Here we go again. My fifth year on tour with the show Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical. It's great to be back on the road with some great friends. This year's rehearsal process has been rather unorthodox...and has made things extra interesting.
I was in a show in Phoenix that ran from October 9-November 10. Rehearsals for Rudolph began October 20. I was able to be in California for the first 2.5 days of rehearsal with my tour cast (there are 2 casts), but had to return to Phoenix for two more weeks of shows. I was able to be in California for 2 days of technical rehearsal...but it wasn't with my tour cast. I wasn't able to do the tech rehearsals with my cast because I had to be in Phoenix those days. Consequently, I didn't perform the show with my cast until our first show in Madison. Opening show. Everyone is very professional and there was no problem at all with the cast or crew. That doesn't mean it was a perfect show, though.
Not to spoil the magic, but as Santa, I wear eyebrows made of cotton balls. I cut a cotton ball in half and put some double-sided tape on it and stick it above my actual eyebrows.
Our first show was at 2pm. I had all my props ready, I had my costumes ready; I felt ready. I wasn't nervous at all. And didn't need to be. I love what I do in this show--and I'm comfortable in the setting.
Sad to say, but my cotton ball eyebrows weren't feeling the same confidence.
I have ONE line at the beginning of the show. I enter the stage with Mrs. Claus and she tells me that I need to eat--because, of course, the children expect a fat Santa! My one line is "I'm busy Mama, it's almost Christmas!" That's it. I typically cross upstage and off. But no sooner had I started my line when my right eyebrow fell right off and to the floor in a rush. I still crossed upstage and off--but I did it without showing my whole face.
I rushed offstage and talked to the person who helps me with my bald cap, etc. She sprinted downstairs to get more cotton balls. However, I had to make another entrance rather quickly. So I just took my left cotton ball off and made my entrance without any eyebrows. No idea how scary that must have looked.
When I had more time, I was able to put another cotton ball on my face before my big song. While singing, I could tell they were wanting to fall off again.
KEEP IN MIND--this has NEVER happened before.
I was able to casually press my fingers against both sides a few times, and averted another disaster.
That was a mere dress rehearsal to what happened toward the very end of the show.
After I am finished with my scenes in Act 1, I return to my dressing room; typically to sit in front of a fan and cool off. I did so this time, and once again, put new cotton balls on my head. This time I used an alcohol swab to clean my skin (there was some makeup on that spot on my head because it blends with my bald cap--and it's certain that was the cause of the lack of tape sticking) and reattach some eyebrows.
They stayed perfectly in place for all of Act 2...until I am about to announce to the entire group that Christmas is going to be cancelled. I was right at the front of the stage with Mrs. Claus looking over the weather report. We're both sad Christmas will have to be postponed--this is, after all, what we LIVE FOR--and my line is "Oh, the poor kids--they've been so good this year, too. I'll have to tell everyone that it's all off this year." Then I would cross upstage and get everyone's attention (all the reindeer and elves who are bustling to get my sleigh ready with all the presents, etc.).
That was not to be, however. Not in this show.
Just as I said "Oh, the poor kids--they've been so good this year" my right eyebrow fell off. Remember, I'm RIGHT at the front of the stage, center stage. It's probable the majority of the audience is looking at me. Big cotton ball just falls to the floor. The audience of nearly 2,000 people most likely saw it happen. I know it happened (again). My brain said, "Yeah, say it." So I did.
I said "I'll have to tell everyone it's all off... ...like my eyebrows."
Several of us joked that Santa must have alopecia.
Every actor in the show (with the exception of 2 who would enter moments later) is on stage at that moment, just behind me on the stage. Because of the way the audio works in the theater, they didn't all hear what I'd said. They just recognized audience laughter in a place where it hasn't heretofore existed.
On my cross upstage to announce the cancellation of Christmas, I grabbed my other eyebrow off and just held it in my hand. No use going through it with just one eyebrow.
From there, I put on my red Santa hat, and that certainly took some sting out of my weird appearance. Then it was time to bow. I did, and we all had a nice laugh about it later. And later after that, more laughter. And then some more.
In some shows, it's totally acceptable to ad-lib lines that aren't in the script -- but not in this show. Typically, the only times it would be acceptable to ad-lib in a show like this would be when a cue is late or an actor is late or something like that; but that's different than what I did. On tour a few years ago, an actor was late bringing out the weather report, and Mrs. Claus is desperately trying to get me to eat this plate of cookies she's prepared. I found myself ad-libbing the line "Oh, I don't like coconut". Are the cookies coconut? No. They're not even cookies. It's a prop. A plate with fake cookies that look more like mini-pies than anything else. But that's what I said to cover that moment. Totally acceptable. Plus, it was in character.
With the eyebrow debacle, I felt I had to acknowledge what had happened. To ignore it would just be weird.
So, anyway, that happened.
Did anything else out of the ordinary occur? What do you think?
That was the 2pm show. We had another show at 7pm that night.
I'm happy to tell you that the eyebrow problem was solved and not repeated.
But I'm sorry to report that my brain has clearly broken.
I'm working on finding out exactly how many performances I've done--but like I said, it's close to 200.
What happened in the second show has also NEVER happened.
Within the first 10 minutes of the show, we meet baby Rudolph, and like in the movie, Santa comes to meet the new addition to the Donner family. And, like in the movie, Santa uses as a prop a long set of Jingle Bells. In case you didn't know, the song is called "Jingle, Jingle, Jingle".
I came on stage, said all my lines, including the fun "Great bouncing icebergs!" and "Every year I shine up my Jingle Bells for 8 lucky reindeer" and the song began. At this point, I have no idea anything is wrong. My first line is "Jingle, Jingle, Jingle, you will hear my sleigh bells ring"...and as I do a little dance to shake the jingle bells...there is no jingle. "I am old Kris Kringle, I'm the king of jingle-ing"...but there is no jingle. I have no jingle. I reach behind me to my sleeve and there isn't anything in there. Because I didn't put them in there. Like I have done 200 times before!
I'm not alone on stage! There are two adults dressed as Reindeer with a puppet baby Rudolph, and they are watching me realize that I don't have the prop that I'm supposed to be pulling out of my sleeve as a surprise for Rudolph.
Without (too much) hesitation, I simply cross past the Reindeer, still singing my song, and then head upstage a bit to have easier access to where I've left the bells backstage. The spotlight operator is doing an excellent job following me, even though I've suddenly changed the blocking, and I quickly bounce off stage to grab the bells and jump right back on stage holding them--as if this was the plan all along--and proceed to hang them on Rudolph's neck like I'm supposed to. From there, everything was fine. I didn't panic, nor did anyone else. But it did confuse a lot of people, and I'll never forgive myself for such a mistake. I wasn't distracted backstage, there really is no excuse for it.
Well, maybe it's all the cheese curds I ate.
Anyway...
Here's a few shots of the theater.
Overture Center for the Arts--
It's a more modern place; but nice.
Madison is the capital of Wisconsin; and one of the four state capital cities named for US Presidents. Can you name the others???
Madison Capitol Building--
The dome is truly gorgeous. Large like a normal Capitol building, but it's tricky. There's actually a balcony at the very top. The mural in the center is 6 feet higher than the gold ring that you see. No one is allowed up there anymore, it's not stable, not that I'd want to go anyway. But neat.
See a badger anywhere? They are EVERYWHERE in the Capitol. Our tour guide, upon my asking him how many badgers there were in the building, replied "Over 100."
These gorgeous murals are on the 4 wings of the capitol building--
See all the W's (Wayne and Waneta?) :) ? On the ceiling of the dome/rotunda, on the ceiling, in ironwork, on flags, etc.
Various other photos from the rooms in the Capitol--
Our group (from L to R -- me, Sharon [Rudolph], Taylor [female swing], Candice [Mrs. Claus], Ryan [Bumble], Jamie [Mrs. Donner/Dolly], Ben [Coach Comet/Yukon Cornelius], Drew [Boss Elf], and Paul [Donner])--
I'm currently sitting in my hotel room in Burlington, Vermont. It's only 31 degrees out right now (feels like 24 according to Google). Tomorrow has a 50% chance of snow -- which will compliment the five or so inches that are already on the ground (from a storm that happened before we arrived).
We're loving the snow. Eighteen of us traveled to the nearby Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream factory in Waterbury, VT. Were you curious, yes, the best time to visit an ice cream factory is when the ground is covered in snow and it's 30 degrees outside. It was a delightful trip, actually.
I'll write more later!
