Peepshow is the vision of the incomparable Jerry Mitchell and much of the music was written by music theater inspiration Andrew Lippa.  This show was a derivative of New York’s Broadway Bares, which was a sexy contemporary burlesque show created to raise money for Equity Cares Equity Fights Aids.  Peep is a classy and tasteful take on the old burlesque – Jerry didn’t want to alienate anyone, but rather create a piece that all people of all backgrouds, beliefs, age, etc can enjoy!  We follow Mel B (Peep Diva) take Kelly (Bo Peep) on a fairytale journey in her dreams to find love.  I, along with Josh Strickland and Cheaza, are the three singers who almost serve as narrators throughout the entire show.  I finally get to sing music that is my style and I couldn’t be happier.  Not to mention, Greg Barnes, the costume designer has put me in Jimmy Choo’s the whole show so… I mean… YAAAAAY!!!! It’s a total blast!

As with creating any new show, we haven’t been without our drama.  And wow, all that drama was captured on film because there was a crew filming us throughout the duration of our rehearsals, previews, and opening.  I cannot say more about that yet, but I will soon enough…

I know it’s been almost a year since I last wrote, but I’m back now, and I have tons to tell.  In the meantime, come to Vegas and check out Peepshow!  It’s HOT!  Don’t believe me?  GO READ ABOUT IT!    I am off to the theater to shoot a segment for Inside Edition with Kelly.  Set your tivos!

XOXO

Jackie

I just finished shooting a fantastic project for IFC and IFC.com as well. It’s called Pushing Twilight, a web series whose pilot won the After Hours Web Series Competition on IFC.com sponsored by Red Bull. The story is about “A group of disenchanted twenty-somethings assembles a strange weekly meeting, seeking an outlet for their unfulfilled urges. Daring each other to complete a series of tasks, each participant soon finds themselves going to places – and lengths – they never thought possible.” I play Avery, a playful, cocky, firecracker who learns a harsh lesson bringing her back to reality with a crash. Good times. The first episode airs on July 14th on IFC.com, and will later air on IFC on cable.

On a more serious note, I want you to know that five days after my last blog entry on October 6th, 2007, my dad was diagnosed with stage 3 then later stage 4 colon cancer. It was easily the most difficult point in our lives all things considered. I am thrilled to say that now, after undergoing surgery and six months of chemotherapy, he is now cancer free. Cancer free! In addition, my sister is pregnant with twins and due in August! Gratitude is my new favorite word and close friend. I’ve begun a list of all the things I am grateful for (Oprah would be proud), and I’ll tell you what, doing so feels great. I recommend it to everyone. Just a simple list of things large or small that you appreciate – you can’t imagine the power it will have in your everyday life. I pray for my family’s health and yours.

I just want to share with you a picture of my dad during his final treatment on chemo this past Mother’s Day. It’s quite literally THE most impressive picture. This is a man who lives in the moment pure and simple. I wish it were so for me. And of course, the woman in the picture, is also THE most impressive woman for she carried us all on her shoulders from start to finish.

I want to thank you for all your support. This past year has been a crazy fantastic ride, and I am going to miss the cast, the crew, the show, the fans, everything. But when you know, you know. Right? There is no real rhyme or reason to my decisions sometimes other than the fact that I feel it’s time to start something new. Complacency is my biggest fear, and I will not succumb! Rest assured I will be updating much more often about my new endeavors. I will report all the juicy gossip and, as always, have something to say about it. Look out Perez! (Seriously, I am starting to get a little addicted to his site. It’s friggin’ hilarious!)

Speaking of which, have you guys caught the new Britney video!? YIKES. As Bergen says, she can’t catch a break. It’s HORRIBLE! I guess we are all going to watch the poor girl until she hits rock bottom and finally gets some help. Hopefully, she won’t kill herself on the way. We watched a clip of her performing with Michael Jackson at his birthday concert or whatever in NYC from five years back. She looked FIERCE. So sad. And while I’m on the topic of Britney, I have to say, I’m not mad at Avril for her new image. Who cares? I mad at her for her song sucking. Maybe it’ll grow on me…probably not. What I DO like, however, is Whoopy on The View, Ugly Betty, and the fact that I can start counting down the days until Bush’s ass is kicked out of the White House. Good times.

I have an insane amount of pictures to share, but no time now to upload anything. Early curtain in Tempe! I’ll put them up soon! That’s all for now. You know how I hate long winded anything.

BYE BYE, BABY! BABY, BYE BYE!!!

Now let’s get down to the juicy stuff. The guest list was quite impressive last night including Steven Spielberg, Eddie Murphy, Frankie Valli and Frankie Avalon just to name a few. I even got a picture with the great actress, Kate Burton who had nothing but kind words to offer. What an amazing woman! I’ll be posting all the picture, but for now words will just have to be enough.

I do have one question, however. What is the deal with posses? I mean, seriously. I kind of understand needing to be surrounded by people you “trust” to protect you from fans and stuff – and needing someone there to always hold your camera or wipe your butt – but to a muscial? I don’t know. Just a thought. Eddie and Avalon had a couple major posse situations going on – I would love to see those two groups of guys in a bowling match against each other.

Another hilarious thing that I’ve noticed here in LA during the show: people love to wear their sunglasses…during the show. They just won’t take them off. No matter if they’re inside/outside, what time of day it is, or how little light there happens to be. I kind of just love that. Especially because I totally dig my new Prada sunglasses. I think I might even wear them to go see Knocked Up tonight at the Grove.

I have a funny story about my outfit as well, however, it’s just going to have to wait until I post the pictures. As for now, I’m running out to see one of my absolute best friends, Jordan Ballard at her store Diane Merrick. It’s an adorable and chic boutique at 7407 Beverly Blvd. Just sayin’.

So, the exciting news is, Jersey Boys San Francisco won Easter Bonnet this year! We made a staggering 236,844 dollars for Broadway Cares, beating out every broadway show for the first time in history! I’ll say it again – thank you San Francisco! The hard work of our company along side the generosity of this city has helped a great cause, and I am so damn proud.

The last time I wrote, I was suffering from laryngitis, and was out of the show. I didn’t sing for a week leading up to the benefit, which I have to say was a total success. We raised $24,565– the highest grossing cabaret for the Richmond/Ermet Foundation at Club Fugazi. (So proud.) I was scared shitless that night, not knowing what would come out of my mouth. Thank you to everyone who wished me well. You guys are the best. Of course, it all came together as it alway does, though we were underrehearsed and overly tired. Even the auction was hilarious, emceed by Eric Gutman. He auctioned off our Four Seasons for a Sunday brunch at 4,000 dollars! I mean….holy crap. Awesome.

Other stuff:

Deven May is a photographer. Yes, our very own Tommy DeVito, is not just a pretty face. Seriously, he is a brilliant performer, a good friend, AND a beautiful photographer. Last Friday it was absolutely gorgeous outside, so I went to his apartment close to the water and we took pictures on the roof, balcony, fire escape, you name it. We had a blast, and now I have a ton of new pictures to share with you all. He’s going to kill me if I show them now, because they haven’t been touched up yet. Not to mention, I had to shrink the files down so the coloring, and contrast is way off. But they’ll be up soon enough! Well, I’m impatient and excited so here’s a couple that I think are hilarious and fun… I’ll deal with Deven. But they’ll be up soon enough!

And last night something hilarious happened. Erich was working on his latest podcast on Green Room Radio, and I happened to come over to his apartment at the end of an interview. He was interviewing Adam Curry, of whom Erich, his mom, and about 250,000 other people are great fans. Adam is a major player in the podcast world and has one of the most listened to programs in…well…the world actually. So, as I walk in Adam asks Erich if he has booty call. Nice. Erich explains that no, in fact his girlfriend just came over. Adam politely inquires about me, and Erich explains that Adam has seen me perform in Jersey Boys as Mary Delgado. Turns out Adam had an erotic dream about me AND Erich, which he explains on his own show today. You have to listen! I literally almost peed myself. We talked for a couple priceless minutes considering the topic. Had we stayed on, I swear it would have turned into a full on Howard Stern-esk episode. Adam specifically asked Erich for that part of the interview and practically loops it with commentary on his podcast. It’s a riot. (Also, you can check out the full interview on Green Room Radio once Erich has completed it. I’m sure, like everything he does, it’ll be genius.)

That’s all I got for now. We will be heading out of San Fran soon, so I have an overwhelming amount of packing to do. A little procrastination couldn’t hurt, right? Right?

“I happen to like the blogs best that are not only diaries, but thoughts. Even a single thought that you have as it relates to being on stage, or on a tour, or having a boyfriend on tour or being away from home, living your dream, having a dog because you get lonely…..those are the things that would interest me more. A single thought elaborated allows people to get to know you better and allows them to see how interesting you really are. Where you go and what you do during the day can get trite, though I’m aware of the zillions of dollars that are spent on magazines and tv shows discussing those very things. Anyway, just my thoughts. You have much to offer; don’t trivialize your life. Love you tons, Mom”

This blog is dedicated to my mom…(and dad. They share one mind when it comes to their children.)

I am out of the show today. It’s a Saturday which means I’m out for two shows actually, which makes me twice as upset. I am currently suffering from good old fashioned laryngitis aka The Devil- the cause is unknown. It was either the crazy Mexican dinner I had on Sunday night with Erich (which was delicious at Colibri on Geary) followed by a nap, or a virus. Either way, I’ll be fine in a couple days, but nothing makes me sadder than losing my voice. Well, almost nothing. I’ll still be performing at the cabaret on Monday…oy.

I didn’t heed Erich’s advice and take a day off from the gym today. My voice may be gone, but my legs work just fine! I understand my body is telling me I need to rest – and I know time off from the gym may be good. My workout routine is 6 days a week. That includes about a half hour of cardio followed by crunches and weights. The whole workout takes about one hour. I don’t kill myself. The key is to not overdo it, so you’ll return the next day! Oh, and good music. I catch a lot of heat from my friends about the gym. I just want to say, it’s the one thing in my life, that no matter what I’m doing, gives me a sense of discipline. Real discipline – of the physical and mental sort. Of course there is inherent discipline in performing every night. You have to make all kinds of sacrifices to preserve your voice, body, and overall well being. Yet there is something to be said for getting out of bed on a rainy Saturday morning and going for a run. Although you are grunting all the way through tying your shoes, afterwards you feel like you can accomplish anything.

You want inspiration? Twyla Tharp. I worked for this woman – though she is not human. Twyla was 64 years old during The Times They Are A Changin’ and let me just tell you – she works out for 2 hours a friggin’ day! That woman out “pull-upped” me on the set! I was torn between sheer awe and mortification. I’ve been working on my bi-cepts and would like a rematch by the way… Twytwy, You game? That woman is a hero of mine for many reasons. That is probably reason 245.

So, what’s left for me now? Rest. I’m going to pop in a couple videos. Last night I saw Prestige and The Pursuit of Happyness. Awesome. On today’s list is The Holiday, and Deconstructing Harry. Ahhh, I love movies. I must admit for better or for worse, I adore Will Ferrell movies and can quote them in reference to almost any part of my day. This probably makes me a mega dork, and by probably, I mean… Basically what I’m trying to say is that I may go see Blades of Glory, again. To many people’s disgust. My parents are very proud to have a perpetual frat boy for a daughter.

Next week on the agenda – politics! No, I’m kidding. I’d be here all day. You can probably just watch a little Bill Maher on HBO to see where I stand on most things. It’s one of my favorite shows and I miss it dearly. And no, I do not get my news from political comedy shows (though I love them – and Jon Stewart. How can you not?) And yes, I read the newspaper. I’m also obsessed with crosswords. Unfortunately, I’ve been cursed with bad spelling skills. I subscribe to the New York Times online so I get the puzzle everyday. (Another great movie – Wordplay)

So, now you’ve learned a little bit about me. My “thoughts” as it were. I’m going to finish off this crystalized, then boiled ginger thing that a castmate gave me for my throat, and cuddle up with my puppy to watch my movies. I’ll let you know about the benefit!!! (Pleeease, say a little prayer for me. It couldn’t hurt, right? Oh, and read Kurt Vonnegut’s A Man Without a Country. It’s a quick read and it’s basically him just talking about the state of the world today. True to form, it’s sharp, laugh out loud funny, and devastating.

The second best part of the day was easily sharing or rather stealing bites, as I’m prone to do, of an Italian sausage and a beer with my boyfriend Erich Bergen. We stayed for four innings, and when things started not looking not so good for the Giants, we snuck out. Call me what you will, but I’m a Chicago fan through and through.

The day prior we took a walk up to… actually, no… not so much a walk as a hike up to the 210 ft Coit Tower, a landmark in San Fran. I’m not kidding, these hills. Wow. Forget a day at the gym, just go run some errands and you’ll see a change in that booty in no time. Yeesh. I’ll tell you what, though, the view from the top of the tower was something else. San Francisco is really a gorgeous city…

Afterwards, feeling very accomplished, Erich and I relaxed at an adorable cafe in North Beach. Is there any other kind?

All in all, it’s been a great week. Coming up: The cast of Jersey Boys will be doing a cabaret for the Richard Ermet Foundation coming up April 16th, and will perform non-Jersey Boys material at the Club Fugazi (home of Beach Blanket Babylon.) This is the bay area’s biggest AIDS foundation, and I know we are going to have a blast doing this show for them!

Since it’s too much to go into detail, how about I sum up each thing briefly. Opening: The greatest time ever. During the bows the real Four Seasons, save Nick Massi who sadly passed, and Bob Crewe came onstage, and the cast all but fell apart with awe and respect and tears. Legally Blonde: Great fun! I have a ton of friends in it from Hairspray and other shows, so if you get a chance, see it. Jay Leno: Uh… no brainer – awesome. It was surreal when we were back in San Fran watching our taping from that day. Very cool. Birthday: Total blast. The company celebrated at Ambassador, which is this swanky little loungy bar. I drank the best Martini ever – honey, mint, vodka?, gin?…I don’t remember now, but isn’t that the point? Earthquake: Can’t lie, it was sort of cool. I almost pooped myself though. Shingles: UGH! Neutering: I still feel guilty. I mean, wow, I took my dog’s manhood. I still find him looking around the apartment for his missing parts. Good Cry Movies: Namesake and Reign Over Me. Turkey: Based on the amount I eat, how am I not a turkey?

So, now I’d say, we’re all caught up! I look forward to sharing the exciting events coming up! One of them being this Tuesday. The 4 Jersey Boys doing the National Anthem at the baseball game! FUN!