“I love acting. It is so much more real than life.” - Oscar Wilde
by Jill Knetter on July 29th, 2008 • One Comment »
Sweeney Todd rehearsals have been in full swing for a little over a week now. As you could probably gather from my past posts, rehearsal for whatever show I’m in is my favorite place to be. I get to see old friends and do something I love. Perks specific to this show include quoting Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! with Andy, sassing Erik (who really is awesome, for the record), hanging out with Michelle and Mary (my fellow Beadle’s Bitches) and having Eric Brandt as my stage husband. As it was pointed out to me, that’s a little creepy considering that he’s old enough to be my dad…but this show is really creepy, so it kind of works. Overall, I am having a lot of fun with this show and all of it’s creepy wonder and complicated music.
Now I will tell you something I’m NOT enjoying about this show. You see, about half of the cast is composed of high schoolers. This would be fine, and as a former WCT high schooler myself I certainly advocate it, but it’s only ok when you have high schoolers who know how to behave at rehearsal. Now to be fair, we do have some. The Edgar kids are generally alright, although this time around they seem to think that writing down their blocking is somehow beneath them. And there are some of my favorites from Wausau like Steve and Lucas. But rehearsal starts to seem less fun when Larry and Erik have to spend a large amount of time telling the kids to be quiet. Honestly, every time we stop singing (and sometimes while we still are) or end a scene apparently that is cue for everyone to stop paying attention. Prime example: last night we learned a very short minuet for a flashback-type part of the show. Then we were shown a certain step to use to circle the stage. We tried it once, and then everyone started talking again. The choreographers changed the step and showed it to us and we tried again. Eric and I, along with about 3 couples next to us did the new step. The rest of them hadn’t been paying any attention at all and just repeated what we were told not to do.
I am generally a patient person. I give people a million and one chances before I will finally say something. As an actress in this show, crowd control is not my job. But I feel like it is the hugest disrespect to Larry, Erik, and Jeff and Missy that these kids simply will not listen. If you are asked to be quiet once during a rehearsal, that should be the only time it happens all night. In a cast that actually cares, that should be the only time in a week or maybe even ever. But no, at least five or six times a night I hear “Everybody be quiet!” “When we end a song you should not be talking!” “Please don’t talk when other people are singing!” “Did you guys get that? No, you were talking!”. Anyone who knows me knows that if I think you’re talking too much, that’s bad. I talk more than anybody I know.
It just gets old, that’s all I’m saying.
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by Jill Knetter on July 22nd, 2008 • 2 Comments »
Last night I attended my first actual Sweeney Todd rehearsal. It was full cast and we ran music for the show. In all the time I’ve spent listening to various versions of the soundtrack I never realized how complicated some of the songs were. The casts always made it sound so easy and wonderful. Not that the music is bad - on the contrary, it’s quite amazing - but it’s difficult. I think, though, so long as everybody works hard, it’ll all come together and we’ll have a wonderful show.
In addition to numbers involving the chorus, we went through a lot of the solos and duets as well. I said it last night and I’ll say it again - Andy Laub never ceases to impress me with how talented he is. I mean, I’ve always known that he was good, but he just keeps on demonstrating how wonderful he really is. Mike (whose last name I will not attempt because I know better than to think I could spell it), who plays Judge Turpin, was fantastic last night. Maybe timing isn’t completely his thing yet, but we could not have asked for a more enthusiastic performer.
This is the first time I’ve ever worked with Erik Olsen. He’s the musical director and he’s great. He knows his stuff, he’s organized, and he’s got a great sense of humor. Another winning quality is that he good-naturedly takes all of my smart-ass remarks and believe me, there are many. Actually last night he rescued my bag of Cheetos from that piece of crap snack machine they have at WCT, so I owed him a sass-free rehearsal. It lasted a whole 10 minutes.
Really though, I’m already in love with this show and with the rehearsals for it. I can’t wait to go back tonight and try to work through the music and get to know more of my castmates. Then tomorrow we start blocking, which is always fun.
It’s going to be a good 8 weeks.
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by Jill Knetter on July 19th, 2008 • No Comments »
Before I say anything substantial, I owe you a Song of the Week™. Here it is - “A Favor House Atlantic” by Coheed and Cambria.
We’ve reached the end of another wonderful show. I couldn’t possibly put eloquently how I felt about this experience, or at least not more eloquently than I’ve already done in previous posts. It was wonderful and amazing and everything it should have been (well except for a few minor things that I’m choosing to put behind me). Now on to the next…
Yesterday was just as crazy as I thought it would be, but even so, I managed to keep my head on straight and enjoy myself. The wedding went off without a hitch. LJ (a friend who came over from Green Bay for the wedding and the show) and I made excellent time in getting to Tango’s. We also passed a cute guy on 29 who checked me out, so that kind of made my day. The show went beautifully, we had a great audience, and everyone did a fantastic job. I only wish I could have stayed through curtain call. The reception from the wedding was awesome. My stepbrother brought a whole ton of glow sticks so I wore them all night and danced like crazy. I also dance with my charmingly intoxicated older brother (who, considering the amount of alcohol he had consumed by that point was pretty steady on his feet). I also danced a polka with my mother and had a slow dance with a boy that I’m not related to. Overall, I’d say it was a pretty great evening.
This morning LJ woke me up at 9:30. Considering that I didn’t get to sleep until about 4 a.m., I would have preferred to sleep in a little later, but we got up and made breakfast, which was alright. This afternoon I have to work and then it’s time for the Over the River and Through the Woods cast party that I wasn’t sure I could go to. Dad and Julie decided not to go out tonight, so I don’t have to babysit anymore. I hope Andy is pleased.
And now the throat slicing commences…swing your razor wide, Sweeney.
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by Jill Knetter on July 15th, 2008 • 4 Comments »
My mom’s wedding bells, to be precise. Yes. I am 20 years old and on Friday evening (who gets married on a Friday evening?) I am to be my mother’s maid of honor.
You know, it’s strange. My parents divorced when I was 16. I didn’t take it very well when my dad told me, but I think part of the problem was that HE was the one to tell me about it, and my MOM was the one who wanted it. She wanted a divorce and couldn’t even be bothered to tell me herself. She made poor old Dad do it, which was hard enough, but it was worse because he didn’t really understand why. I didn’t either. In fact, I still don’t know why. My mom offered to tell me once, but I knew that no reason she could give me would be good enough. There are very few excuses I would have accepted for why she wanted out of her marriage to my dad. Unlike your average divorce, she moved out. We stayed living with my dad, which I think was the best decision I ever made. My mom and I didn’t (and don’t) have the kind of mother/daughter relationship you see in movies where they tell each other everything and they fight but you know that deep down they really care. As far as we’re concerned, the less we see of each other, the better we get along. Sad, but true.
Seeing my parents go through a divorce kind of turned me off to the idea of marriage for a long time. Growing up all I wanted in life was to some day get married and have a family. Suddenly at 16 it was more like “Well I could get married, but then it’d probably end badly because no one seems to want to try anymore…maybe I’ll just get really involved in my career instead.” And that suited me ok for a while, even with the thought of never having children. Then, last summer, my grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. We went to a special mass for them at my church and I listened as the priest renewed their vows, and I started to cry. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life. That’s when I decided that giving up on marriage altogether wouldn’t make me feel better. Making a success of my own someday would.
I don’t know how I’m going to feel on Friday watching my mother walk down that aisle to pledge her heart to a man who isn’t my dad. Maybe I’ll be happy for her. Maybe I’ll be upset. Maybe it won’t bother me at all. But I’m going to go and be there for her, because that’s what she wants and that’s what a good daughter would do.
Isn’t it?
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by Jill Knetter on July 13th, 2008 • No Comments »
…whoa, livin’ on a prayer!
Ok, we’re not actually living on a prayer. But Over the River and Through the Woods is already half over, and I’m getting ready to miss it. Not that I’ll have time, because as soon as we’re done with this show, it’s on to Sweeney Todd. I know what you’re thinking - “Don’t you ever take a break?!” (No.). I’m excited, though, because we had the first read-through tonight, and Larry has, once again, assembled an amazing cast. It’s going to be another wonderful WCT production, that’s for sure.
In my last post I put in a ton of sappiness about OTR/TTW, so I’ll spare you this time. My dad and his finacee came last night, though, and I didn’t think any of my family was going to make it, so that was a real treat. Afterward they said they were proud and wanted to get me dinner somewhere…so I suggested Taco Bell :o)
Boy do I love my dad.
I haven’t got anything else really to say tonight…I think I’ll be feeling a bit more vocal (is that still appropriate if I’m typing?) tomorrow, or maybe Tuesday, so you can probably expect to hear from me again soon.
Until then, adieu.
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by Jill Knetter on July 9th, 2008 • 2 Comments »
Whoa! Can you guys believe that Over the River and Through the Woods opens tomorrow?! I know I can’t!
Really, though. I feel like this show went so fast. What’s amazing to me is to see what it has become from where it started…it seems like only yesterday we were still stuck rehearsing in the board room (because Arsenic and Old Lace was in the rehearsal hall), and now suddenly we’re at Tango’s and tomorrow we open. Incredible. I’m so proud of everyone in the cast and the journey we’ve made together. As always, working with Andy has been a real pleasure - he has been the one to keep me anchored when my life has threatened to carry me away, and I would really like to thank him for that. It’s also been wonderful developing a new kind of friendship with people who knew me primarily in high school, like Scott and Denny. The look on their faces the first time I told a dirty joke…priceless. And Karen and Eric have just been amazing - I always knew them through their children.
I’m going to miss this show and this cast and this closeness, even though I already have another endeavor lined up (Sweeney Todd, here I come!). You can’t know what it’s like unless you’ve been there…the difference between a cast of 6 and a cast of 60. I’m just glad I got to have this small cast experience. I really am.
I suppose I don’t have much else to say tonight. I’m drowning in syrup from all that sticky sweetness anyway, but I meant every word of it. So in closing I want to say break a leg to my castmates…on with the show!
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by Jill Knetter on July 6th, 2008 • No Comments »
Sorry about the recent lack of update, friends. Not that many of you missed me too much I’m sure, but I apologize all the same :o)
So! Here we are. Tomorrow night is the first tech rehearsal of Over the River and Through the Woods. Are we ready? I think so. Everybody’s lines have been coming along much better. I’m confident that we’ll put on a great show for our adoring public (all three of them ; ) ). No, seriously, I hope we have a big turnout, because we have put a lot of work into this show and I think we all want to show it off just a little bit.
Another thing I neglected to do during this week was the Song of the Week™. So here it is! It’s called “Whoa Oh (Me vs. Everyone)”, and it is performed by a band called Forever the Sickest Kids. I’d never heard of them before, but I kind of like their style. They’re sort of an interesting mix of Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco with just a hint of Relient K. Considering that I really like all those bands, I’d say that makes FtSK pretty good.
Outside of that stuff, I haven’t got a lot to tell you. Oh! If you’re looking for something to read, I highly highly highly recommend the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I started the soon-to-be-four-book series on Saturday of last week and finished the third book yesterday. The first book is called “Twilight”, the second is “New Moon”, and the third is “Eclipse”. They all make for an extremely entertaining read, as long as you aren’t opposed to things like vampires and werewolves (I know how lame that sounds, but I promise they’re really cool!). The fourth book, “Breaking Dawn” comes out on August 2nd…and it’s going to feel like forever.
I suppose that’s everything for now. I’ll try to be more prompt, but don’t count on me much this week…there’s a reason people call tech week “Hell Week”!
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by Jill Knetter on June 26th, 2008 • One Comment »
Here we are, as promised, with another Song of the Week™. Ok, that little ™ gets harder to do every time…I know which numbers I have to press, but I always have to guess on the order. Anyway! It is time. Drumroll, please! *drumrolls on the desk*
“I’m Ready” by Jack’s Mannequin. This song is exquisite. It was one of they songs they played when I saw them live in Oshkosh a few months ago (AMAZING!), and I just love it. You can hear it and see an accompanying vid of the lyrics here .
We had rehearsal tonight (very welcome after a long, sweltering day at work), a thing which we had not done on Thursdays until now. It was alright, but getting home at 11:00 was kind of a bummer. The show’s really shaping up, though, so it’s worth it I suppose. It was probably one of the best runs we’ve had, and I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made.
Ok, I was going to make this post more substantial than this, but I’m just too tired. Good night, all!
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by Jill Knetter on June 23rd, 2008 • No Comments »
…hmm…that may be this week’s Song of the Week™…
Anyhoo, it is Monday, and what a Monday it has been. I had my first day off in over a week (score!), and it was relatively relaxing. I made an attempt on my bedroom. It’s pretty packed with stuff that I’ve amassed over the years, so I’m trying to sort through and decide what to keep and what to ditch. My one big accomplishment came in the form of getting rid of 20-30 pairs of shoes that were in my closet. There were some I’d forgotten I had, and I hadn’t even looked at probably 80% of them in years. Amazing. I was so proud of myself that I called Ben (who is new here on CW, by the way) and we walked down to Main Street Soft Serve and got some ice cream. Then we went back to his house and swam in the pool. It was glorious.
Speaking of glorious, we had some nice weather this weekend! In particular I’m referring to Saturday’s weather. Well, I know most of you in Wausau got rained on, but over in Edgar it was sunny, warm, and very pleasant. That was great because a friend of mine (Ben’s sister) had her graduation party that day, and I’m really glad it didn’t get rained out. I didn’t get there until almost 8 that evening, but I had a fantastic time. I judged badminton, swam, ate grad party food (the best part!), and got to see a lot of old friends as well as make a few new ones.
Tonight at rehearsal we found out that, starting tomorrow night, every night is going to be a full run of the show (yikes!). I think it’ll be nice to get used to doing it all at once since we’ve only been doing one act a night. But this means that our performances are not far off. In fact, I think Eric (the assistant director) said we’ve got 8 rehearsals left at the WCT building, and after that it’s tech week at Tango’s. Time flies. I will be very sad to see the back of this show - I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this level of cast bonding before. It’s really been incredible.
This is where I leave you for tonight. Have a great week, everyone!
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by Jill Knetter on June 19th, 2008 • 3 Comments »
…for real. I think that, starting tonight, I will have a Song of the Week™ every Thursday. That’s really all this was for. And now for this week’s song!
“Into the Ocean” by Blue October. You can hear it and watch the video on here in all of its emo/punk glory, complete with guyliner, guyshadow, manscara and malepolish 
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