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

All Good Things Must End

The Mississippi River
Photo Credit: Chuck Manahan

With this post, I bid the Quad Cities and Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse adieu. I truly cannot believe that my time in this area has ended. I have had such an amazing time getting to know my cast and the midwest!

For now, I am off to drive cross country to my next destination... New York, NY!

Until next time, Rock Island.
Meghan

"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

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

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