My performance debut was as a sea anemone in my ballet nursery school’s annual recital.

I started singing lessons at age 12 and debuted at Nova High School at age 14 in every English class that Mrs. Hall could book me into: Eliza Doolittle, Just You Wait ‘enry ‘iggins, My Fair Lady. High School and the Performing Arts solidified my ambition: I was bitten and smitten. Upon graduation, I went to the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and then to University of Miami School of Music where I was taken into the Miami Opera Company. I grew impatient and when a show band called Life called, I left college and went on the road. When the band came back through Florida I auditioned for a dinner theatre production of Funny Girl and won the part. After that run, I left for New York City. I auditioned for the Grease open calls and the casting director was impressed with me and got me an audition for the first national company of The Magic Show. Within three months of moving to New York, I had my equity card and was touring the country in a first class production. In September of 1974, I made my Broadway debut as the first replacement for Cal in the Magic Show. I was out of high school for two years: I was 20.

What a whirlwind!

After this opportunity, I decided that I needed to expand my experiences in other areas of life, so I traveled to Europe and landed in Israel on a Kibbutz. I stayed for 1 1/2 years until I missed the U.S. and performing. I returned to Florida to witness my parent’s divorce and I started to write music and play the bass guitar and form a band. I moved back to NYC and within 2 months of my return I was once again on Broadway, this time in Oh Calcutta. I did that show for 1 1/2 years. I started my acting studies at the Lee Strasberg Institute and continued to perform in a more avant garde/downtown scene: Richard Foremena’s Dr. Salevy’s Magic Theatre; Bill MacDuff’s production of the Beggar’s Opera conceived by Mac, Pete and Paige with MSG as choreographer, Allen on the Keyboards and Gary Mendelson among the Players; Actor’s Collective, a repertory theatre in the Village; Music Theatre Works production of Boys in a Live Country Band; the Broadway-Bound comedy Chekov in Yalta with me as Fyokla, at the Walnut Street Theater in Philly and the swansong, co-written, co-produced, co-directed by me called Cleo Leiberman’s All Girl Revue at the Ballroom, NYC.

At age 33, I retired from show biz. I felt I needed a life-re-alignment. I didn’t like the men i was meeting, I didn’t seem to be getting to greater heights. I felt worn, used and generally selfish.

I got a job at Penthouse Magazine, in the accounting department! and I went back to school. Columbia University. Graduated cum laude with a degree in Political Philosophy in 1992 and that same year started Law School at Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, NY. Graduated in 1995, passed the bar first time and was admitted to the practice law in the State of New York in 1996.

Currently, I am specializing in corporate law; I do both corporate litigation and transactional work. I have a great position, with lots of creative control and wonderful clients!

Most importantly, a wonderful man found me on 5/24/97. Mark Simons. He asked me to marry on 8/8/97 and on 9/1/97 we eloped into the Catskills, where we met. We rent an apartment in Brooklyn, own a house in the Catskills, we drive a white Pathfinder, which we lease. We have two cats we rescued from our neighborhood.

THANK YOU, all you old friends and you wonderful new friends for the perspective you have given me about life. THANK YOU.

Love, Dara. xxx

email: daranorman@aol.com