Jack Sullivan, 1939-2012

This is a post long in the making, I feel rather ashamed for not posting this sooner.  I'm hoping you'll understand why.

I remember that rehearsal quite vividly, not just for obvious reasons.  The Hot Box Girls were out at a local lingerie shop choosing our 'Take Back Your Mink' costumes and running into scheduled rehearsal time.  We were concerned we were late, but more concerned about the costume at the immediate moment.  I was in a foul mood and tried not to show it; having an arranged time to meet, I had skipped dinner to make sure I was on time, only to have the rest of the girls an hour late.  I tried not to let tension seep out of me, I enjoy spending time with my castmates, especially these girls.  This is my escape from the week, my second family.  Three nights a week for a few hours at a time, you get to know people quite quickly in an atmosphere of trust.

The more time we took, the more anxious I was getting.  I had noticed a couple of the other girls were sitting in a different frequency of tension, so I pushed my own down for the sake of not adding fuel to a fire I didn't build.  I bit my tongue as we headed for rehearsal, looking forward in losing myself in tonight's work.

Which would be futile, to say the least.

We were greeted by our producer in the rehearsal hall's green room to inform us that one of our cast members, Jack Sullivan, had passed away that afternoon, in his sleep, from a heart attack.  Our Arvide Abernathy, our sweet grandfather, the man with the smile for everyone, one of the warmest and most welcoming souls I'd ever had the pleasure to meet, had left us.

It put so much more into perspective.

I wear my heart on my sleeve.  I try not to, but it seeps out of me before I can contain it.  I tend to associate myself with a similar breed, and theatre folk tend to tune into that same frequency at times.  I had only met Jack during Guys & Dolls and had heard nothing but wonderful things about him and his performance ethic, his friendliness, his open sense of trust.  With all the tension pushed down from before, and the sudden impact of mortality, it was just all too much to take.  I had no idea of whatever strain was put upon him, he never seemed to show.  His energy seemed to be boundless, especially for a man in his wiser years.  I understood this to be his third or fourth show in a row; Annie, Ann of Green Gables, Joseph, Wizard of Oz ... it's difficult to pull a man away from doing what he loves, and he certainly seemed to love what he was doing with us.  We loved him.  We adored him, he was the perfect 'grandfather Arvide', and embodied that protective patriarch rather perfectly.  He was that for all of us.  I didn't know how I was going to go through with this.

Our producer had said we would still be going through with rehearsal, and obviously understandable to emotional states, it would be a subdued evening.  The announcement was made to the cast and crew in attendance at the start of rehearsal, so everyone was in a state of grieving in their own way.  Jack would have come tonight for rehearsal, so we would still have one.

I had completely lost my appetite at that point, not rather caring about my own needs but more of the collective comfort.  Although a good cry in the bathroom alone got most of it out, I'm not too sure if I could have held up the rest of the night if it wasn't for a particular cast member who reached his arms out to me as soon as he saw me when I quietly snuck into wardrobe.  I didn't hesitate, I knew I'd be safe there.  He had been a bit of an emotional crutch for me that night; I'm not too sure if he understands how much I appreciated him, how much I still do.  If anything that Jack's sense of precious time taught me, is to let those people know how much they're loved and appreciated.

We all banded together that night, and the energy shifted.  We all felt vulnerable; raw and tender in grief that held its mist over our heads.  We tried not to let it cloud our eyes that night.  We knew going through with rehearsal was the best thing we could do for Jack's legacy.  We knew it was best, most of all, that being together - this family that Jack helped build - was the best thing we could do for each other.

The show has since drawn its final curtain, with our director stepping into Jack's role.  It was the right decision, we agreed in some unspoken way, to keep the role 'in the family'.  Our music director had also said at one point she didn't have it in her heart to teach the song to someone else after Jack.  Jack's wife, Carolyn, and a substantial number of his family were in attendance at our final show.  We had received such overwhelming support from the Sullivan family in regards to this show, we were and continue to be so grateful.  I only wish there was such a way I could personally express the loss I feel in not getting to know Jack better. 

Out of this, I keep precious the things around me.  I take the time to remember the genuine people around me, the new lights in life that keep me warm and safe, to take the time to acknowledge their kindness and let them know how much their loved.  Jack did the same for all of us in his own way.  We, the cast and crew of Guys & Dolls, try to continue that spirit, even after the show has drawn its curtain and the last note is sung.  We remember the precious time we have and to not take it for granted, but to also not waste it and fill it with as much life as possible.

I had the opportunity to design and create the show programme, which included a page dedicated to Jack's memory.  I had included a quote from Alexander Pope's "Essays on Man": "Act well your part; there all the honour lies."  It was something that struck me as reflective of Jack's character, that he put so much dedication to his work, and his legacy will always remain with us his dedication and love for the magic we created on stage and the respect he showed for all those who met him.

I was lucky to have an audio recording of Jack in rehearsal singing "More I Cannot Wish You" from a late January rehearsal.  I've created a tribute video featuring this recording, with the help of Jack's cast mates from previous shows.  Hopefully a fitting tribute to Jack, something we can continue to remember.

Dress Rehearsal Photos from BMT's "Guys & Dolls"!

The dress rehearsal photos are up!  Photographer extraordinaire Paul Roy was kind enough to donate some time to us - and add work to his most excellent portfolio - by snapping our dress rehearsal performance.  Oh my goodness, if I weren't in this show, I would want to see it based on this work!  Our opening night is tonight, so feast your eyes on the excitement that you're bound to witness with BMT's Guys and Dolls at the Rose Theatre in Brampton!

What great photos - and what an exciting show!  After you check out Paul's website here, go over to the Rose Theatre website to get your tickets - remember, opening night is TONIGHT!

Costumes: BMT's "Guys & Dolls"

I love dress rehearsals.  It's a blink away from opening night, and it's a chance to see where all this work for the past few months has taken us to.  It also give us ensemble a chance to run through the marathon of costume changes we'll be going through.  Here are a few snaps of my costumes for the production!

Please meet Sherry "Two Fingers" Temple, Runyonland's Bag Lady!  Joe and I had created this character from scratch (she's not in the original script) and managed to make her a supporting player of sorts.  We had determined that she would have had a good life in her early years, but had made the wrong decisions that lead her to her drinking-and-street-wandering ways.  Her costume would be layers of out-of-date mismatched fashions that don't fit her quite right, complete with oversized purse that carries her favourite item - a mickey of vodka!  (Really, it's water!)  The hat and scarf are meant to hide the 'Hot Box' hair for my other character, and it really made the costume.  I had found it in the wardrobe room, it had this terrible mustard yellow and brown pattern to it.  I held it in place with a kerchief knotted under my chin and a few bobby pins.  Flattering, no?  I wear this costume most of the show and I do a lot of physical acting, so there may be a few tweaks to the mobility of the costume, so to speak.  I'll probably add some sort of pin to the front of the sweater to keep it closed and from dropping down my arms.  The dress is big for me, but it hangs just right to give me a shrunken posture.  I'll most likely belt the dress to hike up the hem so that I don't trip when I have to run across the stage to warn the crapshooters about the cops. :)  It's a lot to put on at once, so thankfully I could get away with wearing other costumes underneath if need be.

And here's my other character, Margie Jones, dancer at the Hot Box Club with Miss Adelaide!  I had named her after my grandmother, Marguerite, when I found a picture of her in the fourties looking rather stylish.  This stylish costume is from Georgetown's Globe Theatre wardrobe department, the polka dot shirt is my own, and the pearl necklace makes another appearance in another dance number, 'Take Back Your Mink'.  The hair is curled down the back with rolled bangs pinned to the side.  I may add a brooch to the jacket - I have the perfect one my grandmother gave me!  I also have a small cream-coloured clutch purse that I use as a personal prop - I pay for a magazine at the newsstand at some point.  I wear this costume all of three times just to walk straight across the stage and exit again.  Thankfully, this one is a quick one to change in and out of.

Here's comes Margie, ready to dance!  This costume is for the first Hot Box Club number, 'Bushel and a Peck.'  The script calls for 'Miss Adelaide and her Farmerettes', but we had come up with this costume concept thanks to the dance parents who had graciously let us borrow these beautiful shorts with black and green crinoline fanning across the ... fanny, I guess!  We wore black bodysuits underneath and fishnet stockings, and included the yellow feather boa detail (thanks to Roxanne for sewing them on!) on the crinoline and the front of the bodysuit.  We were constantly molting whenever we rehearsed the number, but still plenty of tailfeathers left to shake!  Our other costume for 'Take Back Your Mink' is a quick change, so I didn't get a chance to snap a picture.  Mind you, that one is a little risque ... you'll see what I mean later.

Bienvenidos a Cuba!  This costume is for the Havana scene, when Sky whisks Sarah away on an exotic dinner date and become enamoured with the colourful sights and sounds of this Latin paradise.  Joe had wanted bright, bold colours in this particular scene, where the ensemble are the Havana locals welcoming these two particular tourists in their own special way.  The skirt was provided by wardrobe - my fellow castmate Joanna is wearing the same skirt - and the green top and pink scarf are my own.  They're a great match for the skirt!  I had the pink scarf in my hand, tossing it around in the air during the number, but I had decided to tie it in my hair instead for a different look.  The skirt was long enough to hold up slightly, like in the picture above and flail it about while I was dancing, which made for good visuals.  Joe had also said not to be shy about the jewelry, just make big, shiny and colourful!  I had gone for a slight touch of silver; a multi-layered thin chain necklace, a stack of silver bangles and a pair of large silver earrings I still need to repair.  The scene concludes with a bar fight between Sky, Sarah, a young temptress and her dancer partner as they compete for each other's affections.  Thank goodness it's a roomy skirt with lots of room to run in - I just need to make sure I hold it up from my heels!  Even though she's only out for one scene, I named her Mariposa because Joanne was wearing almost the exact same costume as me and was always blocked on the opposite side of the stage during the scene.

There is one more costume that is a little risque and also a quick change of sorts from the number 'Take Back Your Mink', I didn't have much time to snap a picture of it.  I've been told there was a photographer in the house during our dress rehearsal taking pictures, so I hope to see those soon and post a few for you!

There you have it!  Costume changes have been interesting; some were much quicker than anticipated, I was late for two of them.  Figuring out what side of the stage your costume needs to be on to make a quick change for your next entrance as an entirely different character needs a little 'test run' first, the whole purpose of dress rehearsals.  When finally performing with all the elements in play - the set, the costumes, the props, the band, everything - the focus is a little more intense because it's finally become a real production.  The costumes especially were a big help to me.  I had primarily used an 'Outside-In' Method when it came to developing these characters - different strides in the walk, facial expression, posture and just about anything else physical that came across my brain.  The costumes really helped solidify the physical traits of my characters, of course the costumes were also considered based on the physical traits I had developed through rehearsals.  (I'll be breaking down the characters in a different post based on this method.)  Once they were on, the fit, the look and the feel helped put the character in place.  I shuffled with short, quick steps as the Bag Lady because of the many layers and long, oversized dress I was wearing.  (It also didn't help the fact that she was 'drunk' most of the time!)  Margie lifted her heels and knees a bit higher and held her shoulders back when she walked, more of a dancer's strut in a way since she's a Hot Box Girl.  Mariposa has a wide stride, almost a cross between a dancer's leap and a sprint when she's excited, although her colourful attire says she requires consistent attention.  Each costume had its way of cementing the character, reminding the actor's awareness of movements and traits that were built during the rehearsal process.

So my question to you would be - what's your favourite costume you've worn on Halloween, cosplay, theatre production, just about any reason you've had to wear a costume?  Did you find yourself creating a character with that costume - walking and talking slightly differently, creating mannerisms you wouldn't normally do?  That, my friends, is the 'Outside-In' Method!  Share in the comments below!

BMT's 'Guys & Dolls' on Rogers Daytime!

We're on television!

Cecily Restivo-Petroff (Miss Adelaide) and Noel Fernandes (Benny Southstreet) were interviewed on Rogers Daytime about our show!  You can check it out by clicking here and you'll find them about five minutes into the show itself.  You might even catch a photo of the Hot Box Girls in rehearsal!

Enjoy!

Stuff from Pinterest: Hot Box Looks for "Guys & Dolls!"

Here are the choice looks I had found on Pinterest that I'll be printing out for my 'Hot Box Look Book' - even complete with tutorials on the perfect cats eye and vintage curls from Lauren Conrad!

I think I might try that hairstyle after the show ... if I don't cut my hair. :)

Stage Makeup: The Pin-Up Look for BMT's "Guys & Dolls"

Time to experiment with my look for Guys and Dolls!

Since the musical doesn't necessarily have a definitive time stamp on the setting, it's been pretty flexible with the period look and fashions, so as long as everyone has a unified look.  With our production loosely set in the 1940s era, Mandy Meisner, our makeup and hair consultant for the production, has done some fantastic research for us in regards to getting the right look for the period - glamour, sophistication and some slick fashion!  Lucky for me, I get to dress up as a 'pin up' for my role as a Hot Box Girl!

Makeup for women in the 1940s was subtle, but glamourous.  The skin had a matte cream finish for a 'flawless' complexion, with plump lashes and lips and just a touch of rouge on the cheekbones.  Nails were manicured and painted red, hair was curled into 'victory rolls', the popular style of the time.  Seems like a lot of maintenance for women then.  I don't do half of that now!

Mandy was so kind enough to give us photo references of popular styles; the one above is the photo I'll be using for myself.  I had even found a great website that has a step-by-step process on the victory roll hairstyle.  Let's see how easy this is!

It's important to experiment with the makeup look before you get into the dressing room.  Find pictures from the internet or video tutorials like the one above to help pull off the look successfully.  A great source is Pinterest - it's also an addiction, so be careful.  I've found some pretty cool stuff that has helped me immensely, all organized onto one tidy pinboard for easy access.  It's also important to remember that stage makeup is applied with a much heavier hand than your day-to-day makeup.  Since your features will be drowned out by bright stage lights, it's important to draw them out as much as you can with contouring and shading certain angles and features.  So, although blush was an 'afterthought' when it came to everyday makeup wear in the '40s, it still needs to be applied in a fashion that still gives definition to your face to make it not look like a round, flat plate with a mouth.

If you're not certain of your routine beforehand, you may end up taking much more time than necessary when you get to the theatre.  My major issues were the cats eye makeup and false eyelashes.  Anything around my eyes I get fidgety about and sometimes my hands aren't the most steady.  I've been practicing when I can with the eyeliner and getting used to the lashes and glue, but if you've got someone backstage that you're comfortable with to put them on for you, I'd advise for that.  Much steadier hands than your own, most likely.  I'm told there will be ladies backstage to help with hair and makeup, thank goodness.  I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my hair.

In the meantime, I'm going to go play with my makeup!

BMT's 'Guys & Dolls' - Welcome to the Hot Box Club!

Rehearsals have now become a sexy time, now that I've joined the Hot Box Posse!  It's been about a month since I had been asked to be part of a fantastic group of girls who have helped me become the best dancer I can be.  I just hope I don't make the rest of 'em look bad, I'm working so hard.

I remember taking ballet when I was two, and quitting when I was two-and-a-half.  I guess we're finicky at that age when it comes to what we find entertaining.  I don't remember why I didn't want to go back, but for some reason I didn't like it.  Hindsight is always twenty-twenty, because I wish I had stuck with the training.

I've been in plenty of musicals and know my way around a mean jazz square thanks to many a patient choreographer, but I've never had the pleasure of studying the discipline of dance and movement from a proper teacher.  I'm a great mimic when it comes to things like that, and I'm familiar with how my body moves and looks, thanks to lots of mirror study.  Getting over looking at yourself in the mirror when you potentially look like a fool is the greatest asset any dancer, singer or actor can have - you know what you look like when your body, face and posture are doing things they don't normally do, you can correct yourself accordingly.  The mirror has been my best friend when it comes to this dancing, making sure I've got everything where it should be; kicking the proper leg up, hands in proper position, making sure I'm singing at the same time!

Stephanie, our choreographer, and April, our dance captain, are so patient with me.  It's probably my unnecessary paranoia that they want to chuck high heels at the back of my head.  I have such high respect for the training dancers endure, the discipline they have for their art.  I'm rather honoured to be a Hot Box Girl, really, and to be able to learn a little more about how to perform as a dancer with proper posture and poise.

We've got two numbers we're working on for the show, "Bushel and a Peck" and "Take Back Your Mink".  Choreo's all done, now it's just practice, practice, practice - the only way to Carnegie Hall ... or in our case, Rose Theatre!

Come see the turnout of all that time practicing April 12-14, 2012 at the Rose Theatre in Brampton!  Tickets are on sale online!

BMT's 'Guys & Dolls' - New & Improved Video!

For your listening - and practicing! - consideration, please enjoy this all-new and improved rehearsal recording with video-note accompaniment for your convenience!

I'm currently editing the most recent tracks and developing them into videos of similar format, which means I'll be PERFECT.  I'd just better remember this stuff when it comes to the actual performance.

Enjoy, lovelies!

BMT's 'Guys & Dolls' - 'The Hand That Rocked The Boat'!

Well, we had finally finished learning 'Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat' as a full cast, and I have the recording to prove it!  I just need to edit the recording a bit and get all the 'blue talk' outta there first.  Don't want to implicate anyone, but I'm waiting for a certain possibly incriminating photo that I can't wait to PhotoShop.

Abi and I were secretly thanking SHOUT! when it came to our vocal training and working with Josh, especially dealing with the music.  (I'm gonna have to scan a page or so to show you just how nuts this music really was.)  We're also crazy to take on the soprano parts.  Of course, since Abi is playing General Cartwright, she's gotta hit that crazy high C at the end of the song, and we thought we would challenge ourselves.  It's not as bad, we don't sound like dog whistles or dolphins ... not all the time.  I put trust in Sharon, our musical director, a self-proclaimed 'technique nut'.  Hence, the recordings for future and classroom reference.  The first rehearsal recording doesn't have any of the warmups, but that's in the second one (coming soon!). 

Our third recording - still to be edited - has the complete workup of the warmups, all the harmony parts, dynamic notes and just about everything else Sharon talked about to make this song great.  So, castmates, take heed!  It's here whenever you need it!

We have what might be called a 'staggered' rehearsal schedule.  For example, a scene with a few major actors will be blocked from 7pm to 8pm, the entire cast would come at 8pm to run through necessary blocking or music rehearsal, and that'll go for about an hour.  After that, another scene with a few principle actors will be blocked for about an hour, and we call it a night.  We don't get a chance to see the blocking for the scenes we're not called in for usually until full run-throughs, but it's great time management when there's only four months of rehearsals.

Thursday's rehearsal started at 8pm for the entire cast to run through 'Sit Down' and do a flash-run of a few scenes that were already blocked before we headed to the bar.  Well, I'll go next time it's on a pay week, if y'know what I'm sayin'.

Here's a few shots of John Carson, Brad Bryson and Noel Fernandes running through the blocking for 'Fugue' and 'G&D'.  At one point we had an a cappella performance!

Well done, boys!  Off to the bar!

The second and third rehearsal recordings will be up very soon!

BMT's 'Guys & Dolls' - Blocking Scenes, Acting Drunk!

I managed to get away with acting like an idiot and being lauded for it.  Only in theatre!

Yesterday's rehearsal brought us the blocking for Sister Sarah Brown and her Mission Band performing 'Follow the Fold', whilst the gamblers, drunkards and bobbysoxers on the street laugh her words away.  Joe, our director (burgundy shirt, top row to the right), hadn't given me a 'role' yet in regards to ensemble designation, which should prove interesting.  He had already led on that he's got something good for me in the 'Havana scene'.  But to open the show as a drunk bag lady!  Nice!

Joe has me slumped on the ground, upstage left, bottle in hand, where the Mission Band make their entrance.  'Missionary' Cullen (dude in thinking position, bottom left) will have a large pair of cymbals he'll be crashing, so I figure I play a bit into that, get a little drunkenly startled without being too distracting.  Can't wait to have the actual things for rehearsal.  I then wait for the audio/visual cue of Lynette and Alicia (that's Lynette's beaming face, middle right) being all rude-like and laughing out loud at poor Sister Sarah - our lovely Stephanie (she's making faces at you, bottom right) when she's on her soapbox trying to save New York City from the Devil.  They're over at stage right, and then cross over to stage left.  See, problem is, I'm playing drunk, so I'm not too sure what kind of debauchery Susan and Joanne (look out, Joanne!  Susan's gonna get your face - middle right!), the two 'street walkers' are up to.  When I see Lynette and Alicia cross, I stumble up and go to to Arvide, portrayed by Jack (grandfatherly gentleman, top left) up-centre stage and proceed to flirt with his 'big bass drum'.  No really, he'll be carrying one.  No, an actual bass drum ... stop it!

There's a line cue in Sister Sarah's sermon where I get my drunk ass right up in her personal space, toast her with my bottle and take a good swig, falling with the utmost trust into Lisa's safe 'Missionary' arms.  (She's that Amazonian beauty, top left).   She then, on Joe's direction, leads me off stage with my own bottle of alcohol like leading a donkey with a carrot.  I had a few castmates tell me they had a hard time keeping straight faces with this routine.  I had a hard time keeping a straight face through the whole thing myself.  But I swear - I am not exercising method acting.  There's no vodka in the water bottle.

Funny thing is, my drunken stumble is very similar to my zombie walk.  I might need to keep that in check before I start grunting and trying to chew off Sister Sarah's femur. 

The marching choreography for the Mission Band is really something!  I love to watch marching band formations, how geometric shapes and lines can be so graceful and visually stunning.  I'll have to take some video next time they run through it.  I won't be able to see it later, drunk and passed out on the ground. 

The rehearsal was short, bittersweet.  I can't seem to get enough of these.

I have a recording of our second rehearsal working on 'Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat' (dated 12/1/2012) that's just over an hour long and doesn't want to seem to upload.  I'll be shortening it into two parts and posting it very soon!  Check out the first rehearsal (dated 10/1/2012) here!

BMT's 'Guys & Dolls' Rehearsal Recordings - 'Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat' (I)

Finally edited and finished - and in a nice little movie!

I love my little iPod Touch.  It's got a voice memo recording app I wish I had during SHOUT!  So, I've opted to press 'record' each rehearsal, from beginning to end.  It's not a bad reference to have, especially learning and memorizing harmonies in choral.  Please enjoy our first rehearsal learning the vocal arrangements for 'Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat' featuring John Carson as "Nicely Nicely" Johnson and our musical director, Sharon Vandrish, taking the lead.

And if you're a fellow cast member, leave me a comment below if you'd like me to email you the .mp3 file!

BMT's 'Guys & Dolls' - Call This 'Fan Art'?

Layout and print design for me is like a grown-up colouring book.  I had some fun making my own little poster for the show that might turn into some sort of souvenier.

You'll find more 'Guys & Dolls' inspired stuff on my crafty blog, Design by Cassandra.  Visit now!

I Got a Part in BMT's 'Guys & Dolls'!

I will be returning to the stage in one of my most favouritest musicals of all time with Brampton Music Theatre's Guys & Dolls!  YAAAAAH!

I'm very grateful to be in the cast as part of the ensemble and carry on a 'tradition' of sorts that began with my father about twenty years ago when he played Benny Southstreet with the same production company.  Many of the production members remember Dad fondly from those days, and many others they had performed in together, and I was happy to make him proud and be a part of the G&D magic!

The audition process was a real learning experience for me - but let's face it, hindsight is always 20/20.  Y'know the moment when you walk away from a conversation with a wittier retort than what you said?  I walked out of my audition for this production realizing the 'error of my ways' when reading for Sister Sarah Brown, the female lead.  Cassandra the Actor thinks evangelicals, 'bible-thumpers' and the hardcore-preaching-type can get overly theatrical and exhuberant, and my nerves went down that road when I started reading, and I couldn't stop.  Sister Sarah Brown in G&D isn't 'theatrical' but more passionate about the idea of fixing these broken people that surround her in such a cesspool of sin, as portrayed in Runyon's version of New York City.  She's a woman with a big heart, who has the desire to leave a light burning in a place of darkness, to save a few souls from the self-destruction of drink and gambling.  She's soft, and she wishes she were big enough to hug the whole world, lean its sobbing head on her shoulder, stroke the hair away from those tear-streamed eyes and say, "It's alright, let me help you."

I read the monologue like a panicked tele-evangelical on her third cup of coffee.  I walked out of there thinking, "Ah, crap.  Well, at least the song choice saved me."  I sang 'Fly Me To The Moon' a la Frank Sinatra, ol' Blue Eyes himself.  My voice suits the cheese and makes it work.  I know this because I love this stuff.  I'm so glad to be in this show!  I'm especially excited because it means I'll get a chance to perform on the Rose Theatre stage!

The musical stylings of G&D are incredibly unique within its genre.  You've heard Frank Sinatra sing 'Luck Be A Lady', yeah?  A huge standard in his day, and everyone knows it, even if it's a few bars.  It's from this musical!  I often tend to think I was born in the wrong era because of my extreme love for 'big band music' and ol' time jazz (Billie, Ella, Chet, Glenn, those guys), and a lot of these songs became jazz and torch song standards that were hits outside of the musical theatre genre.  As much as I appreciate Marlon Brando's take on 'Luck Be A Lady' from the 1955 movie, I really like Frank's more.





Oh, rehearsals are gonna be amazing, I'm so excited to make new friends and work with old ones again.  In fact, guess who else is here - Abi "Yellow Girl" Adekoya is playing General Cartwright!  I've got my trusty iPod Touch with the Voice Memo recorder that I'll be sure to take advantage of.  I'll be posting more about the production as we get further into rehearsals, including recordings, photos and other fun stuff, like where to get your tickets, yeah?

I'd love you to come ... you are coming, right? (Imagine me with puppy dog eyes ... you can't resist!)