I’m very blessed as Education Director at PCS, to be able to leave my desk everyday, head down stairs, and perform in our production of A Christmas Carol. The cast and crew are all funny, warm, and more than willing to participate in some backstage holiday shenanigans. Julianna Jaffe (Ghost of Christmas present among others) and Sharonlee McLean (Mrs. Cratchit, Charwoman, etc.) organized a secret santa gift exchange for us all. Here’s a lovely picture of the little imps – err, I mean elves.

I think they are eating their secret santa pal slips so no evidence is left behind. I have to thank Sharonlee for emailing me all these photos to blog! I’m kind of camera challenged

Here’s a lovely one of our little Henry (Tiny Tim) with Julianna. They made him draw his secret santa pal last because he was suffering from Strep Throat!! Yikes. We bathed him and ourselves in Purell all evening – what a trouper.

There’s a whole group backstage I have named the “black ninjas”. Tim, Katlin, Katy, Matt, and Kelly, dressed all in black, silently run around backstage and create all the magic with Marley’s chains, secret doors, snow, etc. I know there are only five of them, but it seems like there are at least double that. Here’s Katlin with our most introverted cast member, Woody. SPOILER ALERT!!! Woody lays in Scrooge’s bed and serves as scrooge’s dead corpse. I’m a little jealous of Woody, because before he came along, I got to play the corpse. It was probably my best work ever!

Here’s James and I valiantly pretending that the Christmas Past robes are comfortable (aaargh, I can’t breath).

At the risk of Hallie killing me for posting a picture of her in her wig cap, pre-wig, here is a picture of Kallan, Aimee and Hallie getting their secret santa assignments from Julianna. Sorry Hallie, I can’t help it. You’re all just too super cute!!

Thank you Sharonlee and Julianna, for bringing an awesome Christmas spirit backstage with you everyday!

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Rick Lewis, the musical director for Portland Center Stage’s production of Grey Gardens talks about the nuances of this fine musical score.

Rick Lewis Talks about Grey Gardens’ Musical Score from Portland Center Stage on Vimeo.

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Storm Large, James Beaton, Jim Brunberg, and Scott Weddle talk love, life, brussel sprouts, and Crazy Enough!

Storm and Her Balls from Portland Center Stage on Vimeo.

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In this webisode of PCS Backstage, we take you into the rehearsal process with Chris Coleman, talk with costuming about those amazing pull-away dresses,  and talk shop with Don Crossley and Chris Rousseau.  Enjoy!

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YysY4uwBp_k w=425 h=344]

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{photo: Veronica DiPerna as a Chorus Girl in Runyonland.}

The past week and a half has been (as always) a race toward the finish line.  Final days in the rehearsal hall were spent cleaning, focusing, tightening, throwing out, rethinking and speeding up.

{photo:Todd A. Horman and the company of Sit Down.}

Sit Down, You’re Rockin the Boat was a blast and a bear at the same time.  It is rhythmically quite challenging, but so exciting to sing that the company has a natural tendency to speed things up.  Which may be fun, but can also prove lethal if you can’t keep up with the choreography (we did have a few spills from the mission benches).

Loesser’s score continues to dazzle me.  It is beautiful to listen to.  But when you get in and actually try to learn the harmonies and intervals, it is far more complex than you might have originally imagined.

{photo: Stacia Fernandez (center) and the Hot Box girls.}

The dance numbers have required an equal amount of attention.  A cast of 19 is not small for PCS, but it’s not huge for a Guys and Dolls – and so finding a balance of choreography that can convey the intent of a number, while not wearing out the tightened number of performers you are leaning on to pull it off – has been a challenge.

We finally moved onstage Wednesday evening for the Sitzprobe (the company sings through the show with the band for the first time).  It’s always such a gas to move into the theater, and begin to imagine how the show will feel with an audience.  It’s also deeply disorienting (’wow – I thought it would be deeper than this’, etc.)

The band is in the pit again this year, but will sit lower than they did for Cabaret.  This should make it easier to balance the sound, but it also poses a few challenges for our musical director, Rick Lewis (pictured above) – as he will be standing about two and half feet above the rest of the musicians – so the actors can see his hands.

{photo: Robert Mammana, who plays Sky Masterson, in his sightseeing guide costume.}

Adding costumes has a variety of effects on the company.  Some actors feel overwhelmed, others totally excited.  And then some (ala Robert Mammana, who makes a cameo in Runyonland as a Sightseeing Guide) just enjoys the new look.

Loads of logistics are brought to the company for the first time:  a discussion with our sound technicians about how the body microphones are handled, protected, and worn.  Or here (with Richard Mathews and our Stage Management team listening intently) as Bonnie, our Wardrobe Mistress outlines how costumes will be cleaned, managed and organized.

Bonnie shared that the show contains 95 costumes changes, including 21 that have to occur in less than one minute.

{photo: John Plumpis as Nathan; Leif Norby as Benny Southstreet; and Todd Harmon as Nicely-Nicely.}

All the visuals for the production have aimed at achieving a “hyper-theatrical quality” – and our first day on stage allowed us to see all the costumes in motion, and together for the first time.  Many were on the right track, some were a bit too realistic to compete with the cacophony and will require further exaggeration.

{photo: Robert Mammana as Sky kisses Carey Brown as Sarah.}

But the real excitement of moving onstage comes when the lights, costumes and vocals all begin to contribute to creating a moment that begins have a magic of its own.

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