Daily Inspiration: Meet Tina Scariano

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Scariano.

Hi Tina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Billings, MT and from the day I was born, I was what the industry calls a “multi-hyphenate”.  I played basketball, volleyball, and took piano lessons and voice lessons. In addition, I ran a small business out of my garage at the age of ten where I sanitized and decorated old beer and wine bottles, filled them with candy, popped a spray-painted red cork on top and sold them at craft fairs.  Throughout high school, I continued to stay busy with multiple extra curriculars.  I was accepted into the BFA musical theatre program at Otterbein University and spent four years trying to find my “type”.  I constantly received feedback of “you’re good at a lot of things but we need you to pick just one.”

I graduated college and immediately went to work for Disney Cruise Line – singing and dancing on stage as some of the most beloved Disney characters.  I traveled, I moved to NYC, I booked the role of Cosette in Les Miserables at the Tony Award Winning Utah Shakespeare Festival and spent six months singing high c’s in a corset.  When that contract ended, I went back to Disney Cruise Line – this time on the newest ship, the Fantasy – and spent the year flying across the stage as Mary Poppins.

After this contract, I moved back home to Montana, secured a job at a high-end clothing boutique, and bought a house – thinking my days as a professional performer were over.  Then I see an audition notice at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  They have announced their summer musical is “Into the Woods.”  Long story short – 6 months after buying a house in Montana, I packed up and drove down to Cedar City, Utah to play Cinderella.

And what would you know?  I fell in love with the guy playing the prince, sold my house, and moved to NYC with two bags and a dream to be with him.  My only furniture for nearly a year was the “Mattress in a Box” my mom got me for my birthday (which I still have to this day and it’s really comfortable – available on amazon).

I catered, babysat, worked in retail, papered in Times Square, taught babies yoga and ballet, and still barely made rent. It wasn’t until my relationship with the prince ended that my life shifted.  I moved in with three roommates and promptly began healing my broken heart.  My roommate, Alex, was the ULTIMATE multi-hyphenate working as a fit model, an actress and a professional makeup artist.  I had been doing my friend’s hair and makeup for events my entire life – my mom was a makeup artist- but it never crossed my mind it was something I could ask people to pay me actual US American dollars for!  I told Alex my thoughts and before I could finish saying, “I think I want to be a Makeup Artist” she had referred me to everyone she knew. To make it “official” I asked my mom for a loan and enrolled in a month-long MUA intensive at Makeup School NYC, spent thousands of dollars building my professional kit, and then promptly booked a year-long contract with – you guessed it -Disney Cruise Line.

To make a long story even longer, I returned from that contract and dove head first into business for myself.  I started TScariano Makeup – and my career as a freelance makeup artist blew up!  I loved the flexibility and even more, I loved spending my time making people feel GOOD about themselves.  At this time, I was still catering, babysitting, and trying to show up to as many auditions as I could. 2018 to 2019 saw a LOT of transition – My makeup business became my main source of income, I stopped auditioning for theatre all together and tried my hand behind the table producing and stage managing, I moved into my own 1 bedroom apartment (game changer) and then – PANDEMIC.

It was during this time that my spark for performing returned.  I had a guitar that was a gift for my 16th birthday that I had carted to college, every contract, coast to coast, threatening to learn.  It took a global pandemic for me to finally take the thing off the wall and use it.  One morning I woke up and could not get Carly Simon’s song “Anticipation” out of my head.  But instead of the original lyrics, I kept singing “Self Isolation” to the tune of the chorus. And thus, Quarantunes with QuaranTina began. I found as many songs as I could that had the three chords I knew how to play on the guitar and started changing the lyrics to fit the theme of Quarantine.  I posted these videos on social media and before I knew it, my friend Colleen –  executive director of the Holmdel Theatre Company in New Jersey – asked if I would be interested in trying something out at the theatre.  Since I could accompany myself (LOL, is that what I was doing strumming my out-of-tune strings without a pick?) Would I be interested in doing an outdoor, socially distanced concert?  I had NEVER performed entirely solo, and ESPECIALLY never played guitar for myself IRL in front of an audience. So naturally, I told Colleen “ABSOLUTELY I WOULD LOVE TO.”  Scariest and best day of 2020. And thus, my solo show Feels Like Home: A Celebration of the Queens of 70’s Folk Rock was born.  In a year and a half, the show has played the tri-state area, multiple NYC venues including the famous Feinsteins 54 Below and will be heading out on tour Fall 2023.

While I was releasing my weekly QuaranTunes, my old roommate Alex reached out and asked if I would go live on Instagram with her and talk about three things that were bringing me joy during this time.  So one Thursday night, right after we finished banging our pots and pans for our frontline workers, Alex and I went live.  It was a HIT.  So we decided to come back the following Thursday armed with three new products that made our lives more bearable and fun while in isolation.  We got a little following and continued our weekly lives and eventually branded the event as Alex and Tina’s Favorite Things.  A few months in, we were approached by DimlyWit Productions and asked if we would be interested in turning our show into a podcast – which we had absolutely no intention of doing when we set out and we had NO idea how to do a podcast.   So obviously, our answer was “HELL YAH!”  A year and a half later,  Obsessed with the Best With Alex and Tina (LLC baby!) is approaching its 5th season.  We have 84 episodes currently available on Apple and Spotify bringing the best of the best of beauty, wellness and inspirational women.

So that brings us to today.  I’m a Musician.  I’m a Makeup Artist.  I’m a Podcast Host.  Growing up, I would have NEVER thought those would be my identifying occupations.  From as early as I can remember, I wanted to be a comedian.  When I made people smile or laugh, it felt like a superpower.  I realized well into my adult life that the high I was chasing was helping people feel joy.  To this day, that feeling of making someone feel good about themselves or a situation is what keeps me motivated.  One month shy of my 35th birthday, I now run and own three small businesses that focus on making people feel good.  And that is what brings me joy every day.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This road has had some BUMPS. More rejection and “no’s” than I could ever write out. I remember the last audition I did in person back in 2019 – I had catered an event until late the night before and I had 2 audition appointments scheduled for that day. And I was feeling CONFIDENT! I knew both of the creative teams, the material was right up my alley (one audition being Disney music for goodness sake) and I was prepared. I walked into the first audition and from the first moment, I knew I was not what they were looking for. Instead of singing the piece I had prepared, they asked me if I was familiar with a DIFFERENT song from the Disney canon – and If I didn’t know it – just peek over the shoulder of the pianist.

Well, I did not know the song, attempted to peek over the shoulder of the pianist and needless to say, it was a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck. “Thanks for coming in.” was the response – which is code for: you didn’t get the job. But that was ok because I had a second appointment that day! I just had to get from the middle of Manhattan to the middle of Queens. And of course, the subways all had delays. And I still needed to change. So I used my catering money from the night before to splurge on a taxi so I could arrive at this audition fresh and un-frazzled. I got to the location – which ended up being a junior high gymnasium. I walked in and the waiting area was two chairs outside of the basketball court. The audition monitor approaches me and before I have time to take my bag off my shoulder she says, “follow me! She’s ready for you.” So me and my new friend, the audition monitor, walk across the 7th grade scrimmage game to get to the other side of the gym to a room with a piano and a table with the casting director behind it. We exchanged niceties since we had met before and I felt completely at ease. I had prepared both songs that were requested and had been drilling them for weeks.

The piano starts (at about 3 x the tempo I had practiced) and I’m launched into the pitter patter of death. The song ends and everyone in the room knows that just wasn’t it. But I have another chance to prove myself! The second song! And that’s when the casting director said, “That’s ok, Tina. I don’t need to hear anymore. Thanks for coming all the way out here.” It was 8:00 at night. I had an hour and a half commute ahead of me. I’d been going all day. I was in that room for all of 90 seconds. The time, energy, and money that went into me showing up that night was everything I had left. I was exhausted, and that was my first taste of burnout. This was the culmination of years of rejection, heartbreak, and grief. It was the straw that broke the audition camel’s back. But without that moment, and without completely throwing in the towel on the theatre for three years, I NEVER would have created my own show. I think back to that night often – the whole experience is something that every actor faces on a daily basis – so this is not something unique to me. But it was a hurdle that, had I not been forced to jump, I wouldn’t have pivoted to creating the life I have. Now when I show up somewhere, I already have the job and I’m greeted in celebration with “Thanks for coming all the way out here!” and it has a whole new meaning.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a singer/songwriter with my own solo show Feels Like Home: A Celebration of the Queens of 70’s Folk Rock. With songs from Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell and more! Featuring classic hits such as “Rhiannon”, “You’re So Vain,” and “Here You Come Again” this show creates a nostalgic look back on the songs and stories that made us. This concert has gone on to play NYC’s top venues including 54 Below, Green Room 42, and several regional houses throughout the northeast. Feels Like Home hits the road for a Midwest tour in the Fall of 2023 and Spring of 2024!

I am also the Co-Host of the Podcast Obsessed with the Best with Alex and Tina. Obsessed With The Best is a New York City-based podcast hosted by Alex Ferrara and myself. We bring our listeners the very BEST of all things beauty, wellness, and inspirational women. We test and review the newest beauty products, as well as interview powerful leading female founders and experts. Guests range from doctors and finance experts to TV actresses and burlesque dancers. Listening to an episode of Obsessed With The Best is like having a drink with your girlfriends while getting insider beauty tips and gaining valuable insight from the women they interview! Our show is available on Apple and Spotify.

And last but not least, I am a freelance Makeup Artist specializing in actor headshots. When I’m not on a headshot shoot, I’m on set at Bloomberg Television working in the makeup department for the Bloomberg News anchors.

Any big plans?
My plans for the future are to continue to make and do things that make people feel good! My show, Feels Like Home will be going on tour next year so in preparation, I will be recording an EP featuring my favorite songs from the show – including one that I wrote myself. We are headed into season 5 of the podcast Obsessed with the Best and we’ve got some VERY exciting guests that will be joining us. And my makeup business has already afforded me so many opportunities – I’m just along for the ride!

Contact Info:

• Website: tinascariano.com
• Instagram: @teenziano, @obsessedwiththebestpod, @tscarianomakeup
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9b0xVrvs3T4K8N6gzmo15xF6D-jIfZVg

Image Credits
Manish Gosalia, Shani Hadjian Photography, Michael Kushner Photography, JSProductions Web Design.