New Jersey Stage - July/August 2014 | Page 40

People misspell my name a lot. Sometimes it’s Conti instead of Conte, “i” being more common than “e”. Most painful to see was my name on a lit marquee as RoseMarie Conti. I bristled. My name is my biography. It represents everything about me. That’s identity. The misspelling of anyone’s name ---famous or not, can imply sloppy work by a promoter, lack of respect, and loss of credibility. If it’s your name, you may feel “dissed”. I think we’ve all misspelled someone’s name at some time. I have, and it feels terrible. I can’t apologize enough. I suggest that all parties follow up and check spelling of names before they’re published. Artists aren’t generally on top of this, but they should be. Congratulations on the launch of your new publication. From Mark & Melissa, Mill Ballet School New Jersey Stage July 2014 pg 40