"One of Them"

I’ve been loving the ABC TV show ONCE Upon A Time. So much so, that I take notes on it just as I did with LOST.   Although this fairy tale mash-up is so beautiful and exciting on its own, the two shows share a relationship that can’t be denied.

So, for those of you whom love a bit of a mystery and a puzzle with their TV shows, head over to my notes.

http://karensadventuresinstorybrooke.blogspot.com/ http://karenslostnotebook.blogspot.com/

My mother swears that I came out of the womb performing. She’ll share memories of me as a baby, not even in the walking stage, standing in my crib and singing along and imitating words/dialogue to the shows, commercials and cartoons on the television.   All I’ve ever wanted to do since I can remember is to be a performer. Deep down that is who I am. Even now that I’m not performing I have to constantly find ways to be creative or else I feel like I can’t breathe.

When I was about eight or nine years old in New York City, I felt very lucky to experience Danny Kaye’s Look-In at the Metropolitan Opera’s glorious production on a school field trip for young performers.  I had already performed on television and in school plays, and sang for visiting religious leaders with our Catholic school choir, etc.  Even at a very young age I listened to and watched many genres of music and movies wanting to learn how those creative entertainers did what they did.

The Look-In at the Met program ran from 1973-1981 and at some point was taped and aired on CBS as a series.  It was a great instrument to expose very young performers to the majesty of The Metropolitan Opera; many New York City kids never have the opportunity or desire to go to the opera.  In addition to a few amazing performances by some huge names of the opera, we learned how the Met functioned to put together performances night after night- from start to finish with approximately 400 people involved.

I’ll never forget how in awe I was seeing the magnificent opera house and its celebrated stage.   I’d never seen anything like it before in person. Embedded in my memory is the impression of the beautiful grand sets and costumes, the lights, the powerful orchestra, the heavenly sound of the voices, and the thunderous applause that filled the opera house and my ears, and excited my soul.  I can recall with total clarity sitting in my seat as the performance by a beautiful soprano ended and the roaring applause for her began, that something rushed through my soul and I was flooded with the absolute knowing that performing was indeed what I was born to do.

Although we were poor, I found ways to I throw myself into the arts and feed my creativity and imagination.  In addition to my love of reading, I took some free acting and dance classes and workshops.  I trained for many years to prime my voice for a possible life on the stage in theatre or even the opera…and then I switched gears.

Over the years I would tell the story about my moment of clarity at the Metropolitan Opera House at every single show I did with my band All Fired Up.  I would share with the audience my childhood story of reflection and musing while in the background the band softly played the lovely Theme from Peanuts.  The story ended with me revealing that although I hold that special memory very close to me, my heart did not belong to the opera.  That story always led us right in to the song I Love Rock n Roll.  With all of the classical and traditional voice training who would have imaged I’d end up being a rock singer.

Here are my thoughts on Once Upon a Time’s episode The Thing You Love Most.

Click over to my sister site for my notes on Once-

Karen’s Adventures in Storybrooke

HERE WE GO!

My thoughts on abc’s Once Upon a Time.  I posted it on Karen’s LOST Notebook- but I believe my sister site will be up and running very, very soon! http://karenslostnotebook.blogspot.com/2011/10/once-upon-time.html