"Fifth of July" This is How It Ends

We did it.  It's done.  I can't be sad because Judy told me not to be.  So I won't be sad.  This last weekend was a doozy.  To say we went out with a bang would be silly because we'd need a sound effect for that!  And sound effects were not our strong point on closing night.  Something broke and we weren't able to have the phone ring all night.  Of course, we didn't know that until the phone didn't ring in Act One.  We thought the problem was fixed at intermission... Until the phone didn't ring in Act Two, either.  So, somehow we invented call waiting in 1977, we randomly decided to make phone calls for seemingly no reason, etc..  It kept us on our toes.  And Chris Carver was literally on his toes by the end, since his shoe completely ripped apart and fell off during his fight with Johnny.  He tried to put it back on for his exit and you could see his toes through the front of the shoe.  He came back on for curtain call with a duct taped foot.

Oh man, what a ride.  These people:

Will be in my heart forever.  This was one of the greatest theatre experiences of my life.  I've never laughed so hard, seen too much and worked so easily before.  Thank you guys.  I love you.

I will leave the world with the following.  This is what we had to endure in the dressing room from the time he put his pants on until he went on stage.  With the emphasis on repeatedly.  Chris had to get the boys ready.  Ladies and Gentleman, the Nuggle Juggle:

"Fifth of July" Sewin' It Up

One more weekend left, that means two shows.  Truly sad.  But, you have to love live theatre.  This past weekend we had a number of mishaps.  It started Friday night when I went to put on my first costume and the zipper fell apart.  Awesome!  The amazing Judy Naz and Margaret Dwyer sewed me in to my costume just as places were being called.  Judy took the vintage dress home to see if she could fix it and wouldn't you know?  She had the exact same zipper at home!  I mean literally, the exact same zipper, from 1975.  The price was ninety cents.  Crazy pants.

We were kept "on our toes" the rest of the weekend, with sound cues.  Our high tech sound system seems to be getting a little sticky.  Bells didn't go off when they should and phones didn't stop ringing when they were picked up.  These follies were not caused by the fabulous Lane Allison, stage manager. (Our sound system is from the early nineties.  But we are lucky to have it, so I can't complain.)

That is what is great about live theatre, you never know what's going to happen!  I will leave you with a quote from August's eleven year old nephew and doppelganger, who saw the show on Saturday night, "It was better than T.V.!"

Damn straight.

"Fifth of July" Half Way Done: Nuggles

Well, it is sad but true.  We are half way through the run.  The reality is sinking in as the theatre is starting to rehearse for the next show "Othello".  Jim Hanna will be blogging for that show.  The Members' Forum, which is my department, is getting ready for auditions with "Blue Window".  Everyone is moving on.  I can't say I'm happy about it.

In the meanwhile, I will enjoy my role immensely as "June".  I will also, obscenely, enjoy my time backstage with those crazy f&*#ers, who make me laugh so hard I pee a little every night.  It's gross, but true.  I completely forgot what I did about that.

We got Critic's Choice in the L.A. Times:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/06/theater-review-fifth-of-july-at-the-lex-theatre.html


So that was pretty amazing.

Besides forgetting some lines and stale bath buns, there's nothing much to say except, "You had to be there."

So, if you haven't... Be there.

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