Day 6

Rehearsal recap here we go! Bum Bum! That was my Law and Order sound effect because this recap will be in the style of an L and O episode. (Speaking of Law and Order, our very own Gus Curry (Emmett) was an extra on this week’s Law and Order SVU!)

In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups. Blondes and brunettes. These are their stories. Bum Bum!

It’s day two of trial rehearsal. Our Elle, Jess C., is channeling some ADA Sam Waterston as she cross-examines Chutney, played by Jess Moryl. Not only does Jess M. bring some serious LOLs in this scene, she’s also our costume designer (we’ve started having fittings and things are looking fabulous!). Bum Bum!

As the trial proceeds, Elle takes the courtroom on a field trip to the “Scene of the Crime,” which strangely is neither Central Park nor a dumpster in a New York alley. It’s a bathroom! Elle, shifting gears to Mariska Hargitay investigative mode, meticulously collects hair samples for the medical examiner to analyze (It’s always the hair isn’t it? Get these criminals some hair nets, am I right?). Bum Bum!

Expert witness testimony is provided by local beauty shop proprietor, Paulette Buonfonte, (Jenna Kantor) and Harvard law student, Enid Hoopes (Megan Quinn), both leaders in the field of follicular permanent waves, colloquially known as “perms.” Apparently the chemical makeup of the active ingredient in a “perm”, ammonium thioglycolate (chemical formula HSCH₂CO₂NH₄₎, has some interesting properties…that’s all I’ll say for now…

BUM BUM!

Created by Dick Wolf

In our post-trial rehearsal, and amid much pomp and circumstance, we put together the graduation finale. Now, the only number left to attack is “The Legally Blonde REMIX,” which is to Act II what “What You Want” was to Act I. So get ready!

Legally,

Spencer

Rehearsal Day 5!

In every show, there is a song that comes along. A song that has the precise mix of mind-numbing syncopations and harmonies. A song that, honestly, makes me go a little cross-eyed. “Take It Like A Man” was that song for me. Thanks, Mr. O’Keefe! My harmonically-challenged morning aside, rehearsal proceeded swimmingly.

In the afternoon, Carl blocked “Gay or European.” This song deftly tackles the pressing international issue of malfunctioning gaydar within the EU. In the song, Elle ends up wielding her formidable bend and snap to thwart the perjury-happy pool boy. We were all having trouble holding things together when Carlos (the scene steal-y hilarious Lucas Coatney) took the floor to aid the defense team.

In other news, our merry band of players is complete: Jenna Kantor, our Paulette, has arrived! She’s got the arduous task of both perfecting a Boston accent AND mastering the many technical aspects of the “Bend and Snap.” But if today’s rehearsal was any indication, she’s a total pro.

The day closed out with a brutal competition to determine the participants for the Act 2 opener, “Whipped Into Shape.” So, in the tradition of the Hunger Games, I present THE JUMPER GAMES! Armed only with cardio whips of death, a dozen actors are offered as tributes, competing to bring honor to their districts/sororities. And this year did not disappoint. It was another ghastly affair at the Jumper Games. By the end of the evening, the rehearsal room was strewn with Delta Nu corpses and miscellaneous human odor, the result of a gruesome jump off. But after quickly mopping up the mix of blonde hair and brains, the Palace was ready for the children’s production!

And they were presenting Mulan, based on the Disney animated feature. The cast was blown away by these talented kids! Those of you who didn’t think a ten year old blonde girl would be able to channel Eddie Murphy, you would be mistaken. Scenery was chewed and songs were sung with all the force of the great typhoon. And our very own Tommy and Adrienne music-directed and choreographed! So, consider this guy very inspired by the unbelievably talented kids at the Palace.

Back at the cast house, it was crafting hour. In another life, Andrea was definitely a first grade teacher. Dolling out paints, pencils, and crayons, she quickly had the cast reverting to more innocent times. The masterpieces are now proudly displayed on the fridge.

And sakes alive! That was day five!

Legally,

Spencer

Day 4!

The day of judgment has arrived. The day that separates the blondes from the brunettes. The day we tackle the juggernaut of the show… an 8 minute epic paean that takes us from the genesis of Elle’s law school epiphany,through an LSAT study montage all the way to the gates of Harvard and through the doors of the law school admissions committee where Elle pleads for acceptance armed with a 4.0 GPA and a 175 LSAT score only to finally invoke the sacred gods of “Love” in a final desperate bid for entrance into the Valhalla of law schools. Yes, we are choreographing “What You Want.”

“What You Want” has got everything you could possibly want in a number: cheerleaders, a live band, a full on banner-filled parade, costume changes, a reggae interlude led by Grandmaster Chad (tumbler/hip hop/break dance master Chris Matesevac), and a step breakdown…oh and tennis! yes, tennis and martinis are involved. I get to play a keg-happy frat boy. I’m stoked dude!

The number culminates in the aforementioned step-dancing, in which I’m currently looking a little white. But if this show is going to teach me anything, it is to embrace my ethnic flavors. Yes, I’m Italian, but over the course of the show, I get to play a South Indian Harvard student, Sundeep Padamadan, a pool boy of ambiguous Mediterranean origin, and a high stepping parade dancer. But by the end of the day, we were starting to get the hang of all the funky rhythms.

I guess there’s no better time to break the news then now, but…the theatre is haunted (http://www.palacetheatre.org/about-us/) by a ghost named Matthias. Furthermore, it is tradition on the first Tuesday evening of the contract to partake in some scary movie watching. It’s the creative team’s way of both paying homage to and appeasing Matthias. Last night’s pick was Paranormal Activity 3. While the found footage, Blair Witch Project style lends itself to a slow buildup, there were some jump out of your seat, scream worthy moments.

However, things got even scarier with a trip down to the boiler room. Equipped with a gauss meter to measure ghostly presence, our very own ghost buster, Mark Nichols, aided by some brave Delta Nus, did some investigating.

Alright, I’m signing off for our day off, but I will be back on Thursday with some pics from the first few days of rehearsal.

Legally yours,

Spencer

Day 3!

The sun has just set on the third day of Legally Blonde rehearsal. What a day: the morning was devoted to “Positive” choreo, and in the afternoon, we pieced together all of Act I except “What You Want” (which is a beast of a number…saving the best for last!). Wow, things are coming together at an alarmingly fast rate.

Most importantly, though, we met our smallest cast member, Gia. Gia is a chihuahua thespian earning her BCA (Bachelor in Canine Arts), and she’s playing Bruiser Woods! Now chihuahuas are small dogs, but Gia is a midget among chihuahaus. I could swallow her whole. Best of all, she came wearing a bejeweled fuchsia baby doll dress, size quadruple zero. Quite the fashion maven.

Post rehearsal, the cast got gussied up and gallivanted into town for Ye Olde Game of Trivia. And it was tough! Who knew that Jada Pinkett Smith went to school in Maryland with Tupac? Umm not me. Or that Patrick Stump was the lead singer of Fall Out Boy? That one really stumped us (collective groan). I warned you this blog would be punny.

So all this trivia inspired me to have a little game of Legally Blonde trivia. Here we go!

1) In what US president’s footsteps has Elle followed in her journey to the hallowed halls of Harvard law school?

2) What star of Legally Blonde the musical is currently sashaying his way across the small screen in the new NBC show Smash?

3) What cast member of the movie Legally Blonde has also performed on Broadway, being nominated for a Tony 4 times?

Answers:

1) President Barack Obama (well…also, Rutherford B. Hayes, but don’t pretend you knew anything about RBH). While there, Obama was president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. His wife, Michelle, went there too! Elle and Michelle agree, Harvad Law is totally the place to meet your true love!

2) Christian Borle, who played Emmett on Broadway, plays Broadway composer Tom Levitt in Smash. The cast spent Monday evening watching the new episode, which had it’s share of head-scratcher moments. Full Bollywood production number? Why not!

3) Victor Garber played Professor Callahan in the movie. He originated the role of Anthony in Sweeney Todd and got Tony noms for Deathtrap, Little Me, Lend Me a Tenor, and Damn Yankees. Busy guy.

How’d you do???

3: Awesome, you’d definitely get a 175 on your LSAT

2: Not quite Harvard material.

1: Ok, everyone has some blonde moments.

0: Legally brain dead.

Alright, off to bed. Gotta go rest up for day 4!

Legally,

Spencer

Day 2!

Duh dum…..duh dum….duhdumdadumdadumdadum…Shark! That’s right, we’re in the tank with the Great White himself, Professor Callahan (aka C Minus Callahan, played with delicious self-satisfied pomp by Mark Nichols). We started the day in our first Criminal Law 101 lecture, rehearsing “Blood in the Water.” Nervous 1L-ers that we are (that’s legalese for first years), we all took detailed notes and learned important lawyer lessons.

Of course, there’s a lot of legal jargon to keep up with in your first year. Here’s Elle’s glossary of some important legal terms:

Mens rea: I thought this was the new menswear label from Dolce & Gabbana! It’s actually Latin for “guilty mind” silly! For something to be a crime, the criminal’s got to know it. Example: Bjork wearing a swan to the Oscars. In this fashion crime, there was clearly mens rea. She totally knew before that this was a fashion no-no! But that time Margot wore a tie dye poncho? She had no idea that ponchos were last season. No mens rea, not a crime! Just an unfortunate fashion accident…

Habeas corpus: Means a prisoner can’t be held without evidence, and they have the right to go before a judge. Where was my habeas corpus when Vivienne got me thrown out of class???

Malum prohibitum: Latin for “wrong because prohibited.” Different from malum in se, “evil in and of itself.” That’s, like, for crimes like murder, rape, or stealing. Like Angelina stealing Brad from Jen! Totally malum in se!

After getting our Ivy League on, we rehearsed “So Much Better,” the rousing Act 1 Finale. That’s when Elle gets one of Callahan’s coveted internships. The song just makes you feel like you can do anything (not gonna lie, it definitely pumps me up in the gym!). Our Elle, Jess, was belting her face off, while her Greek chorus backed her up. Delta Nu Pilar (Melanie Gaskins) helped the girls channel their inner Janet Jackson.

After a dinner break, we moved onto some scene work, namely Whitney’s (played by Andrea Dotto) Harvard mixer, where Elle comes…well…in some interesting attire. The day finished out getting “Chip on Your Shoulder” and “Serious” blocked. Whew! I can’t believe how fast the process is at the Palace. But everyone has their game faces on!

Post rehearsal, the cast got a little R&R. Our delta nus returned to their hotel for some well deserved hot tub time. As if we didn’t get enough singing during the day, some of us tried karaoke. I joined company manager Natalie McKnight (queen of karaoke!), assistant music director Patrick Dorow, and castmates Corey Campbell and Lucas Coatney for some late night singing.

And that was day two!

Legally yours,

Spencer

First Day of rehearsals!!

Omigod you guys. The first day of rehearsal. Has arrived. The day I’ve been patiently waiting for. Arriving at the gorgeous the-A-tre, the cast took their seats for some speedy introductions. Director, choreographer, and motivator extraordinaire Carl Rajotte gave a speech emphasizing the importance of having a positive attitude (in my head, all I can hear are strains of Laura Bell Bundy belting “Positive”…this show has an applicable song for every moment!).

There was a conspicuous deluge of pink at the first rehearsal, especially from the Delta Nus. People are taking this thing seriously! Everyone was wearing their snazzy Legally Blonde gear: bright pink T-shirts that boldly proclaim, “It’s one Elle of a show!” In honor of the punny shirts, here are my top 5 Legally Blonde pun tag lines. Because if this blog is going to be anything, it’s going to be punny!

1) Legally Blonde: Into the Woods!

2) Legally Blonde: Bruiser Strikes Back

3) Legally Blonde: It’s Elle-arious

4) Legally Blonde: Chi-WOW-WOW!

5) Legally Blonde: It’s the Delta Poo! So take a whiff!!!

Introductions and puns aside, music rehearsals began in earnest. With the incomparable Julie Oliver at the helm, we explored the joys of syncopations and hilarious tempo markings. If you were ever curious about how “Dreamgirls on steroids” would sound, you are in luck! On the agenda for the day: “So Much Better,” “What You Want,” “Legally Blonde (Remix!),” “Omigod You Guys!,” and “Harvard Variations.” By the end of the afternoon, the opener was on its feet, and I’m happy to report, our sorority girls are well on their way to forming those sacred bonds of sisterhood.

After a quick dinner break (Margaritas restaurant in an hour is kind of a stretch we realized), our leading trio of Elle, Emmitt, and Warner (Jess Crouch, Gus Curry, and Keith Webb) got to tackle music, while the rest of us were off to Gold’s Gym for a leisurely jump roping seminar. As if! “Whipped Into Shape,” the Act 2 opener led by incarcerated, jump-roping aerobics Nazi Brooke Windham (played by our unbelievably fierce show captain, Missy Clayton), lives up to its title. This jump-roping is not for the faint of heart. It’s about 15 minutes in that I realize those tacos might have been a mistake…

And these jump ropes were not forgiving! One false move and you’ve scorched red welts into your skin. Literally, getting whipped into shape. By the end of the evening, there were some pretty gnarly battle wounds to be had. Aubrey (our hilarious Margot) won the prize for self-mutilation. But everyone wore their lesions proudly, badges of honor in the pursuit of art.

And that was day one. More like day FUN! Now I need a hot shower.

Legally yours,

Spencer

Opening weekend photos from Chicago!

We are so excited about our production of Chicago! Check out some photos from opening weekend… all photos courtesy of Jeff Dachowski www.dachowskiphotography.com

 

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March 22 – Invited Preview

Invited preview is tricky because we are still figuring some things out while “faking it until we make it” for the audience. And CHICAGO is deceivingly hard. They key to a successful performance is delivering every moment effortlessly and poised. That’s something that has to mature in a performers’ body and it may take a couple of tries.

The band is tuning, all of us are in our revealing black ensembles, the lights go down and the audience gets ready to enjoy the fruit of our labor…

There weren’t any major mishaps but certainly some glitches here and there. It amazes me how actors adapt to adversity and complicated circumstances. However, we all stuck together helping each other make it all the way through.

Everybody managed to stay dressed for the whole performance. That’s an achievement! Especially for our ensemble ladies who are wearing very little clothing. So that was good!

And the band! Wow! The band sounds amazing fueling our every move with amazing Broadway jazz.

Yes, it wasn’t the best performance we had. Yes, there are things that need to be fixed. YES, we will fix them. YES we will give you BROADWAY in New Hampshire tomorrow night. You better believe it!

Inferior Preview = GRAND Opening say the rules of theatre. And this has never failed me.

I can’t wait for all for all of you to see this show and hear your thoughts!

Here we go! Opening night! LETS BREAK OUR LEGS! *

<3 Iñaki

You never say “good luck” on opening night! If someone dares to pronounce these words they MUST go out of the theatre, turn around 3 times, spit, curse, then knock on the door and ask to be readmitted to the theatre. I’m not kidding. What you do say is “break a leg”; acknowledging bad things may happen and warding off their visit. I prefer to say “Merde” which literally means shit. The term reputedly comes from the success of a play. Historically people would arrive by carriage, lots of people meant lots of carriages and horses, leaving “a lot of shit”.

Rehearsal #11 – First “dress” rehearsal

Before doing ANYTHING the big elephant in the room had to be addressed. WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE OPENING? After trying a few things out, Carl had re-staged the opening giving it a whole new spin. It looks great already! A big sigh of relief could be heard across the room when we could see it happening. You are always afraid you won’t make it in theatre…but you always do.

I use the term “dress rehearsal” loosely because there were some technical difficulties with some of the costumes that prevented a couple of our cast members to be fully dressed on stage. It was nothing too scandalous, just slightly embarrassing. Good thing we didn’t have an audience. Oops! Never mind. The Teen Co. was there to see all of our hits and misses the first time we wore costumes and had a band. No big deal.

THE BAND IS HERE! They sound amazing! Julie does wonders. I still don’t understand how she puts all of this together in just a couple of days. There’s so much music in this show. Those musicians are definitely working!

So this is it. All the layers of the cake are there, now we just need the frosting. Tomorrow at our final dress rehearsal is where that will happen.

It’s almost opening night!

<3 Iñaki

 

Rehearsal #9 – You either got it or you ain’t…

After all this hard work we are here: the moment of truth. Do we have a show?

Sunday was spent running CHICAGO twice. “Full out or get out!” like we say here at The Palace. You have to bring everything you got to that rehearsal room, for yourself and for everybody else – and also to escape the punishment of having to buy Carl Mountain Dew for every mistake.

That first run was EXHAUSTING because the show is still not in our bodies. It looked like all of us had just taken a beating. We all sat down in a circle to hear some notes from Carl. As he started looking down at his pad to think what to say next, we could see something happening behind his head. Natalie was carefully arranging a display of delicious food catered to us as a reward for our hard work. I’m talking salad, chips, Quiznos and pizza. I’m just thankful I wasn’t the focus of those notes because I could only concentrate on not drooling on the floor and trying to hide my distraction. Once the notes were done everybody jumped off their seats like slices of bread out of a toaster and dashed towards the food. It was not a pretty sight. Some people thought it was smart to buy some coffee before enjoying their meal. Once they came back, a mere 20 minutes later, they came back to the disillusion that most of the grub was gone and had to settle with the sad leftovers.

Fortunately, the second run was much smoother. The process is fast and improvements happen fast too. But I can assure you THAT WE’VE GOT IT! We have a show and we can’t wait to go on that stage and add all that RAZZLE DAZZLE that is going to make it and amazing musical!

 

<3