There are certain songs that you hear and enjoy...and then there are songs that somehow find a little place inside of you and stay there. For me, Fools Who Dream, from the film La La Land, is one of those songs. I have always loved its message about the dreamers—the people who keep reaching for something, “crazy as they may seem.”
I recently had the opportunity to record my own version of this beautiful song, and I wanted to share it with all of you who have followed and supported me through MY dreams over the years. This one is for the actors, musicians, writers, artists, and anyone who has ever been foolish enough to believe in a dream and pursue it.
Find out more about my recording of this beautiful song in my latest What's New.
Mayhem! Makeup! Mikado!
I recently had the pleasure of joining the wonderfully talented cast of The Mikado at First Coast Opera, and what an experience it turned out to be. Between the clever direction, the beautiful production, the backstage transformations, and one very enthusiastic turn as my own imagined Estee Lauder consultant of the operetta, this show gave me plenty to laugh about and plenty to remember.
And as live theatre so often proves, the real drama was not only onstage. The final performance came with food poisoning, an ambulance backstage, and a cast that still somehow kept the show going beautifully. Want to read more? Check out my latest What's New feature for the full scoop!
Annie in 2025: Highlights in Review
This year brought a wide range of creative opportunities across opera, theatre, dance, and performance. I had the pleasure of dancing with
First Coast Opera
in a production of The Magic Flute, directed by
Nelson Sheeley.
I was also profiled by Orlando Voyager in an in-depth interview exploring my background, training, and professional journey from past to present, and was honored to be selected for inclusion in the 2026 edition of Marquis Who’s Who in America.
On the dance side, I performed a showgirl burlesque piece choreographed by
Victoria Lane
to Shania Twain’s
Man! I Feel Like a Woman — a playful, empowering celebration of confidence, strength, and fun.
I closed out the year with an onstage production of It’s a Wonderful Life for
City Repertory Theatre,
performing the lead role of Mary, originally portrayed on screen by
Donna Reed.
The role followed Mary through multiple stages of her life — from childhood and adolescence through marriage and motherhood — and the production was warmly received, with several sold-out houses and standing ovations throughout the run.
A Wonderful Run of It’s a Wonderful Life
Backstage with the cast.
With all that’s going on in the world, it was a real joy—for our audiences and for me and the rest of the cast—to perform It’s a Wonderful Life in a special way: as a live 1940s radio broadcast, complete with microphones, sponsor jingles, live sound effects, and cue cards for applause and laughs.
Our small cast became an entire town (and even Heaven!) purely through voice and timing—and it was a beautiful reminder that no one is a failure who has friends.
Want to know more? Check out my latest What’s New post for the full story!
