NYMF's Three Sides: Caroline's Blog #2

Three Sides – UK to USA
Blog Entry #2, "Shopping and Thinking"
By Caroline Sheen

Actress Caroline Sheen, of the New York Musical Theatre Festival Musical show "Three Sides," continues a four-part series of blog entries about her experiences with the new UK-born musical.

New York, city that never sleeps, the Big Apple – so good they nicknamed it twice. We leave for it in a matter of days! And during one of our rehearsals this week it actually hit me, my stomach lurched, my fingers went all tingly, and the realization dawned on me that we actually have to do this! It's quite exciting – it feels like we're going on a school trip. There have been pictures of us in publicity info on several Broadway websites and the nerves are beginning to appear.
 
Let me tell you a bit about our cast. There's me, lovely and pretty with a permanent halo above my head (of course). Then we have JP [Jon-Paul] who is a good northern boy, always ready with a gag to cheer us up when things – or I – seem a bit bleak. I have worked with him lots before and he is a great person to have in company. 

Mark McGee is far more sensible than JP or I, and I don't suppose he has much chance to get a word in edgeways with our motormouths. He has us in hysterics with his keenness on the occasional breakdance, usually breaking pieces of set and furniture at the same time.

Our director, Clive Paget, is the head of musical theatre at our great National Theatre, and what he doesn't know about musicals isn't worth knowing. Our resident director, who is taking us to New York while Clive staff directs Caroline, or Change at the National, is Tim Godwin, who has recently finished a run in Les Mis. He also runs his own theatre workshop company called Thrift. And our stage manager – the lovely Debs – I think is in prop hell at the moment, trying to decide what is viable to get on the plane and what we might have to scour Manhattan for once we get there (any tips on where to buy some poker chips would be much appreciated).
 
Our designer Morgan took us all out shopping this week. On his days off, JP works as a personal shopper/stylist at a very trendy shop on Oxford Street called Miss Selfridge. He has dressed Victoria Beckham and even more exciting, Nikki from "Big Brother!" Morgan and I went in there and I basically tried on everything in the shop, but we got the full treatment in the VIP room, with a sofa and a fully stocked fridge. About three hours later, we were done. Shopping for clothes is so tiring! I was truly exhausted – lots of fun though! 
 
We had our new scenes to work on this week. Toby is a genius. It's quite hard to keep a straight face with his writing, it'll take some practice. We haven't done some of the songs for about three weeks now, so I am trying to remember how we staged them. Is it bad that I have absolutely no idea?
 
Big shows opening in London this next few weeks, Wicked, Spamalot, Caroline or Change, Dirty Dancing … but the place to be is New York, 45th Street Theatre, Three Sides - if I remember what we are meant to be doing. Hmmmmm…
 
Oh, and if you're interested, there is an extended clip of the movie Flyboys online at www.flyboysthemovie.com. Mike, my boyfriend, is the one singing at the top of his voice whilst shooting the crap out of the enemy!  It opens Sept 22 in U.S. Very excited!

Caroline Sheen (Carrie) was born and raised in South Wales. She trained at the prestigious Guildford School of Acting and graduated with a first class honors degree. Her West End credits include Jennifer in The Witches of Eastwick, Florinda in Into the Woods, Eponine in Les Misérables, Sandy in Grease, and Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She has worked at The National Theatre twice in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Once in a Lifetime. She created the role of Gestetna in Toby Davies and Grant Olding's Spittin' Distance at the Stephen Joseph Theatre. She is delighted to be performing in the NYMF. Keep supporting new writing!

Visit www.nymf.org for tickets or more information.