I have been informed by one of my avid blog readers that it is high time for a blog update…so here we go.
Next to Normal is now in Rochester, Ny at the GEVA theatre. We opened January 12th and will run through Feb 10th. So far our time up here has been amazing. Remounting the show proved to be such a unique experience. It is not often that you have the chance to take a break from a show and then come back to the same show with the same cast to remount on a different stage. The GEVA Theatre Center is a gorgeous space! While it is smaller than the Alliance space, it lends itself to an intimacy that works really well with the content of the show.
I also had the great pleasure of having my family travel up to visit for opening night at GEVA. It was a wonderful evening with not only my parents and brother, but my grandparents! In addition to my family coming to visit, my friends Margo and Sonya came to visit. (And one more friend to come.)
While I’ve been up here, I’ve had two opportunities to participate in marketing events. I had two radio interviews on January 9th (early in the morning) with fellow actor Cary Tedder. I had never been on a radio program before, so I was grateful that Cary at least seemed to know what he was doing. In addition to just recording the radio program, Cary and I were also asked to do an interpretive reading of “Goodnight Moon” which you can find HERE.
The following week Jordan, Googie, and I went to the Central Library of Rochester for a panel discussion. It was an interesting mixture of people who had already seen the show and those who had not. Therefore there was a little bit of negotiating on how to answer certain questions so as not to give away any surprises.
In closing, I must go on record to say that I personally have been FASCINATED by the snow that actually stays on the ground for more than a handful of hours. I have had great joy sledding and frolicking about in the flurries and will probably continue to do so during the rest of my stay.
A few weeks since my last past, time for a little catch up…
THE SHOW:
Little Women at Fabrefaction Theatre has opened:
The ladies in the picture above have truly been such a blessing. It has been a unique experience discovering what it means to be “sisters.” Last night was the first show of our third weekend so if you haven’t had a chance to come out to the show yet, you still have the rest of this weekend and next to venture with the March sisters. The theatre now has discounted tickets for $15! So be sure to grab yours today. www.fabrefaction.org
THE FUNNY:
I realized late one evening as I was lugging my 2 bags and pillow into Margo’s (a DEAR friend of mine and temp roommate) that my coming and going every weekend from an apartment must be a spectacle. Especially since I always get in late, and leave early in the morning. What will the neighbors think of a young woman always lugging her pillow to and from the complex???
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THE ADVENTURE:
Picture this: It’s 10:30. I’ve arrived at Atlantic Station Regal Theatres for my daddy/daughter date to the midnight showing of The Hobbit (a movie I have been waiting for since “Return of the King” credits rolled). I meet up with my dad. I’ve got my Hobbit t-shirt, my cell pic of the billboard, my 3D glasses, and complementary posters commemorating my IMAX 3D experience of the movie. We locate two seats together on the edge, maybe not the ideal seats you want, but no big deal since at least our necks won’t be craning back and aching by the end of the movie. 12:01 rolls around and I put on my glasses, only to discover one of the lenses on the glasses are broken. Thinking it’s a smudge I try and clean it. I notice my dad doing the same thing. I notice every patron in the audience doing the same thing. It’s not the glasses at all. One of the projectors is broken. We hear the announcement that they are going to reboot it to try and fix it. 20 MINUTES LATER. We are all still sitting there. They have rebooted the projector maybe 3x at this point, but still no luck. My dad and I are chuckling- because this is such a typical “Ricketson evening” and there’s just no sense in getting angry. Really, all I care about is venturing into Middle Earth with Bilbo. I don’t care about the 3D, just start the 2D movie and I think I will manage. All of the other LOTR series were in 2D right? I mean, I only splurged cause I wanted the IMAX screen. I’m not even a huge fan of 3D.
We receive another announcement they will reboot one more time- then BAM! The fire alarm goes off. The lights start flashing and making noise, and I burst into laughter. No one in the theatre makes a break for the doors. We’re all just sitting there thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I see a young woman come back in and announce to her group of friends that one of the popcorn machines caught on FIRE! The sprinklers cut on and now there are firemen in the lobby. It’s getting close to 12:45AM now. People are getting up and leaving. Demanding their money back etc. I glance at my dad who is standing leaning against the theatre wall grinning, and we share a laugh. He shakes his head and says, “We’ll wait it out.” Another guy from the theatre comes in and announces what’s happened and says they are going to reboot the WHOLE theatre and start in a few minutes. It’s now nearing 1AM…
A large group in the middle of our row gets up and leaves. My dad and I look at our seating companions (new-found friends from our epic experience) and ask if they want to all move toward the middle. So we all get up and move to the middle of the theatre. Just as we get settled the main guy announces they are starting the movie regardless of whether it’s 2D or 3D, they would have refunds for all of us after the movie and they were still working to get the 3D working so if the screen went blurry that meant it was working. (We’ve all given up on the 3D at this point dude, you should too…just give us Bilbo and we can be friends again.)
The movie starts…the crowd erupts…the 3D is WORKING. I am finally launched into the magical world of Middle Earth and life is good. I won’t even bother to go into detail about the stranger that had us all clap in rhythm while he danced for us, the hobbits that trekked up and down the stairs next to me, or the fact that the parking garage ticket machine was broken. All that mattered is that my dad and I had one of the best daddy/daughter dates until 4:20AM in the morning.
No one told me that seeing The Hobbit was going to be a *cough* ‘Unexpected Journey….’
Alrighty, if you’re here for the pictures I have them all posted in a slideshow at the bottom of the page. So many of my friends and family were able to come see me in Next to Normal, and I am overwhelmed by their love and support.
I’ve reflected on these past months of Next to Normal and have come up with a list of “Firsts” and “Favorites” to summarize my experience in the show.
Next to Normal was the FIRST time I:
had my own dressing room
had green hair (even if they were clip-ins)
smoked “pot” (or count chocula) out of an apple
shot the bird at my “parents”
had an 8 and 9 show week
earned stars for picking up props on set
pretended to play piano on stage (and sounded really good! Thanks Boko!)
walked through a moving door
rode a trap on a toilet
gave an interview
FAVORITENext to Normal moments:
that time whole cast (including understudies) sang the finale together
that time I ran headfirst into my bedroom door
that time Jayson made Jordan and me “break” during “You don’t know”
that time I threw the lighter off the 2nd story
that time Jayson and I played air guitar (every. night.)
that time Liz and I danced off stage left (during Wish I Were Here)
that time the pit crew was all wearing mustaches
that time Cary hugged me on the landing when mom and dad were fighting
that time the porcelain clown on my shelf was eating a lollipop
that time Jordan’s glasses went flying over my head
when Diana flung bologna in the opening scene
when Cary (Gabe) tried to interact with us in “Gonna Be Good”
when Googie (Dr. Fine) said “Triangle”
when Catherine (Diana) and I had our dance break backstage
when Catherine (Diana) grabs me in “Maybe”
when I see Jordan (Henry) in “Hey 3″
when Bob (Dan) and I hug in “Finale/Light”
when the cast gathered again in a circle closing night for a toast
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I am so overwhelmed to have roughly 85+ people who came to see me in Next to Normal, and well over a hundred if you include the people who also share friendships with Jordan and Googie. Thank you all SO MUCH for you love, encouragement, and support of this show. It has been a great chapter of my life here in Atlanta, and I look forward to its continuing in Rochester, NY come 2013!
People like not only to be loved but also to be told they are loved; the realm of silence is large enough beyond the grave. -George Eliot
THIS WEEK, Next to Normal had its 11am student matinee (in which the talented Mary Nye Bennett performed the role of Diana). At the talkback following the show I was asked the question, “What have you taken personally from this show?” Wow. Talk about a loaded question. When I look at the score and script of Next to Normal and the conflicts that Natalie faces as a character, I think the overarching lesson that always leaps out at me is the idea that you can speak life or death into another person.
There is a LOT of opposition in this world- and I’m not just talking about critics per say. A grumpy person you run into on the street, a small spat with a dear friend, an offhand “teasing remark” that may hit closer to home than you realize. I’m sure there are people out there that are deliberately trying to “hurt” one another, but I don’t think that’s the case most of the time. Often I think it’s the little things that are said or left unsaid that leave lasting marks on people’s hearts and souls. For Natalie, it is being noticed or rather being told that someone is “proud of who she is.” It boils down to that moment where you feel like someone truly “sees” who you are!
Words are life or death. We can wield them however we choose. And as the quote says above, I don’t want it to be too little too late to share the love I have inside of me with those who are around me. Why wait to leave flowers at someone’s grave when you can give them a bouquet of tender words today?
Lyndsay Ricketson and Bob Gaynor in the Alliance Theatre production of Next to Normal. Oct. 17 – Nov. 11, 2012. Photo by Greg Mooney.
5 shows left!!! Pictures from this past weekend to come next week!
So many of you have come and shown your love for me by filling a seat in the audience, sending me an encouraging text, or leaving a love-filled post on my wall. I only hope that I continue to love all of you as well as you love me!
Opening night has come and gone and now we enter into November! Wait. When did this happen? I can’t believe how much activity a single week can hold. It’s been a unique time of celebration for all that we’ve accomplished in this show, but the work doesn’t end here. Each show continues to grow and breathe as each of us make new discoveries.
It was our first 8-show week and man was I feeling it Monday… (Who knew emoting could sap so much energy and be so physically demanding.) I am fortunate though, in that I was able to take the majority of the day to just rest and eat. Monday evening however, the entire cast had the opportunity to sing at an event at the Selig’s house. Cary and I sang “Superboy and the Invisible Girl,” Bob sang “I’ve Been,” Catherine sang “I Miss the Mountains,” and the whole cast (including understudies) sang “Finale: Light.” It was the first time we had ALL performed together, and I just have to ask… can’t the Goodman family have a bunch of random neighbors that come and visit at the end of the show??? It was certainly powerful.
In other news, my next project( Little Women: the Musical at Fabrefaction) has begun rehearsals and I am really excited about working with such a great group of performers. I will be playing the role of Beth – and it will be a nice change of pace and temperament from Natalie! I can finally take a break from the teen angst for a while. It will also be the first time I am performing a show during the holiday season.
Next to Normal has been blessed to get such positive feedback from the media/press. You can see some of the reviews below:
As per usual I will close with a slideshow of the people who have come to celebrate this show with me. Much love to all of you and hope to still see many more of your faces in the days to come!
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Margo
SHOUT OUT to Margo Moskowitz perhaps my most dedicated reader- and temporary roommate. This blog was written from the comfort of her apartment.
Without her I don’t think I would survive these long weeks! Love you dearly.
Sometimes I am left speechless by the people I have in my life. This past week of Next to Normal previews has left me so completely overwhelmed with love and support that I hardly know where to begin. There is no way for me to begin to express my gratitude to the people who have already come to the show and the ones that are coming. You all fill my life with light!
Group of students from Oglethorpe University!
Really quickly (since I skipped a week) – tech week was long but well worth all the hours put into it. The technical team at the Alliance are at the top of their game and have worked their butts off for this show. I am still floored by all the team has accomplished.
Preview week was a very new experience for me because not only did we still have rehearsal during the day, but then we performed a show at night! Talk about running a marathon. However, my cast mates are amazing!!! Probably some of the most important things that kept me going were the love, trust, and support of the people with which I share the stage. I am thrilled to be moving toward opening this Wednesday when we can celebrate all of our hard work!
On a side note: I did want to post pics of all my friends that showed up for the first week of previews. (Unfortunately some of them I didn’t get pics with *tears* and that is because I am scatter brained. :/ )
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People who should be included in pics above but were not: Lauren, Alisha, Alana, Ray (and his lovely wife), Joel, Laura Lee, Chris, Andy (and his wife!), Davin, Jeffrey, Drew, Daniel, and Angela. I love you all and am so blessed to have you in my life!
Finally, one of the most unique experiences so far was the chance to chat (along with fellow cast mate Googie Uterhardt) with a group of students from Oglethorpe University after the Sunday night preview. Those guys were awesome!
Looking forward to an amazing week. Hope to see many of you more there! Much love.
The breath before the dive. This Monday is the calm before the storm (figuratively of course.) Next to Normal had our first full run-through of the show on Friday, and then another one on Saturday. I have to say both runs were very informative. The first one helped just to know what in the WORLD we were doing, following our blocking tracks, changing shoes, mania…. However, the run-through on Saturday for me was such a learning experience. For the first time I was able to trust my blocking and immerse myself in the world. I think everyone in the cast made huge discoveries that day and found so much color and depth within each of our scenes. It was truly an encouraging experience before we jump into tech this week.
AHHH Tech! I personally LOVE tech rehearsals. I know they’re long. I know you stand around a lot. I know it’s hurry up and wait. But man, if I don’t just love the opportunity to get to sit and marinate on a scene for a little while as people work so hard around me to make it look awesome. I have a real respect and admiration for the people in theatre that are responsible for the technical aspects because they make my job a WHOLE lot easier! So while tech weekend does seem a bit daunting, I think it’s going to be an incredible experience.
The BIG excitement of the week though is the sitzprobe on Thursday. “Sitzprobe (German) is a term used in opera and musical theatre to describe a seated rehearsal – which is the literal translation of Sitzprobe – where the singers sing with the orchestra, focusing attention on integrating the two groups. It is often the first rehearsal where the orchestra and singers rehearse together. The equivalent Italian term is prova all’italiana.” (Thank you Wikipedia ) When working in musical theatre, you are not always guaranteed a sitzprobe, so it’s going to be an incredible opportunity!
Some other shows that I’d like to make shout outs about are:
The Devil Tree (The Collective Project)
Apples and Oranges (Alliance- Hertz Stage)
Robin Hood (Aurora)
There are more I’m sure, and if I’ve missed yours LET ME KNOW. I’m trying to make all of them that I can juggle between my own rehearsal schedule. Woot! Speaking of shows…you should come see me in Next to Normal! And if you’re making plans to come, let me know so I can hug you after the show (or just wave at you- for my friends that don’t like hugs )
Below is a pic from the N2N potluck this past Saturday. Our cast can cook- I’m just sayin…
Until the other side of tech weekend…
~Lyndsay~
~Song of the Day~ (Been listening to the Piano Guys a lot recently- highly recommend them!)
The following week Jordan, Googie, and I went to the Central Library of Rochester for a panel discussion. It was an interesting mixture of people who had already seen the show and those who had not. Therefore there was a little bit of negotiating on how to answer certain questions so as not to give away any surprises.
In closing, I must go on record to say that I personally have been FASCINATED by the snow that actually stays on the ground for more than a handful of hours. I have had great joy sledding and frolicking about in the flurries and will probably continue to do so during the rest of my stay.
It was certainly powerful.
) When working in musical theatre, you are not always guaranteed a sitzprobe, so it’s going to be an incredible opportunity!
)
