A Million Dreams

Atlanta

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:04:49 GMT

From Merle's forum:

Well, I'm off again. After a WONDERFUL run in MOST WANTED at La Jolla, I have migrated to L.A. for the next few months. The project is a new piece called ATLANTA at the Geffen Playhouse. Check it out Geffenplayhouse.com
I will take some time out to go film NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH written and directed by the incomparable Rod Lurie.

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 02:30:33 GMT

I was bored and yeah, I decided to make a Merle Dandridge Fansite on Myspace!
Soooo.... it's still under construction BUT... you're welcome to add the page, if you have a Myspace!

http://www.myspace.com/merle_dandridge_fansite

I don't belive I've seen a fansite soo to my knowledge, this is the first!
Add it, spread the news!
Liz!

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:14:59 GMT

Torres, Page, Gurwin, Hocking and More Cast in Most Wanted Musical at La Jolla
By Ernio Hernandez
21 Sep 2007

............Also featured in the cast are Arthur Acuña (Wig Out, Dogeaters) as Danny's father Lee Reyes and fashion designer Apolo Serra, Merle Dandridge (Rent, Tarzan, Aida) as reporter Elizabeth Mitchell, Zandi De Jesus (UCSD graduate A Night On Broadway) as Danny's sister Angie Reyes, Danny Gurwin (Little Women, Urinetown, The Full Monty) as Danny's lover Chris Bailey and Serra's lover Javier Luna and Leah Hocking (Mamma Mia!, Hairspray, All Shook Up) as Danny's mother Teresa and as Serra's mother Apolonia........

________________________________________________________

Here is the link to the whole article:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/111254.html

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 04:27:00 GMT

http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/11647

Dandridge, Gurwin, Page, Torres, et al. Set for La Jolla's Most Wanted
By: Brian Scott Lipton

Ken Page
Full cast and creative team have been announced for the La Jolla Playhouse's Page to Stage Workshop production of Jessica Hagedorn and Mark Bennett's new musical Most Wanted, October 2-14. The show, which will be directed by Michael Greif, is based loosely on the life and crimes of Andrew Cunanan, who murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace.
The show will star Daniel Torres, Ken Page, Arthur Acuña, Merle Dandridge, Zandi De Jesus, Danny Gurwin, Michael Grant Hall, Kathleen Halm, Leah Hocking, Peter Kapetan, David Nathan Perlow, and Michael Winther.

The creative team includes Charlie Alterman (music direction), Javier Velasco (choreography), Steven C. Kemp (sets), Clint Ramos (costumes), Tom Ontiveros (lighting), Philip G. Allen (sound), and Dan Lipton (orchestrations).

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:09:57 GMT

Myspace blog:

Notes from the Road (and directors I love)

http://www.playbill.com/multimedia/video.asp

Here is a link to the interview Anthony and I did while at Madame Tussauds. If you had a chance to make it out, you may just see yourself on the clip!

First of all, thank you thank you thank you for the amazing send off from the show, the loving and encouraging notes and gifts, and for keeping up with me while I'm away. A special thanks to all of you who braved the crowd at HK (what was that about, eh?). It was really great singing the Aida stuff with Adam again. But who would have ever thought Aida music would work in a club like that? I had a great time.

So, what have I been doing the past couple of weeks? Well, I spent a couple days detoxing at a resort on the beach (yay!), then I came out here to California to work my tail off again. And I have to say I LOVE it! I love being in the middle of the process. It's even sweeter being in the hands of an amazing director like Michael (Grief). The piece is always changing. But I'm finding the research, the homework and the rehearsal to be very interesting creatively. It's MOST WANTED (loosely based on the Versace killer) @ La Jolla Playhouse.

Speaking of directors I love, I have the wonderful opportunity to work with one of my favorite all time directors again, Rod Lurie. We first met working on the pilot earlier this year. But I'd been in love with his work since Joan Allen in The Contender, through Gina Davis in Commander-in-Chief and now with Josh Hartnett in Ressurecting the Champ (run to the theatres if you haven't seen it yet). The film is Nothing But the Truth. The cast is unbelievable. My part? Smaller than I thought, but rich. And I'm so glad to have the opportunity.

In the meantime, I'm catching up with loved ones in my trips up to L.A. And I hope to stay in touch with you...

Love,

M

P.S. Cindy J has been working hard and has added some cool new stuff to this site (pics, multimedia,etc.). Isn't she the best? She fills up fast, so book her for your next shoot when you can. AND, I just heard that my web designer has been busy with something new. So, I believe he's planning to launch an new and improved website soon. Keep checking into merledandridge.com. I'm excited to see it, myself!

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 22:59:16 GMT

Heres a short and touching interview of Merle and Anthony Rapp at their signing at Madame Tussauds from a couple of weeks ago.

This Month's Rent: A Conversation with Merle Dandridge and Anthony Rapp

Posted Today

Recently, Playbill Video sat down with returning Rent stars Merle Dandridge and Anthony Rapp after an appearance at Madame Tussauds. They spoke about Rent's passionate fan base and the extraordinary effect it continues to have on its audience members.

Merle's Reel

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 03:27:29 GMT

Thanks to aksarbenmerle on Youtube, here is a video for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy!

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 03:52:09 GMT

Hi! I've only discovered Merle this summer, but I've fallen in love hard and fast. I just posted seven icons over in my journal, so let me know what you think! Thanks.

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:55:58 GMT

Well, its too late now but if anyone was interested in WHY they were at Madame Tussauds, this is why:

Rapp & Dandridge Autograph at Madame Tussauds Today, 3PM

Original Rent cast member Anthony Rapp and co-star Broadway actress Merle Dandridge, will sign autographs for fans today, Thursday August 30 at 3PM the world-famous wax museum Madame Tussauds (234 West 42nd Street).

"The special event is part of Playbill Opening Night, a new interactive exhibit featuring the wax figures of Broadway actors including Whoopi Goldberg, Bette Midler and Nathan Lane alongside their commemorative playbills from the shows in which they starred," state press materials.

Anthony Rapp has appeared on Broadway in Precious Sons, Six Degrees of Separation and the revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. His film credits include Adventures in Babysitting, School Ties, Dazed and Confused, Road Trip and the film adaptation of Rent. Rapp, who originated the role of Mark Cohen, has returned to the Rent cast for a limited engagement from July 30 through October 7.

Merle Dandridge returned to Rent after starring as Kala in the Broadway production Tarzan. She has also appeared in Aida and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Madame Tussaud's New York is an interactive "must do" attraction that provides guests with unique opportunities to create memories with some of the world's biggest icons. Prominently located in the heart of Times Square, Madame Tussauds New York is open 365 days a year at 10AM. For more information, visit www.nycwax.com or call 800-246-8872.

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 06:19:58 GMT

The Myspace says:

August 28, 2007 - Tuesday

Live @ HK

Hey folks. I'm going to be performing at HK Lounge(39th and 9th, I think) this Thursday @ midnight. Myself and some other RENT Divas.

Also, Anthony Rapp and I will be signing at Madame Toussaud's Thursday afternoon.

And, if you didn't know, this Saturday evening is my last peformance at RENT. If you are west coast, I open in Michael Grief's MOST WANTED at La Jolla on Oct. 2

Love, Love, Love,

M

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 03:41:11 GMT

Rent Stars Set for HK Angels Live!; Taymor to Host BC/EFA Screening of Across the Universe
By: Brian Scott Lipton

Rent stars Merle Dandridge, Moeisha McGill, Crystal Monee Hall, Marcus Paul James, and Adam Pascal will perform at the kick-off of HK Angels Live on Thursday, August 30 at HK Lounge (9th Avenue at 39th Street). Doors will open at 9pm, with performances set to start at midnight. There is no admission, but donations to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS will be encouraged.
The event, which has been conceived by McGill and Hall, will take place on the last Thursday of every month and feature rotating guest stars. The performers will sing a mix of pop, rock, R&B, and standards.

In other Broadway Cares news, Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor will host a benefit screening of her new film Across the Universe at 7pm on Monday, September 3 at the Sony Screening Room (550 Madison Avenue). The film, which stars Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Bono, and Eddie Izzard, uses more than 30 Beatles tunes to tell a love story set in the 1960s. The event will include a talkback with Taymor and cocktail reception.

For more information about these events, call 212-840-0770 or visit www.Broadwaycares.org.

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 15:30:58 GMT

Here is some info about the show that Merle is doing in Cali.

MOST WANTED
October 2 - 14, 2007
Mandell Weiss Forum

A Page To Stage Workshop Production
Music by Mark Bennett
Book by Jessica Hagedorn
Lyrics by Jessica Hagedorn and Mark Bennett
Directed by Michael Greif

Most Wanted uncovers America's obsession with the cult of wealth and celebrity through the lens of the media frenzy surrounding a spree killer whose insatiable appetite for fame resulted in the loss of one of the world's premier fashion designers. Provocative and compelling, this music theatre piece explores issues of sexuality, class and race, revealing the dark side of the limelight.
Contains adult language and situations
*Most Wanted is presented as the inaugural production in THE EDGE series. It is NOT included in subscription packages.

PERFORMANCE TIMES
Tuesday and Wednesday: 7:30 pm
Thursday, Friday: 8:00 pm
Saturday: 2:00 pm*and 8:00pm
Sunday: 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:52:47 GMT

Blog:

What's new? What's new?
Sept. 1 is my last performance at RENT. (And opening day for the Nebraska Cornhusker's Football Season!!!!)
Sept. 4 is my first rehearsal at La Jolla (San Diego) for MOST WANTED, the new production from Director Michael Grief. I will be there until mid-October.
Oct-Nov Shooting a film. The exciting details to come. You won't believe how amazing this is.

So, I will be spending a bit more time west coast the end of the year. Sadly, this means the gig will be postponed a bit. But is STILL GOING TO HAPPEN!!!

Tarzan did finish in the playoffs in a great game against Lion King last week. But it was an amazing season. We made it to the top 4 out of 36 teams. Not bad at all. And we had a blast the entire ride. Thanks for the support! Check out this link and see if you see your favorite team...
Multimedia from NYTimes.com:Choreography andCleats
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/arts/20070814_LEAGUE_FEATURE/index.html

----------------------------

Kenra, I think you should know that you will be going to see a show called Most Wanted at La Jolla....

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 04:43:50 GMT

Fyi to all, Merle's last day is NOT September 2nd. It is September 1st.

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 02:16:46 GMT

Love the new look (...of the community)! Not that this is a good thing for those late-night train rides, when maturity takes a tumble, but so be it. It looks fab.!

Extended

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 00:58:13 GMT

Merle has extended her contract with Rent until September 2.

BWW video

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:12:03 GMT

Check out this video to see clips from the show. There's a bit of Tango and Take Me Or Leave Me in there, so go watch. Now. And then, if you can, go see the show soon to see Merle. She's currently rocking the pants off of the Nederlander.

http://broadwayworld.com/videoplay.cfm?colid=20449

Tango, Anyone?

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 18:30:36 GMT

From the blog:

Well, well, well... I thought I had put up my tango shoes. But I was wrong. It is OFFICIAL. I will be tangoing with Anthony Rapp in the RENT! And, if you missed me opposite Adam Pascal in Aida, you can see us on stage together again at the Nederlander as Joanne and Roger who do not interact at all... he he
Tarzan closes July 8th and I will be on stage at RENT July 9th. This will only go until the middle of August, so get on it, get there, give me a jungle yell!
Movie coming up, gig coming up, and so much more...

Love,

Merle

From the forum:

Oh yes! I will be tangoing again for a very short stint. But this time with the darling Anthony Rapp. I will come back to RENT as Joanne the day after Tarzan closes, July 9th and stay until mid-august. Very excited! Come support...

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:51:33 GMT

New Blog
------------------

Hey guys...Yes, the news is true. It was a surprise, but all good thing must....well, you know. Tarzan closing is July 8th @6:30pm. But please keep checking back in the next couple of weeks. I have several things in the works and it stands to be a very busy second half of the year for your beloved monkey mama. I promise this isn't the end. And yes, I WILL still work on the gig very soon.... Much, much love. And many posts to come. But right now, I'm looking to relax for a second. All my love, Merle

------------------

And since I will be MIA until August 2nd, i hope someone will update this thing for me with news! Umm... ok, someone BEST BE updating this thing!

Sad about Taz'n but hey, maybe that means a gig will make it's way to us sooner? Sayyyyyyy, before the fall semester starts? aaaand after August 2nd!

Undercover Showtunes

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:33 GMT

From the forum:

Hey Guys! Thanks for being so amazing and supportive. With that in mind, I wanted to let you know that I will be performing @ The Zipper Theatre in a benefit for the New York Musical Theatre Festival. It will be quite amazing with lots of Broadway, Film and TV stars singing an eclectic selection of music. This is the same space where the Working Benefit was. I loved that space and I'm excited to get back there. It reminds me a little bit of the theatre we had when I was in college! So, check the blog for more details. See you there!

Love, Merle

And from the blog:

Hey Gang! Just a note to tell you that I will be performing in “Undercover Showtunes,” the second night of NYMF’s highly-anticipated Spring benefit concert series to raise funds for the 2007 NYMF Festival. The evening will feature an extraordinary and eclectic group of Broadway, TV and film performers bringing out the theatrical side of the music world’s most beloved rock and pop songs, an approach that met with great acclaim in their kickoff concert of songs by singer/songwriter Ben Folds.
Also peforming will be: Gloria Reuben, Alison Fraser, Christian Campbell, Mano Felciano, Michael Winther, Stephinie D'Abruzzo, Peter Friedman, MMIriam Shor, Ann Morrison, Mary Faber and Natascia Diaz.
Undercover Showtunes will take place on Monday, June 18 at 7 PM at the Zipper Theater in New York. They are located at 336 W. 37th St. between 8th and 9th Aves.
Featured songwriters include Paul McCartney & John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, Rufus Wainwright, Marc Cohn, David Bowie, Stephin Merritt, Fiona Apple, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Elton John, Harry Nilsson, The Decemberists, Bjork and many more. Hope to see you there!

Love,
Merle

P.S. There are lots of fun new things coming up for you to check out, so keep checking back and I'll keep you posted!

Monday, May 14th @ 7:30pm

Tue, 08 May 2007 00:51:45 GMT

http://web.joespub.com/caltool/index.cfm?fuseaction=detail&performanceID=2948

Manoel Felciano at Joe's Pub, with... you guessed it! The Merle! Only $20, so you should go.

Taz'n

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 18:02:50 GMT

Why have I not seen this yet?

Very cute video and yes, some Merle!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6kdAMlvhL_s&mode=related&search=

They're baaaaaaaack.

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:49:14 GMT

The Hidden Sky, Joe's Pub, May 14th.

http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=17469

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 02:58:42 GMT

Hidden Sky Concert! Looks gooooood!

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/106859.html

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:10:52 GMT

Hey everyone, I know its been a while but heres a blog post:

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Sorry for the late notice for those of you who were at the show yesterday. My apologies again for not letting you now I'd be out. I will be gone from Tarzan all week while shooting a pilot out of town. I'll return on Wednesday April 4th. Enjoy the beautiful weather!
Love,
Merle