Long time no update! The past few years have been tough on Chicagoland storefront theater — especially for sopranos — but we creatives are tougher. Like this year's cicada double-brood, I have reemerged and was fortunate enough to work on two shows this spring.

We closed Fun Home at Madison Street Theater yesterday. Not to toot our own horn, but if you missed it, you missed an incredible production! I'm so thankful to have met such an amazing group of kind and talented artists, and I'm keeping our fingers crossed that we'll all work together again sooner rather than later. Thanks as well to the Madison Street Theater team for trusting me to play Helen — vocally and emotionally, she was truly a dream role.

Madison Street Theater is a secret gem in Oak Park that shouldn't be a secret anymore; check it out at https://madisonstreettheater.org/.

While watching a Cubs or White Sox game on TV or listening to the radio on your morning commute, have you gotten the eerie feeling that you recognize a certain voice? That may have been me! I work as a copywriter for Wintrust; while most of my time is spent writing ads, I've also gotten to step behind the microphone and record them. Most notably, I was the voice for our recent Super Bowl commercial, which aired in the regions our banks serve. We're constantly producing new content, so if you hear me while you're out and about, let me know!

On April 16, 2023, I'll be returning to the Towle Theater for a cabaret fundraiser. I'm looking forward to performing with fellow Towle alumni as we reflect (through song, of course) on shows performed over the past 20 years at the Towle.

This show is currently SOLD OUT, but this is the first of three cabaret fundraiser shows this year. Visit the Towle's website to learn more about this performance and the rest of their 20th anniversary season.

**Please Note: This digital production is appropriate for 18+**

In response to the global pandemic and the recent upheaval in the performing arts, Black Button Eyes' Productions has created an online-only script and video experience that is available now and free to access. 

"Black Button Eyes Productions is pleased to present the world premiere of Masque of the Red Coronavirus, a free online-only script and video experience, written and directed by Producing Artistic Director Ed Rutherford and adapted, in part, from Edgar Allen Poe’s short story The Masque of Red Death. Poe’s story, along with a few contemporary newspaper articles about how the wealthy are reacting to the current pandemic, inspired Rutherford to create a script combining the two into a short, angry satirical piece. In late March, the company reached out to a variety of artists to curate remotely recorded, multi-disciplinary performances from the script including spoken word, song, original music, fire dancing, puppetry, burlesque dancing, opera and more."

I had the pleasure of performing one of my favorite arias, "Elle a fui, la tourterelle" from Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann, for this eerie and political parody. 

It's always an honor to work with BBEP, but it was especially awesome to see how creative this group of artists could be to bring this work to life while under a "shelter in place" order! If you would like to support any of the artists financially, please refer to the Venmo, PayPal and Patreon information at the end of the page (under "Curtain Call").

I had the pleasure of performing with the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company of Chicago again this year in their production of The Pirates of Penzance. Although we were scheduled to perform March 13-15th at The University of Chicago's Mandel Hall, we had to cancel due to concerns over the transmission of coronavirus.

We received this news during tech week, which led to an impromptu run and recording of the show for an audience of students and Hyde Park area friends - it was a whirlwind, "first and last night in costumes" evening!

The Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company is currently looking into their options for putting on the show later this year. Whether or not I'm able to reprise my role as Edith for this production, I'm incredibly proud of the team for their hard work during this unusual time, and I hope to work with GSOC in the future!

I am very excited to be playing Lilli Vanessi/Katherine in Big Noise Theatre's Kiss Me, Kate - we open tomorrow! The cast and crew have been a delight to work with, and I am thrilled to be part of this Cole Porter classic. Tickets are available here!

I'm also adding the final touches to my first original cabaret, "They'll Be Sorry When I'm Famous":

Join singer, songwriter, actor, Mortified Chicago alum, and mediocre guitar player Mikaela Sullivan as she unearths embarrassing original songs from her young adult life. Laugh along and relive the awkward memories as Mikaela tells tales about puppy love, breakups, rebounds, and teen angst. Featuring unedited, unembellished performances of her greatest hits (from a decade ago), THEY'LL BE SORRY WHEN I'M FAMOUS is a funny and poignant peek into the coming-of-age diaries of a lovesick, small town girl with rockstar dreams.

Come out to Davenport's Piano Bar on Friday, October 12th at 8:00 PM!
Tickets are available here; 21+, $15 cover, 2 drink minimum.

Beginning with a non-traditional performance: I will be performing in a Mortified Live show on Saturday, May 6th at Lincoln Hall in Chicago (2424 N. Lincoln Ave). Mortified stars everyday people reading aloud their most embarrassing, pathetic and private teenage diary entries, poems, love letters, lyrics and locker notes in front of total strangers. I will be presenting the songs I wrote as a teenager; share the shame with me! The show starts at 8:00 PM - more information can be found through the Facebook event and tickets can be purchased here.