BWW BLOG: CHIX 6 Opens at Queens Theatre in the Park!

Hello luvs! It's Lourds Lane, the creator of CHIX 6. Today, September 27, is our first performance of our 5 week developmental pre-Broadway run at the Queens Theatre in the Park!!

This week was filled with interviews and press... The Daily News, NY 1, radio, a bunch of Queens papers... I honestly had to learn to say "no" to some interviews because being also an actor in the show, there just isn't enough time in the day. Well, maybe I can talk to media on the bus on the way to the theatre... which apparently I'm doing tomorrow.

Tech week was long and grueling and as you know, I don't come from the actor world... so it probably felt even longer for me. When I was touring with my rock band, LOURDS, the lighting guy and the sound guy (usually the same guy) would "tech" our band by doing a shot of tequila and turning the power on. During tech week at the Queens Theatre, the most uttered words were, "Hold, please." And we kept holding and holding...

By the end of the day yesterday, we finally got to the end of the show incorporating lighting, flying, aerial, sound, and costumes (which were delivered WAY late and are STILL not done causing the cast and creative team immense stress). Through the whole thing, there have been script and music changes... and there will still be some last minute revisions tomorrow before we go on. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a developmental production of a brand new show. The point is to learn, to tweak, to examine, and to mold the show. In these 5 weeks, the show will be shifting and changing the whole time... I totally know this... but I gotta say, as an actor in the show, it's daunting to know that we have yet to have a real run-through on stage of the whole show straight through. As the creator, this concept is making my brains explode. I've been told by the cast that tomorrow when the curtains open, everything will just magically come together. Well, just so you know, I do believe in fairies! I do! I do!

So because I'm still sleep deprived and this is my day off with still 10,000 things to do before I rest my weary head on my pillow, I'm going to just spout out things that stood out for me this week.

Carrie Manolakos, who is our lead and plays the gifted comic book artist, Katie, just doodles hair on her palette when she's drawing in her scenes. No face. No body. Just hair. Maybe you will never see Carrie's own doodles by the time the show goes up, but I wish you could. They look like that scary girl from that horror flick, "The Ring."

My candy apple red pigtails wig is made out of a hard plaster and rubber... and is larger than life. Problem is, it's heavy and crushes my skull so I'm uncomfortable, verging on angry, at all times... and I can't fit through doorways. Nicolette Hart has nicknamed me "Sideways Sally" because I need to turn sideways in order get under the scaffolding to enter the stage. Sometimes I forget so whenever anyone hears a random CLUNK followed by "Goddamit!!!"... umm, yeah, it's me. Nicolette is "Squatty Sally." She needs to duck through entrances in order to navigate around with her massive pink beehive. The wigs are seriously oppressive to wear... but hysterical... and most definitely befitting rock and roll super heroines. Nothing is funnier than watching Nicolette do the worm with her gargantuan do... You'll see...

Our all-female band, perched on-stage on the third level of the scaffolding the entire show, is kicking major booty. Julie Mc Bride (keyboards), Sarah Vasil (drums) and Julia Adamy (bass) are super tight, dynamic, musical... and just generally badass. When you hear and see Britt Lighting wailing on her guitar, you will be blown away. Britt is already endorsed by Jackson guitars. The other day, I also hooked her up with my Gibson endorsement so now she sports a Black Beauty and rocks the Les Paul like no other. These ladies will be an inspiration to young girls... and even guys. They're THAT good.

Our sound design team, lead by Tony Award winner, Peter Fitzgerald, are the most supportive bunch of humans around. Peter happens to be one of the owners of Sound Associates, so our show is armed with nothing but the best sound equipment. Plus, we get whatever we need FAST. I was jammin' out a solo on my electric violin when I realized that my gear never sounded better. Then, I was told that the wireless unit that I'm playing through is about $5000 a piece. The one I normally tour with is about $250 bucks... and when I bought it, I thought I was being a big spender. WOOHOOO!! Just call me Fancypants! Special shout out to one of the sound crew guys, Harvey Neil who tells me regularly that he's never worked so hard in his life, yet he's never been happier... LOVE YOU, HARV! And nothing but huge love to the heartbeat of our team, Patty Grabb, our stage manager, Meg Friedman, our ASM, and Keith Truax, our production manager. We have a BIG show and THOUSANDS of light and sound cues. These guys are our central nervous system that makes the show run like butta. And yipppeeee for our amazing light design... Go Ryan O'Gara... and GO TEAM!

Molly Tynes is high in the air when she's singing and doing aerial tricks. She performs so effortlessly that there is no reason for me to feel breathless watching her... but I am. Carrie Manolakos can be "marking" her vocals for rehearsal... but she is so emotionally committed EVERY single time that you always feel for her character... and her vocals are ALWAYS awe-inspiring, even when she's marking. Danielle Lee Greaves has audience interaction moments that are SO funny, it's hard to watch her and keep a straight face as an actor onstage. Celina Carvajal is milking every line that comes out of her mouth so that I look forward to every time she speaks. Brian Gallagher brings a depth and authenticity to the male character in the play so that his relationship with his girlfriend feels very real. We all KNOW a guy like him, and some of us have dated that guy... many times. And when Nicolette Hart hammed up her solo number as SEVEN for The Chix 6 commercial yesterday, I was beaming from ear to ear. It was right then that it finally clicked in... "Hell yeah... we are totally gonna kick ass tomorrow... and I can't wait!"
Check out this video of Wendy Bobbitt Cavett directing some of the cast and creative team singing the final "bows" number of the show. And come see us! SOMETHING BIG IS HAPPENING! September 27 to October 30 at the Queens Theatre in the Park (http://queenstheatre.org)!!

More Articles by This Author...