And Another Thing.....

Saturday night I said good-bye to someone very dear to me. We met last summer, and over the past 8 months we have become very close. I knew when we started the relationship it would be brief, that it would end far sooner than I wanted it to, but I got into it anyway. I first met her last summer when I read about her. She sounded like the kind of person who would be really interesting. We didn't really meet face to face until about a month later, and I loved her instantly. She was sassy and funny and sweet, and I adored her. In December we started meeting for weekly get togethers, and by January we saw each other almost every day until last Saturday when I knew she had to leave and their was nothing I could do about it. I even told myself she was staying one more day just so I could make it through her exit out of my life. I am talking about Della Brady, the character I just finished playing at Richmond Triangle Players in The Cake. I have been acting for over 46 years, and I have never played anyone I knew any better than Della. A large part of the credit for that goes to an amazing director, Dawn Westbrook. Dawn started out with a tremendous confidence in my ability to play the role. She let me grow and explore and go places I've never been before as an actor, and I'm sure my performance would not have been what it was without her push and guidance, and I mean that as a good thing! An actor, unless they are in a one-woman show, plays off of each cast member, and I had some of the best starting with a lovely man I have known for years, Gordon Bass. Gordon played my husband, Tim, and from the first time we read together in auditions, it was as comfortable as if we had been married for years. We just fit, and I don't know of anyone I would have trusted more for where our scenes took us. What a joy to look into those soulful eyes each night. To quote Della, "and I thanked God because I ...had you." My antagonist was a beautiful (inside and out) actress named Zakiyyah Jackson. Our characters' relationship was a difficult one, but I couldn't have been the Della I was without her. I never enjoyed arguing with anyone more! Watch out Richmond! You're going to be seeing a lot more of this talented lady! Last, but not least, Nicole Morris-Anastasi played Jen, the "like a daughter to me" character. I have known Nicole for several years. I watched her blossom and grow in this part, and she should be very proud of what she put on that stage each night. It was hardest to keep it together when I had to say good-bye to her in our final scene. Bravo, lady!!! We also had a kick-ass crew led by stage manager, Lauren Langston, who never missed ANYTHING!!! Thanks to Darren for literally taking all the "crap" I handed him and Nora, well, you know I could not have been successful without you! Top it all off being in my beautiful bakery designed by David Ballas to make things just right. Shows, especially good ones, and this was a really good show, not just my opinion, read the reviews, are made up of a lot of different people working very hard. Add to that a wonderful, loving supportive theater with amazing people at the helm, Philip Crosby and Lucian Restivo,  and you can't miss. I have never been prouder of anything I have ever done on stage. If I never had the opportunity to act again, I am glad I went out on this one! Goodbye Della. I will miss you and The Cake, but not the cake. Pie anyone?

I Dreamed a Dream

I just saw a post on Facebook along with some newly released pictures of a very young Julie Andrews that March 15th marked the 57th anniversary of the opening of My Fair Lady on Broadway. Seeing those pictures opened a floodgate of memories for me. I saw my first production of My Fair Lady at Swift Creek Mill Playhouse. I had just finished a run as "Amaryliss" in their production of The Music Man, and the next show up was My Fair Lady. Our cast was invited to their I.D.R. (for those not in the biz, that stands for Invitational Dress Rehearsal. The production does not have a paying audience, but is usually ready for one, and friends and family are invited so the cast can get used to the reactions of an audience before the critics come) That was back in 1974, and I had just turned 11. I had already been bitten by the Theatre Bug at a very early age. Doing Music Man for the previous 5 months had solidified my immersion into the theatre world, and I wasn't leaving anytime soon. I felt special being invited to see this production. The show starred Lynn West in the role of  "Eliza." Lynn was my "Marian", so imagine how cool I felt that I knew the star of the show. I was mesmerized from the first notes of the overture, and I fell in love with what would become my first dream role. Ask any actor to tell you what their dream role is, and they will have at least one, and probably a whole list. Mine has evolved over the years as I grow older. Alas, some of my dream roles will always be just that, dreams, because I have passed the age to be able to play them.To put it bluntly: I'M TOO OLD! :( But... Eliza Doolittle was my first dream role. I bought the Original Broadway cast album on vinyl (yes, I know I'm dating myself) after seeing the show, and I played it over and over again on my stereo Hi-Fi in my little corner bedroom, singing every song to the top of my lungs! The closest I ever came to my dream was singing "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" complete with Cockney accent, clad in a dress, shawl and hat with coal dust brushed on my face for my 5th grade talent show. Considering the fact that I will turn 50 in 8 months, the window of opportunity has passed for me to ever play "Eliza" unless some day in the very distant future my retirement home decides to do a production. I won't hold my breath. Until then, I will be happy to be playing any role that is offered to me because it's really about being on the stage for me, but just in case any potential directors are reading this particular entry, here's a wish list: Mama Rose in Gypsy, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, and I've played her once, but I'd love to play her again now that I'm a little closer to her age, Charlotte Hay in Moon Over Buffalo. ;)

From Stage to Screen

Christmas day hosted the premier of one of the most anticipated films of the year, Les Miserables. I have to say that I was a little afraid to see this film as I adore the stage production. I saw the show on tour more than 20 years ago, and I immediately went out and bought the Broadway soundtrack. I have listened to the music over and over again. Clips that had been prematurely released on Youtube had not impressed me, and I wanted to love this movie as much as I loved the stage production. My girls and I went to the 10:30 PM showing on Christmas night. I LOVED IT! I was totally wrapped up the entire 2 1/2 hours. I wept several times. I have to say, even though I love the stage show, I have never been as moved as I was by the film, and there's a reason for that. That reason is stage and film are different, and that is what people are failing to see. You cannot watch this film and try to compare it to the stage show. There is no comparison because they are two totally different animals.
Back in 1998 I was given the opportunity to play a co-starring role in an independent feature film called When Love Walks In. I had never acted on camera before. All of my acting experience was on the stage. The first day of shooting was like learning to act all over again. I blew the sound man's eardrums with my projection. I was constantly moving out of the shot with my larger than life gestures. Luckily the director and producers were extremely patient with me, and by the end of shooting, I learned how to be a film actress. I also ended up winning an award for my acting. I shared that story to point out the fact that if I had judged film acting after my first day on set, I would have hated it because I was comparing it to acting on stage. Again, there is no comparison. They are two different breeds. There are qualities I appreciate in both.  And that is the same way I feel about Les Miserables. To be sure, there is nothing like sitting in the theater as the house lights go down and hearing the opening strains of the overture. The power, the energy that charges the room as you hear the prisoners sing, "Look down. Look down. Don't look 'em in the eye..." and you are swept into the production. The music is beautiful! The voices are amazing, but there is still a distance. By the very nature of most theatrical productions, especially epic ones like Les Miserables, there is no intimacy. There can't be. Many times you are so far away from the stage you can barely make out the actor's facial expressions let alone see a tear fall slowly down their cheek, but that is the nature of the stage.
Make no mistake, the film is different. It is epic! But it is film. I get the feeling from reading posts on Facebook and some reviews that people expected to see the play on film. That's impossible! You have to watch the film and appreciate it for the art form it is. I defy anyone to watch Anne Hathaway sing "I Dreamed a Dream" and see the desperation in her eyes and how defeated she is and not be moved, and if you can keep a dry eye after you watch Eddie Redmayne sing "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables" in tribute to his friends who "meet no more", you are stronger than I. Ironically, "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables" has never been one of my favorite songs from the musical, but I could watch the film version over and over again.     This post is not a review of the film. I just got sick of seeing people trashing the film because it's not the play. It can't be, and if you can grasp that concept, I think you can enjoy the film and embrace the differences. I loved it, and I want to see it again, and for this hypercritical person, that's saying something.