Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Life is a Cabaret

In our last post I mentioned that I'd been cast in MCC's spring play, the musical Cabaret. I wanted to share a bit about this exciting journey, since so much of it is foreign to me.


If you're not familiar with the play, you might have heard of or seen the 1972 movie starring Liza Minnelli as the cabaret singer Sally Bowles.

Image from Broadway Musical Home
And in just over a month I'll be doing my best Sally Bowles on stage at McHenry County College. Hole. E. Crap.

Now, you may be saying to yourself, "I didn't know Laura did that sort of thing," and you'd be correct. I've never done this before. Yes, I worked at Chicago Shakespeare Theater for a few years when I was in my 20s, and I have always been an enthusiastic theater patron. I'm really familiar with front of house, backstage, theater administration, and even teaching young playwrights in my creative writing class--just not so much with the on stage business.

In fact, the only "real" time I performed on stage (the "unreal" time being in the 3rd grade when I was a spider in our grammar school production of The Hobbit [and my brother Greg had the starring role as Bilbo Baggins, which you should all congratulate him on]) was in 2003. I was house managing for the Spectrum Theater Company's production of Beyond the Fringe (STC was my friend Thomas's company in Chicago, and it's no longer around now that he's living in Tennessee [though he's currently artistic director at the Johnson City Community Theatre, which is fantastic]). The actor who played the emcee for the show had gallbladder surgery so I filled in for her during one weekend of performances.

Why wouldn't this be part of my record collection?

And that was (a'hem) eleven years ago. Ha ha.

"So how did this come about?" you may also be asking yourself. Well, I'll tell you. Growing up I'd never actually seen the movie Cabaret, and in fact, I didn't know much of what it was about. But in 1999 I saw the Broadway revival when it toured to Chicago. I don't remember who I went with (it wasn't my mom--I asked her--so I think it might have been some girlfriends from college), but what I do remember is how struck I was by the play. It was just so goddamned good. The music was good, the story was good, and the actors were good. And, "good" doesn't really do it all justice. Let's say fantastic.

But then, I didn't really think much about it until last year when word on the street was that MCC would be producing Cabaret during the Spring 2014 semester. A thought flitted through my brain that was something like, oh, jeez, that'd be fun to see, or, holy crumbs, even be in! But then the thought drifted away like so many other half thoughts and detritus I lose track of every day. I'm not an actor, so I'll just continue teaching and singing along to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode "Once More, With Feeling" in the car.

Oh, right, it's only the best soundtrack ever (Image from the Buffy wiki)

But all around campus last semester I saw the poster advertising auditions and thought to myself, hmmmm, self. Could we do this?

To get the answer I immediately downloaded the Cabaret original Broadway cast recording (I don't know why I chose that one [I do, actually; it's because the cover is yellow and I am wooed by bright and shiny things] but I'm very glad I did because it's my preference after listening to other recordings). I played it for a few weeks straight--while I was cooking, while I was driving to school, while I was folding laundry, while I was straightening my office at work. I quickly got to know the songs and fell in love with the play (again). The auditions were during the first week of December, and I decided--after spending October and November singing along to all of Sally's songs--that if I auditioned I would probably not make a complete ass out of myself. So, why not?

I was so nervous to audition. I prepared one of the songs from the show, "Don't Tell Mama," and I worked on it for weeks before. The afternoon of the auditions I practiced at home and, as luck would have it, TCM had played Cabaret a few days before so I'd taped it. I had it on in the background (realizing the glaring differences between the play and film with each passing scene), and about halfway through the movie, I got chills down my spine (and not the good kind): Liza Minnelli sang "Maybe This Time."



As I watched and listened to her, I had a panic attack. This song wasn't on my soundtrack--this song wasn't something I'd practiced--this song was barely (i.e. in no way) in my range, and it was the same song that Kristin Chenoweth (KRISTIN CHENOWETH, PEOPLE!) and Lea Michelle had done in duet on Glee (because yes, I used to watch Glee, get over it). I couldn't do this. How could I do this?

I tried to sing "Maybe This Time" a few times and felt just barely okay about it. I considered doing it for my audition instead of "Don't Tell Mama." Now, this was about thirty minutes before I had to leave the house back to campus for the auditions. I went back and forth for about fifteen of those minutes, and ultimately decided on the side of going with what I knew. So I ran through my routine a couple more times and headed out.

The auditions themselves were fun. Scary and nervy, yes, but a lot of fun. The kids (other actors. sorry, force of habit) were so nice and supportive and I instantly felt a part of the community. Two days later I got a call back, during which I had to read a couple of scenes with some other actors (oh, right--that's part of auditioning for a play, isn't it...acting?!?) and sing the first bit of the play's titular song. And two days after that I got the word that I was Sally Bowles! I accepted the role before the director Jay had a chance to renege. He's stuck with me, now. Sucker.

Most (not all) of the cast and crew with Santa after our first production meeting--photo courtesy of the terrific Lindsay Tullar

For the past few weeks we've been rehearsing. I'm working on my accent (although Liza was an American in the film, the play's Sally is English) and trying to strengthen my voice, which isn't used to such a lot of work (outside of the classroom, that is). The cast and crew are all terrific, the Kit Kat Girls especially--I want to put them all in my pocket. Although I can't even say "especially." They're all welcoming and fun and I am loving this experience because of them. Here are some of the shots from rehearsal:

First night of rehearsal: Bill, our Emcee, with Julie the accompanist and Mike our music director

the Emcee and the Kit Kat Girls rehearsing "Willkommen"

Tim and Jameela, our Herr Schultz and Fräulein Schneider

Jay gives some notes to Gary (Clifford Bradshaw) and Jameela

Gary and Tim (Ernst Ludwig) rehearse the first scene


And this is me, in Sally makeup (so much makeup) and costume for the publicity photos. I think I look more like a dark haired kewpie doll than a Sally. I'll work on that.

I'll be writing more about the show as rehearsals continue, and certainly as opening night draws near. The show opens on March 6, and I'll let you all know when tickets are on sale (because you'll want to come out to Crystal Lake to see it, right? Right??).


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