Seussical 3-8-10 4:30 & 6:30

The final day, the final two shows. Sad but true. There is a lot of energy in the cast, but, unfortunately a few members of the cast were sick, including (as far as I know) three members of the ensemble (one of which wasn't able to make it for these last two shows, and one had to leave after the first show of the day), and, last but certainly not least, the Cat's buddy Jojo! She'd lost her voice the day before, and had gotten it mostly back, but wasn't as strong as she could go. ...GULP....

But in the theatre no matter what, the show MUST go on! And it did! It went okay, nothing really special, just another fun time in the world of Dr. Seuss.

Since, unfortunately, Jojo couldn't sing I helped her with "Anything's Possible", a fun song, that I'd wanted to sing since we'd started the show. So, if anything good came out of her sickness, it was me getting to sing that song... sorry, Lizzie....

- Talk Show line- For once in this show I stuck with the script... hard to believe, I know.

- Waking Jojo up- I rounded the corner blowing my nose into a tissue, "That was beautiful, man!"

- Auction- Offered the Bird Girls again, with the same "sing/narrate your day" line, at the request of one of the girls.

The forty min. break between shows went by very quickly, I had just caught my breath when they called places again. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but it wasn't the break I'm used to.

The second (and final show) went by way too fast. During "Oh, the Thinks you Can Think" it hit me that this was the last time I'd be telling this story, it hit me again during "Anything's Possible", then yet again during "Amazing Mayzie", "Monkey Around", "How Lucky you Are", and especially during "Solla Sollew". I later got word that a few ensemble members shed a few tears during this song.

During "The People vs. Horton the Elephant" I used a different accent for the "Marshall of the Court", and then decided that I was going to make the most of what I had left, I amped up my energy and flew through the rest of the show. The audience was great, the best you could ask for on a closing night, I even hammed up a little more because they were so responsive (especially with Dr. Dake).

- Talk Show line- "...Cooking with Sam-I-Am"

- Waking Jojo up- "...oh, yeah, well you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch!"

- Auction- I'd had a special auction in mind since the beginning of the show for closing night, and I used it, to great response. "Since this is our final show, everything must go! We're talking elephant, Bird Girls, monkeys, kangaroos, and the entire 10-piece ensemble."

The show went very well, as I've found a lot of my closing-night shows do. I had the honor to speak about our production crew, and director at the conclusion of the show...I've always wanted to do that. And after we said good-bye to our audience, we went and changed out of our costumes for the last time... but thankfully, I got to buy my suit, and plan on wearing it to the prom. I packed up my props and puppets, said my good-byes, and left as they were loading the set into the truck.

It was a fun time. And I know we all miss it. We had our time in Solla Sollew, and now we've moved on to other things. And as Dr. Seuss said: "Don't cry because it's over, be glad that it happened"

I am.

Seussical 3-6-10 2:00 & 6:30

Bright and early Saturday morning the cast slowly made their way to the theatre (personally I'm never up that early (especially on a Saturday!)) to take yet another journey in the world of Dr. Seuss. I realised at this point that the show was almost over and I would only be able to live in this "world" for a little longer. But then all the cast got thrown a curve-ball, and additional performance the following Monday, I know we were all pretty excited, but then we realized we would only get a 30-40 min. break between shows...yikes! But we all decided to power through and all agreed. But Saturday wasn't over yet.
- Talk Show line: "...we'll be right back with the Wickersham's performing a rendition of Pants on the Ground..."
- I repeated my "does this book make me look fat" line for almost the entire run. Hey, if it's not broke, don't fix it! ...ooohh, I just had a Beauty & the Beast flash-back
- Auction: Sweetening the deal with the Bird Girls I bragged on their bonus features. "..Ladies and gentlemen, you have not lived until these girls sing/narrate your day..." I then proceeded to sing in falsetto as a Bird Girl "he just woke up, now he's brushing his teeth"
All in all I think the show went pretty well, the cast then ate lunch together, and then proceeded to the theatre again, but this time the cast watched a performance... who performed you might ask... I would be the one who's performance was watched by the cast (by far one of the best audiences I've had). Then the cast kept with their tradition.... ooohh...Fiddler on the Roof flash-back... the entire cast had a dance off, dancing to such songs as "Thriller", "Cupid Shuffle", and "Transylvania Mania"...guess which one was mine...
Second show went by pretty quickly, even though we were all pretty worn out at that point but we knew we could do a good job.
- Talk Show line: "...we'll be right back with Charlie's Bird Girls"
- Yet again repeated the line with the book.
- Auction: I just offered Horton again, dwelling on his bonus features... at this point I knew what worked with the audience, and used that to my advantage!
We had an early cast party, where the cast received "awards" for off-stage traits, quirks, and jokes. I myself received the "Most likely to end up on Sesame Street" award...I'd like to thank the academy... Had a good time at the party, played some charades, and sang some improv songs with the accompaniment of one of the Wickershams.
We got a day off, and then onto Monday, and our back-to-back performances...I would be more excited if I wasn't so tired! Stay tuned...more to come!

Seussical 3-5-10 6:30

Everyone in the cast had amazing energy! With this show we all really got into it! Really don't remember too much, just know that it happened...
-Talk Show line- "...we'll be right back with Jojo and Cat plus 8..."
-Going to wake Jojo- I rounded the flat reading "The Cat in the Hat", looked at the audience, held up the book "Am I really this fat?"
-Auction- I sweetened the offer by adding the Wickersham Brothers.
Saturday will bring two shows, and a surprise for the cast... but I'll make you wait to find out what it was....

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!