Stuck on a Ferris Wheel: An actor's guide to enjoying the ride while keeping your feet on the ground – by Abbie Cobb
It's easy to get stuck while trying to pursue your dream of becoming an actor. It's quite a ride, but certainly one you don't want to get stuck on. Pursuing a career in Hollywood through the years has led actress and author Abbie Cobb to some great decisions and opportunities, but not without making a few mistakes along the way. Stuck on a Ferris Wheel is a must-have guide for any actor starting out a career in LA.
In her first book, Cobb offers play-by-play instructions for being a working actor in LA. Acting is a business, and this book explains how to market yourself, pay the bills, get into SAG, and maintain your personal values along the way. With candor and humor, Abbie offers practical advice to help actors new to the LA scene walk into an audition with confidence. She also gives encouragement for navigating those moral gray areas of Hollywood.
From film to TV to theatre, Stuck on a Ferris Wheel covers topics like headshots, resumes, different types of auditions, how to get representation, ideas for marketing yourself, survival jobs, and when to do what! How do you get an agent? What makes a good headshot? Where should I live? How can I land a role? Heck, how can I even get an audition? How do I pay my bills while pursuing my dreams? What can I do right now to help make them happen? If you want to get started in this business, you'll have to work hard. No book is going to take the hard work out of making it in Hollywood. But can eliminate a lot of the guesswork and confusion that make the journey so tough when you're just starting out.
As Abbie shares the lessons she's learned on her own journey, you'll find yourself laughing, underlining and starring passages, taking notes, and energized to put your newfound information (and inspiration!) into action. The following need-to-know topics are covered in Stuck on a Ferris Wheel:
Harper Celebrate and the Radio City Rockettes announced a new holiday book, Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes: Recipes and Crafts to Bring Home the Magic, featuring festive recipes, DIY crafts, and behind-the-scenes stories from the legendary production.
Harper Celebrate and the Radio City Rockettes are collaborating on a new book – Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes: Recipes and Crafts to Bring Home the Magic.
Songs from Monte Cristo: A New Musical – based on Alexandre Dumas’ beloved novel and the 19th century play by Charles Fechter – will be released in digital and streaming formats.
Multi-Grammy-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth, and singer-songwriter/composer Gabriel Kahane have released “Put it in My Valise (Room 1832) [Radio Edit]” featuring Jodie Landau, from their collaborative LP Elevator Songs.
The full soundtrack is here for Disney's live-action Moana, featuring original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foaʻi and Mark Mancina, including the all-new song, “Along The Way.
Ghostlight Records has released the special 15th anniversary edition of the Grammy Award-winning Original Broadway Cast Recording for The Book of Mormon in stores and online.
Theatre Communications Group published The Michaels, the concluding double volume of Tony Award-winning playwright Richard Nelson's Rhinebeck Panorama, closing a twelve-year theatrical journey documenting American family life.
World Circuit Records will release the 30th Anniversary Edition of the Grammy-winning album ' Buena Vista Social Club,' which will be reissued on 'pearl sunrise' color double-LP.
The Original Cast Recording of THE JACK OF HEARTS CLUB, the acclaimed new musical by Jon Richardson that became one of the most successful productions in the history of Provincetown Theater, will be released on Friday, July 17, 2026, on all major digital and streaming platforms.
West End and Broadway star Ruthie Henshall will release her new memoir, The Showgirl and the Prince, detailed her secret relationship with Prince Edward in the 1980s.
Tony Award-winning performer Lea Salonga releases “The Last Night of the World (The Pride Remix),” a new dance version of the beloved Miss Saigon ballad that was first introduced to audiences decades ago.
An EP recording of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, the musical by John and Elena Tafone, is now available on all streaming platforms, featuring Nik Walker, Mary Kate Morrissey, and a 25-piece orchestra.
GRAMMY-nominated composer Devonté Hynes, also known professionally as Blood Orange, has scored the soundtrack for Olivia Wilde's new film, The Invite, from A24.
Nathan Abrams, a professor of film at Bangor University, has written a comprehensive biography of playwright David Mamet, examining how his Jewishness and Judaism shaped works like Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo.
Costume designer, artist, and scholar Kaiqi Zhang will present the book launch of The Art of Kaiqi Zhang in Los Angeles, showcasing a comprehensive overview of her artistic practice in recent years.
Reunions, a new musical with book and lyrics by Jeffrey Scharf and music by Jimmy Calire, which had a run last year at New York City Center Stage II, has released an original cast recording of the musical.
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) released an 'American Express' Club Remix, produced and composed by Tony-Nominated Orchestrator Lux Pyramid.
Composer/lyricist Maury Yeston – who recently celebrated his landmark 80th birthday – will join author Joshua Rosenblum and theater journalist Peter Filichia at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space.
Creative Goods is launching a brand new piece of merchandise to celebrate the Schmigadoon’s Best Musical Tony Award! Take the Schmigadoon picnic home with you with a realistic corn puddin candle.
Las Vegas-based ventriloquist and author April Brucker released '250 Years of American Ventriloquism,' tracing the art form's influence on comedy, broadcasting, and pop culture from the colonial era to the digital age.
Paper Pianos, the Pulitzer Prize finalist work co-created by Mary Kouyoumdjian and Nigel Maister, will receive its world premiere recording on Friday, August 7, 2026.
Good Guy With a Gun!, a satirical musical concept album featuring Chris Sullivan, Kimiko Glenn, Anthony Rapp, Jason Alexander, and Yvette Nicole Brown, has released its' first single, 'Liberal Love,' now available.