Pa. native with NY dream now has song to sing

Natalie Gallo was planning on leaving the national tour of "Mamma Mia!" anyway.She intended to quit the show and move to New York at the end of September to join zillions of struggling actors looking for work.However, just four days after turning 24 on Aug. 9, the former New Castle Playhouse standout and native of the area about 40 miles northwest of Pittsburgh and 10 miles east of the Ohio border, found what she was looking for.A job. A great one."It was the best possible present," the actress said from Dallas, Texas, where she was performing for much of August.Beginning Sept. 22, Natalie will still be with "Mamma Mia!" but will be turning in eight performances weekly at the Winter Garden Theater on Broadway where "Mamma Mia!" is settled in for a long run.The London musical sensation features the pop songs of ABBA. It opened in 2001 and two weeks ago edged past "Fiddler on the Roof" as the 13th longest running show in Broadway history.According to Natalie, the job offer came as an unexpected phone call from the musical's general manager who told her that he was about to make her day.Natalie recalled him saying, "We'd like you to join the Broadway cast of 'Mamma Mia!'"She was flabbergasted."I kept asking him for about five minutes _ 'Are you joking?'"Natalie is among 12 new ensemble members joining the New York cast. She will understudy two roles _ the female lead Sophie, and her best friend.Natalie portrayed Sophie as an understudy in Pittsburgh during a performance when the tour stopped there in the fall of 2008.In the past, she has also performed in western Pennsylvania with the Pittsburgh CLO, Stage Right and Pittsburgh Musical Theater, and in area cabarets and commercials. In 2005, she won the "Gimme the Mike" competition held by Pittsburgh's NBC television station WPXI, and was also named the 2005 "Pittsburgh Idol."Natalie has been an ensemble member with the national tour for a year and 10 months.While the national tour has been good for her, Natalie said the constant traveling has prevented her from focusing on her ultimate goal _ developing a career in New York.Stepping into the Broadway production first involved showing up in New York on the first day of September for three rigorous weeks of rehearsals.Everything about the New York production is different, Natalie said."The stage alone _ it's so much bigger."She saw the NYC production in November 2007 when she was in town to audition for the national tour.Incidentally, if you want to see Natalie, orchestra seating at musicals on Broadway for Saturday matinees and evenings is $121.50.She'll be earning the same as she does on tour _ but have less money."Out here we have a per diem of $830 per week for our hotel and food. Whatever we don't use is pocket change," she said. "In New York, all your money is going to your rent."____On the Net:"Mamma Mia!" casts: http://www.mamma-mia.com/cast.asp___Information from: http://www.ncnewsonline.com/