Sounds so dramatic - but it really was a lot of fun!
We started rehearsal at 9am after cabbing it to the Laugh Factory
in the snow with all of our various clothing changes and props.
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| The club view from the balcony |
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| Snow! |
We stumbled through the show working out entrances, exits, microphone pass-offs, cue lines, and some things we had never even run through before! We finished in time to get back to the theater for the matinee. It was still snowing and I needed to do a grocery store run before Monday so I shopped and traveled by taxi back to the theater.
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| Our hunky Fiyero Curt Hansen doing his best nerd (he's a natural) and yes, he played the cello in the show. Love! |
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| You want us to do what? When? Where? |
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| Our amazingly fabulous Stage Management team! Molly Braverman, Jason Daunter, Rolando Linares |
The cast was exhausted and the showed CV contained some interesting moments because of it!
The most interesting one for me was putting Oragel mouth sore relief gel in my eye instead of eye moisturizing gel…. I realized it right away (duh!) but had a minty fresh numb eye ball for part of the show.
After the matinee, there was a blizzard - so getting a taxi back to my apartment with bags of groceries, and all my stuff turned out to be impossible. I waited for 15 minutes as full taxis drove by and my bags and body were getting covered with snow! Luckily, my friend Jonathon (who lives in my building) walked past and helped me carry his and my stuff on our walk back home. I remember saying, "I'm gonna cry!" but I didn't - and was so happy to open my front door. My computer (in my bag) literally "froze" because of the cold and the Apple store geniuses help me get it going again. How do these Chicagoan's do it?
The most interesting one for me was putting Oragel mouth sore relief gel in my eye instead of eye moisturizing gel…. I realized it right away (duh!) but had a minty fresh numb eye ball for part of the show.
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| They look alike - right??! I can't see S#!% anyway right now. Frustrating! |
After the matinee, there was a blizzard - so getting a taxi back to my apartment with bags of groceries, and all my stuff turned out to be impossible. I waited for 15 minutes as full taxis drove by and my bags and body were getting covered with snow! Luckily, my friend Jonathon (who lives in my building) walked past and helped me carry his and my stuff on our walk back home. I remember saying, "I'm gonna cry!" but I didn't - and was so happy to open my front door. My computer (in my bag) literally "froze" because of the cold and the Apple store geniuses help me get it going again. How do these Chicagoan's do it?
The show came off without a hitch - because you just can't get a room full of overachieving, extraordinarily talented people together without that happening! It was touching, hilarious, and a night we won't soon forget. Did I say how fortunate I am to be included in this cast of people?!!!!? It blows my mind! My production number "Man with the Bag" was right at the beginning which was perfect - and although I couldn't really sing it - I tried to sell it with my boy-toy backup dancers and the audience seemed to enjoy it. I really don't like feeling like I'm not doing my best - so the singing is frustrating because my voice and body are so dry and swollen from the treatment and things don't really work the way they usually do! But I really wanted to be part of the show and do my part to raise money for Broadway Cares and Chicago House - helping people much less fortunate than me dealing with some of the same difficulties.
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| Ugly sweaters were a hit! Pamela Shandrow and Shayla Beck |
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| Pamela and Marina Lazzaretto |
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| Cassie Okenka, Pamela, and our token Jewish girl Jamie Rosenstein who rocked the night with her number "Christmastime for the Jews"! |
Check out our amazing dancers reenacting "Turkey Lurkey" from Promises, Promises - featuring Lindsay Janise, Marissa Lupp, and Shanna Vanderwerker with singers Cassie Okenka, Pamela Shandrow, Shannon Mills, and me! Guitar solo by our guitarist Lou Garrett - with our MC Mrs. Claus - the cantankerous Kim Zimmer!
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| Kim Zimmer and Quinny |
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| Our fabulous Turkey Lurkey dancers |
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| Shanna, Jason, and Justin Brill before the madness |
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