North Bay Woman Magazine
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/886146
50 NORTH BAY WOMAN | F A L L 2 0 1 7 10 QUESTIONS with Amy Miller By Sandee McCready A my Miller has joined with artists from around the world to bring the vision of award-winning Transcendence Theatre Company to life in the North Bay — creating extraordinary under-the- stars Broadway concerts in Sonoma's Jack London State Historic Park. 1 How did you get started in musical theater? "At 4 years old, I would eat Tootsie Rolls while watching 'The Music Man' with my grandparents — I was just in awe! After that I spent many, many years in dance. But my life was transformed when my high school drama teacher introduced me to theater. 2 When did you know that theater was your calling? Well, in high school I loved theater but everyone discour- aged me, saying that it would be an unstable career. And that's true — it has had its ups and downs! (She laughs.) So I decided I was going to be a news broadcaster instead. But the first day of college I knew in my heart I needed to go into theater. My first big break came with the Broadway pro- duction of 42 nd Street — I think I tap danced in over 800 shows around the country before it closed. I also did lots of summer stock and regional theater. 3 What is Transcendence Theatre and how did it start? I was living in Los Angeles, working a lot and I experienced a creative collapse. I had achieved many of my life goals but found myself soul searching, asking the deeper question: 'How can I be of more service to the world?' Eventually, the idea for a theater company that would have a healthy culture for artists and inspire communities formed, but we had no idea how it was going to happen. My husband and I went on a trip to Mexico, passed through a little town and noticed a small theater along- side the dirt road. We pitched the idea of Transcendence The- atre to the town and they gave us the theater for four months. Our first project! 4 So how did Transcendence Theatre come to Sonoma County? It was 2008-2009 and theaters were closing across America. Photo by Ray Mabry