BWW Blog: Tory Ross of KINKY BOOTS - Halloween Party Fun

Happy Thursday faithful blog readers! Hope you had a lovely Presidents' Day. Over at Kinky Boots... we've been refining the details, massaging our arches and belting crazy high notes (well, Ellyn Marie Marsh has because of Stephen Oremus' GENIUS arrangements) in anticipation of MOVING INTO THE HIRSCHFELD TOMORROW. I was having mild amounts of anxiety about what to write about yesterday because I don't want to give too much away before we get back into our Kinky Northampton factory and then my gaze was distracted by a silly dance in the corner of the room. Yeup... Annaleigh Ashford.

I'm obsessed with Annaleigh because she is hilarious and genuinely nice and BRILLIANT in the show and we lived together in Chicago for our 11-week-out-of-town-tryout in a fabulous two-bedroom high-rise apartment, where we co-hosted several fabulous gatherings, including our EPIC Halloween party. We would start our days with egg whites, spinach, wedding blogs (Annaleigh is getting married this summer!) and coffee. Ok, full disclosure... she would do the egg whites and I would typically do something full-fat like "eggs in the nest." This is why I will never be model-thin and Annaleigh is going to be featured on TV this season in Showtime's Masters of Sex. But I digress... Typically, we would end our days with Honey Boo Boo and Four Weddings marathons. Side-note: I bought the ingredients for 'sketti (spaghetti, ketchup and country crock) to make it and try it, but she wouldn't eat it, which I think it fair.

Here is the full interview I did with Annaleigh on a five-minute break:

Tory Ross: So um, what was it like living with me in Chicago?
Annaleigh Ashford: It was a hot, fabulous magic time. That's what it was.
TR: What was your favorite part of the day of living with me in Chicago?
AA: First of all, your cleanliness is astounding so I just want to point that out, number one. Number two: I loved waking up in the mornings and I would take my dog Gracie out and come back and we would have morning pow-wows.
TR: Tell me about your favorite wedding blog...
AA: Greenweddingshoes.com. It's the best wedding blog that ever happened.
TR: What would you like the fans to get you for your upcoming nuptials?
AA: What?! NOTHING!
TR: No seriously...
AA: Just love and warm wishes!
TR: How close is the character Lauren to your actual personage of Annaleigh Ashford?
AA: I feel like her spirit is the same as me, but I would never speak out so boldly to my employers.
TR: Tell me about the shoes you wear in the show.
AA: I start the show out in a sensible Nike wedge and I end the show in a Brian Atwood stiletto mini-bootie.
TR: Are they comfortable?
AA: Not at all. [copious amounts of laugher] But they look fierce.
TR: Tell me about the fabulous, bombastic Halloween party we threw together.
AA: The Halloween party we threw together was the best Halloween party that ever happened.. the best I've ever been to and multiple people there were like, this is the best party I've ever been to, hands down, party EVER, let alone Halloween party. Our decor was thrilling, the lighting was spectacular, the food was tasty and delicious and the fun level was not just a ten, but a twelve.
TR: Tell the peeps about Madame Zandra.
AA: Madame Zandra was the fortune teller from the Chicago area that came and told fortunes in my closet. We also, in my bathroom, had a photo booth with fake blood spatters and caution tape..
TR: and strobe lights!!
AA: and the party concluded with an awards ceremony where people won trophies.
TR: And what award did you win?
AA: Best Hostess.. as well as you. It was a big surprise.
TR: Yeah, 'cause we bought trophies for ourselves.
AA: Yes we did.
TR: Thank you Annaleigh.
AA: Thank you.

Trophies pre award ceremony at our EPIC Halloween party

Party Committee: Jake White (props), Chris Moeller (lighting), Andy Meeker (props), and us