A SURVIVOR'S GUIDE TO THEPANDEMIC #1ACTIVATE TO MOTIVATE I haven’t been inspired to write a Sue’s Views for a long time because David Sabella and I have been busy getting ready for our book, So You Want to Sing Cabaret, to “drop” (now delayed like everything else.) AND, with all that’s happening these days, I haven’t felt like writing about singing (or even actually singing), or creating, or anything! I have not felt motivated. Yet, here I am in my of...

A SURVIVOR’S GUIDE TO THE PANDEMIC #2 – MY QUARANTINE ROUTINE!We all could be a lot more famous by motivating ourselves to create a routine. Up to just last week, a full 35 days of the 43 days I have been self-quarantined, my day looked like this: Make the bed (this is important), have coffee and a chat with my husband. Work in my office while catching The View at 11:00 for 30 mins. until Cuomo comes on with his daily report. Prep, have lunch with my husband and do the dishes (It see...

A Survivor's Guide to the Pandemic #3 - Stress EatingI keep seeing posts every day about how much weight everyone is gaining and that all everyone is doing throughout this Pandemic is cooking and eating and eating and cooking. I’m guilty as charged! I also read how wearing elastic waist yoga pants or pajamas is allowing us all to eat to the point of discomfort rather than to the point of fullness. I see all the delicious food pictures being posted.As someone who lost 80 lbs. 5 years ag...

A Survivor’s Guide to the Pandemic #4 – Stir Crazy Much? Focus on Your Music, Your Household, Your Kids & Your Spouse/PartnerWhat to do? What to do? We have so much time, every day that we’re stuck inside, how can we keep busy? If you’re like me…I’m busier than I have ever been! It seems like before I know it, it’s 5:30 and I’m out prepping dinner again. I have this huge TO DO list (read my previous Survivor’s Guide #1 - Activate to Moti...

Back in the day, when I wrote for Stu Hamstra's Cabaret Hotline On Line, I would periodically post a column, a review, using all the "do not do this" things that I had been noting along the way of having seen many shows that month. Some of these things made it into the actual review of the show in a kind, constructive way of course, but many of these things I keep seeing again and again, so I think it's time to re-visit this column. You can also re-read my blog "Things NOT...

I am sure that many of you already know how to do this but I have gotten a few calls on this and this is a question that I always get asked when I teach so, I've decided to do a step-by-step blog for any of our readers that may not know how to do this. It's really not that hard. On your page in the upper right hand corner click CREATE and then click EVENT OR, on the HOME page on the left hand side click EVENT Your next "to do" will be to select whether you want it to be a PRIVA...

There is nothing that feels worse than being a "deer in the headlights" on stage. It's embarrassing, it's aggravating, it's humbling but, it happens. It happens to us all but honestly, in the 35 years of my signing, it has only happened to me (to this extent) twice! I am here to tell you though, it can still happen, no matter how long you sing or how much work you do to prepare. So...More so than this happening, the real lesson that I recently learned is more important to s...

This is one of the BEST books I've ever read as it relates to performers and focus techniques. In a previous blog I mention this book. In today’s blog, I would like to share with you all some of the principles of the best book on creativity that I have ever read, “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron © 1992.You can still get the book on Amazon but for those of you who will not buy the book, I wanted to share some of the concepts and some of the exercises with becau...

The day after I posted Sue’s Views “The Award Season Ends”, I got a private message from a friend who recently won a few awards and is having what I like to call “their year”. They told me that they too related to the aftermath of the awards season (and they won!) and then we had a brief discussion on how hard it is to work on a show, run it and then put it to rest. A different kind of blues! I thought that this might be a good topic to discuss this week. How do you...

After recently turning 60, this is a subject that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately and it’s definitely not the first time. I have felt this way many times throughout my 30 years of signing. I am sure many of you have been through this as well. You know me by now, I love singing and I believe in my talent and this is not “self-deprecating”, it’s a real thing that happens to us all no matter what level we are on (or blissfully perceive that we are on) so let&rsqu...