Seussical 3-4-10 6:30 Second show

The second show came faster than I thought it would, and before I knew it, I was back in costume (and make-up). We got together for a group picture, warmed up, and then it was time for places. As everyone else is getting in character (something I pride myself on being able to do very quickly), I paced the floor thinking of my schemes for the night... I need three lines: a talk show line for what's coming up next, a line as I come from around the flat to wake Jojo, and something for the auction. Hmmmm...... think, think, think.... that's the whole idea of the show!

-Talk Show line: "...we'll be right back with cooking with Sam-I-Am, he's got a meal I think you're gonna love...I myself do not like it, but I think you will..."

- Coming from behind the flat: "Jojo, you will not believe what I saw on Mullberry Street!" And if I hadn't run into the stairs as I was saying it I might have had a great line there... I woke Jojo with a kazoo, playing a few notes from the song "A Day for the Cat in the Hat" from the Broadway production of Seussical.

-Auction: "...if you act right now we'll throw in a Sour Kangaroo...girl can sing!"

Four shows left, and Friday's show is coming up fast!

Seussical 3-3-10 6:30 OPENING NIGHT!

After a nap, we all returned to the Jan Dempsey for our official first show! Our costumes were still slightly damp from our earlier show, which is something you don't get used to quickly. But after make-up touch-ups, and a warm-up we are ready to go again!
I Don't remember much about the actual show but a few things do stand out:
-after the song "Alone in the Universe" I come out from behind the flat and proceed to wake Jojo up, rounding the corner I looked over my shoulder and shouted: "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch..." I then proceeded to wake Jojo with an old-fashioned bicycle horn (which she wasn't expecting)
-Jose to Circus Barker quick change hit a glitch when my coat was not waiting for me behind the flat, I instead jumped out without a jacket in my Cat vest, don't think anyone knew
-Talk show Line: "we'll be back with Bird Girls Gone Wild..."
-As the auctioneer I bragged on the "bonus features" that come with Horton, "look at the ears on this guy, you can get HBO, and Showtime..."
One of the greatest opening nights I've ever had, really not looking forward to the end of this show, I'm having soooo much fun. More to come.....

Seussical 3-3-10 10:30am School Show

Considered to be our final dress rehearsal (although with an audience) things went relatively well. The audience wasn't as responsive as I'd like, but you can't have it all...
The past few days we've been rehearsing in costumes, I've had some issues with one of my quick changes. I play an Auctioneer, exit the stage then have to change (in roughly 20 seconds) into Jose (Mayzie's cabana boy), I then have to suddenly change into a circus barker (a la W.C. Fields) For this I had my circus barker coat on under the Hawaiian shirt used for Jose and, on cue, I would spin, take off the top layer, and be the barker.... didn't quite work like I'd wanted...so, as of this performance as Mayzie is singing, I walk behind a flat, where someone is waiting with by barker's jacket, I take of the Jose shirt, put on the other jacket, and I, on cue, jump out from behind the flat and go into the next set of lines. Works much better!
Also in the number "Biggest Blame Fool" I appear as a talk show host, whom I have deemed "Dr. Feline McCat" (dragging out the first name to make it sound like Dr. Phil), this character brings one of my many times for ad-libs. As I sign off I say "...we'll be right back with ___ and speck, clover, dust, neighbor, who...." I plan on reporting all of these ad-libs here, for future reference. This time through I said "we'll be right back with a performance by Kevin, Nick and Joe Wickersham..."
Almost time for the next show, boy, I need a nap! Stay tuned!

Seussical!

It's opening night!- rather, it's opening morning! Seussical Jr. is giving a school performance this morning, then we get six more performances. I'm going to (try) to give my thoughts on each performance here after each show. So, wish me luck-no! Wait! Don't! That's bad luck.... tell me to break something, and we're good! On with the show!

Just Think!

"Oh, the Thinks you Can Think!" I cannot tell you how many times I have said that phrase in the past weeks, and I'm still not tired of it! Being cast as the Cat in the Hat in Seussical is probably one of the most exciting things ever to happen to me (in Theatre that is). Getting to play the Cat also means getting to play 10 small bit roles in the course of the show including (but not limited to) a Hunter, Dr. Dake, Jose, a Louis Armstrong sound-a-like piano player and more... but that's not ALL! I've also built a group of five fish for the "Anything's Possible" musical number, a Grinch (yes, the one that stole Christmas) mask for "Here on Who", and last, but not least, Vlad Vladicoff for the "Monkey Around/Chasing the Whos" number (whom I also get to perform. making it 11 roles I play). After building all these characters I wanted to build more, there was no time, because rehearsals really kicked in! And I must say I have so much respect for the Ensemble (of this, or any show), having to learn so many dances, so much music, and develop so many different characters, and they help make the show much better than it would have been otherwise.
The principle cast in itself is phenomenal, all 15 members work together to get to where we need to be. From Wickersham Brothers to the tiny Who families everyone works out every little bit of the show until it's perfect (well...almost perfect)! All the relationships in this show, on all levels, have been mapped out so we know what our motive and our purpose is for every scene.
The Cat has been described as Robin Williams with a tail, which really describes who he is. He is a spirit of fun, and doesn't quite know when to quit, getting Jojo in trouble but not losing his to the boring world that is Who.
This show has been the most fun and thoroughly enjoyable shows since I've started working in theatre. I can't wait for this show to open, I have a feeling that the audience is going to LOVE it (almost as much as we do). But I'll find out the first week of March, until then more rehearsals, more dancing, more thinks, more fun!

R.I.P. Shrek the Musical

Ladies and gentlemen, I am sad to report that Shrek the Musical has closed on Broadway... After Seattle previews in September of 2008, the show opened on Broadway in The Broadway Theatre on December 14 of the same year. Generally favorable reviews brought the show over 440 performances before financial issues forced the show to close.

The original cast featured Brian d'Arcy James (Titanic, The Apple Tree, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) as Shrek, Daniel Breaker (Passing Strange) Sutton Foster (Young Frankenstein, Little Women, Thoroughly Modern Millie) as Princess Fiona, Christopher Sieber (Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, Into the Woods, Spamalot) as Lord Farquaad, and John Tartaglia (Avenue Q, Beauty an the Beast) as Pinocchio, The Magic Mirror, and the Dragon Puppeteer. The ensemble and swings Broadway credits include shows such as Legally Blonde, Cats, Les Miserables, Annie Get Your Gun, Seussical, Annie, Grease, and Alter Boyz. Very few cast changes were made in the run of the show, with two notable replacements being Robb Sapp taking John Tartaglia's place during Tartaglia's leave of absence, and Ben Crawford (original stand-by for Shrek) replacing James as Shrek exactly one year into the show's run.

In June excitement was high for everyone in the show (and me!) when it was announced that the show was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Costume Design, Best Musical, Best Leading Actor (Brian d'Arcy James), Best Leading Actress (Sutton Foster). Out of the eight nominations the show only received the award for Costume Design. A majority of the other awards went to Elton John's show "Billy Elliot" (against which I still have a grudge...)

The Original Cast Recording was released March 24, 2009, featuring (almost) all the songs from the show. "More to the Story" sung by Princess Fiona (Sutton Foster) was a song cut from the show in previews but recorded and released exclusively to iTunes. On October 4, 2009 the hit song "I'm a Believer" was added to the show as a post curtain call number, this song was recorded by most of the original cast and also released on iTunes. Dreamworks has also announced recently that they are planning to release the show on DVD this year. 

So, I want to say farewell to one of my favorite shows ever to grace the Broadway stage. First national tour is set to start this Summer, and I know I'll go see it when it comes to town! In the mean time, I'm going to be listening to the cast album, and singing at the top of my lungs.

2010

It's 2010, a new year! But, of course you already knew that...
Now that I've gotten used to 2009, they have to go and change it! Darn politicians!
Resolution time I guess... First I'd like to go on record by saying that I don't like to make resolutions, they are too easy to break. But 'll give it a shot! Soo...
- I'd like to make a short film, and finish it! Have a few ideas, not sure what I want to try first but I've always wanted to make one.
- I'd like to book a few shows, preferably solo ones, working on a new program specifically for a library Summer program.
-I want to lose 50 pounds, climb Mt. Everest, solve the Tiger Woods issue, and kick my smoking habit. :)
- And I'd like to get a lead in a Broadway musical (this one probably isn't going to happen this year, but I'll just put it out there...)
Looking forward to Seussical rehearsals starting next week, I've memorized all I can, I'm ready to go!