The Tonys

OMG I am so excited! The Tonys were great! Congratulations to all the winners, most especially Bette Midler and Ben Platt!

How Trump Gets Wicked by "Defying Logic"

As promised, my Donald Trump adaptation of "Defying Gravity" titled "Defying Logic"...

Trump: Something has changed within me. Something is not the same. I'm through with playing by the rules of America's game. Too late for second guessing. My background doesn't matter at all. It's time to trust my instincts. It's time to build the wall. It's time to try defying logic. I think I'll try defying logic and you can't stop me now.

Kellyanne: Can't we make you understand, you're having delusions of grandeur?

Trump: I'm through accepting limits cause people say they're so. Some things you may not hear but til I tweet you'll never know. Too long I've been afraid of losing love I guess I've lost. Well, if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost. I'd sooner buy defying logic. Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying logic and you can't stop me now.

Secret Service: Open this door! In the name of the millennials and women and Rosie!

(Trump whips out phone and gets on Twitter)

Kellyanne: No, wait! Stop! That's what started this mess in the first place, that horrible Twitter account! Stop! Well, where's the wall? Maybe you're not as powerful as you think you are.

(All of a sudden, random allies start appearing out of nowhere, including Putin, who steps forward)

Trump: I told you Kellyanne. Didn't I tell you?

Secret Service: Bash it in! Fetch the Trump Battering Ram!

(Trump grabs a nearby broom and holds it out to Kellyanne and Putin)

Trump: Quick! Get on!

Kellyanne: What!

Trump: Come with me. Think of what we could do, together. Unlimited, together we're unlimited. Together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been. Putin. Dreams the way we planned them.

Putin: If you and Kellyanne and I work in a threesome.

All: There's no fight we cannot win! Just you and I defying logic. With you and I defying logic.

Trump: They'll never stop us now. Well, are you two coming?

Kellyanne: But your hair, it will get ruined. (She sees a witch hat) Here, put this on top of it. I hope you're happy, now that you're choosing this.

Trump: You too. I hope it brings you bliss.

All: I really hope you get it and you don't live to regret it. I hope you're happy in the end. I hope you're happy my friend.

(The Secret Service storm the attic and capture Kellyanne and Putin)

Kellyanne: Oh no, leave us alone, do you hear, let go of us!

Trump: It's not them! They had nothing to do with it! I'm the one you want! It's me! It's me!

(Trump rises dramatically into the air)

So if you care to find me, look to the house of white. As someone told me lately, everyone deserves an Air Force One flight! And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free. To those who'd ground me. Take a message back from me! Tell them how I am defying logic. I'm flying high defying logic and soon I'll match them in renown. And nobody in all DC, don't Clinton that there is or will be is ever gonna bring me down! Bring me down! Wall!

The Bachelorette and Musical Theatre

You may be asking, how could The Bachelorette and musical theatre be related? Well, they are. They are because I was able to adapt some musical lyrics in order to help one of the contestants better his chances with Rachel. This contestant is known as "the wha-boom guy" but his real name is Lucas. For the purposes of my song, he will be referred to as "wha-boom guy". The song is called "Wha-Boom". Any musical theatre fan will know right away what show I adapted from.

Whenever I see a nerd who's on The Bachelorette, and let's face it, wha-boom guy, you're on The Bachelorette, my tender heart tends to start to bleed, and when some nerd needs a makeover, I simply have to take over. You know I know exactly what you need. Can you see it on my face? Yours is the toughest case I've yet to face, but don't worry, the wha-boom is no more. It's out the door. Don't say it. What for? You will be popular. You're gonna be popular. I'll teach you the proper twirls when you talk to girls, little ways to flirt and flounce. I'll show you what shoes to wear, how to fix that hair, everything that really counts to be popular. I'll help you be popular. You'll hang with the right cohorts. You'll be good at sports, know the slang you've got to know, so let's start cause you've got an awfully long way...to go. Don't be offended by my frank analysis. Think of it as personality dialysis. Now that I've chosen to become a pal, a sister and adviser, there's nobody wiser, not when it comes to popular. I know about popular, and with an assist from me to be who you'll be instead of wha-boom who you were, well, are. There's nothing that can stop you from becoming populer-lar. La la la la, we're gonna make you pop-u-lar. When I see depressing bachelors with such unbecoming features, I remind them on their own behalf to think of celebrated Bachelor peeps like Trista, Ryan, Jason and Molly. Did they have brains or knowledge? Don't make me laugh. Don't. They were popular. Please. It's all about popular. It's not about aptitude. It's the way you're viewed so it's very shrewd to be very very popular like me. And though you protest your wha-boomingness, I know clandestinely, you're gonna grin and bear it, your Bachelor popularity. La la la la. You'll be popular, just not quite as popular as me!

Now that that's off my chest (for now, I have one about Donald Trump too. It's called "Defying Logic" (sensing a theme here), I would also like to tell you that, if you want to see some good theatre, and some adorable children at the same time, then come check out Peter Pan this Saturday, June 3, 7:00 P.M. at the Schulman Auditorium at Dove Library on Dove Lane in Carlsbad, CA. I'll be there ushering...

Jersey Boys

I know. It's been a while again, but I've been laid up with a fractured foot but that hasn't stopped me from going to theatre. Today I went to "Jersey Boys". We had the alternate for Frankie but he was absolutely amazing. He actually liked the tweet I sent him during intermission. He liked it almost immediately. Speaking of almost, I almost ugly cried when the overture started. I almost ugly cried when Frankie made his first entrance. The audience was a screaming bunch after every song. I did not want it to end. This was the last day of the San Diego engagement. Next up, Los Angeles with Mark Ballas as Frankie Valli!

Back To Business

I know. I know. It has been a while but I've been so busy with coursework and of course going to theatre but I have so much to blog about now. A couple weeks ago I went to go see Macbeth at Carlsbad High School (my alma mater) and I am so happy to say that it was AMAZING! Congrats to the director and I can't wait to see her production of "The Drowsy Chaperone" this Thursday evening.

Also, last weekend I had the privilege of being in Balboa Park for the 12th Annual Student Shakespeare Festival sponsored by the San Diego Shakespeare Society. Big shout-outs go to Carlsbad High School, Sage Creek High School, Aviara Oaks Middle School and all other schools that took home prizes on Saturday. It was a highly competitive event and all performances were amazing.

Oh, and the biggest event of the theatre lover's year just happened...the Tony Award nominations. I'm very thrilled for all the nominees. Go Stephanie J. Block (love my "Wicked" alumni). However, I'm a little bit bummed out that my favorite "fly girl" (those who watch the "Wicked" backstage blogs will get the reference), Lindsay Mendez, was not nominated for "Significant Other." Congrats, of course, to the divine Bette Midler and the sublime Eva Noblezada on their nods for "Hello Dolly" and "Miss Saigon" respectively, and also, of course, to legends Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole for "War Paint." You can see Kevin Spacey and all of Broadway's best and brightest on the Tony Awards this June only on CBS.

I promise there will be a review of "The Drowsy Chaperone" later in the week...

The Dream Role

Several weeks ago, when I first started this blog, I talked about dream roles. It occurred to me tonight that I never talked about my dream roles. Mind you my dream roles are all a completely different gender. My fantasy role is Elphaba in "Wicked". I have dreams of riding in the "Defying Gravity" lift at least once. I also use my household broom for things other than sweeping. Next I'd like to play Tracy Turnblad in "Hairspray". I know all her arm choreography in "Good Morning Baltimore". I'll call you when I've won a Tony award. Also, I'm very excited that I get to see "The Drowsy Chaperone" for the very first time in May. Next weekend, on April 29, I get to go to the San Diego Shakespeare Society Festival. Always a fun day.

Be Proud of Yourself

I saw Macbeth last Thursday. I got the chance to see a matinee show as well as the evening show. You may recall that I ranted several weeks ago about knowing your lines. Well, I'm not going to call out anyone in particular because I don't like to name drop but, the director should be incredibly proud of her cast. They did amazing. Seven performances in 2 days. Pretty darn amazing. When you have something to be proud of, be proud. Also, those of us in theatre get a very unique opportunity. In film and TV, when the director tells cut, that's it. You don't get to do it again. In theatre, however, you get that chance. My friend gave notes and made changes from the matinee to the evening show. It tightens things up, it keeps it fresh, it clarifies things, etc. Embrace that. It's okay. Okay, so who's ready for some more onstage mishaps? You know I love them. Next week, I have stories of actors using inappropriate language, one onstage and one off with her mic still on.

Auditioning

It has been a crazy couple weeks but I'm back and I have some thoughts on auditioning. Auditioning is tough. It makes you nervous. I get it. The key is to not think about it in that way. Most of us love acting, we love the chance to get to be someone else for a living. Auditioning is just another way of getting to do that. Auditioning is you getting to do what you love for a short period in front of a small group of people.

Also, go into an audition with confidence. You know your merits and you know what makes you you. Show the people in that room. Show them. Convince them that they would be making a huge mistake if they did not cast you in the role you auditioned for. Also, don NOT go into the room and be a diva. Your reputation stays in that room and with those people for a long time after you audition. Casting directors, directors, and producers have notoriously good memories when it comes to diva behavior. One more thing, don't expect that you will always get a leading role. A couple years ago, my friend was directing Cinderella. She had held auditions, done callbacks, posted the final cast list and was all ready to start rehearsals. On the first day of rehearsal, one of the girls dropped out because she didn't get a lead role. That is the epitome of diva behavior and people will not want to work with you if you behave in that manner.

That aside, guess who gets to see "Macbeth" this Thursday...oh yeah, it's me.

Get Your Lines Right People!!!

This post is going to mainly be a rant and me on my soapbox. Two days ago, I went to visit the old friend that I've mentioned several times on this blog. On this particular day, she was unhappy because her production of Macbeth opens on April 12 and the cast is, shall we say, not ready for primetime. They don't know their line. Worse yet, they are substituting modern English. You can't use modern English in Shakespeare. It doesn't make sense! I only hope that this improves by the time I see the production on April 13.

Why am I ranting about this? I'm ranting about this because you need to say the lines as written. The playwright put certain words in a script. Use them. Also, most especially when you are doing Shakespeare, do not rush it and please use proper punctuation. If it is a question, please say it as such. If it is an exclamation, please exclaim. The lines are written that way to convey a certain emotion, and people are going to get very bored if they are staring at a bunch of blank faces for hours on end. It is no fun!

If I sound like I'm ranting, I apologize but this drives me nuts. Also I'm trying to take my mind off the fact that a co-worker of two years had her last day today. Also I may be ranting out of excitement because I just booked tickets to go to Universal Studios Hollywood (and yes to "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" also)!!!!

The Importance of Diction

Through all my years in theatre classes, all my teachers (one in particular) stressed diction and enunciation. It took me a while to understand why. I did finally get it. The other night, I was watching "The Voice" and the subject of diction came up. It dawned on me that those that just starting out in their theatre journey might not grasp the importance of diction and enunciation so let me lay it out. Without proper diction and enunciation, we can't understand what you're saying. If we can't understand what you're saying, we don't know what is going on in the scene. Just a little advice to keep in mind.

Also, just a forewarning, some future posts may be talking about my new obsession, "RuPaul's Drag Race". I watched it for the first time tonight and I'm mildly freaking out. Therefore, you may be hearing a lot about this obsession in the weeks to come.

Beauty and the Beast Part 2

Okay, I loved this movie. From her first entrance, Emma Watson was absolute perfection as Belle. There have been some changes to her character, namely that she has inherited her father's penchant for inventing things. She's very much not a damsel in distress. Also, they've given Belle an expanded background. In the original version, Belle is fascinated by the rose in the West Wing. In this version, we learn that Belle's mother loved roses. We also learn that Belle was born in Paris and her mother died from bubonic plague. In fact it is Beast who enables her to find this out. The enchantress left Beast a book that could take him anywhere he wanted to go. Belle chose to go to the Paris of her childhood where she discovered a mask in her mother's bedroom that was commonly worn by plague doctors.
Now onto Beast. He's a very wealthy aristocrat who has no capacity to love. His mother also died and his father was very cruel to him. He was never shown how to love. Gaston...He is still as narcissistic as ever. In the animated version, he goes after Belle more directly. In this version, he tries to ingratiate himself with Maurice. After Belle arranges for her father's freedom, he goes to Gaston's tavern and begs for help. Gaston goes to the woods and soon begins to make his move. Maurice refuses to give Belle's hand in marriage so Gaston leaves him to die alone. He is rescued by Agatha, a reclusive village person. It turns out that Agatha is the enchantress and has been guiding all the events throughout. Lefou is...flamboyant, I'll say. You've all heard the rumors I'm sure and yes they are true. There is a moment that could be construed as saying that Lefou is of a homosexual orientation. I'm not telling you what it is. Now, onto what any of this has to do with musical theatre. First off, the fabulous Audra McDonald plays the wardrobe and sings two songs, including the title song in the last scene. She could sing the phone book. Emma Thompson was fabulous as Mrs. Potts and sang the title song beautifully. Mrs. Potts is also married in this version. As a result of the curse, the village people have forgotten the castle and its inhabitants, meaning Mrs. Potts's husband has forgotten her and Chip.

It's time to wrap this up although I could go on. Fans of the stage version will be happy to know that two songs make very brief appearances. We hear the opening notes of "Home" when Belle is first imprisoned. Also, someone says the words "a change in me." So happy obviously. On cloud nine right now...

Beauty and the Beast Part One

Went to see Beauty and the Beast today. I'll go into more detail later tonight, but, in a word...YES!!!!!!!!

The Phantom of the Opera

I can't tell you how many times I've watched the 25th anniversary Royal Albert Hall performance of The Phantom of the Opera on DVD. I'm so happy to finally have an outlet to review it in.

First, Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom. This man is one of the most well rated Phantoms in history. He spent 2 years as the Phantom in London as well as originating the Phantom in Love Never Dies. It was said that he brought a youthfulness, vitality, and sexiness to the role that hadn't been there in a long time. I agree with this. He was the perfect choice for the gala performance.

Next up, Sierra Boggess. She has received rave reviews as Christine in Las Vegas, on Broadway and in London. In fact, the cast of the gala performance said they were so impressed with her and her work ethic. Ramin Karimloo said that, in all the years he's been onstage, he's never heard someone be as pitch perfect on the first day of rehearsals as Sierra was. He also was astounded at her ability to sight read music with near perfection. Clearly I love this production.

Stay tuned on Sunday for my review of "Beauty and the Beast"!

What am I Doing Over the Weekend?

I am so excited! I have been waiting for months to see the new "Beauty and the Beast" with Emma Watson and I am so excited to finally see it on Sunday. I know you all are expecting a review so you will get one. I'm getting ready to watch "Phantom of the Opera" on DVD so if I'm feeling up to it, I will give my thoughts on Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess a little bit later. I miss my Lola...

Kinky Boots Part Two

This post is going to be all about Kinky Boots. I arrived at the Civic Theatre 1.5 hours before the show. I had packed lunch so I ate outside the theatre. I went in to the lobby area to get warm. Minutes after I walked in, they updated the cast board. Last night there was an understudy for the role of Don but today was full cast, no understudies. As soon as they started scanning tickets, I made a run for the merchandise counter. I walked away from that counter with a Kinky Boots T-shirt, a souvenir program, a copy of the original Broadway cast recording, a book of the sheet music, a hat, and, best of all, knee high socks that look like the boots. I took my seat in the theatre and was immediately taken up in the world of the set. As the show started I started shaking. Seeing Young Charlie be so unsure of himself and what he wants juxtaposed against young Lola, who is so sure of herself, is so beautiful. These are two people that you would not expect to be friends as adults but they are and the friendship is beautiful. We see the shoe factory going under. I know so many can identify with a downturn.

And now, finally, I am going to talk about...her. Kinky Boots fans know that I'm referring to Lola. We had a brand new Lola (Timothy Ware) fresh from Broadway where he was the Lola standby. He embodied Lola so beautifully. It is not easy to follow in the footsteps of Billy Porter, Wayne Brady, Alan Mingo, Todrick Hall and J. Harrison Ghee as well as all the others but Timothy did that and blazed his own trail as well. All his/her songs were amazing but it was the moments where he wasn't singing or dancing or being generally fierce that, quite frankly, moved me almost to tears. This is the first time that I've almost cried at a show. I had a friend tell me she cried when she saw it because the show was so good but it was more than that for me. I was moved by Lola. I felt her. She gives off this inner strength that so many wish they had. Yes, she spends time educating us on the merits of a good heel but it is her deeper message that really got me.

So many messages in shows are subliminal and subconscious, but not hers. She states her message very clearly in act 2. She and Don both issue challenges to each other regarding what they think it takes to be a real man. Don challenges Lola to a boxing match, which she lets him win, but her challenge to him is also her message. Accept someone for who they are. Easy, right? No. Not at all. You need to accept yourself first.

Another big thread running through the show is a father's relationship with his son. The last time Charlie saw his father was not the best of times. In fact, his father told Charlie that he was breaking his heart. The next time Charlie came home, it was to plan his father's funeral and take over the business. He never got the moment with his father to say things that hadn't been said. Lola, however, did. It's a very poignant moment at the end of the show. The song is called "Hold Me In Your Heart". Lola stands center stage in a Whitney Houston inspired wig and gown and sings right to her father about how he missed out on her becoming the best person she could be, but yet she chose not to be bitter. I'm crying right now just typing this. This next thing is the biggest one for me. The very last scene has Lola standing on the runway in Milan, hands on hips, showing off the boots with an air of confidence like no other. I was so deeply moved by that (here come the tears again) that I did something I rarely ever do. I downloaded a picture of Miss Lola in that pose and uploaded it as my wallpaper on my phone. Why? I'll tell you why. I want to be able to carry her with me wherever I go. Whenever I need that boost of strength or confidence, she's right there with me. Not only can I hold her in my hand whenever I need her, but she has a permanent place in my heart. It's hard for me to end this post because I'm crying yet again so I'll end with this.

I love you Miss Lola, and I always will. I will come back to you in my heart and my hand whenever I need you and I know I can always count on you to be there. I love you...

Kinky Boots...Part One

One of the things I will do from time to time is review shows that I have seen. Right now I'm sitting in the audience at "Kinky Boots". It is intermission and I will just say...Miss Lola is fabulous!!! More to come later...

What Do I Do About Those Pesky Onstage Mishaps?

Onstage mishaps happen to everybody. They can range from small little things to huge things that completely throw you off. Let me give you some examples and we can talk about how you deal with them.

The first comes from Wicked on Broadway. Shoshana Bean (one of the most passionate Elphabas ever) actually knocked her hat off her head during the climax of "Defying Gravity". Due to the fact that her mic was in her hat, the audience lost audio for a brief period of time. How does one deal with this? This was where the beauty of multiple mics came in. The soundboard switched to her other mic and audio was regained. You might think that was enough of an onstage mishap. Oh no, she had another during her run in Wicked. She dropped the broom during Defying Gravity. Oh, and there was also the time when (because Wicked is performed on a raked stage in New York at the Gershwin Theatre), Shoshana made her first entrance and something legendary happened. They still talk about it at the Gershwin to this day. Elphaba's first entrance entails her running through a set of doors to all the way downstage. Yeah, one day Shoshana ran all the way downstage and fell into the net that covers the orchestra pit. Legendary.

Wicked in San Francisco had its share of mishaps too. The Elphaba standby broke the broom on her second show in.

I could go in to many other Wicked stage mishaps but I won't. Suffice it to say, lots of broken suitcases and lots of broken shoes. If you all are lucky I might decide to share the story I heard about an Elphaba swearing at a member of the audience during the show (she was offstage of course). That's for another week though. I promised you all Elle Woods and I will give her to you because she had a classic onstage mishap.

It happened during previews of "Legally Blonde" in San Francisco. Laura Bell Bundy, the original (and fabulous) stage Elle Woods has to do a kick towards the end of "So Much Better". On this particular night she did the kick and one of her shoes flew into the audience. What did she do? Without missing a beat, she took off the other shoe and threw it offstage. Luckily an audience member was kind enough to return the other shoe and both shoes made it safely to New York.

So what's the lesson? No matter what happens. Soldier on. Do not let it throw you off. It happens to everyone.

In my first post, I promised you all something about "Kinky Boots" in a future post. I'm happy to say that's coming up next week. I waited because I've not yet seen "Kinky Boots" but that's changing this Sunday. I've been told by a friend who has seen the show to be prepared to ugly cry.

P.S. If you want to get one of the best behind the scenes looks at "Wicked" and a day in the life of an actor in general, you MUST go to YouTube and type in "fly girl Lindsay Mendez". I swear it is the best backstage vlog I've ever seen.

Finally, Miss Lola joins the blog next week...

Oh, and shameless plug. If you want to see a boatload of musical theatre stars and not pay a bunch of money, watch "Madam Secretary" Sunday nights on CBS. You'll thank me later, believe me.

Listening...and also the "small part"

This week I want to talk about listening. Acting is all about listening. However, it is not just the actors that need to listen, the director should be listening to. I have a friend who is a theatre teacher and she will tell you that this is true. Case in point: When "Into The Woods" first went into rehearsals on Broadway in 1987, the director had this grand idea for the choreography for the top of "Last Midnight" which is the witch's big song in act 2. The director envisioned this intricate cape work but Bernadette Peters felt the song was more powerful if she sang the top just standing still. There was a huge disagreement. The director wanted her to at least try the choreography. She finally did. The next day the director scrapped the choreography and went with the idea of standing still and that has become the choreography for most productions. The lesson? Actors need to listen to their directors but directors also need to listen to their actors and be open to receiving their input.

Also, there are no small parts. Only small actors. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard, "I have a small part. How do I keep it fresh every night?" My answer? You do not have a small part. You are equally as important as everybody else in telling the story. How do you keep it fresh? Change one thing every night. One line delivery, one look, one something. This is so important because it helps you to not become complacent and "phone it in."

Also, you may ask yourself, how do I give it my all 8 times a week and ensure that audiences have a good time. In the immortal words of Ashley Brown, who originated Mary Poppins on Broadway, you need to remember one thing. There is someone in your audience where it is their first Broadway show. There is someone in your audience where (sadly) it is their last Broadway show and you want to make sure that they have the time of their life. That's how you get excited to tell the story every night.

Next week...how to deal with onstage mishaps...and a little wisdom from Elle Woods.

Dreams and Inspiration

I initially wanted my first post to be about Kinky Boots and the way it has so beautifully shone a light on friendship and how it is okay to be friends with someone who may look different or dress different than you. Believe me, we'll get to that. Not today though. Today I want to talk about dreaming and working hard and being an inspiration. I want to talk about one of my favorite shows ever, Wicked. Ten years ago, a young actress went to an open call for dancers for Wicked. This actress heard the soundtrack to Wicked and took her first voice lesson as a result. She booked a role in the ensemble. Ten years later, this young lady is on Broadway leading the company of Wicked as Elphaba. How? She worked hard. She never stopped going for her dreams. Another actress was in the audience for Wicked in 2005 along with her manager who was adamant that she should audition for the show. She said she could never sing the role of Elphaba, particularly belting the high F in Defying Gravity. Less than 2 years later, she defied gravity for the first time in Chicago in Wicked before moving on to perform with 3 other companies of Wicked. She went for her dreams. As my friend, the most dedicated theatre teacher I know has taught me, keep dreaming. Now let's talk about inspiration. If you can inspire one person at every performance, you've done your job. I've heard tons of Elphabas and Glindas in Wicked say they have little girls approach them consistently saying they want to play that role. You never know when someone is going to be in your audience who will say, "I want to be like that." That is the most powerful effect you can have as a performer. I also want to discuss the "dream role". Every performer has a dream role. Some will be lucky enough to get to play it. To those who dream, I give you the sage advice of one Fran Drescher. "Always make your reach further than your grasp." What that means is, when you attain the dream role, it doesn't mean you stop dreaming. It means you dream bigger. So remember, if you run into someone who wants to be a performer, encourage that dream. Inspire them. Work hard, and most of all, dream. Who knows, you might just end up defying gravity 8 times a week on Broadway.