There are days that change your life forever. There are days that bring a new awareness into your psyche that will affect the way you see the world from now on. Today was one of those days.

The mind is an incredible thing. I don’t understand the complexities of it. The connections that it makes without us being aware of them. The constant workings to guide and inspire and correct and inform us in our every day lives.

I suddenly remembered a magazine article that I wrote yeeeeeaaarrrs ago, in which I talked about driving to an audition in Los Angeles wearing a sparkly shirt, and how the sunshine reflecting off of me created tiny reflections all over the inside of my car–  turning me into a legitimate disco ball.

It happened again. The slip and fall. The attack of the klutz. The shattering of the illusion of that graceful and poised person that I pretend to be. And it happened in front of 2200 people…

It’s days like this that I wish someone would just tell me what to do. Tell me what the rules are. Or guidelines. Whatever they’re called. As I sit here, bundled up in my comfy clothes and steaming my face, I sit in the knowledge that I’m battling a cold.

It’s twenty minutes before midnight. My birthday is approaching fast. I’ve written a lot lately about stuff that has already happened. Now, I feel like it’s time to write about something that is coming up… and soon. As in, twenty minutes from now.

It’s OPENING NIGHT. The night we’ve all been waiting for… working towards… dreaming about. Aside from rehearsing the show, we’ve also spent loads of time and attention picking out the right gifts and greeting cards to congratulate our fellow company members and, of course, choosing the fiercest, sexiest, most stylish outfits for the after-party.

What a week! Looking back on it, it’s hard to believe that we had the energy to get through all of it and still perform a 5-show weekend afterward…but adrenaline and good company will get you through anything, I presume.

Tonight was our first audience at the Capitol Theater! It was exciting to finally share our creation with the 1600 friends and family that attended our final dress rehearsal. Before it started, the whole cast was buzzed, nervous, excited.

I was recently interviewed by a local Sydney magazine, and I thought you might be interested to read my answers about my childhood relationship to the story of Aladdin, and why I think musical theater is a powerful healing art. Also, I explain what I think it means to be a Princess in the real world.

An Open Letter to a Computer Hacker

Our Aladdin company is awesome. They are fiercely talented, funny, warm, and just a blast to see every day. Since day one, they’ve made a foreign girl feel totally welcome with their smiles, their questions to check in on how I’m feeling, sharing their snacks and their stories… I’ve been overwhelmed by the warmth and presence of Australians. They always seem to be going out of their way to check in and see if your happy.

I am currently living in Sydney, Australia, playing Princess Jasmine in the new Australian production of Disney’s ALADDIN! What?! How did that happen?