Clutch The Pearls, Daphne!

AKA Man, I Wish Someone Was Filming Part 3

she clutches the pearls

Hello Dear Reader!

I hope you are safe and heathy. I wanted to complete this Fabulous Fails series because I can use a laugh. Also, it will lead me into my next planned post.

When I think about this fail, I actually laugh out loud. I laugh because there was a string of things that happened in that performance.

Also, let me just make sure to say this little announcement before I continue: While I am saying I wish someone recorded these performances, I know that it is illegal to record performances due to copyright laws.

Anyway, let’s get on with the story!

The year was 2013.
The role: Jerry/Daphne
The show was the very funny Sugar.

If you haven’t heard of the show, Sugar is the musical version of the Billy Wilder movie Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. The story centers around 2 down and out musicians that witness a mob hit and find themselves on the run and join an all-female band to hide. Even though, Tony Curtis is technically billed before Lemmon, his character is a big ass bully in this that I listed them by respect. LOL.

Oh, Gentle Reader, on this particular night, so many things went wrong that I wondered if the someone had said the Scottish play in the theatre. (It’s bad luck to say Macbeth in the theatre.)

At the start of the night, in my very first costume as Daphne, the persona Jerry takes whilst hiding in the band, I put on a string of pearls. As I start to leave the dressing room to run around to the opposite side of the stage for my entrance, the necklace catches on the corner of the makeup table and breaks. Ugh! Luckily it was only in the dressing room. No big.
At this point of the fail in the show, the mob hit has been witnessed, Daphne and Josephine become pat of the all-female band, the two meet Sugar (played beautifully by the charming Jessica Ellithorpe), Josephine/Joe, falls in love with her, there is a party in Daphne’s bunk in the overnight train to Florida *cheese fight*, Sugar confides to Josephine about falling for saxophone players (which Josephine plays) and is going to Florida to marry a millionaire, Daphne is pursued by a retired handsy, real millionaire, Osgood, Joe takes advantage of the situation to woo Sugar, Osgood invites Daphne to dinner on the yacht but Joe hijacks the invite for himself and Sugar…

So here we are. I am ready for my big date with Osgood. I am in this shimmery white dress, which I hate, because I hate wearing that color. I know, I know, white is the absence of color. My blonde wig, looks meh, which is because it doesn’t work with my skin tone so that kinda makes the buying I am a lady a bit funnier. I mean, CLEARLY there is something wrong there. LOL! In the second scene in Act 2, I walk into the scene as Sugar is finishing her conversation with the band manager, fixing my wig and straightening my dress making sure I look lovely.

Sugar: … You must have some hot date tonight! (she walks up to me)

Daphne: Yeah. Hot. (i do a little twirl to let her see the dress)

Sugar: Me, too! With Junior. (I remember inhaling and was excited for her “big date” I think I covered my mouth or clapped my hands and as I did, the bracelet of diamonds or pearls I was given snapped! I know my hands were at least up because as I heard all these little gems fall to the floor in a sound that seemed like they landed EVERYWHERE, I felt a few fall inside the sleeves of the dress. The audience was surprised and laughed, but I think it was more of a nervous laughter. My big eyes must have popped out of my head!! I recall Jessica and I both looked down at the floor and trying not to laugh. I felt like Gaga in the Bad Romance video where she has all the gems around her… just, I wasn’t so fancy…

iu-3

(Jessica totally soldiered on:)

Sugar: He called and asked me to meet him at the dock right after the show. (I feel like I was still checking the floor because I literally said “Oh no” after the line. I hear the audience laugh but not due to nervousness. I knew I needed to do a little bit of dancing in a few moments, and I had dropped character slightly right then. I think I threw her off with that, so I added, “That’s exciting!” Which I immediately know was not helpful, so I tried to jump a little bit in the script. I take a step to Jessica and I hear more jewels fall. Just a couple. The audience is laughing again. Now it’s actually funny.) ~~Hey what’s wrong with Josephine? She didn’t even say good-night — she just took off, running like a jack-rabbit.~~

~~Daphne: What she needs is a bicycle.~~

~~Sugar: Is anything wrong?~~

Daphne: No, no — she’s just late getting down to the naval base– ( I don’t even think I say this line right. Each step I take, a few more gems fall out of my dress and the audience is giggling with each one. Jessica starts to laugh but is holding it in. I remember seeing her shoulders bounce and that is totally enough for me to break character and I laugh a little too. Which makes the audience laugh even more. I talked about being late, but for some reason, I think I kept saying he instead of she because we were supposed to be talking about Josephine but the last bit of conversation was about Junior who was Joe’s name for the fake millionaire. Ugh!)

Sugar: Naval base — Josephine?

Daphne: Oh yes, (At this point, I think “surely there can’t be any more to fall.” HA!) every night (*drop… drop.. drop..*) she stands at the gate, (*drop… drop..*) waiting for the sailors to come out. But never mind her (*drop.. drop.. drop…*) — tell me about your date. (bursts of laughter)

Sugar: Gosh, can you imagine? Sugar Kowalczyk from Sandusky, Ohio, actually having supper on a millionaire’s yacht — just like Joan Crawford in “Untamed,” Gee, if my mother could only see me know! (She exits during the last part of the line and she is giggling while she says it, which make me giggle too. But just a tiny one.)

Osgood: Yoo hoo — Daphne!

Daphne: I hope my mother never sees me. ( I use this as a chance to focus back in so I shake off the moment before and wouldn’t you know it?! *drop*) LOL.

Then Osgood sings this lovely song called “Beautiful Through and Through.” In this number, I have to do a grapevine over the broken bracelet, which is on stage left, and back to the other side of the stage. No accident! YAY!! Then we have this sort of waltz and the actor playing Osgood didn’t really dance, so he is stepping in the same direction as I waltz and we have to go into danger zone. Again, we are safe and cross back to the right side of the stage and I dance around him a little more. Next he is supposed to “fling” me toward stage left and the jewels so I can do 4 chainè turns and remarkably, I am okay! Counting my lucky stars for sure at this point! We make it through the number and into the safety of the wings. Whew! Crisis averted! The next scene is just Junior and Sugar, but Osgood and I come on at the end in a reprise of “Beautiful…” and that leads into Scene 4. At this point, I am thinking the worst is past. there isn’t going to be anymore funny business.

And that’s my favorite fail, Dear Reader! Now, it may not have been as funny as the bean bag pop or the mustache mishap. This is my fave because when I think about it to this day, I still laugh. Now, here’s a little bonus and what starts me off laughing about the whole run of this show.

Scene 4 starts with me singing “Magic Nights” and announcing to Joe, once he arrives that I am engaged! There is a little bit of dialogue and during that little bit of chatter, I grab these maracas that are conveniently on the dresser and begin to sing again. Well it just so happens that Joe (played by one funny dude, Leslie Lamke) is sitting on the bed. I never considered myself to have a very long reach, and I am very good with my spacial awareness. It’s just that I didn’t factor in what my reach would be like holding maracas. So I am singing my song and at the end of a phrase, I reach out and feel my maraca meet with resistance whilst hearing a LOUD hollow thunk! I had smacked poor Les in the head! I tried not to think about it and continue on. Sing, sing sing and strike a po…THUNK!! I hit him again!!! LOL! In my head, right now, I can hear that hollow wooden smack clear as day and I laugh!! I felt SO SO bad when it happened and made sure to apologize to Les as soon as we were in the dressing room. But it still makes me laugh! Hahaha. I think there was one other night that i hit him. Poor fella. He is a great guy and didn’t hold it against me. I didn’t dare look at him, because 1. there wasn’t time since it was a song and 2. it would have pulled me out of the scene.

Because of this bonus fail, the whole bunch of mini fails during Sugar makes this my favorite fail.

I hope, Gentle Reader, that this gave you a smile or a laugh. I met some truly magnificent people in this show and love when I have the chance to share the stage with them. I do hope that the chance comes again very soon.

I hope you are enjoying your days and treating yourself well. Until next time, Lovely Reader…

Who’s the pretty girl in that mirror there?

So This Is How The Bride Feels…

Oh, I love a good piece of clothing!

Ever since the costumer for H2$, Sue Howell, brought before me a lovely blue pin stripe 3 piece suit, I have been dreaming of how I would use pockets and how I will hold my posture. The suit pants fit nearly perfectly. The only thing that concerned me was that the crotch is a little small/tight so one of the dance moves in the “Coffee Break” number is going to be a close call. It’s a side attitude (the dance move) and I just don’t think the pants have the give or enough fabric to do it propa.

The jacket is great but a little heavy. It’s like a constant reminder to hold my shoulders back and not to slouch. Hooray! Momma would be so proud. Haha!

The vest is so cute! I can just see myself singing “Gotta stop that man/I gotta stop that man/ Cold” in it during the executive washroom scene. The problem is that it’s like half an inch from buttoning! NOoooo….I’m melting!! What a world, what a world!!

Here’s where the title comes in. You know how there’s that item, usually a dress for all my gorgeous gal pals, that you have just GOTTA fit into? I only realized this the other day this sort of obsessing over getting into that suit perfectly. And I can only equate that this is how a bride must feel. Like she has to be that perfect size whatever the dress is and that simply letting the dress out is not an option. Oh my Gaga, I hope I don’t turn into Actor-zilla!!

Ever since that tragic event (which shall henceforth forever be known as The Vesty Letdown) I have been churning that idea in my head that I MUST have this suit for the part of Bert Bratt!! I don’t know why, but the idea of dancing around in that suit vest strikes me as sexy, and I am about as sexy as a new born giraffe, so I have no explanation of why. I have made sure to hit the gym nearly every night after rehearsal, but guiltily, I didn’t charge my ipod, so that made me go straight home. Twice. But tomorrow is another day and I shall be there with a fully charged music box and ready to sweat! But what happens if I don’t get that extra inch and a half down? They don’t have another cute 3 piece suit in the costume shop. I really don’t want to wear a boring two piece. I’ve done that already. Oh no, it’s happening already! I am getting whiny!

Stop… Focus.

I simply must look good in this suit. Wait, what am I saying? I am not being irrational, but when I look at the suit (and criminy, I am kicking myself for not getting pictures) I can see my character so clearly. I guess it’s true, the clothes really do make the man.

Have you ever had a clothing item that you loved so much you had to wear it? Not only that, but wear it comfortably. Share your story in the comment section! I am curious to see if anyone else has obsessed about this too.

If I could see me now…

I’m talking about COSTUMES!

I am trying to figure out what I want my characters to look like and I have some ideas (when don’t I, right?) I have tried to find pictures, but I have only been able to come across three that are remotely similar to what I am picturing.

Great pic!! Whew! So the play takes place in New Mexico in the 1940’s. One of my characters, Andrew, is the older brother of the main character, Antonio Marez. I (hopefully) am early to mid 20’s. I have returned home from WWII. Before heading out for the military, I was raised on a farm. I am not entirely just a farmer boy anymore thanks to the war and being influenced be the world outside of the farm. So a bit farmer mixed with a hint of city is what I hope this character will look like.

The guy in the lighter colored hat would be my other choice for the character of Andrew. One of the other ideas is that I could use that look for my random vaquero or cowboy appearances. It’s not heavily country in look but still rugged.

For my “villian” look, I would like to try and find a look like any of the guys on the above pic, except for the obvious white guy. Although I am hoping that I can get it to look more dirty. The character is Juan Blas. That is supposed to be two characters, but they just combined all the lines and gave them to me. Yay! This guy really only hangs around with the true villain of the play because of the free beer. He’s got no real job, and there’s always dirt under his finger nails. And he’s got no real desire to wash them. I like the vintagey style, but I want it to be slightly ill fitting and uncordinated, kinda like he picked up these pieces from the trash and uses them.

Do you have any suggests, or even better, pictures that you can send me that would be closer to what I described? I want to get this type of info to the costume designer as soon as I can, so time is of the utmost importance. Thank you kindly for reading!!

Costumes…

Well, the costume fittings were MADNESS! Madness, I say. On Wednesday, the cast tried on the costumes for the show. Huge thanks to Carol Clever. She took what is thought to be a deceptively minimal look show, and gave it a realistic type of look. What’s difficult is that most productions just want the sparkle because it looks great. My thoughts are that we would have a better connection with the audience and the text if we go for a more realistic look. It will have a bigger emotional impact in the second act as well if you are truly listening to what is being said. It was such a challenge to imagine what these things would look like on stage with colored lights and the stage set and dressing, I’ll have to admit. What I found the most amazing was how much input that I, little ol’ me, had in this whole process. Incredibly, the director, Bill Starr, and I have the same vision for the show. Yay!! I am excited that my thought process, even in spite of my limited training, runs along the same track as this intense man that I have learned several things from. Now just to let you know, that when I say limited training, I mean actual school training, I am always reading books and learning the theatre craft. Back to the outfits.

Some of the looks needed to be tweaked. All of the looks need alterations though. I feel horrible because it’s a lot of work for our costume designer, and so I and several other cast members like Victoria and Beth Ann (by way of Brett) have offered our help to make the show look as good as it can.

My fav is the Frug outfits. Still working on the hair. The wigs were fresh out of the box and just plopped on the ladies heads.

Melinda puts 'tude in her go-go boots!

Patty Reinhart is dangerous in her go-go outfit! — Patty Reinhart is dangerous in Frug outfit

These are going to be made shorter to give you more leg. Hot. HOT! I tell ya. For the men, there are some things being fixed. They will be wearing a tux shirt and pants with a bow tie and flounce accents on their sleeves. Here’s what my trio is wearing. I think that the vinyl vest for the men is so sleek.

Valerie is rocking the Union Jack!! — Valerie is aloof and rocking the Union Jack!!!

Act 1 opens in the park with varying degrees of 60’s looks. Here are just a couple

Act 1 scene 1 — Heather Schweitzer vogues in her 60’s look

Act 1 scene 1 for Andrea — Andrea looks like she’s ready for school.

Act 1 scene 1 for Ben — Ben makes a tiny tribute to another Bob Fosse show. Can you name it?

For Rhythm of Life, there wasn’t a lot to look at on Wednesday. We had several tops, but not completed outfits. So I can’t quite bring you a true look for that number but it should be colorful. But I’m A Brass Band will be faboo!

Ian's brass band outfit — Always immersed in the role, Ian Teter models the Brass Band outfit

I am leaving the Big Spender costumes out because there’s gotta be something to surprise you when you see the show. I just wanted to give you a little sneak peak before the show. You may think that these looks are plain, but keep in mind the lights, and all the stuff that’s going to be on stage to add colors. I can’t wait for the day we set foot on that stage with the sets in the theatre. I think that’s when everything is going to click, and I can have a refreshed perspective of the show.