My goodness! A month and a few odd days later, and I am finally getting back to blogging. I’ve been in East Haddam, CT, rehearsing (and now already in preview performances) for “City of Angels” at Goodspeed Musicals…and what a blast it has been. Besides rehearsals, computer problems, understudy line memorization, and Hurricane Irene, it has been a busy time! The show itself is musically demanding and with roughly 20 scenes per act, the technical process last week was a challenge as well. But the cast is awesome, the set is beautiful, the costumes are fantastic, the orchestra (an 8-piece band playing a reduced orchestral version) sounds spectacular, and I’m having a lot of fun with my track and learning the Donna/Oolie understudy track. In fact, the lovely Nancy Anderson will be out for October 22nd (she won the Noel Coward Cabaret Competition and will accept her award and sing that evening). So, I will be stepping into her shoes for both shows that day, performing with Broadway alums DB Bonds (Legally Blonde) and Burke Moses (Beauty and the Beast) – two fabulously amazing leading men, as well as the beautiful Laurie Wells (Mama Mia)!
I’m also terrifically thrilled to be singing in this show with three other members of Marquee Five (Vanessa Parvin, Adam West Hemming and Mick Bleyer), and while we are busy with “City of Angels,” we’re also gearing up to introduce our debut album, “8-Track Throwback,” and our fifth member Julie Reyburn is prepping for another solo show this Winter at Feinstein’s! Plus, this December I’ll be returning to the Definitely Dickens Holiday Carolers, so my 2011 is already booked up with lots of song.
East Haddam is such a quaint, idyllic town. When I first got here, the entire place was green. Now, the fall colors are slowly being revealed in the trees – apparently, “leaf peepers” come to this countryside in the fall just to see the brilliance of the foliage, so I can’t wait to witness it firsthand. My time has been spent rehearsing, going to the local YMCA to work out, working on the logistics of the “8-Track” CD, hanging with the cast, and trying to catch up on podcasts and episodes of “Dr. Who.” I’ve also been able to travel back and forth to New York City each time I have a day off, to visit my husband and my cats, and I hope to visit The Salon open mic again one Sunday (perhaps to rip through “You Can Always Count on Me”?). I also look forward to going to the Goodspeed Musical Theater Library and spending time adding to my sheet music collection, too.
I’ll post more information, behind the scenes photos, and updates as I have them!
Follow Goodspeed Musicals on Twitter as @GoodspeedMusicl
Keep up to date with Goodspeed Musicals on Facebook (video, photos, info)
Check out the Goodspeed Musicals Website at www.Goodspeed.org and the info page about “City of Angels”
Also, watch a sneak peak of the Act I finale “You’re Nothing Without Me,” recorded during tech rehearsals on their Facebook page.
And now, some pictures:
 |
| At the first cast read-thru: the Angel City 4 played by Mick Bleyer, Vanessa Parvin, Sierra Rein and Adam West Hemming Goodspeed Musicals |
 |
|||||
| Getting measured and fitted for a wig…glamorous! |
 |
| With Vanessa Parvin |
 |
| Margie…’nuff said! |
 |
| The gorgeous Goodspeed Musicals Opera House! |
 |
| The Program |