I get to be onstage again!!!

Last night we had auditions for the children's play...and I get to play Missy!! I'm so friggin' excited.

It's a funny little retelling of the Three Little Pigs, and Missy is the sticks pig with a personality reminiscent of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Although when I was reading for her, some of Portia from the Mighty B! crept in...but I played it differently than everyone else, and maybe that's what got me the part.

I really don't care about analyzing it. I'm so so happy to be in a show!!

We get to perform at several daycares and schools during the month of April, and then...in December we're adding a second act to the show, where the Big Bad Wolf tells his side of the story. And at that point, we're going to be a mainstage show! We get to perform in Collins, and kids will come in to see us. I'm seriously thrilled about that. I'm freaking guaranteed to be in a show next semester, and that makes me feel a lot better.

This has been a really, really good week.

I went out for sushi, ice cream, and book-browsing last Friday with Daniella and Shannon.

I went on my birthday date (lunch and seeing Coraline in 3D) with P on Saturday.

I hit up Flattestan for a big birthday dinner and awesome Rock Band session on Saturday night.

I got accepted to the Disney Alumni Program!!

I got A's on my Gilbert and Sullivan and Shakespeare projects for Voice and Diction, and I think I did well on my storytelling project.

I impressed one of the most intimidating members of the theater department with my work ethic, introspection, and acting ability.

I've worked out for 30-60 minutes every day this week.

I nailed my audition for the children's show and got a good part.

And I'm going out to dinner with friends tonight.

I'm so thankful for a good life and a good week. Now, if only every week could be like this...

These be some crazy stats!

1200 applied for the summer alumni program.

There only 300 slots.

And I...am one of those 300.

I really do feel incredibly grateful. With the economy as bad as it is, I figure it would be really hard for me to get a job for the summer back here in Nashville. And while I had opportunities before to go back to Disney, this is the first year they've offered Attractions.

What made this summer different was that I felt that that's where I needed to be. I can't really describe it. I just got the email about the program, and got this pulse-pounding feeling that that was where I needed to be. Honestly, it's the same feeling I got the first time I applied.

Anyways...I needed to babble some...

(and there's going to be more Disney CP babbling, as I'm using this blog to make pages for a guide to the program. It's going to get better, I promise...)

So what is the Disney College Program?

The Disney College Program has been going on for a surprisingly long time. I think it was around 1983, when Epcot opened. But in any case, the program is an opportunity for college students to live, learn, and earn with the Disney company as an intern by working as a cast member at either Disneyland in Anaheim, California, or Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Disney is a Fortune 500 company, and is consistently ranked as both the top place to start a career, and the most desired place to work. Besides, it’s Disney- the most magical place on earth!

As long as you’re enrolled in college when you apply for the program, you’re eligible, although there is also the CareerStart program for newly graduated high schoolers. A CP (as we call the participants on the Disney College Program) can work anywhere in the resorts, parks or Downtown Disney. And I do mean anywhere. Jobs are available in:-Attractions
-Merchandise
-Quick service food and beverage
-Full service food and beverage
-Character performing
-Character attending (monitoring character-and-guest interactions)
-Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
-Costuming
-Lifeguarding
-Hospitality
-Housekeeping
-Front gate operations
-Bell services dispatch
-Custodial
-Transportation
-Recreation
-Vacation planner
-PhotoPass photographer
(there’s also some culinary-based jobs, but you have to enrolled in a culinary program to be eligible)

The pay rate starts at about $7.21 an hour, but it varies depending what kind of job you’re working. You can it in a direct deposit, or you can join the Vista bank available for cast members. CPs work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Most weeks you’ll work 40-50 hours, with one or two days off. If you’re working during peak times (spring break, summer, or Christmas) you’ll work even more. When I worked during spring break, I worked 67 hours in one week, and did seventeen shows in one day! Plus, since you’re at the bottom of the totem pole, you’ll be the first to get assigned weekends, holidays, and nights (the shifts the full-timers don’t want). But hey, you’ve got steady work. If you really don’t want to miss out on holidays, apply for a Spring or Spring Advantage program. The only holidays you’ll work are Easter and Valentine’s Day, as opposed to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

There are five different types of programs you can participate in:
-Spring (January to May)
-Spring Advantage (January to August)
-Fall (August to December)
-Fall Advantage (May to December)
-Summer (May to August, but this program is only available to College Program alumni)

The timing is all dependant on when you apply. If you apply in the fall, you’ll go in the spring. Apply in the spring, you’ll go in the fall Pretty straightforward.

You can take classes taught by Disney professionals during the program. Some of the classes are specific to your major, but most of them are open to anyone. You can also opt to take online courses so you can keep up with your degree.

The Disney internship and the classes they offer are accepted at a lot of schools, but not all of them. Check with your school. Chances are, even if the program isn’t yet accepted for credit at your institution, they can work something out for you.

Disney also provides housing and transportation. There are four apartment complexes available to CPs that include post offices, pools, fitness centers, computer labs, and laundry. And yes, you are required to live in Disney housing (except for the summer alumni program, when you can make arrangements to live offsite). Rent ranges from $90-$150, and is deducted from your paycheck each week. You’ll share the apartment with one to seven people, and you’ll have a roommate.

As for transportation, you have the option of bringing your own car, but if you don’t want to, or just want to conserve your gas for driving places other than work, Disney provides buses. They run to every Disney location, plus the post office, the grocery store, and Wal-mart. They’re fairly reliable, and definitely more economical than bringing in a car.

Working for Disney has a lot of benefits beyond taking a semester off and making some money. You get all the cast member benefits: free entrance to the parks for yourself and limited entrance for friends and family, discounts on merchandise, discounts on resorts, limited discounts on food, and all kinds of things that are open only to cast members. You’re also getting a great boost to your resume. When you apply for jobs afterwards, you can guarantee that potential employers will want to know more about Disney. This is an experience you can’t get anywhere else.

So that’s the basic jist of the Disney College Program. There’s a lot more at www.disneycollegeprogram.com, so check that or email me if you want to know more. And you can always read more stuff on my blog. That’s always good…more hits for me! :)

Some musings...

I am now officially the only female member of the Lipscomb University theater ministry team. It's pretty exciting! I met with Chris and Josh last night and they worked with me on my pieces. They were both really happy with what I picked and how I was interpreting it, so I'm really happy.

I formally accepted my program offer; now on to the onslaught of preparation. I'm definitely more confident this time around, since I know what to expect. I'm thinking of piecing together a kind of guide to the Disney College Program, so you're probably going to see a sudden rush of CP-related stuff. Just so you're forewarned...

Tomorrow night I'm going to the meeting about the April children's show. I'm so hyped! I haven't been on any kind of stage in a year. A whole year! The last time that happened I was in kindergarten.

And now for the more serious stuff...

To be terribly, horribly honest, I forgot about Lent.

I grew up in several different denominations (Baptist, then Christian and Missionary Alliance, then non-denominational, then Presbyterian, and now Church of Christ) as well as several different private schools (Presbyterian, then Baptist, now Church of Christ), and really, none of them really put any emphasis on Lent. Well, the Presbyterians did some, but not really. It wasn't until I moved to CoC that I met a large collective of people who actually followed Lent.

So I didn't even think about this year's Lent until I read a post by a friend of mine (she played Tillie in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds when I played Janice). She's deleting her Facebook account for all of Lent.

Now, that's commitment.

I've seen other friends give up all kinds of things for Lent. My friend Rose, for example gave up Dr. Pepper one year and popcorn another. Now, I don't know if you know her, but that's basically what Rose lives on.

I've thought about what I could give up, but nothing seemed to stick out to me. Pretty much every vice I have, I've been able to give it up on the short term: soda, television, internet usage, desserts. There's not really anything I can seem to think of that would make a big enough impact over the course of Lent.

So I'm going to do my own spin on Lent. Instead of giving up one particular thing for Lent, I'm going to focus more on how I honor God with my body. The Bible says our body is God's temple...mine's a little rundown.

I mean, a big part of college is eating junk food at 2am and lounging around the student center, right? But if God worked so hard to create me, why am I treating his work like crap?

My plan is to focus more on what I eat and exercising. I tend to eat whatever, and occasionally I work out, but I want to make a drastic change, and I want to do it for the right reasons.

Plus, I figure that 30 minutes on a cardio machine is a great time to open my Bible and read, rather than forgetting until super late at night and thinking Oh, I'm too tired. I'll do it later...because then I never get around to it.

I guess you could say that for Lent I'm giving up physical self-centeredness.

(at least that sounds fancy if people ask what I'm doing for Lent...)

Musical Monday #6!

It's taken me a little while to pick this song. I debated long and hard. And then...inspiration struck!

Actually, inspiration came in the form of a large white envelope from Disney. Guess who was accepted to the summer 2009 alumni program as an attractions cast member?!

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seeing as how I'm headed to Disney, I quickly realized what was in order for today's Musical Monday. THE THEME FROM FANTASMIC!



It's so epic. And it's the fireworks show from my park, the Disney-MGM Studios.

All right, the Disney-Hollywood Studios. *bleck*

But doesn't that music just fill you with Disney joy?

(Also, now you can expect a TON of blogging about what it's like to work for the mouse. Hopefully it'll be exciting!)

25 Things...because there's nothing else to do...

I'm so anxious about Disney I can't write anything interested. I provide, instead, an internet meme.

1) While I've always enjoyed soda (especially Sprite, Dr. Pepper, and Jones Green Apple), it's never been that much of a vice for me. But over the past two months I got addicted to Pepsi, and now it's so hard to say no...

2) I didn't date in high school and was attracted to very few boys. Ergo, my high school theater teacher thought I was a lesbian.

3) However, once I did start dating, I was done. P was my first and last boyfriend (as well as my first and last first kiss).

4) When I was little, I desperately wanted freckles. I have very few, but occasionally I develop new ones. I have five tiny freckles in a straight line from the corner of my left eye, and it looks kind of cool.

5) I tend to get obsessive over things. The first truly memorable one was my obsession over the movie Anastasia (1997). Man, I loved that thing. I even have the music box.

6) I started writing fanfiction as a middle-schooler. I ended up getting really popular online, so now I have 200+ people who have me marked as a favorite author...even though I don't write often anymore.

7) I'm super-good at organizing things...I just can never manage to keep everything organized...

8) I hate talking on the phone. Hate it, hate it, hate it. Even if I know you and love you, sometimes I won't answer the phone...I'll sit there and listen to it ring, listen to the voicemail you leave, and text you back.

9) I love flowers. Love, love, love. Especially lilies of the valley and yellow roses. I've always wanted a garden.

10) I first realized I wanted to be a voice actor when I was about seven or eight years old and started listening to the Focus on the Family radio show Adventures in Odyssey.

11) I'm easily manipulated and intimidated by people, especially if they're older than I am.

12) I know way too much about animation, especially if it's Disney. I'm a walking trivia guide, man!

13) I can navigate around every Walt Disney World park (except Animal Kingdom) with my eyes closed. And I can tell you the best places to find characters. And I know when to get onto which rides.

14) I don't draw or play the piano anymore because of my wrists. I'm also not allowed to write with normal writing utensils. That's why I carry my faithful laptop Sokka around.

15) I name inanimate objects. It gives you something to call it when things go wrong.

16) While cosplay and anime cons wereruined for me, I still wish I could afford to make some completely amazing cosplays. And then sit around at home in them. Or make Youtube videos. Either one.

17) Speaking of cosplays, it is my dream to the Ultimate Toph Bei Fong Cosplayer. Because I am a nerd. But seriously, there's finally a fun character I could pull off.

18) I have always always always wanted a Yorkshire terrier. I shall name him Speed Racer and carry him in the basket of my retro Barbie-pink Schwinn bicycle. (I always said I would name him Telligrue...but I think Telligrue will be a middle name. Because COME ON! This:

named Speed Racer?! How much better can that get?!

19) I can recite the first chapter of C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as well as various and sundry other passages of books.

20) My dream in life is to be an action figure. Well, to voice a character that is made into an action figure and sold at Target and various comic conventions.

21) I wish I could still draw.

22) The only things I've ever won were a Trevecca visor from speech meet and tickets to a Gwen Stefani concert. Which I did not go to.

23) I used to play Oregon Trail (the original one) like a fiend. That, and American Girl Premiere. That's about as far as I got on the video game front.

24) I'm usually writing something story-related, no matter what I'm doing. Even when I"m far from my lappie, I'm scripting scenes and characters in my head.

And the last one! Finally!

25) I always wanted to have lots and lots of siblings. Or at least a brother. But nope, just a sister.

Hope this was entertaining!

STUFF A MONKEY!!!!

From the Disney website:

"Members of our team are verifying that each applicant is an alumnus of the Disney College Program, checking their rehire status, record cards, and evaluating the expressed role interests with the limited opportunities available in each role.

"If we need additional paperwork or other information from someone interested in the alumni program, we will contact them on an individual basis.

"Notification for this program will be made through a letter sent through the U.S. Postal Service.
Our goal is to notify everyone as quickly as possible. Please understand that the necessary research involved with each interested party will take time. Our estimated time frame for notification is between late February and mid March. However, it could take longer in some situations."

GRKLJAKLJKLJDKLJFKLSDJFKL:SDJKLFJSDLFJSDJFL:SD.

I'm so anxious I could stuff a monkey.

Musical Monday #5!

I had to look up last week's MM to rememeber what number this was...

This week's Musical Monday is very, very special, in that it has a great deal of different music and even more sentimental value. This is the pirate chase scene that I put together for Enchanted Attic, the show I just directed.

This was honestly the hardest part for me. I had throw out the script and come up with something funny and imaginative that allowed the actors show off how awesome they were, and that used our set. It took an entire 2 1/2-hour rehearsal to block this, and they were always so tired afterwards, but they did a fantastic job and the audience thought it was hysterical.

So here it is! The pirate chase scene from Enchanted Attic. Now you can see what I was agonizing over for the past month and a half...



(it wouldn't let me embed. Let me go cry now...)

But anyways, here's the music I used for the scene (which makes it qualify for a Musical Monday! Yes!...yes? Maybe? If I beg hard?"

"Hide and Go Sneak (score)" from Peter Pan

"Two Hornpipes (score)" from Pirates of the Caribbean

"To the Rescue (score)" from Nightmare Before Christmas

"Sootballs (score)" from Spirited Away

"Tsugaru" from DDR: Max 2

"Theme from Jaws" from...well, I'm going to have to say Jaws

"Jack Sparrow (score) from Pirates of the Caribbean

And...another show over

Enchanted Attic closed last night, after a decent run. We had about 150 at each open-to-the-public performances, which is definitely good.

Now I have to write a post-mortem...which is a fancy term for "what do you think went well, and what do you think could have gone better?". And then I get to talk it over with Mike and Deb. Should be interesting, but it'll be nice to know what Mike thought of the show.

I think it was a really good show, but it had one terrifically bad weakness: poor dialogue. The story and the physical comedy were perfect for children, but the dialogue was so high-brow that it was definitely meant for adults. So weird! Also, the physical comedy vanished after the first act, because there was no real opportunity to use it. Dangit.

And now I have nothing to do for the rest of the semester but perfect my audition for Guys and Dolls. Which I'm honestly getting excited about. I haven't been onstage in a year and it feels so odd.

Oh! And I'm twenty-two now! It's pretty astounding. I keep thinking I'm about seventeen or so...but I'm not. So weird.

But I spent my whole birthday day with fun people doing fun things. And I had candy. Lots of candy. And SO MANY FLOWERS!!!!! Emma got me flowers, and Rose got me flowers, and P gave me the most beautiful bouquet of yellow roses...which I love. Makes my day.

One performance down, three more to go!

The first performance went over pretty well yesterday! It's always so different to go from dress rehearsals in perfect conditions to the actual show. And the actual show conditions translates as "five hundred kindergarteners unable to sit still."

Projection could have been stronger, energy could have been higher. The script could have been BETTER WRITTEN. Also, the ASM shouldn't have walked onstage in full lights to close the puppet theater. But still, it was a good performance, especially since so many cast members are feeling sick. Especially poor Freida. She keeps calling it the black lung, though, which we all giggle at.

This is off-topic, but I hate people who talk to themselves. And breathe through their mouths. Like the girl in the computer lab right now. Ugh. Shoot me.

Anyways, we have our second performance tonight. Hopefully things will be even better!

Musical Monday #4!

I love this song. Love, love, love. Love it to the point that P and I are using it as our first dance at our wedding. ^_^

Disney's a big deal to me. So when a lot of their recent films turned into stupid effing trainwrecks that were made only to make money but failed anyway (Home on the Range, The Wild, etc.) I was pretty broken up about it.

Then I saw Meet the Robinsons. It was supposed to be released six months earlier than its final release date, but John Lasseter said he wanted the film pushed back so they could work on it. It was worth it. It's the first movie in a long time that felt like an actual Disney movie. Sure, it's got its rough spots, but it's a clever, emotionally charged story.

The last part made me bawl. Throughout the whole film (I'll try not to make these into big spoilers) twelve-year-old orphan Lewis is looking to the past for answers, but everyone keeps telling him to "keep moving forward." The movie closes with a quote from Walt Disney that says..."Keep moving forward."

Not only do I love this film, but this song's lyrics are perfect for a wedding song, especially for me and P, who have been engaged for nearly two years...it'll be three years by the time we finally get married. And we've been through a lot in our fairly short lives- a fifteen year history of depression for me, and a year-long illness for him. The words of this song are just perfect.

So here it is. "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas, from the movie Meet the Robinsons.

Really? Really.

The musical is Guys and Dolls. Ugh. Shoot me.

It could have been worse...but still. I was so geared up for Seven Brides. I even watched the movie last night. I could have made such a good Millie...

Anyways, the season looks like this:

August: Death of a Salesman (a faculty/alumni/some students show)

November: Guys and Dolls

February: Beau Jest

April: Shakespeare Scene Festival

...plus three children's shows scattered throughout.

So yeah. A decent season.

I talked to Mike about if I'll be eligible for Beau Jest, since I graduate in December. He said he'd think about it...so I'm crossing my fingers!

"Nancy" is a great adjective

One of the actresses in Enchanted Attic keeps using "nancy" as an adjective and it cracks me up. Like when we were blocking out the kung fu fight in the chase scene, and she's like "Oh, I can't actually hurt you, I'm such a nancy." Ah, good times.

Our run-throughs have gone really well. We moved from our rehearsal space to the official performance space on Sunday, and Ash and I expected things to be pretty train-wrecky when we started rehearsing on the real stage. Not so! Everything's going really smoothly. The past two nights we've done a run-through, then gave notes, then ran some trouble spots. And bam! All in all, we're pretty pleased.

Mike the Almighty Director is announcing the season for next year tomorrow. I have literally had nightmares every night this week about because I'm so anxious. It'll be my last semester, after all, and my last musical here. Sad days. But here's some of my suspicions:

1) Guys and Dolls: I don't hate this show, but I don't love it. Sarah Brown gets on my last nerve. If we were doing it, I'd shoot for Adelaide. She's all nasally and it's great. But I don't think we'll do it; the theater department did it in the late 90s, and we try to not repeat shows.

2) My Fair Lady: I would love it if we did this show. I've been singing it since I was 10, and it's fabulous. I'd definitely try for Eliza. But alas, not only would I probably not get the part (my high range is weeeeeaaaaak) but we probably aren't doing this one. Not dancey enough.

3) Pajama Game: Don't want to do this. Really campy. Don't have a clue if Mike is thinking it, though!! It's definitely the wild card.

4) Godspell: This was in the running last season. Eh, I'd be up for it. I don't think we'll do it though...not dancey enough, and we just did a Bible-story-based-play.

5) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: OMFG. If we did this show, I would explode in joy. Seriously. I'd shoot for Millie, but if I got to play a bride (especially Alice or Dorcas) it would make my life. And this is the on I think Mike will pick!! It's dancey, it's a big-scale production, and we've never done it here.

So yeah. That's what my money's on. But if I got to pick the musical...

-Les Miserables (Eponine)

-Into the Woods (Baker's Wife or Little Red)

-The Secret Garden (Mary or Martha)

Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?

Musical Monday #3!

I can't believe I haven't blogged since last Musical Monday!

Wait, wait, yes, I can. That's what happens when you have a cold...and no medicine at hand except Sprite and theater-induced adrenaline...and rehearsals. (That's also my explanation for why my dorm room is a wreck. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

Anyways, my Musical Monday selection is...

"There's a Reason These Tables Are Numbered, Honey, You Just Haven't Thought Of It Yet."

Is that not the best name ever? Yay for Panic! At the Disco.

This is the live version from a concert in Denver...it's different from the album version, but it's so snazzy.



Now, why did I pick this song?

There's something about it that has always appealed to me deeply. There's something just so wild and devious and attractive about the song. And besides, haven't you ever wanted to just show up some snotty diva by how awesome you are? It would never happen, but you can listen to this song and nod your head and say, "Why, yes, in fact, I am the new cancer." Then you'll pause and say..."What on EARTH does that mean?!"

Oh, well. I love this song. And I love the fact that the piano sounds like "Puttin' on the Ritz."

And I love the hotness of all that is Brendon. I mean...he's hawtt!