"Play Battle" Mademousille

Nikko nose is back on the map y'all. Now currently in Essen, Germany where fun goes to die but rest goes to vacation.  If you are asking yourself where my nose has been for the past 6 weeks ill tell ya...unemployed. We had a 6 week layoff from tour aka too short to do anything significant and too long to be a vacation. Purgatory. But so refreshing. Everyone has come back on tour with full force ...that might be because its what we have all been waiting for.....PARIS. Basically without saying it this tour has been leading up to subletting the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris from mid Oct-Jan1st. Croissant anyone? (Literally all the French I know)

We have a week till then so don't get too excited...in the meantime I've been sick and being a baby about it. I've quarantined myself to my room and Starbucks and had a lot of " thinking " time mixed with being doped up on DayQuil and snorting Afrin to clear the nasal halls. But this has lead me to find out what I want this time around on tour. Aka try no.2 :  A of all) to be conscious of pursuing relationships (sounds girly I know) B.) create opportunities to keep experiencing artistry (sounds smart I know) ...cabarets, blogging, in the making of "a very west side Christmas story" (Jews vs. Catholics) ..still in process don't judge. Emailed theater schools in Paris,  professors for master classes, meet -up.com (I'm obsessed they have English French conversation meetings over wine) fact: anyone can speak another language with the influence of wine. Wi? But all this to say that if you have any ideas about what to do with my time in Paris I would appreciate it! Put on your "Thinking  Barrettes" and get back to me. Also, in my researching I found this tid bit on artistry from the artistic director of the comedy Fracais ..if I was smart I would write like this...

"In reality (and in fiction), the age-old magic of theatre, as implacable as it is childish, to this day remains unchanged. Actors give battle, with their doubts and the frailties of their art, to represent on stage the most extreme passions and greatest human tragedies. The audience, which also does daily battle against the violence and injustices of modern life, lends its attention and presence. And, in the suspended time of a performance, all their battles meet to give another, in the name of intelligence and reflection, imagination and dreams. And, in the  simplicity of listening and acting, together they succeed in holding at bay all the pressures of the outside world to both enrich and transcend them. Let us play battle, as children say, so that our ideas may advance."

I love this passage because it describes the beautiful relationship between actor and audience. The actor's dedication to artistry in displaying the extremes of human emotions employs the willing audience members to "play battle" with fiction and reality so that we can advance as ONE. It's no cast/audience separation, it is a team effort y'all. "We are all in this together." (High School Musical) Truer words were never auto tuned...


I like talking about the power of art. Get back at me and let's make this a discussion. Or if not I hope this encouraged you to go out there and "play battle".

P.s. feel free to post some of our own stuff. Me like to talk.

Coming up : interviews with the cast... Gettin to know these guys we call "Jets and Sharks"...video fun. Amen.

VLOGGING...its the new black

Ok listen i hate writing on my i pad ..i have too fat of fingers to be typing a whole mess of stuff to let you know how 

I am doing here in Germany. However I have found a solution...VLOGGING. For those of you that cannot 

decipher abbreviations- Video Blogging. And plus wouldn't you rather see my face anyway? 

Ok so after I took this video I realized I shouldn't have had wine the night before because it is reflected in the bags 

under my eyes and the less than enthused energy in the video. But o well enjoy. 

Vlog adventure no. 1

Ok this time was rough ...

Dear avid readers, I am back. There was a whole accident with my flying harness during the "Chino's Lament" but I am better now thank you for your kind thoughts and supportive words.  (For those unaware there is no flying but definitely a lament that ends with a bang). Moving along on what I have failed to keep you updated on (aka spark notes version) Go: 

1.) THE SHOW OPENED!!! We opened in Berlin and it was cray. Good singing, Good dancing, Acting. Fun times had by all. We ran for two weeks there and the audiences were all about it. Bows lasted for days, Germans could show some American audiences about generosity with their clapping. The love from those audiences could make a brown boy blush. okrr

1.5) Nicki Minaj Concert in Berlin. Enough Said. #beezinatrap

2.) Leipzig: Time for the tour to start! We made it to our first city outside of Berlin. Leipzig! Which was prefaced by our company manager saying that it was a little abandoned and not doing so economically well. So it was a good start and needless to say the reason we only played one week there. But it was beautiful none the less. Smaller feel than Berlin with a breathtaking venue. Also, we stayed at the Ramada Inn. #bougiebreakfast. I'm talking eggs, bacon, chocolate pound cake, buckets of coffee..don't even get me started. But there was some voodoo in this city because I was tired all the time. It kept raining so the question of the day was: to explore and risk getting my microbraids wet or sleeping...there was an even balance. NEXT PLEASE. 

3.) OPENING IN COLOGNE! Ok so that brings us up to now. Cologne is the best!!!!!! Perfect mix between Berlin aka NYC and no where Leipzig. Small town with Big town dreams, it's what I am about. The Cologne Philharmonic is nuzzled between the river and the Cologne Cathedral that I am pretty sure is the gates of heaven themselves minus the pigeon poop and foreign family playing out of tune music in front. The theater is a 3/4 thrust that allows the audience to basically touch you at their discretion. I am obsessed with them being this close. Obsessed. They are in it to win it with us every night (aka the only two we have had here so far..) And their generosity exceeds all expectations. And shoot people are just happy here. I would live here if it wasn't so easy for me to speak German...wait what? 

3.5) Hotel Breakfast has nutella banana crepes. Process of changing my type into the Fat Character Actor is a go: #Piragua (In the Heights reference don't sweat it mom) 

So ya'll thats the sparks notes for now. If you want the whole novel write me personally and I will appreciate the love. P.S. can we get some skype dates going on? I aint seen any of yo faces in foeva. 

Wait help me with this: We have a layoff from the tour for the month of September. WHAT SHOULD I DO???????????????? 

I want to be involved with a group of people that I connect with, but I also want a cool new experience after all I am young and in Europe, I could go back to the city, I could not, I could eat, I could not. I want to get my teeth whitened but that's besides the point. Help y'all. I don't mind doing things for free. Anybody know anything in Europe I could do? Spain? I also need a tan, but that's priority #2. Get on it and spit some ideas at me. 

Also, real quick we have started some church times here and my heart couldn't be happier at the amount people are willing to share with one another to allow their stories to help others. Lots to learn from this cast. #lifeisgoodyall. 

Next Post PREVIEW: Expect a sneak peek of tour life presented to you via video by the smash hit group The Kentes (black girls). 

Love y'all. Skadooosh. 

There is HOPE!

... I get it ...I get it ...I am awful at this already. Don't scoff at me. Anyways, many things have taken off since the last post...

• One being my fluency of the german language. So now when I go into a coffee haus I can say (with the universal sign language of pointing and slow exaggerated annunciation) "Can ich bitte haben ein cleine coffee bitte?" (Can I please have a small coffee?)...now I have no idea how to spell it but whatever that is not the point. 
• Secondly, people have started dying. In rehearsal that is. Our dancers are insane ok. So listen when one of them goes down because of an injury its like ..."how did that even happen?'..now when about 5 of them have been injured  in the first 3 weeks it makes you think that Jerome Robbins (original choreographer) is a psycho. But God is it stunning to look at it. Also, we have started Act II where basically everyone starts dying and weeping...its been a real uplifting time..wait. 
• Also, Berlin might be the nicest city in the world. I mean I can only compare it to New York really...but they don't have rats here so they win. No but seriously I thought New York City or Chicago or LA had to be like the nicest cities in the world because we are America, who knew other countries had the ability to have nice things ...its good that I'm traveling for my IQ's sake. 

So we have finished up the third week. Woof. We have officially learned basically everything in the show and we begin runs of the show this week. I know cray cray. The end of this past week was a rough one...It's getting around that time when you realize that you are not living your "ordinary" lifestyle and you can't really get in contact with your friends and family who you depend on to lift you up daily, and you don't have the privilege of going to your usual church to be empowered the way you like and you have to search and re-evaluate things in your life to get it going good ya know. It just proves how lazy I can be when I am so used to depending on those things in life to encourage me, but it is so cool to be pulled out of that environment and check myself before I wreck myself. It makes coffee time in the morning that much more simple and special. Me time. Use it or loose it. (Does that saying work for that?..o well.) This is also ontop of the rehearsals for Chino's scenes in Act II. Basically one he is running from a fight where his best friend died and ends up telling the love of his life that her brother is dead and she responds with basically affirming the fact that she is in love with another man and doesn't care that her brother is dead. Happy. And the other is when Chino shoots Tony at the end and has to watch the fact that he destroyed the love of his life (Maria) and then be handcuffed and taken to jail for the rest of his life. Peachy. So the director and I were talking shop about a sense memory incident where I could pull from to get me to those emotional places. Ya'll I am spoiled and have never had to deal with death directly (other than Ally (my dog) R.I.P. Boracha). Or any other type of tragic sadness. I am blessed. But also you find yourself wanting an experience just so that you could connect to where Chino is at. And do you know what continues to blow my mind is that you could be watching an actor go through an emotional scene onstage and you don't know what tragic experience they could be re-living just so that the audience could experience the story fully. Ya'll thats selfless. "We need to share lovingly the information of our lives, and the truth at is revealed to us," bible. That's a lesson in progress. And ontop of all that I cry like once a year at most. Now having to do that shiz in rehearsal like 5 times a day....my eyes hurt. So all of you that think I don't got no soul. WATCH ME CRY! Anyways, to wrap it up the cast is stupid talented and generous and I am so thankful for life. Life is good when you bougie in Europe but I swear if I eat one more sausage or potato...

P.S. I got off the bus today and realized my wallet must have fallen on the bus so I had to get a taxi and straight up Bourne Identity it and say "follow that bus". Got on and the wallet had been taken. Now out of all situations this one was the best because there was no credit cards or anything just my wallet since high school that has awful senior/homecoming/prom pictures and my id that hasn't been flipped since turning 21. So part of me thought it was a sign but I was weirdly chill about it. Then an hour later I get a call to come downstairs of my apartment to the lobby. A student found my wallet and returned it to me with everything inside. I guess I had put a card from the apartments in there. Anyways after harassing him and hugging him out of joy and embarrassingly jumping up and down I said wait here I want to give you some money just for being awesome and he was like "no" but i said wait. So I went up and came back down and homeboy left. He didn't want me to give him money for doing that. People in this world are legit. There is HOPE! 

P.S. S When going to a European night club till 4 am don't expect to hear anything till a week a later. And ya'll I'm a little tone deaf to begin with. Can I get an amen? 

Sending Berlin love.smooch.

Gutten First week ....

ok listen i have been neglecting all my avid (spelling/ real word?..english is hard when you are so used to speaking German #tri-lingual) readers so I am back after a week to share the times and trials of a actor in Germany #lifeishard/#love#'s. So in the words of my one week old friend Chris who plays one of our "Tonys" -"I can't remember a week where I have been perpetually smiling and in a constant state of awe and appreciation like this." Nailed it. Startin off real sappy folks but its THAT good yall. This week we had full time rehearsals starting at 9:30 am with Ballet (which i have been asked to lead but humbly turned down ..for all of you that are not aware of my ballet skills ...they don't exist) Then we go straight into learning choreography for all of the dance numbers. Mind you when i say "we" learn the choreography I mean "the dancers" learn the choreography, I however am great at sitting and stretching for 8 hours. But in all seriousness I have NEVER been in the presence of this many INSANE DANCERS (ps im obsessed with dancers) that have no bones or joints. To see the original choreography on these bodies makes me die. And for real for a sec, if I could gift something to you I would invite all of you to be a fly on the wall in the rehearsal room so you would be inspired to be a part of something bigger than yourself: a message of hope. The message that the only thing that is stronger than hate is LOVE. LOVE YALL! And we as a cast are experiencing those shades of love a little at a time. It just affirms the fact that this story is still alive and needs to be told and the mission of the actor is to use your ugly so that the world can see its beauty. Everyone in that room is ready to open themselves in the hopes of the audience seeing hope. Werk. Das vatz upp. Ok now someother encounters of the week: 1.) So I have this innate feeling that I am fluent in German and when I go to speak to "natives" I fully make up words. And am passionate about it. In example when getting a cheese croissant after not getting into the gym I point to one croissant and say " unt furchustedam" let it be known that none of that is German for "one croissant". So the lady behind the counter proceeds to put her hands on her hips and says in perfect English " Just one? Will that be all?" ...I don't understand why everyone in Germany hates Americans..... 2.) went to see the German version of Central park ..its wayyyy better and cleaner and you can drink beer and wave at cops at the same time. Also went to see the east side gallery.epic. Reichstag, scary. Jewish Memorial overwhelming. This is the thing, I would see people taking like high school musical jumping pictures by all these and of course I wanted to jump in but I pretty much felt like I wasn't allowed to smile. Weird and somber. (just learned the word somber today) 3.) I don't know how to upload pictures yet so get over it. I promise to update this more because i hate writing essays each week. Hope you have a Gutten Day!

First day in Europe y'all...

Important things that have happened since yesterday. 1. Met the cast...baller. Everyone has generously been so kind and intentional about getting to know one another and I just know we are destined for greatness. 2.The flight to Berlin provides wine...great. 2.5 You can say "gutte" before anything and it is impressive..i.e. "gutte morning" 3.roomates with the famous Rhett Guter. I am not a good roomate nor will I try and be for the sake of our friendship. People say that once you are roomates you will no longer be friends. Rhett's friendship is the only one I am willing to risk it on ya feel me? (for everyone that doesn't know Rhett and I are good friends and we did WSS together 2 years ago...this is called sarcasm...kinda...) 4. Cast dinner= joey's (director)welcome which got me pumped for rehearsals. Also, note for future nikko do not when introducing yourself to the entire company proceed to say your name, role, and then make eye contact with "tony" and make bro fake shooting gestures...especially when you are "chino"...woof (for all of you that don't understand please educate yourselves) 5. We have tomorrow off to explore Berlin! Okkkkkkrrrrrrrrrr P.S. anyone know anything fun to do in BERLIN???? Hit me .

New to this...

>Ok so this is my test run of a post ...didit work? .....it worked ! We are on! Hawt