YOU DID IT! Just a quick update to tell you that we are at 102% of our Kickstarter goal, with 4 days to go! You have given 20,450.00 THANK YOU!!!

BUT… the lines are still open for four more days and anything raised over the $20,000 will go to cover the other production costs. (Actual cost of production is about $80,000.) So… please spread the word in these last four days!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/529873700/wrap-your-heart-around-it

Here’s a shout out to the latest backers…

Greg & Pam Ham, Kathy & Ed Hrovat, Mark Pruitt, Kent & Maureen Wildman, Mac Heald, Jillian Ellis, Sara Otterstrom, Joseph Rupnik, Lesley Maynard, Lyn Aurelius, Monica Mosseso and Nicole Hrovat,

Along with….

Fran Kolodziej, Dee Dee Ogrodny, , Risa Thomas, Eugene Leong, Debra & Denis Rosenstock, Roy Friedland, Karie & Tony Lovano, The Steeb Family, Monica Daly, Genny Spann, Dave Gossard, Sue Lass, Susan Myerberg, Paul Reeves, Mark & Pam Repp, Freddy Fredricks, Jack Humpreville, Janice Hentosh, and Erin Richardson, Karen Mullen, Laura Pickwick, Eve Adair, Ceclia Dolgan, Jenny Dew, Jennie Turner, Laura Huie, Jenna Zak, JoDee Coulter, Peter Oresic, Jamie Rotch, Dottie Rotch, Mitchell Strauss, Katey Hrovat, John & Karin Williamson, Alistair Seneviratne, Allison & Kris Klausner, Mark & Ruth Wolery, Dana Keisal, Howie Klausner, Edgar Struble, Vicki Goldbach, Lori Corbin, Gene & Arlene Rink, James Mozina, Kate Ashby Childs, Louis Hyser, Anna Claire McKay, Pepper Edminson, Ashley Pescarella, Kevin Bright, Jim Hoke, Evelyn Coulter, Cynthia Barclae, Kathy Johnson, Marge Ford, Kristin Keihle, Rac Clark, Lenny Hrovat, Hank & Minny Mozina, Chris Hazlinger, Eric Sagostsky, Carol Wright and Paul Miller.

Couldn’t have done it without you all! I’m starting to pack my bags! Yipee!

Love to all,
Lm

I performed the play for the first time in my living room in October of 2010. Then, in the fall of 2011 we did a small regional theater tour, (thanks to many of you who came out!) which was enlightening and exhausting! I found myself wondering what and how to move forward. I was then introduced to an Emmy-winning television director named Paul Miller who read the play and offered to help take the show to the next level. Paul hired director Diana Basmajian and Musical Director Paul Carrol Binkley. One year later, in the fall of 2012, we performed as part of the United Solo Theater Festival in NYC, and out of 110 shows were awarded “Best New Production”! And then just a few weeks ago we performed to a full-house at The Hudson Theater in Los Angeles. All of these performances have been great… but the best part is the follow up letters and emails I’ve received saying how the show encouraged or inspired people. That’s truly the purpose of the show.

Here are just a few of the comments I received at the LA show;

“”Wrap Your Heart Around It” is a triumph; the piece is rich and raw….LynnMarie is phenomenal!! I was engaged, I was entertained and I was moved. It’s a touching story on so many levels…from beginning to end!”

“Hand out some tissues before it starts to wipe the tears in between the laughter!”

“After hearing your story about your childhood, it makes me want to be a better parent to my kids. Thank you!”

Our team after The Hudson Show in LA

People always ask me, “Have you quit playing polka?” Or, “Why aren’t you performing anymore?” I will never stop playing polka and I look forward to performing at some music festivals again in the future! (I was hoping to return to some Oktoberfests this fall, but things just didn’t line up. Hopefully next year!) But in the immediate future I will be concentrating on getting the play off the ground. The show has LOTS of polka in it, both old and new, along with other styles of music. I talk a lot about my family history, my grandparents homeland of Slovenia and growing up in the polka capital – Cleveland! But it also deals with living with a highly-functioning ‘life of the party’ alcoholic father, my depression, and the challenges I faced when becoming a special needs parent.

Now, to why I am writing to you…

We’ve received an offer from the prestigious Falcon Theater in Los Angeles (www.falcontheatre.com) to perform for four weeks this summer starting in July. The Falcon is owned by legendary Hollywood Producer-Director-Writer Gary Marshall and is one of the most respected theaters in Los Angeles. But in order to make this dream a reality we need some help. We need to raised $20,000 in 30 days to help us cover the costs of a production of this size. (The actual cost is over $80,000, but we are just hoping to raise enough to cover some of the expenses! I hope that you will consider clicking on the link below which will take you directly to our page on KICKSTARTER. There you can choose from everything from a $2 donation and up! And as a thank you for your support, there are many different awards you can receive. (CD’S, T-shirts, House Concerts!!) But if by chance your own journey finds you unable to give financially at this moment… PLEASE know that keeping us in your thoughts and prayers is so appreciated!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/529873700/wrap-your-heart-around-it

The best part about performing at the Falcon is that it will continue to open doors for future performances, both in LA, NYC and hopefully to a city near you!

Thanks for your support and your friendship, and for your consideration to financially help us spread this message of hope and encouragement to a whole new audience!

LynnMarie

P.S. If your summer plans find you in LA – come see us at The Falcon!!

Below is a photo of James. One day, when he was about two, I stood in my closet. I yelled out to God, “I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that I have a special needs child!” And what I heard back, from the deepest part of my gut was, “Lynn, I’m not asking you to wrap your head around it, I’m asking you to wrap your heart around it!” I’m happy to report that I’ve finally figured out how to do that! We all get ‘something’ in life, and I hope that by hearing my story people will be encouraged and strengthened to be able to accept whatever life has given them, and live in the moments of love and joy!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/529873700/wrap-your-heart-around-it

I’m so excited to be following up our award-winning New York performances with a run on the West Coast! We will be presenting the play the week of April 15th in Los Angeles. We are still buttoning up all the details, so stay tuned for more details as they become available.

New Music…
I’ve been writing some new music and I’m looking forward to getting out and performing again. Nashville dates will be announced soon! And hopefully – I’ll be coming to a city near you this year! (Thanks to all my Texas fans who keep asking when I’m coming back!)

New York update…
Finally posted photos from the New York shows on Facebook. Take a look at the cool set (especially the floor). I wanted to send a shout-out to set designer April Henry for doing such an amazing job. Sadly, we lost almost all of it to Hurricane Sandy…but it is nothing compared to what others lost and are still trying to rebuild. My thoughts are with them!

Yes, it’s coming…
Thanks to all of you who email wondering when I’m going to be posting more stories or get a book out! I spent most of December and January working on the book proposal, and am finally taking some meetings with publishers! Send out some good thoughts as this dream becomes a reality.

Misc. stuff…
Jim is well and busy as always. James is almost seven! Geez… time flies. He loves school and Little Einsteins. (I’ve learned so much about Mozart & Bach, so I am forever grateful to Disney for that element.) I’ve been able to work on several cool television projects lately… CMT Crossroads at the Superbowl, Ron White’s Comedy Show in Vegas and I’ll be producing the ACM red carpet show for GAC April 7th. So tune in. Did I mention I love my day job???

Wrap Your Heart Around It

In October, LynnMarie performed the one-woman show in front of two sold-out crowds, making it one of the festivals best selling performances. The festivals Artistic Director, Omar Sangare, Ph.D. said, “we are thrilled to award Wrap Your Heart Around It this year’s best production! She made us laugh. She made us cry. She inspired us and challenged us. We couldn’t ask for more!”

Told through stories and songs, the show chronicles LynnMarie’s life journey, as she reveals how growing up in an ethnic dysfunctional family, being the Adult Child of an Alcoholic, a special needs parent and a fumbling, faith-searching woman, all lead her out of depression to acceptance and joy.

The artist who has received five Grammy nominations and performed her unique style of accordion music throughout the U.S. and Europe, as well as on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno said, “I am so thrilled with this honor,” she says, “because this is not just about an award – it’s about getting a message of hope and encouragement to a new audience, and recognition like this will help us be able to do that on a bigger scale. A hug thank you to the United Solo™ Festival for this amazing opportunity to display my work.”

Wrap Your Heart Around It is produced by Emmy-Award Winning director Paul Miller, directed by Diana Basmajian and under the musical direction of Paul Binkley. Future performances are being planned for Nashville, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.

For more information regarding the United Solo™ Theater Festival contact unitedsolo.org. For more information on LynnMarie, please visit lynnmarie.net