PhotosA Final Spin Backstage at On the Twentieth Century Before It Taps Off Into the SunsetSpend a day at the Broadway revival of On the Twentieth Century, which ends its run this weekend! Mamie Parris, who plays Agnes in the musical, takes us through her day, from waking to the sound of the alarm clock to the exciting backstage life at the American Airlines Theatre.
By
Matthew Blank
July 16, 2015
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Smoothies, Stunt Doubles and Madeline Kahn Chenoweth! A Two-Show Day at On the Twentieth Century With Mamie Parris
Smoothies, Stunt Doubles and Madeline Kahn Chenoweth! A Two-Show Day at On the Twentieth Century With Mamie Parris
Spend a day at the Broadway revival of On the Twentieth Century! Mamie Parris, who plays Agnes in the musical, takes us through her day, from waking to the sound of the alarm clock to the exciting backstage life at the American Airlines Theatre.
70 PHOTOS
*beep beep beep* "Noooooo" (me basically every morning)
Mamie Parris
Cookie agrees.
Mamie Parris
But then we're like, "It's 半岛体育 Two-show photo day!" and we tried to take a selfie. This is what trying to take a selfie with my dog looks like.
Mamie Parris
Twenty minutes later... Cookie's all "I woke up like this."
Mamie Parris
Breakfast! (Spinach, banana, almond milk, strawberry, protein smoothie)
What I look at while enjoying the smoothie! In the Heights! I love our view.
Mamie Parris
The morning routine. Some yoga and core strengthening, and working through a knee aggravation, so a LOT of rolling out quad/it band...
Mamie Parris
Packing for the day! I have a couple of auditions between shows today, so shoes, dress, sides, etc...
Mamie Parris
Kiss the hubs goodbye...
Mamie Parris
And I'm off!
Mamie Parris
First up, Starbucks with my handsome friend, Mark Eric Gomez. He writes plays and is super talented. He is also a goofball. :-) Then I'm off to catch the subway.
Mamie Parris
I'm here! Come and meet those dancin' feet...
Mamie Parris
Our glamorous and mysterious stage door. There's either a Broadway theatre on the other side, or something out of "Law & Order: SVU"...
Mamie Parris
Heading in the stage door takes you basically onto the stage, where the crew is pre-setting the show. We have such a fabulous crew! This is Emily with our huge locomotive piece as it's flown until needed in the 2nd act.
Mamie Parris
The "Hair Honeys"! Nellie, Mary, Tom, and Raven. That dark space behind them is where bad pins go to die. It's a fishhook graveyard, friends.
Mamie Parris
The perfectly placed roller. Now you know Kristin's beauty secret. ;-)
Mamie Parris
No contest. Coffee. Matinees are early.
Mamie Parris
Stage management thinks if they put their office in the caviest corner of the basement we won't find them... They are mistaken! Best SM team ever! Scott, Sam, and Matt (who is hiding somewhere).
Mamie Parris
Checking in with Larry in the pit!
Mamie Parris
It's official. I'm here.
Mamie Parris
I'm ready to attempt the beautification...
Mamie Parris
Carly, our terrific company manager, climbs all the stairs (we're on the 5th floor) to come see us every show! Buns of steel!
Mamie Parris
OUR PERFECT PORTERS! Phillip Attmore, Richard Riaz Yoder, Rick Faugno, and Drew King. Richard's crocheting a Porter-ready scarf!
Mamie Parris
We are READY to repent!
Mamie Parris
Raven puts the finishing touch on my look with a beautiful wig.
Mamie Parris
The before and after!
Mamie Parris
Dresses in need of french ladies. Our backstage space is tiny so all quick changes are done in a hallway or stairwell. Glamorous!
Mamie Parris
Kevin Stites, our fearless conducting leader, starts us off.
Mamie Parris
I call this my "cupcake dress". Ready for Veronique!
Mamie Parris
Moe, Kristin's fabulous dresser, waits on a ladder to make magic happen with a super quick change on the stage above...
Mamie Parris
The button of "Sign, Lily, Sign." Riotous applause is happening!
Mamie Parris
Playing dress up with Erica!
Mamie Parris
Andy Karl is smokin'.
Mamie Parris
Leading men waiting for the curtain to rise on Act 2...
Mamie Parris
Andy gets his workout on with KC during Act 1.
Mamie Parris
SM Matt with Fallon and Dale, just two of our terrific wardrobe team.
Mamie Parris
Kristin, Sean Hayes is here to see you!
Mamie Parris
A workout in the downtime...
Mamie Parris
Moe touches up the paint on Kristin's shoes between shows.
Mamie Parris
KC is very serious about putting on this lash. Peter isn't worried.
Mamie Parris
A typical sight. Jim Moye and the boys of dressing room 5 cracking dresser, Ksusha, up.
Mamie Parris
Just a few of our beautiful gals backstage! Jen Foote, Bahiya Hibah, and Erica Mansfield.
Mamie Parris
Paula plays Sleeping Beauty.
Mamie Parris
Show one done! Audition-fest begun! ...A girl's gotta work.
Mamie Parris
Last looks before I go in...
Mamie Parris
Look who I found! Gayle Seay! Clearly we have no fun together...
Mamie Parris
A little post-audition, pre-show sushi treat. A girl's gotta eat.
Mamie Parris
The craziness that is where I work.
Mamie Parris
And we're back! One down, one to go!
Mamie Parris
Mark is thrilled for his haircut. :-)
Mamie Parris
Found this critter wandering the hall. Madeline Kahn Chenoweth! We love little Maddy!
Mamie Parris
She's on the move...
Mamie Parris
4 women in a dressing room. The calm before the storm...
Mamie Parris
10 minutes to put my feet up! Ahhhhh...
Mamie Parris
Places! Matt checks names off the list as we arrive on stage.
Mamie Parris
A quick stretch before the train gets rolling.
Mamie Parris
Selfies! With Mead (Box Office), Kenny (crew who I went to college with! Small world!), Kevin (cast), and Beth (my fabulous dresser!)
Mamie Parris
An Andy prepares.
Mamie Parris
Mary Louise buttons her number to wild applause!
Mamie Parris
Getting in character to cartwheel as the Letitia stunt double.
Mamie Parris
Our Porters looking great during "Life is Like a Train".
Mamie Parris
Airborne.
Mamie Parris
Porters backstage feeling good!
Mamie Parris
Two-show day shenanigans! :-) This is what happens when you have juuust enough backstage time on your hands...
Mamie Parris
With Kristin on the train during the second act.
Mamie Parris
Escorting the "Nut" off the train. That means finale time!
Mamie Parris
When the audience heads home we get to say hi to friends and family at the show. Quite a view.
Mamie Parris
Signing autographs at the stage door. Long line!
Mamie Parris
And just like that (okay, a few minutes later), I'm home again.
Mamie Parris
Plenty of pup snuggles at the end of a long day! Till next time, 半岛体育!
Tony Award winner聽 embodies Lily聽Garland, a role created by her idol聽, in 's Broadway revival of On the Twentieth Century, playing now through July 19 at the American Airlines Theatre.
The comic-opera score by , and , is used to express the larger-than-life characters of flamboyant Broadway producer Oscar Jaffe and Lily, a movie star he hopes to con into signing with him for a new show. All the action takes place aboard a luxury train ride from Chicago to New York where, as title song says, "Life and love and luck may be changed, hope renewed, and fate rearranged." In Twentieth Century, Chenoweth, a Tony Award winner for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and a Tony nominee for Wicked, plays Lily Garland opposite film, television and Broadway star Gallagher ("The O.C," "American Beauty," , The Country Girl) as Oscar Jaffe.
The cast also features Tony nominee () as Bruce Granit, Mark Linn鈥怋aker (You Can't Take It With You) as Oliver Webb, () as Owen O'Malley and Tony winner (Grey Gardens) as Letitia Primrose with (After Midnight), (Chaplin), (), (Bye Bye Birdie), (Big Fish), (Show Boat with the New York Philharmonic), (), Bahiyah Hibah (Chicago), (Broadway debut, On Your Toes at Encores!), (Broadway debut, Pipe Dream), (Bullets Over Broadway), (Pippin), (Bullets Over Broadway), (Cinderella), Mamie Parris (Wicked), (Once), (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) and (White Christmas).
Roundabout associate artistic director (a six-time Tony Award nominee for She Loves Me, , 1776, Twelve Angry Men, Curtains, The Mystery of Edwin Drood) directs聽On the Twentieth Century with choreography by , a Tony Award winner for聽After Midnight.
The musical 鈥� featuring music by Cy Coleman and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green 鈥� premiered on Broadway in 1978 under the direction of and won Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical.
Here's how Roundabout bills the classic: "It's nonstop laughs aboard the Twentieth Century, a luxury coach travelling from Chicago to New York City. Luck, love and mischief collide when the bankrupt theater producer Oscar Jaffe (Gallagher) embarks on a madcap mission to cajole glamorous Hollywood starlet Lily Garland (Chenoweth) into playing the lead in his new, non-existent epic drama. But is the train ride long enough to reignite the spark between these former lovers, create a play from scratch, and find the money to get it to Broadway?"
The design team includes (sets), (costumes), (lights), (sound), (musical director), (orchestrations) and (dance arrangements and incidental music).
The American Airlines Theatre on Broadway is located at 227 West 42nd Street. For tickets, call (212) 719-1300 or visit .
