Hi, my name's Abi, and I'm

[debetesse]

an amateur theatre snob.

I am the axiom that a little knowledge is dangerous.

I can tell you that the same reason I like the stage version of Little Shop is the same reason I hate Damn Yankees

I can point out that "Somewhere that's green" sounds an awful lot like "Part of your world" for a reason

I can go on about how the fact that both the leads were singing outside of their range probably means they were cast by the director with little or no input from the musical director, if he's worth his salt.

I can hold forth on actors who sing, singers who act, and the rare creatures who are both.

I notice the lighting system.

I can bitch, at length, about the use of body mics in relatively small HS auditoriums. At length. This bitch will include references to High School Musical (It's auditions, dammit)

I can explain that the difficulty of staging songs is to keep them visually interesting while the actor is singing. another. verse.

I can talk about the importance of respecting walls, even if they're imaginary.

I glare at the follow-spot op when they fuck up.

I can make jokes about white teenagers' near-universal lack of rhythm and never ever moving their hips.

I can explain why white should be used or worn sparingly or never, and always consciously.

And even after I do several (but not all. I have that much courtesy) of these, I can still say that, for a HS show, it wasn't bad at all.

It's funny: I'll help move stupid sets and latex on stupid mics and fit stupid costumes. But I'll still be disappointed when people can't do things at least as well as I can (my own personal standard of competence)

It also means that when I go see a show, I can almost never turn off my backstage brain and just enjoy it.

On a semi-related note, I'm auditioning for Much Ado tomorrow. Wish me fluency.

Comments

[mearagrrl.livejournal.com]

Hee. Given that I was singing musicals tonight and agree with and understand all your comments except perhaps in relation to High School Musical? yeahhhhhhh....

[debetesse.livejournal.com]

High school musical is largely about auditioning for the musical at the high school. During the audition numbers, the characters are wearing headset mics. If they were miced for performance, I could somewhat understand, but being miced for auditions is just ridiculous.

Glad to know it's not just me.

[golden-aurelia.livejournal.com]

"I notice the lighting system."

Hey, me too!

"I can explain why white should be used or worn sparingly or never, and always consciously."

With the caveat that white will always be preferable to clothing that is too close to skin tone. No Beige! Please!

Break a leg on your audition.

[debetesse.livejournal.com]

They had no catwalks. It was a pretty new theatre, and they've got to either climb ladders or scaffolding to hang lights out in the house. Seems silly.

Hmmm...I think I disagree, for chorus members. For leads, yeah.

Thanks. I should hear by Wednesday. I didn't suck, but I also didn't get to see the other women read.