I Only Know What I Know

On my facebook page I've been posting a bit about the Oliver! soundtrack. Auditions for a production of the show are in May. Before, oh, a few months ago, I didn't know a whole lot about this show. I knew Consider Yourself and a bit of Food, Glorious Food, but that was it.  I learned "As Long As He Needs Me" as a potential audition piece, but I didn't know how it was set within the context of the musical.

Anyway, now having watched the movie several times, listening to the soundtrack, and working on the vocal selections book, I have a pretty good grasp of the music.

Today's weather was really nice, so I posted "Who Will Buy This Beautiful Morning" as one of my status messages (just that line). This lead to a discussion about the song, and a friend being surprised that I wasn't familiar with Oliver! until fairly recently.

So here's a list of shows I could sing in my sleep: (bold type indicates I've seen it live, italic means I've been in it)

• Phantom of the Opera
• Les Miz
• Jekyll and Hyde
• Parade
• Miss Saigon
• The Scarlet Pimpernel
• The Secret Garden
• Ragtime
• Side Show
• Beauty and the Beast
• The Lion King
• Avenue Q
• Titanic
• Gypsy
• Jesus Christ Superstar
• My Fair Lady
• The Sound of Music
• Sunset Boulevard
• Evita
• Into the Woods
• Wicked
• Children of Eden
• Annie
• Annie Get Your Gun
• Cinderella
• The Producers
• Spamalot
• The Music Man
• Fiddler on the Roof 
• Aida

Ones I know fairly well:

• Oklahoma
• The Light in the Piazza
• The Pirate Queen
• Carousel
• Allegro
• Guys and Dolls
• Chicago
• Company
• Working
• Love Never Dies (still working on this one)
• State Fair
• South Pacific (I know almost all of the songs except for ones like Dites-Moi. Know the title, not the tune.)
• The King and I 
•  West Side Story

Ones I'm familiar with (as in, I can sing a few of the big songs, but that's it)

• Kiss Me, Kate ("Another Op'ning", "I Hate Men", "Brush Up..."
• Flower Drum Song (The ABHORRENT "I enjoy being a girl")
• Martin Guerre ("How Many Tears?", etc.)
• Cats ("Memory", that's it, sorry.)
• The Little Mermaid (this, and Mary Poppins--I know the movie songs)
• Mary Poppins
• A Little Night Music ("Send In the Clowns")
• Camelot ("The Simple Joys of Maidenhood", "Before I Gaze...", "If Ever...", "Camelot")
• Little Shop of Horrors
• The Fantastiks (Who DOESN'T know "Try to Remember"?)
• Finnegan's Rainbow
• Brigadoon! ("Waiting for My Dearie")
• 42nd Street ("Lullaby of Broadway", "42nd Street")
• Chess ("Someone Else's Story")
• A Little Princess ("Live Out Loud")
• A Christmas Carol 
• Street Scene (which could be considered more opera...)  
•  A Chorus Line ("One", "What I Did For Love", "Nothing")
• 1776 ("Sit Down, John"...I would like to know this one better. On the list...) 
• Hello, Dolly! ("Hello, Dolly!", "Ribbons Down My Back", "Until the Parade Passes By" )

A short list of ones I know nothing or almost nothing about:

• Swing!
• Contact
• Steel Pier
• Spring Awakening
• The Woman In White
• The Beautiful Game
• Little Women
• Merrily We Roll Along
• 50 percent
• The Apple Tree
• The Putnam County Spelling Bee (yeah I know, I shortened the Title)
• Mamma Mia
• Jersey Boys
• Stop the World, I Want To Get Off
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (I know "comedy tonight")
• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• Two By Two
• Zorba
• 
  

I know I'm missing some. But really, there's a fair amount of musical theater--especially from the 50s, 60s and 70s--that I know NOTHING about. Any big dance shows are not my thing, because my dancing skills are limited. And any shows without decent alto parts--also limited. So that eliminates a lot of early musical theater.

"Big News!"

Another week goes by...in Atlanta.... (sorry, couldn't help it!)

I have finally, at last, and for the first time (excepting my creative writing class where it was for a grade) finished a piece of fiction.
It is done. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
I want to edit it now, go over it for dialogue and details and minor revisions. So I won't post anything (not even a teaser) until that's done.
It is 17 pages long.
I am pretty proud of it.

The Simple Woman's Daybook--February 1, 2010

I am so glad it's February! January seemed to last forever!

Outside My Window::

Very clear, not too cold--in the mid 30s. No ice, so I'm happy!

I am wearing ::
J. Crew chinos (gray), a Banana Republic cashmere argyle sweater

I am Thankful For::

My Parade experience

I am Reading:

Mediterranean Summer (I keep re-reading this. It’s such a good winter book.)

From the Kitchen::

A chocolate mascarpone cake from Giada’s Kitchen; pasta; chicken dishes that have yet to be decided on.

I am Thinking:
about how fortunate I am.

I am Creating::
ORDER. (see below)

On my iPod::

My gym soundtrack

Towards Rhythm and Beauty:
I have a gym log and a food log. I figure if I write everything down, that will be incredibly helpful. I used to keep a workout log, but I finished it, and I’m glad I finally have a new one. It’s a great way to track what I do in the gym. I’ve never used a food diary, so this will be a  new experience.

To Live the Liturgy:

Mass tomorrow for Candlemas (I love this feast, I love the name, love it all), LOH, Rosary, magnificat

I am Hoping and Praying:
For Leah Y., who is currently in labor with her first child—a boy! She was induced yesterday so I hope by now the babe has appeared.

Around the House:

Always--the kitchen table.  Taking out the trash, vacuuming.

One of My Favorite Things:

Symphony Concerts

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:

Tonight: Dinner with Karen and Paige

T and W: Session

Th: Voice

   A Picture Thought  I'm Sharing:

From the Parade archives: 

Last dress rehearsal, before the opening of Act I 

"They like us! They really like us!"

Tonight was the annual Theater Roundtable Awards in Central Ohio, where the best theater of the past year is recognized. Parade won two big awards: best musical ensemble, and outstanding production. The show also garnered best actors for: Jon Schelb (Leo Frank), Liz Wheeler (as his wife, Lucille), and Drew Eberly (as Britt Craig, the muckracking reporter for the Atlanta Georgian.) And Frank, our great director, received a Best Direction award. All in all, that's SIX awards!
Go team! It  was a great production and I'm glad it's getting recognition.

Audition: Titanic

So tonight were the auditions for Phoenix Theater for Children's Titanic benefit concert.
Having seen the show when I was 17, and immediately fallen in love, this was a night I was really excited about. So excited I even forgot it was Monday!
I got there early, around 6:30, when my audition was set for 7:15. Kristin, the Parade music director, was there, acting as accompanist, so that was great. Of course, on the way I'd listened to the soundtrack, and "Lady's Maid", the Three Kate's piece, ended as I pulled in. Since I wanted to play Kate McGowan, I took this as a good sign.
My two pieces were ready to go. Robin had given me some good intro tips, which helped enormously. Tonight was the only audition night, and there looked to be 25-30 people on the audition list.  There were two girls about my age, two men about my age, and an older woman (maybe 60?) when I was there.
I was called in around 7:05. I showed Kristin my cuts, gave her my tempos, and introduced myself. I did "The Gentleman Is a Dope" first, then went to "As If We Never Said Good-bye."
If felt fantastic. Kristin and I work well together (at least I think so!) and the whole time the directors were smiling and looked really happy. They had great respnses and I fed off that.
When I finished the ballad, the direcotr closed his eyes and went "Ahhhh. How lovely."
(Yeah, I felt like doing a little jig right there.)
We talked for a bit--he asked me about my availability, how I'd heard about auditions, etc.--and I mentioned I'd seen the show when I was in high school (on Broadway). The other director scribbled that down on my sheet. Actually, he was scribbling a lot of things, and I had to fight the temptation to go, "Can I see that?" I was asked about Parade, said it was a great show.
I should find out by the end of the week (hopefully before voice on Thursday), and am way excited to hear.
Either way, it felt GREAT. I left singing "Doing the Latest Rag."

Woot!

According to the Dispatch, Parade was one of the best theater events of '09. Go us!

Me with Quentin (Newt Lee) and Jennifer, our Stage Manager, before opening night.

The cast backstage: Jay (Dorsey), La Ron (Jim), Danea (Sally), Aaron H., and Jon (Leo)

Audition: Company

Last night I auditioned for Gallery Player's Winter Musical, Company, by Stephen Sondheim. (this is als the company I did Parade with, last winter.)
I've been preparing for this audition for a long time--in fact, probably all fall. When I started lessons with my teacher back in September, this was one of the things I was shooting for.
Originally, I had wanted to sing a piece from COmpany--The Ladies Who Lunch, one of the show's more famous pieces. The director (who also directed Parade) hadn't had a prohibition on songs from the show last year, and I didn't read anything different on the audition notice, so Robin and I worked this up.
The reason I wanted to sing this particular piece was simple--the part I really wanted in the show (Joanne), is a contralto--a real one. In Ladies, she sings low E's as a matter of course. Now, not a lot of people can sing low Es. I can. As Yogi Bera said, "It ain't bragging if you can do it." So I wanted to sing Ladies to demonstrate that I could, indeed, hit those low Es. It would be like someone who wants to sing the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute will probably audition with a song that shows off the high end of her range--because the Queen of the Night is very high, and very dramatic.
Well, of course, I re-checked the audition notice, and behold--no songs from Company allowed.
(Insert four letter word of choice here.)

So, I brought all my anthologies to Robin and we pawed through them. I was thinking Maybe This Time, from Cabaret, which is low and sexy and adult. But Robin found something else--the Diva's Lament, from Spamalot, which I had quasi-worked up in the years before I met Robin. I loved the song--it was hysterical--but I had never, ever thought of it as an audition piece.
Robin loved it. She told me that I could pick between that or the Cabaret piece.  But as I drove home, I knew I had to sing the Lament. IT was a real character piece, very funny, and demonstrates character, more so than Cabaret. 


So last night I went to the first night of auditions, of course listening to the Company soundtrack on the way (I have the newest version). The song What Would We Do Without You? was playing when I pulled into my 'usual' slot in the JCC lot.

I was the first one there, as usual. Between 15-20 people showed up, evenly split between guys and girls. SOme people from Parade--Dani, Wilma, Jay--and Jekyll and Hyde--Amy and Dave--were there, along with folks I didn't know. Kristin, Parade's music director, was playing the auditions.

A few minutes before 7, the stage manager called me in to audition. The director and Kristin were on the stage, and I felt like I was back at Parade rehearsals. I handed my form, resume and photo to the director and handed my music to Kristin.

When singing, a few things can happen. If it's going well, I don't really hear the accompaniment, unless I'm supposed to (as in, I'm at a rest.). I know it's there, it's doing its thing, but I'm not really aware of it. When things are going not so well, I am aware that one of us is off--I'm ahead, he's behind, whatever. There's no meshing of the two of us to create the single piece. Last night, I didn't really hear the accompaniment, and it wasn't because of the Bionic Ear--I felt good. It sounded right.

Frank (the director) was, of course, taking notes while I was singing. There was no one else in the theater, just him, Kristin, and me. After my song, Frank asked Kristin to take me through intervals--a scale going up, starting at middle C. On the audition sheet, he asks us to write our vocal range. I wrote: D#5-B-flat3, which basically means the D-sharp below the staff to the B-flat above it. It's almost three octaves--not too bad. So Kristin took me up to the B-flat, and she looked sort of amazed that I was still hanging in there as we ascended. Although I am a contralto, and I'm very proud of my low range, I'm also pretty proud of my higher notes, as well. They were hard won.

"What was that?" Frank asked Kristin as I hit the b-flat (and stopped).
"B-flat," She said.
Frank's eyebrows went up as he checked that against what I had written. No, I had not lied. "Good."
I went over to stand before his table. "I'm not going to have you read, because I've worked with you before, and I know what you can do." I nodded. "So thanks, and have a great holiday."
"No call backs?"
"Nope."
I thanked them, took my music and left the theater. I informed the other Parade kids that they wouldn't have to read--just sing--and I think some were disappointed (I was, a little), but my audition lasted maybe five minutes, which was good. I like to be in and out.

So, if this is anything like Parade, we should find out the casting (for this show, it's 15 people--8 girls, 7 guys) the Monday after Christmas. Today is the last day of auditions.

This, That, and the Other

x

--Stitch is topping this post, because he can.

--It's been raining almost all day here. At least I can break out the Hunter boots when I traipse out tonight for voice. (Mine are violet, just like Bella's in Twilight. And no, I haven't seen New Moon. It's my least favorite book, so I'll probably just wait until it's out on DVD. And my December is insane. More on that below.)

--Voice: Working on some random pieces. I have another audition coming up, for Gallery Player's "Company" (this is the group I did Parade with last winter). I really, really want to do this show because there is a FANTASTIC Alto part. Really, honest to God contralto. Problem? The woman is thirty-something. Do I look 30 something? Not. So I'm counting on some eyeliner, dark clothes and my voice to make me look 30. I'm hoping we can nail down a song tonight, too.

--Crazy December? Here's what's on tap: Tomorrow night, Cap's Christmas Fest with Melanie. I haven't been since...oh....2004? 2005? When I helped the SAI chapter girls usher it. This will be the first time I've gone as a spectator--I've usually been in it, or working it. Not this time. I'm watching and singing along with the audience during carols. Can't wait to see how my old Purple Robe is holding up. Dinner with the friends on Dec. 11, Tiffany's Christmas Concert Dec. 12, Messiah rehearsals Dec. 13 and 18, and performance in Hilliard on the 20th. That doesn't count regular Mass stuff, work stuff, any other "stuff" that might pop up.

--These books rock my world. As I am a Jane addict, I got both Jane books. Why they do not offer ALL Jane books is a mystery to me. Because they should. And I would buy them. (duh.)

--How's your Advent going so far? Enjoying it? At my parish we're using the Latin antiphon for the entrance, and for the psalm. Waaaay cool. I still have to figure out how to read the Latin chant music. It's not a normal 5 staff pattern.

--My tree is up. A few ornaments are still in storage at my parents', so it looks a wee bit bare right now. 'Twill be righted later.

"A real actress"

I just got my check from the JCC. On the invoice it says "ACTOR--PARADE".
It might only be $30, but I think I can now consider myself a professional.

"End of Show"

We gave our last performance of Parade yesterday. I can't believe that, having done this show all year (with the casting info being sent out shortly after Christmas) that it's all over! But I learned so much doing this show, and there are many things I will miss, in particular:

• Standing in the wings with Aaron, watching Jay sing "The Old Red Hills of Home"
• Skipping out onto the stage.
• Waving my Confederate flag at the governor's float
• Being dragged around the stage by Drew during "Big News!"
• Singing at Mary's grave (very cathartic)
• The Factory Girls and Jon's dance
• "That's What He Said"!
• the gloves I wore for the governor's tea dance
• watching Jon dance in his cell during "This Is Not Over Yet."
• The end of "Where Will You Stand?", when we went to the front of the stage and the footlights came up.
• The hanging and sh'ma
• The Finale
• And...Jay's sippy cup.
  

The Simple Woman's Daybook--March 16, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, March 16, 2009

Outside my window...
It's dark now, but it was a lovely spring day today.

I am thinking...
that there's some tidying up to do!

I am thankful for...
Parade.

From the kitchen...
I'm going through Nigella Lawson's cookbooks to find ideas. A Victoria Sponge Cake is definitely on there.

To live the liturgy...
Bible, rosary, Magnificat, and Lent and Easter with JPII

I am wearing...
A raspberry-colored camisole (for bed)

I am creating...
updating my journal, which has been neglected!

I am going to breathe deeply ...
and enjoy the wonderful weather.

Bringing beauty to my home ...
flowers are everywhere! (still!)

I am going...
to be thankful for the great experiences I have had.

I am reading...
The Iliad; Team of Rivals; The Pillow Book (early Japanese lit); The Two Towers

I am hoping...
for another show soon!

I am hearing...
"How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days" soundtrack

Around the house...
Weekly Home blessing hour

One of my favorite things...
my Tiffany-blue pencils that are here on my desk.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Tomorrow: Port access (argh!)
Wednesday: Stations of the Cross at church, lunch w/ Dad
Friday: Nordstrom make up class
Saturday: My friend Anna's senior piano recital; GAME NIGHT!!

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:

Spring is coming! Spring is coming!

Updated fan Club Roster

UPDATED: 3/15/09
The complete roster, thus far: (italic are people who came to J&H as well)

1. Mom and Dad (came twice)
   
2. Tiff and Bill
3. Mr. and Mrs. Dulmage
4. Gary and Amanda
5. Tom and Andrea
6. Branden
7. Suellen
8. Steve and Sal
9. Rita
10. Beth
11. Erica C. (work)
12. Kurt
13. Robin and Ken (and Robin's mom)
14. Jodi L.
    
15. Jodi B.
    
16. Abby
17. Bethany
18. Grandma and Pa
19. Missy and Sarah R.
    
20. My dentist and her husband. :)
    
21. Matt M.
22. Matt P.
    
23. Tim
    
24. Aaron
    
25. Maggie
26. Liz
27. Lisa
28. Bret
    
29. Brittney
30. Christine (Matt M. to Christine are all work people)
31. Amy L from J&H
32. Chris R. (from J&H)
33. Mindy (from J&H)
34. Brooke (from J&H-Emma) and her mom
35. My brother :)
    

Thanks to EVERYONE!!!

Last chance!

To see Parade--today at 2:30!!
If you live in the area and haven't been out, come see it! It is a wonderful show and you don't want to miss it!
I can't believe today is the last performance. After being involved with this show for 3 1/2 months now....it's over? Not cool.

The Simple Woman's Daybook--March 9, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, February 23, 2009

Outside my window...
It's a beautiful sunshiny day! Clear skies.

I am thinking...
there's a lot to do.

I am thankful for...
A Parade night off.

From the kitchen...
taco soup for dinner, as part of the Eating Down The Pantry Challenge.

To live the liturgy...
Bible, rosary, Magnificat, and Lent and Easter with JPII

I am wearing...
A cream-colored camisole, a v-neck cardigan (blue) and a print skirt.

I am creating...
neatness.

I am going to breathe deeply ...
and enjoy the wonderful weather.

Bringing beauty to my home ...
flowers are everywhere!

I am going...
to be happy.

I am reading...
The Iliad; Team of Rivals; The Pillow Book (early Japanese lit)

I am hoping...
for great crowds at Parade this week

I am hearing...
one of my mix CDs

Around the house...
Weekly Home blessing hour

One of my favorite things...
performing a fantastic show

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Thursday: Show! 7:30
Friday: Alice in Wonderland
Saturday: Show!
Sunday: The last show! Tear!!!

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:
(In case you didn't see it below...)

From Act I-- "The Trial: The Factory Girls" from left: Me, Abby (Iola) and Vera (Monteen).

Parade in action

"The Trial: The Factory Girls"

"How Can I Call This Home?"

"There Is A Fountain/It Don't Make Sense"

"Finale"

"Come Up To My Office"

Credit: Jason Banks, our awesome lighting designer.

7 Quick Takes--The Parade Edition

I.

The Fan club roster: Tiffany and Bill; Mr. and Mrs. Dulmage; Gary and Amanda; Tom and Andrea; Branden; Suellen; Mom and Dad; my grandparents; Rita; Beth; My dentist and her husband (her daughter is Mary in our show); Erica (from work--unwittingly!); Amy L. Tomorrow I've got Missy, Katie and Sarah, and a bunch of Hilliard people!

II.
We were WIRED tonight. Not sure what was going on.

III.
So was the audience (almost as big as last week). They clapped at EVERYTHING. Rachel, our costume designer, was in the audience and afterwards she agreed--"They clapped when there should have been no clapping!"

IV.
My dentist brought me TJ's flowers! So I have two bouquets on my counter now.

V.
Eileen (Mrs. Phagan) comes offstage post curtain call cracking up. "I said...I said....I said, 'We'll sing Jimmy once again!'" Wow. (The line is: "we'll sing 'Dixie' once again.")

VI.
Jon made us quardruple-chocolate cookies. Aaron ate 7. They were that good.

VII.
During warm-up, the pit guys decided to play a round of "Let's try to play other people's instruments!" Very amusing to see our bass player trying to handle Woodwind Boy's flute.

The good reviews keep coming!

From The Other Paper (my emphases in bold, and links to other entries)

Musical history lesson on anti-Semitism

By Richard Ades

Published: Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:22 PM EST

Leo Frank isn’t the most lovable of heroes. When he learns a 13-year-old girl has been killed in the factory he manages, his first thought is that it will look bad for the company.

And when he’s charged with the girl’s murder, he seems more concerned about his stomach than justice. He tells the arresting officers that he’s under a doctor’s care and needs a special diet.

As portrayed in Parade, a 1998 Broadway musical based on Mary Phagan’s 1913 murder in Atlanta, Frank comes across as so distant and socially inept that he might even be afflicted with Asperger’s syndrome. We don’t particularly like him, but we have to care about him because he becomes a victim of historic proportions. In the news coverage and trial that follow his arrest, the fact that he’s Jewish outweighs the fact that there’s no real evidence against him.

In real life, the injustice that befell him was so profound that it led to the formation of the Anti-Defamation League.

Co-conceived by Harold Prince and written by Alfred Uhry, Parade humanizes Frank’s tale by concentrating on the relationship between this transplanted Brooklynite and Lucille, his Southern Jewish wife. At first, their marriage is strained due to Frank’s coldness and their cultural differences, but it undergoes a heartwarming change after Frank falls under the wheels of Georgia justice.

In Gallery Players’ production, the human element comes through thanks to Frank Barnhart’s unerring direction and a cast of almost uniformly strong actors. Thanks to the cast’s vocal talents and a band often dominated by violinist John-Rine Zabanal, so do Jason Robert Brown’s Sondheim-like songs.

Jon Schelb’s Frank is petulant but redeemable, while Liz Wheeler’s Lucille is a warm and increasingly self-confident presence. Both actors sing well, though Wheeler’s voice degrades a bit when she pushes it too far.

Many others stand out: Drew Eberly as a cynical and hard-drinking reporter, Jay Rittberger as the win-at-all-cost prosecutor, Sam Vestey as the overly confident defense attorney, Randy Benge as the surprisingly noble governor. Standing out most of all, LaRon Lee Hudson nearly steals the show once or twice as Jim Conley, a former convict who is suspiciously eager to lie on the witness stand.

Other than Joel B. Cohen’s overly dramatic portrayal of the trial judge, all of the story’s many characters are given convincing and distinct personalities. Director Barnhart has put together a wonderfully textured production.

Chris Clapp’s minimal set design helps out, as do Jason Banks’s sound and lighting design and Kristin Blascyk’s music direction (except that the background music sometimes drowns out the dialogue).

INFO: Gallery Players will present Parade through March 15 at the Jewish Community Center, 1125 College Ave. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes (including intermission). Tickets are $18, $16 for seniors ($12/$10 for JCC members), $8 for children or students. 614-231-2731 or jccgalleryplayers.org.

The musical starts out and finishes in an odd way, with apparently sincere salutes to Southern pride and patriotism. Given the storyline, this might be seen as an attempt to prevent it from devolving into a geographical attack.

By the end, however, the salute has taken on a new meaning that is as complex as the rest of this historically based tale. The final result is both provocative and moving.

Quick takes

• Where have I been? I've been playing dress up. (above, Jay and I before Act II's Governor's Tea Dance scene)
• Books: Just got a new Duck's Cottage book, the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon. After our last Duck's Cottage book club read, I decided I needed to read more about Japan! So I ordered this, as well as The Tale of Genji, from Jaime. Tale is back ordered so will be coming soon! Also, we get our March/April Duck's Cottage book this week. Very exciting reading times.
• Movies: Watched the Nureyv/Fonteyn Swan Lake. Very good, but too many close-ups of Nureyv and his slightly too bright blue eye make-up. Also got Renee Fleming in Manon at the Paris Opera. I have only watched Act I (it's long) but I just love Renee Fleming. I also love that it's in French so I don't need to totally rely on the subtitles.
  
• Listening to: Renee's Four Last Songs. Divine as usual.
• The Fan Club: Grandma and Pa are coming to see the show on Thursday with my parents and possibly my brother. On Sunday the 8th are my HAC friends!


Above: Me with two of my favorite CF nurses, who came to Opening Night!


• Health stuff: I had a visit with the CF clinic on Thursday (day of our last dress rehearsal), and everything is so great! I saw Terri and Dr. M (aka God), of course, and Dr. Kirby, who I hope is going to do more tx clinic stuff, because I really like him. The last PFT set in my file was 7/3/05. Very, very scary (and...8 days pre-transplant). The set I made on Thursday was in the 70s. Yeah, I rule like that. Not taking enzymes any more and are adjusting the doses of some meds. Man it was great to see everyone!
• This week: Really, nothing. Weird not to have rehearsal! On Thursday we have a show, and then again on Sat. and Sunday (Sunday matinee). I hope we really pack 'em in. With a good review and very positive word-of-mouth, we should!
  

The DISPATCH REVIEW!

Review: Gallery Players' 'Parade' faithful to pathos, politics

Sunday, March 1, 2009 12:21 AM

By Michael Grossberg

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Gallery Players will present Parade at 2:30 p.m. Sunday and through March 15 at the Jewish Community Center, 1125 College Ave. Tickets cost $8 to $18. Call 614-231-2731 or visit www.jccgalleryplayers.org.

Gallery Players does justice to Parade, a Broadway musical about a terrible injustice in Atlanta in 1913 that left a haunting legacy.

Director Frank Barnhart knits together a large and capable cast in an epic and intimate staging of the musical drama, which opened yesterday to applause at the Jewish Community Center's Roth/Resler Theatre.

Always sobering and dignified but sometimes rising to stirring moments of passionate hope, anger and moral outrage, Gallery's area premiere artfully evokes a bygone era whose political, racial and religious issues continue to surface in America today.

Composer-lyricist Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years) and author Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy) faithfully based Parade, a 1999 Tony award winner for best score and book, on the true story of a Jewish pencil-factory manager accused of raping and murdering a young female employee.

Without a superior performance in the central tragic role, Parade would fall well short of its potential power. At Gallery Players, Jon Schelb plays Leo Frank with haunting pathos from his early scenes of fish-out-of-water obliviousness and anxious bewilderment to later moments of palpable anguish and despair.

As Lucille Frank, Leo's long-suffering wife, Liz Wheeler is well-matched with Schelb. Wheeler convincingly moves from nervous weakness to surprising strength.

Together, Wheeler and Schelb become the soulful heart of the tragic story, generating poignant chemistry that slowly builds to the piercing duet, All the Wasted Time.

Drew Eberly adds go-getting energy and cynical humor in Real Big News and other scenes as the newspaper reporter who seizes his opportunity to cover a sensational murder and trial.

Among the other powerful singer-actors: Quentin Schofield-Peaks, as the black janitor who becomes a pivotal witness; Jay Rittberger, as the prejudiced and politically influenced prosecutor; and Joel B . Cohen, as the judge whose conscience pricks him near his deathbed.

Backed by a top-notch orchestra, the strong singing and acting extends deep into the ranks of the 25-member cast, which includes such vocal stalwarts as Eileen Howard (as mourning Mrs. Phagan), Danielle Mann and Dawn Farrell.

Rachel Bodner's formal period costumes, Chris Clapp's fluid scenic design and especially Jason Banks' colorful lighting help bring the bygone era and city to burnished life.

Barnhart's bravura staging, which builds on the bold stage design with sepia-tinged crowd tableaus and achingly private moments, seems to place the entire Atlanta community under the spotlight -- and on trial.

On both the court case and this stirring production, the verdict seems all too clear.

A lovely night

Once again, another FANTASTIC opening.
Everything clicked. We had a great, responsive audience; beautiful music....cast camraderie. Everything was wonderful. Really.
Just had my friends over for a post-show breakdown!
Thanks to all who came tonight (we almost had a full house!) including:

• Mr and Mrs. Dulmage
• Tiff and Bill
  
• Tom and Andrea (from Indy, yay!)
• Branden
• Gary and Amanda
• Amy from J&H
  
• And Rita and Beth, my two best CF nurses!!!!
  

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, all the way around.
Tomorrow will be just as good, I think.
Now, to sleep!
Pics, etc. up tomorrow (possibly post-matinee).
Of course, none of this would have happened without Suzanne. I hope she was watching tonight.