Opening Night in Petaluma

Here I am as the mother Carmen - that Lupe Olvideros role in the movie.

We "Real Women Have Curves" actors were good. No, not perfect. I know I tripped over a couple of cues and almost everyone had a moment of, Oops! But we all recovered well, kept up the pace, we were energetic, and the audience loved us.

"Riveting!" said one woman about the show.

"You really own that character," said another couple, to me. And, I guess I got that accent down, too, because several people seemed amazed when they heard me speak after the show in my natural American voice. One woman, who is Cuban, was just blown away when I told her of my Jamaican-Swedish ancestry.

Dia de los muertos....we are channeling the dead. My ancestors, including my Grandma Alma Karlsson from southern Sweden, who worked hard as an immigrant to New Jersey raising a smart and focused son who got a scholarship to Columbia (just like Ana in the movie), and even did a bit of dancing and acting in her day, my dad the UN diplomat from Karlskoga, and the entire multicultural lineage on my mother's island side...all present in the room with us tonight.

Here's our director, Joe Peer, on Dress Rehearsal night.

Lots of compliments all around. Let's see if we can be even better tomorrow.

Actress Johanna who plays Rosali made these splendid dresses for her daughters, to wear as little girls at a wedding, then as young ladies. Totally cool for our set in the L.A. sewing factory!