Photo Shoot at Walt Disney Concert Hall: Photographer: Kevin Yoneda

The Best Mom Ever

To the best mom in the world.  My number one fan. Its so nice to be an artist with a mother who not only has supported my choice to have a career in this crazy business but has continued to encourage me when the times get rough.  Its crazy how the roles change as when you parents start to get older.  She has congested heart failure, kidney failure, pulmonary hypertention and microscopic polyangiitis.  Yet she has not given up on fighting to live the fullest life she possibly can and I just try and encourage her like she has done for me not to get down, as she slows down.  Her body might slow down at times but that is about it her mind is still as sharp as a tack and when it comes to education and encouraging others she is brilliant.  Truly a God Sent Woman! :)

The Color Purple Rave Reviews

What a wonderful time I have been having playing Squeak in The Color Purple. The cast is wonderful the director was wonderful and know that we are in shows the reviews have been wonderful.

Stage Scene LA Review

Broadway World Review

Los Angeles Times Review

hiphoplesson1

my first hip hop lesson in years. I was a little winded lol but I kept up :)

Niketa Calame Interview on Blogtalkradio

Listen to internet radio with Motown Maurice on Blog Talk Radio

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Niketa Calame Red Carpet Interview Clip

Lion King Premiere Weekend

Young Nala, Adult Nala, Rafiki and Directors

Such a wonderful experience.  The hype around The Lion King 3d Premiere at the El Capitan August 27th 2011 was even greater than the 1994 original release. Simply amazing!  All the little kids who came to see The Lion King in 94 were now bringing their kids to see the 3D release.  The cameras were out the interviewers were out and the fans were def. out.  When we moved into the theater we were greeted with complimentary pop corn and sodas.  A man center stage was playing wonderful Disney music on this huge phantom of the opera style organ.  When the lights dim and the curtains rose thunderous applause filled the theater.  Then the opening as soon as you hear that African voice chant as the the sun starts to rise on the African horizon another thunderous applause from kids adults and elders many generation of Lion King fans.  Then circle of life ends and the icon in red THE LION KING with black background pops and another thunderous applause happens.  Simply Amazing.  Kids and Adults were engrossed in the film its amazing how an animated film can hold so much weight across the ages.  People laughed and there were even some tears when Mufasa died.  After the film ended another Thunderous Applause happened. I was on cloud nine to know that I was apart of such a classic such a great piece of classic animation and it touched so many people. 
The after party was just as amazing.  There was wonderful food everywhere. A live African Band and African dancers, arts and craft stations for the kids, flip book photo station with timon and rafiki, Wolfgang puck desserts, animated drawing station.

James Lipton giving me a shot out on Inside The Actors Studio (scroll to 30:32)

Scroll to 30:32 on the clip to see James Lipton give me a shot out for being the voice of nala in The Lion King

The Lion King in 3D

The Lion King 3D         To hit theaters September 13, 2011

Dont miss Niketa Calame as the voice of Young Nala in Disneys' 32nd Animated Feature Film The Lion King hitting theaters in 3D for a limited time September 16, 2011 and Blue Rey Release in October       

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Teaching you either have it or you dont

Some actors wait tables I teach.  My side gig to subliment inbetween gigs lol has been to teach musical theater, drama and dance to young artist.  I have recently discovered that I actually have a passion for it and am pretty good at it. Reaching into to those little minds to pull out their full potential for the stage is an art of mine that God has given me. I have always been an enrichment teacher since grad school teaching kindergarden - 12th grade in New York city and Los Angeles. This summer San Fransisco calls.  My first hired out gig as a Master teacher and it feels so good I cant wait to go.  This summer I am also teaching on my own without the umbrella of someone elses foundation which is also exciting.


I am holding a 12 session musical theater class for kids 7-15 for only $120. 
Wednesday nights at 7pm and Saturday mornings at 10am
@ Dance Fantasy Productions 10600 Victory Blvd. North Hollywood Ca


First class is Saturday June 4th

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Registered my First Screenplay

So A few months ago I had the inspiration to write a short film.  I have been in over 7 weddings in the past few years and I have not been even close to getting proposed to. So I wrote a film called "Never The Bride". I regisitered it with The Writers Guild of America April 1, 2011. Im so excited to start pre production. I am carefully picking my team and starting to research funding sources.  I wrote with my cast inind.  I could hear each person I picked speaking the words I wrote. I need a director who is great with the technical aspects of things because my cast is so amazing he is not goin gto have to do a lot of actor coaching I need for the visuals to be as strong as the actors.  So here we go the start of my writing career I will keep you posted. I hope to start filming in August or October.  Im looking to raise 5,000 in six months.  Festivals and film competitions here we come.

Settling Into Yourself

So march has been amazing for me thus far. I just got back from a wonderful trip to DC working one of my charities American Diabetes Association.  I headed to NY after to see all my Actors Studio Friends and headed back home to 2 major auditions.  My first audition National Tour of Mama Mia and a CGI animated feature film in the style of Across The Universe.  I prepped for a week for both and it payed of f in the audition.  I am really starting to settle in with myself with respect to the whole "audition process". I was prepared I went into those casting rooms thinking I am the only person suitable for this part so let me do what I do and you decide Mr casting guy lol.  Just thinking that before I went in gave my body permission to relax, a sincere smile showed up on my face and I do believe they met the authentic version of myself and not that needing to please casting i want this role so bad cant you tell by my ginormous grin and annoying laugh at your unfunny jokes self.  Every now and then even the best actor has those moments lol you just have to tell yourself to relax, you got this, you found your passion in life now embrace it, trust, make a choice and have fun.

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The Plight of the Starving Artist

     Just had a wonderful conversation with one of my close friends today who is also an actress.  We were talking about our financial struggles and how actors rarely ever share the hardships of the business.  You just know folks are going on auditions booking small projects here bigger projects there but the inbetween time the in the meantime is where it can get challenging.  The crazy thing about this business is that you can make $100,000.00 one year and $9,000.00 the next.  Even though there are millions of starving artist out there this is not really a business where being close to broke will help you move at a faster pace up the latter to your career goals.  Headshots cost, Workshops and Classes cost, Gas to and from auditions cost, keeping your beauty up (which is part of the job) cost and the list goes on and on.  So many of my artist friends have the challenge of finding "regular" jobs that will pay enough to keep food in their mouths but are not so time consuming that they have to put acting on the back seat.  Agents dont want to hear I cant get to that great audition because my boss and my regular job says I cant leave today.  Although there are many making a solid living soely from acting the rest of the bunch are struggling personally while making positive upward strides in their artisitic careers. I know some actors who have put acting on the back burner just so they can catch up financially to breathe and i know some actors who struggle and are determined not to let anything take priority over their dream and are damn near homeless.  Where is the middle ground for the starving artist?  Sleeping on friends couaches, sleeping in cars, moving from apartment to apartment because of late rent payments, filing for unemployment or even food stamps forget its hard out here for a pimp its hard out here for a starving artist. I know an actor who booked a film, but you know it takes a while for those checks to roll in , had to cancel one of the shoot days because she didnt have gas money nor money to take the bus. 
     So we ended the conversation wishing that more actors would share with each other and be honest about their situations.  You would be suprised at how many people are going through exactly what you are going through or have been there at some point.  Closed mouths dont get fed is a fav quote of mine.  Actors please lets stop thinking of each other as competition and start thinking of ourselves as a community.  More collaborations, more support groups, more mentors- less haters, less selfishness, less judgement. God is LOVE. So lets LOVE.

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Come out and see me in "A HAUNTING SECERET" August 7th 2010 at El Camino College Theater

You can buy tickets at http://www.jnjproduction.info/  One night only Performance August 7, 2010 4pm at El Camino College Theater

Women in Hats (Watch and Vote)

Help our film get win a screening at the DGA (Directors Guild of America)

watch "Women in Hats" When you get to website: http://film.chapman.edu/Cecils/Login/asp please do a quick registration and then Log in to the site. Next click on
view and rate films. Look for Women in Hats Thesis and enjoy, then VOTE!!! Pass along to your friends and family to do the same.

Wrapping shoot today on the scifi film "Reawakenings" in the role of Nurse Aubrey. Screening late April 2010

Dean James Lipton giving me a shot out on Inside The Actors Studio

Selah Gospel Chior Concert Saturday December 5, 2009

Selah Gospel Chior concert coming this Saturday December 5, 2009 Altadena 7:30pm - 10:00pm
Location: 943 East Altadena Drive, Altadena, California 91001


Multi-Cultural, Multi-Denominational voices coming together to sing a joyful noise since 2007!

Last Days On Women in Hats Film

Last Days on "Women In Hats film" praise Dance Scene

The Actors Vow by: Elia Kazan

I WILL TAKE MY RIGHTFUL PLACE ON STAGE
AND I WILL BE MYSELF
I AM NOT A COSMIC ORPHAN
I HAVE NO REASON TO BE TIMID
I WILL RESPOND AS I FEEL; AWKWARDLY, VULGARLY
BUT RESPOND
I WILL HAVE MY THROAT OPEN
I WILL HAVE MY HEART OPEN
I WILL BE VULNERABLE
I MAY HAVE EVERYTHING & ANYTHING
THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER
BUT THE THING I NEED MOST
AND WANT MOST, IS TO BE MYSELF
I WILL ADMIT REJECTION, ADMIT PAIN, ADMIT SHAME
ADMIT OUTRAGE, ADMIT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO ME
THE BEST AND MOST HUMAN PARTS OF ME ARE
THOSE I HAVE INHABITED AND HIDDEN FROM THE WORLD
I WILL WORK ON IT
I WILL RAISE MY VOICE
I WILL BE HEARD