Tuesday, November 23, 2010

On Lake Erie

This morning, for me, was spent in my pajamas, eating dried mangoes, and watching the food network in a beautiful, luxurious Sheraton hotel on the waterfront of Lake Erie overlooking the Canadian border. I felt like a star, or a millionaire socialite on a Northeastern vacation.

Now I'm down in the lobby doing homework, but thought I'd update!

I've yet to figure out how to attach my camera and have it be actually read by my computer, but until then, I'll rely on the photos of friends who are actually skilled cameramen :)

Here are the famed slippers themselves, which are actually relatively uncomfortable heels. Haha. The gems are apparently really expensive, and they fall off a lot when I dance. Here you can see they are hidden behind a set piece, which the crew has personalized with band stickers. As crews are wont to do.
This is the backstage of the York Penn State campus theater, and ALL those boxes belong to our tour. We have about five huge 18-wheelers carrying all of our sets, props, and costumes every night, and it's overwhelming the amount of time and effort they put into this show.
Also, our lighting is the BOMB. Here they were doing a test for some of the Munchkinland lighting effects
...but just a few.

And everyone's favorite actor in the show is always Toto. Here is Loki, the Toto understudy who, dying to get a tiny bit of fame, posed elegantly for the camera while the jaded starlet Dusty (the usual Toto) hid in the background.
That's all for now folks. Will get back.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Day 2: Munchkins, dressing rooms, and Target

Hello all!

Today I awoke rather late and rushed to put on some jeans and a heavy coat, and headed out to meet the rehearsal van. The van takes everyone in the hotel to the rehearsal hall a few miles away. There we worked on cover stuff (understudies) for most of the day, and after lunch break, added the local kids who play the munchkins.

To answer some questions: yes, the creative team (director and choreographer, Nigel and Leigh, respectively, who are British and lovely) do come with us to tech week. They rode with us on the bus, which Nigel jokingly said was an "absolute nightmare and I shan't ever do it again." The creative team (and, I think, crew and musicians also) stay in a separate hotel than the cast, as we are in the old fashioned downtown hotel.

I'm not sure if we're actually showing here, but we're rehearsing on the Penn State, York campus stage. Their dressing rooms are pretty cool, but the coolest part is this: I get my own dressing room. I had no idea I would get that! I asked Andrew (scarecrow) where our dressing rooms were, and he said mine was behind the dumpsters and if I needed a mirror I could use a metal spoon. Nevertheless, I have a real actual little room with my costumes in it, and a mirror with lights and it's all so exciting and I feel so darn happy about it. I'll post pictures tomorrow!

The munchkins are really, really cute. Actually, they're like puppies: well trained puppies, but not quite dogs so they're still learning.

Tonight the big thing is a Target run-- our stage manager is driving a van of whoever wants to go to Target. I think I'm gonna get some kind of fleece jacket and maybe some new socks and something healthy to snack on in the hotel. Oh, and something to boost my immune system. Seeing as my roommate is the first one sick, I have to keep on my toes and stay healthy...

Cheers!
-Kate

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Day 1: York, PA

Hola... as you can see I've temporarily transformed Sunflower Existence into a sort of tour documentation. It's mostly just so I can remember everything that happens, in a strange sort of way.

I've taken pictures but as they're on my big camera I haven't yet hooked it up to the computer. So here's what happened today.

I got Winston to take me (and my big ol' blue luggage, plus a purse, a makeup kit, and a backpack full of books) to midtown via gypsy cab and we arrived at the rehearsal studio where we'd been rehearsing for the past two weeks. The bus was loaded, sad farewells were bid, and we shipped off from New York on a big ol' bus. I read Sophie's World instead of doing homework. But that's typical.

Anyhow, there isn't much to write, but a little after we arrived at our hotel, which is a beautiful old fashioned sort of place, we took a cast trip to Wal Mart for anything we needed. Since we're doing a week long tech here in York, most people bought groceries; mine, of course, consisted of ramen and french bread (among other things.)

I really don't have much to write currently, other than tomorrow we've got a full day of tech, including a rehearsal with the local kids. My roommate for this adventure is Sarah, who plays Glinda/Aunt Em-- she's currently a little under the weather, which she's sleeping off so I have to be quiet as I shower and do homework... wow, this is a boring blog. In other news, I have lots of papers to write.

Love and peace,
-"Dot"