Memo From the RTC: Celebrate
20 Years of Rockaway Theatre Company at Rockaway Café
By Norm Scott
On Sunday I was at rehearsal for the Rockaway Theatre
Company’s upcoming extravaganza from noon to four to practice the staging for
each of the almost 20 songs and dances and when I left they were just getting
started on the vocals for another couple of hours. And that came after special
rehearsals for some of us on Saturday from 3:30- 6PM.
Oy! Ya think this ain’t work for even lowly people like me
who will be on stage for a very short time? And I don’t sing. Or act. Or dance
– well, they have me trying to do some steps while attempting to hide behind
others. So come watch me trying to find someone I can duck behind.
Luckily for those of you who come to see the show, I’m on
and off pretty quickly so your eyes can feast on the breathtaking dancing and
the scrumptious pack of dancers whose gorgeous moves on stage match their physical
beauty. I don’t mind looking at beautiful women standing still but when the
stage is flooded with so many moving in synchronized perfection, my eyes can’t
decide where to look first. (It seems there are way more female top level
dancers than males though RTC has a few). The answer is to see the show
multiple times and choose a different dancer to watch each time.
I’ve never seen better dancing on our stage. It is not always
easy to find top-level trained dancers in community theater. After two decades,
the RTC has been attracting people who could be on the professional level. Just
this past Sunday I found out that one of our favorite actor/singer/dancers was
this close to making a major breakthrough
on the professional level but life got in the way.
No matter how great the dancers are, they are not doing free style and great choreographers are just as important. Next week we’ll list them all.
No matter how great the dancers are, they are not doing free style and great choreographers are just as important. Next week we’ll list them all.
I haven’t even been to a rehearsal yet where I could hear
the vocals so, though, I am sure they are spectacular since the RTC has always
overflowed with singing talent. I won’t report on them until next week.
Performances are Nov. 3, 4, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 at 8PM and
Nov. 5, 12, 19 at 2 PM. Tickets are $20, $15 for seniors. Call RTC Hotline:
718-374-6400 or www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org.
Warning: There is a scary time in the show where I join some
people in the aisle and we sing along while at some point trying to get an
audience member to dance with us.
If you see me near you, duck.
Norm is always ducking from the incoming at his other
column, School Scope and at his blog at ednotesonline.com.
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