Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Musical Bloopers

Landon went on stage the other night in Millie, without his black wig on...for his Chinese boy part, he also tripped and fell down on stage and he went to lift a girl out of a laundry cart and didn't clear it, and hit her knees instead....he didn't have a great show... funny show, but not great.

It's amazing what can happen during a live theatrical production.. I think that's why I like theatre so much, it's fluid, ever changing, never the same show twice no matter how much you rehearse. Stuff happens.

It would be great if I had a blooper film to show for all of my on stage mishaps. I have had quite a few.
Let's reminisce.

SHOW: Snow White
Part: Wicked Queen/hag-apple seller
I was the hag, celebrating the fact that Snow White had eaten the poisoned apple. I cackled and turned to run off the stage and ran right into the house set piece ..wham!. Instead of a seriously creepy- sad part -"poor Snow White. "..... It was totally laughable. I hit the wall hard and fell back and almost had to crawl off the stage.

SHOW:Somethings Afoot
Part: Lady Manly Prowe
This is a murder mystery spoof where, while trying to solve a murder, everyone dies.
I was a buxom, big hipped woman in a padded costume. I didn't know where my body stopped and started. There is a "seduction" scene, where I start up on the 2nd story and walk down onto the stage as I sing to the Colonel. I tripped on my dress, my hip hit the break away railing on the upper balcony . I was hooked on to that railing and began swinging out over the stage about 10 feet up. I was screaming....trying not to, but what else could I do? It was crazy. The Colonel was stunned. I was shocked. I wanted to yell, "stop the show... crazy lady is injured up here..." But I didn't. I flung myself back onto the stage....hitting the back wall, all the while trying to keep my composure and go back into my seduction phase. It was memorable.

SHOW: King and I
Part: Anna
I was dancing the famous polka scene...."Shall We Dance....ba, dum, dum, dum." I had a gigantic hoop skirt on . It was so big and bell like that I had to have straps tied around my legs to keep it from floating up. During the dance, these same straps came untied. I slipped and tripped and landed right on my bu t t, with my legs and underwear flashing the audience. The King was shocked. He looked down at me and said, "Why, Mrs. Anna..." I was mortified, but struggled to my feet and kept on going.

SHOW: Student Prince
Part: Chorus girl
This was my first College show. I was trying to make a good first impression and totally succeeded by having my skirt fall to the floor while singing a drinking song. I was just standing there in my nylons-- I quickly reacted and grabbed the skirt and ran off stage, but not quick enough.

As I get older not as many bloopers happen, or I don't dwell on them as much...I just think oh well. Between being on stage and child birth, It's really hard for me to be embarrassed.

When I was on stage on another Millie night, I started singing my New York song-- I have a spotlight on my head. ...the set piece out of the corner of my eye starts to fall down....I reach my hand out to stop it and try one handed to set it up right-- I'm kind of successful after 3 tries.... I just keep singing. Then, as I walked across the stage singing, the spotlight in my eyes, I walked right into this pouffe at the center of the stage.. bump.... I just stopped walking and kept singing, and kind of laughed to myself.
Atleast I didn't fall off the edge of the stage and into someone in the first row's lap.... that's my real fear. Now that would be embarrassing!

2 comments:

Melanie said...

I think you have shown your underwear in public more than anyone I have ever heard of! I love your new blog title.

Aussiemuminthekitchen said...

Oh man what a laugh. Great post. I haven't seen any of these shows so was relying soley on your description but it worked. Haven't laughed that hard in a while. You sure like to show your knickers don't you? LOL.