“Jersey Boys” cast visit student theater workshop

February 15, 2012 – Students at Bowling Green University got a taste of Broadway on Wednesday, senior Neil Powell said.

“Jersey Boys” touring members visited the University to provide students with insight into auditioning for Broadway musicals. How often do you get a chance to meet the cast of ‘Jersey Boys?’” Powell said.

The musical tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, a band that became famous in the 1960s with songs such as “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”

Approximately 50 students came to the workshop in Eppler Complex, which was hosted by Broadway Cares.

“We get a lot of experience at Bowling Green but it’s nice to have someone from outside give us advice,” said Cassandra Utt, president of the student group Broadway Cares.

Utt said Broadway Cares is a soon-to-be student organization on campus and that its main goal is to create a network for students and to raise money for Equity Fights AIDS.

When Utt heard “Jersey Boys’” touring company would come to the Stranahan Theater in Toledo, she contacted them to coordinate an event for students.

The workshop included a brief question and answer session with a tour manager and four actors. The members answered questions ranging from theater unions to auditions to each of their own backgrounds in theater.

Students were encouraged to be persistent in looking for jobs and to feel comfortable in what they perform.

“You’ll get hired for the job that you are right for,” said Kaleigh Cronin, who plays Frankie Valli’s girlfriend, Lorraine.

Students split into two groups for either a dance workshop or a vocal workshop.

Stephen Cerf, who plays multiple characters as a male swing, led the men in the dance workshop and Cronin led women in learning the opening number of the show, “Ces soirées-là.” The song is a cover made in 2000 of the band’s “Oh, What a Night,” made in 1963.

The dance workshop ran like an audition for a Broadway musical. The students initially practiced the dance together, then split into smaller groups to dance in front of other students. At the end of the workshop, the men and women combined their dances.

“They all picked up the material quickly,” Cerf said. “This is something we do every day; it’s like second nature. It can be hard to teach it though when it’s outside of context.”

He said he was happy to be able to help students interested in going to New York or in performing arts in general.

“Everybody was so nice and welcoming, it was great,” Cerf said.

Devon Goffman, who plays five different parts as a male swing, and Thomas Fiscella, who plays Gyp DeCarlo and others, led the vocal and monologue workshop.

Throughout the workshop, they encouraged students several times they were on the right track.

Fiscella said listening and preparation are huge for successful auditions.

Student Patrick Scholl came prepared to sing the song “Run Away with Me” by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk.

Goffman said he is close friends with Kerrigan and that he was impressed with Scholl’s portrayal of the song.

“You guys are doing things right,” Goffman said.

Goffman said the students were receptive to suggestions, and he was happy to visit the University to teach interested students.

“They’re amazing, extremely talented,” Goffman said.

He also said people in the theater community should support each other, not be competitive.

“I like to teach that we’re all a team. It’s a big community,” he said. “It’s about perseverance … and caring about each other.”

Fiscella agreed.

“The only person you’re competing with is the person you were yesterday,” Fiscella said.

Utt performed a monologue during the workshop to hear their advice.

“I was kind of nervous,” she said. “They gave me a lot of helpful hints to shape the monologue.”

Some students in Broadway Cares will attend the “Jersey Boys” performance at Stranahan Theater on Sunday where they will speak with performers after the show for more insight.

Broadway Cares will have a performance in April about Broadway throughout the years. All money raised by the group will be sent to the national organization in New York City. In the past, some of the funds have been granted to the AIDS Resource Center in Toledo, Utt said.

Don’t miss this incredible show while it’s in Toledo!
Get tickets for the final week of the Tony Award winning musical HERE

Read the story at THE BG NEWS ONLINE

WONDER WHAT THE CRITICS THOUGHT OF JERSEY BOYS?
HERE’S THE LINK FOR THE JERSEY BOYS REVIEW FROM THE TOLEDO BLADE

Left) Brandon Andrus, Jason Kappus, Brad Weinstock, and Colby Foytik at IMAGINATION; Center) Brandon Andrus, Colby Foytik, Brad Weinstock, and Jason Kappus at the Toledo Zoo; Right) Brandon Andrus, Colby Foytik, Brad Weinstock, and Jason Kappus at one of the great Toledo radio stations.

My Day with the Boys (The Jersey Boys That Is)!

Written by: Theater League Senior Intern Scott McGorty

After a road trip and a performance the night before, the boys (Brandon Andrus, Colby Foytik, Jason Kappus and Brad Weinstock) and I were up bright and early Wednesday morning, February 8, at 5am. It was so early that the geese that didn’t fly south for the winter weren’t even awake! (And in Ohio…that is early.)

But, for all of that being said, we started our day cheery…I would say bright, but alas it was before the sun rose. So, as we all sat with our coffee in our hands, warming up to the cold morning, we began talking about what the day held for us. There was a lot of work to do and we were going to accomplish it all within 6 hours. We had nine different press stops to make in these 6 hours. Four guys, two press reps and an intern in one car, makes for one interesting morning tour of Toledo. (If you didn’t do the math; that is 7 people in one van)

The first stop on our tour was 3 radio stations to plug the show. And boy did we have fun! We were all spoiled when Becky Shock from WRQN gave us a complete breakfast spread! She had everything from bagels to diet pop for us to eat…she really took care of the guys and early in the morning like that, they were in need of a little “energy boost.” But, you would have never known that they had performed the night before and up as early as they were if you heard their amazing interviews! They were spot on joking with the DJ’s and just having a blast with each other. Some may call that acting, I call it personality.

By 9 a.m. it was time to go on live TV, while we were waiting in the lobby someone mentioned their dog.  This started a discussion about each of our dogs and led to each of us sharing pictures of our canines. And boy, do these boys have some really cute dogs. Brandon, who plays Nick Massi has some really cute pictures of him and his wife’s dogs!  (I am a dog lover too)! Finally, it was time to go into the studio to do the piece…the boys immediately became the center of attention! The were particularly popular with the female population of Toledo. One of the reporters in particular came over and was so anxious to see the guys! The guys handled all of this attention like pros! I get the feeling that they are the used to beautiful women approaching them in every city they visit.

Off we went down the street from the TV station to The Imagination Station science center in downtown Toledo. We walked in to a world of imagination. The colors, the lights, the sights it was amazing! The boys were just fascinated (and I was too) at all there was to do! What was really interesting was the high wire bicycle that stretched across the whole middle atrium! The boys immediately wanted to ride that. But, there was business to be done…we sort of, depends if you consider some business to be fun. The media was there to film the boys playing on the giant piano (just like Tom Hanks in the movie BIG)…they were having so much fun! Jason, who plays Bob Gaudio, took to this giant piano and was playing different little melodies, but like he says, “I normally play with my hands not my feet.” Jason and Brandonwere even able to pound out a few bars of Chopsticks! They were attracting so much attention that even a school group wanted to get a picture with the boys. Everyone around was taking out their cameras and snapping pictures of the boys, they were now at this point celebrities!!! Brad Weinstock, who plays Frankie Valli, wanted to ride the high wire bike, but what was funny is that he was just a bit taller than the required height requirement. (Frankie Valli in real life is short too) Colby, who plays Tommy DeVito, tried his hand in the hurricane chamber and with his hair that has a slight natural wave, he ended up looking like Shemp from the Three Stooges. What all four guys really liked was the Gravity Room, which is a room built on a 25 degree angle so you immediately are off balance and kind of get a head ache…but what fun!

After we stayed and played a while at the Imagination Station, we decided that it would be great to show them one of the top 10 zoos in the country, the Toledo Zoo. At the zoo we talked with some press about the Broadway Green Alliance and what JERSEY BOYS is doing to go green on the road. Did you know that the tour is traveling with green semis? Who knew? Well, the boys did! The boys in turn learned what the zoo was doing to go green…for instance being the first zoo to install solar panels on their Solar Walk. After the brief interview in front of the polar bear exhibit, we trekked across the bridge to go see the tiger cubs…which are so cute! The boys thought it was great to see Toledo’s fantastic zoo on their first day in town.

Noon – Our last stop on our press tour, was to Tony Packo’s at the Park…because you cannot go to Toledo, as a celebrity, and not sign a hotdog bun at Tony’s! Of course after signing a hotdog bun, we would be remiss to not eat lunch there, too. Across the street from Tony’s is The Swamp Shop. I discovered one of the boys, Brandon, is a huge baseball fan and I offered to take him over to the store so he could get some Toledo Mud Hens baseball gear!

After lunch we took the guys back to their suite. The boys told us they really enjoyed doing press in Toledo as they had fun doing it and see what the great city of Toledo has to offer!

While on the road with the National Broadway Tour of MY FAIR LADY, Theater League Marketing Manager, Emily Lykens sat down with her old friend and fellow Kansas City native, Mary Joe Duggan for a quick conversation about Mary Joe’s first experience as a cast member of a Broadway National Tour.

Longtime Friends - Theater League's Emily Lykens & My Fair Lady cast member Mary Joe Duggan pose for a picture.

E: Mary Joe, how did you get this job with MY FAIR LADY?

MJ: I was living in New York and randomly went to audition. We went through multiple rounds of cuts, and about a month later they (the Big League casting team) called me back in. It was very funny because I had been out of town at the time and my flight was cancelled, so I asked the casting team if I could still be seen. They sent me in with all the guys. So I auditioned final callback with all the men! They asked me back the next day and made multiple cuts again and I ended up booking the job.

E: I’m sure that’s very nerve-wracking having all those days of auditions and cuts, and going through that process.

MJ: Seeing them whittle down hundreds and hundreds of people to so few IS pretty nerve-wracking, but you’re hopeful and have faith that it will work out.

E: That’s great. With MY FAIR LADY, you are part of the ensemble so you get be in many different scenes and numbers. Do you have a favorite?

MJ: I love doing “Get Me To the Church On Time”  – It’s this huge, crazy drunken party where we’re playful and interacting with one another and goofy on stage. We dance and realize that we’ve danced through the entire night and we need to get him (Doolittle) to the church so he can get married, making our promise to him feel fulfilled. So we happily send him on his way to tie the knot!

E: I love that scene too – it’s so fun! How long have you been on the road?

MJ: We started rehearsal in September. We then had a week and a half of tech rehearsal in upstate New York (Elmira, NY) and then had a week of vacation time before we officially started on the road at the beginning of October.

E: Do you have a favorite city where you’ve performed?

MJ: People always ask this! I loved West Palm Beach. One of the guys in the cast is a fellow runner (Mary Joe is a marathon runner) and he had his 30^th birthday there, so three of us ran a half-marathon on his birthday.  (She laughs and adds that they did NOT have a show that day) I also loved Columbia, South Carolina. A lot of the theaters have provided some catering for us before the shows, and so we’re always exposed to their culture and favorite kind of food. That’s always fun for us – Alabama had really good food – yummy barbeque!

E: Mary Joe, you are a native of Kansas City like me, so I’m curious if there’s a place you miss or a favorite place back home in KC?

MJ: Oklahoma Joe’s! It’s my favorite. The sweet potato fries and the beans… basically anything barbeque! I also love the cupcakes from Café Europa (Mary Joe loves baking and worked at Crumbs Bakery in NYC for a period of time).

E: Couldn’t agree more! We have a lot of young people who come see Theater League shows and are inspired about having a future in the performing arts. What words of advice would you give them? 

MJ: I want them to follow their dreams. I’m a girl from Kansas and I’m on a National Tour! It’s so surreal to me to think about my life and know that my dreams are really coming true. I know the support of my family is what has gotten me here. Never give up on yourself, because there are times when things get stressful, and you learn to conquer it and then you’re so proud of the results.

E: I love that, and I wish you the very best for the rest of this tour and good luck on whatever endeavor is next for you. But I must ask you one more thing… I hear you have a theory about trail mix?

MJ: I’ve gotten our entire cast addicted to trail mix! Mine consists of basically as much chocolate as possible and dried fruit. I think that everybody should love trail mix because it’s so yummy, filling and delicious and full of energy.

Many thanks to Mary Joe Duggan for sharing her time for this interview. For more information on the lovely, Mary Joe, visit her website at maryjoe-duggan.com.

Theater League will have the National Broadway Tour MY FAIR LADY on stage in Mesa, Phoenix and South Bend in the coming months.

We’re proud to be part of the new Broadway revival of GERSHWIN’S PORGY & BESS.

Here’s Theater League president Mark Edelman in New York, posing with the show’s sultry subway poster. Edelman tells us that the opening night crowd was pretty cool– Tommy Tune, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Christine Baranski, Richard Thomas (the guy from the Waltons) and Broadway star Raul Esparza all walked by Mark and wife Karin’s seats. However, our CEO’s biggest thrill was the smallest guy in the room– Paul Simon.

“I told Paul how much we enjoyed his recent concert in Kansas City,” Edelman explained. “Simon responded, ‘What’s a guy from Kansas City doing here?’ I replied, ‘We’ve got money in the show.’”

Edelman reported that stars Audra McDonald, Norm Lewis and David Allen Grier were terrific. “Our investment in the show is a small one,” he commented. “But it’s nice to play a role in bringing this American masterpiece to Broadway, where a new generation of theatergoers can thrill to its stirring music and touching story.”

BEST SEATS. BEST PRICES. BEST OF BROADWAY

January 16, 2012—Theater League is proud to present the 2012-2013 Broadway at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Series. The highly anticipated 25th Anniversary Production of LES MISÉRABLES, the enchanting CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE, the newly staged DREAMGIRLS and critically acclaimed Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC will take the stage as part of the 2012-2013 Broadway at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Series. Renewing members can guarantee their seats prior to March 6, 2012, online at theaterleague.com. To become a new season member and reserve your place in line, call 805.499.2775 or visit the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza box office. 

The 2012-2013 Broadway Series begins with the new 25th Anniversary Production of LES MISÉRABLES, September 4-9, 2012. Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes. The New York Times calls LES MISÉRABLES “an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish.” The London Times hails the new show “a five-star hit, astonishingly powerful.”

Just in time for the holidays, CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE takes the stage November 27-December 2, 2012. Renowned director Neil Goldberg, creator of the groundbreaking Broadway hit Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, brings CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE to life. An international cast of more than 30 multi-talented and brilliantly costumed artists captivate audiences and perform astonishing feats of disbelief. Experience a carnival of gingerbread men flipping in mid-air, toy soldiers marching on thin wires, puppets dancing and reindeer soaring high above a landscape of holiday wonderment.

The New Year brings a sensational new stage production of DREAMGIRLS, January 15-20, 2013. Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, DREAMGIRLS tells the story of an up-and-coming 1960s all-girl du-wop group and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. With music by Academy Award® nominee Henry Krieger and book and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award® winner Tom Eyen, DREAMGIRLS features the unforgettable hits “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” “One Night Only” and “Listen.” This Tony and Academy Award winning musical sparkles like never before.

The 2012-2013 will end on a high note with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC, March 19-24, 2013. “Simply Wonderful! Beguiling Theatrical Magic!” hails The New York Post for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC. This breathtaking new production is based on the 2008 Tony® Award winning Lincoln Center Theater production, directed by Bartlett Sher. Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. The beloved score’s songs include “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “This Nearly Was Mine” and “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame.” USA Today cheers, “Gorgeous! Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC doesn’t just float; it soars!”

Current members can renew their seats by March 6, 2012. Season tickets start at $150 for all four shows and are available by calling 805.499.2775 or by visiting theaterleague.com. New season members can secure a place in line for priority tickets by visiting the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza box office or by calling 805.499.2775. Only Theater League Season Members receive the best seats, the best prices and the best perks before tickets go on sale to the public. To find out more, visit theaterleague.com.

Performance schedule for the Thousand Oaks Broadway Series is as follows:

• LES MISÉRABLES | September 4-9, 2012
• CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE | November 27-December 2, 2012
• DREAMGIRLS | January 15-20, 2013
• Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC | March 19-24, 2013

The 2012-2013 Broadway at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Series is presented by Best Western Thousand Oaks Inn.

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Best Seats. Best Prices. Best of Broadway.

January 16, 2012— Theater League and Broadway Across America are proud to announce the 2012-2013 Kansas City Broadway Series. The highly-anticipated 25th
Anniversary Production of LES MISÉRABLES, 10-time Tony Award® Winning BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL and Disney’s MARY POPPINS, comprise the 2012-2013 Series at the Music Hall. The Kansas City Broadway Series also presents international sensation TAP DOGS and the Broadway hit HAIR at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Season tickets start at $130 for all five shows and can be purchased by calling 800.776.7469 or online at theaterleague.com. Season members can guarantee their seats by renewing prior to March 26, 2012. Current members can renew online at www.theaterleague.com, by calling 800.776.7469 or visiting the Theater League offices at 8900 State Line Road, Suite 350. New season members can place a $25 deposit to secure a place in line for priority seating after our current season members are renewed online at www.theaterleague.com or by calling 800.776.7469.

The new 25th Anniversary Production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES is coming to the Music Hall December 4-9, 2012, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes.

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, LES MISÉRABLES is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Stars,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More,” “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” “Master Of The House,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?” and many more.

The New Year brings BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL to the Music Hall January 22-27, 2013. BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL is the joyous celebration of one boy’s journey to make his dreams come true. Set in a small town, the story follows Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, discovering a surprising passion that inspires his family and his whole community. A big musical with an even bigger heart, BILLY ELLIOT will enchant the dreamer in all of us. Based on the international smash hit film, BILLY ELLIOT is brought to life by a phenomenal cast and the Tony Award-winning creative team — director Stephen Daldry, choreographer Peter Darling and writer Lee Hall — along with music legend Elton John, who has written what the New York Post calls “HIS BEST SCORE YET!”

The 2012-2013 Kansas City Broadway Series concludes spectacularly at the Music Hall with Disney’s MARY POPPINS, April 9-14, 2013. Featuring an irresistible story and unforgettable songs from one of the most popular Disney films of all time, plus brand-new breathtaking dance numbers and spectacular stage-craft, Disney’s MARY POPPINS is everything you could ever want in a hit Broadway show! This dazzling production of Disney’s MARY POPPINS brings its own brand of Broadway magic to theaters across the country, which has Variety raving, “This is the rare touring production that over-delivers on every level!” Get swept up in the fun of this high-flying musical the New York Post gives four out of four stars and calls “a certifiable super hit!”

Coming to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in 2012-2013 is the international sensation TAP DOGS, November 13-18, 2012. TAP DOGS is ready to leave dents on stages all across North America. Created by Olivier Award-winning choreographer Dein Perry, with a construction site set by designer/director Nigel Triffitt, and a driving score by composer Andrew Wilkie, TAP DOGS is a rough, tough, rocking theatrical entertainment. Winner of 11 International Awards, TAP DOGS premiered at the Sydney Theatre Festival, moved on to London and New York and has been a howling success all across North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Australia.

The second show at the Kauffman is the new Tony-winning production of HAIR, February 5-10, 2013. HAIR is an electric celebration on stage. This exuberant musical chronicles a group of young Americans searching for peace and love in a turbulent time, which has struck a resonant chord with audiences young and old. HAIR features an extraordinary cast and unforgettable songs, including “Aquarius,” “Let the Sun Shine In,” ”Good Morning, Starshine” and “Easy To Be Hard.” Its relevance is UNDENIABLE. Its energy is UNBRIDLED. Its truth is UNWAVERING. It’s HAIR, and IT’S TIME.

Performance schedule for the Kansas City Broadway Series is as follows:

• TAP DOGS November 13-18, 2012 Kauffman Center
• LES MISÉRABLES December 4-9, 2012 Music Hall
• BILLY ELLIOT January 22-27, 2013 Music Hall
• HAIR February 5-10, 2013 Kauffman Center
• MARY POPPINS April 9-14, 2013 Music Hall

Season tickets start at $130 for all five shows and are available by calling 800.776.7469 or by visiting the Theater League offices at 8900 State Line Road, Suite 350. Current Members can renew their seats by March 26, 2012 online at theaterleague.com. New season members can place a $25 deposit to secure a place in line for priority seating after our current season members are renewed online at www.theaterleague.com or by calling 800.776.7469.

Only Theater League Season Members receive the best seats, the best prices and the best perks before tickets go on sale to the public. To find out more, visit theaterleague.com.

The 2012-2013 Kansas City Broadway Series is welcomed by The Hotel Phillips.

Want to find out more about our upcoming seasons? Click here to read an article on KCStar.com about the 2012-13 Kansas City Broadway Series.

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“Two of Broadway’s greatest stars in a love letter to musical theater that’s sure to make you smile, weep and applaud til your hands hurt. Can’t wait for our patrons to enjoy AN EVENING WITH PATTI LUPONE AND MANDY PATINKIN at the Kauffman in Kansas City and the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.”

Theater League President, Mark Edelman’s response to seeing the duo’s critically acclaimed revue at the famous Barrymore Theater in New York City.

Direct from their Broadway engagement at The Barrymore Theatre in New York City, Broadway stars and longtime friends, Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin will arrive in Kansas City, January 17-22 to perform in the brand new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The pair will then make their appearance at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts plaza two months later, March 20-25.

Opening night  for the Kansas City engagement of AN EVENING WITH PATTI LUPONE AND MANDY PATINKIN is Tuesday, January 17 and runs through Sunday, January 22.  Curtain is at 7:30 for the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances; 8:00 p.m. for the Friday and Saturday evening performances; and 2:00 p.m. for the Saturday and Sunday matinee performances.

AN EVENING WITH PATTI LUPONE AND MANDY PATINKIN  is sure to be a beautiful and memorable performance set against the beautiful backdrop of the stunning Muriel Kauffman Theatre.

Get tickets for this show as well as the other fantastic shows in the Kansas City Broadway Series by clicking the “Buy Now” button below.

Photos from backstage at MY FAIR LADY

My Fair Lady Rolls Into Town And Performs…All in 12 Hours!

7:56PM-“Good Evening…” I started my speech as the spotlight found its way to me. I delivered the whole speech with no problem and only one pause for the “Ooos” and “Awws” when I mentioned Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Jersey Boys.  I knew the pause could not be too long because I was told by Hope before I went on stage that I needed to be done quickly because My Fair Lady has a running time of 3 hours and we did not want to keep the audience here any longer than that. At the end of my speech I wished everyone in the audience Happy Holidays and exited through the center of the curtain…this time with the curtain being held in the right spot so I wouldn’t comically be stuck on the stage.

8PM-The overture starts and the curtain opens to show the lovely Eliza Doolittle on the streets ofLondon. As the audience was treated to all of the classic songs of this long-running musical, Karen and I took care of some paper work with the box office regarding the ticket sales for the night and before we knew it intermission had come!

9:45PM-It is intermission and Karen and I are back at the table talking to the patrons and we hear nothing but glowing comments about the show!

10:05PM -After intermission, the second act begins and as much as I would like to go in and catch the end of the show, there’s work to do. Karen and I spend are time straightening things up in the lobby to make it look nice for the end of the show.

11PM-The bows have been taken and the curtain closed. As the audience files out of the theater I am treated to comments from the theater patrons about how much they just adored the show!

“Wonderful voices!”

“Great! I give it two thumbs up”

“Very, very well done!”

All the positive feedback was a true testament to just how wonderful the show is. Not a single attendee had anything negative to say. It was exciting to see the smiles on everyone’s face as they were leaving.

11:30PM-Everyone left the lobby and the theater staff has turned off the lights. I headed down to theTheater League office, got my stuff and Karen and I headed out back to our cars and left for the night.

Whew! That truly was a busy day…but most load-ins are like this…and some are bigger. I recall for WICKED it was a 3 day load-in…granted they stayed for 3 weeks. It is always a lot of fun no matter how long or stressful it may seem. At the end of the day I truly am proud of the work that I do and most importantly I like the work that I do. I wouldn’t trade this for anything!

“A little more to the left,” is a common saying on load-in day for any touring show. You might ask yourself “what exactly is a ‘load-in’?” To keep it simple, it is basically unloading all the semi-trucks, putting the show together (literally) and moving the show into its new temporary home. For My Fair Lady this weekend that temporary home was the Stranahan Theater in Toledo, Ohio and I had the great privilege to take you on a personal behind-the-scenes tour of what it takes to make our Theater League shows happen.

The crew members busily unload the 1 of 3 semi-trailers for the stage production of MY FAIR LADY.

8AM-It is a cold rainy day here in Toledo. The crew of approximately 50 is dressed in uniform black hoodies and jeans. They are waiting at the loading dock ready to unload the first of three trucks. They cleared the stage and prepared it to make room for the large quantity of props and the enormous set. As I was standing observing all of this, also in a black pull over sweater and jeans, a crew member rolling a laundry cart full of costuming pieces yelled across the stage at me, asking me where it should go. I looked around expecting him to be talking to someone else…nope it was me. “Sorry, I don’t know,” I replied.  Note to self: To avoid confusion during the hustle and bustle of load-in, avoid accidentally dressing like a stage hand.

10AM-Jumping ahead a couple hours. In the past two hours Theater League’s Director of Production, Karen Yuhasz, and I went to the store to get: 7 dozen doughnuts, 2 bottles of orange juice, PB&J, cinnamon cake, coffee and chocolate milk for 50 hungry, sweaty crew members. Let me tell you, they are truly amazing guys…by the time we got back from the store, they had assembled part of the library, hung a majority of the lighting, set up the scenery, and loaded-in the costumes and wigs. They really worked their butts off! At this rate, half of the show will be completely loaded in and setup by lunch!

Setting up the Audio Equipment for My Fair Lady

12PM-Karen and I went to the box office…which was a zoo! People buzzing around, buying tickets for this show, as well as the other two shows we are bringing to Toledo; Jersey Boys and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. We stopped to see how many seats were available for the weekend and took care of some paperwork. Meanwhile the crew above and below the stage were finishing up their last few tasks before they went to lunch. No break just yet for Karen and I though, we were busy tying up loose ends, and making a last-second change to my curtain speech for that night.

2PM-Karen and I were sitting in the Theater League office (which has just enough elbow room for the two of us) under the stage, working on sending emails about this show and others to get final details taken care of. The Theater League office might be small, but it’s a great place to be if you want to feel in the “thick of the action.” The office door faces the hallway and always has a parade of performers marching up and down it during performances. While we work diligently with our technological devices we hear “Popular” and “Defying Gravity” from the musical WICKED playing loudly…come to find out they are testing the sound system. Initially the volume was so loud we could hear the music in the basement…and it was already noisy down there. Just one of the bugs that needs to be worked out on the first day at a new venue, before curtain rises at 8pm. Around 2:30pm Karen and myself decided it was time to take a much deserved lunch break. We took one last look at the stage before leaving and basically everything is ready for the performance.

4PM-We were coming back from our late lunch just around this time. When we walked in we noticed that the stage was dark. That means one thing, the load-in was complete (8 hours after it began). Karen, went and spoke with the stage manager about my speech before the show and we got it all cleared up that I will speak at 7:55pm tonight, 5 minutes before the performance is scheduled to begin. In the meantime, I worked my way to the lobby of the theater setting up our information table. While doing this I realized that we were running low on fliers for Jersey Boys to hand out to patrons at the table. This could be a serious problem, but don’t sweat it (I actually thrive on moments of rush…I like the adrenaline!) After making some calls and crunching some numbers we decided to mass print some fliers at a local print shop.

5PM-Karen and I have parted ways so we could go and change. On my way home I get a call saying that they have ordered the quick print fliers and that they will not be done until 3pm the next day…not good news when you have a show that night! I felt a little tense about this; I really wanted to have those fliers for that night’s show. When I got home it was time to practice my curtain speech and make sure I was 100% solid. Due to some last minute changes we made earlier in the day I needed to make sure I had it down pat. I’ve found in the past the best audience in the world is always your dog. My dog Cindy sat there and it was almost like she knew what I was saying. When I tried a different reading on a sentence and it didn’t work she would tilt her head (in that cute dog way) and basically that was my cue it wasn’t working. After getting my speech down, I got ready, this time in a suit not crew clothes.

6:30PM-I was in my car heading to the theater for our opening night! On my way I got a phone call from our graphic artist Rhiannon, a person who always knows what to do in any situation, she amazes me time and time again by the way, telling me the print shop was able to do our order right away and the fliers were done. At that moment I could have sworn I heard angels singing the “Hallelujah Chorus”…or maybe it was just the voices in my head. I make my way to the print shop (which is literally right around the corner from the theater) pick up the beautiful fliers and make my way to the theater.

7:05PM-I arrive back at the theater and show Karen the beautiful fliers. We then sat at the Theater League table, showing the new website on my iPad, handing out the fliers and answering any questions that needed to be answered.

7:50PM-Karen stayed at the table to continue to talk with all of the patrons, there were close to 2,000 that attended the opening night, while I went back to the stage and met with the stage manager. Her name is Hope and she is a delightful woman who has a great sense of humor. Since it had been 7 months since I delivered my last curtain speech I was a little nervous, but her hilarious personality made me forget those nerves!

7:55PM-I was given the microphone and was told to go on stage. Sounds easy right? Well, I ran into a bit of a problem.  I was coming out in the middle of the stage from where the two sides of the curtain met. Try as we might we couldn’t find the middle opening (This is something you sweat and freak out about in the moment and then laugh about when you are writing a blog post giving everyone the inside scoop)! Eventually we found the opening and there I went on to the stage!

TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR THE EXCITING CONCLUSION TO SCOTT’S ADVENTURES!

from Frankie, Nick, Tommy, Bob and the rest of the cast from the JERSEY BOYS National Tour!