Our first press release!

Gallery Players to Start 'Parade' on Feb. 28


Gallery Players will present the Central Ohio premiere of the Tony Award Winning Play, Parade, from Feb. 28 through March 15. The musical chronicles the real-life 1913 trial of Jewish factory manager Leo Frank, who was accused of raping and murdering a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan. The event, which gave rise to the creation of the Anti-Defamation League, ponders the consequences of the miscarriage of justice.

"The trial aroused anti-Semitic tensions in Atlanta and throughout Georgia," said JCC Cultural Arts Director Jared Saltman. "The plot stays closely to the historical story's conclusion that the likely killer was drifter Jim Conley, a key witness against Frank at the trial. The true villains of the piece are the prosecutor Hugh Dorsey - later the governor of Georgia and then a judge - and the rabid publisher Tom Watson, who was later elected a U.S. Senator."

Saltman added that the tale also is a love story. "Frank is newly married to an Atlantan, but feels out of place. He has never blended into Southern society," he said. "However, throughout the course of the play, his wife transforms from a shy bride to a passionate advocate for her husband. When she embarks on a campaign to save her husband from execution, she surprises herself and her husband by taking on the Atlanta society in which she grew up. Once the extent of the courtroom chicanery is revealed, the governor commutes the sentence. But it's a small victory as Frank finally realizes the extent of his wife's love."

The play was written by Alfred Uhry, who also wrote "The Last Night of Ballyhoo" and "Driving Miss Daisy." Uhry, who grew up in Atlanta, had personal knowledge of the Frank story, as his great-uncle owned the pencil factory run by Leo Frank. Jason Robert Brown wrote the music and lyrics that is rich in Americana, with gospel, ragtime, and rythm and blues. Uhry and Brown both won Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Music Score respectively. The play also won several Drama Desk Awards, and has played on Broadway, and in Australia, London, and Ireland.

In the Gallery Players' production Jon Schelb is starring as Leo Frank, with Liz Wheeler playing his wife, Lucille. Additional cast members include: Dawn Farrell, Michael Wilson, Emily Deardo, Rachel Hering, Jonathan Collura, Laron Hudson, Michelle Conison, Abby Kaselak, Drew Eberly, Jay Rittberger, Denae Rall, Sam Vestey, Jennifer Painter, Randy Benge, Joel B. Cohen, Wilma Hatton, Dani Mann, Eileen Howard, Aaron Henley, Wendy Cohen, Bill Fulk, Vera Cermeans, Quentin Schofield, and Aaron Len.

Directed by Frank Barnhart, Parade will be presented: Saturdays, Feb. 28 and March 7, 14 @ 8 p.m.
Sundays, March 1, 8, 15 @ 2:30 p.m.
Thursdays, March 5, 12 @ 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $12 for JCC members, $18 for nonmembers, $10 for senior members, $16 for senior nonmembers, $8 for children or students, and $10 per ticket for groups of 10 or more. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling (614) 231-2731 or at the door.

Contact Saltman at (614) 559-6248 for more information.

I'm back!

Well, with the crazy weather we've been having here, I have been staked out at my parents' the last few days, and there's only one computer (long story), so I haven't had much access to this blog. Ice, snow...it's a mess out here! But I am back, and returned to Regularly Scheduled Blogging!

No Parade call for me until Monday, when I do the Factory Girls' scene in Act II. Then rehearsal T-Th--we hope!

My resume was accepted for the Weathervane Playhouse auditions in Newark! They do five shows a season. I am hoping to be case in "Into the Woods" and/or "The Secret Garden". 

A great rehearsal :)

Sooo glad to be able to write that as the subject line!

Tonight we were in the R-R Theater, beginning to run Act I with blocking. We changed a few of the pairings, so I am now with a different actor at the beginning (and he towers over me--and everyone else--so that's really fun). Jay was great on "Old Red Hills of Home". We had to, of course, adjust some of the blocking because the stage is bigger (well, duh) than the room we were in before, and to make sure we are out of the way of moving set pieces!

"The Dream of Atlanta" (or, as Frank calls it, "The Atlanta Song") went well. At the end we are all adoring the Governor and his wife on their float as Leo walks among us ("How Can I call This Home?"). Then we realized that we hadn't run the vocal parts on this number, so we briefly went over those, learned it fast, and went back to blocking. During one part (before we break into our solos), Jon (who plays Leo) is singing about the oddness of Southerners about four inches from my face, but I can't look at him. It's quite amusing. Another amusing part is when I get to beg Aaron (my new partner in this scene) for a balloon, wherein he tells me to "Settle Down". (This is so a scene from my childhood...)

We then get "The Picture Show", Frankie and Mary's duet, which was so funny! Jonathan (who plays Frankie) does this great scat number at the end which the audience will love. 

After that, we turn back to the float, and head off, while Leo and Lucille sing "Leo at work/What am I waiting for?" I have to say, this set is going to be awesome--all these moving parts, etc. This is the first time we are actually offstage. Wow. 

Following this we have Newt's "Interrogation", Leo's arrest, and "Big News!"

This was probably the most fun I have had in the entire rehearsal process. 

After the bar owner (Joel) kicks Craig out of his bar early Sunday morning, Craig bemoans the lack of exciting news events to cover in Atlanta ("Big News!"). While he singing this, he's alone onstage. It's a long number. So Frank decided he needed some people. 

Abby and Vera (Iola and Monteen) are in one group, on stage left, while Dawn (the nurse) and I are on stage right. We come in around the middle of the piece, and improvise things with Drew, who plays Britt Craig. It is so much fun. He, Dawn and I are working together when he sings "Soon the women'll vote/ and we'll all go to hell!" (which the guys in my office will love). He manages to drag us all downstage with him before we scamper off for our lives. 

It was so much fun. Frank was cracking up, and so were we. 

Sadly, though, the funeral scene is almost right after this. So I have to be all sad and stuff. That also went well, although Frank wants to work a bit on the blocking. 

After this, we had some notes. Frank said one thing that really helped me--that if he hasn't said anything to you, it's probably because he likes what you're doing. Whew! He also gave us some pointers on how to develop a character, etc., etc. for the funeral scene. For me, this was pretty easy, and I've done some work in my theater notebook about this. But I just love  stuff like this. 

So it was a great rehearsal. Tomorrow's may or may not happen, depending on Ohio weather (lovely). But it is great to rehearse in the theater, and with such a great cast. 

The Best Show On Earth

Comes of age today. 

You may remember that I have a slight obsession with this show. 

The Simple Woman's Daybook--January 26, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For MONDAY, January 26, 2009

Outside my window...

MORE SNOW. It was almost gone over the weekend, and I want it to be gone for good. 

I am thinking...

that rehearsal will be OK. 

I am thankful for...

my talents

From the kitchen...

no idea. Need to investigate. 

To live the liturgy...

Magnificat, daily Bible reading, rosary

I am wearing...

the Ann Taylor twin set from last week's picture; a patterned J. Jill skirt; brown tights, my Tiffany heart pendant. 

I am creating...

a positive mindset

I am going to breathe deeply ...

and RELAX!

Bringing beauty to my home ...

Weekly Home Blessing Hour

I am going...

to focus on my music. 

I am reading...

The Iliad; Bleak House (yup, it's back)

I am hoping...

for a good rehearsal today and tomorrow

I am hearing...

Sarah McLaughlin, "Mirrorball"

Around the house...

vacuuming, cleaning, etc.

One of my favorite things...

Theater

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

Tuesday: Run Act I for the designers

The Frustrations Of Essie

In which she berates the Bionic Ear for its treachery

OK, so having a featured role is harder than I thought. 

Especially when the Bionic Ear Does Not Love Me. 

On Thursday, Abby (Iola) and I ran "The Factory Girls" with our music director, Kristin (Frank and Jen were there too, working on other things in the background). We ran through it a few times, and Kristin says to me, "Can you sing without vibrato?"

I had to think about this. I can, but I have not done it in a long time. After a few more discussion points, I realized that the sound she was looking for was closer to Young Cosette than Cosette. In other words--I had to sing like a kid. 

Remember all that stuff I said about depth of tone? Yeah. None of that. Spread tone. As Jane would say (because everything, in the end, comes back to Jane), Kristin wants "light, bright and sparkling." 

Frank said the same thing, after listening to us. Well, OK, me. I know I am at least 6 years older than the girl who plays Monteen, and I'm fairly sure Abby and I are about the same age. But Abby seemed to have a better handle on the kid thing than I did. 

And, to bring it back to the Bionic Ear, I'm SHARP on the high E. Because I can't use vibrato! And the CI tunes me sharp on high notes. 

Sigh. 

Essie is frustrated. 

Part of it is the CI. The other part is...well, it appears I have reached (or will have reached) vocal maturity soon. Kristin said I sound "operatic". (Who knew?) So the position I'm in is akin to asking a Pro Bowler to play like a Pee Wee Leaguer. 

It's really, really hard. 

I'm trying not to whine here. (I think I'm failing) I love this show, I love this part. I will love it a lot more when I feel better about the role. 

Hopefully with the blocking we have set for "The Factory Girls" scene, I will be able to fit the pitch issues with the E and B-flat. I hope so, anyway. I left rehearsal today feeling very, very grumpy at myself. 

Tomorrow and tuesday we run Act I (Tuesday it's in front of the designers--lights, costumes, sets, props).  Then I have Wednesday off, and possibly Thursday. 

A Health Care Rant

OK real quick--

in a lot of papers yesterday, there was a story about how millions of people can't afford their prescription drugs. OK. This isn't really new. 

Some of these stories allowed comments beneath it. This is where people continue to amaze me. They talk about the evil corporate drug companies who are just out for profit, and it's all their fault!

As Mitt Romney said back in February '08, Drug Companies Are Not Evil. 

Do you know how much it costs to develop a new drug? How many trials have to be done? How many scientists you have to pay, lab time has to be bought, oh, and ingredients? How much trial and error before you get a drug that actually works? 

This costs money. I'm sorry. And yes, drugs like mine, which fewer people take, costs more, because not that many people need tac or imuran to stay alive. 

Look--the U.S. develops a TON of new drugs. This costs money. So you can pick--have the drugs available, or don't have them available, which means certain things, like transplants, can't happen, because we can't solve the rejection component. 

It's expensive to stay alive. I know. Should it be this expensive? Discuss. But please do not just blame it on the drug companies. 

Picture of the Week

A picture's worth a thousand words...

More on this here. 

Tonight, tonight, tonight...

is my (our) big scene--the factory girls/Come up to my office! I am so excited!

I am called at 8 with Abby (Iola), Vera (Monteen) and Leo (Jon) so we can run the scene. It's less than 5 minutes (closer to four, actually) but I am so excited to see how it will turn out!

The Dream of Atlanta

Ever more lives the dream of Atlanta!

Ever more her eternal pride!

Strong and sure is the dream of Atlanta!

When her brothers are unified!

And the sound of her voice is clearer

When her people are proud and free!

Not a star in the sky could be nearer

Than my heart is, Atlanta, to thee!

Baby baby Baby!

Apparently my cousin, Di, who is pregnant w/ her first kid (whom we lovingly call "skeeter") is having contractions 6-7 minutes apart! When they get to five they are off to the hospital! 

Prayers and good wishes, please. :) 

New CPG post!

Life in the Age of Obama

The Funeral Sequence

Wow. I'm feeling really bummed right now, 'cause you know my best friend died and all. 

Well not really. In musical theater land only. 

Yes, tonight we did the funeral sequence, which is sad and depressing (if I'm doing it right, that is). It's raining, the boy I'm paired with is holding an umbrella over us, and then he and I, and Monteen and Iola, get to go to the grave side (really, the edge of the stage) and mourn her. Then we go all fundamentalist Christian (really) and have a little moment of self-righteous fury while Frankie sings about getting the man who killed Mary. Yup, we are ready to hang someone by the end. 

Throughout the number, I basically put myself in Essie's shoes. My best friend died--but she didn't just die, she was murdered, and she was murdered at the place where we worked. She was murdered while the rest of us were enjoying a holiday in the city. And I probably know the man who killed her! (because the suspects at this point are Newt Lee, the night watchman, and Leo, the boss.) She's only 13, and she's dead. I'm looking at her coffin being lowered into the ground. It's really, really pathetic. (In the original sense of the word)

But you have to be able to convey the emotion without actually doing it. I can't be sobbing on stage. Renee Fleming talked about this once, saying (I'm paraphrasing) that sobbing is not conducive to clear singing. She's totally right. So how do you convey it, using your voice and your body, but not actual tears? 

I am off tomorrow night, but on Thursday I'm back, and we're working the beginning of the trial--Frankie's testimony and "The Factory Girls/Come Up To My Office." Our big scene!

Parade scenes and musical numbers

A more "technical" version of the synopsis. 

Update on practice

OK no call tonight--my schedule went into my 'spam' folder instead of my inbox. BUT I got to work out--the seated stair climber and the treadmill. Go me!The fitness center is really nice--tons of machine, weights, a pool, a spinning room, and classes. Nice locker room, too. 

Also 6 TVs to choose from. 

The Simple Woman's Daybook--January 19, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For MONDAY, January 19, 2009

Outside my window...

It's clear and sunny. Snow on the ground and some icicles dangling from my eaves. 

I am thinking...

that there's a lot to do today, but that's OK.

I am thankful for...

days off and Steelers victory!

From the kitchen...

Brioche Day two--rising and baking

To live the liturgy...

Magnificat, daily Bible reading, rosary

I am wearing...

gray yoga pants and a cranberry camisole (my jammies, in other words)

I am creating...

bread, a clean apartment, a theatrical character 

I am going to breathe deeply ...

and enjoy my day off. 

Bringing beauty to my home ...

Weekly Home Blessing Hour

I am going...

to read and practice, and do some writing. 

I am reading...

The Iliad; Bleak House (yup, it's back)

I am hoping...

for a productive week in rehearsal

I am hearing...

The Elton John/ Tim Rice "Aida" soundtrack

Around the house...

vacuuming, cleaning, etc. 

One of my favorite things...

The Steelers :) 

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

Monday: Rehearsal

Tuesday: back to work, rehearsal

Wednesday: Rehearsal

Thursday: Rehearsal

Sunday: lots of birthdays! Matt, Alex and Sarah

A picture thought I am sharing: 

L-R: My aunts Patty and Mary with me at our reunion. Yes, Aunt Parry and I are wearing the same cardigan. :) 

YES!

Pittsburgh's goin' to the Super Bowl!!!

Bring on the birds!

Blocking

Today was rehearsal--yay! After the Factory Girls rehearsal was cancelled last week, I hadn't done Parade for awhile, so I was glad to be back with everyone!

Today we had the entire cast, and we were fitted for costumes. I always think I'm going to have more time to starve myself before this process starts (but we did get our JCC passes today, so at least I can hit the gym before rehearsals now!). Our costume designer is very nice; I think it will be fun to work with her. Since Essie is a teenager, she won't be in long skirts, so I imagine I'll have a costume(s) that are knee-length, with stockings and button boots. 

After we were all measured, we began blocking the first three scenes. We are onstage for, I think, the first five songs, until Newt's "Interrogation" scene, when we get a one-scene break before the funeral (we are blocking this tomorrow). We were in the "dance and music" room at the JCC, since Capital is using the theater for their production of "Into the Woods", which is being performed next weekend. (Incidentally--it's Mel's freshman year at Cap, and "Into the Woods" was the musical during my freshman year. Weird.) 

We also didn't have our accompanist, so we didn't do as much music as we'd hoped, but we did sing "The Old Red Hills of Home" and "The Dream of Atlanta" a cappella (which really impressed Frank and Jennifer, the first time we did it. I was proud). 

Frank's blocking style is "Organic" (his word). A lot of it is very technical; as in, the chorus parts to reveal Lucille at her dressing table; we part to reveal the pencil factory, etc. So some of what we do is scripted. But the rest is sort of loose, at this point. Frank tells us what he wants, and we do it. He broke us up into "family/couple units", so we always have someone with us and can interact with that person/people. The scene between Leo and Lucille went really well--Lucille (played by Liz) is just wonderful. She's exactly who I would have cast. She and Jon (who plays Leo) both look exactly like they should. We sort of walked through "How Can I Call This Home?" but that's hard to do without the music giving all the cues. So that will probably wait until we run Act I sometime next week. 

All in all, a good rehearsal. I love blocking, because that's when you start creating the character. How does Essie interact with others? Who are her friends? What kind of mannerisms does she have? 

Tomorrow we do "The Picture Show"/"Leo At Work"/"Interrogation", with The Funeral Sequence and "Big News" on Wednesday. 

GO STEELERS!!!!!

That is all. :) 

Primitive Behavior

I have discovered a truth about my biology. 

When it's -20, and snowing, and generally gray and miserable--I want sleep. And I want chocolate. 

These two things, together, do not make for the most fit appearance. 

But I've determined it's my caveman wiring kicking in. Humans aren't SUPPOSED to be awake when it's this cold. We're supposed to be snuggled in our caves with layers of subcutaneous fat keeping us warm. 

I am just obeying my body's instructions. 

(And yeah, hitting the gym next week.)