Off to the Windy City....

So...audition today! I'm so exhausted, it was for Dollywood..and it lasted for 5 hours! yeehaw! It was so much fun though and the people there were absolutely sweet and wonderful--would love to work there for a summer! It was really great to get to be at an audition and BE MYSELF. After the day was over I was extremely thankful for Big River and Honky Tonk Angels...for what both of those shows taught me about country music, my voice, and the genre. Very thankful :)

So....as I'm writing this...I am 3 1/2 hours away from leaving to Chicago! I'm taking a MegaBus (!) to it....and it leaves at 1:25 in the morning! I'll get there in Chicago around 6ish....am I nerdy but I love roadtrips! Even though it's a bus...and it's probably going to be filled with strange people and a tad interesting...a part of me is still very excited to get away for a few days. Should be interesting...my sister is going to kick butt at unifieds, I just know it.

So anyway, I've got to finish getting my stuff together...and then it's off to the windy city!

many the miles ;)
meg

Speaking

I hear voices.

Ok, PSYCH. Not really.

But I feel the need to post a blog about how God can speak to us. *Just a warning: I'm going to get spiritual in this blog- ok you've been warned*

When I was younger, I used to read that God would speak to people in different ways, but most of those people were Abraham and Moses and lets just face it...are we those people? nope. But a few years ago, I started to hear what I think is God's voice. I was at a day retreat called OceanStar....there's much more to my story that comes with this book but lets leave that out of this shall we?
Anyway, the host of this retreat let us all split into little groups and share our hearts with each other..now, at this time, I was a counseling major at Boyce Bible College...and while I was surrounded by good people who were kind and comforting and wonderful...I was so beyond not happy. I just felt..out of place, like I wasn't supposed to be there. This overwhelming feeling kept me up at nights and made me sad and sparked many a conversation with meaghan rampley. ANYWAYs...at this retreat, I began to share that I was counseling major, that I believed God wanted to use me to help teenagers who struggle in various ways and then I casually mentioned that "oh yea, I do theatre and I sing".
I know this may sound weird but one of the women from the little group came up to me took my hand at the end of the retreat and said, "you know..I feel like God wants me to tell you that you're going to do something with this theatre thing."
"But...but I'm a counseling major, that's what I'm supposed to do!"
"yes I know. But I just feel that there's another way"

Now, I didn't base everything I did, leaving Bible College and such off this one incident (there were MANY many more that suggested that I had not heard God correctly and pushed His will out of the way because I was scared of the unknown). But still, I believe that God can speak to someone through another person, through intuition, or just in simple ways throughout our day.

Just wanted to share.
many the miles ;)
meg

It was True Then, and It's True Now...

So I was going through old blog entries--and I found this one about a conversation I had with my dear friend marci.

so I'm going to repost it because I feel it's as true now as it was back then.
July 2008:

I had a good talk with one of my best friends this morning. She's known me since I was about 5 years old and if anyone knows about the inner workings of my brain and heart, it's most definitly her. She can tell when I'm sailing through life or just inching through it, praying to get by. It was really refreshing to hear about her summer. Sometimes I feel so caught up in the performance aspect of my life that sometimes I dont stop and think about how big the world really is. Dont get me wrong, I love love love where my life is right now. But My friend goes to Africa and to Poland and the kids she talks to there arent focused on what part they're gonna get next semester or the dress they're wearing to next weeks party--those kids are thinking about where they're next meal is coming from, and where they're going to sleep tonight. And so, in listening to her talk about her summer, realization hits me; my goal in life is to be able to stand on a stage and entertain people, to make them forget their hardships, the things they struggle with, and make them smile and care and feel for a particular story--and in a way, my friend's purpose is that same. She however doesnt need approval by an audition or a cast list, she gets it from someplace higher.

Many the miles ;)
meg

news.

SO...one of my roommates has started a blog.
Let the blog war begin.

Anyway, I have major news.
If you know me at all (and hopefully if you actually read this blog you do), that I usually have something wrong with my car. It's a "meganism" as my sister would call it. For the past year, if I for some reason didn't drive my car after 4 or 5 days...I would come out to my car to find the car battery completely drained. COMPLETELY drained. So, I've made friends with NKU parking services and they usually come out and jump it. So the other day I took my car (Sally Sue Saturn to anyone who doesn't know) to Pep Boys and I casually mentioned that sometimes the battery drains...and....they FIXED it. Turns out, it was the automatic locks in my car that were broken, causing the battery to drain. How stupid. Funny, but stupid. So today, after having not driven my car since Saturday...I go out to my car....AND IT TURNS ON. Small victories my friends, small victories.

Something hit me today. (and no, I don't mean my roommate when she started an all-out war/pillowfight) It seems simple and whathaveyou but in my business of theatre class we were discussing the things we notice about an actor/person when they walk in the door and how other people perceive them. But what's so interesting is that every single person in that room had differing opinions on the people we discussed. While I (and most of my friends) think I look younger (around 16, 17), there were others in the room that think I could play older. It goes to show you that one person may like your work (or just you) and another may not at all (perhaps your look, your personality, or your talent). What a judgemental world we live in.

Rehearsals for TG start soon...meaning I need to start working on my senior project. I'm really excited to tackle a role like this one. Anyway--hope your day finds you well rested and peaceful.

many the miles ;)
meg

2010!

So...after the worst year (2009), 2010 seems to be going splendidly!
I am so excited for this semester--"TG" in March at NKU, "Piece of My Heart" in May! So in March I'll be from London, and in May I'll be from Texas! Yesssss.

This morning I babysat at a church and was asked by one of the parents, "So....which high school do you go to?" HA. As I stumbled and said, "well, actually I'm a junior...in college".....hahaha.

Anyway, so this semester will bring a lot of work, but I'm pumped to get started!

Also, check out ETSY.com
for some cute and inexpensive stuff!

Many the miles,
meg ;)

Theatre Survey...bored

LAST SHOW ADDED TO YOUR RESUME
"Top Girls" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas"

LAST SHOW YOU AUDITIONED FOR:
Birdie, Top Girls, Omnium, and Colored Museum

DID YOU GET IT:
YEP

LAST SONG/MONOLOGUE YOU USED AT AN AUDITION
"A Little Bit in Love" from Wonderful Town

FAVORITE MUSICAL(s):
Light in the Piazza
Parade
9 to 5
Sound of Music (don't judge me)

FAVORITE PLay(s):
Angels in America
To Kill a Mockingbird

FAVORITE ROLE YOU'VE PLAYED, AND FROM WHAT PLAY?
I can't pick just one! What about top 3?
Mary Jane Wilkes (Big River), Darlene (HTA), Harper Pitt (Angels in America)

FAVORITE ROLE OVERALL THAT I WOULD LOVE TO PLAY:
Violet in "Violet"
Wendy in "Peter Pan"
Olive in "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"
Mother in "Ragtime" (eventually)
Eileen in "Wonderful Town"
Sarah in "Civil War"
Chrissy in "Hair"
Laurey in "Oklahoma"
Martha in "Secret Garden"

SUPERSTITION:
Green apples help with phelgm. Needless to say, I ALWAYS eat a green apple before a show...and drink some herbal green tea.

FAVORITE DIRECTOR YOU HAVE EVER WORKED WITH:
I dont know if I necessarily have a favorite, but some of my favorites have been:
Martha, Norma, Bob (during Big River) and John.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DANCE SOLO
I think the closest I've gotten was the Liesl/Rolf dance in "16 going on 17"

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A SINGING SOLO?
Yup!

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THE LAST PERSON TO TAKE A BOW?
yes

HAVE YOU BEEN TO NEW YORK?
no....bad MT major.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO LA?
no

WHAT'S THE SCARIEST PART OF AN AUDITION?
being around all the nervous (and sometimes catty) people waiting to be seen

WHAT'S THE BEST PART OF AN AUDITION?:
Fighting for a role in the callbacks or nailing the song

NAME A SHOW YOU WOULD NEVER DO AGAIN:
MUSIC MAN....my sister did it 2x, I did it 1x, my brother did it for a professional theatre and I saw him do it literally 20x

NAME A SHOW YOU COULD DO FOR YEARS:
Big River
HTA
Sound of Music

WHAT ARE YOU AUDITIONING FOR NEXT?
summer work, North Central Auditions

DO YOU KEEP IN TOUCH WITH PAST CAST MEMBERS?:
some of them

ON A SCALE OF 1-10, HOW IMPORTANT IS GETTING PAID?:
an 8....unless it's a dream role.

SOMETHING EMBARRASSING OR UNEXPECTED THAT HAPPENED TO YOU WHILE ON STAGE?:
probably, HAS TO BE, the dress rehearsal of "Guys and Dolls" when I fell and my chest popped out of my "Take Back Your Mink" outfit.

WHO IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PERSON (ON STAGE OR OFF) THAT YOU HAVE EVER WORKED WITH?:
hmmm....yep, not gonna say.

WHAT IS YOUR ON STAGE PET PEEVE?
Actors who have a "me" complex.

WHAT IS YOUR BACK STAGE PET PEEVE?
people who FREAK OUT over anything and everything.

EVER BEEN NAKED ONSTAGE?:
Scantily Clad-Guys and Dolls
Underwear-Hair
Underwear-Most Massive Woman Wins

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN KILLED?:
nope

BEEN DRUNK?:
not this sweet ingenue!

PLAYED SOMEONE HALF YOUR AGE?
maybe not half, but I generally play the 16-18 range.

PLAYED SOMEONE TWICE YOUR AGE?:
well, older. Norma in "I'll Be Home for Christmas"

CRIED?:
I seem to have to cry in every show I do!

FIRED A GUN?
no

BEEN DRENCHED?
No.

BEEN IN A DREAM SEQUENCE?
No.

BEEN KISSED?:
lots of times

PLAYED OPPOSITE YOUR REAL LIFE SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
no, I don't date actors...or musicians...or playwrights or etc.

PLAYED THE VILLAIN?
no

PLAYED A DRAG ROLE?
no

A Thought on Winter Break

I don't know if it's the fact that I lost my gram to cancer recently and am now evaluating things, but nevertheless, when you're watching someone in a hospital bed dying and telling your family to call their friends to let them know, you start to think, if I was the one in that bed, in that situation, who would I be calling?

It's really something to think about, and over the week I was in the hospital watching my gram, I started thinking about all of the friends I would want to be called, and to know if I was in that situation. But the thing is, some of the people that I seem "closest" to did not come to mind. And that's sad to me. Sometimes I get worried or sad when I think about the mere fact that just because you've been friends with someone this year, they may not be close to you next year. You may stop talking for whatever reason, you may forget to call them back for a few months, or you may just lose interest. I wish this wasn't so, but life seems to make it that way. But honestly, life is too short to let the wonderful people you have just lose touch or forget about.

I have 4 wonderful friends in Louisville who I know I could call at 2 in the morning for whatever reason and they would geniunely be there. Sara, Melissa, Beth, and Marci are irreplaceble people and even if I don't see them for a year, we pick back up where we left off. And I really think that's a God-thing. Especially in the theatre world, I get close to people I do shows with for a brief time and then bam, they aren't around anymore, and I have to adapt to a whole new cast. That's when you know someone is a friend though I think. When you don't see them or talk to them in months and then you pick right back up where you left off. I was reminded of that this break. And while almost nothing went right, I did have a daily reminder that some people are in your life for a brief time, and others are there for a purpose, for years and years. And while I adore my friends at NKU (I really do and none of this is directed at them by any means) and in the shows I've been in, my friends back home have a very special place in my heart. There's no backstabbing, no accusations, no negativeness. Just encouraging words and non-judgemental love. And that's something we all need.
Many the miles,
meg ;)

25 things.

Ok, so with almost NOTHING to say about this crazy break, I've decided to bring back to my blog one of the best facebook notes:
25 things:

(basically, because I'm bored, there's snow everywhere, and I can't leave my house)

1. I've been (in this order) a Biblical Counseling major, "undeclared", a BA Theatre major, and finally a BFA Musical Theatre major.
2. When I came home from NKU after my first semester, everyone jokingly said, "well, what college are you transferring to now?"...and it got on my nerves...a lot.
3. If you would have told me 5 years ago that I would thoroughly enjoy singing country music...I would have laughed at you. Just goes to show you that God clearly has surprises in store.
4. When I was little, I told my mother that I wanted to be a taxi driver after seeing an episode of "Muppet Babies"...that didn't go over too well.
5. My car always has something wrong with it...it's entertaining, annoying, and therefore has made me incredibly paranoid.
6. My dog (Ada) stands in first position and has a hatred of Sandra Bullock. Everytime she comes on screen he freaks out.
7. I have so many books, it's unreal. My dad used to want to ground me from reading when I was younger because it was my favorite thing to do lol
8. I dyed my hair once when I was 16 for a show. It was dark brown and everyone at my school loved it, but everyone from church hated it.
9. I have 4 friends from Louisville that I'm incredibly close to that I know I can talk to about anything; Sara, Marci, Melissa, and Beth. If I could bring them to NKU with me, I definitly would!
10. When I was 3 I was in hardcore dance classes but when it came to be recital time, I would stand there and sing as loud as I could while the other little girls would dance around me. We have this on video.
11. We also have on video my 4 year old promise to my parents that "boys are icky and I will NEVER get married"...they threaten to show this sometimes.
12. I never liked high school...I was literally over it by the 2nd day of freshmen year lol
13. I babysit for an agency and am constantly babysitting for people I've never met before.
14. Last year I sang at a church for some extra $, and opened the program and it said "megan hudson is a graduate vocal performance student"...they thought I was from CCM. WHOOPS.
15. I love it when people call me "Meg" and "Megs". It puts a big smile on my face.
16. When I was little, I used to ask my mom why I couldn't have a normal hair color...now I love being a redhead!
17. I love reality tv. I watch "The Hills" and "The City"...and I really don't know why except that it's addicting. My brother bought me "The Hills season 5" for Christmas and it was one of my favorite presents.
18. I'm the shortest kid in my family, even though I'm the oldest. I'm also the only redhead. I always say my family looks somewhat jewish and I look irish.
19. I love scarves. I have way too many and I just keep buying more!
20. I love the movie "Mona Lisa Smile"
21. Last year's (sophomore year) makeup was a trainwreck. I'm sorry for anyone who had to look at me. gross.
22. I really love to talk to people one-on-one. Don't get me wrong, I love to do stuff as a group, but I also really enjoy having heart to hearts with people and sometimes that just doesn't happen in a group setting.
23. In the past few years I've been seriously injured by: a hairdryer, a progresso soup can top, and a poptart. That takes talent lol
24. I have a note by my door that reminds me everyday that things happen for a reason and that we should never ignore anything God tells us to do. Everytime I walk by it, I smile.
25. I love getting email. Not like, love.