Broadway BUZZ

Meet Tara Ann, one of the regular theatergoers that was chosen to be a part of the Broadway.com Word of Mouth panel for the 2011-2012 theater season!

How far do you live from Broadway?
57 miles away in Long Island. TOO far!

What do you do for a living?
I am a wife, mother of two beautiful children and a Spanish teacher.

Who first exposed you to Broadway?
I saw my first Broadway show when I was in middle school. My choir traveled into the city to see Starlight Express. Nothing can truly be said to convey the feeling I had when the actors skated on stage and opened the show. It was like nothing I'd ever seen or known before. I wanted to be up on that stage, eight times a week, with those performers. And I knew that THIS was what I was shooting for...the STARlight!!....

Any special childhood theater memories?
Instead of a "Sweet 16" cotillion like many girls may know, I asked to go to see Kiss of the Spider Woman starring Chita Rivera. For some reason that weekend my parents had a rented or borrowed car that we used to drive into the city. I had my brother come with me under the very-clear statement that "a coat could have sat on that seat beside me." I was a serious theater patron who insisted on NO distractions throughout the production! The show was magic. I was transfixed by the legend that IS Chita Rivera and the music which brought me "Over the Wall." When the show was over my father pulled up to the theater while I was sobbing uncontrollably at the stage door. He told us to get in the car so we could beat the traffic and then immediately pulled out and side-swiped a bus. While he dealt with the accident, I jumped out of the back seat and ran back to the stage door, still in tears. At the door, a spot operator saw my raw emotion and asked if I'd like to come back into the theater. He opened the stage door and I turned to my left to see Chita Rivera standing in her dressing room, calling to me to come give her a hug. There I was, a shaking, sobbing mess being comforted by Chita Rivera!! She asked if I'd like to go onstage with her and see the set! There WE were, on the Broadway stage, looking out into the house. After my tour of the stage, we returned to her dressing room and she wrote me a personal sentiment on my Playbill and kissed it in lipstick: "Go for it, believe in yourself and love what you do." Yes, Ms. Rivera, I am HERE, at Broadway.com, and I AM!!

What do you love about Broadway?
I always remember as a child driving through Manhattan to get to another destination and I never understood why I couldn't just stay there? The lights were twinkling, day or night, and the traffic of people and cars just never stopped. I was jealous of the school kids who got to take a subway to school each day and wished that my town had a Jamba Juice on every corner! I knew New York City held something special to me and I had to be a part of it all. Broadway was always more than just a street to me. It was where all of these little theater put on shows every night, where people from everywhere came to be entertained in a BIG way...the GREAT WHITE WAY...that is Broadway to me!

Have you ever acted? Had aspirations of being on Broadway yourself?
Yes! I am a classically-trained singer, dancer and actress. I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish and Theater and still perform musical theater and plays at many local venues and playhouses. One day I WILL be performing on Broadway!!

Who do you like to go to the theater with and why?
My husband, Brett is an actor and a wonderful companion to take to the theater. My voice teacher and very close friend Daryl is also a wonderful addition to my theatergoing experience.

What are some of your all-time favorite Broadway shows?
I love a musical with a drag-em-out-drama plotline. Passion by Stephen Sondheim was a very memorable theatrical experience. But my favorite all-time musical was Next to Normal. The score is heavy, the story is real and the cast album plays on my iPod every time I turn the dock on!

Why should Broadway.com viewers listen to your opinion?
I am an excellent, objective theatergoer. And I am a performer who knows what goes on backstage and onstage and it's who I am..."bwaybuff," as I am known to many!

What was your reaction when you found out you'd been chosen for the panel?
I cried! I was actually driving down Route 112 with my children and my sister-in-law. My daughter asked me if I heard anything from the Broadway.com crew regarding the panel. Then I glanced down at my Blackberry because I saw a light blinking and clicked to see what it was. The subject line said "Word of Mouth--Congrats!" Then I skimmed the email and saw that I was being offered "a place on the Panel..." I screamed, tears rushing to my eyes, and cars beeping behind me, because I was veering out of the lane! I pulled the car over and re-read the e-mail. I felt honored and humbled.