Backstage Tour
Well, I finally got to do the backstage tour part of my prize thingy. It was short, but cool. I got to see the 'gondolas' where they keep the costumes. Apparently because of some union thing, the actors/dancers aren't allowed to dress themselves, or basically touch the costumes, so there's people who strip them down and dress them back up. I mean, I knew there were people to do that, but I didn't realize they weren't allowed to do it themselves. The costumes looked old, like antiques, and I'm not entirely sure if that was from design, or from wear, but it was kinda cool. Added to the ambiance and all.
Then we actually got to go out on the stage, which is really a raised platform above the actual theater stage so that the candles and motors and pyrotechnics and stuff can be housed under the stage. They have two stages and two chandeliers, so right now, they have one installed here, and they're installing one at their next venue, in Providence. There's always one in, and one going in, I guess, to save setup time. Saw all the little doors that the candles pop out of. The set stuff was back there too, the elephant from Hannibal.. the mannequins from Masquerade, the leafy cross from the graveyard, the boat/bed, got to see it all.
We went up to the dressing rooms, and went into the company dressing room, where everyone's got a table/station, and there's a barre in the middle of the room for the ballerinas to warm up on. Apparently they warm up for an hour before the show and wear wool arm and leg warmers to keep their muscles warm so they don't hurt themselves.
Learned a little about the housing when they move into an area for the tour (apparently their usual minimum engagement time is four weeks). They have to pick two places for the company to 'endorse', and neither one can be more than 1/4 mile from the theater location, and if they can't find two that are 'acceptable' within that radius, they have to have an 'official' one and an 'unofficial' one, and provide rental cars for everyone. Course, everyone's free to make their own arrangements if they want. Some people stay with host families, some group together and rent houses... the thing that makes it tricky is they need places that'll house pets because apparently a LOT of people have dogs and cats they travel with.
We saw the wig room, where there were actually people working on the wigs. Didn't learn much I didn't already know, I mean, I've read up on this and all. (The wig lady had her little tiny dog with her, it was cute.) I did, however, see John Cudia's wigs and Gary Mauers wigs up close. Nothing special wig-wise, but... squeee, I was SO close to their wigs!
Didn't see any of the dressing rooms for the principles because they're private, but we walked by them.
And... that was it, the end of the tour, but it was still pretty cool, I mean, I was THERE and all. They say they'll probably be back in four years or so. Cool. (If I'm still even living here...)
Oh man... I wanna be in the tour SO BAD now. I just wish someone would believe I could do it... if not now, at least when I've got all my .. crap taken care of.
Then we actually got to go out on the stage, which is really a raised platform above the actual theater stage so that the candles and motors and pyrotechnics and stuff can be housed under the stage. They have two stages and two chandeliers, so right now, they have one installed here, and they're installing one at their next venue, in Providence. There's always one in, and one going in, I guess, to save setup time. Saw all the little doors that the candles pop out of. The set stuff was back there too, the elephant from Hannibal.. the mannequins from Masquerade, the leafy cross from the graveyard, the boat/bed, got to see it all.
We went up to the dressing rooms, and went into the company dressing room, where everyone's got a table/station, and there's a barre in the middle of the room for the ballerinas to warm up on. Apparently they warm up for an hour before the show and wear wool arm and leg warmers to keep their muscles warm so they don't hurt themselves.
Learned a little about the housing when they move into an area for the tour (apparently their usual minimum engagement time is four weeks). They have to pick two places for the company to 'endorse', and neither one can be more than 1/4 mile from the theater location, and if they can't find two that are 'acceptable' within that radius, they have to have an 'official' one and an 'unofficial' one, and provide rental cars for everyone. Course, everyone's free to make their own arrangements if they want. Some people stay with host families, some group together and rent houses... the thing that makes it tricky is they need places that'll house pets because apparently a LOT of people have dogs and cats they travel with.
We saw the wig room, where there were actually people working on the wigs. Didn't learn much I didn't already know, I mean, I've read up on this and all. (The wig lady had her little tiny dog with her, it was cute.) I did, however, see John Cudia's wigs and Gary Mauers wigs up close. Nothing special wig-wise, but... squeee, I was SO close to their wigs!
Didn't see any of the dressing rooms for the principles because they're private, but we walked by them.
And... that was it, the end of the tour, but it was still pretty cool, I mean, I was THERE and all. They say they'll probably be back in four years or so. Cool. (If I'm still even living here...)
Oh man... I wanna be in the tour SO BAD now. I just wish someone would believe I could do it... if not now, at least when I've got all my .. crap taken care of.