Good Bye

Our run ended this weekend. Saturday night was our final performance. I wasn't sure exactly how I would feel leaving this show but I must say, I am very sad and I will miss it greatly. It was just one of those magical shows. It worked even when we thought it wouldn't work. On Thursday night our lights failed and we had to perform to work lights. We had no black outs. We had no "special effects" so to speak. And we had a kick ass run. This show was amazing and I am honored to have shared the stage with such awesome performers. Everyone gave it their all, and I am so proud to have been a part of this production.
This Saturday night, I was pleasantly surprised to see four of my friends show up to see the show. Thanks sooo much guys for coming. You don't know how much it meant! And Susie, it was very nice to meet you and thanks for coming as well.
Now, I must leave, but I will be continuing my blog with Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll, so see ya all in five weeks. Oh and Tripp, there was no music playing during the part when you grabbed my ass two weeks ago genius. Nice try though. By the way, next time you see me I'm gonna make sure to shrink this big ass biatch!!
So I say good bye for the last time as Hope Cladwell.

Mwah!
~HC Thank you and Good night!

The Parentals

OK so my parents came to see the show on Thursday night. My mom invited my girlfriend Jaime and her husband Scott as a surprise and I was just so happy to see them there! It was really a great surprise. Thanks mom!
My stepmother and my father also came to the show. They said they really enjoyed it. You know... I never really get nervous or think too much about my lines and the music until my parents show up to see me. Then, I can't help but be nervous and sometime it takes me a whole act to finally get in sync. Well once I was finally calmed down, Act II was going pretty well and then, what happens? That little shit Scott Tripp rubs my butt during one of the scenes that I'm so supposed to be serious in. I was not expecting to be poked in the butt so I couldn't help laughing. Well then I had to try to fake cry just to cover it up and it was quite possibly the most pitiful fake cry in the world and I hate you Scott Tripp for making me look like an ass on stage while rubbing my ass!
Tonight marks the halfway point in the run. I'm not sure yet how I feel about that. On one end, I still have six more shows but on the other they go by so quickly and it always makes me sad to see a show end. If you haven't seen it yet, get your tickets. Don't miss out cause we rock!

Mwah!
~HC

One Week Down...

Well tomorrow night we begin our second week of the run. This last week has just been a blur! We had some very good turn outs and the reviews have been just wonderful. It feels so good to be apart of something so well received. Just a little reward for all the hard work everyone has put into it! I'm just happy I could share in the splendor:)

Urine Town has many fans. We met just a few this past week. Two gentlemen came in from Indiana to see the show. One had seen it six times and the other had seen it eleven! Thanks so much guys for stopping in and seeing our production! It made opening night even better!

The icing on the cake had to go to Nick Kelly and Amy Leone though. Not only have they both put on stellar performances but they also got engages Friday night right on stage! Kudos to you Nick! You picked a moment in time none of us will forget and thanks for letting us share in the memory. :)

So tomorrow we start a new week and I cannot wait to see what other surprises lie ahead. I know I have some family and friends coming this weekend (especially some of the old Grease gang it will be great to see all of you again).

I just want to finish this blog by sending out a big thank you to everyone involved in the show and to all of our fans who have come out to support it. It means so much to know how much everyone enjoys the show.

Alright, alright, enough with the sappy crap. Now get back to work bitches! Oh yeah and see ya at the show!:) Hee hee



Mwah

~HC

Opening Night!!

Well it is officially here. Tonight we open to the public. We have about 35 high school students attending so it will be interesting to see if they enjoy the show or not. I currently am happy with the show. It was touch and go there for a while though. I just wasn't getting comfortable with Hope as quickly as I hoped (hee hee). She is not a complicated character which is what makes her so difficult to play. Who would have thought that normal could be so hard? Hmmmm....
I think I am ready for this evening. I got out of work a little early so that I can just relax and enjoy some free time. Although, I must say that I am not nervous yet. Which is somewhat unusual. My favorite part of the show? Getting to enjoy this experience with my good friend Scott Tripp. He just makes me smile:) And we get to talk shit about all the people we don't like.
Just kidding!!!

Mwah!
~HC

Hell Week!

Today marks the official first day of hell week. I think many of us are happy that rehearsal tonight fell on a holiday. I know I am. I have all day to be rested before we do our first run with both the band and lights.
This weekend we had our cue to cue and our first rehearsal with the band. Kudos to Seth and to all the members of our band for putting in hard hours to work on the music and lights. Our show is going to be fantastic and have a wonderful aesthetic appeal because of you guys! You rock!!
I am very excited about rehearsal tonight. I just can't believe we open in three days! Yikes! Now is the time when we must all step it up and put the finishing touches on our characters. I am feeling pretty secure with my character choices thus far. So now we just have to see how this evening goes!!

First Run

Yesterday, we ran the show for the very first time. All in all, it went exceptionally well. I got to work with some rope when I was tied up let me tell you it was not easy dancing while in restraints (contrary to popular belief). I felt myself getting more and more into character as the show went on.
So... we open in two weeks from tomorrow. How crazy is that! I am very excited about how rehearsals are going and very impressed with the dancing. The ensemble is doing such a terrific job that I have to admit I am a little jealous. Hey Katie, wanna alternate roles every other night? :) I finally have some free time this week so you all better watch out! Cause I'm steppin up my game plan!

Toodles,
~HC

On The Set!!

Today, Scott Tripp and I decided to go and surprise the boys at the Art Loft with the lunch while they were doing load-in. Well, when we arrived, no one had yet gotten there except for Greg Hunsaker our set designer. Needless to say, he put Scott and I straight to work. (Scott in his khaki shorts and brown sandals and me in my black dress and flip flops) It was all good fun though and it feels really good to have helped with the set, even if was just a little. The stage is enormous. Its going to be great when it is finished. Tomorrow we move into the Art Loft and onto the set. I cannot believe that we are already beginning the final leg of rehearsals! This show is opening in less than one month and I fro one, cannot wait to show our audiences what we have done so far!

~HC

Speed Pee!

Yesterday we finished blocking Act II. On Monday we will run the entire act. I cannot believe the entire show is blocked already! I received an e-mail from Scott Miller about my character this weekend. It is not going to be an easy task putting Hope Cladwell together. How can I play a character and not play a character? That is my main focus at this time. I am going to be spending a huge chunk of my weekend on pinpointing exactly who Hope is. I will be writing my back story this weekend so be sure to watch out for that one. I hope that by Monday, Hope is more a part of me than she has been the last few weeks. I know once I find my niche as Hope, that I will feel more comfortable with my performance and more at ease to take risks and chances as her!

Mwah!
~HC

Act I Finished!

As we wrap up this work week, I realized that I have not blogged at all this week. Ouch! Which means I have much to talk about. Let me preface this by saying that we blocked the entire first act in just three rehearsals. It was a lot of fun. I got to leave early Monday evening because I only had one scene I was in. I reveled in this because it will be the last time any of us get to leave rehearsal before 9:30 for the rest of the show. I took some time to read and relax thinking that Tuesday's rehearsal was going to be hard work. It was work, but not hard. It was so much fun. Khenmu, Trishia, Miller and I stayed until about ten working on the big smoochie smoochie scene. It was so interesting getting to work just the three of us (Miller, Khenmu and myself with Trishia watching) on this scene. I guess its because the last part I played was such an ensemble role. The intimacy really allowed me to watch Scott at work and to see how his thought process spun in his head.
Working with Khenmu on this was so much fun. It was nice to have this be the third show we have been involved in together because I feel that we already have a unique bond. I think are characters seem comfortable and relaxed around each other, not forced. The scene so far is very fun to play and I think it will keep developing into more fun and creativity throughout rehearsals.
Yesterday we ran the Act I finale. I was expecting a very exhausting night based solely on the understanding that the music for this show is quite exhausting and the Act I finale is one of the most complicated pieces. Instead, we had a fantastic rehearsal that I thought was so much fun! I did roll my ankle though and my shin muscles are a little sore because of it today. Nevertheless, I cannot wait to run the entire act on Monday and to see the speechless audience on opening night after Act I finishes. I don't want to give too much away but I will say that it involves murder, mayhem, betrayal and love. OOOOOOO!
Sunday we choreograph "Run, Freedom, Run" with me tied up in a chair. Hee hee! I think Scott gave me this role because he knows how much I like to be tied up. Hmmmmm.... Oh! And I get to see the Greasers on Saturday! Yeah!

Toodles,
~H C

Wow!

So yesterday we had our first read through/sing through of the show. I was amazed! I literally kept getting goose bumps throughout the night. It was funny it was smooth and it was awesome sounding. I can't imagine what the final product is going to look like if this is how good the first read through went! This cast is just so amazing and it is so much fun to work with them thus far! I cannot wait to get started on blocking next week! Now, I must go, because I have to work out!

Later,
~HC

Taxes are Done and So Are My Love Handles!

Well yesterday we finished going through all the music in the show. I could hardly speak let alone sing with the horrid cough I had. It was pretty miserable. Today, I feel much much better and I am ready to get in there and sing my heart out! (I hope my lungs can keep up with me) We were over staffed at work so I got to go home and finish my taxes! Yeah!!! (OK fine Greg helped a little. I cannot take all the credit) I am just so happy to finally be over tax season! I don't know whether or not I will be participating next year....
I started a fairly rigid diet and exercise plan today. I just want to get myself back into shape and healthy. The warm weather is coming and I know that in order to put this production on well, in the heat, I have to begin to take better care of myself. So, if you wanna help don't forget to ask me how my diet is going. (Every time someone asks, I will do fifty sit-ups or squats or choice) AH HA! A reward for reading my blog. Now lets see whose up to challenge me! My bikini will thank you.
Tonight we end music rehearsals and next week we begin putting it all together. I can't wait to start transforming myself into Hope!

Toodles,
H C

No voice No taxes

Well here I am on Saturday afternoon without a voice. Yep that's right, I lost my voice yesterday due to this nasty cold I have. I'm resting it today and hoping to get it back tomorrow before my voice lesson. (Yeah like that's gonna happen) So at least I will attempt to learn the rhythm of all the songs I am in. Oh and by the way have I mentioned that I have not even STARTED my taxes yet? I think its my own little rebellion. Hell maybe I won't do them! (Yeah right then I get sent to jail where you gotta pay to pee or is that UrineTown?...) I keep reading everybody else's blogs and it sounds like they're doing really well with the music looks like I have a lot of work to do. Guess you know where to find me this weekend: on the toilet with my script. What! I'm trying to get into the show!

I'm Back!!!

Well here I am once again, and now I am beginning to have a personality complex. Who am I? Frenchy? Hope? Iz? Bitch? I don't know anymore! Just a few weeks ago we were rapping up Grease and now we have just ended our first week of UrineTown rehearsals. I remember at auditions wondering if I was gonna have what it takes to play (and sing) the part of Hope. I decided that no guts equals no glory and ended up getting the role. Since then, I have been transfixed on this world of human secretions. I must say, I don't think I have ever had to pee during other rehearsals as much as I do this time around. Hmmmmmm... maybe its just a subconscious Fuck you all! I can pee free!
The first week of rehearsals was rather tough. This music is incredible and very very hard to sing. Luckily, I got to work early with my voice teacher James Harr (who is always saving my ass). Thanks James! Much love. So I had somewhat of an idea about how hard the score really is. However, James and I work one on one. Try teaching this stuff to 16 people at once! Needless to say, rehearsals have been tough but our group seems to be handling it really well and I must say, we sound rather phenomenal!
The crew is really awesome. This is my second NewLine show so it doesn't have the same feel as the first. During the first, I knew NOBODY and ended up getting to know some awesome people. This time around, I know mostly EVERYBODY and I am looking forward to getting to know the few I don't. I must say though, if I had walked into rehearsals not knowing anyone, I would have been very intimidated because I am currently surrounded by some incredibly talented people. All I have to do now is buck up and try to gain status on their level. Wish me luck!

Love and Peace,
Hope

P.S. I miss you Greasers!