What Will I Be When I Grow Up!?

I didn't get to my blog yesterday as I went into the city to see the Nate Berkus Show. Left super early in the morning and ended up missing the Staten Island Ferry coming home and then being late for work. A long day.

The Nate Berkus Show is talk show about entertainment and lifestyle, home decorating, clothes, craft ideas, lots of different topics.

I have never seen the show, it's on when I'm working and it's probably a great show, but seeing it from the audience is nothing like seeing a show on TV. We sat in the last row of one section and it was very difficult to see him or hear for most of the show. There are sets all over the room and it looks like he's sitting in a living room or a kitchen, but they're all just very small sets and the way it's filmed comes across way different when we watch it at home. We were instructed when to clap, when to stop, and I understand that, they want the audience to sound enthusiastic for the people at home watching, but every moment is set up, planned. And all I wanted to do was watch the back stage goings on, which we were instructed not to do, they told us to always keep your eyes on Nate. I wanted to watch the cameramen, the guys moving the sets around. It's amazing! They work as a team from every second you're there. The backstage people can be talking or moving sets and all of a sudden it's silent and the countdown begins to action!

I went on a tour of Paramount Studios in California years ago. A friend of mine worked in the New York Office and set up a private tour for us. It was absolutely one the best times for me. We were on the set of "Cheers", not while they were filming, and the size of the bar is so small, watching it on TV it seemed like a large room and the actual bar very long, it's really small, one you could have set up in your basement for entertaining. Again, it's the magic, all about the angle they film from and the guy behind the camera knowing how to get that perfect shot. All artists!

We were shown where they filmed the parting of the Red Sea in the film "The Ten Commandments" with Charlton Heston, a parking lot, with a big movie screen on one side, kind of like a drive-in movie. It was a wonderful tour that day, we even ran into Mary Hart and John Tesh walking off a set. Even actors and actresses, when you see them off screen, without their make up and the lights shining a certain way on them, they look different. John asked us to to move out of the way of a door, very polite, said excuse me, but it took us a few seconds to realize who just walked by us. When I worked in Manhattan I've passed by many movie stars and it takes you a second to realize, hey wait a minute, that was Alex Baldwin, Dick Clark, Bette Midler! And no one bothers them, really. I've never seen anyone run up to get their autographs, they just let them pass by. Yes, even me! Though I have to admit I couldn't help myself when I ran into Bruce Willis. I just had to greet him and it was captured by a photographer who was taking pictures of Times Square that day, walked right up to him and put my hand out to shake his hand and said I love you Bruce Willis!

Matthew Perry is also right behind me and after going gaga over Bruce I did turn and say oh Matthew Perry I love you too, but it wasn't the same, it was obvious what a fan of Bruce I was

There are so many jobs out there that may not be glamorous, you may not be on camera, but for me I felt the excitement from everyone that worked at the Nate Berkus Show, they were part of the industry, just like I felt all those years ago working at RKO, working as a secretary. I was part of a team and a team I loved being on.

My dreams changed over the years, yes I could join a local theatre group, but I'm not so sure that's what I want anymore. There's been lots of surprises in my life, good and bad, but somehow I think they are leading me to where I should be.

I grew up dreaming of be an actress, being a star! But I've developed new passions and somehow I believe I'm on the road to something good, better, meant for me.

I wonder what I'll be when I grow up!