My birthday at the ballet

My blog is called confessions of a theatre addict, but so far I have really only talked about one kind of theatre: musicals. I also quite enjoy ballet. For my birthday earlier this week I saw Swan Lake for the first time. I am a huge fan of Tchaikovsky's work and thought it would be a great way to commemorate the day, especially it being the only one of his major works I haven't seen.

I took ballet for the first time when I was 4 and studied it off and on, but never got very far, never en pointe. It wasn't until I was in my early 20's that I saw my first ballet. I was living in Vienna (Wein), Austria. The Staatoper there offered 2€ standing tickets. At the time I didn't like the performance of Kadettenball because I thought it was unconventional. I wonder what the more seasoned ballet goer I am now would think if I saw it today. (I think I have seen probably close to 30 different performances since 2006)

I digress, these days I still line up for tickets, but a little more expensive $35 but better seating! Because I don't live in Toronto ensuring that I get good seats means getting up before the sun. The rush tickets go on sale at 11 when the box office opens, usually there are over 60 people queued up. Being there early is key my plan was to get to Toronto around 8, catch the subway and arrive by 8:30 at the opera house. Slight snag we arrived discovered the subway doesn't start running until 9! There was someone else waiting too so we suggesting splitting a cab. This young guy was from Orlando, Florida, and paid for the $60+ cab-ride that was only supposed to be $30 max at flat rate, my boyfriend N. handed him a $20 though.

When I last lined up a year ago, we could wait in the subway/lobby area, but I guess the building manager had a fit and now it is not allowed, N. and I were definitely not expecting to wait outside (I am not sure he would have agreed to go if that was part of the deal, birthday or not) for two and half hours. What we did was everyone waiting when there wasn't that many of us, we rotated waiting outside and inside the door out of camera view.

There was a bit of injustice in the line. This woman who was fifth in line (I was seventh) had her daughter show up at ten to eleven and join her in line they needed four tickets and it is a max of two tickets per person.  This is unfair because now someone who did wait in line for a long time didn't get tickets, I feel really badly for them, especially because it wasn't even for good reasons, the grandkids had activities like swimming. Even a little girl who was in the ballet, lined up with her mother so they could get 4 tickets. Seriously if seeing the ballet is that important to you put in the effort! After acquiring out tickets we went for a sort of French themed brunch of crepes, and I treated myself to a mimosa.

I was like going to the pre-ballet talks which usually talk about the particular ballet's history, or technique. I find them really interesting especially because I dabble in the production side of theatre. I particularly love getting seats near the stage, so I can get a close look at the costume details. This talk was really dry and I didn't really find out anything that wasn't in the programme. One thing about the ballet that blows my mind is that they spend $170,000 a year on pointe shoes alone!

As to the performance I was meh on the first act, although the violence implied against the character of the serving wench stood out. It was amazing watching the dance of the four little swans in act II - for those that don't know it is a famous dance where four ballerinas link arms and ance in sync- it is quite something to see.

I loved the third and four acts, perhaps, because that is where more of the action takes place. The sets and costumes were really luxe as well. The dancer playing the Swan Princess Odette and the dual role of Odile was fantastic. I could really tell the difference in her movements as she portrayed both parts. It was also impressive watching her all those consecutive fouettes that Swan Lake is famous for. I wasn't able to count if she did all 32 or not (Fouettes are basically turns when you are balanced en pointe on one foot) I enjoy learning about the technique of ballet.

I didn't stalk former prima ballerina/current Artistic Director Karen Kain this time;O), I already have a signed programme that she signed. After the ballet N. got me a little pair of ballet slippers for my Pandora bracelet. We returned home and I got my fav homemade eggs benedict, I guess you could said I had a somewhat French theme, ballet, crepes, hollandaise.(All sort of fitting because I just found out I am going to need to make tutus for the show I am working on) Anyway there was the special Wicked cake he bought me. I will leave you with a pic of my special cake, and of the ballet slipper charm. 

 

A Wicked post

I seem to be getting into the blogging grove this year. This one will be about another one of my favourite musicals: Wicked. For those unfamiliar it is a prequel to the Wizard of Oz, and tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba) and The Good Witch of the North before Dorothy came to Oz. A word of warning spoilers will abound from this point about both the stage show and the book it is based on so proceed with caution.

I first heard of it through the media tv shows etc. I living in Paris, France when it first toured Toronto, so I missed it, plus I was still a NYC virgin at the time. When it returned to Toronto in fall 2006 I loved it and saw it 3 times before it flew away. I read the book in the summer as preparation, the novel is definitely WAY different and more sinister than the musical. Elphaba and her love interest Fiyero die in the book, but are given a somewhat happier ending where they've faked their own deaths. Fiyero also turns out to the be Scarcrow. The stage show delves more into the origins of well known characters like the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion, and how they became who they are. I would say the musical is trying to have it's cake and eat it too with the ending, with out straying too much from the traditional OZ cannon except the Scarcrow doesn't die in the movie.

One of the best days that my sister and I shared involved Wicked. She was 12 at the time, and I was introducing her to ballet. We had gone to see a matinee of the Nutcracker, and I got to meet one of Canada's premiere ballerina's Karen Kain. My sister was blase about Karen Kain, and she didn't think anyone would know who she is, so when we were at an ATM, I turned around and asked the guy behind me if he knew and he did!  After that we decided on a lark to go try the Wicked lottery for the 8pm show. My parents actually got us a hotel room and tickets to Wicked as an early Christmas present prior to it and we loved it. I digress with the lottery basically there are about 20 tickets available for $25 if your name is drawn you get up to two tickets. (Wicked isn't alone in the practice Book of Mormon, Rent and We Will Rock You also have/had lotteries) We were so happy when we won! It was just a great day. I tried the lottery on Wicked's last day, but I didn't win.

When Wicked was in Toronto, I was lucky enough to see Todd K. Freeman as Dr Dillamond (For you Buffy The Vampire Slayer fan he played Mr Trick in seasons three), and the talented Megan Hilty. Megan Hilty reprised her role as Glinda on the TV show Ugly Betty and went to to star in the TV show Smash. I have a pic with her:

 

The next time I saw Wicked was the following summer 2007 on my first trip to NYC. The morning of I did a Behind the Emerald Curtain tour and got to see some of the set models, and original cast member's Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth's costumes. It was pretty interesting. The sets on the what is referred to as a "sit down" production as opposed as a touring production are more elaborate. Not everyone understands, why you would see a show over and over again, but each actor brings their own spin to the character. A couple years later when I was watching the Golden Girls, I recognized Lenny Wolpe who I saw play the Wizard.

A year later I was on the road again to see Wicked. The tour was in Ottawa, so I went to visit my friend Laura  (Who I never would have met if not for a mutual love of Wicked!) They still had the same husband and wife team of Clifton and DeeDee Hall playing Fiyero and Nessarose. Deedee played a student in the film Sister Act 2 which was one of my favourites. Here's a pic of me and Clifton and Deedee.I have to admit the first act of shows tend to be my favourite but the actress playing Glinda and Elphie really brought something to their characters older years in the second act, made me appreciate it in a whole new way. Here's a pic of Clifton and I as well as Dee Dee and I. Also one of Laura and I at the show being rebels.

 

The last time I saw Wicked was in Toronto back in 2010. I went with N's aunt and she surprised me that Christmas with a really cute charm of green oz glasses. 

 

Now Idina Menzel who originated the role of Elphaba, was also an original cast member of Rent. In my Rent blog post I talked about meeting her. I don't know why I didn't get any of my Wicked stuff signed by her. I brought the stuff with me, but I think because I had more Rent signatures, I made a choice. Next time I will get my Wicked Grimmerie and soundtrack signed, especially since they are both signed by Kristin Chenoweth who originated the role of Glinda.  Here's a photo

 

I met Kristin Chenoweth in June 2012 when she gave a concert at Massey Hall in Toronto. The stage door was CRAZY, the security guards weren't expecting that at all. It was neat getting to hear her sing the song Popular in Japanese and German. I would have also loved to go up on stage with her and sing For Good, but I was too shy, plus with where my friend Siobahn and my seats were we never would have gotten chosen. Here's a pic of Kristin during the show.

 

Lastly my mother started me off collecting Wicked ornament when she bought me a Wicked Witch of the West ornament one year. I then found out Carlton Cards had ones from the musical and starting getting them every year. I have 5 now and they all play music. I was also given a Wicked Witch Barbie one year too. So that's the story of me and one of my favourite musicals I will leave you with pis of my Wicked corner on my bookshelf and of the ornaments in the tree.

 

Everything is Rent

So I have called this blog confessions of a theatre addict, and I have yet to really talk about theatre. I think it is about time I fix that. One of my favourite musicals of all time is Rent. My introduction to it was in 2005 when the film version came out. I was living up in Sudbury, I was so excited for this movie everytime I saw the trailers. I just knew I was going to love it. I bought the soundtrack before I had even seen the movie. I was at one of the first screenings, and that was it, I was hooked. I saw it at least 8 times in theatres. I wanted nothing more than to see the show on stage. I spent over $50 ordering the Rent Bible through Coles, and got the DVD the day it came out.

In 2007 I had tossed around the idea of going to NYC that summer for the first time. The day I heard that two of the original cast members Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal (who were also in the movie)  were going to be reprising their roles of Mark and Roger for a limited engagement, I bought my ticket then and there. Funnily enough a fellow theatre geek Sara -who I met in a lottery line for the musical We Will Rock You- bought tickets for the same performance, just a few rows back from me. Rent was the last show I saw that trip, (having seen Spring Awakening and Wicked first). I was so excited, arriving at the show, I was third row on the left. It was everything I could have hoped. I was just so excited to see them. Anthony Rapp was one of my idols I guess, I loved his book Without You. During the curtain call I watched him send up three claps to Rent's deceased creator Johnathan Larson.

Afterwards the crowds at the stage door was insane. People that hadn't gone to the show, had lined up waiting to meet them. There was pushing and shoving. I was lucky and got my programme and Anthony's autobiography signed. Here's a pic of the stage door crowd:

The next time I saw Rent was on my 27th birthday, March 16 2008. It would be last time I saw it on broadway. as it closed a few months later. At time one of the original ensemble member's Rodney Hicks was playing Benny, I tried to talk to him, but he walked right past me, so I never did get my Rent bible signed by him. I had saved up to buy souvieners a little stuffed cow, a t-shirt, and a backpack that had a programme in it. The big thing about that performance is I got to see Karmine Alers perform Mimi, she was apparently Johnathon Larson's first choice to play her, but for whatever reason couldn't.Here's a pic of me and my Rent memorabilia

I saw Rent was a week later, when the touring company had come to Toronto. (I think Sara had tickets to that show too weirdly enough, as if they wasn't weird enough, the people I sat beside the week before were also going to the same show as they were Canadian too!) I had dragged my little sister who hates rent with a passion. The most exciting thing about that performance was meeting South Africian Idol winner Heinz Winkler. I totally made an ass of myself later, as I was going to my sister, I can't believe we met him, not knowing he was right behind us. Whoops! Here's me and Heinz

 That fall I drove to Newmarket to go see a screening of the final broadway performance at the movies, because it wasn't playing where I live. ( I can admit when I am totally geeking out, that was one of those moments) I ended up getting the DVD for my birthday in March 2009. One thing that is really cool is I had seen alot of the people in the recording perform on broadway. I was back in NYC for Christmas 2008, and I made a point of having a Rent theme and having my Christmas breakfast on Avenue B. (For those who don't know Rent starts of on Christmas Eve in NYC's east village) I had originally wanted to go to the Life Cafe, for huevos rancheros, but it was closed so I went back on boxing day (Huevos Rancheros are mentioned in the song La Vie Boheme which is set in The Life Cafe). I signed the Renthead register while I was there, I didn't even see it the first time I went to the Life Cafe with Sara and her friend Mindy after I saw Rent the first time  Here's a pic of me sitting at the Jonathan Larson bench with the heuvos:

The next time I saw Rent was in January 2009 in Buffalo, New York (Funnily enough Sara was there too, again we had bought tickets separately) Adam and Anthony were going to be touring with a lot of the  people that had been on broadway and on the DVD. Originally they were supposed to come to Toronto, but Buffalo was as close as they were coming, so I went. When I bought the ticket, I had originally got a ticket for the matinee, and it was a decent seat. For some inexplicable reason, I looked at evening show tickets, and found a second row seat. What does a sane person do? They go to both shows on the same day. So in the middle of winter, I did a day trip to Buffalo for Rent. I remember getting stuck behind the bus on the way back. Too be honest I don't even remember if I got Anthony to sign anything that trip, I took pics at the stage door. They didn't do any poised pics.

Because fate has a wicked sense of humour, Adam and Anthony eventually came on tour with Rent to Toronto the following January. Yes I went. This time I went to the stage door before the show. It worked out well, because I was able to get posed pics with both of them, as well as original broadway cast member Gwen Stewart. (All of them signed my Rent bible too!)  There is a really funny Gwen story that goes along with this. There was a small group of us waiting around for Gwen, and when she comes out, someone says to her "we're waiting for Gwen Stewart", then Gwen says "I am Gwen", the supposed fan replies... "you look different than you do in the movie" to which Gwen replies that she wasn't in the movie. Total face palm moment! Here's some pics of me and Gwen and one of me and Adam:

When Anthony was in town this trip, he did a signing at Indigo in the Eaton Centre, so I went to that as well. I got certain stuff personalized, like his cd, and autobiography. He also signed a calendar that he didn't know he was being quoted in. It turns out the quote about fearlessly being yourself wasn't even his. It was someone he was quoting.Here's me and Anthony and the calendar:

The last time I saw Rent on stage was a local production in 2011. It was a little scarring, I have never looked at the line trim her tree the same away since. The actress playing Mimi really sucked. It was an all white cast, so that was an interesting spin. I ended up working on another show with the actress who played Maureen.

I have some other occasions where I met some of the original cast members in different circumstances. Those who are a fan of Wicked <3 <3 and Glee will no doubt be familiar with the name Idina Menzel. (For those who don't know she was the original wicked witch of the west Elphaba in Wicked, original Maureen in Rent, and plays Shelby on Glee). She had her first concert in Toronto back in 2008 at the Danforth Music Hall. She did a lot of her solo music, with nods to Rent and Wicked. The stage door was crazy there must have been about 70 of us that waited around for the stage door. There was confusion though, and those who had been waiting right outside the doors got the shaft as she was ushered to her tour bus across the street and lost their prime spots. Despite holding my Rent bible high in the air, it remained unsigned. I came away with nothing, but disappointment, but I enjoyed her concert. I had barely got there on time because traffic was horrific it took me over 40 minutes to get from the highway 400 near the 401 to Yorkdale Mall where I catch the subway. I think the AC/DC concert that night might of had something to do with it.

Idina ended up returning to Toronto three years later this time performing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra which was conducted by none other than legendary composer Marvin Hamlisch. I can remember commenting to my boyfriend N, just think one day we'll be able to say we saw him conduct, I didn't know that moment would be six months later! I digress this was a little different, because the show was being filmed for a PBS special and for a CD recording, so technically you can say I was Idina's back up because the audience sang along during a couple of numbers like No Day but today from Rent, and Pokerface (Which she had covered on Glee). There were more broadway standards less original music which is a shame, because I think N. would have enjoyed himself more. He was pretty stocked when he met Idina's husband though movie star Taye Diggs. Taye and Idina had met while they were in the original cast of Rent, he played her nemesis Benny. (They both reprised their roles in the film version) Taye came out and did a surprise song and dance number with her, that was really cute, and Marvin had referred to him as his twin. (I remember thinking postively on the drive there  that he would be there and I would get to meet him. The stage door was alot better this time, it was indoor at the Royal Conservatory of Music. I actually got posed pics with both Idina and Taye, and they both signed my Rent bible. They were both really sweet too. That night at the stage door, I randomly ran into this girl Siobahn who I'd met in two months earlier at a book signing at Word on the Street festival, and we've been good friends ever since. Here's are the pics of me and Taye and Idina

This past December Anthony Rapp was back in Toronto, this time for his one man show Without You, which is based on his autobiography. I have mentioned this book a few time now, I better tell you what it is about, it is basically about his experience with Rent taking off, losing it's creator and losing his mother to cancer. (Total tearjerker ) I happened to be in the city going to see the ballet Giselle, and Anthony was going to be giving a free concert at Indigo, so I made a point of going. Siobahn had held a spot for me, I also knew that Sara was going to be there. As I was arriving I literally ran into her! Turns out she and Siobhan and met before, and Siob and told Sara about the concert, and Sara told me even though I already knew about it. What a small world! The concert was great, and I got a poised pic of Anthony and a signed copy of his show's soundtrack.

The next week I actually went to see his show, and when I was getting a copy of his book signed as a Christmas present for my cousin, he apologized for not remembering my name, but said he recognized my face. I was totally geeking out over that.

That is basically my story thus far of Rent. I hope to have all the original cast sign my bible one day, so far I am at 5 of 15. I will leave you with a pic: