A Different Set of Chops
Feb. 24th, 2006 07:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrdreamjeansWell, I've been sayin' I wanted to take a break from Andrew Lloyd Webber and I'm gettin' my wish! I couldn't be doing a musical that is more different from "Evita" or "Phantom of the Opera" than "Wonderful Town". "Wonderful Town" takes place in 1935 and is the story of two sisters who move to New York City from Ohio to find fame and fortune. Ruth is an aspiring writer, Eileen is an actress-to-be. They wind up living on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. There's a series of zany misadventures (and misunderstandings); eventually, they find their place (and love) in the Big Apple.
I'm playing Officer Lonigan, whose beat is Christopher Street. He's a no nonsense Irish cop who mistakes Ruth and Eileen for floozies. He turns out to have a great heart when the misunderstanding is cleared up. As Lonigan, I'll be running and chasing people a lot, blowing a whistle ... blustery ... pompous ... There's a lot of physical comedy with me as the target. But in Act Two, I get to turn it all around. Yesterday and today, we are staging the number I'm featured in ... "My Darlin' Eileen".
At the end of Act One, Eileen has been arrested during an out-of-control "Conga" incident. By the time Act Two rolls around, she's got the entire police precinct wrapped around her finger ... including Lonigan. I get to play the Irish tenor to the max ... (so different from the rock opera elements of "Evita") ... We sing a tribute to Eileen in five-part harmony with me taking the lead. It's so fun to do ... It's been years since I've done an Irish accent.
There's also a big dance sequence ... an Irish jig ... and some unison step dancing ... I passed muster to be allowed to stay in the dance ... But I've got to admit, I was huffin' and puffin' by the time we did the choreography ten times in a row:) I'm going to master the darn dance if it's the last thing I do. I'm certainly not going to let the other guys playing cops (7 of 9 are half my age) show me up! *grin* It's tough though ... We spent an hour on vocals at 1pm and staged the number at 3pm. We got further on the staging than we did the vocals. It's hard to do out of order, but I think we did well.
We start this morning rehearsal at 10:30am with "My Darlin' Eileen". I sang it all night during commercial breaks for The Olympics. Couldn't miss the figure skating:) Hopefully, I've got the lyrics down ... No more screaming Requeim for now ... I'm using a different set of chops for "My Darlin' Eileen".
I'm playing Officer Lonigan, whose beat is Christopher Street. He's a no nonsense Irish cop who mistakes Ruth and Eileen for floozies. He turns out to have a great heart when the misunderstanding is cleared up. As Lonigan, I'll be running and chasing people a lot, blowing a whistle ... blustery ... pompous ... There's a lot of physical comedy with me as the target. But in Act Two, I get to turn it all around. Yesterday and today, we are staging the number I'm featured in ... "My Darlin' Eileen".
At the end of Act One, Eileen has been arrested during an out-of-control "Conga" incident. By the time Act Two rolls around, she's got the entire police precinct wrapped around her finger ... including Lonigan. I get to play the Irish tenor to the max ... (so different from the rock opera elements of "Evita") ... We sing a tribute to Eileen in five-part harmony with me taking the lead. It's so fun to do ... It's been years since I've done an Irish accent.
There's also a big dance sequence ... an Irish jig ... and some unison step dancing ... I passed muster to be allowed to stay in the dance ... But I've got to admit, I was huffin' and puffin' by the time we did the choreography ten times in a row:) I'm going to master the darn dance if it's the last thing I do. I'm certainly not going to let the other guys playing cops (7 of 9 are half my age) show me up! *grin* It's tough though ... We spent an hour on vocals at 1pm and staged the number at 3pm. We got further on the staging than we did the vocals. It's hard to do out of order, but I think we did well.
We start this morning rehearsal at 10:30am with "My Darlin' Eileen". I sang it all night during commercial breaks for The Olympics. Couldn't miss the figure skating:) Hopefully, I've got the lyrics down ... No more screaming Requeim for now ... I'm using a different set of chops for "My Darlin' Eileen".
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no subject
Date: 2006-02-24 04:44 pm (UTC)I've heard it said...you'll know it when you see it
Well, I've seen it..and I love it
Im a silly guy..(its a sign of youth)
BUT
I want pictures/stagebill/
no subject
Date: 2006-02-24 05:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-25 07:59 am (UTC)A red headed Irishman - is that type casting?
Date: 2006-02-24 05:07 pm (UTC)Don't go too easy on the lassie giving rumba lessons without the gramophone okay?
Hugs and get ready to break a leg!
Re: A red headed Irishman - is that type casting?
Date: 2006-02-25 08:01 am (UTC)It's going to be great fun once I wrap my mind around the Irish jig ... It should look terrific when we're in uniform in one long line doing the step work in unison. We're going to rehearse 8 bars of choreography for 90 minutes tomorrow.
Ummmm ... I hope, in this case, that I don't break a leg. LOL!
Re: A red headed Irishman - is that type casting?
Date: 2006-02-25 10:38 pm (UTC)Sarah Rudinoff is on of my favorite actors, this'll be great!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-24 05:24 pm (UTC)I only need to keep my trombone chops.
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Date: 2006-02-25 08:02 am (UTC)...
Date: 2006-02-25 06:50 pm (UTC)Re: ...
Date: 2006-02-25 10:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-24 05:40 pm (UTC)ANSWER: Cuz it sucked.
Thank you.
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Date: 2006-02-25 08:03 am (UTC)Gee, Comden and Green must have written an alternate lyric that's not in my book ... *grin*
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Date: 2006-02-24 05:48 pm (UTC)Leonard Bernstein music. [sigh]
'Nuff said!! Have fun!!
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Date: 2006-02-25 08:05 am (UTC)Hope you're doing well! HUGS!
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Date: 2006-02-25 04:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-25 10:07 pm (UTC)LOL
Date: 2006-02-25 06:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-24 07:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-25 08:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-24 08:13 pm (UTC)Oh, where is it playing?
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Date: 2006-02-25 03:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-25 08:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-25 08:13 am (UTC)step up, step up!.....get hep, get hep!
Date: 2006-02-25 03:08 am (UTC)Whirlygig can't be over soon enough for me!
Re: step up, step up!.....get hep, get hep!
Date: 2006-02-25 03:11 am (UTC)Re: step up, step up!.....get hep, get hep!
Date: 2006-02-25 08:12 am (UTC)Re: step up, step up!.....get hep, get hep!
Date: 2006-02-25 08:10 am (UTC)Re: step up, step up!.....get hep, get hep!
Date: 2006-02-25 04:55 pm (UTC)Sometimes you can hear rehearsals, out on the plaza, but we're over by the science ctr., above the whale's tail. We get to listen to the little monsters do warm-ups and "Consider Yourself" over and over, WA-A-A-Y above their range!
I think David directed 'Bunnicula' last season or the one before, at SCT(dark hair, unusually large head? Or was it tiny hands? Atypical proportions, nevertheless!)....I designed and built the main Character......(twice!), and after all that, they went with the one I made 10 years ago! (I'm paid by the hour, I'm paid by the hour, I'm paid by the hour) I shoulda jumped on the damn thing!
Is he directing 'Junie B.'? I heard the designer mention "David", but I thought she meant David Saar, from Childsplay.......
If so, then, yes!
Re: step up, step up!.....get hep, get hep!
Date: 2006-02-25 10:12 pm (UTC)We're on the 4th floor at Seattle Center using two of the rehearsal rooms. I had rehearsal from 11am to noon and go back to dance from 4:30-6:00pm. Day off is Monday. I look forward to meeting you!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-25 03:59 am (UTC)I thought you were going for a challenging role!
*ducks*
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Date: 2006-02-25 08:15 am (UTC)The dirt
Date: 2006-02-25 07:47 pm (UTC). Neil = Irish tenor = Oh yes, totally! You need to shine on that 5-part harmony tribute to Eileen every night. They'll know who's boss after that.
. Irish accent = Just don't sound Indian, ok? :0)
. So, what happens if you went a little off-script? I think you should interject some kind of pimping of the 2 sisters when Lonigan thought they were fluzzies = a blustery, pompous irish daddy cop pimping 2 wholesome girls from Ohio in NYC's 30's. It could happen??? :0)
. "Huffin n' puffin after rehearsal of a jig 10x in the row"? I would, too! But I'm confident you'll kickass. The dance line-up is impressive in my head.
. VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION: the chorus boys = 7 out of 9 = 1/2 your age - hmmm, green cantelopes can be mighty tasty round this time o' year... describe them? Which ones are slurpable, which ones are edible and which ones are 'eh-eh'? Who else is hot on and off-stage? Da dirt, da dirt! My hoarse fo' da dirt!
. "Could'nt miss the figure skating" - fag! :0)
Re: The dirt
Date: 2006-02-25 10:17 pm (UTC)As to VPI ... I've known all of the men in the show, except two, for over five years and they are friends ...Three of the four I'm close to are straight. I don't ever use my fellow actors as a dating pool or as prospective sex partners, but I'm sure many would find them slurpable (as you put it:) They are all cuties ... One of the men, the chorus bass, is my surrogate nephew Matt. He's
Trust me ... I'm gonna work the Irish Tenor to the max! HUGS!
geez
Date: 2006-02-26 12:57 am (UTC)Re: geez
Date: 2006-02-26 07:05 am (UTC)Off-subject but worth crashing Neil's party for
Date: 2006-02-26 09:27 am (UTC)Re: Off-subject but worth crashing Neil's party for
Date: 2006-02-26 05:12 pm (UTC)News from your home state
Date: 2006-02-27 06:33 am (UTC)I'm staying on for Fall '06 for a playwright program @ UHD instead of UHC, and will leave for NY after that instead of leaving for NY in the fall. It's a long-winded story which I may write about when I post, as you have once suggested I do, although I don't like talking too much about myself! :)
I must leave Houston with 2 to 3 finished works + school to justify the time spent here.
In other news, tonight I attended a gathering @ the RCC church on W.11th St. hosted by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee who welcomed ex UN inspector of WMD Scott Ritter to Houston to talk about Iraq, WMD, the lies told by this imperialist president as well as Ritter's warnings about Iran.
The gathering was low-key and informal but solemn and absolutely inspiring. Perhaps, it's even more significant because the event took place in Houston instead of NY, Boston or Berkeley even if only 1/2 the church was filled, because this might have marked the 1st time since the invasion of Iraq that an ex-marines, NY firefighter and Republican public servant (i.e. Scott Ritter) came to Bush country and called this President what he really is: An imperialist President fighting an imperialist war backed by an imperialist administration and Congress.
Scott Ritter systematically walked you through timelines and documented facts that demonstrate the intentional deception of the American people by this administration propagated by G W Bush which amounts to a felony.
But, ultimately, the responsibility returns to the American people - those who are complicit to this imperialism and those who are too fearful and ignorant to speak up - "Let us not be too busy to live our American dreams that we forget to be American citizens"
I wish you were there. It's so important that voices of dissent come out of TX right now - between this year's elections and the verge of an Iranian crisis.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-26 05:11 pm (UTC)