BWW Blog: Christopher Vo of ON THE TOWN - First Preview Performance
By: Guest Blogger: Christopher Vo Sep. 24, 2014
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We had our first preview performance of On The Town this past Saturday!
That night, our fantastic director, John Rando, had a few words of wisdom for us: Stay on course, be humble, and know that this is a very special show -- one that audiences at The Lyric Theatre haven't seen in a long time. A recent edition of "Backstage" included a quote from John Rando that he also told us in person:
"This is a story about real people. Gabey meets Ivy. They fall in love. He goes off to serve, returns, marries her, has children. Those children have children. Those children have children, and that's you doing this show."
These words demonstrate the sense of care and reverence that John has for this wonderful musical. Through the artistry of John Rando, Josh Bergasse, James Moore, and the entire creative team, what manifested onstage during our first preview was pure, honest, solid musical theater.
For a handful of us, the first preview officially marked our Broadway debuts -- Josh Bergasse for choreography and Megan Fairchild Veyette, Chip Abbott, Cory Lingner, Eloise Kropp and myself as performers. It was thrilling to play to a Broadway audience for the first time! Minutes before our "places" call, a friend reported to me via text message that the Lyric Theatre was a mad house, filled to the brim with an eager audience craving some theatrical magic. Just before the show, Howard and Janet Kagan, our lead producers, came backstage to say a few words. The cast huddled in a circle around them, and Howard brought the Broadway babies into the center. I'll never forget that moment; it was such a gracious thing for him to do. After a round of applause from the rest of the cast, Howard and Janet gave us their blessings and then handed over the stage. Up went the curtain.
Pulsating energy and enthusiasm started to bounce around the theater -- both among the performers onstage and back and forth between the actors and the incredibly responsive audience. For those of you who don't know what happens during the "preview" period, it's the time when we fine-tune the show before the production ultimately becomes set in its final iteration. It's a critically important time for a show because we get to assess the response from our audiences as well as figure out the precise timing for costume and set changes, fix any technology related problems, and suss out any musical/sound issues that may arise. We've all heard the saying, "Throwing spaghetti against the wall to see if it sticks." If it sticks to the wall, it's ready to serve. If not, it needs more time on the stove. Much of our process leading to the October 16 opening night will be just like that, except we're not just checking the pasta. We're also perfecting the sauce, cheese and spices that make up the whole delicious dish. We'll try different ingredients and techniques until we have it just right! Many people like to watch a show both in previews and after the opening because they are interested in seeing how it evolved into the final product. So, come and see our show -- and then come back as many times as you can!
I've recently learned of a trend called "Saturday Intermission Pics" also known as #SIP, that was started three years ago by Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Max von Essen. One of the highlights of our initial preview performance was getting a shout-out from the cast of HOLIDAY INN at Goodspeed Musicals, which took a #SIP wishing us a Happy First Preview. In response, we took our very own first #SIP. The theater community is so cool! I can't wait to discover more of the fun little Broadway happenings and traditions.
ON THE TOWN
ON THE TOWN
ON THE TOWN
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