I had a dream about Roger Ebert the other day. It wasn't a bad dream - he didn't die in the dream but it did involve my witnessing his health struggles. The dream disturbed me so much that I had to share it with my friend Barb. And then today he announced in his blog that he is "slowing down" and taking "a leave of presence." (Leave it to Roger. He can always turn a phrase so cleverly.) The cancer has returned. This news devastated me. I am so emotional right now. I feel silly for it. …
The Adventures of Permanent Lifestyle Change Girl 2013
My eating, the Mirror, the scale, video of me performing (Egads!) There is no denying it. I have become a fat bitch again. Don't despair folks. We obese people can say these things about ourselves. And no matter how many of my dear ones smack my hand or pound the table as they offer their support by saying: "Don't say those things about yourself!" The truth is that I have to face the truth. No matter how well I sing and no matter how much the people love me in spite of the rolls of flesh I …
Prepared to Bleed.
Tonight I perform an encore performance of my Nina Simone Show and of course I am all nervous and panicked about: wardrobe, tickets sales and everything else! It's funny because I really do consider this show as one of the best things I've done in concert to date. So why all the nerves and insecurity? …
Much Ado
Big day for me! If you know me, then you know how much I hate making a fuss. But today is a fussy day: video shoot, photo shoot, filmed interviews of me talking about me. It's all me, me, me... Yikes! But I reckon that's what it will take to get this showboat up and sailing. I guess I must do what I gotta do. But I have have found it's easy to stomach when I'm in the hands of experts who do beautiful work and looking at the end result is less traumatic when the work is so exceptional. There …
Tonight’s the Night
My Nina Simone Tribute is tonight. It's finally here. All of the weeks of preparation all come to fruition in roughly five hours. The Shivers and I have rehearsed, conversed, arranged and thought about this night. Personally, I have considered this show as a turning point for me as a performer. It's been ages since I learned an entirely new repertoire for one concert like this. It's been a journey for me. Learning about this artist and listening to her recordings repeatedly has incorporated …