American Idol Auditions in Omaha

With a week-long break between the end of Summer on Stage and Kaity's senior year, we hopped on a plane last Tuesday to go to the American Idol Season 7 auditions in Omaha, Nebraska. Sure, it's a long shot, but we decided the experience of being behind the scenes of a major reality TV/talent show would be a unique way to end the summer.

Registration was pretty fast. We stood in line only a couple of hours (on Wednesday) to get our wrist bands and tickets. The audition/cattle call was two days away (on Friday), which means we had plenty of time to go sightseeing and/or catch up on our sleep after getting up at o-dark-thirty.

One interesting perk -- we got to see first-hand just how far people will go to get a shot at fame. Such desperate individuals included a guy dressed in a bathrobe and shower cap and another guy dressed as Cupid, complete with homemade wings. Predictably, they each advanced to the next round, which means they've cemented their places (and reputations) in pop culture history.

Professional Directors and Choreographers On Board

For her third year, Kaity is enrolled in Arizona Theater Company's Summer on Stage. The Arizona Daily Star covered the program, picturing Kaity in a warm-up exercise.

The five-week program culminates next week with two performances — a musical, "Lucky Stiff"; and a comedy about teen angst, "Snow Angel" — opening at the Temple of Music and Art. ~ Photo by Kelly Presnell; article by Levi J. Long, Arizona Daily Star, 07/27/2007

Kaity is cast in "Snow Angel." Read more here.

Summer on Stage 2006 at the University of Arizona

In August, Kaity played two roles in Steve Martin's comedy "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" -- Schmendiman (male) and, oddly enough, Schmendiman's (female) admirer. The play was staged at the Temple of Music and Art in Tucson, Arizona.

Also playing this month was "Godspell the Musical." Kaity sang a solo as a philosopher.

Both plays were produced as part of Arizona Theatre Company's Summer on stage program, in cooperation with the Arizona Reperatory Theatre and the University of Arizona's Fine Arts Department. High school students from around Arizona hone their acting skills in this annual summer program.