West Side Story - a little plug for some of my mates

Hello theatre luvvies,
So sorry its been so long - did you miss me?  I'm afraid life got the better of me for a while but I am now back!  I had a holiday, was ill, got very busy at work, started working on a new musical theatre project (more of that later!! It's a secret!))  and of course looking after family etc.....

Anyway I wanted to let you know about a great new production that's coming to Bishop's Stortford soon and as it has a few of my mates in it, its worth a humungous plug on the blog! West Side Story runs at the Rhodes in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire from19th - 28th September
Buy West Side Story tickets here

There are a few members of BSMTC in this show - Sam Jackson, Tom Dickerson and Jay Brown - Sam is playing Bernardo, Tom is playing Tony for half the run and A-rab for the other half, and Jay is playing Detective Schrank.

I absolutely love this show, especially the music and I've seen the film so many times.  It is one of my favourites of all time so I am really looking forward to seeing it on stage soon. I don't think BSTMC can ever do it really as we don't have enough dancers, and we don't have enough younger members!  If I were ever to get the chance I would love to be Anita, but yup, probably too old now!  (Dream on!) I fancy the idea of playing a fiery latino!

Here are a few of my favourite bits from the film:

Did you know West Side Story was originally called East Side Story?  The plot originally focused on the conflict between an Irish Catholic family and a Jewish family living on the Lower East Side of Manhattan during the Easter Passover season. The girl has survived the Holocaust and emigrated from Israel; the conflict was to be centered around anti semitism of the Catholic "Jets" towards the Jewish "Emeralds".  So how did it become a musical with such a latin flavour? Well basically, to cut a long story short - it came about because of a conversation in a hotel one day.  Bernstein and Laurents met up to discuss the progress of the show and their talk turned to juvenile delinquent gangs  - a conversation initiated by a story on the front page of the newspaper about a Chicano turf war. They decided to reset the musical in Los Angeles and Laurents felt he was familiar with Puerto Ricans and Harlem, so decided to change the Jewish Maria to a Puerto Rican.  Anton 'Tony' became a young man of Polish/Irish descent.

They had a lot of trouble bringing it to the stage too, as Bernstein said,

"Everyone told us that [West Side Story] was an impossible project ... And we were told no one was going to be able to sing augmented fourths as with "Ma-ri-a" ... Also, they said the score was too rangy for pop music ... Besides, who wanted to see a show in which the first-act curtain comes down on two dead bodies lying on the stage?... And then we had the really tough problem of casting it, because the characters had to be able not only to sing but dance and act and be taken for teenagers. Ultimately, some of the cast were teenagers, some were 21, some were 30 but looked 16. Some were wonderful singers but couldn't dance very well, or vice versa ... and if they could do both, they couldn't act."

So there you go, they had trouble casting it too - you do need some really strong dancers who look young and can also act their socks off!  What I also find really interesting is in the very first Broadway production they kept the cast 'Jets' and 'Sharks' apart so they could not socialise together in order to create more realism.

I also like the fact that Bernsetin said that the show could not "depend upon stars, being about kids"- and they basically cast a bunch of young hopefuls who were not well known - I bet that kept it really true to how they envisaged it from the start.  The show certainly launched the career of Stephen Sondheim into the stratosphere - and he became one of the greatest composers and lyricists ever known.

I think a lot of people know Natalie Wood's singing voice was dubbed in the film - something she was really annoyed about apparantly, but did you know her speaking voice is also dubbed on her last line too " "Don’t you touch him!" Te adoro, Anton."??

My absolute favourite number is "America" - what is yours?  I am keen to see what they do with it on the fairly small stage at Rhodes - and how they manage the dance routines.  I do know that Amber Thomason, playing Anita, (the daughter of a friend of mine) is a fantastic dancer , so I am looking forward to her portrayal of Anita.

So what are you waiting for, get your tickets now - see link above!!

Yup we're going to be 60s hippies...man

Hi theatre luvvies...

I'm not going to be writing any new posts over the next two weeks as I am going on holiday...a bit of R and R is needed as I have been working hard since January without a real break at all.

Our rehearsals for Jesus Christ Superstar are in full swing now and we have started the choreography.  Last night was a particularly sweaty evening in the school hall, and I had to come home and have a shower afterwards.  It was like a full Zumba workout!

Here are my highlights so far:

• Trying to learn the choreography for the Superstar number with Bob and Margaret - each of us saying 'I'll follow you' last night - not sure who followed who in the end??
• Learning a few aqua aerobics moves for What's the Buzz...
• Our Director's innuendos especially directed towards the younger male members of the cast...its the 'colgate' smiles that do it for him I think
• Judas nattily attired in a waistcoat that he last wore when he was 17 and it still fits him
• Stage speaking ie silently having conversations about absolutely nothing whilst Judas and Jesus square up to each other front of 'stage'

We learned that we are to be dressed late sixties - i.e quite hippy in attire so I am wondering what look we will go for...

I am hoping we can look something like this!  ie hippy but cool...

Or this would be acceptable

I found this which is a real 60's photo of demonstrators but could be straight out of JCS don't you think?

Here we all are just chillin' man and listening to Jesus...

 

Please please nothing like this....

Speak to you all again when I get back from my holibobs....! Bye bye from the soon to be suntanned Diva....

Jellicle Cats Come Out at Night

Hello fellow theatre luvvies...
Sorry it's been a little while since my past post but life has got in the way - or more precisely my job and my hummungous commute every day...some nights I lie on the sofa, a dribbling wreck, waiting for someone to put me to bed.

So anyway onto the today's subject - Cats!!  I was beyond excited when I heard that this musical was returning to the West End for 12 weeks only - EEEEEEKKKKK!  The reason for this excitement is that it holds a rather special place in my heart.  I remember going along to see it when it first came out - I worked out that I was 12 when it first came out in 1981and I think I went with the school! I remember the original cast - Elaine Paige as Grizabella, Brian Blessed as Old Deuteronomy, Wayne Sleep as Magical Mr Mistoffelees, Bonnie Langford was Rumpelteazer (I think) and of course my favourite leading man of all time Paul Nicholas was Rum Tum Tugger.  I think Sarah Brightman might have been in there somewhere as well.I remember being totally blown away by the set and the fact that the 'cats' ran into the audience!  I also remember Brian Blessed was sitting in the audience in character after the interval and signing autographs and he signed my programme (I think I still have it at my mum's house somewhere).

I bought the album and listened to it over and over in my bedroom (to my brothers' disgust) and I think my real love of musical theatre and just  theatre in general was born then - I soooooo wanted to be a Cat in that show!! I wanted to wear furry legwarmers so badly!

Not a great resolution but this is the picture I remember from the 1981 programme - Bonnie down the front on the left!

And here is our diva Elaine as Grizabella in1998...poor old Judi Dench lost out as she had a problem with her achilles tendon in rehearsals  but I think the role ultimately belongs to Elaine who made it her own.

Elaine after a rough night on the tiles - literally, being a cat and all...

Now my hubby does not understand this show at all - he thinks its completely awful.  He said, and I quote "I don't understand what there is to like about it. It's people dressed up in cat costumes, singing silly songs".  My view is - what's not to like about dressing up in cat costumes and singing silly songs??? - (this is where we are poles apart people).  To be fair a lot of people hate it and think its bonkers and it's even more bonkers to think it comes from TS Eliot and his "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats."  So how the hell did Lloyd Webber get the idea to writing a musical about it?

I think this is the copy I had at some point in time..

Apparantly our Andrew really liked this book as a child, so he wrote a musical about it.  Of course!  Reading up about it online he got the blessing of TS Eliot's wife, Valerie, to put the poems to music but the Eliot estate not want any script written - so they ended up with a load of songs about cats and a lot actors who had no idea what they were doing...hmmm sounds a bit like one of our rehearsals at BSMTC.  Although we are currently singing about Jesus and not Cats.  Could we merge the two - now that's an idea Jesus Cat Superstar??

Anyway back to Cats - I think one of the reasons I do like it so much is because it is a bit bonkers. And I also like cats - a lot.  I also love watching really good dancers - as I am not a great dancer myself and I really wish I could do what they do.  The musical is very heavy on dance so I guess I will never achieve my dream to be in it.  HOWEVER - the great news is that my friend Cat (yes she is really called Cat, isn't that appropriate) who also loves cats (she has theatre cats at home, yes really, more on that later)  got me a ticket yesterday and we are going to the last night performance!   MEOOOOOOWWWWWW!  She told me that they will have a photo booth there and you can put on cat make up and dress up - heaven!  I almost wet myself with excitement!  So look out for the pictures later on this year 'cos we are going to go for it.

So here are my favourite Cats from Cats ....

Bombalurina - she's sexy, she's sassy...

Jemima, cute and you get to wear a collar!

Macavity - I know he's naughty but we all love a bad boy don't we?

Munkustrap

And Rum Tum Tugger has to be my all time favourite

Look at that costume!  So rock and roll - although I hear he is now going to rap in the latest version!

I also like Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer....

Don't they look like they're having  fun?

 

Me and my hubby have a little joke now because he hates Cats - we were watching an episode of Inspector Morse once where Morse and Lewis are in the car together and Morse has got some opera on the radio.  Lewis turns to Morse and says " Is this Cats, Sir?" to which Morse replies witheringly and with an expression of utter disgust, " No Lewis, its Maria Callas..." so whenever my hubby puts opera on now I have to say in a Geordie accent " Is this Cats, Sir?"

JCS performed by prison inmates in Peru

I came across this link today and was pretty impressed by these pictures - this was a production performed in a prison!  Wow - look at the costumes etc - pretty good I think, don't you agree? 

JCS performed by prison inmates in Peru


This is the video of it on You Tube as well.  The power of musical theatre, eh?

Tales from theatre land - well Bishop's Stortford anyway

I used to work for a local council run theatre, which was quite small - only a 300 seater. My  job was Marketing Manager but I often covered the front desk, and box office.  I have recently been reading a great blog called My So Called Life in a Box which is written by a girl who works in the Box Office in Leicester Square - she is really hilarious about the people she has to deal with and the questions she gets asked. You ought to go and read it!   It made me think of some of the things that I experienced in my 6 years working at a theatre, so thought I would share them with you....

So in my time I have been...

A Parking Attendant
I was working behind the front desk in the theatre and on the phone to a customer... when a woman comes in and marches up to the counter
Customer:  THERE'S NO PARKING!!!  (bellowing in my face!)
Me: (Motioning I am on the phone) "Excuse me I'll help you in a moment I'm just talking to a customer..."
Customer: (rudely ignoring me, bellows again) THERE'S NO PARKING - ITS RIDICULOUS, CAN'T YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?!!!"
Me: Oh ok, I'm so sorry, give me five minues and I'll come out there, move two cars with my bare hands, and then lie down in the space for you so you can park your car shall I?

An Expert on other People's Children
Me: (on phone) Hello, how can I help?
Customer: Hi, can you tell me if the pantomime is scary?  Would my three year old be frightened?
Me: I have absolutely no idea - have I met your three year old?  Am I an expert in your child?  So how the bloody hell am I supposed to know what they would find it scary...you're their mother what do you think?

Well, on second thoughts, this probably would frighten small children

A Placator of Other People's Children
Me: Hello, how can I help you on this bright and Christmassy December morning?"
Customer:  Look, this is going to sound really wierd, but my friend's daughter came to see the pantomime and she has not been able to sleep since as she was so frightened of the witch puppet.  My friend is at her wits end...she has not had any sleep for several days.  What could you do to help?
Me: Give her a tot of whiskey?
Customer:  I mean, umm, could you take a picture of someone with the puppet with its head off to show her its not a real witch?
Me: So, you want me to take a picture of a headless witch puppet - are you sure that is not going to be scarier?
Customer: I think it could really help her
Me: Ok, I'll see what I can do *sigh*

And for the record I did take the picture and send it to her but have no idea if it helped as she never contacted me again so the child either died of fright or recovered but with a severe paranoia about puppets that will last her through to her adulthood.

Serioulsy what is scary about this?  I'm joking - this is NOT the one we used

An Expert on Fairy Stories
Customer:  We came to see the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk and we were horrified by the costumes the children were wearing in the second act.  Their pajamas looked like concentration camp costumes and they were being put into an oven...surely this was in very bad taste?  It's really not appropriate for children to be put in an oven and my grandchildren found it very scary."
Me: Ummm have you ever been to a pantomime before?
Customer: Yes, several times
Me: Have you ever read Jack and the Beanstalk?
Customer: Yes
Me: Then you will know that 1) there is a giant in it that eats children, animals and people2) Its not actually real 3)Most fairy stories are far worse than this - I mean look at Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood, Rumplestiltskin?  Don't blame me, blame the Brother's Grimm!

I really must see if this is on Netflix?

For the record they got their money back. There's just no pleasing some people. Oh yes there is, oh no there isnt!

Expert at deflecting any complaint
Customer:  It's far too hot in the auditorium
Me: Ok, I'll turn the air conditioning up a bit
Customer no 2:  It's freezing in the auditorium
Me: Ok, I'll just turn the air conditioning down a bit
Customer: The seats are really uncomfortable
Me: Ok, let me just fetch you a soft downy pillow for your very sensitive behind
Customer: Why aren't there more toilets?
Me: God knows
Customer: My child's been sick in the foyer,
Me: (shouting) DUTY MANAGER!!!!
Cusotmer: Why isn't there more parking?
Me: Look, we've been through this about twenty million times, because no-one actually planned this place, the council just plonked something down and then thought about it afterwards.

So there you have it - any amusing stories you would like to share with me of your experiences of cusotmer service in the theatre??? Or elsewhere?  And please don't rant at me about transaction fees - I don't think they are right either and I used to have to justify them to everyone all day long!!

Biblical, hippy or modern - the thorny issue of costumes

Hello fellow theatre luvvies,
I was thinking what to write the blog on this week - we are now into our rehearsal schedule but as we have only been doing music so far, we have yet to find out what vision our director has in store for us, including the issue of what we are going to wear and what look the show is going to have.

So this made me start thinking about costume.  We are all aware of the time Jesus Christ Superstar is set (33AD I think?), and some companies choose to stage it in biblical dress.  I have seen an amateur production of this where this was done, and it did not do it for me.  Maybe because I feel that this limits you to a sea of sandals and beige stripes with the odd palm leaf being waved around.We have agreed our production will be in modern dress - but what does this mean?  We have all been very influenced I think by the recent arena tour, where the cast wore modern dress - the look was of protestors and was heavily influenced I think by the riots in London a few years ago, and the protestors around St Paul's Cathedral.  Doing some internet research I came across all sorts of references so thought I would share them with you.

Firstly I found this brilliant bit of video from the costumer designer for JCS on Broadway in 2012 - I really like what he did as he has merged traditional dress with but there are touches of modern fashion - so it still looks funky and cool...

Paul Tazewell: Costume Designer For Jesus Christ Superstar Broadway 2012

What do you think?  I particularly like how he dressed Herod and Mary Magdalene - Mary really stands out in that yellow dress.

Love the suit Pilate is wearing too

This last picture shows Herod's song - love the use of the white piano but also how the girls and boys are dressed - sort of camp Roman??? Bit like 'A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum? '  Look at  that guy in the red tunic!!


Here is another take on costume from another society - the Hippy look...this is another way of doing it, referencing the time it was written and first put on stage - i.e. 1970s...Not too sure about this - could be in danger of looking a bit too much of its time?

 

Touch me, touch me Jesus!

I'm sure I've seen these guys in the British legion playing ukeleles on a Wednesday night

Now in this next picture, I am not sure what the hell is going on - back to the 80's anyone?  Pink DMs - a bit Bananarama? Although I am quite liking the Angels and the white vests with diamante crosses. But what is with those grey dresses the souls sisters are wearing?  Tell me, does this float your boat?

Do you really want to hurt me?

This was the only pic I could find of traditional Biblical dress and I must say I do like the Roman uniforms, but then I have always been a uniforms girl...but no, glad we are not doing it like this.

Doesn't Jesus look sweet though?

It thought this worked well, sort of - mix of old and new?  And that corset I bought could come in handy again...I am getting my money's worth out of that. I like Judas in black and Jesus in white.  Not sure about the guys in hats though, are they meant to be the priests or gangsters?

This is from the arena tour - hard not to copy it isn't it, as it is so good! - love the banners, love the modern look.  It would be really easy for us to do as we probably have the clothes at home - but what does our director have in mind?  I am sure he won't want to just copy it.

 

 

Gotta get my hoody out

Lastly thought I would leave you with this image of the priests - wouldn't this be great????Like something out of Star Wars???  Leather tea cosies for hats?

Got rehearsal tonight and wondering - will I ever get the notes right? The altos have got some real buggers to sing this year.

As promised in my last blog here is alto corner for JCS 2014!!  There are some more ladies but they are either on holiday or in the toilet....

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?