Friday, September 23, 2005
A cast member's totally unbiased review ;)
Russ Lorenson reports in with a totally unbiased objective review of how the first preview of Red Hot and Blue! went:
"OK, here's one actor's take on the preview...all I can say is I am one of the luckiest actors in the world to be in this show! The show is fantastic - my castmates all knocked it out of the park last night, and the audience was
fantastic! They wouldn't stop cheering for Klea after she stopped the show with "Ridin' High" - appropriately so!! I only wish we could have joined them!!
Speaking of "Ridin' High", let me just take a moment here: I've said this to Klea herself, but I want to go on record to say how much I and every member of the cast I've talked with admire her leadership of the company. We did a run-through on Saturday, and two run-throughs on Sunday, and Klea never once "marked" her performance - she gave everything she had, every performance, ESPECIALLY in "Ridin' High", an exhausting number for her. Now, while that's admirable, what's exceptional about Klea is that after doing 2 run-throughs on Sunday, she immediately went to the airport and got on a red-eye flight to New York arriving at 6:30am NY time, because she had an audition for the Broadway revival of "The Pajama Game" at 11:30am NY time! I wish that I were such a trouper - I know that if it were me, I'd have saved as much as I could during the Sunday run-throughs, but not Klea. She gave it everything, and inspired me and the rest of the company to do the same. She is the very definition of a professional.
What's been interesting to me is that both audiences we've had have seemed to take the show to heart, and become an extension of the company - they're so invested in it, that when it's over they really seem to be sad to leave the theatre. There's something about the show that is so infectious!
OK, and speaking of infectious, I will also point out another moment in the show that is a personal favorite - when Steve and Klea perform "De-lovely". They are so magnetic during this song, that what could be a very long song (5 refrains, I think Steve told me) just flies by - it's just over too soon for me (and judging from the audience reaction last night, for them too). They are having so much fun performing it, that you can't help but smile.
A personally fun moment for me was during the curtain call, when the entire cast is lined up across the stage, and we sing a reprise of "De-lovely". There was a sweet older gentleman sitting in the front row right in front of me, and when I
looked down, I could see him singing along with us. Our eyes met, and for the rest of the song, he and I were singing together, and he was just beaming.
I guess I'm a little biased, but I think Moon has a big hit on it's hands!"
Biased or no Russ has me convinced!!
"OK, here's one actor's take on the preview...all I can say is I am one of the luckiest actors in the world to be in this show! The show is fantastic - my castmates all knocked it out of the park last night, and the audience was
fantastic! They wouldn't stop cheering for Klea after she stopped the show with "Ridin' High" - appropriately so!! I only wish we could have joined them!!
Speaking of "Ridin' High", let me just take a moment here: I've said this to Klea herself, but I want to go on record to say how much I and every member of the cast I've talked with admire her leadership of the company. We did a run-through on Saturday, and two run-throughs on Sunday, and Klea never once "marked" her performance - she gave everything she had, every performance, ESPECIALLY in "Ridin' High", an exhausting number for her. Now, while that's admirable, what's exceptional about Klea is that after doing 2 run-throughs on Sunday, she immediately went to the airport and got on a red-eye flight to New York arriving at 6:30am NY time, because she had an audition for the Broadway revival of "The Pajama Game" at 11:30am NY time! I wish that I were such a trouper - I know that if it were me, I'd have saved as much as I could during the Sunday run-throughs, but not Klea. She gave it everything, and inspired me and the rest of the company to do the same. She is the very definition of a professional.
What's been interesting to me is that both audiences we've had have seemed to take the show to heart, and become an extension of the company - they're so invested in it, that when it's over they really seem to be sad to leave the theatre. There's something about the show that is so infectious!
OK, and speaking of infectious, I will also point out another moment in the show that is a personal favorite - when Steve and Klea perform "De-lovely". They are so magnetic during this song, that what could be a very long song (5 refrains, I think Steve told me) just flies by - it's just over too soon for me (and judging from the audience reaction last night, for them too). They are having so much fun performing it, that you can't help but smile.
A personally fun moment for me was during the curtain call, when the entire cast is lined up across the stage, and we sing a reprise of "De-lovely". There was a sweet older gentleman sitting in the front row right in front of me, and when I
looked down, I could see him singing along with us. Our eyes met, and for the rest of the song, he and I were singing together, and he was just beaming.
I guess I'm a little biased, but I think Moon has a big hit on it's hands!"
Biased or no Russ has me convinced!!
// posted by ElisaC @ 7:38 PM 
