About

What I want more than anything is for you to love who you are behind the mask. My mission is to help you get there. Fast.

I had the crazy privilege of playing Christine Daae, the female lead, in The Phantom of the Opera for nearly a decade on Broadway, longer than any other actress in the show’s history. But it wasn’t until I stepped out of the spotlight and staggered through personal darkness that I finally understood the profound lesson the show held for me.

It was my job each night, as Christine, to learn to see the unmasked Phantom through eyes of unconditional love and acceptance. What I needed most to learn was how to see myself the same way. I grew up believing that success would bring with it a sense of fulfillment and security. It did…for a while. But the thing about success is–even if you’re fortunate enough to reach the pinnacle–you find out pretty quickly that the saying is true: “Wherever you go, there you are.” Even the enormous gift of seeing my childhood dream come true wasn’t enough to silence the critical voice in my head that I’d been hearing all my life. Maybe you’ve heard a similar voice whispering things like:

You’re not good enough. You’re unworthy. Who do you think you are?

I read all the self-help books, went to therapy and yoga, talked to friends and gurus, but nothing fixed me. In 2007, after leaving Phantom, facing a scary tumor diagnosis, and losing my beloved father to a heart attack, something within me shifted. I was broken open, and in the midst of my grief, I understood something in a deep and lasting way: The reason I’d never been able to fix myself was because nothing was broken except the lens through which I viewed myself.

When looking through the eyes of the ego, everything is lacking and flawed. But suffering’s great gift is that it strips away your masks and connects you with the heart of your heart.

Buddhists call this tender place within bodhichitta (“noble or awakened heart”) and it is said to be present in all beings. One of my favorite teachers, Pema Chodron, explains:

Just as butter is inherent in milk and oil is inherent in a sesame seed, this soft spot is inherent in you and me. It is said that in difficult times, it is only bodhichitta that heals. When inspiration has become hidden, when we feel ready to give up, this is the time when healing can be found in the tender heart of pain itself. In the midst of loneliness, in the midst of fear, in the midst of feeling misunderstood and rejected is the heartbeat of all things…

Just as a jewel that has been buried in the earth for a million years is not discolored or harmed, in the same way this noble heart is not affected by all of our kicking and screaming. The jewel can be brought out into the light at any time, and it will glow as brilliantly as if nothing had ever happened. It is here in all that lives, never marred and completely whole.

Beneath the mask of who you think you should be is the tender heart of who you really are. It has nothing to do with your accomplishments, your bank account, your relationship status, or the circumference of your hips. You are part of an invisible web that connects all living things and you have a starring role to play. No one else on this earth has been cast in the role of YOU.

So, stop playing small. Get out there and shine. Stop judging your gifts. Start sharing them. Stop questioning your value. You are more than enough.

Living an unmasked life is about living from that tender place within you which is, ironically, where your true strength lies. Try it and watch the miracles unfold in your life. As Oprah says, “When you live with an open heart, unexpected, joyful things happen.”

I’ll be offering encouragement through my blog, vlog, and newsletter, and sharing my best “unmasking” tips on Facebook and Twitter. I also offer workshops and inspirational speaking (and singing). And you’ll still find me performing on concert stages  across the country, only now I do it with a lot less fear and a lot more joy. So, leave your name and email address in the box above and don’t forget to Friend and Follow me so we can stay connected. I look forward to supporting you on your journey to an unmasked life.

Bio:

Sandra Joseph has performed for millions during her ten-year run as Christine Daae in The Phantom of the Opera. She has the distinct honor of holding the record as the longest-running leading lady in Broadway’s longest-running show. Television credits include Law and Order; Law and Order Criminal Intent; Late Night with Conan O’Brien; One Life to Live; As the World Turns. Sandra has been seen on The Today Show, The View, CNN, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. As a performance teacher, workshop leader, and professional speaker, Sandra is passionate about inspiring others to move toward their goals while embracing their innate self-worth. She is currently working on her first book.

Sandra is married to her former Phantom co-star, actor Ron Bohmer.

The two still perform together frequently, but are happiest when hanging out on the back deck of their West Orange, New Jersey townhouse with their two adopted mutts, Murphy and Griffin.