SIX SHOWS IN THREE DAYS

I used to think that I could go from production to production of 42nd Street and be happy. If there was only one musical I could do for the rest of my career, it would be 42nd Street.

But I just did six performances in three days and I'm not so sure anymore. haha.

Costume changes, trying to get physically back up to 100% after being sick for so long, eating Wawa - bleh.

Anyway, I'm just venting. The six shows are done, tomorrow's a day off and I'm going to be spending money on some new jeans, some new comics and relax.

42ND STREET: ODE TO A BAG LADY

Perhaps the most talented member of our cast is Kelley. From chorus girl to wardrobe to Money Girl to, perhaps my favorite, Bag Lady, she transforms herself in and out of each role with precise actor acumen. (I should know because I had to look it up).

When we first started rehearsals I was immediately intimidated, especially when she became my second partner in the Habit #. Sure I was having fun with my first partner in the dance, laughing at each other's foibles and chatting and such. But I had to became a serious professional in the presence of Kelley. She commands attention and detail and I had no choice but to proselytize myself before her while learning the dreaded Castle Turns. She tolerated my inexperience with those whirling dervishes with an occassional sigh. She allowed me to clumsily hold her even though her comfort would've been more at ease with perhaps one of the many other non-straight boys who aren't taken in by her wily ways. She even toughened her resolve as we were given the direction to dance peepee to peepee. She took it all in genuine stride. It's the reason I hold her in such high regard to this day.

And then... AND THEN! For the 42nd Street Ballet, she becomes the woeful but headstrong Bag Lady. Dancing her way through the Sexy Ladies and Nifty Fifties, cops and burglars, flower merchants and whores, Kelley finds her audience even while she's off the left shoulder and back two rows from the so-called real "star" of the show. Noone and I mean noone, sits on steps in the same way. She has become the true Pretty Lady of the show.

So there it is. I spill my guts and reveal the truth. Kelley is the benchmark for all other actors for me. Perhaps we should all strive to be Bag Ladies.






(Pssssst. I'm writing this under threat of bodily harm. But don't tell Kelley I told you so.)

42ND STREET: OPENING NIGHT

And we're off...

42nd Street officially opened last night to a decent but not overly vocal audience. We started with a little mini-rehearsal which was fine and got a 42nd Street hat from the WST staff, chocolate from our director and such. Most of us didn't really have time to do Opening Night gifts because of all the afternoon rehearsals we've been having. But we were energized once the show started and it went over well. I think the Money # got the biggest reaction to date. And we continue to sell the show regardless of what we may think is right and wrong about it. We make it work which essentially is our job.

My sister and niece were in the audience tonite. And other friends including a castmate that had to quite because of an injury. I miss her on stage and I know she's having a tough time about all this. It was great seeing her again and talking with her before and after the show.

After the show we had our Opening Night reception in the lobby. Drink tickets! Eventually we moved the party elsewhere and had a fun night at Coco's. My castmates are crazy and I love 'em.

Finally got to bed at 5:00. Yikes! But today we only have one show and we don't have to be there until 7:30. It'll start to feel like a job from here on out which is fine with me. I got a bit more time back to do other things, maybe travel to NY or just walk around Philly.

One down, 65 more to go...

42ND STREET: WEEK FOUR

This has been an incredibly long week. With rehearsals during the afternoon and Preview performances at night, we were all in need of a day off. Which is tomorrow - yea! A few friends have seen the show in Previews and they've been saying that the show works and it looks like we are all having great fun on stage. So that's a good thing. Costume changes are getting easier, my body is physically getting used to the show and Saturday and Sunday we had two shows each day and I didn't die. haha. I did have a fever though Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night's show was a bear to get through - my legs didn't want to work and my balance was off. I felt much better Sunday thankfully and even had an appetite again.

I look forward to the opening to finally letting the show run on its own. Understudy rehearsals start next week - I don't have anything too major to learn so it should be fine. But I look forward to having some time to visit friends, put more energy back into the Podcast and to actually do some reading!

I have to say though, I'm in the best shape I've been in a long time. And I love the cast. We have great fun off and onstage together and rarely a show goes by that we aren't laughing about something that happened. A dress caught on the piano, people moving too early, flubbed lines - gotta love live theatre.

So I look forward to tomorrow and just laying about. We have rehearsal on Tuesday and Wednesday and then Wed. night we open and start our two month run. It's gonna be a fun ride.

42ND STREET: PREVIEW #1

Just when you think you can't get any crazier during a show, today I found out that one of our girls had to leave the show because of an injury. She had two fractures and a torn ligament in her foot. It happened during rehearsals and just got progessively worse. I worked with her in my first WST show, Singin' in the Rain and she was my "partner" in We're in the Money.

So this morning, after a quick audition, we have a new replacement. Most of the afternoon's rehearsal was sticking her into only two numbers which she performed in tonite's first Preview.

The Preview went surprisingly well. There were many line flubs from the leads - which I guess is nerves. And only a few costume glitches. But for the most part it went off fairly well. The shape of the musical, the story and plot, is still a bit nebulous but overall we entertain and we keep it going. And I even think we had fun.

We have until next Wednesday - our official Opening Night - to work out any bugs. But then after that - the show is all ours and the fun begins.

42ND STREET: WEEK THREE

Holy hell. We went from finishing Act Two on Tuesday to running a Dress Rehearsal in front of a small audience by Sunday. How did that happen??

It's crazy when shows come together like that. Well... it's not all together. But the show is there at least. We were onstage by Wednesday just spacing and reblocking and changing choreography to get used to the sets and drops and such. Our first chance at the madness called costume changes was Saturday night and Sunday day. We got through the show just once before the invited audience on Sunday night. So there were still problems - missing pieces, missing people onstage - but it worked. Somewhat. The dressers helping us are amazing and dealing with tons of costumes and shoes and placing them where they need to be. They did a bangup job though. Just hope those actors that are a little more needy than others don't drive the dressers insane.

I think most people just underestimate this show. It's huge. Not just all the scenes and the productions numbers but the costumes as well and the choreography of placing them where they need to be in order to change. But it is fun and makes the show go by very fast. There's no downtime in Act One. Act Two is lighter for sure but it's only 45 minutes or so, so the time really flies. Once the show goes up we'll be in by 7:30 for half hour, start at 8:00 and out by 10:30. That's a nice workday. Heh.

I'm staying in Philly today on my day off. Need to get wash done, shop for some food, read some comics and just relax my body and brain. I didn't want the hassle of travelling today. But soon enough, understudy rehearsals will start, our Previews will happen and next week will be Opening. Huzah.