Rockaway Theatre Update: Good News for the Theater, I'm Not a Musical Comedy Star -Yet

Well, since my last report (How to Make a Fool Out of Yourself: I Do It the Company Way at Rockaway Theatre Production of “How to Succeed…) last weekend we made it through the first 3 performances of the Rockaway Theatre Company production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" in pretty good shape. I managed to deliver my 4 lines through the play and show up in the spots I was supposed to show up in and did not fall down while trying to dance in the numbers Coffee Break, A Secretary is Not a Toy and Brotherhood of Man.

Tickets still available. But no wickets.

In the days before the opening, things began to shape up  during the 2 the dress rehearsals last Weds and Thurs. The show is long with a first act that needed tightening. The key was the number of set changes needed - the actors do the changes so there is a lot of curtain closing as we move sets in and out of the 2 side doors of the theater. Backstage is wild with the very large cast doing costume changes, the gals doing hair and makeup, as people run in and out for their time onstage and for the set changes. Getting the timing down on all this takes a long time and people who are new to the RTC had some doubts at one point but were pleasantly surprised.

I shot video of both Saturday performances but due to the rules I cannot make them public. However, a section of the show can be made available. Here are the 2 tap dance performances the gals do from both shows to the tune of "Cinderella Darling".

https://vimeo.com/89258541



RTC H2 tap from Rockaway Theatre Company.

And here is an interview I did with John Panepento, the great young actor/singer/dancer who plays the lead.
(https://vimeo.com/89264613)




And some stills -

The Amazing Paris Originals