I am at KLIA in the Cathay Pacific Lounge, about to go to Hong Kong and to catch my flight to LA! Some exciting developments:
I was invited to audition to be an affiiliate of The Ariel Group of Boston, which I did last September in Sydney. The Ariel Group are actors who do corporate leadership training using acting skills. From the audition I have been invited to join the Ariel Group and am on my way to Boston to get certified to conduct their workshops. They are looking to expand their work in Asia.
At the same time, the O1 visa, for people with exceptional talent to work in the USA, which I had applied for in 2006(!) came through on October 31st after a final interview at the US embassy in KL. This is to work through my LA agent, Baier Klienman International in Studio City, Los Angeles. So here I am, looking forward to 3 weeks of snow in Boston and learnining how to conduct The Ariel Group’s fantastic Leading With Presence and other programs and then onto LA and exploring options of working there from time to time! All extremely exciting albeit very daunting as well! Will have a couple of days in LA now, before I hit wintry New England, staying with a friend in West Hollywood, which should be a charming reintroduction to the City of Angels.
Untril then, Happy New Year and be well.
Aladdin was an amazing experience, a truly magical show with an amazing cast, of some of the top theatre personalities of Kuala Lumpur. I was the evil wizard Abanaza who had a a big wicked cackle and a penchant for wearing women’s underwear! Indy Nadarajah was Widow Twanky, Aladdin’s ,mother who had a thing Mary Quant and Tina Turner outfits and for Abanaza! Joanna Bessey made a charming Aladdin, Doreen Tang a lovely Princess Paris (as in Hilton!), Joanne Kam Poh Poh was her mother The Empress of China while Monty was the Emperor, Sham Sunder Binwani was the Genie of the Ring, the talented and very little Badrul was the Genie of the Lamp, Nell Ng was Won Ton and Douglas Lim was the whacky Wishee Washee plus a gorgeous talented ensemble. Kids loved it, lots of audience participation, Booing and cheering and shouting and singing a long, and lots of risque and political humour for the adults. A clever, fun and joyous piece of music theatre.