Adventures In The Great Beyond

[NoHo Arts District, CA] – The Great Beyond Company and The Hudson Theatre announce a new musical, Adventures In The Great Beyond – a pop-rock musical combining themes of reincarnation, karma and self-discovery. 

Adventures in The Great Beyond is a brand-new musical. Written by the very talented Tom Chiodo, book and lyrics and Joe Nedder, music. They have assembled a mind-blowing cast of musical theatre veterans and fresh-faced young performers. I think we all need a karmic reset about now…what a wonderful way to have some much-needed fun!

We love to support new theatre and new musicals even more! So we wanted to find out a little more about the production and one of the cast members in particular caught our interest. Connie Jackson has been an actor and singer for most of her life. She has recorded with Phil Collins, she sang with Barbara Streisand at the Grammys and toured the world with DREAMGIRLS. She also has a recurring role on NCIS and somehow manages to fit in films with Ethan Coen and Jay Silverman and takes photographs of shelter animals and cooks meals for the homeless.

Wow!! What an intriguing person Connie is! I had a lot of questions and she was kind enough to find some spare time to answer them…although how, I have no idea!

Thank you Connie, you are such a busy lady, I aspire to live such a fulfilling life!

How did you become involved with Adventures in the Great Beyond?

A very dear friend had been approached about the project first. She is an incredible, multifaceted artist in her own right, mind you. Since she was unable to participate, she asked if she could forward my contact information. I said yes, because we’ve been friends forever and trust each other implicitly.

What is it about this show that drew you to it and your character Blu?

To be absolutely honest, during my very first phone conversation with Tom Chiodo, I had an immediate feeling that I was gonna be a part of this show. I NEVER DO THAT. His passion, clarity, and intention for this show was so sincere; that’s what got me. Also, I’m a child of the 60’s, and the role of Blu spoke to me. I’m also an Aquarian. 

You’ve had quite a career as an actress and a singer. Is a musical the perfect combination of those two talents?

Absolutely! I’ve been spending most of my time in front of the camera and have wanted to get back onstage for quite awhile. Here we are.

What was it that made you decide to become a performer?

I grew up in the Motown era, loving music, movies and television. Sidney Poitier was THE massive influence on me. Carol Burnett was everything to me! I never missed her show. She did it all; singing, dancing, acting.  Of course, I dreamed of having my own variety show! The icing on the cake was my amazing high school Drama teacher, Ms. Anne Sanetra, who made me fall in love with acting. I kept in contact with her long after high school. We had a standing date at Miller’s Pub in Chicago, whenever I visited. I miss her to this very day. 

This is a tough career, and the industry is going through some big changes. What advice would you give someone with acting aspirations right now?

Even though it’s so hard to do, do not compare your journey, success, or lack thereof, to that of your fellow artists. That will drive you crazy. 

Embrace self-taping as best you can. I believe it is here to stay. I’ve seen so many actors resist it and they aren’t booking. If you’re gonna do it, be great at it. Spend your time on becoming the best you can be, not just focusing on how many followers you have on social media. You walk onto the set with your talent, not your followers.

What have you learned about yourself from this journey with Adventures in the Great Beyond?

There are a few cast members, including our lead, Queenie Navarro, who are experiencing professional theater for the first time with this production. I find myself so drawn to that energy. I am reminded of the days when I was the newbie, and the joy, fear, excitement that goes with that. 

Tell me about your activism, I am told you are an animal rights activist and also work with the homeless.

I’ve always loved animals. All species. I mean, I grew up watching Wild Kingdom when I was a kid, but my animal rescue life started from a simple Facebook post that I saw late one night. It was a photo of a little white dog sitting in this filthy yard looking very neglected. You couldn’t really tell what kind of dog it was because the picture was so bad and blurry. That’s when I started looking to find out how you go about volunteering at shelters or rescues to be a photographer. I ended up hooking up with the right people and it’s something I’ve been doing for the last 14 years. Along with that, early on for about five years, I would network dogs on Facebook. This was before Instagram, but there was/is an amazing community of rescuers and advocates that work tirelessly trying to save animals from the shelters and other bad situations. Lost a lot of sleep doing that. Compassion fatigue is real. I now, mostly volunteer to give freedom rides and photograph dogs.

As for our unhoused neighbors, I volunteer to cook 20 meals each month for a wonderful organization called Homey Made Meals. They are just incredible and the work they do advocating for the homeless is all-encompassing. It doesn’t just stop at feeding them; they work to change legislation. It’s been quite fulfilling and heartbreaking. It’s also such an easy thing to do to be hands-on. Twenty meals may not seem like a lot, but it really matters to somebody.

How do you find the time for everything in your life? How do you create a balance?

I’m not the multitasker I used to be by any stretch of the imagination. But, I don’t have the need to do everything, be everywhere, every time, for everybody. I purposely make time to do things by myself. I love quiet time. It’s so refreshing.

Do you have any regrets career wise? Anything you wish you would have done differently?

Nope. Are there things I wish I’d accomplished? Sure. I’m still here. I still love what I do. There’s still time to experience “firsts”. People equate fame with success. But, little old not well-known me has had a great life and career. I’ve traveled, met lifelong friends, and learned some life-changing skills. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

What’s next for you Connie?

Well, I’m just taking in the simple things for now through the end of the year. I’m turning 65 in February, and just figuring out what I wanna do. I’ve been writing a one-woman play based on my life experiences. That’s been quite fun, and cathartic. We’ll see where it all goes. 

Do you have anything else you would like to tell our audience of creatives?

Be kind and decent. The very people you THINK you’re competing against will turn out to be your best allies. Kissing up to producers, directors, etc. has never been my style. Some of the most thrilling jobs I’ve had have come on the recommendation of fellow artists. 

Follow your dreams. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re too old, too young, too anything. 

Do what YOU love.  Be excellent to each other.

******** www.conniejackson.com Instagram: @theconniejackson 

Thank you so much Connie for your time and your generous spirit. I for one will be seeing Adventure in The Great Beyond on opening night and I will let you all know how I feel about it. But I have a feeling I will love it!

The show runs November 9 – December 8, so get your tickets soon!!

Tickets:

https://www.onstage411.com/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=7161\

https://www.greatbeyondmusical.com

Where:

The Hudson MainStage
6539 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles

When:

November 9 – December 8
Friday and Saturday 8pm and Sunday 3pm