Once Upon A Time….
I started my professional career at the age of 16 doing summer stock musicals at San Diego’s Starlight Theater. There I got my first taste of what it was like to sing and dance in front thousands of people. While Ballet was my first love, I enjoyed how musical theater let you explore all aspects of performing. Although it took me years to get good at it, singing was something I longed to do! I love how much passion you can pour into a song. I delved deeper into acting while attending San Diego’s School of Performing Arts and found I had a natural ability. I decided to hone the acting skills further in College. I was accepted into UCLA’s theater program. We ate drank and slept Theater. After graduating I decided to go back to my roots and move to New York to pursue a career in Musical Theater.
New York…..
One month after arriving in NY I went to audition to be a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall. While it was never really a dream of mine to be one, I knew it would keep me in NY where I could still pursue other options. I was offered the job the next day. I must say, it was grueling work. We did up to six shows a day and had to dance on a steel stage, but it was an honor to be part of a piece of American history. I will never forget the first day I performed in front of six thousand people! The show was only October – December, so that left me plenty of time to do other regional shows across the nation as well as in France, Japan and Portugal. I was a Rockette from 1994-1998.
The Great White Way……
My big dream was to perform on Broadway. I got my wish when I was 26. I was cast as the “Flossie” understudy in the musical “On The Town” Directed by George C. Wolfe. I followed that up with “A Christmas Carol” Directed by the late Mike Ockrent and choreographed by the legendary Susan Stroman. I was lucky enough to work with them both again in the PBS version of “Crazy for You”. You can see me toe tapping on a table as Mitzi. I still have the toe/tap shoes on my wall as a reminder NOT to do that again! (ouch!) I then did the national tour of “Chicago” as June. (“he ran into my knife ten times!!”) I could do that show all year long! The last big New York show I did was the first national of “Kiss Me Kate” starring Rachel York. It was exciting to be part of such a big production. The tour lasted for 13 months and I did the entire run! When the show closed, I knew I was ready for a change. I had a plan to move to LA and pursue more Film and TV roles.
How do you make God laugh? Make a plan…..
I went on vacation to the carribean before moving to LA. I took a flying trapeze class. It was there, swinging upside down by my knees, that I first saw a hansom man with killer abs. His name was Doug and he happened to live in Southern California. We exchanged numbers and I said I’d call him when I moved out there. Once in LA I saw him regularly, and when my sublet fell through I moved in with him “temporarily”. That was 9 years ago. We were engaged 10 months later, married 6 months after that, and proud parents of our first son Jackson 9 months after that!
Happily Ever After…..
Needless to say, my focus has changed a bit since having kids. We added another son, Cole, to the mix in 2007. I don’t feel the need to pound the pavement as hard as I once did. But I still make sure I do a few professional shows a year and I have an awesome agent who sends me out a few times a month. Now I teach Dance Fitness/Hip, Pop and Rock, which I love, as well as Ballet, Jazz and Hip Hop! Feel free to contact me with any questions. I hope to see you on stage or in class!
Juliet