We're up! Coffee time with my fiancé, Eric. Gotta wear fake glasses and monkey pajamas obviously.
Savvy Crawford (Young ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð) gave our ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð family homemade photo magnets for Opening. Eric was so excited that he made the cut for the magnet!
A beautiful day for a matinee at the Walter Kerr.
Hi Kevin!
Lucky #5 on the 3rd Floor
Hi Emily and Destinee! Love these ladies. They are absolute brilliant, kind, patient, giving warrior swings. Emily is also our extraordinary dance captain.
Maria-Christina Oliveras (Gina). A beautiful lip must be applied just so. Hi Maria!
My station is my sanctuary. I'm not one to move into a dressing room - but this time I let myself really make my spot my own. Among the photos of all the people/places I love are memories from each production of ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð: Berkeley Rep, CTG, and Broadway.
Always a pleasure knowing who sat at your station before you especially when its an actor you know and admire like Jason Tam.
My sister Jillian, framed photos of my family for my dressing room while I was performing in Disaster on Broadway last year. Here are my parents, Nancy and Tom. They actually met in a show in high school - South Pacific. They are my sister and my greatest supporters.
Jill and I are both actors and have been fortunate enough to perform on Broadway blocks from where our Nan and Pop honeymooned. Here they are, Fran and Lou, honeymooning in Times Square. I think of them often while performing ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð, a musical all about connection between two hearts, all people, the past, and present.
My dear friends from NYU made this photo album for me when I made my Broadway debut as Sophie in Mamma Mia! in 2009 (that's when I met my fiancé Eric, he played Sky). This book also includes letters they wrote for me to read on my MM Opening night. It travels to every dressing room with me; I cherish it so much.
One of my best friends, Sam Pinkleton, Choreographer of ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð, is on most pages in this book. We met as teenagers at Tisch Summer High at NYU before going to Tisch together. This is a picture of us from my all time favorite production in college, In Trousers, directed by our friend Robert Heller. ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð is our first Broadway show together.
Twisting my hair, don't care! And glasses: check. I'm the type of person who gets ready right at half hour. That seems right: I play an anxious character well because I'm very anxious in life.
Kim Shaw, our Company Manager, stops by during half hour. Hi Kim!
I love how David Zinn, our Set and Costume Designer, included details in our looks in the show inspired by what we wear in real life. I wear wedge sneakers a little too much off stage.
Isn't this Georgette skirt beautiful? It was built, along with the rest of my costumes and many costumes in our production, in Berkeley in 2015. Shout out to the incredible costume shop at Berkeley Rep.
As Georgette, I wouldn't be complete without my scarf and most especially,my sweater! Specially knit for Berkeley. Wearing this sweater every show is like getting a warm hug.
Here's a closer look.
Seeing how fans of ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð the musical re-create Georgette in loving detail in their artwork, is special to me. I have some fan art displayed in my dressing room. Courtney created this beauty. Thank you, Courtney!
Jordan, lovingly drew each character's costume on a Starbucks cup. What a treat! Thank you, Jordan!
By Kaho. There's Georgette at the menu board in ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð, along side my fiancé Eric Morris, playing Mr. Macabee, the old timey barkeep, in the Joe Iconis Christmas Extravaganza. Thank you, Kaho! Our ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð family is so grateful for our fans.
"Gnome is where the heart is". Our very own Garden Gnome, David Andino painted this masterpiece. Renoir's "Girl with a Glass" is an important part of our story and David rendered each character from our musical into his own "Girl with a Glass". This is a such a treasure.
Alison Cimmet is doing her Instagram takeover today too so why not just take pictures of each other taking pictures? Duh!
Harriett D. Foy (Suzanne) and Alison Cimmet (Amandine, Philomene) are my neighbors! Hi Harriett and Alison!
Next to them are Paul Whitty (Joseph, Fluffy, Collignon's Father) and Randy Blair (Hipolito, Elton John, Belgian Tourist). Hi guys! Cheers to two show Saturday.
Taking a little trip to the 4th Floor. Hello, gentlemen! That's one of our incredible swings, Jacob Keith Watson, in the gray hat; Heath Calvert (Lucien,Adrian Wells, Mysterious Man) to Jacob's right; David Andino (Garden Gnome,Blind Beggar, Anchorperson) on Heath's right, and Trey Ellett, another of our hero swings, waving hi!
Hi Savvy Crawford (Young ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð) and Audrey Bennett (Young ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð Standby)! And that's Claire Carden, Savvy and Audrey's Child Guardian. "Gnomie" also wanted to be in the picture. And shout out to Jean Marie Donnelly, Savvy and Audrey's Tutor.
Our Conductor/Music Director/Co Vocal Arranger, Kim Grigsby, looking over some music in her ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð gnome sweatshirt. (Yes, Merch!) Hi Kim! Shout out to our stellar musicians: Keyboard: Kim Grigsby, Guitar: Matt Beck, Percussion: Jon Epcar, Trombone: Andrea Neumann-Rodriguez, Bass: George Rush, Woodwinds: Andrew Sterman; Viola/Violin: Hiroko Taguchi; Harp: Lynette Wardle
Making my way down to the stage I run into these two on the 2nd Floor - Tony Sheldon (Dufayel,Collignon) and Manoel Felciano (Raphael, Bretodeau). Good afternoon!
Hi Phillipa Soo (´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð)! I see Pippa two times during the show. I pass her as I'm coming off stage and as she gets set to enter for "Times are Hard for Dreamers". I love to send a smile her way, its my way of saying hello. And I see her again just before she enters as Zorro.
On my way down to the stage, I pass our postcard station. A few weeks back, David Zinn and Sam Pinkleton organized a postcard party between shows so that we could write to our Reps and President about the NEA,NEH, and CPB. Now we have a station where we can continue to reach out. You can too! We need funding for the arts now more than ever.
I love to pass this wall as I get set for "places". One of my favorite traditions - notes from the Broadway community cheering us on on for Opening.
Our pillars, the Stage Management team. From R to L - Jim Harker, Kelly Martindale, and Cherie B.Tay. They take such good care of us.
Tea time before the show with Savvy. Savvy and Audrey's dresser, Dawn Marcoccia (she's the best!), gave them these adorable penguin tea thermoses.
Showtime. Once I leave the dressing room, I don't return. Our musical is an hour and forty five minute train without an intermission which I LOVE. Hey, someone stole my phone for selfies. Hi Adam Chanler- Berat! (Nino)
We meet again as the waves of Saint Martin Canal.
The view of our stage from the trap during the canal scene.
A shot of the Two Windmills Café from the downstage right wing. I'm currently on stage.
Ready for the first Metro scene with Alison in our blue coats. Every cast member has a one of a kind blue coat look. And our blue suitcases turn into heartbeats (Thanks to Amanda Villalobos) when ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð and Nino meet.
Savvy in her blue coat and eating raspberries.
This is my costume as Mrs. Collignon. Add a pinch of a hunchback and a shawl to your blue coat and voila - a crotchety, old dame who can't hear or pronounce "Bretodeau".
Harriett, Heath, and Paul ready with their lighters before "Goodbye,´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð" our Elton John (yes, Randy!) musical number.
My costume for "When the Booth Goes Bright." I love that each member of our cast has a detailed backstory for their black and white photo booth selves. There are moments during this song when you can hear our whole cast inhale and exhale together. That's what makes an ensemble show of this kind magical to perform. We create every moment in this story as a team, completely in sync.
And there she is - Sylvie, who works at the Sex Shop with Nino. I change into this costume very quickly and couldn't do it without, Eddie Harrison, my dresser for my Sylvie changes, and Hair Supervisor Kevin Maybee. Look at those locks! Shout out to Hair and Wig Designer: Charles G. LaPointe.
Hi, Kevin Maybee!
Let me introduce you to more of the incomparable wardrobe staff at the Kerr. This is dresser Liz Brady.
That's our brilliant Wardrobe Supervisor, Jessica Warsnop, on the left. On the right is Alex Rozansky. Alex was my dresser for Disaster at The Nederlander. I was a swing during that show and could not have done it without her help and support.
I have my quickest costume change, into "Tour de France", with dresser Tracey Diebold. Very grateful for her. Hi, Tracey!
There he is! Our gnome David Andino.
Kim, ready to conduct us in for one of our offstage singing moments. This is also one of my favorite moments aesthetically in our production. Shout out to Lighting Designers: Jane Cox and Mark Barton and Projection Designer: Peter Nigrini.
Time for dinner! Kodama Sushi.
After dinner, I love to get back out to the house. This is my favorite time at the theatre. I ran into our Lyricist, Nathan Tysen. Maybe he was on the phone with our Composer/ Co-Lyricist Dan Messé or our Librettist Craig Lucas. This moment wasn't staged at all.
And a "good deed dooer" hopped by during the break. This is Robert Dioguardi's little Easter bunny. Robert is one of our Follow Spot Operators.
Here's Robert, on the right, and fellow Follow Spot Operator Paul Valvo on the left. Hi, you two!
The show could run without us but not without these angels. Top of the stairs from L: Deck Carpenters: Billy De Lace and Jess Ferrara; Second Row from L: Head Carpenter: Jennifer Diaz, Head Propertyman: Timothy Bennet, Property Man: Moose Johnson; In front of the wardrobe: Bob Hale (in red filling in for Head Electrician Vince Valvo) and Deck Video/ Electrician: Brian Messina; First Row from L: Assistant Properties: Michael Critchlow "Critch" and that's David Bornstein our Production Properties Master holding Fluffy's fish bowl. Last but not least Production Carpenter: Eddie Bash leaning on the Tabac counter.
Let's take a closer look at that counter. Critch gets it ready for every show. This is where I spend most of my time as Georgette "the tobacconist and a hypochondriac" at the Two Windmills Café . Cigarettes: Check. Tip Jar: Check. My inhaler and vix are also tucked into this counter.
There's Dan Scheivert in Sound! Hi, Dan! Always a pleasure seeing him everyday.
Gotta visit Liz Coleman (Head Sound) at the sound board. She's the best! And shout out to our Sound Designer: Kai Harada. I hope I'm continuing to do him proud making sure my sneezes don't explode in my mic.
Hi Brent Oakley (Head Electrician). It's a beautiful view high above our stage from Brent's vantage point.
That's our Flyman, Max Reed. Hey, Max!
And Deck Automation Extraordinaire, Speed. He also makes some mean barbecue that he shares with the whole theatre. Hi Speed!
A view from our fire escape. Saturday Night on Broadway.
Time to get ready for our audience! Usher Chris McIntyre and I. Hi Chris!
And more of our fantastic ushers. Head Usher: TJ D'Angelo on the far right. Shout out to House Manager: Susan Elrod.
This garden gnome helps Fran and Lorraine at the Box Office. Obviously.
This painting sits above the stage. Watch over us, Diana! Pam MacKinnon, our Director, talked about this powerful "lady in red" during our meet at greet on our first day at the theatre. I feel so lucky to be working with so many badass women at ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð.
Ready for our second show.
We did it!
Bye, Brandon!
Hangin' out at Hurley's across the street with some dear friends who came to the show tonight. Getting to share our new musical is the best part of it all. I'm thankful for the love and support from my friends and family.
Bye ´¡³¾Ã©±ô¾±±ð! It's a privelage to tell this story each night with all at the Walter Kerr. We are one beating heart, a team, a family, hoping to spread a little compassion, joy, and kindness. Come see us!
