From the fangirl files....

OK, so a few people have asked how do I get so lucky and meet actors during their stints in Chicago and get pics and autographs with them. So here it is..... Well, it is not like I go out for beers with them after a show, so there is not real technique other than politeness and good luck but here it is...Maria's guide to meeting performers, actors and occasionally musicians that breeze through Chicago or "How to be a good fangirl/boy"

The theater setup is pretty standard. There is a stage door, locate it before the play starts. Usually opens to an alley around the corner from the main entrance. In some instances actors leave fairly quickly so you might have a narrow window of time to meet someone if they are the kind that leave soon. The amount of security varies from play to play and who is performing. Nathan Lane had a limo waiting for him like, two feet from the stage door and he always made a quick getaway after the show, while another limo was always there for Bebe Neuwirth but she always made a point of meeting fans after the show, apologizing once for being too late coming out. Either way it was OK, I consider it a privilege, not a right to meet an actor/musician that I admire. OK, go to the stage door as soon as the play ends, there is usually one security guard and maybe a few stagehands out for smokes. Don't pester them, usually they can't/won't tell you if your favorite actor is still in the building. Be nice, quiet and don't get in the way of people getting out. When the person you wish to talk to comes out address them as Miss X or Mr Y. Don't be tacky and ask for autographs from people you have no idea who they are... at least look at the cast pics (if they are on the playbill) and try to remember their names. I am fairly good at recognizing actors out of costume/makeup and I always have my playbill on the cast roster to make sure I don't mistake one person for another (not happened yet), if it is not someone well known (ie, Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth, Terrence Mann, Constantine etal.).  Never chase anyone down the alley (again, TACKY!!!) if they don't stop, the simply are not in the mood to do meet and greets or they have plans for the evening. If they are getting in a car..... don't go stick your head in the window, you only come across as desperate and creepy (yes, I have seen people do this). I never just ask for an autograph, I make a point to tell the person I am speaking with why I like their performance. They might or might not care but in my book, not doing so makes you come across as just an autograph collector. If that is what you are after, be my guest, but since I only speak to people whose performance had touched or impressed me, not telling them would cheapen the experience. That way I have had short, fun conversations with cast members of several plays and a more personal experience that way. Always thank them for stopping to chat!

So there, no big science or mystery, just luck and persistence ;-)

See ya by the stage door!

101 Dalmatians or How much do I hate stilts...

I am truly sad to write this review. I *wanted* to like this show. In a way I do. There are dogs that do tricks and a group of children that are fantastic performers.... but that is it. They could have done a better job adapting this to the stage.

Let me start by saying this, little ones will love it....... mine did. But for us adults there are some really serious problems with this show. I can't see having them fixed without shutting down and re-doing the whole thing.

Let's dissect, shall we?

First mistake, the "human" characters on the show are on stilts. Why, you may ask... so that you get the idea that they are bigger than the human actors portraying the dogs. The stilts are covered by gigantic bell bottom pants or beyond ample skirts (think circus tent here) that look extremely uncomfortable to wear. From the moment they come out on stage they seem unsteady and stiff when walking. Yes, I know that with practice they might get better, but the stilts are a bad idea, you have to see it to get how wrong it looks. Cruella is on stilts, too, making what could be a deliciously evil character that you would love to hate into too much of a caricature. The actress that plays Cruella, Sara Gettelfinger, does what she can with her character but unfortunately she cannot compensate for the odd look. She is a great singer and when she is evil she is great but like I say everything looks so awkward........

Second mistake, set designer needs to be fired. It is trying to look cartoonish and it is just as awkward as the stupid stilts (can you tell I really hate them?). It looks out of proportion with the players. Elongated flimsy figures that worked well for El Greco, but he was painting 2 dimensional paintings and this is supposed to look tri-dimensional! There is a silly chase that is done with puppets and there is this gigantic gap between the panels that make up the base of it, that you can probably fit a 777 through it! There is also a brick wall made out of painted fabric that just seemed to sway in the breeze, will it be so difficult to stretch it over a frame?

Unfortunately, the above things kill the show. The kids that portray the pups are truly adorable and the most energetic players I have seen on stage since Wicked closed in Chicago. Some of the songs are catchy and cute, not necessarily the kind that you go home humming them, but pleasant enough to enjoy at the show. Most of the players are good and try to make the best out of the material they were handed but, they look so damn uncomfortable!

The Addams Family, a New Musical

The preview/tryout for the Addams Family just ended its roughly 3 month run two weeks ago. I had the opportunity of seeing this new play a few times,  starting the third time it was performed publically and ending on the closing night.  

The gist:

Wednesday turns 18 and as an adult member of the family she is to abide to the rituals and rules of the clan. Well, not so much, she has a boyfriend that she has been trying to hide from her parents, because he is "normal".  So of course the Addams, ever the perfect hosts, invite them over for dinner. The Bienecke's arrive and they are normal, well as normal as things are in the Addams Family universe, but the Missus'  outfit reminded me of bird poo and has made me develop a sudden dislike of anything golden yellow.  Morticia begins to dubt herself as a seductive woman, now that Wednesday is in the spotlight. They have dinner and play The Game, in which the adults reveal their deepest secrets and Mrs. Bienecke, with some pharmacological help courtesy of Grandma's potions (an acident, since she was not the intended reciepient) gives way to a dark, dark, dark song that creeped out everyone, even Gomez. The B's try to leave but a sudden (and convenient) storm ensues and they are stuck at the mansion overnight.  Morticia and Mrs. B bond while the guys discuss life and squids, giving way to the funniest, if not most ridiculous (and I mean mean ridiculous with the utmost respect) song of the show.

The cast:

Gomez and Morticia are played by Nathan Lane and Bebe Newirth respectively. I alsmost wrecked my truck when I heard the the announcement on Sirius last year. The are both extremeley talented actors with a gazillion years on the stage under their belts and I had never had the honor of seeing them perform live. I love Bebe as Morticia, got to see her understudy once (Rachel de Benedet and she was fantastic also), Nathan was overdoing it at first, his accent was like the love child of Antonio Banderas and Arnold, the Governator! But he was much better on later performances.  Terrence Mann plays Mr. Bienecke, seems a bit restrained at times (his character as a whole is a bit bland, compared to everyone else) but when he sings his solo at the end......... I remember why I love this man's voice so very much. Jackie Hoffman steals the show as Grandma! On later shows she was ad-libing during her monologue and on New Years Eve she made a joke about Dick Clark and dropping balls that made everyone (including the other actors!) crack up laughing for a few minutes, effectively stopping the show.  She is being way underutilized on this show, there, I said it. Krysta Rodriguez is effective as Wednesday. She  has a very funny song about how freaked out she is about feeling normal that the kids loved.  Kevin Chamberlain is adorable as Uncle Fester. Adam Riegler playing Pugsley, has improved a ton since the first show (but I cut him some slack since he is a kid), seeming much more at ease with his character and his interactions with the rest of the cast. Wesley Taylor plays Wednesday's boyfriend, Lucas. He was one of the characters that I was worried about at first, his lines made him seem lost among everyone else but that has improved..  Lurch, played by Zachary James, having only one song and real lines at the end of the show, is a total waste of that beautiful baritone voice he has.

Overall:

The play has good potential of succeeding ........... it just needs a bit of tweaking before hitting Broadway in March...

I give 3.5/5

Favorite line:

"This is Peyote, one swig of this and before you know you are  locked up at Bellevue screaming
 I AM SPARTACUS!!!!"-Grandma