I did it last year, and I'll do it again! A summing up of my year in the way that most makes sense to me - in shows! I'm including whatever workshops and readings I remember as well.
2010
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (workshop)
Dash Dexter (reading at MTC)
Don't Tell Mama's Cabaret
What Would Woody Do? (reading at The Flea with Tony Shalhoub)
A Tipsy Cabaret (at The Sonnet Theatre/The Producer's Club)
Stop the World - I Want to Get Off (with Musicals Tonight!)
Romeo & Hamlet (with GayfestNYC at The June Havoc/Abingdon)
Una, La Whore Del Mundo (reading at The Flea)
Office Hours (reading at The Flea with AR Gurney)
Scam (reading at Random House)
Unlawful Gatherings (at TAI, with my Sunday Playtime crew)
As Bees in Honey Drown (with Twin Tiers Theater Festival)
Boeing Boeing (with Twin Tiers)
Into the Woods (with Twin Tiers)
The Rocky Horror Show (with ReVision Theatre)
Scam (reading at New York Theatre Workshop)
Looking at Christmas (dialect coach - The Flea)
All Our Best for the Holidays (with Cape Rep)
A Marginally Christmas Cabaret (at the Royal Theatre/The Producer's Club)
And, as I began rehearsals for it in 2010...
Nine (with SpeakEasy Stage)
I'm missing a couple of readings in there from February. Can't remember project titles. Old age. It comes so quickly.
Wow, looking back on that, I was really fortunate this year. I met some crazy awesome people, and got to play two bucket list roles within the space of a month (Gretchen in BOEING and The Baker's Wife in WOODS).
Dialects I was hired to use in performance this year: Russian (2x), RP, Cockney, German, and Faux-Russian (hello, Magenta).
Favorite piece of theatre I saw is probably JERUSALEM in London with Mark Rylance - and it's coming to Broadway, folks!!! I also loved BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON at The Public and LA CAGE AUX FOLLES on the BroadWAY.
Other marvelousness with regards to my friends includes my brother performing regularly and hilariously with his Harold team Sandino at UCB, Hannah performing at The National Theatre in London with THE WHITE GUARD, Nick Adams booking a big ol' Broadway lead in PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, and Nikka Lanzarone making her Broadway debut in WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN!
Ten points to anyone who knows what the title of this post references.
I'm starting the new year by seeing a show at SpeakEasy, then coming home to do some work on NINE on my own. We've worked through all of the music in the past few days, and have our first read through/sing through tomorrow! Huzzah! Onward.
Showing posts with label As Bees in Honey Drown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label As Bees in Honey Drown. Show all posts
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Saturday, August 14, 2010
I Have Talented Friends
There are new production photos in my website gallery - shots of AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN, INTO THE WOODS, and BOEING BOEING! Go check them out!
I have a lot of work I've been putting off doing this evening (hey, I worked all day, so I find it hard to come home and not zone out for at least a little bit before kicking the brain back into action), mainly for the Larry Moss workshop I'm taking week after next. I'm working on REASONS TO BE PRETTY with my dear friend Denis. I really liked the play when I saw it on Broadway, but I'm finding it more difficult than I would like, as is ALWAYS the way with Larry! You get hired to do the things you already know how to do really well (absurd German accents are a bit of a specialty of mine), and then take classes to work out the kinks elsewhere in your craft. Hence a contemporary play that is not language-based or poetic. Nothing for me to hide behind, urg! Interesting, because certain dialects or heavily wordy plays would really freak out other actors, and it'd be something they'd have to struggle to get through. Nope. Hand me a tureen of George Bernard Shaw Word Stew any day of the week!
I have decided to add an official special feature to my blog on occasion (oooh, special feature, mumble, mumble, general excitement, ahhh!), with no clear idea of how often I'll employ it. I'm calling it "Pimp Your Friends." That's right. I have awesome friends, who are talented and ridiculous in so many ways that it is freaking crazy, and MORE people should know about them and their awesomeness. I've already pimped a few, and here is my glorious pick for this post...
Kerry Cox is a painter and artist who lives in Queens, works in Manhattan, and paints in Brooklyn. She is one of the coolest cats on the planet. She and I met selling eyeglasses together for SEE Eyewear, and I love her and her work. Check her out!
I have a lot of work I've been putting off doing this evening (hey, I worked all day, so I find it hard to come home and not zone out for at least a little bit before kicking the brain back into action), mainly for the Larry Moss workshop I'm taking week after next. I'm working on REASONS TO BE PRETTY with my dear friend Denis. I really liked the play when I saw it on Broadway, but I'm finding it more difficult than I would like, as is ALWAYS the way with Larry! You get hired to do the things you already know how to do really well (absurd German accents are a bit of a specialty of mine), and then take classes to work out the kinks elsewhere in your craft. Hence a contemporary play that is not language-based or poetic. Nothing for me to hide behind, urg! Interesting, because certain dialects or heavily wordy plays would really freak out other actors, and it'd be something they'd have to struggle to get through. Nope. Hand me a tureen of George Bernard Shaw Word Stew any day of the week!
I have decided to add an official special feature to my blog on occasion (oooh, special feature, mumble, mumble, general excitement, ahhh!), with no clear idea of how often I'll employ it. I'm calling it "Pimp Your Friends." That's right. I have awesome friends, who are talented and ridiculous in so many ways that it is freaking crazy, and MORE people should know about them and their awesomeness. I've already pimped a few, and here is my glorious pick for this post...
Kerry Cox is a painter and artist who lives in Queens, works in Manhattan, and paints in Brooklyn. She is one of the coolest cats on the planet. She and I met selling eyeglasses together for SEE Eyewear, and I love her and her work. Check her out!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
BOEING is going!
Our first preview performance of BOEING BOEING is underway! My character enters about 40 minutes or so into the play, so I'm chilling downstairs in the dressing room (that word was not chosen flippantly - the dressing rooms stay far cooler than the house does, especially with the eight gazillion bright lights they're using for our play), my Twiggy-meets-Babs hair done, and eyelashes so fake they would make Liza proud affixed to my face. The creative team decided not to wig any of us, and since my hair is short, Twiggy it was! I have to say, it's more work than I'm used to putting in, but it's really sleek and different. I don't usually do my hair up to go out or anything, but I might actually...you know, make an effort. At some point.
AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN went beautifully. It was SO much fun to do every day. Seven characters, nine costume changes, about 2/3 of them quick changes that had to happen offstage, and most of them involving wigs and/or hats. Here's me in my favorite costume - as Rhinestone, a backup singer. I had three lines as this character, but it was, as I have said, my favorite. Also, the character's official name is "Backup Singer," but we developed individual names, albums, hit singles, and albums to be released subsequent to the action of the play. This had nothing to do with the direction we were given, just our own crazy notions. I am throwing a tremendous amount of face in this photo:
We had our opening night party at The Bartlett House Museum, an old historic home. The whole house is decorated alternately with gorgeous furniture and BIZARRE odds & ends. There are dozens of elaborate dollhouses and miniatures upstairs, and a gorgeous old parlor, dining room, and hall downstairs. And I covet such a veranda. Among the stranger items to be seen was this fair lady, who is my new bosom chum:
Well, we have a fairly small audience for our preview matinee, but they are responsive and lovely - they seem to really be into it. I enjoy watching my castmates in this show, as they are hilarious beyond measure. Our director put it quite well when he said he couldn't decide which of us was the funniest. My good friend Sarah Hunt is playing Gloria, the American, and she's adopted Texas twang and Texas-sized 1960s hair. She does every inch of it justice. Alesia Lawson, a pal of mine that I met working last summer in Illinois, was brought in (per my suggestion, thanks SO much) to play Bertha (the disgruntled maid) halfway through the rehearsal process. The actress originally cast had a family emergency, and had to fly home to London. She was also slated to play Little Red in INTO THE WOODS, so Alesia took over her whole track. She's gonna kill it as Red! I met the other three actors when we began this project. Emily Ciotti, playing the glorious Italian Gabriella, looks like Sophia Loren when she decks herself out, 60s style, and says that all this teasing of her hair is going to make her family proud, as she's finally embracing her Jersey roots. Gavin Lodge is Bernard - dapper and goofy and adorable. He makes sarcastic comments regarding WICKED quite frequently, but I notice that he's the only one singing "Defying Gravity" in the dressing area. And then there's the amazingly talented and unbelievably funny Derek Milman as Robert. I have most of my scenes with him, and we spent a good chunk of our rehearsal time attempting not to crack up at each other as we flung ourselves across the stage. His EYES, they're comic gold! I've never seen someone's eyes get so wide! I personally think the show is a scream. And our set - our SET! It's incredible! Our costumes look fab, the music is perfect...I love this play, and I'm ever so glad I'm getting the chance to be in it, and with these talented people. A big shout out to our director, Brian Williams, who stepped in at the last minute when the director who'd been hired had to bow out. Farce is NOT easy, my friends. It's very scientific. You have doors slamming at specific times, costume changes, spit-takes, blah blah BLAH...it can be a mess. Luckily, farce is also amusing, so it's worth the initial rehearsal tedium. Seven entrances in this show, six of them doors. Yowza.
Whenever I blog backstage, I find my thoughts are a bit disconnected. I am usually listening with half an ear to the monitor, ready to run off at any given moment. I have large gaps in between stage time in this piece, which allows me to get a lot done! BEES was much more in and out. Labor intensive, that one. Delicious, though. I love playing multiple characters. I live for quick changes. Once you get it down, after a few rehearsals, it's like a beautiful dance, and it's exhilarating to run on stage when the audience saw you 60 seconds ago in a COMPLETELY different costume.
Off to finish the show! Auf Wiedersehen!
AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN went beautifully. It was SO much fun to do every day. Seven characters, nine costume changes, about 2/3 of them quick changes that had to happen offstage, and most of them involving wigs and/or hats. Here's me in my favorite costume - as Rhinestone, a backup singer. I had three lines as this character, but it was, as I have said, my favorite. Also, the character's official name is "Backup Singer," but we developed individual names, albums, hit singles, and albums to be released subsequent to the action of the play. This had nothing to do with the direction we were given, just our own crazy notions. I am throwing a tremendous amount of face in this photo:
We had our opening night party at The Bartlett House Museum, an old historic home. The whole house is decorated alternately with gorgeous furniture and BIZARRE odds & ends. There are dozens of elaborate dollhouses and miniatures upstairs, and a gorgeous old parlor, dining room, and hall downstairs. And I covet such a veranda. Among the stranger items to be seen was this fair lady, who is my new bosom chum:
Well, we have a fairly small audience for our preview matinee, but they are responsive and lovely - they seem to really be into it. I enjoy watching my castmates in this show, as they are hilarious beyond measure. Our director put it quite well when he said he couldn't decide which of us was the funniest. My good friend Sarah Hunt is playing Gloria, the American, and she's adopted Texas twang and Texas-sized 1960s hair. She does every inch of it justice. Alesia Lawson, a pal of mine that I met working last summer in Illinois, was brought in (per my suggestion, thanks SO much) to play Bertha (the disgruntled maid) halfway through the rehearsal process. The actress originally cast had a family emergency, and had to fly home to London. She was also slated to play Little Red in INTO THE WOODS, so Alesia took over her whole track. She's gonna kill it as Red! I met the other three actors when we began this project. Emily Ciotti, playing the glorious Italian Gabriella, looks like Sophia Loren when she decks herself out, 60s style, and says that all this teasing of her hair is going to make her family proud, as she's finally embracing her Jersey roots. Gavin Lodge is Bernard - dapper and goofy and adorable. He makes sarcastic comments regarding WICKED quite frequently, but I notice that he's the only one singing "Defying Gravity" in the dressing area. And then there's the amazingly talented and unbelievably funny Derek Milman as Robert. I have most of my scenes with him, and we spent a good chunk of our rehearsal time attempting not to crack up at each other as we flung ourselves across the stage. His EYES, they're comic gold! I've never seen someone's eyes get so wide! I personally think the show is a scream. And our set - our SET! It's incredible! Our costumes look fab, the music is perfect...I love this play, and I'm ever so glad I'm getting the chance to be in it, and with these talented people. A big shout out to our director, Brian Williams, who stepped in at the last minute when the director who'd been hired had to bow out. Farce is NOT easy, my friends. It's very scientific. You have doors slamming at specific times, costume changes, spit-takes, blah blah BLAH...it can be a mess. Luckily, farce is also amusing, so it's worth the initial rehearsal tedium. Seven entrances in this show, six of them doors. Yowza.
Whenever I blog backstage, I find my thoughts are a bit disconnected. I am usually listening with half an ear to the monitor, ready to run off at any given moment. I have large gaps in between stage time in this piece, which allows me to get a lot done! BEES was much more in and out. Labor intensive, that one. Delicious, though. I love playing multiple characters. I live for quick changes. Once you get it down, after a few rehearsals, it's like a beautiful dance, and it's exhilarating to run on stage when the audience saw you 60 seconds ago in a COMPLETELY different costume.
Off to finish the show! Auf Wiedersehen!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Only in Olean
I've been in Olean, NY for almost a week now, rehearsing for the first two out of three shows I'm doing for Twin Tiers Theater Festival. We go into tech for AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN on Monday, and will finish blocking BOEING-BOEING early next week. The casts are fantastic, my directors are grand, and I think we're gonna have a couple of great shows. I had my BEES costume fitting yesterday, and I think I'm going to buy a couple of the dresses off them when I'm done. The play takes place in '97, and some of these costumes are hysterical. My favorite is the outfit I wear as Rhinestone, one of the backup singers in a punk band from London. I'll post photos when I have them - for now, I'll entice you by saying it involves ripped up gray zebra print, a bright red wig, and yards upon yards of tulle.
BOEING is also just a freaking blast - I've wanted to play Gretchen since I saw it on Broadway a couple of years ago. I went three times. Basically, my director told me I could go as far as I wanted to, and I've taken him at his word. We are throwing ourselves around that stage and burlesquing dialects with a ridiculous abandon. I am milking this German accent for every iota of potential laughter. MILKING IT, PEOPLE, MILKING IT LIKE A FRIGGIN MILK COW.
Speaking of which, I hear that Milky White (in INTO THE WOODS) is going to be played by an actual, honest to goodness moo-cow.
On that note, I'm going to work on my lines, read some of the mystery novel I found in a stack of rehearsal props, and maybe watch NOTORIOUS before going to bed. No alarm set for tomorrow - thank you, national holidays! Enjoy the random assortment of photos from the past week! Most of my time has been spent in rehearsal, but we have managed to head to Applebees for karaoke (oh, you read that correctly, all right), play a rather intense game of Jenga, and become regulars at Perkins.
BOEING is also just a freaking blast - I've wanted to play Gretchen since I saw it on Broadway a couple of years ago. I went three times. Basically, my director told me I could go as far as I wanted to, and I've taken him at his word. We are throwing ourselves around that stage and burlesquing dialects with a ridiculous abandon. I am milking this German accent for every iota of potential laughter. MILKING IT, PEOPLE, MILKING IT LIKE A FRIGGIN MILK COW.
Speaking of which, I hear that Milky White (in INTO THE WOODS) is going to be played by an actual, honest to goodness moo-cow.
On that note, I'm going to work on my lines, read some of the mystery novel I found in a stack of rehearsal props, and maybe watch NOTORIOUS before going to bed. No alarm set for tomorrow - thank you, national holidays! Enjoy the random assortment of photos from the past week! Most of my time has been spent in rehearsal, but we have managed to head to Applebees for karaoke (oh, you read that correctly, all right), play a rather intense game of Jenga, and become regulars at Perkins.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Upstate, She's A-Comin!
We leave tomorrow for Olean, NY. I'm gone for six weeks solid, most everyone else for about two. I've done a pretty good job of packing light - I could've done it with one bag if I weren't also bringing my computer. Anyway, I've not had a moment to breathe for this entire week, but it's been delightful! We did our first stumble through of the whole play yesterday, and will go straight into the space on Tuesday. I also start Boeing-Boeing rehearsals as soon as I'm there, so if I thought I was busy now...
I have a full dancecard today. A full day of writing with the Sunday Playtime kids (we've now started calling ourselves The Crickety Crew - long story. Basically, everyone I know is hilarious), then home to finish packing, do copious amounts of laundry, and clean my apt before hanging out with Aaron and Mikey. Yay! I just wanted to check in, and express my excitement at how well everything is going!
A quick note on Aaron - his improv team Sandino got all of the anchor slots for July, which basically means that they are AMAZING! I dragged a bunch of my friends with me to Harold Night on Tuesday, and they were all highly amused and impressed. :) Ridiculousness is rewarded at UCB!
I have a full dancecard today. A full day of writing with the Sunday Playtime kids (we've now started calling ourselves The Crickety Crew - long story. Basically, everyone I know is hilarious), then home to finish packing, do copious amounts of laundry, and clean my apt before hanging out with Aaron and Mikey. Yay! I just wanted to check in, and express my excitement at how well everything is going!
A quick note on Aaron - his improv team Sandino got all of the anchor slots for July, which basically means that they are AMAZING! I dragged a bunch of my friends with me to Harold Night on Tuesday, and they were all highly amused and impressed. :) Ridiculousness is rewarded at UCB!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Dark Summer Days
I am a brunette till September for the shows I'm in this summer. Had it dyed from the platinum yesterday, and though I really like it, I'm definitely going back to blonde in the fall. My manager at the restaurant said, "You look like your own evil twin," which I thought was brilliant, and describes the effect rather well. I must say, catching sight of myself in the mirror is still a little disconcerting. I've always wanted an excuse to go dark brown, though, so haHA!
I'm taking pictures with my friend RL on Sunday, so I'll post something soon after that. I figure, hey, while it's brown, get something I can put on my website. It's easier for people to imagine me with different hair colors if I can...you know, SHOW them. Aldonza does not, in all likelihood, rock platinum tresses.
Rehearsals for AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN are going SO well. Having such fun. Onward!
I'm taking pictures with my friend RL on Sunday, so I'll post something soon after that. I figure, hey, while it's brown, get something I can put on my website. It's easier for people to imagine me with different hair colors if I can...you know, SHOW them. Aldonza does not, in all likelihood, rock platinum tresses.
Rehearsals for AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN are going SO well. Having such fun. Onward!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Summertime Jobs and Oscar Nods
Oy, I've been so busy that I haven't gotten a chance to catch up with everything here! Between restaurant jobs, auditions, and computer death, whaddaya gonna do?
Okay. I promise I will chronicle Krakow at some point (for my own sake more than anything), but right now I have exciting news to share - I've booked a summer gig that I'm thrilled about. I'll be playing Illya/Carla/etc in AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN and The German (Gretchen or Judith, depending on which adaptation you read) in BOEING-BOEING. I'm also up for The Baker's Wife in INTO THE WOODS, which is also going up in their season. It's upstate at a new theatre festival called TWIN TIERS, and I cannot WAIT! First of all, I saw BOEING-BOEING three times when it was on Broadway two years ago, and have wanted to play the German ever since Mary McCormack made her first entrance. I cannot believe I'm getting the opportunity to play it so soon after it made its appearance on my "Dream Roles" roster! WOO! BEES should be great fun as well - it's a really fun piece for everyone, but the ensemble actors get to play an absurd number of roles, which is just fabulously fun. Now, callbacks for ITW are on Thursday. If I don't get it, no biggie, but The Baker's Wife has been on the top of the list for about fourteen years now (I can be very patient when need be), and this would be an ideal situation. I've never been in a Sondheim, actually, which KILLS me, but hopefully that will change this summer. There are other great roles in ITW, but this is one that is incredibly near and dear to my heart. Joanna Gleason (who won a Tony for playing this role) was born on June 2nd. Why, that's MY birthday! :) Love her. LOVE her.
Additionally, tonight are the Oscars!!! I used three exclamation points just now. I'm not even really jazzed enough to merit the use of one of them, but it is my favorite piece of punctuation. I have seen UP and AVATAR, and that is it. I don't even mean for Best Picture noms, I mean pretty much in general. What have I seen at the movies since the last Oscars? Harry Potter. Umm...Oooh, THE HANGOVER, I'm a little ashamed to admit. But it was $5 in rural Illinois, so I'm partially forgiven. That might be it. Have I only seen four movies in the past year? Yowzah. I think so. It's five if you count THE WRESTLER, which I saw in Feb of last year before the Oscars. I loved that movie.
I would like to mention that today marks the last performance of the Original Broadway Cast in HAIR. March 9th, the new tribe will begin performances, and in a few weeks, the Original B'way cast heads to London! I'm so excited for everyone. Can't wait to see the new tribe - my friend Catherine Brookman will be making her B'way debut!!! So thrilling!
I must tidy up a bit, for my gentle guests may be arriving at any moment. In honor of the night, I've pulled out my most appropriate book of matches for all the cigarettes I shan't be smoking.
Okay. I promise I will chronicle Krakow at some point (for my own sake more than anything), but right now I have exciting news to share - I've booked a summer gig that I'm thrilled about. I'll be playing Illya/Carla/etc in AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN and The German (Gretchen or Judith, depending on which adaptation you read) in BOEING-BOEING. I'm also up for The Baker's Wife in INTO THE WOODS, which is also going up in their season. It's upstate at a new theatre festival called TWIN TIERS, and I cannot WAIT! First of all, I saw BOEING-BOEING three times when it was on Broadway two years ago, and have wanted to play the German ever since Mary McCormack made her first entrance. I cannot believe I'm getting the opportunity to play it so soon after it made its appearance on my "Dream Roles" roster! WOO! BEES should be great fun as well - it's a really fun piece for everyone, but the ensemble actors get to play an absurd number of roles, which is just fabulously fun. Now, callbacks for ITW are on Thursday. If I don't get it, no biggie, but The Baker's Wife has been on the top of the list for about fourteen years now (I can be very patient when need be), and this would be an ideal situation. I've never been in a Sondheim, actually, which KILLS me, but hopefully that will change this summer. There are other great roles in ITW, but this is one that is incredibly near and dear to my heart. Joanna Gleason (who won a Tony for playing this role) was born on June 2nd. Why, that's MY birthday! :) Love her. LOVE her.
Additionally, tonight are the Oscars!!! I used three exclamation points just now. I'm not even really jazzed enough to merit the use of one of them, but it is my favorite piece of punctuation. I have seen UP and AVATAR, and that is it. I don't even mean for Best Picture noms, I mean pretty much in general. What have I seen at the movies since the last Oscars? Harry Potter. Umm...Oooh, THE HANGOVER, I'm a little ashamed to admit. But it was $5 in rural Illinois, so I'm partially forgiven. That might be it. Have I only seen four movies in the past year? Yowzah. I think so. It's five if you count THE WRESTLER, which I saw in Feb of last year before the Oscars. I loved that movie.
I would like to mention that today marks the last performance of the Original Broadway Cast in HAIR. March 9th, the new tribe will begin performances, and in a few weeks, the Original B'way cast heads to London! I'm so excited for everyone. Can't wait to see the new tribe - my friend Catherine Brookman will be making her B'way debut!!! So thrilling!
I must tidy up a bit, for my gentle guests may be arriving at any moment. In honor of the night, I've pulled out my most appropriate book of matches for all the cigarettes I shan't be smoking.
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