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 Into The Woods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Into The Woods. 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!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Summer Stock - Off the Clock
Very tired. Just got back to New York City Monday in the late afternoon, and I'm still adjusting to civilian life. I'm posting some pics for your perusal pleasure, and then going to BED! It's been a good day - rehearsed with Denis, my friend and scene partner for the Larry Moss workshop I'm taking in a couple of weeks, then made pancakes and unpacked my bags while my friend Melissa was over. We told each other a lot of stories and used an obscene amount of character voices. Eventually, Nikka came over for silly fun time. Hoorah for friends and hanging out in my lovely apartment that I've missed so much!
Anywhoo, I'm posting many of my favorite photos from the past few weeks. I'd attempt to explain them all, but I think they're either self-explanatory or pretty funny, anyway, so I'm leaving them be. I do enjoy scrolling through fb photos of actors out on other gigs, just being idiotic and having a good time. We had some pretty rough circumstances with WOODS, and yet we still managed to find time to entertain and be entertained by one another. Such lovely, hilarious, talented, generous, and kind people. I have been very fortunate in the last year and a half to two years. Such wonderful colleagues and collaborators.
Anywhoo, I'm posting many of my favorite photos from the past few weeks. I'd attempt to explain them all, but I think they're either self-explanatory or pretty funny, anyway, so I'm leaving them be. I do enjoy scrolling through fb photos of actors out on other gigs, just being idiotic and having a good time. We had some pretty rough circumstances with WOODS, and yet we still managed to find time to entertain and be entertained by one another. Such lovely, hilarious, talented, generous, and kind people. I have been very fortunate in the last year and a half to two years. Such wonderful colleagues and collaborators.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Woods-a-palooza!
I am tired, and need to eat before a long day of INTO THE WOODS rehearsal, but wanted to post some of the production shots from BOEING BOEING. As you can see, it was a colorful and hilarious time.
There's a lot of drama going on here that isn't worth going into on this blog, but I would like to say that, despite a TON of obstacles, we are, slowly but surely, making the show come together. There is a great, GREAT deal of work to be done, but the orchestra sounds amazing, and many of my fellow castmates are fantastic. I am a trifle obsessed with Shane Jacobsen, who plays my Baker. If you had a lineup of potential Bakers, he'd be the most likely to be selected. We've named ourselves Bertie and Bettie Baker, and our little boy is Baby Bobby Baker. We're big into alliteration. Anyway, I have a fantastic time working with him, and with so many of my other wonderful fellow actor/singers.
I must eat breakfast before this ten am call, or I will be useless today. Greek yogurt is singing its siren song from the downstairs refrigerator...I'm coming, my darling!
There's a lot of drama going on here that isn't worth going into on this blog, but I would like to say that, despite a TON of obstacles, we are, slowly but surely, making the show come together. There is a great, GREAT deal of work to be done, but the orchestra sounds amazing, and many of my fellow castmates are fantastic. I am a trifle obsessed with Shane Jacobsen, who plays my Baker. If you had a lineup of potential Bakers, he'd be the most likely to be selected. We've named ourselves Bertie and Bettie Baker, and our little boy is Baby Bobby Baker. We're big into alliteration. Anyway, I have a fantastic time working with him, and with so many of my other wonderful fellow actor/singers.
I must eat breakfast before this ten am call, or I will be useless today. Greek yogurt is singing its siren song from the downstairs refrigerator...I'm coming, my darling!
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.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Good News!
So much to talk about. So little time. SO much good news!
I'm very tired, so this is going to be a good ol' fashioned BPBP: A Bullet-Point Blog Post.
* I booked INTO THE WOODS for this summer!!! I will be playing The Baker's Wife! AAAAAH! Jubilation abounds!
* My brother Aaron was invited to join a house Harold team at Upright Citizen's Brigade! Ahh! This is a big deal, especially as it was his first time auditioning. Something like 475 people auditioned, 64 got called back, and 20 were asked to join up! He is going to be really funny, and I am SO proud of him! I actually manage to see him a lot these days by going to Harold Night at UCB (Tuesdays at 8pm, incidentally, at their theatre on 26th and 8th Ave, and it's $5!), so it's mega-exciting to know that some day soon, I'll be seeing my bro!
* I booked a show for April! And I didn't even have to audition! HaHA! Mel Miller, who produces MUSICALS TONIGHT! up at The Vital Theatre on the UWS, called me on Thursday morning to ask me to be in the female "Greek Chorus" of STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF. It starts rehearsals Monday. The timing could not be more perfect. I did TOVARICH with them about a year and a half ago, and had such a great time. Two weeks of rehearsals, then two weeks of performances on the 8 show/week schedule, and then you call it a day! Easy peasy! A great little gig for when you're in between stuff. I'm excited to meet new people and get to know a show I wasn't acquainted with before!
* I have saved a draft of my Krakow adventures, but haven't posted it yet, as it's not DONE! It's really long already, so I figured I'd just go ahead and make it ridiculously long, so that if you want to read about Poland, you can do so in one post. Soon. Seriously. It's only been a MONTH! :)
I'm very tired, so this is going to be a good ol' fashioned BPBP: A Bullet-Point Blog Post.
* I booked INTO THE WOODS for this summer!!! I will be playing The Baker's Wife! AAAAAH! Jubilation abounds!
* My brother Aaron was invited to join a house Harold team at Upright Citizen's Brigade! Ahh! This is a big deal, especially as it was his first time auditioning. Something like 475 people auditioned, 64 got called back, and 20 were asked to join up! He is going to be really funny, and I am SO proud of him! I actually manage to see him a lot these days by going to Harold Night at UCB (Tuesdays at 8pm, incidentally, at their theatre on 26th and 8th Ave, and it's $5!), so it's mega-exciting to know that some day soon, I'll be seeing my bro!
* I booked a show for April! And I didn't even have to audition! HaHA! Mel Miller, who produces MUSICALS TONIGHT! up at The Vital Theatre on the UWS, called me on Thursday morning to ask me to be in the female "Greek Chorus" of STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF. It starts rehearsals Monday. The timing could not be more perfect. I did TOVARICH with them about a year and a half ago, and had such a great time. Two weeks of rehearsals, then two weeks of performances on the 8 show/week schedule, and then you call it a day! Easy peasy! A great little gig for when you're in between stuff. I'm excited to meet new people and get to know a show I wasn't acquainted with before!
* I have saved a draft of my Krakow adventures, but haven't posted it yet, as it's not DONE! It's really long already, so I figured I'd just go ahead and make it ridiculously long, so that if you want to read about Poland, you can do so in one post. Soon. Seriously. It's only been a MONTH! :)
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