Jennifer Naimo

FYI: If you’re in LA August 8th, Friday, 10 AM…you can come to the dress rehearsal for free! Just get there before 10 and we start and you’ll see it for free, before the paying audience that night…yahoo!!!

Isn’t that neat?

LITERALLY!!!!!!! WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF REHEARSING ,AT THE END OF THE DAY??? NOW I CAN’T REMEMBER , AND IN THIS HUGE SPACE IN A HUGE CHURCH AND THE GROUND LITERALLY STARTED MOVING UNDER US, LIKE A SUBWAY HAD JUST PASSED UNDERNEATH OUR FEET, OR SOMEONE HAD TAKEN EACH END OF THE STAGE AND DID ‘THE WAVE’ WITH IT. IT TOOK ME A MOMENT TO PROCESS, ‘WAS THAT AN EARTHQUAKE? AM I IN NYC OR LA? OH, LA! OK TIME TO RUN” I WAITED TO SEE IF ANOTHER MVMT WOULD HAPPEN THAN RAN LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL UNDER THE DOOR FRAMES OF THIS PLACE, AND REALIZED 37 CAST MEMBERS, AND CREW AND STAFF WE’RE BEHIND ME,AND RAN OUT, LOOKED UP AND SAW POWER LINE, AND RAN TO THE HUGE, OPEN SPACE PARKING LOT..WHERE NOTHING COULD FALL ON ME, US. THE WHOLE CAST CAME OUT TOO. AND WE STOOD  THERE FOR A MOMENT AND MAYBE AFTER 2 MINUTES, RICHARD JAY SAID ‘ OK I THINK IT’S SAFE” WE WENT BACK IN. HE TOLD US AN AMAZING STORY OF WHEN THE TOUR WAS OPENING IN SAN FRAN AND THE HUGE QUAKE HAPPENED, AND THEY ACTUALLY PERFORMED THAT NIGHT,A ND IT WAS SOLD OUT, AND IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES THEY EVER HAD..CUZ LIFE TOOK ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING, AND EVERYONE ,THE AUDIENCE AND CAST HAD SHARED SOMETHING TOGETHER”

WE THAN WENT ON,BUSINESS AS USUAL…AND I UNDERSTOOD..’THE SHOW REALLY DOES GO ON’

PS TIM WENT INTO WORK A LATER SHIFT, AND SAID HE WAS EATING AND OUR TABLE STARTLED SHAKING ,AND RUMBLING AND MY BROADWAY SIGN AND SOME JERSEY BOYS FRAMED ART FELL OVER…BUT WE ARE ALL SAFE THANK GOD..

ok if you don’t have tickets yet…get them.. it’s going to be amazing. everyone is perfectly cast..sounds gorgeous. we actually learned and sang the entire show a t the end of the day. tomorrow we start staging it. we’ have full on costumes and wigs..and set..and it seats 18.,00000  did i mention.

i  got to reunite with a lot of my friend s from when i did les miz before. it’s quite special to be involved with this. and jly sounds beautiful in the role. rosie won’t be doing it because of a family emergency but ruth williamson will be great. i could go on and on about each cast member ,but than that’s what the audience is for.

RIchard Jay was excited, humbled, gracious, strong ready to go..and Kevin Stites does not miss one wrong note..and we had some.. it’s an incredible ensemble and it’s going to be intense, overwhelming and i’m thankful for every moment. maybe photos soon.

if i dont’ write to some of you ,forgive me, i have no time at the end of the day right now…xo

tomorrow starts 1rst day of rehearsal. we were told bring pencil, pad, recording device so that by the end of the day,we’re rock solid in our music..as we will sing the entire score ,at the end of the day. yahoo ,this is going to be a treat.

As for the play i was up for, the director called me at home, and was very generous with his remarks, but gave it to an actress who’s quite funny and has worked over 12 shows with him on, for little to no pay. So besides the courtesy of calling me and stroking my ego with praise, he is loyal to his company of actors. ANd than I literally ran into Denise at Glendale Galleria mall..which I haven’t been to since being home.. and the moment I was leaving the mall I saw her. Very happy for her.

It would be 9 weeks of work,but you’d have to live in Laguna Beach(not to shabby) an hour and a half away. ANd well, you know, I just got home..LOL ..and just signed with new Commercial agency..so it’s always a good idea to be here and available.. alright .. hopefully i’ll be able to write again soon and let you know how long JLY’s hair is….AT THE END OF THE DAY..XO JEN

hi

i know it seems like a long time since I wrote. We’ve been literally running around. I start Les Miz rehearsals Monday…so I’m listening to the music again as I jog around the ROse BOwl. I havent’ sung it since 1990..and there are subtle changes..for one, I’m not Eponine this time..lol.But I had a nice coffee date with Michelle Maika who is playing Cosette this time. SHe was Eponine on the 2nd Nat’l Tour . SO we were doing it at the same time in different cities. She still looks like a kid ,but is now also a pschotherapist ,among acting,and a mother of a beautiful 5 year old girl.

I have an audition tomorrow for a play, no singing, but they describe her as ‘ferret -like, wiry, mismatched ,ill-fitting clothes, but fastidious in her work as a stage mgr ..for a bway show..(that is sposed to open at the AUgust WIlson” It s a sweet comedy, the only thing..I’m to be British. SO I have to lose my NJersey slang.

Lots of mvmt lately with adoption too so Ill let you know when I know more… signing off

I thought I would add these photos of a production of SUDS i did in 1993?? at ACTORS THEATRE OF LOUISVILLE. Steve Gunderson, who was one of the creators and performers in the original production, sent them to me. He’s about to start rehearsal in a new musical at La Jolla Playhouse, and had to dance for Sergio!!!!!!!!

Speaking of choreographers…Javier Velasco was our’s for this show. I don’t think I ever worked so hard in my life. He was so patient with me. I was totally retarded and slow at picking up the stylized dances…it was all Bacharach music.. I played the lead..and it was great training for everything that followed.

I loved Louisville, except I had bad allergies.And the Actors theatre Of Louisville is an amazing place to work.

Thank you Steve for reminding me of my youth..and the character Ingenue..yee ha..

OK SO LAST WE SPOKE YOU KNOW WE GOT IN AROUND 1 AM, FRIDAY/SATURDAY ..THE WEDDING WAS AT 4 PM. IT WAS ON THE CAMPUS OF MY NIECE’S COLLEGE ,IN A LITTLE CHAPEL. SHE LOOKED GORGEOUS AND SO HAPPY. AND SEEING ALL MY FAMILY ,AUNTS ,UNCLES ,NIECES ,NEPHEWS ETC..WAS SUCH FUN. THE WEDDING WAS BEAUTIFUL,BUT SHORT,AS IT WASN’T A CATHOLIC WEDDING,WHICH I’VE USUALLY ATTENDED.SO AFTER,THEY RENTED A TROLLEY CAR FOR THE WEDDING FAMILY AND WE HEADED TO THE COUNTRY CLUB TO START THE FESTIVITIES.

UPON ENTERING , THERE WERE APPETIZERS..YEE HA. AS WE WERE FAMISHED..SO EVERY ONE WAS HAPPY AND SATISFIED, WAITING FOR THE COUPLE OF THE EVENING TO ARRIVE. I GOT TO CATCH UP ON EVERYONE’S LIFE…AND TIM GOT TO REACQUAINT HIMSELF WITH FAMILY HE HADN’T SEEN SINCE OUR WEDDING..

I PUT MY GREAT NEPHEW DOMINIC IN TIMS LAP ..AND HE JUST LOOKED UP AT TIM SO TRUSTINGLY..WE TOOK LOTS OF PHOTOS, AS INITIALLY I WAS GOING TO PRETEND, THIS WAS OUR NEW SON..LOL. NO SUCH LUCK…YET..

THE WEDDING PARTY ARRIVED, SPEECHES WERE MADE, FOOD SERVED, DRINKS OVER FLOWED,AND THAN THE DANCING BEGAN.MY DAD AND MOM WERE ALWAYS TO BE FOUND ON THAT DANCING FLOOR. TIM AND I TOO LOVE TO DANCE.. AND ALL THE FAMILY WERE IN THEIR ELEMENT. THE HOURS FLEW BY, AND NO ONE HAD A CLUE THAT OUTSIDE A MAGNIFICENT THUNDERSTORM AND TINY TYPHOON HAD SWEPT THRU..ONLY ON DRIVING HOME ,WHILE AVOIDING TREE BRANCHES AND THINGS ,DID WE NOTICE.

WE HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME THAT NIGHT. SLEPT IN AND WENT TO 11:00 MASS THE NEXT DAY. ACTUALLY THE PRIEST, FROM HUTCHINSON, HAD COME TO SEE ME IN JERSEY BOYS IN NY, AND SO AT MASS, HE INTRODUCED ME, AND TOLD THE PARISH THAT I WAS GOING TO BE ON A SEGMENT OF ‘THE CHOICES WE FACE’ IN THE UPCOMING WEEK. THAT WAS NICE OF HIM…HE LOVES THEATRE AND TRAVELING…AND GIVES GREAT SERMONS.

‘THE CHOICES WE FACE’ IS A CATHOLIC SHOW AIRING ON EWTN, AND I FILMED IT LAST OCTOBER IN ANN ARBOR, MICH, TAKING A DAY OFF FROM JBOYS…SUCH FUN…A HALF HOUR SHOW…THE SUBJECT BEING HOW DO YOU KEEP FAITH IN THE ENTERTAINMENT FIELD…I THINK A LOT HAS TO DO WITH MY PARENTS PRAYERS…ANYWAY

THAT’S MY FIRST SEGMENT …MORE TO COME…