On our very first day of rehearsal producer Sonia Friedman said, without a trace of expression on her face, "We are British, so we don't get excited about anything... but we are quite excited about this, aren't we?" She let out a faint chuckle and looked to Menier Chocolate Factory's David Babani for a nod. It struck me then that, with the exception of Mama Fierstein's signature squawk coming from the back of the room, everyone who addressed the jam-packed room was a Brit. I guess it shouldn't have come as a surprise, as this IS a transfer of the production that began at London's Menier Chocolate Factory in 2008 and continued on to a successful two year-run on the West End!
Little by little, I began to notice how the rehearsal room differed from that of past productions, thanks to these imports from across the pond at the helm. Caffeine addicts like myself were quick to notice that, unlike any other green room, there isn't a brewing pot of coffee to be found.... but there's no shortage of boiling water and boxes of tea bags abound. It's steadily sipped by everyone behind the table.
Of course, some differences more directly impact the production. Few American artistic teams strike such a fine balance between considering every moment thoroughly, and still respecting the actors and their choices (Tina Landau and Kim Weild of Wig Out! being a HUGE exception!) In the recent past, I have been blocked into a show by character name or... if you can believe it... tracking number! "Number 17 enter from the third wing and walk downstage to number 12! " There is no mention of tracking numbers here and even though the show is a transfer, it's far from being 'frozen'... your ideas are welcome and encouraged! Director Terry Johnson has such faith in us that it can actually be a little unsettling! Kelsey Grammer and I have a little bit that happens in the middle of my aria, and we looked to him to solidify what that business would be. He smiled and said, "I don't want to tell you... let's let it breath for a few days. I would like to have it be your own, and if it doesn't tighten up, I'll step in." Sure enough, it did tighten up and it did so organically.
Everyone in the room approaches the work like an actor. If you ask orchestrator Jason Carr about vocal dynamics for a phrase, he won't answer "sforzando with a crescendo to fortissimo," he'll say, "the intention behind this verse is to draw them in, and give it away very, very slowly. Think of this song as a series of small orgasms, and then we have somewhere for it to go." Choreographer Lynne Page is also less concerned with jaw-dropping tricks than storytelling. When given eight solo counts in the opening, my fellow Cagelles and I dished out 180 degree développé, layouts, and the like. Lynne vetoed these choices and said something to the effect of, "What does that say about your character? Let's get to the legs later. INTRODUCE yourself!" There's an overall emphasis on BEING rather than DOING.
At the close of last week, we pulled chairs into a circle that was haphazardly filled with set pieces, and were asked to play every written scene in the show with no regard for an audience. "Play nothing for laughs. Everything for truth. Trust that the laughs are there for you." Terry wanted to capture the intimacy of how these people live offstage, and said, "Never let the showbiz of a number infect the PLAY." Sotto voce lines have been added here and there, so only a few audience members may hear what we say, and therefore, feel that they are being made privy to a private conversation between characters. It's refreshing to approach a musical in this way... finally!
Gradually we are all educating each other during this process. The Brits are slightly in awe of Actors Equity, and how many hoops they have to jump through to approve something like, say... having an old Hollywood roller skating moment in the finale!! We've also chimed in to tweak ad-libs from London that have now been incorporated into the script. "Will 'are you looking at my BUM' read here?"
