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Singing rehearsalLearning music with the men's chorus. I don't sight read as well as I should, so it's nice when I can mooch notes off my neighbor. You can't ask for a better mooch than Dave Kirby, on my right. He's a good musician, he's done these roles a million times, and he's also a fine makeup artist. |
Costume dayI had to tie my hair up under the helmet (the mysterious item on my lap). I think we were trying on costumes that day. My friend Mark Blattel played the competing poet, Archibald Grosvenor, switching from an upper crust British accent to cockney accent at the correct time. Talented guy, especially skilled at patter singing. |
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DragoonsG&S is very over-the-top, as in this picture where I'm singing with Mike Cuddy (and the rest of the dragoons). I think this was near the end of hell week, so the costumes weren't quite complete; we later added belts. My bio had a silly note about how "Connie looked forward to joining the cast when she heard there were dragons. She later found out they were dragoons, but happily stayed anyway." |
BackstageThis is one of those weird hermaphroditic pictures, where I'm only partially in costume and haven't copped my attitude at all. Look: A girl with stylized facial hair! I had to learn to glue appliances (that's what they're called) to my face. They felt awful, especially in the summer heat. But at one meet-and-greet after the show, it was so hot I took off the helmet and started to peel off the mustache and sideburns. A few people who hadn't picked out the female dragoon were awfully surprised. That was fun. |
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StrikeMost shows run two weekends, and closing weekend is pretty long. We had shows Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, followed by a Sunday matinee, which was followed by strike and a party. That's pretty intense, and it can feel like you never left the theater. Yes, you're kind of worn out by the end. But strike can actually be fun. Sometimes I'm a techie, and techies love power tools. I also discovered that if I have a Makita and I'm taking things apart, I don't have to carry stuff as much. |