That's a wrap and We Will Rock You (again)

Last weekend was a whirlwind. The show has closed and we've had our cast party. All that work and time and suddenly it's all over.(Well I still have to go to the unit and put the cleaned clothes away) There may have been a few jello shots consumed, speeches made and presents given. I love the little stuffed frog I got from the cast. It has a little t-shirt with customer designer on the front and the show's name on the back along with the year. So cute! I will keep him always, I am going with the name Dior.

I feel really proud because someone likes the outfit I picked out that they bought it for their own personal use! The shoe covers eventually worked, and apparently looked great so they wouldn't let me burn them. Ah well. Something I forgot to mention in my last post is that when I was turning the shoe covers inside out, I had to trim and zigzag stitch all 60 elastic ends so they weren't flopping all over the place. So I have a couple of pics too, I forgot to share this pic of one the actors helping to set the lights in my last post, one of Dior and a cast and crew pic taken after the last show. (I finally got to be in the back row, that's me in the blue!)

Last Saturday was a total blast from the past. I went to see the Queen musical We Will Rock You for the 17th time. (Not a typo 1-7 ). I mostly did the lottery when it was in Toronto from 2007-2009 other wise I couldn't afford to go that many times. (It was unfortunate that they didn't have the lottery this time around). The sad part is I know people have seen the show over 50 times or more. It's not one of my favourite shows, but I think the audience really connected with the cast and band at the stage door; that is what kept them coming back. When I heard that Erica Peck who played the role of Scaramouche was now playing the role of Oz this time around curiosity got the better of me and I couldn't stay away. (have to say though I miss her in her original role) There were four people in the show that I knew from the old days, but there were a few fans from the old days that I recongized. There were lots of hugs around.

The show was changed a bit from 5 years ago, but it still felt like stepping back in time. Some of the jokes and references were given a modern update. Most of the Canadian specific jokes and references were taken out like Sharon Lois and Bram,like getting a suit at Zellers, or Celine Dion perforrming in Vegas, and the fact that a videotape has been recorded over by Degrassi. One character was completely changed, but I didn't hate it, I think it made the show more cohesive, as much as I liked the actor portraying him back in the day. Overall I am glad I went, it brought back a lot of pleasant memories from the stage door. One of my favourite is when Erica took my sister her friend and I back stage after I had mentioned it was my sister's 13th birthday. One of my more embarrassing moments is when my hair blew into the lead guy's mouth when our pic was being taken. We Will Rock You is a whole other post on its own for another time. I will leave you with a couple pics one of my sis, Erica, me, the other lead Yvan, and my sis's bff. (Yvan is in a McDonald's filet o fish commercial these days) and one my embarrassing moment caught on camera.


 

Last minute fixes and opening night at last!

The show's opening night has come and gone not with out some last minute panicking on my part despite my attempts to avoid that.The shoe covers I made didn't glow, I had assumed the director who selected the fabric had tested it under a black light, but no dice.When we first found out three days before opening so our plan B was to try spray painting a swatch of the fabric but that didn't work either. We found this out with less that 2 days until opening! Plan C was making new shoe covers for the song's lead, and getting white ankle socks.This had me in tears because of the thought of all the hours of hard work would be down the drain. Finally going with plan D I followed a co workers suggestion and ended up painting the vinyl covers with black light reactive paint the night before which with 4 hours to go until opening I was testing them at a glow in the dark mini putt and they glowed. Here's a pic of them all painted (I colour coordinated based on their costumes):

 

Of course this was all in amidst medical testing that had to get done because it was a week over due for an appointment later this month.I had scheduled the appointments the day before opening, thinking I was safe because I was done. I also had to plan for the testing because there was fasting involved, so I was cranky. Of course that morning I also got a call saying that there was a last minute cancellation for that day for another test I needed to get done sure, please pile more on my already filled plate really! (Don't worry I am fine, nothing to worry about I am being referred to a new doctor for my Turner's Syndrome and they have just ordered a battery of routine tests) I was so stressed I bummed a cigarette of a co worker, you know it's bad when I smoke. I maybe have one every couple of years.

Anyway the shoe covers have remained the bain of my existence! After opening one pair kept slipping off, so I had to add extra elastics. Then there was the issue of the paint flaking off and them back to barely glowing. So then I had to turn them inside out and paint the insides because the paint wouldn't flake off that. I am up to about 20 hours of work for something that is barely on stage for half an hour and I know didn't even get used for at least one performance. I am hoping we can have a cathartic shoe cover burning at the cast party!

There was a lot involved getting ready for opening night. We moved into the theatre the last Saturday of April. After the last rehearsal at our unit the cast all went out for karaoke, and it was obvious why I am the costume designer not on stage. I am not trained and am quiet and shy. Anyway normally for a move in I would be setting up costumes after having set them up for transport, but because of the small cast and the fact it was more or less one outfit each the cast was responsible for bring their own stuff to the theatre. I came in the afternoon to help with the lighting, basically it was supposed to involve moving around the stage in various spots while the lighting is being set. Unfortunately it was a big waste of the afternoon, because the theatre wasn't reset to it's default lighting layout after the last production, and so we couldn't get done what we need to get done. I never knew lightening was so complicated. The director was nice and took those who were helping out for nachos and sweet potato fries.

The next day was the first of three dress rehearsals. It was the first chance to see the costumes with the sets and lighting. Fortunately nothing clashed or was suddenly sheer under the lights!  It wasn't until the next dress rehearsal with the black lights that the problem with the shoe covers was discovered.

For the most part rehearsals allowed me to see things like using a yellow bobbin when sewing on the red gingham for the cape was a good call because it would have drawn the eye having red squares on the cape's underside. My other choice would have been to line it.

The dress rehearsal was mostly me fighting my urge not to rush the stage and fix little nit picky things like please wear white or black socks not red,  making sure knee socks are not one higher than another, and that the shirt collar is all the way overtop the jean jacket collar. Just really small things, like pre teens tend not to have big diamond rings ;) etc.

Opening night was exciting. N. and I brought our moms and my Dad as an early mother's day present. There were a few mistakes that the audiences wouldn't have noticed like the fact somehow the last song of act one was missed! It was inserted seamlessly into the beginning of act two I guess the problem was our dress rehearsals went to well. The superstition is that you want a bad dress rehearsal so opening night goes well! In live theatre anything can happen, so it is to be expected. I was so anxious to see how the shoe covers would look, I was squeezing N's hand tightly. My parent's enjoyed themselves, I didn't realize until the day off that I mayn't of mentioned to my Dad when I invited him that it was a musical.  There was a reception in the theatre lobby, afterwards the cast and crew went out for drinks. This one actor very secretively bought everyone a round, what a sweetie! Anyway here's a pic of me and my parents:

It has been exciting seeing the show advertised in the newspaper and on TV. I heard an ad for the show on the radio too. I was tickled when the producer brought us all advance copies of the programmes at the dress rehearsal. It gave me such a thrill seeing my picture and albeit misspelled name with the words costume designer beside it. Also seeing my pic and title our little cast/crew marquis filled me with such happiness! I love hearing the reactions from my friends/co workers who have seen the show. I am glad for this experience, I got to know some great new people, but I think I might take a little break before working on another show.  I easily put in over 50 hours of labour not including going to rehearsals etc. It's not over yet after our last performance I get to bring home everyone's dirty laundry and after washing it putting it back in storage. Yes it's been a lot of work and I may sound like I'm complaining, but despite the frustrations and some times sleep deprivation I've loved every minute of it!