It’s been a while. The past two weeks have been incredibly busy with our two final rehearsal weeks for our end of year production. Long days, exhausted limbs and a grandma that wanted to go to sleep really early every day. Blogging somehow didn’t fit into that.

I have big news however. And no, I’m not pregnant, suddenly engaged or contemplating a sex-change (that first was actually asked by my drama teacher when I told him I had big news… erm… NO).

I got a place at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

To say I’m delighted is just completely and utterly inadequate. I found out last Tuesday really late in the evening and I think the dog of my housemate thought I was simultaneously choking, laughing hysterically and being murdered very slowly and painfully.

I kept logging in and out of CUKAS to make sure the words ‘guaranteed unconditional’ didn’t suddenly disappear. Same thing the next morning when I woke up: first thing I did, even before making myself a cup of tea, was checking CUKAS. It’s a miracle that their server survived. Yes, I might even have asked my bestie Julie to log in herself to make sure I wasn’t imagining things.

Ringing my mum was the best thing ever. She didn’t believe me until I started crying: ‘Mum, I’m SO happy!’ Calling Jules and my singing teacher was hilarious. It was late so they were both incredibly worried that something awful had happened. Crying and laughing at the same time at both ends of the phone: priceless.

I just feel so grateful to my friends, my family and my teachers for believing in me and supporting me (and oh God this starts to sound like a really bad acceptance speech…). It’s only today when I got home in Ostend and I had the letters from the college and CUKAS in my hands that it started to be real.

Is it January 7th yet?

Friday is upon us, lovelies! It’s nearly the weekend and I’m lucky: I have both Monday and Tuesday off. Time for some relaxing!

Last night was the first real public performance of our class. Just before our part I was sitting in the wings and I couldn’t help this massive grin forming on my face. It’s such a wonderful feeling when you realize that you’re doing exactly what you love most in life. The adrenalin of being on that stage was brilliant.

What makes you feel that life is beautiful?

I hope you all had a good week. Have a wonderful weekend!

It’s true, you know. There is so much potential in each new day. All it takes is a little spark, some motivation, something small.

Well, I know what I’ll be doing on April 21st. I got an email from the one drama school I want to study at above all others. Five more weeks and I’ll be auditioning. Can’t wait!

Today we had the audition for our end of year production at the course. We’ll be doing our own version of Red Riding Hood featuring the iconic scarlet cloak and as of today I can affirm that yours truly will be following in the footsteps of the amazing Julie Christie.

Not that I’ve just been Oscar nominated or something, I’ve just been cast as grandmother. Yes, I am the oldest of the bunch. No, I’m not greying prematurely.

It’s a pretty sweet part and it’ll be very interesting to figure out how to make this 65-year-old grandmother come across well. I guess lots of observations will be in order. All in the name of research of course.

Brooke Shields! You’re super-hot! You made me think I was straight for like 23 years!

Oh Neil Patrick Harris. You are beyond awesome.

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Exams started for me this week. On Monday piano, then Tuesday music theory. On Thursday we had a final rehearsal for the singing exam on Monday. To say it was bad for me is the least you can say. Hello off-day.

Luckily I was able to put that behind me today during our choir and duetting exam. I’ve never sung better during duetting class. Score!

I went to see Miss Saigon in Utrecht this afternoon. I’d been wanting to see this classic for so long so when some friends from 3 Musketeers asked I more than happily joined them for a matinee performance.

Oh and ironically the song from which I got this post’s title doesn’t feature in the show anymore. This is the first production of Miss Saigon in which the character Ellen doesn’t sing Now that I’ve seen her after seeing Kim for the first time but Maybe (or Toch nog in Dutch).

Apart from being excited about the production the cast was definitely another pull for me. One of my favourite musical theatre actors, Stanley Burleson performed as the Engineer and new talents Na-Young Jeon and Ton Sieben starred as Kim and Chris. Interestingly enough Na-Young is actually a classmate of a friend of mine who is in his final year of musical theatre at Cordarts in Rotterdam. Such a small world.

And yes, this has most definitely made me itch again to get back on stage. When are those singing exams? Jury, here I come!

I was anticipating a rather boring evening with lots of studying and some browsing online. Then I logged in on Skype.

Before I knew it I was talking to Anna about either going to visit her in Germany or her visiting me here in Belgium. And then Abby said hi out of the blue after months of kinda being out of touch (she didn’t even know I had auditioned at RSAMD in February…). So apparently we’ll both be auditioning at Royal Conservatoire Scotland ànd Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Audition twins or what?

I had been waiting for the perfect moment to use the quote picture below. But I realized tonight that you don’t paint it all by yourself. It’s the people that you surround yourself with and that you interact with that colour your days.

ps: the left picture was taken during my performance at the informal concert for the Polish students. It was a very good moment for me, had such a blast performing that evening so I wanted to share.

This week has been so incredibly busy at school, but more about that in the next post.

This morning I wanted to share this song I’ll be studying for school. I’m a big fan of Lea Salonga. She just has this incredible voice which still sounds so young and sparkling and all kinds of awesome.

Okay, now I’m off to study all of those lyrics… It’s a lot of text.

Last Thursday I joined 90% of my classmates to go see We Will Rock You here in Antwerp. I’d already been in September but there was a killer deal going on (13 euros for a ticket on the 6th row) so how could we possibly resist?

Afterwards we went to stage door to have a chat with some of the cast and we got us a picture with Tim Driesen (Galileo). The guy is supernice and talked to us about things like how to keep your voice in shape for eight shows a week. He actually trained in the UK so it’s nice for me to see that it is possible to do so and then have a career as a non-native.

I stupidly forgot to charge my camera so Wout took some pictures with his phone. Excuse the BAD quality – and creepy red eyes. Nice skull tshirt on Tim, huh?

And yes you’re seeing that right: no more blonde for me. Am I still recognizable?

We also had a chat with Marjolein Teepen (Scaramouche) and Floortje Smit (Ozzy). For me it was so cool to see Floortje as I saw her understudy the first time. Her No One But You was a-ma-zing.

And to show that Marjolein is definitely worth her MA degree from Mountview. That woman has a VOICE.