Wednesday, 31 August 2005

It's the show that never was.

As you may know, I'm the Production Director for our local Theatre group. And we've been experiencing alot of problems over the last year.

The theatre in town has been undergoing massive renovations for the past year. It was supposed to have been completed by Spring. Of course, as with all construction, that didn't happen. This meant finding new venues for all of our shows last season except for one.

Our final show of the season...our musical. Our musicals are rather large with a cast of around 40. With sets and the type of choreography we do, there's no way we could hold the musical in any location in town.

So, being the executive, we decided to hold off until the fall. We rescheduled the show for the last two weeks of October. The theatre was scheduled to have its grand opening in September so this was a reasonable choice. Or so we thought.

On Monday, we held our final executive meeting for the year before we have our Annual General Meeting for all the members. It was discovered that the theatre isn't finished. The seats are currently in customs in China. Which means that by the time they get here and get installed, we're looking into 2006. A decision was then made to hold off the show until May 2006.

Due to other commitments, I had already decided not to run for the executive committee this year. I  have too many other things that are occupying my time.  Now I have to gracefully bow out of the show as well.  It was a tough decision, but one that I think is in my best interest.

I've decided to try theatre in the city. I'll be getting more experience and exposure. Which is important if you want to get your name out there.

I wished them the best of luck with the production and thanked them for everything they've done for me. It was great to be part of the local community theatre.

B.

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Updated: Sunday, 14 June 2015 4:39 PM MDT

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Thursday, 11 August 2005

I love learning new stuff!
So, last night I went to my first rapier lesson. Wow! What a blast!

I wasn't able to make it last week. Which was okay because it was tavern night (a night just to sit and drink). So I made it last night.

I didn't realize how much work it is to hold up a 3 lbs. sword. Especially for more than 5 minutes.

And I have no idea what I'm doing. But, I caught on fairly well. I managed to hold my own against the more advanced students.

But now I have a lot of work to do. I have to work on my footwork and practice some of the moves. We were learning the Capo Ferro style of fighting last night (prima, seconda, tersa, quattro) and footwork.

Well, gotta get back to work. Once I learn more, I'll include it. In the meantime, I have alot of reading and studying to do.

B.

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Saturday, 30 July 2005

Country Vocal Spotlight and Everything Else

This has been a really good week for me. Not only did I get to be a featured performer in the made for tv movie I was in (The Christmas Blessing), but I made it through to the semi-finals of the Country Vocal Spotlight! It's been a good week. Really busy, but good.

We've had the World Masters Games in town since last week. Everyone's had a great time. Especially the Australians. I was talking to one couple who were staying in the same hotel as alot of other Aussies. Apparently they drank the hotel dry!

Well, another busy week ahead. I can't make the audition in Calgary I was supposed to go for. It was for a lead role in an independent film, but it was on a deferred pay basis. The distance and pay thing was okay, but I'm trying to get the house fixed so we can sell it. On top of that, my schedule has been pretty booked.  I'm also still wrapping up lose ends for the Drama Society.

I let the Executive Selection Committee know that I won't be running again and will give up my position as Production Director. I just don't have the time anymore.

Anyway, got to go. I really feel as if I'm making some sort of headway with everything lately. Take a look at the website if you haven't recently. I'm adding more information and should have new photos up soon. I still have to get some recordings done and add them in as well. See ya!

B.

Posted by brookside10 at 11:49 PM MDT | Post Comment | Permalink
Updated: Sunday, 14 June 2015 4:43 PM MDT

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Wednesday, 27 July 2005

Shouldn't an instructor...what's the word...instruct?
You know, I have instructed classes before. And it really is work. Not everyone can do it. You have to make the material interesting and easy to learn. It also has to be fun. And the person attending the course has to come out of it with a sense of accomplishment. They don't have to be a master at whatever it is, just feel comfortable in their new-found knowledge.

As you've guessed, I'm not overly happy with some of my so-called "new-found knowledge".

I have started riding lessons. All I've ever done in the past are western, but I decided that I should really learn how to ride. So, I signed up for a lesson.

The place that I decided to go was a place that my brother has taken lessons at before. So I wasn't expecting anything too terrible. My brother went there for years so it must be alright. Not so.

First of all, I like someone to start off with the basics. I'm a blank slate regardless of any knowledge I may or may not possess. And I like someone to point out my EXACT faults. Like, "What the hell was that?! Do it this way and not that way, because...(fill in the blank)." I like to know exactly what I'm doing wrong, why, how, where, and when. And then I need to know exactly what to do to fix it.

When I learn something, I don't learn it half way. It's all in. Don't give me some smart ass answer that doesn't answer my question. And don't patronize me with platitudes about my abilities.

Example. The horse keeps pulling his head down. What do I do to correct this and what am I doing wrong? Answer. Learn to ride better.

Question. How do I know if the saddle is on right? Answer. When you don't slip off.

That's it?! That's the best answer you can come up with?! Well that was worth my time, wasn't it?!

Hence I will be finding a new riding stable to take lessons at.

B.

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Saturday, 23 July 2005

Things are really getting busy

Before I say anything else, I just want to pass on the message that I've been updating my website. There's more pictures and some new information. Thanks to everyone who's come by recently. The counter really hasn't been working, but when I sign in it shows that I've been getting about 2500 hits per month!

Seems that the more spare time I have, the more I find things to fill in to that time.

I had a small part in an independent film and was an extra in a made for TV movie. This weekend I'm going to a casting call for The Assassination of Jesse James (the Brad Pitt film). So that's exciting.

I'm taking piano lessons and vocal coaching again. And I've just hired a personal trainer, so I'll be doing that 3 times a week. On top of that, I'll be taking rapier (sword fighting) lessons once a week. I do, however, have my weekends to myself. For now at least. But I'm singing in a competition next Saturday.

I plan on taking a few horseback riding lessons again, but I don't know when I'll be able to fit that in. I've been working on getting all of our shows booked for the upcoming dinner theatre production. Which should be really good, but I'm finding it difficult to get everything done that I need.

I decided that with all of my personal commitments that I just can't be the Production Director any more. Which makes alot of sense.

In September, we begin rehearsals once again for Oklahoma. Our show is now in October. Once that's done I can audition for the shows in Edmonton. It'll mean more exposure and press.

I'm still trying to get ahold of a friend of mine. He said that his friend is that stage manager at the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton. So things are beginning to progress.

One of my agents introduced me to a music producer while I was on the set the other day, so I'm going to try to get some demos together. I just need to find someone good to do it for me.

So many things.

B.

Posted by brookside10 at 9:29 PM MDT | Post Comment | View Comments (2) | Permalink
Updated: Sunday, 14 June 2015 4:47 PM MDT

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Thursday, 7 July 2005

A sombre entry
Last night we held a gathering (memorial service) for one of my co-workers. He passed away on June 30. Suicide.

Suicide is always tragic. And very often, you never have any answers. You're always left wondering, "What if?" What if I had been able to read the signs? What if I had been able to get this person some help? Was there anything that I could have done? And it ends up that all you have in the end are what ifs and speculation.

We can take guesses and speculate all we want, but in the end it comes right down a few things. We can never know what kind of pain the person was in. It will never make any sense. And, if the person was committed to taking their won life, there was probably nothing that anyone could have done.

It was difficult for me last night. The last several days have seemed very surreal to me. But last night it finally hit me. He was gone.

I was glad that we could do something for the family and give everyone at least some closure to an event that was so tragic. I will always remember him and the loss that we all feel will diminish with time until we only remember all of the good things that he contributed to this world.

My step-brother committed suicide when he was just 18 years old. Not something that anyone expected. He had friends, many girlfriends, money. He was planning on going back to school. But I guess something was lacking inside of him. We will never know what that was or why. He didn't even leave a note.

Death is always difficult for those of us who go on. But it's even more so when someone is taken tragically. All we can do is help one another and remember. As long as we remember, they're never truly gone.

B.

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Wednesday, 29 June 2005

I must have been out of my mind!

The other night, one of my fellow female co-workers begged me to go with her to one of those speed dating things. I really didn't want to go. However, she wanted to and said she wouldn't go without me. She even offered to pay for me to go. Well, free food and a night out. Why not? What's the worst that could happen, right?

I'm sure that these men are nice in their own way. And I met a few guys I could hang out with, but there was just no connection.

A couple of them told me that they had tried to get into acting. I felt kind of bad for one guy.  I really thought his "agent" had just conned him out of his money for some course they provided him with.  The other guy did nothing but complain about actors and acting. In his opinion, everyone in L.A. is either gay or a transvestite.

The rest of them were alright.

The pub was really nice, however. I'll have to go back there. Really great Irish pub. Good food and ambience.

I guess I had fun. But then again I could have fun at an insurance convention.

B.

Posted by brookside10 at 11:21 AM MDT | Post Comment | View Comments (1) | Permalink
Updated: Sunday, 14 June 2015 4:57 PM MDT

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Sunday, 19 June 2005

This show will go down in history!
It's been a VERY busy season for me. Became a prodution director for the drama society. Directed my first play. Producer for 3 shows. Choreographer, costumer, actor, singer, dancer, producer. Rehearing for the musical and the variety show. It's going to be nice to have a break for a while.

We had our final show last night. And it will definitely go down in history for many reasons. I've performed in some really "interesting" venues, but last night had to top the cake.

The main theatre in town has been undergoing renovations since last year. When it was discovered that it wouldn't be ready in time for our musical, we decided to postpone the show until fall and put together a variety show. And this year also marks the Centennial of Alberta becoming a province in Canada.

While putting together the show, we were approached by another theatre group who was putting together acts for a centennial celebration. They were willing to pay us for our time and we thought, "Why not?" We were already working on a show and thought it would be easy to just transfer our show to that venue.

We had been told that it would be an "outside" venue. We would be performing in a tent with a stage. And, of course, it didn't sound that bad. However, the weather here has been really wet lately. Wet and cold.

We all agreed to meet at the play house at 6:30 to go over material and get set up.

I received an e-mail the night before asking for more material. They'd discovered that we were to perform not for 2 hours, but for 4. So, I called and offered to sing a few more songs if necessary. An offer that was very much appreciated considering that we weren't sure if we had enough acts to last the 4 hours.

The day comes and it's been raining all day. Not really hard, but a constant drizzle. But, it's still okay right? We're going to be inside.

We arrive to discover that the tent is about 1/4 the size we thought it would be. They'd put together 4 tents that were 8' x 12'. And there was no change room. The ground was soaking wet. The stage was 4 feet off the ground. Which meant that our heads almost touched the top of the tent. And there were metal poles and guide wires crossing the stage. Oh my GOD!

At that point, costuming went out the window. It was cold and raining. And none of us were going to be traipsing around in the mud in our dresses and good clothes. Aside from the fact that they wanted us to come up from the audience. An audience that turned out to be about 19 people.

Well, we did the show any way. It was really good. We had to really watch our dance movements. Otherwise you'd fall off the stage or clothesline yourself on a wire. We took a few extra breaks here and there and managed to stretch things out 3 hours with a few extra acts. I did 2 extra songs, Crazy (Patsy Cline) and Don't Know Why? (Norah Jones). And they went over very well.

After all was said and done, it was a lot of fun. My jeans were soaked from the bottoms up about 1 foot and my boots were drenched and covered in mud. And I believe that I have caught a bit of a cold.

It was fun, but I'm glad it's over nonetheless. It's definitely an experience I'll never forget! And wouldn't you know, today the sun is out!

Have a great week!
B.

Posted by brookside10 at 11:24 AM MDT | Post Comment | Permalink
Updated: Sunday, 19 June 2005 11:30 AM MDT

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Tuesday, 14 June 2005

It was a blast!

The show went over REALLY well! We had a lot of fun. And I have a couple of fans now (hee, hee)!

I managed to finally get my dress finished the night before...around midnight! But, it worked out. We have one more show this Saturday and then we're done for the season.

It was nice to have a venue in which to try a few different things. I was in 5 numbers (Cell Block Tango, Whistle Down the Wind, Oklahoma!, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, and All That Jazz). One was a solo (Diamonds). Nothing like having several men following you all over the stage!

One of the women in my theatre group teaches vocal lessons, so I've decided to work with her for a while to get my range and control back and to improve. Over the years, we all develop bad habits and once in a while we just need a tune up. However, I've never really had much in the way of formalized training. So, I decided that the best way to combat any future problems is to study opera. Once you can do the classics, you can do anything.

I've been trying to record something on my computer at home so that I can put a sound link on the website, but I'm going to have to get it done professionally. Unfortunately, it means doing a cover song because I don't have music written for the lyrics that I have. I don't know what's involved copyright-wise, so I'll have to check into it first.

I've had the opportunity to get up on a big stage in the last couple of months. I know the tech guys at the conference centre downtown fairly well. Every now and again, when I want to test out my stuff on a big system, they let me come down and do a "sound check". It's kind of like my own private concert. The first time I was singing "Bring Me To Life" and had an audience of building staff and construction workers. Was kind of cool!

Anyway, there are some auditions coming up this summer for a theatre group in Edmonton that I'm going to try out for. It'll mean more exposure as they get alot of media coverage in the newspaper, on the radio and on television. And being as my agent says there really isn't anything here right now, I have to start to build some more experience if I even think of attempting to go anywhere else.

My agent's alright, but her clientelle consists mostly of background performers.  I'll need to work my way toward an agent who deals with principle performers.

Well, got to run. I'll try to share the rest later.

Take care.

B.

Posted by brookside10 at 1:18 PM MDT | Post Comment | Permalink
Updated: Sunday, 14 June 2015 5:01 PM MDT

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Thursday, 9 June 2005

Tonight's the night!

Well, show time once again. And this time it would seem that more attention has gone into our last minute variety show than our musical. It's a nice change from the norm because musicals only highlight a few people. And this gives everyone a chance to stand out.

It's a great idea because community theatre is volunteer...everyone gets a chance to be in the spotlight. However, I've been pretty exhausted getting ready for this show. Between working double shifts at work, rehearsals, and trying to get my costumes ready it's been an 18 hour a day thing for me.

One of my numbers is a Marilyn impersonation. I decided to actually make the dress for it, considering that I've done this routine before but with a different dress. But only having a month (and very little time during that month) to do anything made it almost impossible to finish. As it is I have to go home and fix a few things before the show tonight. I'll have about an hour to do what I need to do if I can get my make up done on the way home. Nice to know that my brother can chauffeur me around!

And it's always nice to have a few people in the crowd. Some people who work with me found out what I do in my spare time and are coming to the show. This is a side of me that they rarely see. They don't see the artsy, crazy, feminine side of me.

I'm not too sure what to thing about my current agent. I don't think they've been sending out my bio and photo to casting directors.  In the last year I've been on 1 audition for a principle role and have been sent for 2 extra roles. I'm still waiting to hear back on the audition, as they haven't made any decisions yet. But from what my agent said, I auditioned very well.

I'd like to start auditioning for theatre roles in Edmonton.  There's a really good theatre in Edmonton called the Walterdale Theatre. They get alot of exposure and it would be a great experience.  Always something to look at for next year.

Well, need to go. I've been doing nothing but singing scales all week so that my voice stays limber. I'm really nervous, but also very excited! Can't wait until show time!

B

Posted by brookside10 at 9:52 AM MDT | Post Comment | View Comments (2) | Permalink
Updated: Sunday, 14 June 2015 5:09 PM MDT

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