Bonjour! Thrilled to be offering some tidbits and adventures from the magical world of our Montmartre and Berkeley, and a glimpse into some of the breadcrumbs that have brought us here鈥�.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥淲e form a trail of breadcrumbs, but what are they leading to鈥︹� Allow me to start with a gnomenclature (sorry, couldn鈥檛 resist) of the 础尘别虂濒颈别 蹿补尘颈濒测鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
This fine gnome (not to be confused with a smurf or a dwarf) watches over our green room and a bevy of snacks for those of us not "glutton"-free鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Alas, I digress鈥eet the brilliant Savvy Crawford鈥攐ur resident genius鈥攕he is the cast鈥檚 go-to acting coach, but sorry folks, she鈥檚 pulled a Hamilton and is booked through the next decade.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Here she is giving notes to Randy Blair as he signs in鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Don鈥檛 fret--If he can鈥檛 live up to Savvy鈥檚 exceptionally high standards, he鈥檚 also a fantastic writer鈥攈is production of Gigantic will be going up at the Vineyard Theater later this winter鈥攃heck it out!
Maria-Christina Oliveras
And here is Tony Sheldon, spreading his dazzling love and light in our dressing room pre-show鈥� he is originally from Down Under鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Maria-Christina Oliveras
We also have another import from across the Pond, specifically from the Isle of Man, Samantha Barks.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Now Samantha is beautiful and super talented and blah blah blah, but she gets the most props from me for being, on her own, the only person crazy enough to do 6:30 AM yoga with me鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Pre-show primping with Paul Whitty鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥hose birthday we just celebrated鈥e鈥檝e had many birthdays this run, but the highlight鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
July 19th, 2015: Paul was unable to attend rehearsal in NYC. He was en route to Berkeley and landed just in the nick of time for the birth of his first born child, AMELIE MICHELE WHITTY, who has blessed us with her beautiful presence throughout this process鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥long with Lola, Paul鈥檚 canine鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
We have two back to back matinee-evening days鈥擠avid Andino calibrates his energy with two cups of coffee (at least I think that鈥檚 what鈥檚 in there)鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
In any event, Andino is covered by one of our fabulous swings, Jacob Keith Watson.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Forward鈥ime to beat the face alongside these extraordinary women, gorgeous inside and out...
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥lyse Alan Louis
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥arla Duren
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥lison Cimmet
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Side bar: Alison is the queen of banana grams, and throws the most killer game nights鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥hannon O鈥橞oyle
Maria-Christina Oliveras
The transformation begins with Angela on mic duty鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Trump, this hairpiece.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Meet the hair rat鈥攁 lady鈥檚 secret since the Victorian Era (though not Victoria鈥檚).
Maria-Christina Oliveras
One rat鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
..and two tats later鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Meet Suzanne.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
We just had opening, so our dressing room is full of all sorts of balloons and flowers and gifts鈥ncluding a huge dolphin balloon which may or may not absolutely terrify some in our cast鈥amely one with the initials, SB
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥e occasionally get visits from the wonderful Adam Chanler-Berat, stopping in tonight for a little pre-show nuzzle鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
..while Savvy warms up with our incomparable musical director, Kimberly Grigsby鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
who conducts these awesome rockstars, awaiting us backstage as鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Our stage manager extraordinaire, Bonnie Panson, calls 鈥淧laces鈥� and sends us into the hands of鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
This fine gentleman, Michael Suenkel鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥nd our fantastic crew, whose set and costume changes are so magically executed鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
..including for this guy, John Hickock, our resident outdoors warrior鈥攈e sometimes clocks 4 hour bike rides on a show day!
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Side bar: Berkeley is an amazing cycling city, so many of us bought bikes and commuted to work together. BEWARE of tracks in San Francisco though鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Ding ding ding went the trolley, down down down went THIS GIRL! All good now, but I don鈥檛 recommend dislocations, particularly during tech.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Back on target, we meet the mysterious and debonair Perry Sherman鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
The Lovely Glass Man鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Shannon is shadowing me tonight not photobombing鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
A little break in the socialist snack room鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
奥补颈迟颈苍驳鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
I am one lucky girl!
Maria-Christina Oliveras
More snacks鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
The Ladies of the Caf茅 de 2 Moulins
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Randy stole my camera..
Maria-Christina Oliveras
And so did Sam?!?!?
Maria-Christina Oliveras
They will all require penance from Savvy鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
As will these clowns鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Tommy with his gun鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Want a Fanta? Don鈥檛 you want a? Or a Starbucks iced coffee?
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Apparently, David did, despite his pre-show fix, but they ran out鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
A good weave is hard to find鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Toggles and I discuss this, and also the possibility of a bathroom break...
Maria-Christina Oliveras
I visit the hydration station often鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Denied?!?
Maria-Christina Oliveras
The ever empathetic Tony feels deeply for me鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
But all discomfort is forgotten when you get to play onstage with this beauty鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Bonnie in the booth鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥emnants of quick changes gone by鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥ree from the hair rat!
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Post show sometimes includes talk backs...
Maria-Christina Oliveras
..discussions of our next communal juice cleanse鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥ive music鈥攖he boys are recording on BUD MUSIC, an app that Perry developed himself! Get. It.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥evelry鈥︹滾a vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais vin.鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥erhaps toasting the mystery/magic(?) of what has brought us all here鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Many of us were on each other鈥檚 trails way before 础尘别虂濒颈别. These beautiful people first met over 4 years ago on The Fortress of Solitude.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Chanler-Berat gets around though鈥攈e and I also did a brief stint in Crete with Zorba at City Center Encores before coming to Paris. I suppose I can鈥檛 talk: Craig who鈥檚 doing sound on this and I first met on Here Lies Love 补苍诲鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥lyse and I got Pretty Filthy with each other earlier this year with The Civilians, playing a range of porn personnel鈥�.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥hile Paul and Shannon met Once.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
However, this extraordinary artist and human being, Kimberly Grigsby, seems to have left the most breadcrumbs, leading many of us here. Kim鈥檚 musical hand with Alison started early in classes at Stage Door鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥nd she did Fortress of Solitude with Adam鈥nd Fortress of Solitude and Brooklynite with Carla鈥�
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥� She and Paul bore their creative all in The Full Monty鈥he then had a Spring Awakening with Perry鈥�.
Maria-Christina Oliveras
and we had Here Lies Love鈥搁贰础顿颁搁鲍惭叠厂!
Maria-Christina Oliveras
鈥淲hen the booth goes bright, it鈥檚 what you can鈥檛 see, it is everything that brought you here.鈥� So grateful to be here, and to share a brief glimpse into our world. Join us in Montmarte if you can!
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Merci and Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup. (Taken directly from google but indeed, 鈥淓AT WELL, LAUGH OFTEN, LOVE ABUNDANTLY.鈥�)
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Oliveras has appeared on Broadway in and . Other New York credits include Zorba and the world premieres of Here Lies Love, Pretty Filthy, And Miles To Go, Reading Under the Influence, The Really Big Once, Slavey and After. Film and television appearances include "The Humbling," "St. Vincent," "Time Out of Mind," "Manhattan Nocturne," 鈥淣urse Jackie,鈥� 鈥淒amages" and 鈥淧erson of Interest.鈥� Dedicated to developing new work, she is the recipient of the Charles Bowden Actor Award from New Dramatists.
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The new musical starring Samantha Barks (Eponine in the film adaptation of Les Mis茅rables) plays an extended run through Oct. 18. The new musical officially opened Sept. 11. It is directed by Tony Award winner (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?).
Barks is joined by David Andino (Blind Beggar/Garden Gnome), Randy Blair (Hipolito), (Nino), (Amandine/Philomene), Savvy Crawford (Young 础尘茅濒颈别), (Gina), John Hickok (Raphael/Bretodeaux), (Georgette), Shannon O鈥橞oyle (Swing), Maria-Christina Oliveras (Suzanne), (Dufayel/Collignon), Perry Sherman (Lucien), (厂飞颈苍驳)听补苍诲 (Joseph).
础尘别虂濒颈别 is written by (An American in Paris, Prelude to a Kiss) and features music by Daniel Messe虂 with lyrics by (The Burnt Part Boys, Tuck Everlasting) and Messe虂.聽
Here's how Berkeley Rep bills the new musical: "Embark on a mesmerizing journey with inquisitive and charmingly shy 础尘别虂濒颈别 as she turns the streets of Montmartre into a world of her own imagining, while secretly orchestrating moments of joy for those around her."
The show has scenic and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Jane Cox, sound design by , projection design by with music direction by and choreography by Sam Pinkleton.
For more information, call (510) 647-2949 or visit .
