From the Inside Out

We joined the fun at the block party in the Dallas Arts District on Friday evening. Hosted by the AT&T Performing Arts Center, the party featured live music in Strauss Square, gourmet food trucks on Flora Street, performing arts center seat “test drives”, games and a backstage tour of of the performing arts center/Winspear Opera House. While most of the activities were enjoyable, I was most excited about the backstage tour. I’ve seen many performances at the venue, and I have performed in small, community theatres, but I have never been backstage at a facility that does large-scale, Broadway productions.

It was a lot of fun and really interesting.

View of the theatre from the stage.

Our seats next year are near the guy sitting with a pink ball. SO close! Can’t wait!!

Another view of the performance hall from the stage

Huge staging areas on the side of the main stage. They can drive semi-trucks into these areas when large productions are here. They had 13 for Billy Elliott.

System of counter-balances for the curtains, lights, props, and staging

Backstage Dressing Rooms

Hallway where all of the actors and performers sign when they perform here.

Close up shot in the hallway

Meyerson Symphony Hall and Dallas sky

My two best friends posing for the camera outside of the ATT PAC

After the party, we walked to our favorite downtown Mexican restaurant for dinner, Jorge’s. If you get tickets to a show in the Arts District, be sure to check it out. We always go there for dinner before a show. They have excellent food and great service — reservations are highly recommended!

We had hoped to watch the Dallas Theatre Center’s production of The Wiz at the Wylie Theatre, but by the time we arrived at the block party all of the tickets had already been sold. Maybe we’ll catch it on another weekend.

It was a great night with two people I love dearly. And now I know what’s happening behind the scenes when I see a performance at the ATT PAC. The only thing that would be better is if I were performing there. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Into the woods we go again. We have to every now and then!

We’re three weeks away from opening night at McKinney Repertory Theatre (MRT). The cast is deep in the woods of rehearsals, practicing blocking, singing, lines, and choreography. Whew, it makes me tired just thinking about it. We rehearse four nights a week, and there’s still so much to do!

This is my first foray into the world of musical theater, and I have to admit, it’s been a very interesting adventure. I didn’t realize how complicated musicals were. There’s everything that goes into your standard drama production, but then you have to also add music, singing, and dancing. Trust me, it’s a lot.

Although my roles in this production are quite small, I’m still having a good experience, and it’s fun to watch the creative process that goes into a musical. I’m playing three characters: Red Riding Hood’s granny, Cinderella’s mother, and the giant (yes, she’s a woman). My characters don’t have a lot of stage time, but it is fun playing three very different roles — and I get to sing a bit, including some very, very high notes.

We have some outstanding actors and singers in this production. Some of them completely “wow” me. Rehearsals are chaotic at this stage, but I know the production will be top notch when it’s time to perform. The MRT is investing a significant amount in production, costumes and advertising for this show. It’ll be fantastic. For Tickets call 214 544 4630 or visit www.mckinneyperformingarts?center.org. And for a glimpse behind the scenes, check out the images below (I apologize now for the low, camera phone quality, but it’s better than nothing, right?).

First read through of the Into the Woods script

Rehearsing the opening of Act I

Trying to remember lines, singing, and choreography…not an easy task!

Rehearsing on stage in the theater at the McKinney Performing Arts Center

Our music director (and former Miss Texas) looks on as we rehearse a scene

Our latest show, Blame It On The Pony Express, opened last weekend at McKinney Repertory Theatre. The audiences were fantastic! Adults and kids had a blast cheering, booing, laughing, and throwing popcorn — and so did we. I absolutely love melodramas. They are so much fun for the actors and the audience.

I was able to reprise my role as the cranky, but loveable piano player, Ivory Keyes. The character is lots of fun to play because she speaks her mind and provides much of the background music for the show. It’s a unique role that allows me to use both my acting and musical abilities, so I really enjoy it.

The show continues to run through this weekend. We’re performing at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday, and our final performance is on Sunday at 2 pm. If you haven’t seen the show yet, get your tickets now, and bring a can of food to get a free bag of popcorn. All canned food donations will go to the local food bank.

Check out a few preview pictures below (and more in the albums section of my blog).

Mark your calendars because it’s back! The tale of the “Last Chance Inn” continues at McKinney Repertory Theatre in May. Familiar characters from Hartburn Hotel will return in this “popcorn tossing” melodrama that guarantees laughs and entertainment for all ages. The latest saga, Blame it on the Pony Express, opens on May 13 for a two week run.

I will be reprising my role as Ivory Keyes, and I have to say that I’m really excited about stepping back into her shoes. She’s a fun character, plus I get to put my piano skills to use when playing Ivory. Joining me will be a host of other actors playing the roles of many of the beloved characters from the previous play. We have an outstanding cast who will bring those characters to life. Our first rehearsal, a read through of the entire play, was held tonight and laughter was abundant. It’s going to be a great show. I can’t wait!

Here’s your first glimpse of the diorama depicting our stage, the interior of the Last Chance Inn.

Did you notice my tiny, tiny piano? It’s SO cute!

A close up view of Ivory’s piano

My view from across the table looking at a couple of the cast members and our director

Tonight we met with the producers of our last play, Leaving Iowa. They would like to take the show on the road, so they met with the cast members this evening discuss the details and gauge interest.

If everything goes well, we would be traveling to theatres across the country and performing the show on weekends. Initially, performances would be limited to towns in Texas and Louisiana, but it could expand beyond if they are able to book shows in other locations.

The cast would arrive at the theatre on Friday afternoon and perform later that evening. We’d stay overnight, perform again on Saturday, and then return home late on Saturday night. It would make for some crazy busy weekends, but it sounds like a ton of fun!

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be part of a traveling show, and now I may get the opportunity to find out. I’ll have to schedule it around my day job, but they will give us plenty of advance notice so I should be able to take vacation on the days I need to travel.

The good news is that most of the hard work has already been done. We’ve already performed the play. We know the characters. We know the director. We just have to dust off the script, freshen things up a bit, and remember our lines.

It should be a breeze!

But first things first…where did I put that script?