Thursday, July 29, 2010

Go, go, go, Joseph

I am in a production of Joseph and the Amazing® Technicolor Dreamcoat with The Cottonwood Heights Arts Council. It is this Arts Council's first theatrical production. What a fun show!!

We run August 6, 7, 9, 12, & 13 at 7:30 p.m. The show is at Brighton High School 2220 East Bengal Blvd. Tickets are $7 for GA and $5 for Sr/Kids tickets. On Monday night only a family pass (one household up to 10 people) can be purchased for $25.

The dancing in this show is amazing!! I cannot say enough about the great job the choreographer has done. And wait until you hear the voices. THE Narrator rocks!! (Squitch, you know it is true, you rock! Do not deny it!!) Joseph and the Brothers have a ball on stage. My merry little band of drill team members (what?!?! you do not remember drill team in Joseph...? guess you'll have to come see it!!) are so fun to work with.

The cast has worked really hard, the crew has put in countless hours, the live orchestra sounds great! I hope to see you there!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Theater Inspirations ...

I have ne-he-he-he-hever laughed so hard as I have at these two clips.

This one is great inspiration for becoming a truly great actor, thanks Meg:

This one I draw on for truly great inspiration on my upcoming character, thanks Carrie:

Because of these I think I can go out and give it 164% and jibbidy jibbidy but not use my script on the night.

Monday, July 26, 2010

p. to the s.

I just found out there are only 9 spots left for the singing contests Saturday!! Selfishly I would love to see it filled up with my talented (or even not so talented) friends!!

To sign up to sing, please send the following information to Paige@MidvaleArts.com or Suzanne@MidvaleArts.com.
1. Your name.
2. Contact info (email and phone).
3. Whether or not you are lucky enough to be a Midvale resident (entry fees will be collected at the venue).
4. What date you would like to sing (see the schedule above).
5. What song you are planning on singing.

Sing... sing a song...

I am the MC for a fun karaoke contest this summer in Midvale. The Midvale Arts Council is presenting a Summer Music and Movie series. We had a lot of fun on the first night but only 3 people signed up; so we recruited some people to sing because we had 3 prizes to give away.

The info is on this website here.

So this Saturday night (the 31st) the theme is 80's music. I think $5-10 is worth the chance to win a $100 gift card frankly. (the entrance for contestants is $5 for Midvale residents & $10 for non-residents) Spectators are FREE!! After the contest is over we are going to watch Back to the Future II in the park. We had a blast last time.

Then August 20th is our last night and it is country music... which makes me... um excited? LOL

Even if you do not want to sing, I hope you will come out and have some fun with us that night!! Bring lawn chairs or blankets and have a ball!!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Define - Diva

Formal Definition
Diva (n) a celebrated female singer. The term is used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, and by extension in theatre, cinema and popular music. The meaning of diva is closely related to that of "prima donna".

Cultural Definition
Diva (n) ME

Friday, July 16, 2010

It's Normal, Right?

Squitch invited me to a wonderful concert tonight (or technically last night since it is very early the next morning) which I shall take the proper time to give details about later. On our way home she told me that one of my favorite little actresses, Zooey Deschanel, was coming in concert with her band She and Him sometime this summer to SLC. Of course I had to check it out (Aug 26). Well in checking it out I ran across a video of theirs that I thought seemed perfectly normal... in my world people randomly break into song and dance about things like crushes or break ups, and these dance moves seem very common place in my world... yours?



If only this concert were not on a Thursday night!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

My Favorite Things … About Theater

I love doing theater; this is not brand new information. There are things about theater I like more than others.

I like being someone else for a little while. I do not have a bad life, in fact I live a really nice life with great family and friends, but it is fun to be someone different for a few hours a day when doing a play. I am having fun right now being the bad guy of the show. It is not me, and it is fun! I have been able to stand at the back of the stage and make out with a guy during a show just because it fits our character. Where else would a girl like me get to do that? You know be a little bad without being too bad!

I like the unpredictability of a show… well unless I am running sound and then unpredictable is my worst enemy. I have been in a show where the leading man was shot in the face by a prop gun and we had to vamp because the show must go on. I have been in a show where people have just missed scenes completely and the actors onstage have to fill in. I have been in a show where one particularly funny sound issue happened and the CD player broke during a song and the leading man broke character and said to the audience something like “Here is what you missed but is germane to the rest of the story...”

I like hanging out with people who are like me and like what I like. It is nice to quote a movie or showtune and have everyone around you get it. With my family that happens often, but it is nice nonetheless!

I like people stepping up when something bad happens in the show, like someone dropping out or not enough men show up for auditions.

I like getting a workout each night because of dancing. It makes me feel alive. I see some dances, though, and I am like “What the crap is that and you want me to what?!” It is a good workout, though!

I like watching creative minds come up to solutions like small budget or difficult space constraints.

I like being in charge when I direct, I like being bossy! I can sit down to read a script and see the show play out in my mind. I like seeing it come to life.

I like being pushed to my creative limits as a performer. It means I need to work harder to be good.

I like having a network of super talented people I can call when I have an issue I cannot solve whether it is as an actor or a director. It is wonderful to know I have this network to back me up. I have had more than one free voice lesson in my time thanks to wonderful friends!

I like, just being honest here, to sit through a really bad show and know I could have done it better.

I like the standing ovation after a really rewarding performance. Although I do think Utah audiences give standing ovations too often in theater, I like to earn one!

This is not the complete list, just some of my favorite things I like about theater.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Stress ... Relievers

Raise your hand if you have ever been really stressed.

Okay, those of you with your hands in the air, tell me what you do to relieve your stress!

I am not saying I am stressed, it is just something I was thinking about today. Usually when I am stressed I arrange a visit to my favorite pedi lady Lisa Jo. (And if you saw my feet you would tell me it is time to visit her anyway!!) But when I really get stressed I usually do not have time to actually visit her.

Then I started to think that maybe the key is not stress relief, but rather stress prevention. When I do get stressed I clench my jaw and end up with a sore jaw.

So my tens of readers: Stress relief OR stress preventions that work for you... GO!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Divas and Hair

I have seen some amazing theater in my life. I have been the New York twice and seen Broadway shows, I lived in Chicago for years and saw some wonderful productions there, even the season they bring here to Utah through Broadway Across America if phenomenal. But nothing, NOTHING, I have seen so far compares to what I saw Saturday. I saw 110 in the Shade at Hale Centre Theatre Orem starring Audra McDonald. Child, please!!

HCTO is a small theater (300 seats) and Audra McDonald is a 4 time Tony Award winner. I was feet away from her the whole show. My friend Elisha turned me on to a deal where tickets for this performance were 65% off, which was quite a savings. All of the cast and crew were donating their time for this special engagement run to raise funds for HCTO to build a new more state of the art theater.

Words would be insufficient to describe how amazing this show actually was. If I had seen it at full price I still would have thought I got a good deal. McDonald is a truly talented actor. Her demeanor transforms throughout the show. It was astounding to me to see an actor of this caliber perform. Her entire being was involved in the show.

Honorable mentions for this show also need to include local Utah actors: Marvin Payne, Jared Young, Kevin Goertzen, and Rachel Lynn Woodward. These actors are staying in the production now that the special engagement is over and would be worth the price of normal admission to see. Jared Young and Rachel Lynn Woodward had amazing chemistry together. This was a GOOD show!!

After, of course because we are crazy stalkers, I waited by the stage door for autographs and pictures with my posse: Candice, Hutch, and Craig. We lost Megan somewhere in the crowd, but she got pics too and wrote a fun blog about her experience.

Audra McDonald was gracious and spent a little time with those asking for her autograph. One lucky fan even asked for a hug, jealous!!
Radiant, right?

Me, Audra McDonald, and Craig

Candice, Audra McDonald, and Hutch


And since I have been asked for pics of it, even though it can be seen earlier in this post, here is my new hair. It is blonde, yo!! I do not know if I am having more fun, but gentlemen seem to prefer me now!!
This is my costume for the upcoming production of Joseph...

My pal Casey is the Narrator (she is freaking amazing!!) and my character gets to fight with her the whole show. It is a fun departure to play the "bad guy" but I am having a blast!!

Friday, July 9, 2010

A Stereotyping Post

I am in a production of Joseph (oh you'll hear much more about it in the next few weeks I am sure) and for my part I got to dye my hair. No not red and it is not in a mullet... It is blonde. This week I have been so ditsy. Now I know it is not because I am a blonde, I have good friends who are blonde and very intelligent but I think it is ironic (not literally ironic Sister, more culturally ironic) that now that I have blonde hair...

Okay so examples:
  • On the day my hair was colored I almost made a mistake that would have cost our firm $100,000. That is a pretty big chunk of change!!
  • I just sat here at my desk typing a quote and could not figure out why it was not working... well because I kept hitting the tab key instead of the enter key. Yes I know they are the opposite sides of the keyboard.
  • Last night at dress rehearsal for Birdie (WE OPEN TONIGHT!!!) I stood by the sound board for 10 minutes trying to figure out why one mic was not working. Helps if you take the mute button OFF!
Oh I struggle this week. I know it is because it is tech week and I have been running on fewer hours of sleep than usual. But now that I am blonde I can blame it on that, right?

Unrelated:
Birdie does open tonight, tomorrow July 10 there will be an oldies car show before the performance from 5:30 - 7:30. Admission to the car show is free. For ticket info please visit www.midvalearts.com.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

I Dream To Be...

Mom was cleaning out some old boxes of all our crap from when we were younger. She ran across this little gem:


It is a drawing I did for a Reflections Contest when I was in 2nd grade. The theme obviously was "I Dream To Be..."

Not only did "I dream to be a singing movie star" but I also apparently dreamed of being a red head with an awesome mullet style hairdo. Party up top!!

Let's be honest, my dream has not changed that much... I still want an awesome mullet style hairdo!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Respect

Let's just get the song out of the way shall we? "Find out what it means to me..."

I think people should be treated in a manner of respect, even if they do not earn it. Now let me be blunt and say I do not always treat people with respect, I admit it. But I get so angry when I see people who blatantly disregard others and treat them with disrespect. I get really mad when it is me that is disrespected but even more so when it is the people I care about. Without going into too much detail (because of my rule to not say anything on my blog I would not say to someone's face, and it would do no good to tell this person she is being rude and disrespectful) I have some things to say in general that I would like to address to this person:

When your actions directly affect others you need to consider those others before doing something boneheaded.

When someone else needs to cover for you because you want to leave a situation, you better find someone to cover for you.

Telling is not asking, asking is polite.

When you are the subordinate individual in a professional relationship there is a level of respect that is inherently given to your superiors or supervisors.

I have two general rules that have served me well in the past: 1) Do not piss of the person who signs your paycheck! 2) Do not piss of the sound person in theater! The one has power of what you make, the other can make you sound like crap!

While everyone is diverse and different (thank heavens!!) I believe that as human beings we each have civil rights, rights of civility. This person that I would like to yell at does not have common sense, or frankly does not care about the lives she steps on. She makes it really hard to be civil to; I do not like her and it is hard to show her respect. Note to self, turn on the showtunes and get back to work... because Karma is a friend to the friendly!!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Covet... oh man...

I do not usually covet on account of it is a commandment not to. But I do have 2 or ... well a few things ... I would like to play with all the time because they are mine. A camera like some members of my family have has been on my list for a while. But there is a new toy on the market that I actually have to talk myself out of getting more often than I should have to. It is a little thing they like to call an iPad. I like to call it, "No Steph, not yet!" I played with one this weekend and it weakened my resolve a bit. For some time I have wanted an eReader and an iPod Touch. Put your hands together and you get the iPad. It was a fun toy to play with (darn you Tonya!!)

Good thing Brother gave a nice family home evening lesson on getting out of debt and budgeting to snap me back to reality. At least until my bonus comes this year OR they lower the price/raise the memory whichever comes first. Why share this? Not a real reason, I just saw another iPad and had to give myself the speech again: "No Steph, not yet!!" One of our vendors at work is having an iPad giveaway though, so keep your fingers crossed.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Giveaway?!?!

Sometimes my Sister is rather funny, if I do say so myself! She put a new post on The Busy Bean Blog today that made me laugh so hard, mostly because she is funny stuff; you might not laugh as much as I did, but she still is rather witty. Anyway, she is doing a giveaway on her blog, the link is HERE. I do not know what the prize is, but I have yet to see her make anything dumb or ugly. Plus there is a cute pic of my little niece Mac helping her mama sew. She is also doing a booth coming up in August for Midvale Harvest Days that I will post more info about when it gets a bit closer.