I went to the opening of 'Sister Act,' and I had such a great time. I had no idea what it was about, and I had never seen the movies. But I heard the show went through some major last-minute craziness in previews, and man, opening night was really fun and really entertaining.
When you're reinterpreting the same material eight shows a week, it's impossible to lock in the 'ideal' performance. Things that felt great in previews can feel forced three months in; jokes that got big laughs in the rehearsal room may suddenly fall flat in front of a paying audience.
Wonderful things happened to me - I met my husband, I got invited to previews and premieres, I was asked to do fashion shoots and front covers of magazines. You've just got to embrace it and do the best you can.
The cliche was always that 'everybody's a critic,' but it becomes truer every day. Long before reviews appear in the traditional outlets, you can now usually discover - somewhere in the thickets of the Internet - reactions to shows from people who've seen them in previews.
When it comes time to where the new album gets closer, I start singing the song a cappella; I'll preview it on my Snapchat and get creative with it - just kind of bringing everybody into more than just listening to the record on album.
My grandmother was an unparalleled storyteller who gave me a preview of how life might turn out, and also fortified my empathy.
I've done three Broadway shows; once the curtain goes up, that's it. I mean, you prepare and you rehearse like crazy, but after opening night, the director's not there anymore, you know. He gives you notes during previews after each performance, but opening night, you're on your own.
It's like real life: We don't get a preview of what's coming up, thank God, and we don't build our own character from what we're going to be informed with in the future.
Instagram is my favorite! It's interactive and a fun way to stay connected to my friends, family and fans. I love posting photos from family trips, property visits, previews of my collections, everything!
I will take to my grave with me the atmosphere of the first 'Cursed Child' preview, because no one knew anything. Only very rarely have I been able to deploy the phrase 'audible gasps.'
