yes...more Wizard of Oz...

Rehearsals seem to be going well so far...even though I've only had two. The cast is nice, and they seem to be welcoming me with open arms. It's definitely different rehearsing / putting on a show in a public place like a park - especially when the "set" won't go up until Sunday afternoon. It's a wide open space, and we all have plenty of space to move about; however, it's hard to imagine where certain things are / will be, when you don't have much in the way of a "set" to work with. But that aside, I'm having a blast! I just can't wait to get all my lines memorized, so I can start using my broom and getting used to carrying around a prop. AND so I can move around more freely, without having to worry about keeping my place in the script or dropping the damn book.

I *think* I have my first scene - Ms. Gulch - lines memorized. A couple lines are a bit fuzzy, the way they are worded, but I'm giving my photographic memory a run for its money trying to jam all this in in such a short amount of time. Tonight we don't have rehearsal, so a night on the couch in the PJ's, reading and re-reading, is in order.

Goodwill provided me with my Ms. Gulch costume - a blouse, and either a dress or skirt with it. My Witch costume was proving to be a bit more frustrating. I want it to be as authentic looking as possible, and absolutely REFUSE to buy a "costume in a bag". I checked with Johnnie Brock's, and they have one in my size to rent, but it would be a bit pricey in order to have it for the entire week. (Deposit, rental fee, etc.) So I started searching online, found, and fell in love with one:

This one isn't exactly cheap either - the shipping fee to ensure delivery by Friday night is an extra $32! - but at least I will have something to show for my money, and not have something I have to return. (Plus, the SAT dinner club in October is a costume party, so I'm REALLY ready for that now!) This way, too, if the costume arrives by Friday and doesn't fit, doesn't look right, or whatever the case may be, mom and I can go elsewhere Saturday and shop 'til we drop. (But please keep your fingers crossed that this one works out; I absolutely ADORE it!)

Something to look forward to, other than the show itself? Several people who have NEVER seen me perform onstage are coming to see it. I can't even say how excited I am! I'm still pinching myself!

the cat's outta the bag...

For fear of being redundant...which I'm going to do anyway...I have some great news I wanted to share with you all. (For most of you, it will be the 3rd or 4th time you read / hear it...sorry 'bout that; I'm just really excited!)

I will have the incredible honor of playing THE WICKED WITCH in Broadway Center of the Arts' production of The Wizard of Oz!!!
This is a part I've wanted to play for a LONG time, and now I finally get the wonderful opportunity to do so!

The show is next weekend, August 7-9. Short notice, I know! Wish me luck learning lines in, oh, a week! (The group lost their witch due to unforseen circumstances, and she had to drop out suddenly.)

Anywho. The show is at Ever & Anon Park (yes, it's outside) in downtown Belleville, IL. It's not that far, only about 1/2 hour from St. Louis. The show times are 7:30 p.m. each night. I'm not sure on ticket price yet, but if you're interested, let me know and I'll get you more information - and directions!

Wizard of Oz

You all know I'm a huge Wizard of Oz fan - anything and everything about / associated with it...INCLUDING Wicked, of course!

So WHY on EARTH did I not know about:

Oz Park, which is (was?) located in Chicago, IL??? Does anyone know anything about this place - i.e., where exactly it is located, if it even still exists, etc.??? There apparently is (was?) a yellow brick road, and statues of the characters! The picture I found of the Cowardly Lion statue, for whatever reason, will not upload. So just imagine it. (I was disappointed at seeing NO Wicked Witch, though.)

There also is (was?) a theme park in North Carolina, called the Land of Oz. From what little I've read on it, it closed in 1980, but opens on the first Saturday & Sunday in October every year. (Only $15, too. I'd DEFINITELY take a road trip...)

AAAND. On those notes, I'm asking y'all to keep your fingers crossed for me...say a little prayer...I'm really nervous...but don't want to say much more, for fear of jinxing myself. Trust that I will divulge after I know more. Thanks!!

"The Dark Knight"

Consensus from Rotten Tomatoes: "Dark, complex and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga."
In my own words? BITCHIN'.

Following 2005's "Batman Begins", "The Dark Knight" finds Batman (Christian Bale) setting out to do what he does best: fight crime. He is once again assisted by Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman), as well as a new character, District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Morgan Freeman reprises his role as Lucius Fox, Michael Caine returns as Alfred, and Maggie Gyllenhaal steps into the role of Rachel Dawes. (Who was played ever so woodenly in "Batman Begins" by Mrs. Tom Cruise, aka, Katie Holmes.)

Batman, Gordon, and Dent are successfully rounding up the criminals that continue to plague Gotham City when a new villain emerges from the shadows, known only as The Joker. Cesar Romero, Heath Ledger, and Jack Nicholson have all filled The Joker's shoes, in varying shapes and forms. The makeup alone in this particular interpretation will send chills up your spine, rather than make you think you are simply watching a clown that has gone batshit.
By far, Ledger's version is THE BEST. Nearly EVERYTHING that has been said about Ledger's performance as The Joker is DEAD ON. He played this role to a "T" - dark, sinister, maniacal, and just plain crazy. Various people and sites touted, "He will make you forget Jack Nicholson ever played The Joker," but I don't know that I would necessarily go quite that far. There are similarities between the two actors' portrayals of the character, but they are few and far between. Tim Burton / Joel Schumacher's series of the Batman movies are slightly more campy, more cartoon-ish, even, than Christopher Nolan's. Not only has The Joker become progressively darker and more sinister, the movies as a whole have done the same. Heath Ledger's acting is brilliant, the laugh is perfection (though, sadly, he only gives a few really good, loud, long cackles), and everytime he came on the screen, I was completely drawn in by his performance. Was the performance Oscar worthy? Ehhh. I'm a bit on the fence on that one, but I will say if he does not get an Oscar nod at the VERY LEAST, it will be extremely disappointing.

Speaking of great performances, Aaron Eckhart did an excellent job as Harvey Dent...whom we all know (I'm assuming) eventually becomes Two Face. I did feel his transformation from Dent to Two Face was a bit rushed, and somewhat jammed into the movie, but he did a fine job with the multiple layers of the character. This is another one that I feel deserves "the nod".

As you may remember, Tommy Lee Jones also played the role, in 1995's "Batman Forever". Again with the makeup, we go from cartoon to creepy (please forgive the fuzzy screen shot of Eckhart):

Tommy Lee Jones' Two Face seemed more like a man who was torn between good and evil, and who just happened to have a 1/2 purple face. Half of the costume was outlandish (purple zebra print suit and leopard tie), while the other half was a normal black suit. Speaking from solely a costuming / make up standpoint, you couldn't tell why this man was half and half. "The Dark Knight" not only shows what happens to Harvey that turns him into Two Face, the costume and make up reflect it.

Bale's Bruce Wayne / Batman, for me, fell flat. In "Batman Begins", I found him to be a great fit, even entertaining, as the character, but I felt he was dull in this one. The "Batman voice" (deep, husky, slightly sexy) was good, but some of his lines of dialogue came out mushy and garbled. (Here's a poll for those of you who have seen the movies: who is the best Batman? I, myself, have to say Keaton.)

Maggie Gyllenhaal, as I said, is Rachel Dawes. She was only "eh". However, I don't think that's too much of her fault. She did little more than bounce between her two love interests (Bruce Wayne and Dent) and look pretty doing it. I think she is a fine actress, but I noticed too many similarities between her and Katie Holmes to really enjoy her performance.

Michael Caine, as always, was wonderful. He is great as Alfred, though I ever so slightly favor Michael Gough in the role.

I am a sucker for Gary Oldman, so of course I enjoyed him. Some lines were a bit inaudible, but I believe he's pretty soft spoken anyway. (Speaking of Oldman, if you have not seen "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead", I highly recommend it. However, it is next to impossible to find.)

All in all, this film gets five out of five stars from me. I did have my issues with it (WAYYY too long - runtime 152 minutes - and Bale being a dullard), but they aren't nearly big enough to drop my rating.

*WARNING* , spoilers are ahead. If you have not seen the movie, stop reading...NOW.

• There is a scene in the movie in which The Joker is seen driving a Police car, head hanging out the window. The movie could have ended with that scene, and a fade to black. I felt some of the things which came after just dragged the movie out, and rushed things - specifically, Dent's swift descent into the evil Two Face.
• At one point, Batman shoots The Joker in the face with some of his new Batsuit technology...and there is NO EVIDENCE (other than the close up of the blades "hitting" him) that he was injured, or even hit. It didn't have to be overly gory or anything, but some evidence would have been nice and made more sense.
• While Two Face's look is definitely more creepy than the original, it was simply NOT believable. He is still a man, not half zombie - which is what he ended up looking like. The make up was in no way gory, but the exposed tendons and bone were just not plausible. And what was that about "refusing all pain medications and any skin grafts"?? Come on, now. Anyone who is burned that badly, over that much of his face, would NOT be lucid enough to refuse pain medications and / or skin grafts.
• I must commend the make up artists on The Joker, however. (I know, I'm weird for paying such close attention to things like this in movies.) There was no point in the movie which I noticed, "Hey, he has a lot more / less make up on in this scene than the last one...", or "His make up looks completely different..." Bravo on that. Oh, and the tinted green hair in lieu of the neon green dye jobs was MUCH more effective.
• Batman does eventually 'catch' The Joker, and it was a bit shocking that it seemed so easy and effortless. Like, this guy is always two (if not ten) steps ahead, and seems to be plotting his next move even before he's carried out the first. And then, all of the sudden, you pull a "Gotcha!" move? Eh.
• Action-filled bank robbery as the very first scene in the movie? Awesome. Fabulous choice. Once that scene hit and played out, my first thought was, "This is going to be sooooo COOL..."
• It's a shame Two Face was "killed off" - although we don't know that for sure - at the end of the movie. I'm somehow inclined to think he is not really dead, and will make a return in the next (?) movie.
• It's also a shame The Joker "got away" - because it leads you to believe he will be back. We know this is not the case, which makes it that much more heartbreaking. I'm almost convinced the directors / producers were going to use Ledger in the next (?) one, but obviously that won't happen. Very sad.
• Anthony Michael Hall TOTALLY appears in the movie for like 2.5 seconds, as a television reporter set to interview someone (form within the Wayne Enterprise) who is going to "reveal the true identity of the Batman".

navy

Back to the color blogging.

I went to a Catholic grade school. Plaid jumpers for the K-4 girls, and once you got to the "big kids" side of the school (5-8), it was skirts. Of course, in K-4, it was the jumper, Peter Pan collared white button down blouse, knee high white (or navy) socks, and brown penny loafers. Oh so color coordinated, considering the uniforms were a nice combo of green and NAVY blue, with yellow and red "highlights".

I absolutely HATED those things. K-4 wasn't bad; we weren't old enough to know any better. However, we DID tend to pull down the top part of our jumpers, and tuck them into the skirt part so we'd look like the "big kids".

Once we got to 5th grade and could wear the skirts, a whole new world opened up. And by whole new world, I mean UMBRO shorts under the skirts. Oh, and the skirt had to be short enough (by rolling it at the waistband, of course) so the bottom of your Umbros peeked out from the bottom of the skirt.

Then there was the measuring...
I remember one teacher who would line the girls up as we came into class and make us kneel in a straight line on the floor. She would then go around with a ruler and measure how many inches our skirts were off of the floor. Any more than 3 inches, and we were told, "Unroll your skirt."

And that brings me to another thing I have to address with this post. EVERYONE knows, of course, that a large population of men have this "school girl" fantasy. Ya know, smokin' hot chick in a white blouse (wayyy too small for her, of course, and knotted at the midriff), itsy bitsy plaid skirt (cheekage hanging out is apparently a must), knee high white socks, and high heels. Oh, and pigtails are always an added advantage. Having gone to Catholic schools ALL MY LIFE, I can tell you that that just does NOT happen. And frankly, I find it kinda weird.

Kinky, but weird. (ha ha)

Deflated...and encouraged!

I arrived at the "house" on 517 Theatre Lane nearly 1/2 hour early. Thank goodness for that, too, because parking is VERY limited near and around it. Lucky enough for me, I was able to get the last legal "spot" directly in front. (We were warned that Webster Groves DOES, indeed, tow. AND they ticket. Double whammy.)

Any passerby on the street would assume this was a normal “house” at first glance. From the outside, it sure looks like the stereotypical “Webster” home...that is, except for the "marquee" and bright lights in the front yard. Located off of Newport Road, the Theatre Guild of Webster Groves is tucked away on Theatre Lane, which slopes down into a little valley. Once inside, I could tell that it had indeed been someone’s home, albeit long ago. The double wooden doors in front opened to a small entrance way, with the large "sitting" room just beyond the threshold. Older looking chairs, couches, and settees were placed around the room, against the walls. Framed playbills from past shows (dating back more than 50 years!) adorned the walls, and there were more in albums on a small table in the entrance way. To my left were three tiny bathrooms, and a small kitchen. Directly on the other side of the sitting room was a doorway; I could tell there was at least one more room through it, possibly more? To my right were about 20 steps up to the auditorium.

The auditorium itself was small, yet cozy. Only about 100 seats filled the area, with a small wooden stage at the front. The set lingered onstage, with its bright yellow walls and blue trim. Two metal folding chairs sat, angled toward each other, at center stage.

The usual audition process applied: "fill out this card with your information, list previous show experience(s) on the back, as well as any conflicts you may have during the rehearsal process..." Scripts were passed around to anyone interested in skimming over them before the cold readings began. Once it was time, the director chose pages in the script at random, noted which characters were in that scene, and selected audition cards from the pile. The actors were called up to the stage, given their “roles” for the scene, and began. No definite stopping point was announced, until she would interject the scene with, “Ok, that’s good…you can stop there…thank you so much…”

Once everyone had read several different parts, several different times, she started zeroing in…this person would read this role 4 times over, while that person would read that role another 3 times over. It was obvious the cast was being narrowed down and formed in her head, and as I got up to read less and less, my chances seemed to shrink before my very eyes…

Everyone was sent downstairs to mingle and WAIT while the director, AD, and others involved with the production, discussed…and CAST the show. At least I think they cast the show…
About 25 minutes after we were first sent downstairs, the AD came down. She thanked everyone for auditioning, and let us know, “I’m going to call some names…would these people please come back upstairs so we can discuss further…and the rest of you may go. Thank you again for auditioning!”

Yep. My name wasn’t called. :-(
It is somewhat disappointing, I do have to admit. Kind of deflating to the ego, I guess because every show I've auditioned for in the last 4 years, I've made. I was really looking forward to getting out there more, spreading my wings. But I guess I wasn’t what they were looking for. At least I did it, though. I can focus on the fact that I DID IT. I didn’t chicken out, and even after J said he couldn’t audition with me, I sucked it up and went BY MYSELF. Not knowing ANYBODY ELSE THERE. That fact alone encourages me.

So, after a little pat on the back to myself…I’m already starting to check for other upcoming auditions!!!

Stacey's Baseball Tonight

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (aka, the Anaheim Angels) have a Rally Monkey. How cool is that?!?

This man has dubbed himself the San Fransisco Giants' "Rally Pumpkin". Hm. Giants. Pumpkin. I don't get the connection...

I don't know who started this little "trend", but I don't get this one either. Seriously. Wearing your baseball cap upside down and inside out is NOT going to help your team win. But it MAY help you look like a douchebag. I'm just sayin'.

Former cardinal (2000 - 2003) Fernando Vina became an analyst for ESPN's Baseball Tonight in 2007. I can't help but admire the perfection of his goatee. Really, this guy must spend HOURS alone on just the facial hair. Nice. It works.

All your Major League Baseball dreams come true when you get your own last name on the back of your favorite team's jersey. Except you don't get to play with the team. Or even hang out with them. Or, most importantly, earn their paychecks. I'm not a fan of this. You're buying a TEAM jersey. Get one of the PLAYERS' names on it. We're just fans.

And, in other areas...
Cards lost the series opener against the Cubs tonight (2-1). This puts them at 49 wins and 39 losses so far on the year. 3.5 games behind the Cubs for first place in the National League Central. (Cubs are 52 and 35.) With 74 games left to play in the regular season, there's more than enough time to surpass our rivals. (Side note: can you imagine playing 162 games of baseball in several months' time? With only a few days off in between games here and there? Although, if I were making even a QUARTER of some of those guys' salaries, I think I could suck it up to do it. Getting paid to do what you love is a beautiful thing.

On the same token, former Cardinal Jimmy (Ballgame / Half Shirt / Pool Party) Edmonds received a prolonged ovation before his first at-bat tonight. That ovation just proves that Cardinal fans ARE the best fans in baseball. Your guy gets picked up by your most hated rival, yet you STILL cheer him for his accomplishments when he comes home to play his former teammates.

And THAT is Stacey's Baseball Tonight.

Yankees lost (6-4) to their rivals, the Boston Red Sox, tonight also. This puts them at 45 and 42 on the year, 9 games out of first in their division. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are in first in the AL East. The DEVIL RAYS. Like Uncle Jimmy said tonight, "the Yankees are proof that money can buy ANYTHING". Except this year. Hopefully they'll get their act together and at least be able to vie for a wild card position. (Not that anyone who reads this, besides Dustin & myself, care about the Yankees. Just putting it out there.)

AND. Pujols hit his 300th career homerun tonight. This makes him the 5th youngest player to 300, at 28 years and 170 days old, beating Hall of Famer Mell Ott by one day. (I personally have my doubts as to whether or not Pujols is really 28, but that is neither here nor there.) Alex Rodriguez (Yankees) is the youngest to 300 homers at 27 years, 249 days.

Comfort Zone

I'm going to do it. I'm stepping out of my comfort zone. The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves is holding auditions on July 8 for "The Philadelphia Story". Count me in.

This may not seem like a huge deal, considering the amount of theatre I have done over the last several years. However, I have never auditioned for this group before. I generally stuck to the same groups show after show, year after year. And that's nothing against any of them, because I met great friends, made great memories, and on the whole had a blast. But after a while, it became stale to me. Only in the sense that I knew auditioning wasn't even a "must" anymore. And while it is a great feeling to have the choreographer call you and say, "I need a dancer for this show...you in?", there's that special rush you get when you audition. The combination of nerves, fear, anxiety, and excitement. "Will I get the part? Won't I? Will I make the show? What if I don't? How will I react?"

Cold reading auditions don't bother me at all; stick a script in my hand, show me what to read, and within 15 minutes I'll practically have the damn thing memorized. Dance auditions give me only a bit of a twitter; however, I always have the attitude, "You show me what you want, and I'll give it to you. If I can't, I'll damn sure fake it." Singing auditions? Whole 'nother ballgame. I freeze. Choke. Throat tightens, whole nine yards. But I blame that on one simple fact: I've NEVER been given a chance. Never have I had a solo of more than, oh, a line. And don't get me wrong, I appreciate having any solo singing lines at all. But I often wonder, could I do it? Could I sing in front of 200 people the same way I sing in my shower, or in front of my close friends? The world may never know...

But anywho. "The Philadelphia Story" isn't a musical, so I won't have to worry about the singing for now. Here's my attitude on this next venture: "I'd LOVE to make this show. I'd LOVE to try on a different company for size. BUT, if I don't make it, I won't be inconsolable. Yea, it'll probably suck not getting a role (there's room for 9 men, 6 women), BUT at least I know I gave it a shot. I stepped out of my comfort zone, and that alone will boost my confidence at least a little. The singing? We'll save that for another day. Baby steps, here. Baby steps."