off off off off off off Broadway

Let me first start by saying I am pretty realistic about my position as director of a community youth theater...oops I mean theatre.  I know we have limited resources, but we have a lot of talent and even more enthusiasm. I take my job seriously... quite seriously...I even have  the occasional "the show is not ready" nightmare. But I know my job is mainly to facilitate a bunch of  wonderful kids who love theatre as much as I do and want to put on a great show.   But like I said, I'm realistic.  We are as far off Broadway as you can get (we're not even close to the Broadway market) but that's okay...that's the reality.  I think we do a great job with what we got...and I am in no way talking about the talent. These kids blow me away sometimes...they are truly awesome.  The trick of surrounding yourself with talented people works like a charm.

 I guess the point I'm trying to make is that in my almost 4 years as director I have encountered the occasional eye roll,  more than one phony polite smile/nods  from some snobs after the show...let's see, there was the question about my credentials ( I will address that later) and recently, I was FaceBook slammed.
I was blatantly dissed on a FaceBook page.  I was accused of butchering a show ..it was suggested "they' get rid of me...(who ever "they" are)..and even attacked my choreographer ( who happens to be my wildly talented daughter who has been doing this waaaaay longer than I have).  Not since Julie Taymor and the whole Spider Man musical mess, has a director been so abused!!! (yes..I am making that comparison... I'm being realistic, remember)  But like the multi-million dollar Broadway debacle...the "bad press" has caused a windfall of interest and tons and tons of support from theatre lovers near and far.  So there...if I can verbally stick my tongue out at my critic ...I would!!!!!

Now I am empowered to put on a the BEST  SHOW  EVER (which is my intention every year anyway).  When I was the"director" of my kids talent show in elementary school, I was up at all hours trying to figure out the right line up of acts to make the show more entertaining. And we are talking about acts like a boy standing on the stage telling us everything he knows about snakes....I kid you not, that was an act.

 So you see...I do take my job as director very seriously!  So what if it's an off off off off off off Broadway musical...I think we do a great job...hey I've seen shitty shows at Shea's  (alliteration... bonus!!!).  I do appreciate all the support form people who enjoy the process as well as the product. It's all about the journey ...this one just happens to be down a yellow brick road... And as for my credentials.... I have sat through a lot of  BAD shows ( but would never dream of criticizing them publicly).....AND I have Shea's season tickets...so suck on that haters..... just saying...

God I hope I get it...I hope I get it...

Well, that was grueling... Auditions...2 nights of them...
The first night was kind of  light but some really good prospects.  We played the game of "if this is all we get...can we cast the show with these people?" Prooooobably...but we have no witch (good or bad)
Then, the next night we got slammed with talent!!!  This is the first time (in my unimpressive 4 years of directing) I had to make some tough choices!!! We had call backs and entertained the idea of let's let all the Dorothys just fight it out with weapons of choice...


It was really hard to not judge by appearances. I mean in my day (I will try not to bore you with the "when I was in shows" comments..but sometimes I will...) I was to short to play anything but a kid and to mature (big boobs) to play anything but an adult.  There weren't a lot of musicals based on a child with an growth/ thyroid issues (but I think I have an idea for an opening song...) Just then someone walks in looking like a Dorothy and hits it out of the park vocally AND can act...Thank you theatre gods....By the way, since I am pretentious enough to have a blog, my youngest daughter suggested I use this spelling of THEATRE . 

Then came the boys....again ...appearance!!! Just then, a Dick Van Dyke clone comes lanking in and hits it out of the...well, you get the picture.
Eventually everything did finally fall in to place...It was harder than other years but I think we made some great casting decisions.  And coming form a perpetual chorus girl...we will find a little something extra for everyone to do ..a line here and a solo there goes a long way with the right attitude. One little girl at auditions nervously asked if she made it..."I mean, does everyone make at least the chorus??"  SHHHHH....don't let that out but ..uh huh.  The look of relief on her face was priceless.  She just wanted to be a part of something.

I shook her hand and thanked her for her outlook, because now the cast list is posted ... let the dropping out begin.   Everyone thinks they're Patti LuPone or Matthew Broderick....and that's well and good but sometimes you're just a short little girl with big boobs wanting to be a part of something...I'm just saying...

just saying...I'm just directing a musical...

This is my first time blogging...so I thought it may be kind of fun to follow my adventures down the yellow brick road.
This summer I will be directing a youth community theater production of The Wiz.  To give you a little background info...this particular little group of traveling misfits (and I say that with the utmost love and respect) have been together for about 4 years.... We've been through the Gospel, The 50's  and good old reliable crap games together!
Our little group has its work cut out for us (a phrase I never knew was negative...just saying) this year. First of all....all our options for a venue (mostly school auditoriums) were nixed for one reason or another. But after months of wheeling, dealing, calling in favors and some praying, we finally have a stage to perform on....we have a home...HOME  ...a song from The Wiz, ironically enough.  When I think of home...I think of a place with love overflowing....I love that phrase...I love that song !
So...we have had some very productive meetings with some very clever ideas from my very enthusiastic, very young directorate...and away we go ~
On to auditions....God help us ....stay tuned theater fans... I'm just saying ...