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COVER STORY

MEET SUSAN EGAN, THE QUEEN OF BROADWAY OR PERHAPS THE REAL SUSAN EGAN?!

By Maximillien de Lafayette

Susan Egan does not need more credentials, successes, roles and titles to add to her resume. She made it and she knows it. And you, the fan, the admirer, the appreciator and the envious what de facto, you still need to know about Susan Egan? Her calendar? Bio? Her new contracts and deals? Appearances? How much is she getting paid to tease, flirt, seduce, excel and mesmerize on stage? You don't need all that. Instead, try to find out more about the character, the psyche and the human fabric of this multitalented phenomenon. Let's Susan do the talking. Despite all our resources and contacts, we could not get to Ms. Egan. She is unreachable. She is as difficult to reach as Henry Kissinger, Mother Theresa (Yes, I know, she is dead) and Bin Laden. So, we tried to use an old journalistic trick. "Find out what Egan says about Egan" and how she communicates with her fans. Piece of cake. We paid a visit to her site and here are some excerpts from her answers and replies to her fans and web surfers. This should shed lights on the spirit and persona of the nymph and diva. The Bible explained the genesis and the whole creation by attributing the cosmos to the power and wisdom of the "VERB". Lao Tzu once said: "The word is mightier than the sword". And Napoleon wrote in his memoirs "We rule people with words." Fine. So, let's Susan talk. Let her use her "VERB" and her own words. Her versatility, choice of words, answers, phraseology, eloquence, attributed frankness, wit and her way of communicating with her "followers" and admirers should serve the purpose. Unquestionably, we will learn a lot about this captivating lady.

THE REAL SUSAN EGAN

Susan "inaugurated" her web page in the "Fans Section" with this statement: "We have something “fun,” “factual” and NEW on this page. I love when there is a dialogue going, so Karen (oh, mighty master of the web site) has created a Question and Answer venue for us. Simply post your question and every month I’ll do my best to say something … ummmm ... worthwhile. I’m not always witty, but I’ll always be honest …so shoot! " An actress asked Susan: " please tell me how you survive all your nerves? thank you. Another question in your fan page it said that you slouch (so do I) but when you perform don't you have to be straight? and when I saw your pictures in Beauty and the Beast you aren't slouching at all so could you tell me how not to slouch because I keep on doing it and it looks horrible. thank you." And Susan answered like this: " Thanks for writing Yukino. Two good questions. Okay. Nerves. I find the more I master the material at hand, the less nervous I am. Its JUST like studying for a test! Tests can actually be FUN if you know all the answers. So I really work on lines (putting something physical [ie: the blocking] with the line helps me remember the words), music, dancing, etc – then go out there and let it all fly. The more fun you have, the more relaxed you and the audience will be – truly! As for slouching – stand UP – shoulders BACK. It helps you breathe – helps the audience to see you – and it keeps that spine healthy!"

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