We always hear about the power of saying, "Yes" and how we should say, "Yes" to everything for the exposure or the experience or to network and these are all good reasons but...What about the power of saying, "No?" Or even the power of saying, "Hell no!" Why and how can it be beneficial to us as performers to say, "No?"The late, great grand dame of Cabaret, Julie Wilson once told me as we were sitting in a bar in Fairbanks, Alaska that she didn&#...

I have learned that:I could not have gotten through this without Zoom and Facebook. What great tools to perform, create and see people in real time to feel less lonely.I do not have to sing. Singing is a privilege and I love to sing, and while I’ve been singing and posting clips of myself, it’s not as much of a priority as I thought in my life right now. It has, however, been a saving grace.The downtime, in some respects, was a blessing. I’m the “Queen of Organization&rdq...

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...