Jennifer Naimo

WELL I’VE BEEN HOME WITH HARRISON FOR HIS SPRING BREAK THIS PAST WEEK AND WE DID SO MUCH. WE WENT TO LEGOLAND WITH MY FRIEND/DENTIST TAMMY AND HER DAUGHTER SAMANTHA, WHO IS SO CUTE AND A TOMBOY.. THEY LOVED IT. THE NEXT MORNING I BROUGHT HARRISON TO THIS AMAZING PLACE CALLED ‘JUMP N JAMMIN’ AND IT’S A BOUNCE HOUSE, AND HUGE FOOSEBALL GUN LIKE THINGS, AND CLIMBING WALLS, AND JUNGLE GYMS AND ADULTS AND THIER KIDS CAN ONLY WEAR SOCKS. WE STAYED FOR ALMOST 6 HOURS!!!!!!!! UNTIL TIM MET US AND WE WENT TO OUR DEAR FRIEND JOE’S HOUSE SO HE COULD MEET HARRISON AND HAVE HIM MEET HIS 2 RESCUE GREYHOUND DOGS, RAPHAEL AND GABRIEL, AND A RESCUE WILD MARE, NAMED GIANNI. WE ALL MADE DINNER TOGETHER , AND HARRISON WANTED TO CREATE AND TRY EVERYTHING..AND KEPT SAYING ‘YOU’RE FUNNY JOE” AND YOU’RE CRAZY JOE.. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT FOR BOTH ,A ND HARRISON KEPT PUTTING BLANKETS ON THESE HUGE ,GENTLE DOGS AS IT GOT COLD. IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT, AND HARRISON SLEPT 11 AND A HALF HOURS… TODAY TIM TOOK HIM TO SANTA MONICA BEACH, AFTER CHURCH, WHERE THEY GOT NEW BOOGIE? BOARDS, AND HE BROUGHT HIS BIKE, AND FOOD AND DRINKS AND ENTHUSIASM. IT WILL BE A GOOD FATHER SON DAY. TOMORROW IS HARRISONS 2ND HAIR TRIM.. AND HE RETURNS TO SCHOOL WEDNESDAY. WOW I ADMIRE HOMESCHOOLERS, AND SINGLE MOMS…

WE’RE ALSO PLANNING HIS BDAY PARTY NUMBER 6…AND IT’S 3 WEEKS AWAY AND HE WANTS TO INVITE HIS ENTIRE KINDERGARTEN CLASS AND TBALL TEAM..LOL.. AND I WISH I WERE A MILLIONAIRE.. ALRIGHT THAT ‘S IT FOR NOW.. OH CONGRATS TO BOBBY SPENCER ON THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS FOR ‘NEXT TO NORMAL’ ..I KNOW WANDA AND PAM SAW HIM LAST NIGHT AND SAID HE’S WONDERFUL. AND I LOVE ALICE RIPLEYS VOICE!! SHE CAN DO NO WRONG. AND I ALSO HEAR TRAVIS CLOER IS SLAYING THEM IN VEGAS. THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY, CUZ HE AND THAT GOD GIVEN INSTRUMENT ARE BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT..KUDOS TO DARLING JENNIFER HIS WIFE TOO..I REALLY MISS THEM. ALRIGHT SIGNING OUT

Thursday I was called in for GUYS AND DOLLS to be done this summer at the Hollywood Bowl. Richard Jay Alexander, Kevin Stites and Donna McKechnie are in the helm for this production to star Jessica Biel, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Scott Bakula, John Mahoney, Ruth Williamson and some cool speculations for the role of Adeleide (which if true are glorious, as I LOVE HER)

Anyway, Richard and Kevin were the director and musical director last summer  when I was lucky enough to be in Les Miserables again. It was a huge hit, thus they are bringing this team back. The new addition is Donna McKechnie..and dancing!!!!!!!!

At my audition I ran into alot of Les Miz friends, and other actors I hadn’t seen in awhile.. I love that. And when it was my turn to go in..Richard Jay was there with open arms, as well as Kevin Stites and from that moment on they set the scene for me to thrive. Richards memory is amazing. He was quoting an audition song I used for my original Les Miserables audition back in 1987 ? He also praised me and listed the shows I did, the funny I can do,,,and I finally just asked him to be my agent..for he seemed to know me better than my own family!!.

I sang I’M IN LOVE WITH A WONDERFUL GUY, and it just felt fun,free and like NY again..WHere there’s a whole room of creative people in a huge room all cheering you on, and wanting to be entertained, or touched or blown away. If you hit one you can walk away feeling you did your job. ANd I did feel like it went great and it was fun and I was riding high. ANd than RJA asked me to come back for the dance call at 2. Now in the old days, I’d lose about a pound or 2 just running to the bathroom in anticipation of the scary unknown of this world called dance. I might look like I can dance when I’m in a show, but believe me , it’s after many hours spent in my room making it my own. I think I’m dyslexic when it comes to learning a routine.

So at 2 I came back with the usual suspects and than some awesome female and male dancers that looked like they were from the set of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, DANCING WITH THE STARS.It was like the set of a Twilight Zone episode, at least in my head. We were learning this routine along with these pros…and they picked it up after 1 try…There were many times I wanted to run and hide, or cry or just fly away…but I didnt. I could feel the beat and I could see what it was supposed to look like, and I got a few moves, but some I just guessed..

When we finally had to do it in front of the creative team, I just ran out full of joy and big question marks, with a partner who I didn’t know from Adam.. and we did a few times, and after 3 hours of a good workout we got to leave.My friend Michele who played a lead in Les Miz last year, and I compared notes that day, and the next morning of where we were sore.

DOnna McKechnie and her assistant James? were so kind and full of humor and patience. She ,by the way, is beautiful!!! and open and generous. It was just a great experience all around. FEar, joy,victory, zeal and than you wait. Anyway just thought I’d share that with you all. It was an amazing day, and than i joined my good friend Tricia to celebrate her bday/life and it truly was a day of celebrations.. out for now..xox