some yourself!

With love and a Pumpkin Spice Latte,
Meghan 

Back to New York

Watching football on all the screens in Honolulu!

After a full day watching football in the Honolulu International Airport with friends and a long red eye flight from Hawaii, to Chicago, to New York, I am so happy to say that I am officially a resident of land and of the East Coast again!

Flying over Chicago!

My best friend, Kevin, because he's pretty much the greatest, met me at the airport for a very joyous reunion. I think I jumped up and down so much people thought I was crazy. But I am! Crazy happy to be back with my best friends in the city that never sleeps.

Reunited and it feels so good!

The initial rush of getting back to New York after a contract is always a blast. Connecting face to face with all of your friends is such a gift, and I'm so grateful for mine!

From the East Coast,
Meghan

Maui Ocean Center

One of the greatest things about living in Hawaii is getting to see all the beautiful wildlife that lives all over the islands. Turtles, fish, dolphins, and chickens live in perfect harmony with the natives and are highly protected on the islands. 



In that spirit, a few friends and I headed out to the Maui Ocean Center to learn more about all the beautiful inhabitants of the water we sail through everyday.





Hands down, my favorite wildlife in Hawaii are the green sea turtles, or, in Hawaiian, the Honu. These little (and big!) guys are just too cute and so much fun to watch play in the ocean. At the Ocean Center, they have interactive feedings where they feed the turtles a combination of spinach, seaweed, broccoli, and kale! (These guys definitely shop at Whole Foods.) This little guy is only two years old!




Only a little while longer to enjoy these beautiful creatures and the landscape (check out those palm trees in the aquarium reflection!) before I head back to big city life.

Aloha!
Meghan

The Na Pali Coast

One of the best things about working onboard the Pride of America is the wonderful people you get to meet who work onboard with you. I have made friends in many departments... That includes the Captain!

Captain Kjell calls me Dorothy because I sing Somewhere Over The Rainbow in our show
Lights, Camera, Music!

We have two Captains that alternate on the Pride of America. Captain Kjell Nesheim, however, has become very close with Production Cast as he makes a special effort to see our shows every week!

Every Friday onboard the Pride of America, we cruise past the Na Pali Coast. The coast stretches 17 beautiful miles on the North shore of Kauai. Many movies, including Jurassic Park, has been shot here and when you see it, you know why. I cannot describe it in any other words but breathtaking and otherworldly. It is definitely a highlight of our cruise.

Fortunately for myself and my fellow castmates, after our afternoon performance, Captain Kjell invited all of us to the Bridge of the Pride of America to see the Na Pali Coast Line.

The valley in this picture is the Kalalau Valley, only accessible by hiking or boat. There are no roads to access the Na Pali Coast.

















We even caught a rainbow on this cruise... Perfect!

Seeing Na Pali every week never gets old and having a new vantage point was a true treat. Captain Kjell is a gem, and I can't wait to see him when he gets back from vacation!

The singers with our Captain!

I hope the pictures I took captured some of this beauty, but there is truly nothing like seeing it in person. Definitely something to add to your bucket list!
Meghan

Touring Kauai

On Thursday morning my parents and I got up and headed for the Waimea Canyon. My dad stopped at Starbucks for me (what an awesome guy!) and we drove up to see the canyon from the overlook.

Of course, we were up for anything, so when we saw a sign for a blowhole called "Spouting Horn" in Poipu, Kauai we had to check it out!












Up we continued to drive until we started seeing the red clay associated with Hawaii. Then, finally, we made it up and around the canyon for this gorgeous view! The Waimea Canyon is known as the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific."

In typical Manahan fashion, Daddy got the best pictures! Check out this awesome shot he took of the waterfall, Waipoo Falls!

After we left the Waimea Canyon overlook, we grabbed some snacks (in Hawaii than means pineapple and mango!) and headed around to see the other side of the island. Fun fact, in Kauai you can only drive around part of the island because the Na Pali Coast National Park doesn't have roads! (Check out more about the Na Pali Coast in my blog post here!) 

But we did come across the Manini-holo Dry Cave! It was one of the most insane things I've ever seen- and I got to walk through it!

It was an awesome day in Kauai! I can't wait for my parents to see the Na Pali Coast tomorrow!

XO,
Meghan

A Day in the Life

On our first day pulling into port, we were delayed by a tropical storm, but we would never let that stop us! A rainy day is choice weather for the Manahan's, even in Hawaii!

So we rented a car and headed off to explore the Road to Hana. As expected, the Road to Hana was much different in the rain than what I experienced in a couple weeks previous. (You can read about that adventure HERE.) But with rain came gushing waterfalls everywhere we turned!

It was positively gorgeous, and because of the rain the roads were pretty empty as well!

Although this wasn't my first trip on the Road to Hana, it was the first time my parents had experienced it, and that was just as fun!

My absolute favorite part of the trip this time around was the blowhole at the black sand beach, Pa'iloa Beach. The water was high, so the blowhole splashed even more water and created a spectacular effect which my father, of course, caught on his camera!

Needless to say, I was pretty soaked after that one! But it was totally worth it! Believe it or not, as soon as we finished our drive along the Road to Hana, I had to perform that night! I had two jazz sets to perform in the gorgeous Skyline restaurant. Luckily for me, my father didn't miss taking pictures of that either!

My wonderful duet partner, Vincent Teschel, and myself

There truly is never a dull day when you perform on the Pride of America!
Always more to come,
Meghan

Seeing Pearl Harbor

The first day my parents got here, I met them bright and early! It was a day that I had always wanted to experience since I was young: We were going to see Pearl Harbor.

Fun fact: When I was in 5th grade, I had an awesome history teacher, Barbie Spraker, and a fierce love of reading. I became irreversibly hooked on books about World War II. My grandfather also served in World War II, and he has always been one of my greatest heroes. To this day, I love to read historical fiction and nonfiction, as well as plenty of biographies. 

It was 7:15am, my Mom was already in line for tickets to the museums, and my Dad was picking me up and buying us coffee.

Pearl Harbor turned out to be an incredible experience, just as I had hoped. We started by seeing the USS Arizona. We took a ferry boat out to the memorial to pay our respects. With our tour group, there were three Navy sailors who I had the wonderful pleasure of getting to speak with. They were in Oahu from Arizona and brought a flag with them that they had raised all over the world. Today, they were allowed to raise their flag at the USS Arizona memorial. 

Luckily, without even knowing the previous story, my Dad was ready with his camera.

We Can Do It!

After we saw the USS Arizona, we headed back to ship for a soundcheck, grabbed breakfast, then returned to Pearl Harbor to see the Pacific Aviation Museum.

The Aviation Museum was awesome. Not only did it have an indoor portion filled with history and airplanes, it had a hangar filled with more aircrafts.

It was incredible. But, this is only the start of a week filled with awesome adventures!

More to come,
Meghan

Hawaii- Manahan Style!

Let’s start this blog out by saying that my parents are hands down two of the most amazing people I know. My parents are creative, funny, loving, encouraging, but most of all, supportive. 

So supportive that they traveled over 5,000 miles to come see me perform on a cruise ship in Hawaii. 

However, for those of you who know my parents, you know that they have never missed me in a performance. On top of that, they have taken pictures, recorded videos, made dinners for me and my castmates, taken us out to ice cream, and generally been the best Stage Mom and Dad ever. (I truly look forward to my Dad asking if he can take pictures of me during that dream Broadway show someday.)

In other words, I am so excited to share all of the truly wonderful adventures I went on during my time with my parents in Hawaii! 

Stay tuned!

Meghan

The Road to Hana

Last Sunday a few of my friends and I rented a car, and ventured out on the Road To Hana.

The Road to Hana is a long winding road in Maui, Hawaii complete with an estimated 600 turns and 54 one-lane bridges. It is certainly an all day trip, complete with hiking trails, beaches, arboretums, and waterfalls. Needless to say, all of us were really excited to see the beauty Hawaii has to offer.

One of the first places we stopped was the Keanae Peninsula. There, we checked out the beach, climbed the rocks, and, my favorite part, walked through through the arboretum. The arboretum was filled with native trees and plants. The Rainbow Eucalyptus was a huge draw, and many people who were traveling to Hana stopped to check out these beauties.

This is the Rainbow Eucalyptus tree! (Or, Eucalyptus degulpta)

Once we were in the arboretum, we decided to walk down toward the water we could hear running below us. We took the "adventure is in the journey" theme of the Road to Hana to heart and hiked down the creek to get back to our car.









The greatest part of the Road to Hana is the waterfalls. There are so many of them, and most are just off the highway! Our first big falls that we stopped at along the way were the Upper Waikani Falls. Here, we decided to get a lovely family photo.

Left to Right: Chris, Myself, Sam, Michiko, and Trevor

Next stop, a black sand beach! We stopped in Wai'anapanapa State Park and enjoyed the Pa'iloa Beach views, and the rich history and legend of the land. 

Pa'iloa Beach from above, Lava caves, and the Pa'iloa shore

Waves crashing on lava rock on Pa'iloa Beach

Wai'anapanapa Park was stunning, and it took a lot of willpower for us to leave! But there was much more to see and only a few hours of daylight left!

Wailua Falls was our next stop. These falls were stunning, tall, and cold! We even got a chance to hike down the the base of the falls, swim around, and stick our feet in the water! It was gorgeous!






Last but not least, we stopped at Haleakala National Park. Here there are the Seven Sacred Pools, or the 'Ohe'o Gulch. The view here is beautiful, and when we arrived the sun was casting a beautiful light on the incredibly blue water. It was simply perfect. 

And, as if that view wasn't enough, we were blessed with a rainbow to complete our incredible day on the Road to Hana. 

Thanks for sticking around for all of this post! I know it was a long one, but I just couldn't imagine leaving anything out! All the photos were taken by me, with some assistance by the wonderful Trevor Rex!

More to come!
Meghan

An Early Morning in Waikiki

This morning my fellow cast member, Qiana, the ship’s personal trainer, Chris, and I got off the ship at 7am with bicycles and a craving for a good breakfast.




We biked our way out to Waikiki Beach in Oahu and found a wonderful restaurant called Hula Grill. I had the croissant french toast with fresh cut strawberries and a fresh fruit smoothie. It was delicious! I love eating breakfast, and the thirty minute bike ride to Waikiki made is taste that much better.

After we finished our breakfast, we walked along the beach for a bit before heading back to the ship. (Qiana and I had to do our soundcheck!) As we started getting closer to the ship, we happened upon a parade!

Hawaii is gorgeous, but it is mornings like this with exercise, great food, amazing views, and even better company that remind you that you are living in a place people call paradise.

Expect the Unexpected

So, in the last 48 hours, I have left Florida, flown to New York City, seen some of my best friends, celebrated a friend’s birthday, and found out that I am moving to Hawaii for six months.

As unexpectedly as this adventure began, I found out today that I will be joining the cast that I was swinging as Production Cast Principal on the Pride of America.

Life in musical theatre really turns upside down when you least expect it.

So, tonight I am getting my life in New York together because I fly down to Florida to see my family for a few days before heading to Hawaii. Hawaii!

I already can’t wait to share all of my Hawaiian adventures!
Meghan

Surprises Around Every Corner part 2

While receiving that phone call was a fantastic feeling, realizing that I would be living in the same city as my best friend, Kathryn, was so exciting.

As soon as I accepted my contract, I began plotting with her fiance. Fiance! Did I mention she gets married to a wonderful guy in a few short months? (Amazing!)

For so long I didn’t tell anyone about my contract or where I was going so I could surprise Kathryn. It was such a hard secret to keep! I wasn’t even home for Christmas this year, so seeing her was top priority.

Yesterday was the day. Gabe, her fiance, got her up for a nice breakfast out, he pulled into my new subdivision to “turn around” and surprise! Best friends united at last!

After breakfast at First Watch (Floridian French Toast, what’s up?!), we decided to head to Busch Gardens in Tampa to see Gabe perform in his show, Soundsational! 

You know, there are many things about musical theatre that I have always loved, but today I love the surprise factor, never knowing where I’m going, but finding out I am exactly where I should be at the end of the day.

Surprises Around Every Corner part 1

It doesn’t matter how many times you get the call or the email, getting a job always feels like someone planned an extravagant surprise birthday party just for you.

Your phone is ringing, it’s a number you don’t recognize, do I pick up? Is it that weird product survey company again? I have to get on that updated do not call list!

Then you think, Oh My God, what if it’s Broadway? What if Broadway is calling? Not that I have auditioned for a Broadway show recently, or that this is a New York area code, but, what if?

Finally, and probably with a total of two seconds to voicemail, you clear your throat and answer, “Hello?”

Then, they offer you a job. They offer you a job and as they are giving you necessary details like pay and time, all you can think is, “I have to call my parents! I wonder if I know anyone else that got this offer? I have to text my best friend! How much time do I have to pack?”

You end the phone call, do all of the above, and get ready for the next big adventure.

Yes, I’m off again. I am headed to Florida to begin rehearsals as a swing for two Norwegian Cruise Line ships!

All of those 4am mornings paid off, what an amazing feeling.

Meghan

With Her Nose Stuck In A Book

Fun fact: I have always wanted to own a New York Public Library card. It is synonymous  with being a New York resident and provides hours of subway entertainment.

Today, I went out and got my NYPL card, Starbucks, and a stack of books to go with it! 

Some days, this city just treats you well.

Meghan

Bagels for Breakfast

So, let’s talk a little bit about being a Non-Equity member in Manhattan during audition season.

The absolute hardest part of your job is waking up. It’s the worst! You probably just crawled into bed at midnight (or later!) coming home from work, and here you are again. You alarm is going off and it is only 4am.

I’m not joking. My alarm goes off on audition days at 4am.

Now, you might say, this is the girl I hate. This girl is “that girl” that wakes up to go to an audition at 4am! To that I say, which came first? The chicken or the egg? Someone else is always there before me, so am I truly crazy? Yes, but that is not the point. I didn’t start the Non-Equity madness, so I can only say that I am doing what I can to do my job: audition.

If you haven’t ever done so, you should read Audition Update. It’s the great, albeit insane, account of what auditions are happening where, what time the list is up, how many are on the list, what they need, if the gig is good or not, and everything else you could want to know... Run completely by actors. 

So when my alarm goes off at 4am, I open my iPhone to Safari, check Audition Update, pull on sweatpants, put on a coat, and walk to the train. I wait for the train, get off in midtown, and sign my name on every “Unofficial List” for the auditions I want to attend that day. (An Unofficial List is a list started by actors who want to start an order earlier than the time the audition starts. Most casting directors and theaters will take this list, but they aren’t required to!)

After I sign my name, I hop back on the train to my apartment, sleep for a little longer, and get ready for my auditions. I walk my subway stop, get my conveniently placed Starbucks, and get back on the train headed to midtown.

Usually when you arrive at an audition during audition season, it’s a madhouse. People are warming up, both vocally and physically in the hall. Some are furiously trying to cut and staple headshots and resumes, while some are changing into their audition clothes. (Audition clothes: A brightly colored, probably blue, dress and nude heels of varying heights.)

My favorite part of auditioning is running into my friends that I haven’t seen in a while. So yes, I am “that girl” too. The one who runs and jumps on her gay best friend that she hasn’t seen in a year, or like, since last weekend.

This morning I had the pleasure of auditioning for the Beauty and the Beast National Tour. The tour is Non-Equity, so as long as you get up early enough, you are pretty much guaranteed to be seen. However, this is a popular audition to attend, so when 8am rolled around, there were over 500 girls signed up for this audition. Being the awesome Point Park University graduates that we are, my friends and and I signed up really early, so we were in the first twenty people to be seen.

We got ourselves lined up against the wall and found out we were only allotted 8 bars of music to sing. (In laymen’s terms, about a sentence.) In and out we went! It was fantastic and all five of us were done singing by 10:30am. We collectively decided that it was time to leave and reward ourselves... Bagels for breakfast! (But not before we snapped a picture.)

Left to Right: Audra, Myself, Arielle, Nicole, and Kevin, being Kevin.

What could have been an absolutely insane morning was calm and wonderful because of the people in this picture. I love having a group of friends who all have the same amount of passion, dedication, and work ethic, but are all different types. We can all be so supportive of each other at every audition, and it truly makes all the difference. 

New York, It’s A Helluva Town!

It’s official! After driving through the United States in the coldest weather seen in hundreds of years... I am a resident of New York, NY! This is so cheesy, but I truly have been dreaming of saying those words for as long as I can remember. The first time I stepped foot in this city, I knew I was home.

I’m so thrilled to be getting into the swing of things. Even just the little things, like buying your monthly Subway pass, make all the difference.

So look out New York, I’m back! And I mean business!