Hamil-day!

Hello all!
Short post today–but I finally get to see Hamilton!! Today is the day! Many thanks to my devoted and intrepid husband who braved the online ticket block distribution back in June to get us these seats.
It’s pretty amazing how excited I am about this. It’s crazy that people’s first question is “have you seen it?” As a lifelong musical theater nerd, I love that people across every demographic are getting into it. (Welcome, newbies! We love you!) I truly think Lin Manuel Miranda is a genius and I am delighted to be alive in the same time that he is. I can’t wait to see what his next musical is. 
When I start to despair about the state of the world or any old thing, I remember that Hamilton exists. It’s art like that–big, bold, beautiful multicultural art–that is what makes us America, and it makes me feel “how lucky we are to be alive right now.” Listening to Hamilton makes me want to be a better human being. I want to make art like that.

May we all find things that make us want to be better, and may we all be better. 
Love you all–expect a florid review next week!

NPR!

So as you have probably heard, I was on NPR’s On Point yesterday! Link is Here, if you missed it. It was a crazy cool experience and my head is still spinning. 

  Me in the WBUR studio. Like my cool headphones?

It was so cool being on the show! The host, Jane Clayson, was extremely warm and helped me feel comfortable, even though I was pretty terrified at the beginning. Kudos to the producer, Maeve, who picked the incredible music and movie clips, because as soon as I heard the Pirates of the Caribbean theme, I was like, “I can do this!” 

There’s the tweeters, the sound techs, the producers, the on-air talent, and that’s only the people I met! There are so many smart people who make On Point happen, and I was honored to be a part of it for a day.

What I didn’t expect was how fast-paced it all was. Nobody wants dead air on the radio, so as Jane was asking questions, she was gesturing for me to start talking. I was thinking, “I have to hear the whole question first!!!” I had been clinging to my mom’s advice to “take a deep breath, collect yourself before you speak” but I quickly realized that was going out the window. Thankfully, I don’t think I said anything stupid, which I was worried about. In the era of everything being recorded, I know one gaffe can stay with you forever, but I managed to keep it together. 

Something I didn’t realize was how much work is happening while the show is going on. During breaks, people ran in with new questions, viewer questions, and media clips. Decisions and adjustments are happening all the time. I was so impressed with how Jane held it all together during the constant changes. She is clearly super smart and I felt very lucky to have the opportunity to meet and work with her.

Between NPR and Cosmopolitan picking “Pirate Women” as the #1 book of 2017, things have been pretty busy in the Duncombe family! I had my first reading last night at Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, MA. Thanks to everyone who came out and to the incredible staff there, especially Currie, who was in charge of my event. Rest of the tour–the gauntlet has been thrown! Let’s keep the good turnouts going.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone–I have so many friends who have bought the book, reviewed the book on Amazon (Seems stupid but it really helps me out!!) come out to tour, posted about the book, and sent messages of encouragement. It means the world to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Y’all are the best friends and fans a gal could ask for!

What crazy thing will happen next week? Who knows? The sky is the limit! Check back next week. Thanks for reading! Be good to yourself.
Love,

Laura