I apologize again for my absence the past few weeks. We’ve been stopping in new ports on our way down to Australia, so finding wifi hasn’t been my priority! Since my last post, I’ve gone back to Nagasaki, spent a lovely day in Hong Kong, took a tour in Saigon, rod elephants in Pattaya, went shopping and to a bar in Singapore, and fed crocodiles in Darwin! I’ve also been enjoying various parties and events on the ship. More details about all of these adventures will come soon!
Today, I wanted to give you a glimpse of one of my production shows. I have a few photographer friends who have taken some wonderful photos for us. Here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!
Sorry for my absence lately! I’ve been returning to the same ports every week, so I don’t have much new information to share. The nice thing about the repetitive route is that I can spend port days relaxing with a nice cup of coffee and Skype with friends and family back home. It’s been necessary for my sanity.
To reassure you that I am not gone forever, here are a few photos of my fabulous costumes. Enjoy!
Since we signed on, we’ve been in “install”, meaning we are installing the productions in the theater. Transferring the shows we learned in Florida to the stage is quite a process! Due to long tech rehearsals, performances, and trainings, we’ve been unable to exit the ship for over two weeks. Today our rehearsal director is signing off, officially marking the end of our install period. Trainings and rehearsals will continue, though with less intensity.
La Scala Theater on the Voyager of the Seas. My home theater!
The evening of the 19th we opened our second show, “Music in Pictures”. In terms of stamina, this show is much easier for me! I was less nervous than I was for the opening of the Broadway show, so I was able to really enjoy my time on the stage.
The “talls” and our leading lady
After the second show of the night, we celebrated the opening with a champagne toast and snacks. It was nice to be able to chat more with the band and production team. It turns out my Production Manager sometimes works with Texas Ballet Theater! We have a number of mutual friends/acquaintances in Fort Worth. What a small world!
Champagne toast
The following morning, we had to set the Welcome and Farewell numbers on the stage. Waking up was rather challenging, so I appreciated that the rehearsal wasn’t too long. In the afternoon, I completed my Safety Training. I learned how to properly jump into the water in case of an emergency, how to climb into a life raft from the water, and how to flip a life raft. After that, I was finally able to get off the ship!
Private tour of the bridge
Check back tomorrow for tales of my escapades in Incheon!
Time has flown by since I joined the ship last Friday! After signing on, we went straight into orientation. Various safety and policy trainings have been spread throughout the week, in addition to rehearsals, costume fittings, parade rehearsals, and practice safety drills.
En route to the ship
Days have started blending together in my mind, and my sleep patterns have been more than a little unusual. The only constants have been meal times, though today I was unable to even make it to lunch. We had our first full dress rehearsal of the Broadway show this afternoon, and have just one more run in costumes before we open the show! I’m struggling with some of the quick changes, so I hope I can move faster tomorrow.
The water has luckily been pretty smooth during rehearsals, but simply being on a ship while dancing has added a whole new challenge. There are also a lot of intricate costumes and large prop and set pieces in all of the productions, so they have dramatically escalated in difficulty. I was teased quite a bit during our parade tonight (first one!) because I looked somewhat panicked every time I left the parade route to change props. I spent most of the day essentially paralyzed by anxiety.
The ship has stopped in Tianjin and Jeju, but I’ve been unable to go on land because of rehearsals. I’m looking forward to getting off the ship and exploring soon! I’m especially excited to go to Jeju. From what I can see, it’s beautiful.
Home sweet home
I’ve made the most of the little free time I’ve had on the ship. I’ve met some people from other departments, went to a crew skate night, attended a “strum session” at the staff bar, and went to a beach themed crew party. I was also able to see the previous production cast perform our Movies show and watch the ice show! I’ll start helping with lights for the ice show soon, so it was nice to see what I’ll be dealing with.
This week has been a roller coaster. I’ve had emotional highs and lows, feeling joy, anger, and everything in between, but overall, I’m still optimistic. Once I get into the swing of things (and stop getting lost), I think I’ll have a great time.
The past few days have been a bit of a blur! Since finishing the Movies show on Tuesday, our schedule has been filled with review times and full runs of both productions. We also spent some time cleaning up the Welcome and Farewell numbers that we learned the very first day of rehearsals. My brain has been working hard, and my body has been working even harder!
Each day has had a special sprinkle of excitement, so I haven’t completely lost my mind. Wednesday evening, my cast had a luau at the apartments to celebrate a cast member’s birthday. It was awesome! She decorated the apartment, and we played “pin the flower on the hula dancer”, hula hooped, and ate… a lot. It was so nice to hang out with the full cast. It really is an amazing group of people!
Love my cast!
Thursday we ran the first half of the Movies show in the morning, and after notes and cleaning time, ran the entire show again in the afternoon. When we were done, we got to watch one of the other casts perform for their office run. They did another Broadway themed production. It was fun to cheer them on before they embark on their trip to the Caribbean!
Friday was a very long day! We had our “unofficial run” in the morning, during which we performed our Broadway show with lights and mics for members of the staff. It was a little unnerving to have an audience, especially for my Cell Block Tango monologue, but it went pretty well! We won’t run that show again until we are on the ship! In the afternoon, we ran the Movies show. It was our first run with lights, and just the second full run of the show!
Surprise guests before the afternoon run
At rehearsal on Saturday, we are running the Movies show twice through, and spending time working out any kinks. We have a day off on Sunday, and our last day in the studio (and our office run) will be Monday! I can’t believe how quickly this rehearsal period has gone by! I’m looking forward to all that is in store for us!
For your listening pleasure today, I’m going back to the 80s. Fun fact: this was randomly my high school class song.
A lot has happened in the past few days! I’ve been a busy bee, but have enjoyed flying around.
Cast Jackets
Friday, we had a special delivery. Our cast jackets arrived! We spent the morning learning a quirky, “rock and roll” style girl number, rehearsed our Cell Block Tango monologues on mic, and ran the Broadway show. We hadn’t rehearsed that show in almost a week, so the run was a bit under par. I have a lot of notes to apply and details to review before our next run!
Saturday I was able to sleep in before rehearsal. The morning was mostly review time, and in the afternoon we ran what we had learned of the Movies show. We had exciting guests in the audience: my family! They will not be able to come see me perform on-board, so I was thrilled that they were able to watch rehearsal and see what I’ve been up to. After rehearsal, I met back up with my family for dinner in Miami with an old friend of my dad’s. We had a lovely dinner outside in the Design District. Since my parents had woken up early to catch a flight, I parted ways with them just after dinner. I rejoined some of my cast mates for a Lipstick and Lashes party at the apartments. It was a great night!
Lipstick and Lashes
Waking up Sunday morning was a little challenging, but the rest of the day was pretty near perfect. I met the family at their hotel, and after a tasty brunch and about 4 cups of coffee, we hit the beach. It was wonderful to be able to catch up with everyone without the usual interruptions. As usual, we laughed a lot! I had to cut off my fun in the sun (or, more accurately, fun in the shade) to run home and deal with laundry and groceries.
Sisters on the beach!
I was picked up later for dinner with the family. We drove into Fort Lauderdale for a delicious meal at Market 17. I spent almost half the meal close to tears from laughing so hard. Our waiter got quite a kick out of us, and gave us some great recommendations. Saying goodbye to my parents after dinner was hard, but I hope to meet up with them in Asia!
The whole family
Luckily, I had one more day with my sisters! I only had rehearsals before lunch on Monday, so I was able to meet up with them relatively early. We wandered into Downtown Hollywood, and found a great little happy hour spot. Before stopping for dinner at a sushi restaurant, we strolled through the downtown area. I love my sisters’ husbands, but it was so nice to have the time and privacy for girl talk! My single girl stories kept them thoroughly entertained. After dinner, we grabbed ice cream and walked through the food trucks set up in Young Circle. I never knew Hollywood was so hopping on Monday night! Parting with them was rough, but I know we’ll be in touch. I’m so happy they were able to come spend time with me!
Sisters!
Tuesday was a long day! We learned the finale for the Movies show. It’s a Bollywood number, so there are a lot of details and unfamiliar hand positions. I love it though! It’s a fun way to end the show. It isn’t too technically difficult, but is still interesting. After learning the finale and bows, we ran the last 3 sections of the show, in order to become more accustomed to the transitions between each. I was worn out by the end of the day, so I was thrilled to partake in Take Out Tuesday and watch a movie with my cast. Mean Girls and Ramen? Yes.
The song below is one of my “happy songs”. I’ve been listening to it a lot because it always makes me smile! I first heard Lord Huron during an emotional time back in November, and was able to see them live at The Independent. They’re amazing! Since I’m gearing up to disappear for awhile, I like that this song is about searching for the girl that got away. I am that egotistical…
The next few days are going to be pretty intense. We have a lot of cleaning to do in rehearsals, and will be running the full shows frequently. Monday will be our last day in the studios, and then we’re off to Korea!
The past few days I’ve had an abnormally light rehearsal schedule. My free time has been filled with various activities, some more productive than others. I’ve rested and iced my ankle, but have also had fun going out with my cast mates. The more I get to know them, the more excited I am for the next 7 months!
My cast at office run #1
Before each cast signs onto the ship, they do an “office run”. They perform one of their shows for the production staff and the other casts currently in rehearsals. They can also invite local friends and family members to come watch. Two casts were leaving this weekend, so we finished rehearsals early on Thursday and Friday and got to watch our fellow performers do their thing! Thursday we watched the unofficial run of another Broadway show, and ended the day at the office run of a boogie show, set to music from the 70s. It was a fun, high energy performance. I’d love to learn it someday, but am not sure I have the stamina it requires! Friday we saw a show based on a few popular fairy tales. There wasn’t much dancing in it, but I loved it! The cast performing was really strong. It was so nice to see what everyone else has been up to!
Office Run #2
On Thursday, my cast finished learning our Broadway show. We did 2 runs of the full show on Friday. There will be some very quick costume changes when we put the show on stage, so I’m glad we’re running it a lot now to build up our stamina. I have a lot of notes to review from last week, but I feel good about what we accomplished in under 2 weeks! I’m working with a very talented group, and it will only get better from here.
Friday Night
Saturday, the other tall girl in my group and I were not called to rehearsal. We decided to make the most of our surprise day off, and went out Friday night with another cast to celebrate their upcoming departure. It was great to meet more performers from the company. Most of them are re-hires, and they had a lot of great stories to share, and tons of energy! Saturday I ran errands, did laundry, squeezed in a workout, and had home made chocolate chip cookies ready by the time my cast mates got home.
Chocolate chip cookies
Two members of the cast had birthdays on Saturday, so we all went out to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. We got really silly after dinner, and ended up taking over the restaurant, singing and dancing all around! Some of the waiters even joined in.
Such a fun group!
Sunday I was able to sleep in, went to the pool, and relaxed all afternoon while it poured outside. Hurricane season in Florida is tough to get used to! The weather changes in the blink of an eye. I joined some family friends for dinner, and went to bed early to get ready for rehearsals on Monday. I’m looking forward to another week and a fun new show!
Week #1 was pretty intense! In addition to 6 days of rehearsals, I had orientation, new hire training, and a rather invasive medical exam.
At the studio, things move quickly. We learn one or two pieces each day, and must be ready to run any number at any time. We’re already 3/4 of the way through the Broadway show! To keep the details straight, I’ve taken the advice of my old ballet mistress and have written everything down. When we take 5, I write out my spacing, then at night, after the information has had a chance to “marinate”, I write out the choreography one 8-count at a time. It’s a time consuming process, but it has been effective!
My cast, ready to rehearse
The style of movement is very different from what I’ve been doing the past few years. I haven’t shimmied so much (not intentionally at least) since jazz competitions in high school. I feel like my cast, composed almost entirely of re-hires, has a better grasp on the style than I do. Thus, my main focus this week will be to work on how I’m doing each piece, rather than just what I’m doing. It will be a challenge, but it will be fun. I love all the music we’re dancing to, so even when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I can’t help but smile.
This week I’ll also be working on my monologue for the Chicago section. I have to speak in Cell Block Tango! I’ve never spoken in a performance before, so I’m a bit nervous! More than anything, though, I’m excited. I’ve always wanted to be one of the Merry Murderesses. My coaching last week was to think “Stepford wife” or “Joan from Mad Men”. I laughed, since I’ve actually been both of those for Halloween in recent years. Apparently, I am this murderess. Watch out, boys…
Time for a treat
Sunday was my first day off since arriving in Florida, so I decided to treat myself! I grabbed bagels with a cast mate, splurged on a pedicure, baked cookies, and enjoyed a movie night with the gang. Silver Linings Playbook was as good as I’d hoped, though it was nothing like the book! It was a great way to wrap up the first week on the job, and get ready for more madness Monday morning.
waltzing on water 