HAPPY NEW YEAR!

All right. Time to make those resolutions. I have  8-1/2 hours to come up with all of those things that I meant to do last year and the year before that. This year I'm going to keep it simple. Maybe that way I'll actually get some of them done.

1. EXERCISE MORE. It's important to exercise. But I live in Minnesota and it gets so cold here your eyeballs freeze open if you're not careful.

2. EAT BETTER. You are what you eat, right? But wait. That means I'll end up a vegetable if I eat too healthy. Better keep those chocolates in my drawer.

3. GET A MAMMOGRAM. I do this yearly, I promise. But every since a girlfriend of mine told me about a lady who was getting a mammogram and suddenly a fire alarm went off and the nurse ran away leaving the poor lady squished helplessly in the machine, I've been putting them off until the last minute. The fire alarm was just a drill by the way, but I'll bet that lady takes a few friends with her whenever she goes in for her mammogram.

4. ENTERTAIN MORE. Actually, I should just write entertain. The last time I had anyone over was my brother-in-law for Thanksgiving and he brought the turkey.

5. BECOME ORGANIZED. I really tried this year. I made so many "to do" lists, I could wallpaper my house with them. I put things in order, broke down what had to be done, and started off with a bang. The problem is, I can't find any of those lists now.

6. DRESS MORE FASHIONABLY. My daughters have pointed out that many of my clothes are outdated. They even helped me clean out my closet. Very thoroughly I might add. However, all of the clothes I gave away are now back in style. I don't see the point in buying clothes that I was forced to give away in the first place. But OK, maybe this wouldn't be such a bad idea.

7. BE MORE POSITIVE. You know how it goes. Sometimes you see the glass half full, sometimes it's half empty. I'll admit that while I appear to be a very optimistic person, I often make things much harder than they are. Attitude is everything. Well, that and accessories I hear.

8. BLOG MORE FREQUENTLY. I'm a writer, so I really should blog more than twice a year.

8 more hours until 2012! I'll probably think of some more resolutions that I may or may not do. But in the meantime, I'm going to walk my dogs, find a nice outfit to wear for tonight, eat my greens, and start on a new list. But I am not going to have a mammogram today. No way.

Miss Hannigan's Dance in PARIS!

CHECK OUT MY ALTER EGO, MISS HANNIGAN'S SHENANIGANS!

Greetings, fellow Blogsters! I am currently playing the very glamorous role of Miss Hannigan in Stages Theatre Company's production of ANNIE JR. The blog is called: Hannigans Shenanigans and I hope that you will check it out! I love answering questions, so please send me one! My latest blog includes a few moves that you are NOT going to want to miss! Here you go:

http://hannigansshenanigans.blogspot.com/2011/07/miss-hannigans-dance-moves.html

Stages Theatre Company Presents Annie Jr.

Annie Jr. Pre-Opening at Stages Theatre Company

ANNIE JR.

ANNIE JR. Brings Mother/Daughter Duo and Five Sets of Siblings to the Stage, 7/1-8/7 Broadway World

Stages Theatre Company (STC) is truly bringing family together when ANNIE JR. opens July 1 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. The award-winning musical is based on the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" but is a junior version that condenses the original into less than 75 minutes of pure family entertainment, designed especially for younger audiences.

"We started this season with the tag line We Celebrate Friends and Family and ANNIE JR. perfectly embodies that," says STC Artistic Director and Director Sandy Boren-Barrett.

In a rare occurrence, five sets of siblings (as part of a large ensemble cast) and a mother-daughter duo bring this modern classic to life on stage. "I would love to say that as the director I planned to have all these amazing siblings when I cast the show, but frankly I just picked each actor/musician as the talented individuals they are. It wasn't until I actually looked at the cast list at the read through, that I realized we had so many siblings," says Boren-Barrett.

Actress Jennifer Kirkeby experiences a bit of deja vu with ANNIE JR. Fifteen years ago she choreographed her tow daughters Laura (Tessie) and Amber (Molly) in ANNIE and is thrilled to have Laura choreograph her in ANNIE JR. "She is such an amazing dancer, and I have so much pride and admiration for all the years of hard work and training that she's done. She also has a wonderful sense of humor and the knowledge of what works on stage," says J. Kirkeby. Playing Miss Hannigan, she says audiences can expect a slightly different character in this version. "She isn't a drinker, she's just stressed out to the point of being crazy. Miss Hannigan is a dream role of mine, and I just hope that I do her justice."

For choreographer Laura Kirkeby, STC is a place that has brought her family together for several productions including "Rumpelstilskin" where her mother directed her on stage, and "Mother Goose Rocks" where she performed on stage with both her mother and sister. "I am very excited to choreograph my mom on stage. Oh how the tables have turned! I grew up watching her choreograph my entire life, and have always looked up to my mom," says L. Kirkeby.

ANNIE JR. begins July 1 and ends Aug. 7. Tickets can be purchased by visiting http://www.stagestheatre.org/ for performance dates and times, or by calling the Box Office at (952) 979-1111, Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 pm. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for children (ages 5 to 17) and seniors (60+). Lap passes are available for free (ages 0 to 2) and $5 for (ages 3 to 4).

Stages Theatre Company was founded in 1984 and since then has grown to become one of the largest professional theatres for young audiences in the country. We engage young artists with themes relevant to their lives and involve them in creating magical works featuring young people in meaningful roles. Through theatrical productions, workshops, conservatory classes and other outreach programs, Stages Theatre Company annually serves more than 125,000 young people and their families.

http://stpaul.broadwayworld.com/article_/index.php?article=ANNIE-JR-Brings-MotherDaughter-Duo-and-Five-Sets-of-Siblings-to-the-Stage-71-87-20110613

M is for the Many Things

Today is the one year anniversary of my Mother's passing. She suffered from dementia, one of the worst diseases a person and a family can endure. I recently wrote a short play called "The Glass House" which examines how a mother and daughter struggle to communicate when the mother begins to hallucinate. The daughter tries to validate and comfort while agonizing over the loss of being recognized by her own mom.

Every Mother's Day I would sing a variation of a very funny Madeline Kahn song: "M is for the Many Things You've Done For Me". It went like this: "M is for the many things you've done for me, O is for the other things you've done for me, T is for the thousands of things you've done for me, H is for the hundreds of things you've done for me. E is for everything you've done for me, R is for the rest of the things you've done for me." It always made Mom laugh. Last year I sang it to her while she lay in her hospital bed in the house that she loved. She no longer responded, but I like to think that it still gave her some joy.

I celebrate Suzanne G. Carey on this day. Her amazing sense of humor. How she laughed when we would hang a picture upside-down. How she was always the last person to get a joke. Her incredible garden, her tennis playing, her constant optimism and belief in her children. Her artistic skill. Her love of nature. She was the most self-less person I have ever met. She believed in our abilities like no one else ever will.

When I was a little girl, I wrote a prayer to God. I put it under a rock, and when I checked it the next day, it was gone. I asked Mom if she knew where it went. She told me that an angel probably had taken it. Now I know that was what happened. I love you Mom.