I miss my Charmios

Once upon a time, I did a little play called Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. In this particular version, we had a drill team called the "Lucky Charmios" and I was lucky to be one of them. Our brilliant choreographer, Stephanie Maag taught us some moves and helped us be much, much better and more flexible dancers than any of us had been previously. We really wanted to make her proud, so we practiced our butts off. Our favorite song to rehearse to was the Glee version of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance."

Because I miss my Charmios, and because I promised them I'd put together a video of the choreography with our song, I decided to finally learn how to use iMovie and put together a little tribute video. It's my first attempt at this type of project, so please forgive its imperfections. Truth to be told, I had a lot of fun with this and now I can't decide what to immortalize next!

(I must say, I'm pretty impressed with how well we stayed on the beat, considering we didn't actually have the music with us when we filmed the drill moves!)

Cottonwood Joseph post #7: A Retrospective

I finally finished up my last Cottonwood Joseph post. Good times! I hope the Arts Councils' next show is as fun and successful!

[For convenience' sake, and because I'm afraid the Cottonwood Joseph blog will suddenly disappear one day, here is the post in full:]

This show was an illustration of one of my mom's favorite adages: "You don't regret the things you do. You regret the things you don't do." Meaning, I would have regretted not doing this show. Poor, poor Joseph, I was sooo tired during this rehearsal process! Tired and grumpy as I may have been at times, I never missed a rehearsal that wasn't already on my conflict sheet. I may have battled in my mind a bit before some of the rehearsals and the parade and subsequent performance, but I was never disappointed. This show was good for me!

And now, as is my custom, a run-down of some of my most cherished memories:

1. How cool is it that I was a part of Cottonwood Heights Arts Council history? I was a part of the first show they ever put together! And from what I hear, it was ridiculously successful. We had way more audience members than anyone expected, and way more fun than we had any business having. The Council put together a great proteam. The proteam put together a great cast. And the cast put on a terrific show. Everybody won!

2. SO. MANY. KIDS. Just so many. I don't know how the proteam did it. There were a ton of children in the cast, and some weren't terribly focused. Some of the adults -- including me -- weren't always thrilled having all of them around. But when it came time to perform, those kids were fantastic! For the most part they did what they were supposed to and stood where they were told. So cute. I don't know if I could ever direct a show with that many kids, but I might consider doing another show with kids, if they try as hard as these did. Good for them! We need a new generation of actors who know what they're doing, and goodness knows our director and childrens' director did all they could to train them!

3. I can still hardly believe I got to do this show with my best friend, her husband, my Charmios, my favorite theatre cohorts and all of the others. How lucky am I that I performed with so many people that I love, and met several more that I hope to perform with again in the near future. I am perfectly aware of how talented and cool my castmates are. What an inspired cast. It felt so good to see them every day. We cheered each other on, took care of each other, and I hoped spurred us all on to be better than we would have been otherwise. They were dedicated to finding and creating great moments wherever we could and I hope we succeeded.

4. I love that the Charmios all developed their own onstage personalities and we were all so different. I love that they voted me the "head drill leader"... after I told them that was what I wanted. I was the "mini Sue." Consequently, they put me in the front of the formation. Never mind that I struggled with the cheers. As long as we were smiling we were fine! It was a pleasure to work so closely with our Narrator "Sue" 2 and those terrific girls. They never made me feel old, they always made me feel welcome, and for that I am extremely grateful!

5. Bloopers:
a. During "One More Angel in Heaven" I was sitting back-to-back on the floor with Britney. She was facing the singers and we were getting ready to stand up and dance during the Hoedown, when she said, "There's a lipstick on the stage!" I turned around and, sure enough, there was a small, round lipstick right about where we were about to dance. "What do I do?" she asked. "Pick it up," I replied. She did, even though it turned out I would have been closer once we were in our lines. Later in that same dance, someone's bandana fell on the ground. This time I picked it up and swung it around as much as I could until the end of the dance.
b. As I mentioned, I was in the front of the drill team's formation during "Go Joseph." One night, the pom-pom in my right hand decided to spontaneously combust. The thing fell apart in my hand. I kept going for a second, trying to decide it if would be more distracting to leave the pieces on the stage or pick them up and disrupt the routine. Ultimately I swiftly bent and picked up as much as I could in one big handful and finished up. I didn't get it all, but hopefully I picked up enough that the audience was watching the actors and not the streamers left on the stage.
c. Not a blooper, but I loved running into the audience during "Go Joseph" to do our cheers. None of the Charmios ever thought we'd make it back onstage in time to finish the choreography but we always did. I sure did run my legs off to get there!
d. Little Bella roamed the stage. Much of the time she stayed pretty near her mom or some responsible adult, but sometimes she just needed some space. It would crack me up (and alarm me just a smidge) every time I saw her somewhere she wasn't supposed to. Sometimes I wish she had wandered onstage during the Potiphar scene so I could pretend to be scandalized as I dragged her off. I got to do it during rehearsal once, and it was funny!
e. Another time during "One More Angel," I watched my fellow drillmate Kenzie walk across the stage, grab cast member Amy's prop (a cross stitch in a hoop) and pretend to blow her nose on it. Satisfied with the horrified look on Amy's face, Kenzie skipped back to her place and sat down. I laughed so hard I had to put my face in my hands. Everyone on stage who hadn't seen Kenzie but could see me was really confused.

6. This show was a total PARTY every time we performed. It may also be the only play in history that improved with every subsequent show. We performed five times and every one was better than the last. It just felt good to rock out and play all night. I danced so hard during the Megamix that I could barely sing. Since I don't generally consider myself a strong dancer I generally throw all I have into the singing part, so the fact that I had so much fun dancing is a huge compliment coming from me! My favorite songs were "Go, Go, Go, Joseph," "Pharoah's Dream," and the "Benjamin Calypso" part of the Megamix (the part when we did the Macarena). SO FUN! I miss the workout I got every night and the requisite happy endorphins :D

So long, Joe! It was fun while it lasted!

5 x 11

I just finished my 5th show in a row. With no breaks in between any of them. This means I've been either performing or rehearsing (and sometimes both, because there was a lot of overlap) for nearly eleven months. And I've LOVED it! All of the plays, theaters, and people involved were all so very different I can't even compare them to each other. So I'm going to describe the differences and highlights of each:

1. Sleeping Beauty: the adventure story.
It all started when I auditioned for this show in September last year. I played a fairy, which was something of a dream come true for a girl raised on fairy tales. To be honest, I had really wanted to play Sleeping Beauty herself, but I am very glad I accepted the fairy role. The casting was too perfect. I got to play around and make up my own character in a lot of ways. Plus, the two women playing my fairy sisters are long-time friends and we had a blast in our efforts to steal every scene we were in (which included pretty much the entire show since we almost never left the stage). I was ecstatic to be doing a "straight" play, i.e. not a musical. The last non-musical I did was in 2004, I believe, which is weird because I consider myself a much better actress than a singer, but not weird because we all know how much I LOVE to sing. (...And then of course they cast me as a character that sings all the time!)The Childrens' Theatre did this show when I was in college and I was always sad I missed out at that time. I hadn't done a play with the Childrens' Theatre in six or seven years, and returning to this theatre to do a play I'd wanted to do for so long was wonderful! I had forgotten how much I love my Joanne, and what great work they do with the storytelling and young actors. It was also cool to do a period piece that did not take place in the nineteenth or twentieth centuries. The costumes were very Shakespearean, and we all had to train ourselves to throw out any sort of modern mannerisms, which is harder than you would think! My parents brought my nephew to see this play -- his first play! -- and he loved it, especially the dragon. I must admit, I loved the dragon, too, because not only were the effects cool, but from backstage it sounded like a videogame. I forgot how much I like the "backstage" experience! It was a nice welcome back after not doing a play for 10 months (the previous show was Babes in Toyland, Christmas of 2008)!

2. Kiss Me Kate: the comedy.
When I auditioned for this play, I knew nothing about it, except it was supposedly a classic, was an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, and had the songs "Too Darn Hot" and "I Hate Men" in it. I might have known that people dance around in their underwear. (Hmm, maybe that's a lot I knew about it.) The show covered just the right time in my life, because as you'll recall I lost my job during the rehearsal process. I've said it before, but my job-search depression would have been a lot worse without this show to go to every night. The cast was made up of all adults and sometimes the goings-on backstage were inappropriate (never TOO much). We had double-entendres for everything so we probably thought the show was funnier than it was, but we had a brilliant time! I was surprised to be cast in the ensemble in this dance-heavy musical, but happy for the chance to strengthen that weakest angle of my triple-threat triangle. Boy did the choreographer work us hard, but I managed to get it all down and my friends and family members were pretty surprised at some of my moves! I can dance! I sang the second alto part, which I loved! I adore singing harmony and it sounded so cool when we got the 8 part harmony right. Our music director called me his "power alto" -- I cannot even begin to describe how proud I am of that! Also, my hair looked awesome in every time period, both Renaissance and 1940s. I even had a cute slip to dance in, which was especially useful during a dress rehearsal where I had to change onstage and didn't make it in time (forcing me to continue a whole scene wearing just that slip...I didn't even have the green shirt at the time...). The play was double-cast, and we had a great time mixing and matching the cast members. Once again, I had a fantastic double, and I was sad that she was the one person I never got to perform with!

3. The Secret Garden: the drama.
A revisiting of a play I did 15 years ago. It's wasn't the musical and I was only in four scenes, which was lucky since I closed Kiss Me Kate a week before this one opened and could only go to a few other rehearsals before that. I played Lillias Craven, a ghost who was the wife and mother of two of the other characters. I loved getting to work with one of my favorite directors -- Emily Holmgren -- the person who taught me that knowing my character is the most important thing an actor can do. I definitely knew Lilias Craven inside and out! Sadly, I never thought of my character as creepy until someone pointed it out opening weekend; then I couldn't think of myself as anything but! I loved the relationships with the actors and characters and, again, revisiting old friendships. It was really cool seeing how very engrossed even the littlest of children were as they watched this talk-heavy, very dramatic play. They loved it! Children are much smarter than most people give them credit for. I had the BEST costume ever, and I loved getting ready. I didn't even care that my dress weighed, like, 25 pounds and people stepped on the train nearly every performance. I giggled when the cast would greet the audience after the show and little girls wanted a photo with the "princess." It was odd playing a character that no one could see -- odd enough that it was hard to get used to EVERYONE looking at me in the next show. I spent a lot of time backstage and made myself useful helping with scene changes and costume changes.

After I was cast in the Secret Garden, I formed the idea in the back of my head that I wanted to be constantly involved in one show or another for a whole year. Not a goal, per se, but just a thought that "I have time and it will bother no one, so why not?" It all depended on whether I'd have the energy and opportunities.

4. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: the dream.
My favorite show ever. A dream role, show, and cast. I have never worked so hard in my life and loved anything so much. Even now, it's the show I miss the most. I don't know if I'll ever be a part of another show that comes together quite as miraculously as this one. We had so much stacked against us: the loss of our anticipated performance space, the loss of performances, almost no advertising, almost no support from the Arts Council, multiple injuries, and so forth, but it all worked well in the end. I am still just so proud of the show! It was such an overwhelming experience playing the character that glues the rest of the show together. I was in nearly every scene, had encounters with all of the other characters. If my performance wasn't believable the whole show would be garbage. Happily, I had help and plenty of time to prepare. My favorite rehearsals were those when Brett, Denise (my Adam and my director), and I would just sit around and talk about our motivations, our backstories, our relationship, and the historical context. I loved my character and all of the others onstage with me. It was so great getting to spend so much time onstage, so much time exploring different aspects of the story. I grew so much! I had a whole character arc! I was the star! I got to feature others and support them in their roles! I loved it every day and probably would have been really depressed when it closed if I hadn't immediately jumped right into the middle of rehearsals for...

5. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: the party.
This poor show fought an uphill battle in my mind. My darling Kate asked me to audition and I was thrilled to be cast, but I was so tired after working so hard in Seven Brides that it was often a chore going to rehearsals. It was through loyalty and love for the friends involved, force of will, and a desire to let loose and party that I managed to get myself through this show! I am so glad I did it. I adored singing the music. I was thrilled that I got to play a drill team member and was repeatedly told I am a dancer (bless you, Stephanie M!). I relished in the dancing. I laughed a lot. I cried a couple of times. But in the end it really was a party. I had a blast playing with my pom-poms and -- miracle of miracles! -- I was able to touch my toes for the first time I can ever remember! Once again, my parents brought my nephew to the show -- his first musical -- and he loved it! Now he listens to the soundtrack all the time and wants to do a play with me sometime. I am so excited! I would love to have a family member to perform with. I am so jealous of all the friends who get to perform with kids or siblings! I must say, I'm used to getting yelled at by one or more members of the pro team at some point, but that never happened with this show. The whole experience was very positive. The very best part was the gift of spending six weeks with many people I completely love and don't get to see very often, if ever. I may be completely wiped out now that it's over, but I know that choosing to do this play in spite of my personal adversity was the right thing to do. I can't imagine not having done it. I still plan on posting one more time on the Cottonwood Joseph blog. I need a cathartic wrap-up.

Now that Joseph has closed, I am reveling in blissful non-participation. There were several plays I could have auditioned for to finish out the year, but I am too physically and creatively exhausted. I need some time to replenish, visit with some of my friends inside and outside of the theatre world, to go on vacation, to sleep in, to just sit around and do nothing, and to enjoy the last little bit of the summer because I've spent the entire time inside either at work, rehearsal, or in performance. I'll be honest: I'm pretty happy not to be doing a show at the moment.

I am really grateful for all of the support I've had during this time! For awesome castmates and production teams and people who came to see me perform. Most of the people that mean the most to me either came to or were involved in at least one of the plays this year. I was often surprised at people who actually came. I've become reacquainted with a lot of friends I'd only seen recently on Facebook; I love that more than one friend I hadn't seen in more than 10 years came to see me in Seven Brides! I am a little disappointed with some of the people who made no effort to see anything. Really? I'm in 5 plays, some of which were super-inexpensive, and you couldn't come to one? I understand some people live out-of-state and for others life in general is really busy, but I'm allowed to be disappointed anyway. I just keep hoping (but not too hard lest they miss the next, too) that they come to the next show.

I've grown up a lot in this last year, I hope. I've learned many lessons. I've learned that not getting the part I want doesn't mean I'm not talented enough to play it. I've learned that making the most of the part I do have pays off. I've learned that people see a lot more potential in me than I see in myself. I've learned that a show can overcome all sorts of obstacles if the people involved are dedicated and brave enough to do what must be done. I've learned not to be afraid to list conflicts on my audition form because if a production team really wants me they'll make it work and be really nice about it. I've learned that I can be the lead -- I can command and guide a show and I can do it well! I've learned that it's better to audition for a show and not get it than to not audition and wonder "what if?" I've learned that I have a lot more energy than I thought. I've learned that I need a break in between shows (or at least between every two or three). Best of all, I've learned that the theatre world is shrinking all the time and I have friends from all over the Salt Lake valley who generally care about me.

There are quite a few types of plays I'd like to do in the somewhat near future: a Shakespeare play, another crazy-big part in a musical, a tap-dance show, and a full-length straight play. Someone asked me a few weeks ago what my dream role is. Well, it was Milly in Seven Brides, and now that I've done that I don't know what the new dream is. There are so many parts I can and want to play!

What will I do next? I'm not sure. I would kind of like to audition for a Christmas show, but the idea of starting up another show makes me feel tired. I don't know if I'll be ready to jump into another play again in the next couple of weeks. I'm enjoying the freedom. (Yes, most Christmastime plays have auditions in August or September.)

It's been a good year for stretching my acting chops. Hopefully this next one will be, too. It probably won't be as busy -- I don't know if I can or want to continue to keep up this pace -- but I have my fingers crossed it will be just as satisfying!

Cottonwood Joseph post #6: An idea that didn't make it on stage

I posted again on the Cottonwood Joseph blog. I'll probably post at least one more time about doing the show, but I really wanted to post some funny backstage/rehearsal photos, so that's what it is.

I can't believe we only have two performances left. Surreal!

[For convenience' sake, and because I'm afraid the Cottonwood Joseph blog will suddenly disappear one day, here is the post in full:]

The rehearsal process is an opportunity to experiment. During one of the final dress rehearsals, the brothers wore letters on their costumes. The idea was ultimately rejected, mostly because when they stood together this happened:





A really cool idea that did work was matching tennis shoes. Everyone in the cast recieved a free pair that we get to keep. Many of the shoes were in light colors, and many cast members found it easy to color them their favorite color:


It's weird to think that we've performed three times already. Only two shows left. Come while you still can!

I'm going to miss it when it's over. These people are hilarious!

Morning Person

Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis


Since yesterday was a busy, 21-hour day (starting at 4:30), I could relate to this strip this morning.

Yesterday was, however, a really good day. I was out of the house before dawn to join my fellow Joseph castmembers on a local morning news show. I worked a full 8 hour day (needing only a 45 minute nap). We had our best performance yet for Joseph, performing to a very responsive, nearly packed house -- an estimated 700 seats sold, can you believe it? And then I went to my best friends house for good ice cream, good television, and good conversation.

Meanwhile, my show got a great review at Utah Theatre Bloggers. The writer sent us a rough draft yesterday that Kate read while we were waiting to be filmed, and we were thrilled at all of the compliments! For convenience' sake, I posted the final version here:

Cottonwood Heights dreams big with “Joseph”
Written by: Sara Harvey | August 10, 2010.
COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — The Cottonwood Heights Arts Council, which is only about two years old, has chosen Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, to be its first production. Joseph is a beloved musical, especially to Utah audiences. Thoughts of Donny Osmond and past productions are not far when you hear another group will soon be putting on the show. Did Cottonwood Heights Arts Council deliver?

For me, they definitely did! With a 30 piece live orchestra behind them, this cast of over 50 people—ranging in age 3 to adult—gave a beautiful representation of the play.

A few highlight performances for me were those of the Casey Matern (Narrator), Craig Clifford (Joseph), Jason Wadsworth (Judah), C. Pehrson (Simeon) and the children’s choir. Watching preschooler Abigail Barlow singing “Go, Go, Go Joseph” was the highlight of my week. The children’s choir was very impressive. I love watching children perform especially when they are so focused, engaged and have such a beautiful sound.

The best thing about the production was the spot-on live orchestra directed by Thomas C. Baggaley. I especially enjoyed the electric bass solo.

Choreographer Stephanie Maag definitely met (and surpassed) expectations as she featuredthe cast was doing jazz, hip hop, line dancing and…drill(?).

This production and its cast personify what the musical Joseph and community theater is about, dreams and family. Clifford’s performance as Joseph was one such example. He returns to the stage after a 16 year hiatus with his son, Alex. His natural acting style and beautiful voice makes me hope we will be seeing more of him in the future.

Directed well by Kate Rufener, this is community theater where cast and crew become like a family working toward a common goal. If you are expecting lavish costumes and sets you will be disappointed. If you want to see a solid performance with energetic actors and a fantastic live orchestra you will be delighted to attend this production in Cottonwood Heights.

Congratulations C.H. Arts Council on your first production! Keep on dreaming!

And here are a few of the news spots. Aren't my friends talented?
 
 
 
(I also posted this same post on the Cottonwood Joseph blog. Just for your info!)

Cottonwood Joseph post #4: It's-almost-opening-night jitters

I posted again on the Cottonwood Joseph blog. (Yes, I am aware that it's kind of bratty of me to post a link, when some of you are already using google reader to get to this blog and end up having to click three or four links to read the actual post. Thanks for doing that for me! Next time I may just post the same post in both places...something to think about.)

We open in two days! I am so excited to finally get to perform this show! Rehearsing is fun, but performing for an audience who has never seen the show before is the BEST!!

[For convenience' sake, and because I'm afraid the Cottonwood Joseph blog will suddenly disappear one day, here is the post in full:]

A few weeks ago, our cast started to get tired, grouchy, frustrated and stressed. Our illustrious director, sensing the frustration, wisely played the Glee version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." This song (especially this version of this song), for me, is a reminder of why I love to perform: the lights, the audience, the comraderie, and the pure joy of singing for no reason other than it's my favorite thing to do. We all had different lines in the song that expressed what we love about theatre and how we want to approach the show. It was cool hearing everyone's take on the song, and afterward we tackled the play with renewed enthusiasm.

Joseph opens in two days. We are ready. We have worked hard these last six weeks getting to know and trust each other, learning the show and all of the multiple songs in their multiple styles, and mastering all of the choreography (some of which is impressively difficult). I can feel that we are really good, especially in certain numbers. The energy is fantastic and all of our work is paying off.

But, on the other hand, we open to paying audiences in two days. I am once again stressed, tired, and grouchy. I just want to do a good job and if one little thing goes wrong or I do one little thing wrong I whine and complain and want to go home. It's not a mature reaction, but it is the truth.

So, this morning, I listened to Glee's version of "Don't Stop Believing" again. I may just put it on repeat on my iPod and listen to nothing else today, because all of the positive, hopeful, joyful feelings came back. This is not the time to succumb to my stress. This is the time to sit back, remind myself often to relax, perform because I love to perform, and give the audience the thrill of seeing a show I know is really terrific!

In case anyone else reading this has been feeling the same way I have, here's a replay of our unofficial anthem. I hope it helps you all in the same way it has me. I love you all. Let's completely rock the rehearsal tonight!!

Don't Stop Believin' lyrics
Songwriters: Schon, Neal; Cain, Jonathan; Perry, Steve;

Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere

Just a city boy
Born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere

A singer in a smoky room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night

Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time

Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people

Errands

I took work off today to get some things done for my brother's wedding. Thank goodness I did. I needed every minute and would not have been ready for the wedding without today!

What I accomplished:
1. Slept in (desperately needed).
2. Oil change (and watched a Patrick Stewart interview on PBS - awesome).
3. Full-body massage (a necessity after six months of character shoes, high heels, and high stress. The masseuse is a friend and came to my house. She is a miracle worker!!).
4. Made homemade peanut butter cups for the rehearsal potluck... unfortunately, I didn't have enough of some of the ingredients and they were an epic failure.
5. Grabbed lunch at Taco Bell (yaaaay for a meal!).
6. Returned a dress at Macey's and looked for wedding shoes, belt, and jewelry.
7. Dropped my vaccuum off at the repair shop (finally).
8. Bought ridiculously perfect shoes at TJ Maxx (Ridiculously. Perfect. Photos are coming).
9. Futilely visited Dillards in search of a belt and jewelry.
10. Bought two belt options at Nordstrom.
11. Bought jewelry options at Claire's, Charlotte Russe, and Chic Belle.
12. Had a manicure and pedicure (again, necessary).
13. Joseph rehearsal (this show is going to be FANTASTIC!!)
14. Hours chatting with my best friend and her husband (I don't get to do this nearly enough)!
15. Went to bed waaaay too late, but very happy and satisfied with how the day went.

Notice that breakfast and dinner were not on my list of accomplishments. Fortunately, other people had brought stuff to the pot luck at rehearsal and I didn't starve. Thank goodness for small favors! Also not accomplished: grocery shopping. I'm out of pretty much everything except lean cuisine for lunches. Sometimes I really miss fresh fruit and veggies and yogurt. Ah well, I'll make it to the grocery store sometime.

Phew! I hope I'm ready for the big day. No more time for preparations for any of us. Just going to go and watch my brother complete the best decision he'll ever make! I'm excited!

Cottonwood Joseph post #3: Butlerville Days

I posted again on the Cottonwood Joseph blog last night. This time I talked about our Pioneer Day adventures. We got to advertise for the show and had a blast!

Speaking of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, we open A WEEK FROM TOMORROW! I'm pretty excited. I am having a lot of fun with the show and the people in it. Hope all y'all will come if you're free!


[For convenience' sake, and because I'm afraid the Cottonwood Joseph blog will suddenly disappear one day, here is the post in full:]

Last weekend, a group of us from the show had the very cool opportunity to advertise and celebrate at Butlerville Days, a festival celebrating the pioneers who settled in the Cottonwood Heights area. It was a hot day, and we were exhausted by the end of it, but it was worth it!

We had sparkly stars painted on our faces.



We marched in the parade, some carrying the banner...


Some handing out flyers, crayons and candy...


Some riding in the car with music blaring...


...ALL of us singing and having a good time!


As I said, it was hot, so we were grateful for the people along the way who provided water bottles and encouragement. I was impressed by and proud of my fellow castmembers who were not afraid to walk up to so many strangers and had them fliers. Such brave children and confident adults!

After the parade, many of us helped at the Arts booth to sell bracelets with the phrase "Any Dream Will Do" on them. People who bought a bracelet and bring them to the show will get $1 off tickets for themselves and one other person. I bought three (in addition to my castmember bracelet) to give to my family. It didn't occur to me until the next day I had bought lightsaber colors -- green, blue, and purple (my cast bracelet is red)!


We also sang in the big talent show. We sang "Jacob and Sons" and "Joseph's Coat." We had some prime performance real estate, too! We got to sing right before the musical group Eclipse, so we had a huge crowd for the second song. It was great to feel the audience's energy and get everyone excited about coming to see us perform!



It was a fun day, and all of us who chose to go were glad we did. Any chance to sing these songs and play with this group of people is a happy one for me!

Cottonwood Joseph post #2: No small parts

I posted again on the Cottonwood Joseph blog. To read the post, click here. However, I encourage you to read all of the posts on there. It's going to be a fun show, and I like reading all of the different perspectives :D

Have a happy day!

[For convenience' sake, and because I'm afraid the Cottonwood Joseph blog will suddenly disappear one day, here is the post in full:]

I just finished performing as Milly in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It was a huge role and consequently a lot of work. If I wasn't onstage then I was getting ready to go onstage. I felt enormous pressure to do everything perfectly. I didn't want to let down my cast, my director, or myself. It took a lot out of me! After closing night I was exhausted.

I woke up the next morning, went to work, and then went to my third rehearsal for Joseph.

To be honest, I was looking forward to "just being in the ensemble" in Joseph. I thought it would be a nice "winding down" after Seven Brides. I liked the idea of standing in the back and singing a few songs and letting someone else do all the hard work this time.

Ha! I forgot that in a show like Joseph, the ensemble is in every scene and is onstage more than some of the leads!

There's a well-known cliché that states "There are no small parts, only small actors." It's absolutely true! Everyone who auditions for a show hopes to get one of the lead roles. They want to stand in the spotlight and have the applause all to themselves, and then if they are cast in the ensemble they are disappointed. I can understand the feeling. Being the lead is pretty cool.

But whether you're cast in the lead or the ensemble, you have the exact same responsibility: work hard to learn your part and perform it as well as you can EVERY TIME.

Every actor on stage is important because everyone on the stage is telling the story. You might be talented enough to play a lead, but guess what? Directors need strong actors in those ensemble roles as well as in the leads. Sometimes I joke as an ensemble member that "nobody cares what I'm doing except my mom," but I know that if I'm not performing my very best that I am the only one to blame if I look dumb. Plus, for all I know, there is someone in the audience who doesn't know anyone in the show, so they randomly decide to start watching me. I'd hope if they do they watch me because I'm talented or intentionally funny, and not because I look bad. I don't want to wreck the show!

Every person in a show has a unique experience in that show. I've done both Bye Bye Birdie and Brigadoon twice, once in the ensemble and once as a lead, and I loved both versions equally. I think my favorite part of being in the ensemble is that I get to make up my character's story. Does my character like Joseph? Does my character like pizza? What's my character's name? What's my relationship with that other ensemble member who is standing across the stage? Why am I sad during this scene and happy in the next?

The production team told us at the first rehearsal that they want each character to have a "Rockstar Moment" and we each get to decide when that is. I've chosen my moment (and if you want to know what it is, you'll just have to come and see the show). I love to stand in the back or the front or wherever I'm blocked and just sing and dance and have a good time. Maybe my mom will be the only one watching me, and even if she is I am going to have a great time!

Go, go, go, Megan!

Have I mentioned yet that I'm in rehearsals for another show? No? Oh.

I'm in rehearsals for another show!

I'll be doing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for the new Cottonwood Heights Arts Council. We perform in August. I am in the ensemble which you may think would mean that I don't have a ton of rehearsals. Haha -- you think wrongly. The ensemble in Joseph is in almost every scene and each person plays a multitude of different roles. It is a lot of work. Am I a little masochistic for doing this even though I am exhausted from Seven Brides which just closed Monday night? Sure. But considering the cast and crew involved, and music that I have wanted to perform for a good 15 years I just couldn't pass up this opportunity. It's going to be a great show!

Anyhoo, I volunteered to post on the Cottonwood Joseph blog, and here is a link to my first post. I'll keep pointing you to links whenever I post something new over there.

Still to come: memories and anecdotes from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I miss it terribly!

[For convenience' sake, and because I'm afraid the Cottonwood Joseph blog will suddenly disappear one day, here is the post in full:]

A great show starts with a great production team, and I will admit that Joseph's production team is the main reason I wanted to do this show. The producer, director, musical director, choreographer, childrens' director, and piano accompanist are six of the most positive, talented, patient, energetic people I have ever worked with! Their excitement for this show is infectious and I find myself doing everything I can to meet and then exceed their expectations.

At my second rehearsal (which was the fifth rehearsal for everyone else), when I felt like I was failing miserably and I was tired and frustrated and I just wanted to lie down on the floor and give up, our director told the cast to close our eyes and repeat the following:

"I'm awesome."
"This is the best cast ever. EVER!"
"My director loves me!"

Then we went back to work. And I started to do better.

Our director also remembers everyone's name. And if she forgets a name, the forgotten person gets to call her Harriet. Did I mention there are 62 people in the cast and we have only been rehearsing for two weeks? Everyone is included and anyone feels needed. It is insanely cool.

Yesterday, she was thrilled to read us a fortune cookie fortune she'd opened at dinner:

"'Soon, someone will make you proud.' It's written down!"

Imagine getting this kind of encouragement from six different people at rehearsal every day. Imagine getting this kind of encouragement everywhere you go -- at work, school, church, dance recitals, and basketball games. Everyone would feel good about themselves, and you'd want to do your best and be there all the time, wouldn't you? I know I do and would!

Can't believe we just barely started. I can't wait to find out what happens next!