Filthy Birthday to John Waters!

John Waters c.1969

Guerrilla filmmaker; trash auteur; social commenter and hilarious purveyor of outrageousness, Baltimore's favorite trashy son John Waters turns 67 today. Waters is single-handledly responsible for the career of plus-sized drag impresario Divine in his underground films of the late 60's and early 70's, while continuing to push the envelope after having gone more 'mainstream.' in the 80's and 90's.

Like many Waters' devotees, I first discovered his work in college in the 80's and his infamous (and career-making) Pink Flamingos. I remember renting it over Christmas break and watching it while my then teen-aged sister was baking cookies (even then, she was Little Betty Crocker). I kept telling her "Stay in the kitchen..." more than a few times. I haven't seen since, but have seen just about every other Waters' film available on VHS, DVD or on line. Some are very good (Cry-Baby; Serial Mom); some are fair to middling (Pecker; Cecil B. Demented) and one or two are downright terrible (A Dirty Shame). 

Regular readers know that I was lucky enough to play Edna Turblad (a character created by Waters and Divine) in a rather tumultuous though ultimately successful production of the musical version of Hairspray last year. If pressed to name my favorite Waters' movie, I'd have to split into three:

Of his early films, 1977's Desperate Living is probably the most insanely brilliant films of Waters' early works. He manages to create his personal version of Oz (he admits that The Wizard of Oz is the most influential film he's seen) in Mortville, a cardboard kingdom of criminals and perverts ruled by an insane Queen. One of Waters' few earlier films that did not feature Divine,  Desperate Living is certainly among  the most entertaining of his underground films. The trailer below is decidedly NSFW:

After 1988's Hairspray opened Waters to the mainstream, he made two more movies I absolutely adore.

1990's Cry-Baby is Waters' Rock-a-Billy musical parody starring a very young Johnny Depp in the title role and former porn-star Traci Lords in a Romeo & Juliet parody set in 1950's Baltimore. There are some amazing performances from  Polly Bergen; Amy Locane; Susan Tyrrell; Iggy Pop; Ricki Lake; Troy Donahue and even Willem Dafoe. That's not mention one of the best prison-set musical numbers since "Jailhouse Rock":

Probably my favorite Waters' film, Serial Mom is his 1994 parody of Suburban Perfection and sociopathology. Starring Kathleen Turner; Sam Waterston; Ricki Lake; Matthew Lillard; Traci Lords and a very unfortunate Patty Hearst, Serial Mom is Waters' first real (and only successful) exploration of filth in Surburbia:

Waters continues to write and lecture and can be seen in the documentary version of his one-man show, This Filthy World:

Happy Birthday, John!

More, anon,
Prospero

A Break

So, after almost 5 years of writing Caliban's Revenge, I think I may have run out of things to talk about.

No, not really. But with everything that's been going on these past few weeks (Mom's health; a new relationship; etc.), I think I simply may be just too tired to write about anything.

I'm not going away. I refuse to go away. But I need a little break, I think.

I don't know how long that break will be. A few days? A few weeks? A few months? I have no idea. I just know I need to take a break. My lack of new posts in the past few days is certainly an indicator of my need for a break. 

Hopefully, I'll come back recharged and excited to blog again. Hopefully, I'll have done some work on other, long-gestating writing projects I've been putting off for too long. Hopefully, Army of the Dead will have it's KickStarter page up and running.

I love that you read my nonsense and hope you don't forget about me while I'm gone - no matter how long that is (I'm hoping not very long). Keep watching this space. I WILL be back. I promise.

To hold you over, my favorite new music video, "Head Hung Low" by Father Tiger:

More, eventually.

Brian

I'm Tired

The Gayest; Draggiest and Hardest-Nippled Christmas Things You'll See This Week

2012 Boston Santa Speedo Run

I think that's the longest title I've ever given to a post. But it will all make sense soon (or not - how should I know if you're sane? I'm obviously not*).

First, the Gayest, Hardest-Nippled part of the post (did you ever think you see the word 'nippled' capitalized?*). Saturday was the annual Santa Speedo Run in the fine city of Boston. Thousands of hotties got together and ran a marathon in the skimpiest beachwear, underwear and holiday costumes possible. It's all for charity and looks like lots of fun and something I wouldn't mind seeing in person. They hold these SSRun events in cities all over the U.S. - hang on - BRB - Damn! No Philly.  Maybe next year (via).

Now onto the draggiest Christmas thing this week. Gender Illusionist Doo-Wop group The Supreme Fabulettes (apparently the toast of gay London) have a new song and video out, just in time for all the holiday cheer. Please enjoy the Boy-George directed "You Ruined My Xmas:" 

 

Drag is hard and I hate doing it because the costume changes suck, especially without a dresser. I do admire the performers who put up with the inconveniences because they love doing it. And I must admit to having a lot fun doing Hairspray... 

Can you tell I'm getting into the holiday spirit, finally?

More, anon.
Prospero

*Really. Who else thinks like this? Okay... maybe my sister, a little. And sweet, hilarious Mia - my 'work-niece.' A few other twisted souls on Facebook. Maybe you. I don't worry about it. Neither should you. Who are we to judge anyone, any way? Move along. Nothing more to see here. Well tonight, anyway.

Almost All Girl Punk Bands For $400, Alex.

Who Are 'Edna and the Jailhouse Ho's?'

This should be the last post about this subject for quite a while. 

I have been very lucky to have taken part in some exceptional theatrical projects over the last (indecipherable noise) years. Sometimes, everything falls into place very neatly and easily and a show comes together and it's a success. Occasionally, it fails despite appearing to be poised for success. Sometimes, it's obviously a disaster from the first read-through and it crashes and burns like the Hindenburg. You don't invite people to see it. You don't talk about it. You don't post pictures on Facebook. 

Rarer still, are the times when what appears to be an unmitigated failure suddenly and magically comes together in an insanely short amount of time, ending up in something that is much greater than the sum of its parts. Such was the case with Hairspray. Early on, there were scheduling issues. Some bars were set to high and others too low. Roles were left un-cast. There were changes being made to things already covered, while tons of material remained uncovered. I had serious reservations. Things did not improve and I grew frustrated and I wasn't always quiet about being so and soon found many other cast-members felt the same way. And it wasn't as if there was one person in particular to blame. It just wasn't working on a whole lot of levels.

Then, something happened in the last week of rehearsal:

I have no idea how what happened with Hairspray happened. The odds seemed so stacked against it. But last Friday night, a very loud and enthusiastic full house gave us an exhilarating curtain call. And it just got better and better. The following night, we had a full-house standing ovation. And again on Sunday! It was crack for the newbies. Hell, it was crack for Uncle P. Yesterday afternoon was good, and we got a full standing O from a just slightly less-than full house. Then came last night's "off" performance. Everyone had at least two things go flunky. I had three, including a wardrobe issue (my slipper fell off); a prop issue (I had a problem hopping up onto the hot dog cart) and a lyric issue in the finale. Most of the audience still stood, though. At least I didn't get stuck in the can:

Maybe I Should Do "Dirty Blonde" Next

Today's closing matinee (and I HATE closing on a matinee) saw yet another SRO crowd. Emotions were running high. Many of the younger cast members were down after last night or tired or both. The hot tea with lemon and honey was flowing. There was a palpable frisson in the air. Clicks and flashes abounded backstage as people used their phones and cameras to document the day. Hugs and kisses and love abounding, we went to 'places' not knowing quite what to expect. What we got was pure theatre nirvana, fueled by another adoring crowd who (well, those who could - it was a Sunday matinee, afterall) rose to their feet and danced right along with us during curtain call. 

Like many actors, my theatrical career had it's start(at an early age) in Musical Theatre. One of my early ventures on stage was playing Prince Charming in a French-language version of Cindrion, complete with the Disney songs sung in French by an off-stage chorus  in the 7th Grade. Effin' crack, bitches! You never lose the taste for that particular high. I know several of you reading this know exactly what I'm talking about. We're addicts, plain and simple.I wish I had pictures from those early years. I'm very glad I have them from more recent shows.

I couldn't be happier to end this show on the high I had hoped it was going to be, long before the auditions had been announced. Below are some pictures of today's love-fest from backstage. They belong to the very talented Megan Sherrow who played Penny Pingleton. You'll quickly figure out who she is.

The World's Saddest Prostitute

"Dyn-o-mite!"

The Turnblads +1

Seaweed and Amber, Sittin in a Tree...

Wigless and Wigged Out

The 'Corniest' Smile, Ever

'Everything Floats Down Here"

"Are You Sure You Aren't Faster than a Speeding Bullet?"

"Mama, I'm a Pretty Girl!"

I am thrilled that this amazing and talented cast pulled together and delivered an exceptionally well-received show that entertained its audiences and satiated its cast's needs for validation. 

I'm tired beyond tired, but all the pain and aggravation have proven worth it. It's really nice to be wrong, sometimes.

A few weeks rest and then on to Jeffrey, whose cast will (I am happy to report), include two very talented young men from this cast; one of whom is pictured above. I'll let you guess.

More, anon.
Prospero

"Hairspray" Act II

That's it. Tickets to the MCCC/JTMF production of Hairspray are all gone. Which means I have three more performances to go before I start Weight Watchers. I've already lost 7 lbs during hell week and last weekend's performances. I'd like to lose another 20+ before Jeffrey opens at the end of June. These pictures have helped motivate me, though I know Edna is supposed to be an "ample American," as Motormouth Maybelle says. These days, I'm looking to be a bit less ample and a lot more healthy. Anyway, here are a few more pictures (of the over 300) taken at last Sunday's matinee (copyright: Robert Terrano):

"Big Doll House"

"Hold it right there, sucker man!"

"You're Timeless to Me"

"Without Love"

"I Know Where I've Been"

"It's Hairspray!"

"Cooties"

"You Can't Stop the Beat"

"You can't stop my happiness..."

Tracy and Link - Happy at Last!

Finale

While I will be sad to say "Farewell" to 1962 Baltimore and the many friends I've made there, my feet will be very happy to never have to be jammed into those pumps again. And I'll move on to Jeffrey, reprising the first role I played (Sterling) in the very first JTMF show back in 2003. It's so strange to realize that a decade has passed since we started this amazing thing. Nine June Galas, Twelve shows and $50K+ for AIDS; Arts Education and Suicide Prevention Charities later and we're still going strong. 

Tickets for the JTMF 10th Anniversary Gala featuring Paul Rudnick's  Jeffrey are available now. If you are unable to attend, but want to help, you can always make a donation via PayPal here or contact us at JTMF@verizon.net to donate an item to our Silent Auction.

More, anon,
Prospero

"Hairspray" Act I (or: R.I.P. Dick Clark)

John Waters based the character of Corny Collins in Hairspray on America's "Perpetual Teenager," Dick Clark. In the 50's and 60's, Clark hosted "American Bandstand" which was broadcast nationwide out of Philadelphia. He later went on to host "The $10,000 Pyramid" and in the 70's became the face of New Year's Eve as part of ABC's "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve." Clark - a respected and much-loved TV icon - passed away today age 82. I'll be dedicating my final performances in Hairspray to his memory. 

On a lighter note, here are some pictures from Act I of the MCCC/JTMF production of Hairspray.  Act II will follow tomorrow (Photos copyright Robert Terrano).

"Good Morning, Baltimore"

"The Nicest Kids in Town"

"Tracy Turnblad, where are your manners?"

"I Can Hear The Bells"

"The Madison"

"Miss Baltimore Crabs"

"Detention"

"You're Mama's Welcomin' the 60's"

"Go Mama, Go, Go, Go!"

"Run and Tell That"

"Tracy, Maybe He's Right"

"Big, Blonde and Beautiful!"

"Two-Four-Six-Eight! TV's Got to Integrate!"

And that's Act I. There are still a few tickets left for the Saturday and Sunday matinees, if you are in the area and so inclined.

More, anon.
Prospero

A Quickie

Corny Collins: "It's Hairspray!" (click Corny's pompadour to embiggem)

I'm uploading pictures tonight, so I thought the very least I could was to give you another teaser.

Since everyone has already posted them on Facebook, I'm going to post a whole album of Hairspray pictures tomorrow. We rehearsed tonight and I'm tired and lazy and still not recovered from a rather grueling (though in the end, worth it) hell week. 

I do hope there's a picture of me riding the hot dog cart in my second costume and wig.

If you're so inclined, you can read our only local review (so far) here. The reviewer seemed to either forget or ignore JTMF but she liked the show, so I'll give her a pass. I promise to stop talking about it, soon (don't worry, Jeffrey will take it's place in a few weeks). Anyway - I'm off to finish downloading the rest of the pictures.

More, anon.

Prospero

The Gayest Things You'll See This Week ( Probably NSFW Version)

Where's Uncle P? (click on Tracy Turnblad's wig to embiggen)

So, the first four performances are just memories. We are off tonight and most of the week (we do have a brush-up scheduled) and and by not jamming my toes into those "Cruel Shoes," my feet like they've died  and gone to Foot Heaven.

This picture was taken during curtain call, though I'm not sure at which performance. Think of it as a teaser for next week. This rather terrific cast of very attractive young folks with loads of talent, working alongside a trio of what they must think of as "Golden Oldies" (who between us have more shows under our belts than the other 29 cast members combined) has managed to become a show-family, at last. I see a young version of myself in them and I feel compelled to tell them to get out before it's too late. But would they listen? No. When it works, it's better than any artificial high there is and I'm afraid it's even more addictive than crack. Every single one of them is hooked for life, now.

Anyway, I'm being lazy (because tonight I'm just plain tired) and writing about three very different, but very gay videos I found at one of my usual haunts and thought worthy of sharing with those of you who may not have seen them.

Is This What They Mean by 'Sexting'?

First up is Jonny 'The Gay Pimp' McGovern's latest music videos for the singles, "#TOTDF" and "Man Areas" (Totally NSFW) from his album The Gayest of All Time. I've posted videos from Jonny before, and you might know him as a member of the 3-season Logo show "The Big Gay Sketch Comedy Show."  Featuring outrageously hilarious lyrics, a usually good dance beat and lots of semi-clothed men in flagrant displays of PDAs, Jonny's videos are always fun and sexy (via):

Now that's pretty gay.  But the next one is even gayer and a little naughtier (via):

This next clip is from the HBO series "Game of Thrones," based on George R.R. Martin's novel. Last week, Michael Offutt offered up (I love unintentional alliteration) his thought's on Martin's gay characters Renly and Loras and today, Towleroad posted this almost-steamy clip. You might get away with watching this one at work by saying you're just catching up on the show, but I still can't recommend it for most workplaces.

As much as I'd love to see this show, I just can't see paying for a premium channel that only has one or two shows I'd want to see. Besides, I simply don't have the time to invest in another series. Hairspray hasn't closed and I'm already working on publicity for Jeffrey, the JTMF 10th Anniversary show. I'm so glad this is the day job's slow period.

More, anon.

Prospero

The Good Kind of Tired

Pictured kneeling from left, are Shannon Brueckner, Sabella Lichtman and Nicole Erkoboni. Standing, from left are Chris DiTullio, Meredith Bleemer, Ben Menahem, Ethan Daniel Levy, Dan Johnson, Alexandra Baldwin, Parker Harris and Julia Procaccino.

That's Corny Collins (c) and the Council Kids in a publicity still from Hairspray, about which you all must be sick to death by now. Uncle P was deliberately kept out of publicity photos, but I promise to post some of me and the rest of the cast in our full costumes, wigs and make-ups next Sunday, after the show. I'll be taking tons of pictures next weekend.

That having been said, I am both exceedingly pleased and happily surprised by the by the show's abject success! We've played to three sold-out and one near-capacity audiences and have had three full house standing ovations. The audiences are loving it; the cast is loving each other and the entire team couldn't be more happy. What was a sometimes difficult rehearsal-process resulted in a not-to-be-missed production of a fun, silly, toe-tapping musical that has left four very happy audiences in its wake.And while I may be bragging just a little bit, I'll risk having pride in being a part of yet another amazing theatrical experience.

Needless to say, after what amounts to seven full performances (we had two yesterday), I am very tired, and very sore. Given my recent absence of something else that could cause those symptoms (TMI??), the joy of performing and the rush from applause is better than any drug I can imagine.

If, like my buddy Sean* (who brought me some beautiful and exceptionally fragrant flowers), you want to see me singing and dancing in dresses and heels (and face it, you know you do), you have three more chances next Saturday and Sunday. Word on the street says that Saturday evening is very close to being sold out, though you might find limited-view seats for both the Saturday and Sunday matinees.

*Sean was an early follower who share's Uncle P's taste in men and is very sweet man who I met for the first time this weekend. You can link his very popular blog by clicking the link to 'Just a Jeep Guy' on the left.  (While very little of what Sean posts is NSFW, some of the links he shares, are). He, I and two of my friends from college (Alex and Gail) whom I hadn't seen for 25 years, shared a delightful dinner between shows on Saturday. I only wish I could have spent more time with all of them. All three shared their enthusiasm for the show, as has everyone (friends, co-workers and complete strangers) I've talked to, including the people I know will tell me the truth.

Because unlike most media, theatre is a temporary art; I thought I'd share with you something I shared with the company on the production's Facebook timeline. It is heartfelt and honest:

Dear Cast and Crew: Enjoy being with this family as much as possible. Continue to share that love for each other with our remaining audiences, and we'll be guaranteed full houses and standing Os for every performance. What we have is a rare and magical thing; it's like to be sought after with every show you do. When you find that magic again (and you will), remember the joy we're sharing now and include it in the joy you share then. You guys are all extraordinary and I am so very proud to be associated with each and every one of you and this production. I love playing Edna and I love playing her with all of you! Thank you for sharing the love with me.

The show as (every show does), has its flaws but this large and diverse cast has pulled together in way I worried it never would to deliver a funny and entertaining show that our audiences are loving. And that's good enough for me. The magic of a show coming together never ceases to amaze me. It's a better high than any drug you can imagine.

Enough crowing. It's back to the real (for a little while at least) tomorrow (well, today). And I'll be forming a new temporary family when rehearsals begin for the JTMF 10th Anniversary Production of Paul Rudnick's Jeffrey in May.

More, anon.

Prospero

The King of Trashy Movies (Totally NSFW)

With the MCCC/JTMF production of Hairspray set to open in just a week, I thought I'd talk about the demented genius behind the original story, filmmaker John Waters.

Waters grew up in Baltimore in the 1950's, obsessed with horror movies, violence and gore. Thankfully, he channeled those obsessions into his own films, rather becoming a serial killer. 

His first full-length 16mm film, 1968's Eat Your Makeup, was about an insane nanny who kidnapped young models and forced them to model themselves to death (whatever that means). It starred Waters' dear friend Harris Glen Milstead (better known as 'Divine') as Jacqueline Kennedy(!) and was only screened once, in a church basement Waters rented out for the screening. His first commercially screened film, 1969's Mondo Trasho, starred long-time collaborators Mary Vivian Pearce; Divine and Mink Stole. It was a day in the life of a hit-and-run driver and her victim.

Next came 1970's Multiple Maniacs, about a traveling sideshow that was actually a front for a band of psychotic killers. It is infamous for the scene in which Divine has sex with a giant lobster:

In 1972, Waters released his most infamous film (the first Waters film I ever saw, ten years later), Pink Flamingos. Babs Johnson (Divine) has earned a tabloid's title as the "Filthiest Person Alive." When the title is challenged by Connie and Raymond Marbles, Babs and her family set out to prove they are filthier. I won't subject you to the infamous 'dog poop' scene, but here's one where Babs and her son Crackers (Danny Mills), break into the Marbles' home and lick everything they can to defile it. The scene culminates in Babs fellating Crackers on the sofa (though the clip below ends before that happens). Pink Flamingos also features Edith Massey as Babs' mother, who is obsessed by the Egg Man (as referenced on Cyndi Lauper's debut album, 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun').

Flamingos was followed by Female Trouble in 1974 and probably Waters' most insane film, Desperate Living in 1977. In Desperate Living, Peggy Gravel (Stole) and her maid Grizelda (Jean Hill) murder Peggy's husband and go on the lam, ending up in a cardboard kingdom atop a garbage dump, called Mortville. Mortville is ruled by Queen Carlotta (Massey) and her daughter Princess Coo-Coo (Pearce). It features lesbian glory-holes, FtM transgenderism and cannibalism, among other things. It may well have been partially inspired by Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus.

In 1981, Waters got 1960's heartthrob Tab Hunter (Damn Yankees) to appear as Divine's lover in the first movie to be filmed in Odorama ("Smelling is Believing!"), Polyester.  Patrons were given a scratch and sniff card and instructed to smell-by-number. The odors included fish, feet, flowers, glue and pizza. Divine played the improbably named Francine Fishpaw:

Seven years later, Waters made his first "mainstream" hit, Hairspray. It starred Divine; Sonny Bono; Jerry Stiller; Debbie Harry; Pia Zadora; Ric Ocasek and future talk-show hostess Ricki Lake in a Baltimore fairy tale about a chubby high-school girl who manages to break both weight and race barriers on a TV dance show. It would go on to inspire both the musical in which I am currently appearing and the musical movie which starred John Travolta in the same role as Divine, Harvey Fierstein and Uncle P. Divine also appeared as Arvin Hodgepile, the man who owned the TV station which aired "The Corny Collins Show."

Waters followed Hairspray with Cry-Baby in 1990. Starring and up-and-coming Johnny Depp, Cry-Baby was Waters' "Romeo and Juliet," in which a boy from the wrong side of the tracks falls for a debutante. New Jersey's own Amy Locane co-starred along with Susan Tyrell; Polly Bergen; Iggy Pop; Ricki Lake; porn legend Traci Lords; Willem Dafoe; Patricia Hearst; Warhol discovery Joe Dellesandro and 50's icon Troy Donahue in the semi-musical parody. This is my favorite number:

The team behind the musical version of Hairspray tried (unsuccessfully) to strike gold again with a stage version of Cry-Baby in 2008.

Waters followed up next with 1994's Serial Mom, starring Kathleen Turner; "Law and Order" star Sam Waterston; Matthew Lillard, Lake; Lords and Stole. Beverly Sutphin appears to be the perfect suburban mother, even though she kills anyone who stands in the way of her family's success. Serial Mom may well be my personal favorite Waters film:

Now that's a movie I can see adapted into a Broadway musical!

Sadly, Waters seems to have lost his edge in his most recent recent films.1998's Pecker is amusing at best, while 2000's Cecil B. Demented lacks the true outsider feel of his earlier films. And 2004's A Dirty Shame is just plain bad. Of course, that simply may be the result of America's desensitization to shocking material. Sex and violence are so commonplace in today's media, Waters' brand of filmmaking may well end up being relegated among the films of Warhol, Corman and Coppola as products of the '70's  Independent Film boom. 

These days, Waters divides his time between his beloved Baltimore, San Francisco, New York and Provincetown, MA. His trademark pencil mustache made an appearance as the Flasher in the musical film adaptation of Hairspray and will next be seen in the horror film, Excision. His 2006 one-man show This Filthy World, is available on DVD.

.

More, anon.
Prospero

Dog Tired

Uncle P, If I Were a Dog

Tonight was another long rehearsal. We had a costume parade which lasted about an hour, then started where we left off last night. We got about three-quarters of the way through Act II, and called it a night. 

We have an advantage though -- Thanks to the holiday weekend coming up, there is nothing scheduled in the theatre before we open, so we get an extra 5 days of tech, giving us the luxury of not having to complete a run just yet. And things seem to be finally coming together. I got to see some scenes I am not in and had not seen previously. There's some great stuff going on in them. And the duet with my 'husband' is actually cleaner than I thought it was, even though we haven't run it in a long time (Tom had a shoulder injury and hasn't been able to rehearse for a while). 

I'm finally beginning to see the light at the end of what was a very long tunnel. Maybe now I can get a decent night's sleep.

Don't forget - Caliban's Revenge will feature several guest bloggers next week, many of whom have already submitted some awesome posts. I hope you love these bloggers as much as I do. I consider them my friends, even though I've only actually met a few of them.* And as a special treat, Uncle P's sister will be writing a post of her own. Woo-Hoo!

*And I'll be finally meeting one of them after the Saturday matinee on the 14th.

More, anon.
Prospero

A Whole Lotta Nuthin'

We had our first rehearsal in the theatre tonight. We started late and kept stopping and didn't get through the first act.

I'm exhausted and have nothing pithy, funny, deep or indignant to say (well, I do, but I'm just too damned tired to write anything really coherent) tonight.

I'm just so damned glad I took a vacation week next week.

I'd honestly forgotten how both frustrating and exhilarating it can be to be in a musical.

I wish I had won that lottery, last weekend. I'd retire and and take up blogging full-time, from all over the world.

See, now I'm just rambling, again. Time to call it a night and hope I have something to say and the time to say it tomorrow.

More, anon.

Prospero

Sitzprobe is NOT a Dirty Word

'Big Dollhouse' from the Broadway Production of "Hairspray"

With just under two weeks until opening, tonight was the sitzprobe for Hairspray and it was rather amazing. For those unfamiliar with the term, a sitzprobe is the first time the cast of a musical or opera sings with the band or orchestra. The only dialog is that used to cue the music or whatever happens to take place during the music.

When I was in college (back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth), we had a sitzprobe for just about every show. The few musicals I've done since then, rarely had them. The great thing about doing one, is the cast really gets ramped up about the show when they finally get to hear what they sound like with more instruments than just a rehearsal piano. And tonight was no exception. 

The band (I hesitate to use the word 'orchestra' when there are only six of them - three brass/woodwinds; a drummer; a guitarist and two keyboardists in this case) was nothing short of amazing! Fitted with wireless mikes by our equally amazing sound crew, singing with the musicians was both exhilarating and inspiring. Typically, there is no dancing or movement during a sitzprobe, though we all tapped our feet, wiggled our hips and generally got into it. And tonight the cast seemed to really bond more than ever before, supporting one another and cheering each other on in a way I was worried wouldn't happen. And personally, it was a relief to hear my singing voice making a comeback after lying dormant for almost 10 years. Six weeks of rehearsing have made me re-think my proposed retirement from musical theatre. I still got it, bitches!

If you want to see Uncle P sing in a dress and dance in heels (and you know you do), you can still get tickets to the MCCC/JTMF co-production of Hairspray by visiting www.kelseyatmccc.org or calling the Kelsey Theatre box office at 609-570-3333. But hurry, they're going fast!

Here's a clip from the U.S. National Tour of my personal favorite number, "Big Doll House:"

More, anon.
Prospero

Wig-a-licious!

Sonny Bono and Debbie Harry in John Waters' Hairspray

Before we started tonight's Hairspray rehearsal in earnest, our wig-mistress arrived with nearly 30 wigs for us to try on. And I have to be honest and say they were AMAZING! 

I took pictures (which I cannot share until after we've opened) of many of the gals in their finale wigs and me in two of mine. And while our Velma's final wig doesn't contain a bomb (as Debbie Harry's did in John Water's original film*), there are some truly awesome coiffures that will grace the stage of the Kelsey Theatre next month. The wigs for this production are sculptural, to say the least. The woman (I promise to have her name the next time I post about the show) is a genius. Our director and producer asked for 11 wigs. She made 27 (and will probably make a 28th for me).

The closer we get to opening, the more excited I am getting about the show. 

'Hell Week' for Hairspray starts April 9th (we open on the 13th). I have taken the week as a vacation from the day job because I know I'll just be too exhausted to do anything productive outside of the show. But fear not, Caliban's Revenge will not be idle. I am lining up a cadre of special guest bloggers to cover for me that week. Their posts will cover the usual range of topics (and maybe one or two more) that I do and if you read he same blogs as Uncle P, you probably know at least a few of them. I don't think regular readers will be disappointed by any of the terrific bloggers I have lined up. I'm almost as excited by this experiment as I am by the show, itself.

By the way, if you've never seen the original 1988 movie, I highly recommend it.

More, anon.
Prospero

Sheer Terror

Glen "Divine" Milstead as Edna Turnblad in the original Hairspray

It has been over 8 years since I last appeared in a musical and more than 10 years since I had to dance in one (I'm not even going to go into the whole 'dancing in heels' thing).

Hairspray opens in just over 2 weeks and I must admit that I haven't been quite this anxious about a performance since Sweeney Todd in the mid-90's. 

The rehearsal period for this show hasn't been perfect. Personally, I haven't had the number of rehearsals I would prefer. I have always been the type of actor who relies on the repetition of many rehearsals to learn a role (unless it's one I've done before). And while I'm hardly the star of the show, I am playing an iconic role that comes with certain expectations. Oh, I know everything will work out fine and the show will be terrific. Still.. there's that niggling voice in the back of my head that says "You suck. You're going to fail. People will hate you." And I know it's that same voice that every performer hears in the back of his or her head which drives them to give the best performance possible. Frankly, if that voice wasn't there, I'd be even more worried. Still... I have many friends, family and co-workers coming to see the show. That only adds impetus to do my best and anxiety about not being able to. 

Truth be told, no performance in a live production is ever perfect. The nature of the beast makes that impossible from the get go. There will always be some flub; some dropped line; some stumbled-over word; some misstep that remains unnoticed by the audience but which makes the performer want to bang his or her heard against a wall once it's happened. 

Two weeks is both a lot and a little, when it comes to live theatre. I know this from many, many years of experience. Sadly, that knowledge is of little help, right now. And as much as I know how ridiculous that statement sounds, unless you've been there; done that; bought the t-shirt and returned it, you have no idea...

Okay - Deep breaths. It's going to be fine... At least, I hope so...

Posting here is about to get really sparse, folks. Don't forget me while I'm away (Wow! How pathetic is that?). Of course, once this show closes, rehearsals for the JTMF 10th Anniversary Gala production of Paul Rudnick's Jeffrey will start. At least I'll be playing a role I've done before, albeit with an entirely new set of actors (including Dear D, with whom I've been dying to act for a while, now). I have a feeling that Jeffrey will be a walk in the park, compared to this show. Of course, you never know.

More anon.
Prospero