No News is GREAT news!!!

Well, as I was always concerned - I knew that as soon as I got busy I would stop writing. But I NEEDED to write this down - Tuesday's rehearsal was AMAZING! I am SO incredibly excited about this show!!! Everything is starting to click, become perfected, and HUGELY WILDLY entertaining!
   This is the part of the process where I truly start to blown away by what starts out so small, builds, and then explodes. I can the relationships that are being formed, the interactions become real and interesting.

The Photoshoot!

INCREDIBLE photoshoot at the Blaney's!!!

(Lucas Blaney, who plays our Danny 'loaned' us his Dad's 50's collection to take some fun & fantastic pictures!!!)

Here's a sneak peak of some of my favourites!

Actors seen in the pictures are:
Jennie Neumann, Lucas Blaney, Dustin Freeland, Stephanie Davis, Claire Wardle, Katie Stone, Emily Kapahi, Robin Sukorokoff, Dimitrios Stephanoy, Craig DeCarlo, Kyle Vesterback,
Caleb DiPomponio
PS Sorry the layout is so weird! Can't seem to get it looking nice! :(

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!

Lucas Blaney & Alex Gullason star as Danny & Sandy

We had an UNBELIEVABLE rehearsal last night!

Although there is still lots of work that is needed - I think last night I was struck by what an amazing show we are going to have. There are absolutely NO weak links. Everyone has talent to spare. Starting to delve into their characters and truly create a new world.

At this point I am normally seeing nothing but flaws in order to create the best show possible. I tend to spend 1/2 the rehearsal making cringing faces to my stage manager (and she spends a 1/2 hour AFTER rehearsal encouraging me), but not last night! I was even entertained while watching!

I just wanted to post this, so that if something stressful happens from here on in - I will KNOW and be ENCOURAGED that we have an UNBELIEVABLE show - and I am so THRILLED to be working with this cast.

THANK YOU EVERYONE for all the additional work that you're putting in. And a BIG shout out to Angela King - my Dance Captain - who is whipping them into shape!

You are going to blow VANCOUVER away!!!!

Getting PUMPED!!!

Super pumped about things that are happening now for GREASE!!!!

COVER OF PLAYBOARD MAGAZINE (Play-BOARD)

On the cover of Playboard magazine this month (looks GREAT!!!) (Here's a link to the digital copy (check it out!! )
http://www.playboardmag.com/pdfs/Playboard%20-%20October%202012.pdf

BRENTWOOD PROMO

We gathered one weekend at Brentwood Mall to promote the show - SO much fun! Thanks to the cast members that helped us do that - you looked and sounded GREAT!!! Here are links to the video's from that weekend (kindly recorded by long-time volunteer and Crew member April Cleaver - thanks April!).

GLEE PARODY

I've put together a FANTASTIC commercial "parody" promoting the show! The cast of Glee will be back at it (on a break for BASEBALL of all things!) celebrating the 'most popular musical of all time' GREASE!!! Their show debuts ONE DAY before we open!!! BEST TIMING EVER!!!!

MY video:

GLEE'S Official Trailer for the GREASE episode:

PRODUCTION CREW

Production wise, everything is coming into place. Just a few names of some of the amazing designers:
Lighting Designer: Phil Guhl  Set Designer: John Bassette  Costume Design: Chris Sinosich and Sebastian and Co. Props: Tami Sinosich etc  The show is going to LOOK phenomenal!!!
I also have an amazing crew of helpers, volunteers (including the performers). I just need to focus on getting the show completely blocked/choreographed and then perfected!!! This is the part I like the most - where the show starts to emerge before my eyes and I get a sense of just how awesome (or terrible) it's going to be - and this year is pretty special!!!

GOTTA GET OFF BOOK

Had to reminded my actors tonight to practise/rehearse dance steps everyday AND to get OFF BOOK!!! The ONLY way to discover your character, the relationships and build a show up from the inside is to know your lines, your steps, your blocking - SO well that you don't have to think about it. THEN everything can begin to emerge.  I'm hoping that the actors in this cast will show some initiative and do it for THEMSELVES!!!! They will enjoy the next couple of weeks SO MUCH MORE if they know their stuff and then they just get to 'play'! :) That's the rewarding part!

And now for something a little more positive...

The GREASE Sing-Off

Caught this video a little while ago and FINALLY got it upload to Youtube. For those of you who DON'T know the kids in this clip - it's my son Caedence who's 9 and my daughter Aurielle, who is 3. I wonder if either of them will end up in the arts??!! :) (I know who ended up on a time out! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLzTqQjZ3U4&feature=g-upl

I'm a terrible Blogger...

BLOGGING?

I knew this would happen.

Jennifer Gillis in TO

Once I actually started rehearsal I wouldn't get ANY extra time to actually keep a blog - because every spare second I have away from my kids and hubby, I use to prepare for Grease rehearsals. Actually - that's a bit of a lie... I have also been completely obsessed and distracted by my interactions with Jennifer Gillis and her amazing journey happening right now on CBC's Over the Rainbow. (VOTE FOR JENNIFER!!!). Particularily this week. For some reason, Toronto thinks it's the centre of Canada and so Jen is not getting ANY PR out here in BC. So this week, I did take some time to make a few phone calls and send a few emails to see if I could help jumpstart the interest out here in BC. BUT, I digress! This is NOT a diary of my day to day life, but a blog about my experience directing Footlight's GREASE! So I've decided I'm not going to care so much WHAT I write and how I write it! I wanted this Blog mainly for a 'keepsake' for myself. If people find it boring - I have to be okay with that. I just have to write!

I HATE CONFLICTS!!!

So things have been going pretty well. The frustration with my missing leads (who have been involved in Riverview High) is now about to subside.  Although an additional wrench was thrown in when they made 'Pick of the Fringe' (HUGE shout out to all those involved in the original musical!!!) - giving them another performance that - yet again, conflicted with our rehearsal schedule! Out of the 5 days that they could've performed on - there were only 2 of them that conflicted with our rehearsals - my dear friend Murphy stepped in and made sure that it would be one of those days.


But all of the Riverview High stuff is over now - and I am THRILLED that there aren't ANY MORE listed conflicts on my conflict sheet EXCEPT that several cast members came to me on Sunday and told me about callbacks that they had for Oklahoma (Royal City) that would potential conflict with Sunday rehearsal!!!! So I am giving up on my desire to have a FULL cast, all the time. At this point, I can do MY job, to the best of my ability, and hope they do theirs.

Phil Guhl - Lighting Designer!

Some exciting news on the Lighting Designer front though. I can't even remember if I've recorded any of my 'plight' to find a set designer and lighting designer - nevertheless, it has been exhausting!! BUT good things come to those who wait and I am SO extremely excited to have lighting designer Phil Guhl join our team this year at Footlight! I was put into contact with him by Shel Piercy (to whom, now, I am indebted!) and met with him last week. He is not only AMAZING at what he does, but SUCH a nice guy. I'm super excited to finally have the support of a professional lighting designer!

BRENTWOOD MALL PROMO

Sound of Music (myself filling in for  Bree Greig)

The Wizard of Oz (Jennifer Gillis)

The cast is going to have some upcoming appearances at Brentwood Mall (which we have done several years in a row now - see inserted pictures) - so PLEASE swing by THIS weekend - Sept. 29th & 30th between 11-3pm to hear some of our fantastic cast singing their hearts out.

BYE BYE BASEMENT

LASTLY, we have permanently said 'GOODBYE' to our low-ceiling, NO dancing space and now find ourselves in the fantastic Multi-purpose room at Burnaby South School (attached to the MJF) - YAY!!!!!

MUSIC!!!! SKETCHES!!!! ACTION!!!!

MUSIC

Well - Sunday's rehearsal was a disaster thanks to the fact that it is IMPOSSIBLE to find a version of each song that is familiar to people AND that we have the music for!! Nonetheless, we had a music meeting today and literally listened to EVERY song, at least twice from different sound tracks and cast recordings to find the most accurate version that fits our score. With that being done, things should be much clearer from here on out.

SKETCHES

I also got some sketches from my designer today and VERY excited about how my set is going to look. I LOVE the process of layering a designers ideas with my own and what ends up coming to fruition! It can be a very frustrating process (I'm sure my designers would attest!) but it is so very rewarding in the end. (ps NOT my set for Grease to the right, I just loved this drawing! :)

ACTION

 Had a fabulous rehearsal with Lucas Blaney & Alex Gullason last night (we don't normally rehearse on Mondays but we're trying desperately to get in some rehearsals while SIX of my leads are busy rehearsing another show on the SAME days!!). We worked on Lucas' main song and then did the scene at the drive-in. I find one of my difficulties is taking my own spin on scenes when there are so many moments that have been forever etched in our mind from the movie! I like to give people the moments that they're longing for, but still make our 'take' on the scene honest and original. I think Lucas and Alex did just that. Great actors, great chemistry - not much I had to do there!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

Still hoping and praying for a new space!!! There has GOT to be somewhere in Burnaby/East Van for rent that doesn't have 6 foot ceilings and carpet (OH so good to dance on!)!!! Oh yeah - and is cheap! :)

Watch Your Head AND Photoshoot!

FIRST REHEARSAL

And so it begins!

We had our first rehearsal tonight and I was truly blown away by the talent in the room. The energy, the sound when they all sang (they looked JUST like the image to the right), being able to give them choreography and when I came back to it they remembered - it was so exciting!!! Haven't had that much adrenalin running through me for awhile!

I AM worried about our rehearsal space though. It is a very long, narrow room with an extremely low ceiling. When I am standing at the front (where the audience would be seated) I can't even get everyone in my eye view because they are so close to me! It felt like a bit of a ping pong match looking back and forth as they reviewed Summer Nights. In fact at one point I was trying to go quick enough to get a sense of what it will look like side by side - but I only proceeded to make myself a little nauseous.* 

Furthermore, the ceilings are insanely short! When my musical director, Tom Arntzen, walked in (all 6 foot 4 of him) I was seriously concerned that he might hit his head! At one point I wanted Sandy (Alex Gullason) to get up on a chair or table but she wouldn't have been able to because her head would have gone straight through the ceiling! LASTLY (and I promise I'll move on) the lighting in the room was only ceiling pot lights. Which are great for a groovy, relaxing space but as the evening got darker so did our room - I think it made us all a little sleepy! Needless to say - I'm HUNTING for a new rehearsal space (ANY suggestions - let me know!).

*It needs to be said that I am 100% responsible for this - I DID approve the space, thinking I would mainly do blocking in there. But due to crazy schedule conflicts and the sheer amount of material we have to cover I'm going to have to use Tues/Thurs for choreography also - almost an impossibility in this space

PRODUCTION TEAM

On an extremely POSITIVE note - we had our first production meeting and our team seems fantastic. A couple of 'newbies' - John Bussette - Set Design, Des Renard - Technical Director, Tami Sinosich - Props, Tom Arntzen - Musical Director. I handed out googly eyed pens to everyone to remind them that we have a huge tasks at hand - but we must always have fun doing it! (A photo of us, hard at work, ALL with our googly eyed pens - forthcoming!) Budgetary constraints this year are going to make things a little more difficult - but I always seem to get more creative when someone says 'No'!

PHOTO SHOOT & POSTER

LASTLY - we had our promo/poster photo shoot and can I just say - they looked amazing!!!! I really wanted to recreate some iconic moments from Grease that are so familiar to us now - but also some unique ones. I found an image of an original Grease movie poster that I fell in love with - it was quirky, so fifties, and not at ALL the image that we are used to seeing (Danny & Sandy all tarted up, in an embrace at the end of the movie). Our masterful photographer and great actors recreated that poster for me, but with our own twist. Looking forward to getting the layout of the poster ready and OUT THERE for all to see!

First Rehearsal and CAST LIST!!!!!

FIRST REHEARSAL! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Today is our FIRST rehearsal for Grease and I am ridiculously excited!!

Up until now I haven't published the cast list and I'm actually glad that I haven't as there have been some MAJOR changes! But instead of worrying about the cast changes, I am completely AMAZED at how well things have worked out. I couldn't be happier with my cast of AMAZINGLY talented performers!

Drum roll please...

Here is the Cast for:

Footlight Theatre's 2012 production of GREASE!

Danny Lucas Blaney
Kenickie Craig DeCarlo
Roger, Danny U/S, Doody U/S Dustin Freeland
Sonny Dimitrios Andreas Stephanoy
Doody Caleb Di Pomponio
Sandy Alex Gullason
Rizzo Jennie Neumann
Marty Emily Canavan
Jan Steffanie Davis
Frenchy Jianna Ballard
Patty Emily Kapahi
Eugene Luke McAndless-Davis
Cha Cha Claire Wardle
Miss Lynch Jennifer Long
Blanche, Miss Lynch U/S Katie Stone
Coach Calhoun Robin Sukorokoff
Vince Fontaine, Sonny U/S Theo Marx
Anthony Adam Bungag
Gwendolyn Rose , Jan U/S Amy Jean McElwain
Anna Jane / Dance Captain Angela King
Steven Ethan Shankaruk
Deborah Jeanne Jennifer Suttis
Michael Maddison Popov
Donald Noel Hollett
Peggy Sue, Cha Cha U/S Kate Holley
Ronald, Eugene U/S Alan Blackwell
Barbara Ann, Marty U/S Rebecca Friesen
Cindy Lou, Patty U/S Angela Cotton
Mary Anne, Rizzo U/S Michelle Bardach
Cathy Leigh, Sandy U/S, Frenchy U/S Quinn Cartwright
Kenneth, Teen Angel U/S Kyle Vesterback



**appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association

CASTING'S COMPLETE!!!! (and some NEW LYRICS! :)

CASTINGS COMPLETE!!!

Well my show is cast and I can breath a HUGE sigh of relief!

I am incredibly excited about my cast - ridiculously talent people! This ensemble is going to blow the audience away - genuine triple threats. Can't wait to get started (and now I have to WAIT a month!). I'm hoping I'm going to be able to post the cast list soon - we just want to make sure that we are fair to everyone and that everyone has been contacted regardless of whether they've been cast or not.

NEW LYRICS

 Hopelessly Devoted

I over heard my daughter singing to herself on the front stairs and had to share her heartfelt version of 'Hopelessly Devoted'. The 'altered lyrics have been capitalized.

But now - there's no WAY to hide
Since you PUSHED ME ON MY SIDE
I'm out ON MY head
HOPING AND I'M STEPPING ON you-oooo
HOPING AND I'M STEPPING ON you.

How can you tell she's a strong willed girl. Arnold Schwarzenegger AND a budding lyricist in my midst!!

An ODE to the Auditionee's!

I wanted to make sure (before I wrote this post) that I was using the word 'ODE' correctly. I Googled it, and this is what I found: "A lyrical verse written in praise of, or dedicated to someone or something which captures the poet's interest or serves as an inspiration for the ode."


PERFECT! I thought to myself. That is EXACTLY what I am feeling! After my 1st round of auditions (over 18 hours) and callbacks (over 14 hours) - I feel the need to 'praise' the performers who auditioned and somehow honour and express how their bravery and passions inspired me!  Their actions now 'serve as an inspiration for (this) ode'!


This is an ode dedicated to and inspired by those who came out to audition for me!


No Guts? No Glory.
But what of the battles
With victories too difficult to measure?
Those who part with the sweet knowing
Confidence measured by the stride of the step.
What of the brave who venture into the unknown?
Experiencing the exhilaration of a song unsung
A vision now reality.
Most beautifully - the free and easy voice
Unleashed to sting,
And bring tears...
An inspired, captivated audience
Watches as hard work evolves
To passion and desire
Creating fire.
Victory. Immeasurable.


Thank you so much to all of you who came out to the auditions.
Please know that I admire you in every way REGARDLESS of the outcome!

Guys vs. Girls AND Casting in Tim Hortons!!

GUYS VS. GIRLS

Just a quick rant about how crazy auditions (and especially the casting) can be. A few statistics for you (depressing if your a woman - FANTASTIC if you're a guy!!).

God I Hope I Get It!!

If we look JUST at the amount of people that came out: Approximately

1 person out of every 8 people will be cast.

However, the ratio of GUYS to GIRLS was about 

6 females to 1 male!!!! 

AND I have to cast MORE  males than females - So for men it ends up being every 

1 out of 2 males

will be cast, BUT for the women it's more like

1 out of 12 females

will get in - SO unfair!! Ladies out there -- if you don't make it in -- you are in GOOD company!!!! The talent was staggering!!

TIM HORTONS CASTING

So last night, after our last round of auditions we headed to the TIM HORTONS to go through the auditionee's and determine who was going to be called back.  After determining the 'No callback' list we then decide who we would like called back and for what character. Some are called back for one role and some are called back for several different roles. We then set aside the materials that they will need for the callback (scene's & songs) and what the callback schedule will look like.

At this point I look at my clock and it's already after midnight!!! We entered around 9:45 and have already been sitting here for 2 and a 1/2 hours!!!! We need to wrap it up as all of us are exhausted and my Stage Manager realizes that the LAST Skytrain of the night will be leaving around 1am. So we wrap up as best we can (at 1 in the morning) and head out to our cars. I put the keys in my ignition, turn, and NOTHING!!! My battery is DEAD!!!

I start looking for jumper cables in the trunk (this is usually the car my husband drives) and can't find any. While I pulling all of the junk out of the trunk (hehe) a ghost cop car pulls up eyeing all the garbage on the ground. I explain that that my car wont start and I don't have jumper cables. 'Sorry - we're not allowed to carry any.' - thanks a lot Mr. Policeman!!!

While digging for the cables in the pitch black - I proceed to STAB myself with something under the seat (I find out today it was just a SHARD OF BROKEN GLASS!!!!!), so Angus goes into Timmy's to get me a band-aid and I call BCAA. Angus (my AMAZINGLY KIND friend and Footlight producer waits with me while we convene BACK in Tim Hortons with 2 sets of cops, a couple of business men with their ipads (???) and the rest of the insomniacs!

Luckily it doesn't take TOO long and around 1:30 BCAA shows up, insults the 'state' of my battery and sends me on my way. The last kick in the pants was my regular exit on the freeway being closed so I am FORCED to go over the Port Mann bridge to SURREY!!! Quite the detour.

Needless to say, I was warm, snug in my bed at a respectable 'theatre brat' time of 3am!!

My Only DEEP Thought About GREASE!

GREASE is not known for it's depth! It doesn't tackle difficult subjects like the French Revolution, poverty, religion or being green! It's silly, fun, and leaves you in a great mood! But believe it or not - that wasn't always the case!

Children Ages 6-10 perform 'Grease' at a school in the US

      Over the years, GREASE has been subjected to 'clean ups' and revisions in order to make it more palatable for the mainstream and more suitable for young people.
 (it is currently the TOP show requested & licensed to high-schools in the USA).
 Along the way, it lost the respect of 'serious' theatre aficionados - those who believe the art form of theatre should be used to provoke thought and push boundaries. 

Photo from original production (1971)

     
          However, forty years ago, GREASE was cutting edge theatre. When it first opened in an old trolley barn down-town Chicago it was hailed as  '...a raunchy, raw, aggressive, vulgar show.'^[1]  It was NOT a show ever intended for children, or even teenagers.


         As I was researching the original writers (Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey), and the history behind GREASE, I came across this book: Recycled Culture in Contemporary Art and Film (see photo). I thought it was interesting and worth sharing. Here is a brief summary of the chapter that deals with GREASE: 

"... Dika specifically examines Grease and how nostalgia is particularly utilized in the film. Dika makes a novel observation by claiming that Grease in fact combines the liberated sexuality of the 1960’s with the nostalgic innocence of the 1950’s. Dika realizes that this argument seems contradictory in that the sexual morals of the 1950’s were completely opposite from those of the 1960’s... Dika states that the film tries to restabilize itself by returning to the classical musical genre and taking on the form of other 50’s musicals. Grease was released during a time in which the past seemed like a much safer time. Dika suggests that may be a reason as to why older actors and actresses were used to represent high school kids. The older audiences could identify more easily with the older actors, while the younger audience could still relate to the adolescent situations. Dika believes the Grease exploits certain nostalgic elements of a simpler time, but employs a later decade’s morals to more deeply involve its target audience."

By far, my favourite quote from the chapter is:

"What are the implications of being told that the word "grease" has "groove," that it has "meaning"? At first this may seem like a completely nonsensical claim, unless we begin to look at the word associatively and metonymically." 

HELP me look at the word GREASE metonymically, would ya'?!!!!
What are YOUR deep thoughts about GREASE?

Grease has ALWAYS been the word!

Who am I?
My name is Lalainia Lindbjerg Strelau (a ridiculous tongue twistor of a name, I know) and I am directing/choreographing 'Grease' for Footlight Theatre Company, which will be performed at the Michael J. Fox Theatre (Burnaby) in November 2012.


What's this about?
This is going to be a 'blog' following my experience.


Why Grease?
Grease is a project near and dear to my heart. Right from the time when I was three years old and my babysitter took me to the (completely inappropriate) movie - I was hooked. Apparently it had me doing cartwheels in front of the audience (there used to be small stages in front of the screen) right at the movie theatre!


I also remember watching my big sister getting to dress up as 'cool Sandy' for Halloween. She was 8 or 9 and because of the chilly Vancouver weather our Mom forced her wear a pink turtle neck under the classic off the shoulder top - she was not pleased! But my dream of getting to dress up just like my big sister and belt out the heartfelt 'Hopelessly Devoted' was not squashed by the unsightly turtleneck - it was enhanced!


Luckily my hearts desire to play the good girl who turns cool was realized in the year 2000 down at Theatre Under the Stars. Not only did I get to play Sandy, but my husband played Danny & my sister played Rizzo! I still remember the absolutely magical moment of singing 'Summer Nights' while the tangerine rays of the sun setting shone onto the stage as a perfect spotlight. Ahhhhh... theatre!


I was also given an amazing opportunity to direct Grease six years later in 2006. I had an AMAZING cast, 2 fantastic choreographers (Kevin Tookey & Alex Pesusich), a great musical director (Jim Bryson) & band. Crewing the show proved a bit of a challenge - but we made it happen. It was a BLAST!!


Why blog about Grease 2012?
So now - here I am directing the show again and beginning the process all over again!


Often I begin a project by researching. I become completely obsessed. Bombarding myself with images, video's, history, interviews, music, etc. Spending any spare time (which I have to admit, is not a lot) trying to capture or inspire myself to create the best show possible.


Then I begin the casting process, which leads to rehearsals, which leads to tech week, which leads to performances which leads to a HUGE sigh of relief as my job is completed. But I've realized that I get so busy, so focused, so 'in the moment' that I often don't have too many recollections of the process I just went through. That's pretty scary considering I will often spend upward of 7 months on a project!


So - I've decided to 'blog' about my experience of Directing/Choreographing 'Grease' for Footlight Theatre. That way I can actually look back when I am finished and read about my experience. Why blog about it? To be honest - the theatre world is SO full of craziness I figured it may end up mildly entertaining - so why not share it with the rest of the world! We could all use a bit of a laugh now and then!


So hopefully you'll enjoy. Stay tuned in - and look forward to reading.