BMT Youth Troupe Sings 'Seasons of Love'

I'm a lucky lady, y'know.  It's not every day you get to work with awesome kids who are dedicated to their work like this.

I've been teaching kids on Saturday mornings for Brampton Musical Theatre's Youth Troupe.  This particular group has the honour of singing 'Seasons of Love' from the popular rock opera Rent.  Since everybody and their monkey's uncle knows this song, I had put on the backing track to see what the kids could do, where they felt comfortable vocally, who would break out in dance and all that.  The kids are also working with Melissa, a dance teacher and choreographer, for some fancy footwork to go with the song.

We'll be performing in a couple of weeks, and the kids are sounding amazing.  Check it out for yourself in the video here, taken by Brittany, one of the students in this group.  (I'm in the green scarf and the black 'STAFF' shirt.) I'd like to point out this is all before I had officially taught them the harmonies - they all gravitated towards what they felt comfortable, which helped me out immensely.  Kudos to Madison and Leah for taking on the solos!

(To quote Hermione Granger, "Does my hair really look like that from the back?!")

Inside Production Work: Props & Set Dressing for BMT's RENT

Being part of the production team for Brampton Music Theatre's RENT was a great chance to flex some designing skills.  I was very excited to be part of the team that helped build the gritty, urban New York City atmosphere these characters call 'home'.  Everything the actors interact with, from the set to the props, delve deeper into a suspension of disbelief for the audience.  We want them to feel as if they're looking into a fishbowl, a natural yet carefully staged world they could easily fall into themselves.  The beautiful part about the 'suspension of disbelief' in theatre is the many possibilities the set is constructed itself; it can be realistic and detail-orientated to recreate familiar settings seen in everyday life, or can be a blank canvas of black boxes, used in many Fringe festivals.  The most original - and potentially most difficult - set to design is a 'stationary set', like the one we used in RENT.  I can't take a single iota of credit in regards to design for the set itself, but it was rather masterful for a community theatre production.

BMT's RENT Production Team Picture

May I introduce you to the award-winning team - cast, crew and musicians - of Brampton Music Theatre's RENT!  You'll find me on the upper left-hand corner in the plaid shirt, standing next to partner-in-crime propsmaster Alice Dyment to the right in white, and Daniel Kim, our 'Benny', to my left in the black coat. 

A few other special mentions from SHOUT! - Abi Adekoya, our Yellow Girl, on the stairs in the red jacket, you'll see Alison Port and Dale Lundy, our director and producer, a few steps below Abi on the stairs, Josh Priess, music director for both SHOUT! and RENT, is sitting on the table in the RENT shirt with James Faulkner, ditto guitarist for both shows, too.  I think that's about it ...

Well, I can easily tell you that almost two-thirds of these people I've worked with in some artistic endeavour at one point or another.  Some of them for more than a decade (hello, Marg - far right hand side on the stage, that adorable woman!  Family friend for ages!), and some I had just met, but I've made many friends for life.

See what a small but glorious world community theatre can be?

ACT-CO Gala Awards, 2010/2011: Congrats to BMT's RENT!

A long-overdue congratulations to a few of my colleagues and friends for their recognition at the ACT-CO Gala Awards! 

Oh, that would be the Association of Community Theatres Central Ontario, for those not familiar.  Most community theatre productions are adjudicated by industry professionals and given constructive criticism to cast and crew in performance and artistic direction.  'Chicken Soup for the Actor's Soul', so to speak.

Josh Priess, our current musical director for Shout!, was nominated for Best Musical Direction, and the company received recognition with the Musical Adjudicator's Award for Risk-Taking and Commitment!

I'd also like to mention my dear friend Marg Argall, who was nominated for the Drama Adjudicator's First-Timer Director's Award!  She has previously been honoured by ACT-CO with her work in community theatre over the years, and her dedication deserves all the recognition she's received!

Congrats to my friends!  View the rest of this year's winners from across Ontario here!

Brampton Music Theatre's RENT Voted Best Community Theatre Production!

This post was originally published on my handmade jewelry blog, Design by Cassandra, on February 11, 2011.

The votes have been cast on BroadwayWorld.com's Toronto Awards, and Brampton Music Theatre's Rent wins big as best community theatre production!  Hard work pays off!

Check out the others that made the final cut:

Best Community Theatre Production: Rent, Brampton Music Theatre
*and bonus points for BMT's 2nd runner-up Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat!

'With A Thousand Sweet Kisses,' An Open 'Thank You' Letter to the Cast, Crew & Musicians of Brampton Music Theatre's 'Rent'

This post was originally published on my handmade jewelry blog, Design by Cassandra, on November 24, 2010.

The thing with community theatre and their short run dates is that you never want that feeling to end; not just the rush of the applause and the spotlight, but the sense of family with the cast and crew after it all comes together, and the people you've shared the experience with become great friends in the end.  Rent was the perfect production to get myself back into the swing of things after such a long hiatus from theatre in general, onstage or off, and I am very humbled to have shared it with such glowing, talented people of all facets.

Jonathan Larson's masterpiece pays homage to the dramas that came before, deriving its plot from Puccini's La Boheme, set in 1830 Paris focusing on the love between Rodolfo, a poet, and Mimì, a seamstress.  Although they separate because of Rodolfo's disapproval of Mimì's flirtatious ways towards men, they reunite before she succumbs to the clutches of tuberculosis, dying in his arms, surrounded by their adopted family of artists and friends whom also shared their state of Bohemia.  A poignant piece that reminds us to live and appreciate each day to its fullest, we were reminded of the short time we would share together bringing Jonathan's message to our little corner of the world.  I don't think there was a finer group of artists that could have accomplished this in only the way we could.

Brampton Music Theatre's RENT: Video Sneak Peek of 'Take Me Or Leave Me'

This post was originally published on my handmade jewelry blog, Design by Cassandra, on November 9, 2010.

Have you bought your tickets yet for Rent?  If you haven't, you won't be seeing it for a long time - this will be the final North American production before its return to off-Broadway!  Click on the blog's Rent banner to take you to the Rose Theatre website to buy your tickets online - but hurry!  We're running the show this weekend only, opening Thursday, November 11th.

Here's something that should sell you - check out this video sneak peek featuring Erin Hyde as Maureen and Lumena Daniel as Joanne!  Enjoy, and see you at the show!

BMT's 'Rent' Video Sneak Peeks!

This post was originally published on my handmade jewelry blog, Design by Cassandra, on October 26, 2010.

Rehearsals are well underway with the cast of Rent, opening November 11 at the Rose Theatre in Brampton, Ontario!  Check out these videos of the talented cast, and follow Brampton Music Theatre's blog for more backstage awesomeness!

No Day But Today: Brampton Music Theatre Presents RENT!

This post was originally published on my handmade jewelry blog, Design by Cassandra, on October 10, 2010.

I'm excited to announce that I will be working on the production team for Brampton Music Theatre's production of Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, Rent! I'm part of a two-person team in charge of acquiring necessary props - prop wranglin', so to speak.

Since community theatre is entirely volunteer work, we're working on a limited budget and aren't ashamed to go into 'beg, borrow and steal' mode.  Bartering isn't out of the question, either!