The Play is a Memory

This weekend was the opening weekend for The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams at Lakeside Community Theatre.  AND IT WAS AWESOME.  I have just really enjoyed working with this cast and with LCT in general.  I said in a previous post that it's been really nice to step outside of my comfort zone both with this material as well as with the venue/company, and really....it's true.  My castmates are cramazing (that's crazy + amazing, in case you were wondering):

cast of The Glass Menagerie -- Top: Benjamin Keegan Arnold as Tom Wingfield, Victoria Irvine as Amanda Wingfield; Bottom: Juan Perez as The Gentleman Caller, Mandy Rausch as Laura Wingfield

I haven't even missed singing in this production, and I've loved getting to really sink my teeth into this role and the beauty and depth of Tennessee Williams's writing. In a perfect world, we could do a "talk-back" after one of the productions so that we could talk to the audience about all the beauty and symbolism and autobiographical elements of this play with regards to the author's own life, and then have them watch it AGAIN and really appreciate all those things, just like the cast has come to do.  But, even without doing that, I feel like if the cast understands all these things and applies them to their individual performances and really commits to the beauty of the play, then it will be enjoyable to even the audience members who haven't ever read or seen the play.

Another thing I've really enjoyed about this whole process is understanding my own process as an actor a little bit better.  If there's one thing that's to be said for having a decent amount of roles under your belt it's that you hopefully learn a little bit about yourself as a performer each time: what memorization technique(s) work best for you, how you research a character/role, and, at least for me with this role in particular, how to really let yourself be vulnerable onstage. 

Having done only musicals, and musical comedies at that, I haven't really ever had to expose and bare myself to an audience really before now.  I don't want to give away any spoilers (though, if you haven't ever read The Glass Menagerie, I am wondering how you got through your education without being forced to at least once and I worry for you...), but there is a scene where I really just cannot care how bad I look, and just releasing myself to the emotion has been really freeing. 

I would REALLY, REALLY like for my friends and family to come see me in this show, if nothing else but to come and see me because you love me and want to see me try something new...but also to see what I feel like is a pretty darn strong production with some fine acting in it. 

You have the following remaining opportunities, so DON'T MISS IT:

Friday, February 25th at 8pm
Saturday, February 26th at 3:00pm
Friday, March 4th at 8pm
Saturday, March 5th at 8pm

In the meantime (notice how I didn't say "downtime") between show weekends, I'm starting rehearsals for my next project:

I'll be playing Peppermint Patty in Denton Community Theatre's production of SNOOPY!!! which will run in mid-April.  I'm a part of a spectacular cast with a lot of old friends and a couple of new ones, and a really unbelievable production team.  Just last night I attended my first rehearsal (they started last week while I was in Hell Week for GM), and it was a 3-hour tap rehearsal!  Whew, I am already sore today, but this is going to be a really fun show.  So it's back to being busy for Mandy! Let's go!

Show Update and Why I Shouldn't Read on Airplanes

So remember how in my last post (which was LAST YEAR, YOU GUYS!) I talked about how I had been auditioning for some non-musical plays and didn't want to talk about it because I was supersitious about talking about auditions? Well...I kept going to auditions and ended up getting cast...

...as Laura in Lakeside Community Theatre's production of Tennessee Williams's beautiful play, The Glass Menagerie!

I couldn't be more excited, and for several reasons. For one thing, I'm starting the non-musical part of my "career" with a classic. It's like starting off your musical theatre path with a Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, or even a Sondheim. Basically, it's solid theatre with excellent storytelling in a (generally) clear-cut and traditional setting. Starting with the basics. Secondly, I absolutely love Tennessee Williams. In my undergraduate career, I took a class that was centered on Southern American authors (Williams, Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, etc.) and I just fell in love with all of them. It's actually a subject that I'd like to do more work/research in if I ever get an inclination to go back to school for a master's degree. And finally, I'm just really excited to be working with a new theatre, in a new space, and with a new group of people. The Campus Theatre and the companies that use that wonderful facility will always hold the key to my theatre-heart, but sometimes it's nice to step out and try something new. It's like....always getting the 7-layer burrito from Taco Bell, but ONE DAY you decide to try a Crunch Wrap Supreme. Something like that.

The cast is small; there are only four of us. So we're really getting a chance to do some cast-bonding and have a great time talking about the play, the themes, and the characters. And what a great group of people LCT has. I don't think this will be my last time working with this group...or at least I hope it's not.

So yeah. We open that show on February 18th, so you should definitely try to come out and see it! Even if it's for no other reason than to come and giggle at me trying to be all serious and "act."

So what else has been going on with me? I'm so glad you asked.

Really, besides GM rehearsals and a VERY busy time at my day job, not a whole heck of a lot...and it's been really nice. I've done a LOT of reading, both of scripts and of library books. Yes! Library books! I finally got myself a Denton Public Library card and I have been a readin' fool ever since the holiday break.

(side note: if you're on Goodreads, check me out and add me as a friend!)

Just this past weekend I took a trip to Nashville, Tennessee to spend the weekend with my very BFF of 20+ years, Shelly, and we saw a FANTASTIC band play while we were there: Manic Bloom.


I went to church with the keyboard player, Jeff, back in high school, and now that I've seen these guys play twice I can tell you two hard and fast FACTS:

1) They are EXCELLENT musicians and they put on an amazing show, and
2) They are a great group of solid, good guys.

Please go check them out, follow them on Twitter, and seriously, go buy their album, In Loving Memory on iTunes. Seriously, it's only $6 so just do it.

Anyway, back to the trip and part of the title of this post....

When I read, I tend to really delve into the storyline of a book. Or at least I will if it's well-written and captivating. The only problem with this is that I truly feel void and strange when I'm taken out of the story, either by having to stop reading for time's sake (meaning I need to get things done and stop reading) or just finishing a book. I literally feel like I've been yanked back into real life, and normally I'm none too happy about this.

Let me tell you, faithful readers, that this is even worse when I finish a book on an airplane. I already feel like a (Wo)Man Without a Country when I'm on an airplane, because I'm not really anywhere when I'm flying...at least not for very long. I'm thousands of feet above the ground and hurtling through the air with a bunch of strangers. Combine that with the aforementioned world I create for myself while reading a good book and my slight anxiety of flying in general...and when I finish a book with time left on my flight...well, I just feel really strange and empty and, to be completely melodramatic...lost. I don't like it. I was very thankful to have my GM script in my carry-on bag to read so that I couldn't get too deep into self-reflection and melancholy for the rest of my flight.

So what does that have to do with theatre? Nothing. It's just the dramatic artist in me, I suppose. I've always got my emotional and artistic antennae up, whether I really want to or not, but I guess I wouldn't have it any other way.

I Wanna Be a Producer

The marquee at the Campus Theatre

It's almost that time again! One week from today, I'll open the next show...the hilarious Mel Brooks musical The Producers.

Tyler Lohr as Leo Bloom, Mandy Rausch as Ulla

This show will go down in my own personal history as a really big step in my progress towards becoming a healthier, more fit ME and as a result, a more confident person as a whole.

6 months and 30 pounds ago, I never would've gotten this role. I'm still battling the "old Mandy" inside my head as I go to costume fittings and step onto the stage and put on the persona of a character who causes every (straight) male character's jaws to drop to the floor.

I'm not gonna lie...this process has been one mental struggle after another. My biggest enemy has been myself, and I can be a stubborn pain in the ass. ;) The thing that's really interesting about this whole process has been that I've noticed myself NOT promoting the show as much as I normally would to my friends and family. When friends asked me what I'm rehearsing for, I would quickly answer "Producers" and then change the subject because I genuinely feared the reaction I would get when I answered the inevitable next question of "Which role are you?" If I wasn't able to avoid the question, I'd mumble "....Ulla" rather than stepping up and OWNING that shit.

Then came the inevitable meltdown when "old Mandy" took over in the poorly lit dressing room of a dance store where I went to buy my tights and leotard and VERY SHORT black shorts for the show. I felt sick to my stomach and embarrassed at myself for even auditioning. It was not a good night.

The next day, I emailed one of my best friends and just spilled my guts out to her and said everything you're not supposed to say because it's obnoxious and sounds like you're fishing for compliments. But that's what friends are for, right? She pointed out some things to me that I knew, but needed to be reminded of:

* I have come a LONG way. No matter what, I need to remember that and be proud of the body I have now. It's not perfect, and who the hell knows what a "perfect" body is anyway?

* NOWHERE in the script does it say that Ulla needs to be "tall" or "thin." The only thing it says in the script description of her is that she is "Swedish" and "very beautiful." Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think I can pull off "Swedish and beautiful" with the right wig and makeup. ;)

* I am working with an incredible cast, and as long as I sell it and Max and Leo sell it (and Sean and Tyler are just making me feel like a million bucks every night), the audience will buy it.

So I got over myself (mostly) and started thinking, "You know what? I will own this. I'll probably never play this role again in my life, but that's what's so great about doing community theatre sometimes. Because of the limitations and the crappy pay (haha), we get LOTS of opportunities to play roles we may never get in the 'real theatre world.'"

Ulla's song is called "When You've Got it, Flaunt it." I may not have what everyone else thinks, but does that really matter?? No. It's my job to take what I do have, and flaunt the HELL out of it. And I damn sure will do that.

Dirty Rotten Recap and "When You Got it..."

Well another show, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has been put on the shelf. Due to my ridiculously busy schedule at work (the spring months are when all of our biggest deadlines are, and adding a show to that damn near killed me this time around), I didn't blog NEARLY as much as I wanted to about the rehearsal and production process of this amazing show.

I enjoy every show that I do and I always bond with cast members and find a way to love the role I'm playing...but only once in a blue moon do I get truly sad to close one. The last one was Crazy for You, which just happens to have been exactly one year ago. For that one and for DRS, the Monday after closing was just a dreadfully depressing day. I hated knowing I wouldn't do it all over again in a few days, and even listening to the cast recording when it happens upon my iPod shuffle makes me a little blue. It always passes, and I always keep in touch with the people from the cast, but the first few days are a little rough.

This show was particularly special to me for a couple of reasons. The first is indicated in the pictures heading up this blog post (all above). Kenny Fudge, who was the Andre to my Muriel, made this show so special for me. He has been on my theatre "wish list" ever since I saw him act when I worked backstage last summer for Don't Dress for Dinner, and I am so fortunate to have been cast opposite him.

The roles of Andre and Muriel in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are an absolute trip. They may be secondary plot characters, but they have the ability to steal the show with their fabulous, cheesy (and sometimes dirty!) one-liners, the adorable song and dance number "Like Zis, Like Zat," and possibly the only real moments in an otherwise cartoony show. Muriel is also a very isolated character...all of her stuff is with Andre after a certain point, so I got to spend lots of stage time with this brilliant actor. And I think I fell a little bit in love with both Kenny and his Andre! I am so honored to have been cast opposite him. Kenny is absolutely no-drama, which I love, and his work ethic is incredible. Any time we had down time, we were running lines or talking about why scenes still felt a little off and figuring out how to fix it.

ON the stage, I have never worked with a more giving actor than Kenny. As someone who fancies herself more of a singer than an actress, I can't even say how much I appreciated working with such an amazing actor. His dedication onstage and the way HIS actions brought Muriel out of ME was amazing. I'm so grateful for it, and I think I'll ONLY do shows with Kenny from now on. :)

The SECOND reason this show was so special to me is why I can also post this on my weight loss blog. This show very much felt like a coming out party for me. I haven't been onstage in a lead or supporting role ever since The Reckoning. The last show I did was Chicago, which is when I was at my heaviest. So, some of the audiences have not seen me since I lost the 30lbs (!!!) I've lost since December.

I have to tell you....as much as I love and appreciate every compliment I got on my acting and singing in this show -- probably the most I've gotten yet on my actual performance of a show to date -- I NEVER once got tired of hearing, "Oh my GOD you look AMAZING!" when I'd greet friends, family and strangers after each performance. And honestly? I felt amazing. I felt lighter, my breath support during dancing and singing was better and easier to handle, and I loved all my costumes. I loved how they looked and I loved how I felt in them.

Below is a couple of pictures just to illustrate some of the awesomeness of weight loss. The first one is a picture of my friend Olivia, who was in the show with me (and was also in Crazy For You). Olivia has been on a very similar weight loss journey with me over the past 6 months or more. She has, to date, lost over 55lbs. Since I have lost 30, I felt it necessary to document in a photograph the AWESOME-ness that is 85lbs lost combined:



This picture is just one I threw together when I was scrolling through old Facebook photos last week. The picture on the left is a picture of me after a performance of Chicago, and the picture on the right was taken during the rehearsal process for DRS. I feel like I look SO different (besides the lighter hair color, obviously) in the two pictures. I look YOUNGER in the picture on the right, so I guess it's true what they say, that losing weight can make you look (and feel) younger!




So, speaking of weight loss...I feel like it's time to make the announcement of the next project I'll be working on. I'll just go ahead and come right out and say it and THEN tell the story of how this came to be:

I will be playing Ulla in Denton Community Theatre's production of The Producers this August.

I know, this is VERY unlikely. For several reasons. One, I'm 5'3. Two, I'm not tall and thin with legs that go for days. Three...I'm not a skinny girl.

But, it happened. I'll never play the role again, so I'm going to take my chance since I have it. I need you to know, blog readers, how much I AGONIZED over auditioning for this.

I talked to two very honest, to-the-point friends of mine, who are also directors. I asked them, "If you were directing this show and I auditioned for this role, would you smile politely and then write "fat chance, sister!" on my audition form?" Both of them were honest and direct in their responses and both said something similar to "No, but we'd put you in the maybe file and hope and pray that a tall, leggy Amazon showed up to rehearsals." Okay, so at least I knew I wasn't being completely delusional with the audition. So I went, and I did my best.

Then came the agony of "What happens if I DO get cast? Are people going to see the cast list and scoff? Laugh at the fact that a 5'3", size 10-12 girl is playing Ulla? What are people goign to say to me? How am I going to prove myself? Can I lose another 20 lbs by August if I'm cast?"

Then I got offered the role. And I almost puked. People keep asking me, "Are you so excited?!" The answer deep down is yes...but I have found myself TERRIFIED of what people are going to say/think about this.

I was vague-tweeting about this on Twitter before I was offered the role, and another local actor who is also a fitness coach, Jimmy Hays Nelson, tweeted back to me, "Don't let someone else's opinion of you become YOUR reality." Boom, reality check. Why am I SO concerned about what other people are thinking?

Honestly I could go on and on about this...but I'll save that for another blog. Right now I'm just going to re-focus on making HEALTHY changes in my life, start religiously counting calories again (had a leeeeeeetle too much indulgence over the holiday weekend), and up the ante on my workouts. Not so that I can prove to anyone else that I deserve to play this role, but so that, just like I did in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, I can walk off that stage every night feeling amazing and confident because I know I have worked hard.

As Ulla says, "If you got it -- FLAUNT it." Bring it on.

A Dirty Rotten Update

Remember when I actually used to keep up with this theatre blog? Unfortunately, work (!!!) has been completely insane during the months of March and April due to looming deadlines, and will continue to be pretty busy throughout mid-May or so. I still need to post a blog with my pictures from The Column Awards and a post about our upcoming One for Mahler performance, but, first things first...

I'm in a show. Did I mention I'm in a show? I'm sure I mentioned I'm in a show.

I'm currently in rehearsals for Music Theatre of Denton's production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as Muriel Eubanks (the role Joanna Gleason created in the original Broadway cast). This cast is honestly (no, really) one of the best casts I have ever worked with in Denton. It contains some of my closest and dearest friends, and we are having the time of our lives.

The show runs May 14-16 and 21-23 at the Campus Theatre in Denton. Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 7:30pm and Sunday matinees are at 2pm. More information can be found here.

This is really going to be a fun (and SO FUNNY) show, so try not to miss it. Here's a quick little video I made of our leads, Kelsey Macke (as Christine Colgate) and Justin Harmon (as Freddy Benson) and the ensemble rehearsing "Love is my Legs," one of my personal favorite songs in the show:



The cast will also be performing four songs this Saturday (April 24th) at 2:00pm on the Festival Stage at the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, so that'll be a good time, too!

In the meantime, while you're waiting on pins and needles for OUR show to open, I encourage you to trek on down to the Kalita Humphreys theatre to see the Uptown Players' production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as well! There are some incredibly talented people in that cast, and I am personally super proud to go see one of Denton's own (Miss Whitney Hennen) dance in the ensemble. I'm going to see the preview tonight, and I can't wait to see what they're doing with the show!

It'd be easy to get intimidated by a larger theatre with, let's face it, more money and resources, doing the same show you're working on and running right up against yours (we share one weekend—our opening weekend is their closing weekend).

However, I'm just excited that the D/FW theatre community gets TWO opportunities to catch this show the first time it's done in the area (other than a tour). So get out there and see both!

Back in (Concert) Style

Hello out there! I'll jump right in with what's going on...

For about a week and a half now, I've been involved in rehearsals for Lyric Stage of Irving's production of the original 1927 Show Boat in concert style. "What the heck does 'concert style' mean?" you may be asking. Well...I'll tell you.

Basically, what we're doing is having a very large ensemble of singers (who are all incredibly talented, might I add. It's amazing to be in a group of about 60 people or more and efficiently learn a TON of music in about 4 days. And learn it well. No plunking out the alto part 17 times in this group. But, I digress...) onstage at all times, which creates an INCREDIBLE sound. The principle actors are also onstage at all times, and we're all seated. There is staging, yes, but at most times it's only the principles or actors with lines who leave our seated areas (so far....we're still staging). We're not in costumes, there are no big sets (only props and a few pieces here and there....again, so far...), etc. It's very minimalistic, but the message, in my opinion, of the show and the music is even stronger as a result.

I can't even tell you how much I am loving this experience...and I still kind of shake my head and laugh at the surreality of the fact that I'm getting paid to do this. I honestly am in awe of all the people around me and the situation itself. I feel so grateful that I was asked to be a part of this production. I've met a lot of really great people, and I cannot wait to see what the next week and a half brings.

Did I mention it opens a week from today?? Yes, that will have made less than 3 weeks of rehearsal...by FAR the most quick and efficient rehearsal process I have ever been a part of....well, aside from learning the role for Chicago in 3 days, but that was a whole separate issue of course!

I think, right now, I am most looking forward to hearing the 40-piece orchestra that the brilliant Jay Dias is putting together for this production. I may die a little just listening to the overture. After doing a show last year that was performed to "canned" music, I almost feel like God is rewarding me with this. :)

There are only FOUR performances of Show Boat, and I hear they are selling out quickly, so get your tickets soon! http://www.lyricstage.org/2010_showboat.shtml

Talking of...the Light at the End of the Tunnel

Yes, there is in fact a light at the end of the tunnel I so gladly stepped into on January 5th, 2009 at our first Company rehearsal! Tomorrow night (Wednesday, October 28th) marks the first of the final five performances of Fight Boy Theatre's production of Talking of Michelangelo. Which also means I'm just that much closer to taking a break from theatre for a while. Yes, I have agreed to help out DCT's production of A Tuna Christmas, but that will be in the role of Assistant Stage Manager, and my duties will not begin until November 30th. I will have four whole weeks off! Amazing. I honestly think that will have been my longest break since the beginning of the year.

And what a great experience it all has been! Every director has been different and amazing in his or her own way, each cast has taught me something new about myself as a person and as a performer, and each script and/or score has been a challenge in its own way.

I've also started and - for the most part - maintained this blog and become a theatre critic for The Column. All in all, I'd say a VERY artistically successful 11 months once it's all said and done. No wonder I'm exhausted, though!

So, back to the current production. I have to say, I definitely had reservations and trepidation about stepping outside my comfort zone and into the world of guerilla theatre. However, this experience has been no less rewarding than any other I have had this year! The cast, the script, the director, the...ahem...weather we have had to deal with...all have been amazing. Plus, I've discovered a new love for Art Six Coffee House, the venue at which we perform each night. The space is absolutely beautiful (a restored house with a spooooooky story attached), the coffee is delicious (I need to set up an IV of the toasted coconut blend), and the staff is amazing. Imagine my surprise when I realized that two figures from my brief foray into the UNT Theatre Dept., Olivia and Tommy, run the place!

It has truly been my pleasure to encourage people to support both an indie theatre group as well as my friends' establishment. In case you'd like to check us out (bring weather-appropriate items, dress in layers, etc....some nights are chilly!), we have five more performances: Weds (Oct 28th) through Sun (Nov 1st) all at 8pm! Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students, and Halloween night (Sat) is a pay-what-you-can.

Enjoy some photos below that I took at one of our dress rehearsals! Pictured: the muy caliente Kristina Lujan and the man your mother warned you about: Kevin Wickersham.

Hope to see you there!

CHICAGO - Backstage: A Picture Essay

Since this blog is entitled "DFW Backstage," I thought I ought to do my part in making the name logical and take some backstage photos at last night's pick-up rehearsal/benefit performance! Enjoy!

My dressing room spot! Makeup and hair are done, I'm just killing time before they call "Places!" which is when I put on my microphone, costume, and lipstick. (Don't worry, I don't go onstage for a good 15 minutes or so after the show begins!)

Our wonderful dance captain, Whitney, leading warmups! This is a very dance-heavy show, so we spend quite a while warming up.

No final weekend of performances is complete without a cast party! Two of our cast members made flyers with all the pertinent information, and we made sure to let our orchestra members know the deets, too!

Three members of our OUTSTANDING orchestra always arrive early and get set up, go over some tricky passages, and generally heckle us as we warm up. :)

A great photo of "They Both Reached for the Gun" from my spectacular vantage point in the wings!

Very blue shot of one of our prop tables, and the fans used in "All I Care About is Love."

Very green shot of two of our sexy ensemble members, as well as all the spreadsheets with set change assignments, etc. on the wall in the stage left wings.

Assistant stage manager SarahAnn Sutter on headset Stage Left! She's amazing!

The other fabulous ASM, Olivia Norine on Stage Right headset!

Going over my lines and blocking again before I go onstage!! I'm terrified not to do this, because I've had very little time to let this show saturate my brain!

Who's that sexy "Mama?" It's me! I'm ready to go onstage!

This is the final weekend of performances, and it has been such a rockin' good time! I'm going to miss it, but I'll have Talking of Michelangelo to keep me busy for the two weeks after this show closes, so I'm never facing an excess of spare time, that's for sure!

OH and did I mention that Chicago is SOLD OUT? Well, it is! Wahoo! And you can read the review in The Column by clicking here or by clicking on the show poster in my sidebar ------->

Razzle Dazzle 'em

(photo by Khai Ha, NT Daily staff photographer, originally uploaded to NTDaily.com)

Another openin', another show...

Yes, tonight is OPENING NIGHT for Music Theatre of Denton's first show of it's 25th season - Chicago. You may be wondering why I didn't mention that I was a part of this show back when I was talking about auditions and such, or perhaps you remember this post in which I discussed my husband being in the show and me enjoying my nights off.

Well, it's been a bit of a whirlwind three days.

Due to reasons I will not disclose so don't even bother asking me, the original Matron "Mama" Morton in this production needed to step away from the production, and I was asked to fill in—with about 3 days before opening night (tonight).

As you can probably imagine, it's a delicate and potentially awkward situation, but I am good friends with this actress and respect her tremendously as a colleague and as an amazing woman. I am doing my best to fill her shoes and to rise up to the caliber of talent in this outstanding cast while at the same time trying to remember all my lines, blocking, lyrics/notes and trying to match the style of the show and find my inner Mama.

What has impressed and humbled me, though, has been the incredible support I have been shown in the past three days! The cast and crew and production team of Chicago has been welcoming and helpful, and I find myself being hugged backstage, slapped on the butt a few times (ahem, Tyler), and even gently nudged or guided (discreetly, of course) onstage. Talk about making a scary situation easy on a girl!

Beyond that, even, the cast and production team of my other current show, Talking with Michelangelo has also been incredible and supportive. The director is being supportive and accommodating to my suddenly crazy schedule, and he and our leading actress have even offered to meet with me at odd times to work on individual scenes so that I can stay up to speed on that production as well.

Finally, I have been ridiculously impressed with the way the two directors of these two vastly different companies have helped one another out, making absolutely sure that neither show gets slighted in any way, but that each production is promoted and rehearsed to its full potential. That, my loyal readers, is what I think that theatre—especially community theatre—should be all about. This situation, which could have been much stickier, has been not only smooth and pleasant, but incredibly rewarding and uplifting.

So? Here we go. Off to OPENING NIGHT tonight (aka my 4th rehearsal) and kicking off what I hope will be a fantastic and successful run of one helluva show.

Here's a bit of press about Chicago, for your viewing/reading pleasure:

Murder, Fame and All That Jazz - NT Daily Article (10/9/09)
Chicago - NT Daily video (10/9/09)
All That Jazz - Denton Record Chronicle's "Denton Time" (10/8/09)

Outside the Box

"Talking of Michelangelo" image (originally uploaded to FightBoy Theatre)

Due to the recent surge in some of my closest friends and colleagues encouraging me to step outside the box, leave my comfort zone, try something new, etc., last week I went to two auditions that pretty much scared the hell out of me. But, due to the strong desire to have something other than the two (wonderful!) Denton musical theatre companies on my resumé, I swallowed my fear and got my audition materials ready for the week.

The first audition was for a concert version of Show Boat at Lyric Stage in Irving, TX, which will not even begin rehearsals until January of 2010. Lyric is a highly respected company in this area, due to their diligence in producing beautiful productions with full, lush orchestras. The thought of working with a theatre of this caliber, especially after performing my last role to a recorded orchestra, was too wonderful to pass up. I don't have high expectations for this one, especially due to it being my first audition outside of community theatre, well,....ever. I just wanted to feel as though I did my best and gave a good audition. I think that I achieved that. The jury is still out on casting, as far as I know, but overall I'm pleased with the experience and am very glad that I got my first audition for an equity theatre out of the way. It will only get easier, right?

The second audition was for a straight play, which I have not done since high school. I won't even tell you how many years ago that was, but suffice it to say, I'm a little rusty and anxious when there is no big musical number (or several) for me to fall back on! The play is called Talking of Michelangelo, and it is an original work by FightBoy Theatre founder (and friend of mine) Joshua Scott Hancock. This audition was so much more intense - but relaxed at the same time - than most musical theatre auditions, and I really had to step outside my comfort zone a few times. It was incredibly fun - and liberating! - and the eclectic group of talented people that showed up to auditions made me feel very comfortable, and not quite as vulnerable as I was afraid of feeling.

I ended up getting cast as an ensemble role in the play, and our first rehearsal/read-through is this evening. This will be a very short and intense rehearsal process - the show opens on October 21st - and I'm very much looking forward to it.

Finally, I'd like to say congratulations to another of Denton's indie theatre companies, Sundown Collaborative Theatre. They opened Nina Raine's Rabbit this past weekend and have been receiving great reviews so far, both from my colleague Gina Robertson of The Column as well as Mark Lowry from Theater Jones. I hope to catch a performance this weekend, and I encourage you to do the same and support the indie theatres!

SOLD OUT

(photo by Gary Payne of the Denton Record Chronicle. L-R: Mandy Rausch as Milly, Hannah Lane as Ruth, Ellen Whatley as Liza)

[photo by Gary Payne of the Denton Record Chronicle. Top row, L-R: Nicholas Long (Adam), Mandy Rausch (Milly); Middle row, L-R: SarahAnn Sutter (Dorcas), Mike Strecher (Benjamin), Jessica Gibson (Martha), Michael Alonzo (Ephraim), Jaime Rodriguez (Daniel), Ellen Whatley (Liza), Michael Schafer (Caleb), Hannah Lane (Ruth), Kurt Sutter (Gideon), Heidi Erickson-Lewis (Alice); Bottom row, L-R: Wes Middleton (Frankincense), Alyssa McClendon (Sarah)]

(click on each picture for a larger image!)

Remember that time when I wanted to blog more often? Especially about theatre, rehearsals and such? Silly Mandy, thinking I'd have time to do that AS WELL AS rehearse for said theatrical endeavors, write reviews for The Column AND work a full time job.

No matter, though, here I am now. It's the Tuesday between show weekends for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (7B47B), and I'm happy to say that despite some anxiety on my part before opening this show, we had a VERY successful opening weekend. We sold out the entire weekend before the curtain was raised on opening night, and as of mid-afternoon yesterday, the second weekend was completely sold out as well.

I'm truly amazed and speechless by this. I'd like to say that these ticket sales are indicative of the hard-working cast and our performances, but logic tells me that since the show sold out BEFORE a single note was sung, the title of the show alone has been responsible for most of our publicity!

Don't get me wrong, now, this is a great, hard-working cast, and what I think is a successful show (still waiting on The Column review as of 9:09 CST on Tuesday)!

I have mixed feelings about the show selling out. Part of me is, of course, thrilled! I'm always glad when a community theatre production does really well, especially a show in which I've contributed a lot of blood, sweat and tears of my own (either onstage or off). But, this is also why I wish we had more than two-week runs! SO many people are already disappointed that they now won't get a chance to see it!

Again, though, I am so proud of this role, this cast, and this production. It has been a beast to put together for everyone involved, and it's a(nother) perfect example of just how much the volunteers in community theatre lay their hearts and souls onto that stage every. single. night.

CONGRATULATIONS to my cast -- my friends -- and I am truly blessed to have worked with you and gotten to know each and every one of you!

I will post a link to The Column review as soon as it becomes available!

P.S. -- check out the sidebar! There's a link to ALL reviews by The Column's Associate Theatre Critics, and a link to my own page of reviews I've written on PegasusNews.com!

Closing the Show

Yesterday was the final performance of Music Theatre of Denton's production of Stephen Sondheim's "Company." What an amazing experience performing in that show turned out to be!

Now that the production has ended, I'm hoping to post some of my journal entries that I wrote while in the rehearsal process for this amazing show. Playing Amy, the neurotic bride-to-be, was one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have ever done, and I'll never forget her. I'm going to miss Amy, and I hope that I get to revisit her some day.

To all my fellow cast members: thank you for going on this journey with me. What an amazing experience to mark my return to the stage after a nearly four year hiatus, and how lucky I am to have worked with my husband and some of my best friends onstage!

So until next time, I will be posting about my experiences learning the role of Amy, and getting ready to start rehearsals for my next project, which will be playing Irene Roth in MTD's production of "Crazy For You!"

Did you see the show? Please, tell me what you thought (and try to be objective!).