Posts relating to school shows.
Posted by Linsey F. on January 17, 2012
School Shows
Ok, I know I made a bunch of wacky hyphenated comparisons in my last post about the rehearsal for Fridays Avondale show so I’ll do my best to keep them at a minimum here. However, Friday’s Avondale show was six-shades-of-awesome with a side-order of DUDE!!!
It was all about Balance. This Balance spread itself to and fro the snowy Thursday night of our final run-through. We circled up, broke out the real-life version of the power-up I joked about earlier and thoroughly laid out the 20-pieces into one giant brick of Wonderfulness. There was balance between the “Awwww” Moments and Severed Limbs. There was Balance between the Blood-Parties and the Blissful Calgon getaway. Yes, there was Balance unto the Ants with Sticky Fingers, the ungrateful Canines and some Children who enjoyed throwing themselves off of things. I actually have a real life connection to the latter. When I was 8 or 9 years old a pal of mine and I thought it’d be great fun to practice our “Flying Powers” by jumping out of his second story window onto the grass below. Off we went! Each time after landing we scampered back into the house through the kitchen, passing his father who was enjoying his coffee and the Saturday morning paper. It wasn’t until our third or so time around that he realized that either his life was suddenly skipping like a record or his son and his buddy where escaping the house by some unnatural means…and giggling past him in order to do whatever it is they’re doing again. Artie was half-way into his window preparing for another launch when his father burst into the room screaming. True story.
Anyway, back to the show; I’d never seen an auditorium of students sing “Start the Show” and watching patches of them showing off how they would Start It and throwing it right back at them was an unexpected joy. Did I mention the Zombies? Max Brooks has nuthin on the Zombie party what ripped through Avondale Elementary…all on Friday the 13th. Hm. See that? Did you see what I did there?
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention one certain Postal Worker with what has to be the most amazing delivery route on Earth, in History, and in Future. He’s part of American History now. Let Friday the 13th be known as “The Peppy Postman who Brandon Played Day”.
Posted by Linsey F. on January 12, 2012
School Shows
I can’t think of the last time I was as charged for a show as I am for tomorrow’s show at Avondale Elementary. Why? Because of the good-kind of hurt the rehearsal process has been. I’m talking Debbie-Allen-FAME kind of hurt. Let’s take that a step further; I’m talkin’ about Debbie-Allen-FAME-plus -Dragonball Z-training-to fight-Vageta kind of awesome let’s-DO-THIS pain!
I’ll let the image of Debbie Allen powering up to Super Saiyan level 900 settle…..
For starters, an actor like yours truly THRIVES on playing a variety of characters in a single show, so being a new Monkey is like having Santa as a best friend who’s constantly trying to prove his friendship by showering you with gifts at every turn. And that Debbie Allen analogy I made a few sentences ago? I didn’t pull that out of nowhere. As I’m writing this, my TOES are hurting in places I’ve never had them hurt before from the fantastically awesome full dance number Molly cooked up.
Yes, Molly is the Monster Clown Girl version of Debbie Allen and our director Lacy is the Walt Monkey Disney making it all happen.
Again, I’m not pulling these comparisons out of thin air! Lacy’s vision of living optical equipment alone blew my mind-grapes so far apart I’ve had to call a search party to retrieve them! Not to give any of it away but imagine a live-action version of Disney’s Fantasia and you’ll BEGIN to have a clue as to what’s in store for the kids at Avondale on Friday. We’re talking inanimate objects coming to life, woodland critters acting all people-like and more! Insanity? Well, YES! Insanity!! The very brand of Mad-Cap Insanity BOM does on the regs! Ya heard?
I’m clapping my hands and tapping my feet in anticipation of my first school show as a proper monkey and even though my Metatarsals hurt, I’m gonna do the feet-tappy thing a little more.
Posted by Elizabeth on January 11, 2012
School Shows
There are just those stories. Ones that you read and you immediately hear the soundtrack that belongs with them. Sometimes a similar soundtrack can fit in well with two dissimilar stories. Such is the case with a story from the Loyola Park show this fall about a man who turns people into zombies, and a story from the upcoming Avondale-Logandale show (that we are performing THIS Friday!) about a teacher who finds herself alone in her school and decides to really take it easy and enjoy.
Two separate casts. Two separate authors. Two separate stories. One universal voice.
Enya.
Somehow, two Monkey actors thought to themselves, “ You know whose music will really support the telling of this story?”
Enya.
Specifically, “Orinoco Flow.” Her classic. Many think it’s called “Sail Away,” but in fact, no, “Orinoco Flow.”
It works for teachers chill-axing in their classroom. It works for zombies.
Funnily enough, there are some zombie stories that appear in the Avondale-Logandale show as well. For one of those at least, “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid” is the song we thought most appropriate to go with that one. Naturally.
Thank you Avondale-Logandale (and Loyola Park) students, for inspiring us to find hits from the late 1980’s to go along with your wonderful, inventive stories.
Posted by Rachel on December 12, 2011
School Shows
Whoa. My last blog entry was for the last Chalmers show, and I also blogged for the one before that.
This is because I love Chalmers.
The last time I taught there, the children gave me candy and jewelry AND watermelon gum.
Chalmers is the school that gave us “Bad Car,” and “Kung Fu Guys,” “The Dance of Yousail,” “The Servant’s Skills,” and “Me and My Boyfriend Having a Nice Time Until the End.”
Chalmers is the school Jonathan and Eric chose for their Monkey swan song.
Chalmers is where a child asked Mikala, “You need a man?” and where another child said, “Kristie, you was raised by black people, weren’t you?”
We’ve been at Chalmers for most of the past decade. It’s a school where the oldest kids greet us like family because we’ve been there for ten years and taught their older brothers and sisters, who are now in college! When a Monkey says the word, “Chalmers,” she says it with respect.
And that’s why it’s so, so, so cool to be doing a Chalmers show with FIVE newly cast Monkeys. New Monkey Brenda can be seen here getting hazed by Joe.
New amazing stories will take their place in the Chalmers canon. New things will be said. New memories will be made.
One of these memories will be of an evil cat lady. Yes!
Posted by Bradford on November 4, 2011
School Shows
Ah yes. The first school show of the year went down this morning, and in my humble opinion, twas a mass success. Being the genius I am, I forgot my camera to capture some fantastic moments; but never the less there were a bunch of them that made me say to myself, “Ah man that was cool.” Like:
** Hearing the Pledge of Allegiance: led by a little boy named Rodney, who also wrote this amazing story titled, “The Day I Was Walking Around”
** When Govier was hiding from Laura in, “The Fish That Found Friends”, and the kids in the front row started saying… ‘He’s over there!” “Over There!!”
** Everyone in the auditorium joining in for “Rap Music”, and “My Guitar Fun”
But as always, the coolest moment of them all was giving mad props to the authors at the end of the show. When all the classes stood up and took a bow for all of the great stories they wrote over the six week residency, that was too, too cool. Well done guys!!!!
Welp, that’s it for now my friends. Have a great Friday, enjoy the rest of your weekend and as always…. Keep The Peace!!!
