Dress Up at the Rose Theatre

We had our first costume fitting and make-up session at the Rose Theatre.

First, before I start getting all giggly about the costumes and set, let me mention the theatre. This place is a true little jewel. To think, there used to be more of these great movie palaces throughout the US. It is a shame so many went into disrepair or were simply torn down.

The Rose has had a colorful history.

"One of the few buildings in the Midwest possessing a unique combination of Moorish and Classical architecture, The Rose is one of the last grand movie palaces left from the days when going to the theater meant escaping into an opulent dreamland.

First known as the Riviera ... (i)ts enchanting decor included tapestries and Oriental rugs, sculptures and friezes, an intricate mosaic floor, fountains and perfect acoustics from front row to back. The walls of the auditorium were decorated with Mediterranean-style murals and balconies, while the ceiling brimmed with electric stars and clouds. Audiences filled the 2,776 seats to watch an entire evening’s entertainment that included fully-orchestrated song and dance acts, vaudeville skits and a feature film." (www.rosetheater.org)

After the stock market crash, The Riviera was sold and a miniature golf course was added inside the lobby. Later the seats were removed and a bowling alley added. It was used again as a movie theatre until slated for demolition in 1981.

Saved from destruction and renovated, today the theatre is a perfect fit for a storybook opera such as Hansel & Gretel and the Director, Henry MacCarthy, is making great use of the space, including the electric stars embedded in the theatre ceiling. I've been on stage or in rehearsal every time the star lights go on so you'll have to be satisfied with a photo of the clouds on the lobby ceiling. I know, not as amazing, but if you're really bummed out, there is a solution. See the show.

Now, let the giggling commence. The set is exactly as I imagined it based off of James Othuse's, Production Designer, sketches.

I felt like I was standing my childhood board game Candy Land! The rest of the set is just as charming.

The costumes are great and as I had been hoping, I'm in a pair of lederhosen. They are longer than traditional lederhosen, but I'd rather have long shorts than short shorts. I've seen one too many pictures of ill-fitting lederhosen. Use your imagination. I don't post those sort of pictures here.

Share Time

I was rummaging around Twitter before bed and found this video advertising the show next week:

I'm thoroughly impressed. If I wasn't already performing, I'd buy tickets!

PLUS, they have written and illustrated a book, in Golden Book fashion, and are giving a copy out to all the school children that attend the private school performances the week leading up to the public performances.

I'll be performing the Friday pm, Saturday am/pm performances.

Opera Omaha

Here I am. It is my first day off since reaching Omaha last Sunday. I'm lounging around the hotel room playing computer games, watching Food Inc., chatting via Skype and plotting an adventure out into the world to acquire food and other necessities. My brain and my body are tired and sore, and I am fully taking advantage of the day off.

It has been a hard and rewarding first 6 days of rehearsal. I thought as I started on this posting that it would be about the rehearsals. Instead I keep leaning towards the more mundane, daily ritual of living while on the road.

The goal is for my time here to feel like part of my life, not an isolated incident in which my comfort, stability and routine gets tossed out the window. It was important for me to pack light but at the same time, bring certain things with me in order to make a hotel feel like home.

To Bring:

1. Tea/Coffee/Travel Mug: I have a travel mug that I fill with coffee or tea in the mornings when I'm at home and heading outside to work via subway or on a walk with the dog. I brought the mug with me along with teas from home. I fill it with tea before going to rehearsals. It's comforting to have it with me and helps keep my days in some sort of routine.

2. Running clothes: This is the biggest thing that adds to my routine. Granted, having a treadmill in the hotel, makes it even easier to run while on the road then while at home. At home I use it as a stress reliever and mood enhancer and, if I'm being really honest, gives me the ability to eat more than I could otherwise. While here working on the show, it has proven to be a rehearsal tool as well. In the opera I'm playing a 10 year old boy who runs, jumps, spins, dances and generally has a childhood induced caffeine buzz going 80% of the time. Hopping on the treadmill the first few days of rehearsal probably contributed to my super sore body at the end of each day, but there's something to be said for continued cardiovascular training. I think I'm able to add more life to the stage and create a very strong character while still maintaining an even and relaxed breath which is the linchpin of healthy and beautiful singing.

3. Kindle: I LOVE that I can bring a whole library with me on the road. I can remember packing a quarter of a suitcase with books before getting my Kindle. I'm an avid reader and I love that I now have the ability to go through as many books as I like without worrying about finishing everything before I get back home or more realistically, worry about breaking the luggage. Incidentally, my suitcase did die at the airport on the way here. I'm sure years of book abuse were partially to blame.

4. Computer and Internet gaming: It is out there. I play an MMO (Mass Multiplayer Online Game). I pack my headset, my computer and my wireless mouse and I'm equipped. I get to play games with and hang out with loved ones in a way that nothing else affords me while away. My computer also acts as my link to movies and entertainment. I haven't turned the hotel t.v. on once while here, and it's largely due to the ability to access Netflix streaming. I can still watch movies and programs which I find entertaining and enjoyable. It is all I have at home so once again, I feel like it is an extension of home.

5. Select snacks: I forgot the most important snack of all this time but thankfully someone noticed and thought to mail it out. I am a super picky chocolate eater. I have a few brands of dark chocolate bars that I love to nibble on slowly. I didn't have time to go out and find them here but they showed up in the mail anyways! In addition to the tea, I brought fruit leather and some energy bars. It keeps my snacking consistent with what I have at home. Plus, I knew rehearsals would be taxing and it always helps to have something to munch on to keep the mental and physical energy up when you're "on" 6-8hrs a day.

All this talk of food has given me the motivation to go out and run the errands that need to get run today before the next 6 days of rehearsal commence once again.