Profile for Stagehand 15

Thank you one and all for the information on past and future productions of "Floyd Collins." Again, I hope to travel somewhere in the U.S. next year to see a professional production of the show. Yes, I'm interested in seeing photos of previous productions and will check out all the links that have been given. I just noticed that in Playbill's latest "Cue and A" with Norbert Leo Butz that his answer to the question, "Favorite Showtune" was anything from "Floyd Collins." Again, if anyone learns...

One of my favorite “unseen” musicals is "Floyd Collins" by Adam Guettel. I happened to pick up the CD a number of years ago without knowing anything about the subject matter, music or its composer. I’ve listened to it nearly a hundred times over the years. I would love to see a professional production of the show sometime in 2008. Does anyone know of a professional, regional, production that is scheduled? I was lucky to see an early production of Guettel’s “The Light in the Piazza” here in Se...

I've seen Young Frankenstein twice now (two days apart). I was surprised that Dracula and the werewolf (in the bad Halloween mask) made a second appearance. I spotted only one minor change in the show. There may have been more but I didn't spot them.

Great review. Thank you. Did the show flow smoothly? ************************************************** Yes, the show ran very smoothly and moved from scene to scene with little trouble. There was little trickery to change just good old fashioned drops, wagons and set pieces coming on and off. Somebody asked if they tried to keep the black and white look of the film. The answer is no. As I wrote in my review the main drop is a blue and white depiction of the castle, mountain and village. This...

Did anything come out of traps in the floor? ******************************************** Yes, but not what or who I thought would. You'll just have to see the show. In fact there are at least three traps with things and people coming up on them. When they scoped out where the traps would be they found that they had to move dozens if not a couple hundred Ethernet and other like cables. I believe they had to cut each one and extend it so that they could snake them around the openings. The trap...

I guess the music is not worth mentioning? Was it good or bad? ************************************************************* It's like hearing anything for the first time. You think, I like the earlier stuff better. In reality it's just that you haven't heard the new stuff enough. The songs worked and in context songs like "Deep Love" were really funny. Others just played on the famous movie lines "He Vas My Boyfriend" and "Roll in the Hay". I will say that in the musicals "Hairspray" and "Li...

I wonder why they decided to use a ship instead of a train... They do show the very front of the train. Frankenstein is never shown on it. In the mist you see and hear the train moving from upstage to down. Then two sections of the train station come together cutting off your view of the train. This is where Igor and Frankenstein first meet.

Were the sets really that big? Yes, the sets were big and there were a lot of pieces. The ship, used only once, was huge. Again, the laboratory took up the entire stage. There was the fore mentioned staircase that snaked its way down the upstage wall. Above it was a large conservative skylight. Downstage were the Dr. Frankenstein electronics, tesla coils, operating table and private study. You have to remember that the Paramount, like many theatres built in the 1920s, has very little room in ...

Where would you consider the best seating for this show??? We were sitting in the third row of the balcony. Tomorrow night we're sitting in the middle of row H on the main floor. I'll be able to tell you then. I will say that you can see the sets and lighting effects better from the balcony. From the main floor we'll be more involved in the show. I'm sure we'll be able to hear it better, too.

Somethingwicked asked about Andrea Martin as Frau Blucher. Andrea was very funny but she's not really given anything new to do that wasn't in the film. She gets to sing, "He Vas My Boyfriend" and join in on "Surprise" and "Puttin' on the Ritz."

Yes, the "Big Knockers" joke is in the show as are all the other well known lines from the film. I have forgotten to mention Christopher Fitzgerald's Igor in my review or curtain calls. In the program he is listed after Kemp (go figure). Yes, he has a hump and it does in fact move around. When the doctor pats him on the back there is a big hollow sound. Very funny. Igor's costume is a tight fitting black tights and hooded pull-over (much like in the film). It was hard to figure out just how t...

The program's who's who page has the actors listed in this order: Roger Bart Megan Mullally Sutton Foster Shuler Hensley Andrea Martin Fred Applegate

Order of curtain bows: If I remember correctly they were... Kemp (Fred Applegate) Frau Blucher (Andrea Martin) The Monster (Shuler Hensley) Inga (Sutton Foster) Elizabeth (Megan Mullally) Frederick (Roger Bart)took the final bow I believe that was the order.

Living in Seattle and not hearing spoilers about “Young Frankenstein” has been about as hard as waiting two weeks to read the last Harry Potter book and not hearing what happened to the title character. Mel Brooks, Megan Mullally, Roger Bart, Shuler Hensley and Thomas Meehan have all been interviewed on numerous Seattle TV and radio shows as well as newspaper articles. Many of them can be podcasted on KUOW’s “The Beat” (an NPR radio station here in Seattle). I was called a couple of times to ...

I got a call the other day asking me if I would like to attend an "invitation only" performance of Young Frankenstein in Seattle. This is being performed on Monday, the 6th, a day before the official preview opening. I've taken a couple of quick tours backstage to look at the sets and machinery. The Paramount has NEVER had so many set pieces and equipment in it. I'll give a quick review after the show. I'll be seeing the show twice more while it's in Seattle to see how it tightens up and to s...

I too saw The Wedding Singer Tuesday night. The guy behind me said, "That was the longest 3-hours of my life" and he said that at intermission. I think it's time to get out the scissors especially if they want to play Vegas someday with its 90-minute time limit. I'll have more of my thoughts on the show later.

Yes, I’ve framed tickets from some of my favorite shows including a large display holding tickets to all six Kennedy Center Sondheim shows along with the (postcard-sized) posters for each show. I’ve also covered a wall, in our “green room,” with 8” x 10”s of various theatres and marquees along with the accompanying ticket stubs. That still leaves me a couple hundred more to display. I think we need a BIGGER house. Thanks to all for the tips – Jack T.

Over the years I have kept ticket stubs from the plays and musicals I have seen. Today I have a few hundred. Anyone know a way I can display them, in an album, without doing permanent damage to them (i.e. gluing them to the pages or adhering them to those sticky photo-albums)? Any thoughts or tips would be appreciated. Thank You

I too saw “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” on opening night. You might have seen me. I was the only person, in the theater, sitting with a person of the opposite sex. Don’t get to down on Mike, the sound engineer at the 5th Avenue, this was the first time they had gotten totally through the show. He was making it up as he went along. I agree that Faith owned the stage. We saw her in “Noises Off” on Broadway. Happy we finally got to hear her sing, live. Lucy was good, too, but I wish she had belted ...

My wife and I saw “Pardon My English” there last year. Our seats were up in the second balcony and although the view (though really, really high) and the sound were fine the seats and legroom were the worst. You’ll have real climb to get to the second balcony so start a day or two early.