We open on Monday! Plus some make up ideas

Hello theatre luvvies...

So its Wednesday which means its the LAST rehearsal before the big Tech and Dress on Sunday.  How am I feeling?  Uber excited!  Confident (I think) - although at the last rehearsal I managed to completely forget my steps in the Temple scene, but the good news is that I have cracked the Superstar number.

We have our costume call on Thursday night which this year means for me just one old hag'  'cape and dress - please, please let the dress fit!  Usually I have a problem with hired costume dresses - they never fit me and I always have to make alterations.  This is due to having what some might term a fuller figure 'up top'  - the bane of my life.  Maybe I can strap them down this year? Use a minimiser bra or sports bra?

I also have a superb wig in a 60s beehive style which us soul girls are wearing in the final Superstar number- this is going to be styled for me on Thursday and then apparantly I have to take it home on a balloon??  That will be weird - a balloon head - I may draw a face on it. I can keep it in the hall to scare off burglars.

So on to make up - I thought I'd include some pictures in this blog for make up ideas - we have been told we are not allowed to go too mad adorning our faces with flowers /hearts etc and should have purple or blue eye shadow.

 Firstly how great does Pixie Lott look?  I love everything about this look - hair, flowers, eye shadow and the art on her face -wish I could do that every night but it may be a bit high maintenance.  This has given me the idea to do my hair in waves though - looks totally cool.

I love this as its not too overdone but its still really pretty - love the green eyeshadow - might try that...and big lashes - I have some of those!

Quite like this as again she's not gone over the top but its still effective and she's managed to sneak a hippy heart in there. Again, green and blue eyeshadow mixed in there - looks totally right.

Now this is an original look from 1969 - year I was born (you do the math)   Wow they loved that blue eyeshadow didn't they?  And the big eyed look - easily achievable with false eyelashes ( I recommend eyelure - they seem to be the best and have the most staying power).

Nice again but perhaps a little tricky to do yourself before a show - love the hair though.

I'd never get away with it but can you imagine the look on our directors face if I did come on like this??? ha ha


I don't want to forget the guys so here are a few inspirational pics for you boys in the cast as well...

Look at this lovely festival goer - he's got some great make up going on there - if any of you guys want to make a bit of  a statement.

I can't work out if he is dressed up or really does look like this but anyway he's nailed the hippy look - note the coloured hair extensions guys - you could try that...

I like this pic because this guy just looks naturally cool and relaxed and he's not wearing any make up.  My brother sported this look for a while when he was a student but the dreads got a bit smelly after a while as he didn't like washing them.  YUK.

The good news is that our sales figures are looking good which for an amateur group means a hell of a lot!! Last rehearsal we were told we had sold 73% so thats fantastic.

BRING IT ON!!

BSMTC Jesus Christ Superstar 2014 Trailer

This, people, is our fabulous trailer for our show Jesus Christ Superstar 10th - 16th November - get your tickets here
www.rhodesbishopsstortford.org.uk or call 01279 651746 for the Box Office

The view from the Alto corner

So we are now into rehearsals for JCS - I am going to refer to it as JCS from now on so I don't have to keep typing it.  If you are wondering how the auditions went I'll tell you - true to my word I screwed it up as usual but managed to get my head back together and won the part of the Maid.  I googled this part but not a lot came up - she is referred to as Maid by the Fire - and that is about it!  Anyway, I get my 15 seconds of fame so I am happy...and hopefully I can pick up a few more lines here and there.  I am just glad to be in it and having fun again!

We had our first music rehearsal on Monday and it was great to be back with the gang again - I am an alto and we tend to be fewer in number than sopranos so we have to belt it out a bit  to be heard and stick together.  I find as an alto that we often get quite tricky parts to sing and every year we have the usual problem - can we hit the right first note?  Because if we get put off by sopranos we are stuffed and then we all just look desperately at each other and try to listen in to whoever may remotely be near the note....sometimes I just die laughing as some of the alto girls make me giggle so much - especially my theatre gal mates Cat, Carrie and Jo.

Altos often get called upon to add a bit of a boost to some of the male numbers in a show - this was the case in Fiddler on the Roof when we were on stage as 'knitting women' during the big Lachaim number.  I used to love doing this part of the show, as it was such a laugh.  There was one moment particularly in this number when we had to 'freeze' and I usually caught the eye of Jo - who always makes me laugh - so I had to look over her head every night. I didn't learn to knit but I sewed a sock to death the week of the show.

I personally love the sound of an alto voice - as I think the sound comes from deeper down - i.e. not so much your head voice...I may be wrong on that one not being a music professional! Feel free to correct me!

I researched on the internet about altos - and thought I would share with you some famous alto singers....

Judy Garland

Wow what a voice - like velvet - she had a range of two octaves.  
Although known for her emotive singing, her technique was brilliant.

Adele

Adele has brilliant control over the dynamics of her voice, being able to sing soft and airy when it suits the delivery, but switching back to a fuller tone with speed and aplomb. I like the emotion she puts into her singing.

 

 Cher

She sure can belt them out - and in true alto style she likes a crazy wig.  Apparantly in the 60s her secretary had to write to reassure fans she wasn't a man.

 Karen Carpenter

Is she your guilty pleasure?  Yes probably a little naff to admit you like The Carpenters these days, but you've got to admit she had one hell of a voice - often described as like chocolate and cream.

Kelly Clarkson

Very strong in the mid range and a true belter but she can also do a great head voice and falsetto!

I'll try and get a picture of some of us alto girls at rehearsal tonight -and maybe the Maid will get to sign her line tonight as well - you never know....

What about you? What alto signers do you like?

First ever blog post - why I love being in an amateur theatre company

Hello there fellow theatre lovers! 

Difficult to know what to start writing about first - as I have so many things I want to say, but as this blog is about amateur theatre I thought I'd kick off by telling you why I got into it in the first place. I'm a member of Bishop's Stortford Musical Theatre Company www.bsmtc.org.uk and joined up about 6 years ago. I'd always loved acting and singing but somewhere along the way after university I stopped doing anything - I was trying to establish my career, then I got married and had my lovely daughter Olivia.  I think I lost my 'mojo' and felt I did not have the talent or confidence to get up on stage. I left it for about 15 years! It all changed when I started working part time as a marketing manager in a local theatre. The venue I worked in was a council run place, and local groups hired it for shows etc so we played host to a lot of local theatre and ballet etc.  I got interested in one group, BSMTC as they were putting on a production of My Fair Lady and it was selling out - I managed to get a couple of tickets at the last minute, went along and was so impressed by the talent.  I sat in the audience wishing it was me up there in the costumes and under the bright lights -most of all it looked FUN. I really felt I needed something that was just for me - where I could be myself - not mummy, wife or career woman.

So I sent off an audition form and was asked to prepare a piece to sing and perform a poem or piece of text - I was so nervous I went and got singing lessons. I chose to sing a piece from Les Miserables - no, not I Dreamed a Dream,  I chose On My Own instead and a speech from Shakespeare.  My audition was on windy, cold night in a football club - I'd prepared the whole song, but when I turned up was asked to do only a section of it.  It was so cold my teeth were chattering so it was not the ideal audition environment, but somehow or other I got in.

My first steps back onto a stage were in a Spring Cabaret in a village hall which the company do every year as a fundraiser - I thought to myself -' I'll just stay in the background until I get my confidence back', but everyone was so welcoming I started to really enjoy myself from week one.  I soon started to see that other people were not afraid to get up there and really give it everything, so I felt - why not?  You can do it too!!  I think the closet diva started to emerge there and then - secretly I am a total show off!  After that  I got a part in Little Shop of Horrors which was my first big production in a proper theatre - I played Mrs Lucie the 'editor's wife' and was also in the chorus.  A soon as I stepped onto the stage on our first night I was hooked - I had the biggest surge of adrenalin and happiness ever.

Since then I have not looked back and my confidence has grown and grown.  I can honestly say have met the nicest people - I feel I have finally  found my 'tribe'.  They love acting, singing, dressing up, being crazy and having fun.  I have never laughed so much as I do sometimes at our rehearsals and I have made the best friends.

Joining an amateur theatre company was the best thing I ever did - I got my mojo back.

Here I am in my first ever big show Little Shop of Horrors as Mrs Luce with my fellow cast members behind the curtain on the last night - I am top row 6th from the left in the red hat.  That yellow thing is Audrey the man eating plant from outer space!

And here is another backstage pic from the same show...

Happy Days! 

What about you? Do you act and sing and how did you get into it?