"Everybody loves Barbara"

From the Hollywood Underdog Sept. 3, 2012, Labor Day Post

"Ann-Margret, Shirley MacLaine, Lucille Ball, Bernadette Peters ... all sassy, warm, and talented redheads. They remind me of one of our own Las Vegas redheads, Barbara Grant.

"I met Barbara about 12 years ago, at a viewing of a Minnesota Vikings football game. We are both Midwestern "transplants.” When I meet other former Minnesotans, we usually hit it off right away, as was the case with Barbara. She told me she had just done a "Miller Lite/Wayne Newton” commercial and was going to get more involved with the Nevada Screen Actors Guild.

"Barbara is one of those people that whenever her name comes up in a group, it is immediately obvious she is well-liked and respected. However, Barbara is so friendly and enthusiastic that some people mistake this for phoniness. She's not ... she's just from the Midwest. It's called "Minnesota nice," and it’s genuine.

"I had moved away from Las Vegas for a few years. When I returned, I found out she did exactly what she said that day years before. She is currently president of the SAG-AFTRA Nevada Local. She also chairs the Nevada Conservatory, which provides workshops and lectures by industry professionals. The Nevada Conservatory is a public service of the Nevada Local. You do not have to be a member of the union to join the conservatory.

"Barbara told me her life can be split into two books. "Book One" was her Minnesota years, studying and then graduating from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in Theater. She then raised a daughter and ran her own business, Arabian Fashions.

"My years in Minnesota were wonderful. I raised a daughter and had a business. It was a good life. However, when I arrived in Las Vegas, I got to know some interesting and wonderful people. I started working in the performing arts community here and I knew I'd truly found the next meaningful chapter of my life."
— Barbara Grant

"Then came “Book Two,” when Barbara moved to Las Vegas with her former husband. The desert life and this city grew on her, and quickly.

"Barbara is a talented actress and singer, (previously performing with the Nevada Opera Theater). She is also a costume designer, has been her whole life. A part of the Las Vegas Shakespeare Company since its inception, she was previously costumer designer for the company; she created elaborate, detailed and functional designs.

"Barbara's life took a dramatic turn and almost ended a couple of years ago when she had a cardiac event that led to serious heart surgery and a long recovery.

"When I came home from the hospital, I could not get myself out of bed, eat or walk. I was utterly helpless. My daughter Lisa was there for me in many ways. Also, three of my friends, Karen, Jackie and Kitty, took turns staying with me for several months so I would have the around-the-clock care I needed to recover. These three women kept me alive, not only in body, but in spirit. I learned an important life lesson from this. If you let others help you, you are giving them a gift, allowing them to make a difference for someone they love." She added, “However, I knew I was getting better when I started to want my house back to myself!"

"Barbara is a member of the Las Vegas Center for Spiritual Living. She recommends it as a great place to learn and grow spiritually with a group of kind and sincere people. Religious Science (not to be confused with Scientology), is a correlation of laws of science, opinions of philosophy, and revelations of religion applied to human needs and the aspirations of man.

"Between her involvement with SAG-AFTRA, her church, friends, and the rest of the performing arts community, Barbara is busy but is careful to keep her life in balance.

"One of the most important things I have learned in life is balance and care of oneself. Stress will steal your life from you if you let it. You must give yourself the gift of balance.""

This item was originally featured in the October 2012 local newsletter.