The BIG news!

Long overdue but the SAG and AFTRA unions passed the vote to merge today! Should have happened ten yrs ago but fear prevented that. Fear that more could join our union and take work away, when the real threat in my opinion was and is new media taking work away if The union doesn't keep up..now maybe we will.

Welcome to The Screen Actors Guild to my sister!

Great day at the ACMAs...Steve Martin on the banjo being the highlight...didn't expect to see him here...(or Kiss but not as excited about them).

Stood in for Reba as host most of the day...she will be here tomorrow so who knows for sure who I'll be. :)

Day one......

Smith Center for the Performing Arts...finally here!

Since I last wrote I've had a few experiences on the set. Most recently (other than the ACMA's this week), was the gala concert for the opening of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts here in Las Vegas. When I first heard about this in 2009 I was so excited! We have needed a place like this and am thrilled it's here. It's our Vegas version of Lincoln Center.

I was fortunate enough to be the only stand in working this event. Will try not to take it personally that instead of working with Neil Patrick Harris I was standing in for him most of the time! (He looks just like my brother Steve). Enjoyed working with Martina McBride and Pat Monahan. While waiting for her flight to arrive it looked like he was going to be rehearsing with me on the song "Marry Me". Of course I was ready, but I don't know if he would have trusted me to rehearse it with him. Not everyone does, although they should and usually most do.

Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, looked like two guys on a road trip without a dime to their name, but they sounded like heaven! For John Fogerty, I almost got to rehearse his medley but was in the ladies room so they used a backup singer from Sting's band. Arghhhhhh! Emmy Lou Harris was lovely, and where has she been these past 10 years?  Also, Carol King did one of her classics and later Martina McBride and Jennifer Hudson joined in. Jennifer's rendition of "Bless This House" was a beautiful touch to the opening of this amazing place. The "Broadway All Stars" were such a pleasure too. So much talent, energy and heart....and did I say talent?

This week it's the Academy of Country Music Awards.  I'm standing in for the host, Reba McEntire, also Martina McBride again, and Carrie Underwood, as always. I remember when Carrie was just the American Idol Winner singing "Jesus Take The Wheel", and now a few years later an icon in the industry, and rightfully so. Also, Taylor Swift who made her debut a few years ago with her ode to Tim McGraw and her little sundress, guitar and cowboy boots, and now she is who she is.....was fun to watch Luke Bryan rehearse his opening for the show because his star is rising and he is finding his way. You know how it is, evolve or die, same with fame I guess.

Anna Wendt standing in for Martina McBride, Host Neil Patrick Harris

"The Broadway All Stars" rehearsing

Murder at the Golden Nugget

Ted Danson is the new series lead. Should be interesting to see him embody a non comedic character. I think he can pull it off.
Enjoyed working on this Monday, all 13 hours, at the Golden Nugget and Fremont Street. I remember the first time I worked on CSI was back in 2002. We were doing a formal party scene at a mansion in town. It was freezing rain and our holding area was the 4 car garage and we were all in gowns and tuxes. It was raining and we had to be shuttled to the lunch area which was a tent in an abandoned lot. I ruined a great pair of heels in the mud. Ohhh the glamour! There's a scene in this episode where someone puts pirhanna fish in the pool and they eat someone, which is the murder being investigated. They had an animal agent with her dozen pirhannas they "hired" for the shoot. She told me she got $1,000 per pirhanna per day! $12,000 per day for fish. Which means the fish were making 10 times more per day than the extras. There was also a baby kangaroo that she brought with her just for fun. I got to hold it, it was beautiful.

Pulling an "all nighter" isn't always a party!

Yikes, night shoots. That was a rough but profitable introduction back into extra work. Ceasars Palace was abuzz with the news of Babs shooting a film.  Even though I didn't officially meet Barbra Streisand she did give me a lovely smile.

Those night shoots can be a beeeeaaatch though....whew! I am not at all up to speed on "all nighters"!

Monday is C.S.I. Haven't worked on that show since the Foundation Room at the House of Blues back in 2003.

Funny to be back in Vegas working on this show again. Guess I've come full circle from Vegas to L.A. to NYC to L.A. now finally and permanently back to Vegas. It's been an adventurous decade. The good, the bad, and the ugly.  :)

Pic below is early into the first night of two all night shoots.....hence the perky face!

Crowned...

Spent the weekend judging a beauty pageant, the Miss Mesquite and Miss Outstanding Teen Pageant, which is a local one that is part of the Miss America Organization.

I know everyone says this but what a bright group of girls/young ladies. It's just really nice to see people trying to be all they can, and some of them honestly have done amazing things with very few resources.

Bless them!