Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
#0Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/17/05 at 10:40pm
I find them to be some of the most rewarding.
I think I have a tie with mine. The first was when I did "Crazy For You." I was in the Cowboy Trio...and being one of the only guys who knew how to dance...I was also places in a lead dance position. It was very hard for me. I literally had NO tap experience and when I heard we were doing the show...I ran out to take a tap summer course. It was hard to learn but I got the hang of it. When it came showtime our choreographer wanted to use all of Stro's choreography...I thought she was kidding...I was wrong. It was a grueling experience. People left rehearsals with bruises and limps...but it was well worth it. They drilled us into the ground but the show was spectacular...and we nailed all of Stro's moves.
The second had to be "Fiddler." I say this because, first, I had about 5,000 costume changes. I was cast as Sasha, the evil russian. Our director had done "Fiddler" all over the world in numerous touring companies...so he wanted to do "Fiddler" completely authentic. Not only did I have to play Sasha, but I also had to play one of the citizens of Anatevka...which means...you guessed it...the BOTTLE DANCE. Oh no...no velcro...no tape...no nothing. Just glass wine bottles and hats. One of the hardest dances I have ever had to do. We learned that dance at the first rehearsal and practiced it every day until showtime. I even drilled it at home. I literally walked around my house with a bottle on my head. Not only did I have to do that dance...as soon as it was over I had to do yet another costume change back into Russian garb to go destroy the wedding I had just been dancing at. Again, it was a killer show. Hard rehearsals and non stop drilling. But, it turned out to be one of the most rewarding and amazing theatrical experiences of my life. Oh, and not to toot my own horn, but I was the only bottle dancer who never dropped the bottle. 
Anyone else have stories?
"I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about." - Oscar Wilde
Updated On: 3/17/05 at 10:40 PM
#1re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/17/05 at 10:40pm
wow, well nothing like yours, but probably The Wiz- loads of dancing done for that one...LOADS upon LOADS of dancing we're talking 3 weeks rehearsals, 4 hours long each dedicated to just the dancing.painful, but looking back on the DVD of the show I was so happy cuz we did everything right
And for YAGMCB I had quite a few costume changes, but nothing too bad
"It's a great feeling of power to be naked in front of people. We're happy to watch actual incredible graphic violence and gore, but as soon as somebody's naked it seems like the public goes a bit bananas about the whole thing."
Updated On: 3/17/05 at 10:40 PM
#2re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/17/05 at 10:42pm
42nd street. oy
I was Mac (Julian marsh's bitch)/ swing/ and billy and andy u/s.
I performed Mac (reguarly), 3 different ensemble tracks, and billy. I wanted to do andy SO badly! But I was so physically drained by the end.
awkward.
Updated On: 3/17/05 at 10:42 PM
"I think it was the Korean tour or something. They were all frickin' asian!" -Zoran912
ponine24601
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/4/03
#3re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/17/05 at 10:52pm
hm...probably Oklahoma! I was cast as Laurey, and since I was the most experienced at ballet, and we had no choreographer, I had to do it. I had to learn my lines, my songs, and choreograph the entire ballet, and show. Our director knew NOTHING about staging, so I basically had to do the whole show. It was a nightmare. It was so hard. I was so physically drained one night that i passed out in the middle of a rehearsal. Not to mention that my name only went in the program as the girl who plays Laurey.
"People asking questions, lost in confusion. Well I tell them there's no problems, only solutions."
~The one and only John Lennon
theatreguy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/31/03
#4re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/17/05 at 11:30pmMine would definately be CRAZY FOR YOU. I played Sam and the chorus really has a lot to do. Slap That Bass and I Got Rhythm were the hardest numbers to get through because our choroegraphy was really intense (lots of acrobatics and lifts and leaps, etc) and also because they're both REALLY LONG. Also, just getting through all those costume changes (I had 7) was pretty exhausting.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#5re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/17/05 at 11:38pmOy. Fiddler is a hard show. I can relate. Didn't have to do that much dancing tho, cuz I'm a girl. Hehehe. I loved "The Wedding" scene. SO MUCH FUN!
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#6re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/17/05 at 11:42pm
Hmm...
probably 42nd Street
Les Miz is very physically strenuous during the barracade scenes...the Students have to climb over and swing from the set and basically make it look like they are building it
timote316
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/04
#7re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/17/05 at 11:44pmI was the Constable in Fiddler. Probably the easiest role in the show... My hardest role wasn't hard at all (Sam in Copacabana). I'm not exactly seasoned in musicals, tho (ensemble in Guys & Dolls and Fiddler, and then Copa)
#8re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:08am
42nd Street, hands down.
before that show i didnt know a thing about tap. (the only reason i made it in was cuz i was a boy who could act and sing!) Our Choreographer was a nazi and we had 5 hour rehearsals 5 days a week! We would all come home from rehearsal drenched in sweat. it was sooo hard, but soooo much fun. I can tap now too!!
we put on the best show Bakersfield has ever seen! (yee-haw!)
edit: Ohh, and our costume changes were practicly impossible.
Updated On: 3/18/05 at 12:08 AM
Jazzysuite82
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/6/05
#9re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:16amProbably joseph. I was a brother and everytime we came out it was a dance number and as I recall I sang the top, which is even harder when your moving around. I've done some Fosse stuff which is the hardest for me but never in a full production.
#10re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:17amI did "Charley's Aunt" my freshman year of high school and between acts two and three almost the entire cast had to change from Victorian day wear to Victorian formal wear. In about 90 seconds. So we all had to book it during the blackout, through the labyrinth of furniture and techies backstage to our respective changing areas, rip our costumes off, throw on completely new ones, and make our entrances without being out of breath. Oy!
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Jazzysuite82
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/6/05
#11re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:26amActually it may not seem it but 90 secs is a LONG time. During Merrily there was a costume change after every scene. 20 secs tops, which is still a lot of time. Kristin had even less time to change from Sally to Kristin for the '99 Tony's.
#12re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:33amfor me the hardest show that i did was Joseph.... I played the narrator and was 12 when the rest of the cast was about 17-22...It is hard carrying a show like that so young!
LouieLovesTheater
Leading Actor Joined: 3/30/04
#13re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:39am
Nice question...
Physically Hard show would have to be Evita...so many costume changes (the chorus guys really have a lot to do in that show). I started off the show with some layers and finally we were down to our boxers by "Goodnight and Thankyou" We had about 15 seconds to put on military uniforms to come back out for Art of the Possible. Still..it was a great way to sweat off a few pounds.
WickedRentHead
Stand-by Joined: 2/1/05
#14re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:39amThis sounds silly compared to some of the others here but my hardest was "Anything Goes" senior year. I was an angel and had more costume changes than the leads did. Plus we did 10 times more dancing while the leads got to walk around and sing. we had three or 4 all cast numbers including a massive tap break in Anything Goes with the angels and Reno Sweeney, but we were dancing during almost everysong while trying to sing. Some of the choreography was a lot more difficult than it needed to be for people who had to sing a lot as well, somtimes pretty high notes. It was demanding but fun too
#15re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 1:36am
Emotionally and just physically aching because of my costume and makeup, THE WIZARD OF OZ when I was the Tin Man.
Strictly physical draining is definitely THE MUSIC MAN. I played Tommy Djilas and did nothing but dance and dance and dance and DANCE in every song, and all throughout those insanely long dance breaks in SHIPOOPI, MARIAN THE LIBRARIAN, and of course 76 TROMBONES. I got shin splints during dress rehearsals but thank god they went away. I think my thighs grew 3 inches in circumference during that show!
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
#16re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 2:38am
Hmmm ... I'm still bruised and scarred from Tobias in "Sweeney Todd", but I had to have my back readjusted every week the last time I played Barnaby in "Hello, Dolly!" --- soooo many acrobatics, dancing, singing and physical comedy. So much fun!
My lip gloss is poppin'...
#17re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 2:41am
I'm still kicking myself for turning down the role of Tobias 
Ah well, forget regret...
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
#18re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 2:45am42nd Street is indeed a bitch. Anything choreographed by Michael Kidd -- The Quadrille number in CAN CAN is absolutely killer.
trpguyy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/25/05
#19re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 9:50amhmm, Ren in Footloose was demanding because of all the dancing. Singing stuff out of my range while moving is never a good combination. But I'd have to say that Beast is the most demanding part I've played. Heavy costume, hot lights, and having a twisted posture for most of the show really wears you out.
#20re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 10:02amwell, since I'm a techie and not much of an actor, stage managing Footloose and Cabaret have been the most demanding, rewarding, and best experiences I've ever had :)
#21re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 10:14am
Most physically difficult show is the one I am working on now because the dancing is extremely complicated and difficult. When you add that to five part harmonies....
its just not cool until you know it EXTREMELY WELL
(not bragging tell me to shut up if I am) but I have been dancing longer then most people in the show and when I think of how much trouble I have (and the other 2 dancers who dance as long as I) it just scares me to think how much trouble the others are having.
When someone blunders, we say that he makes a misstep. Is it then not clear that all the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill our history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the great leaders have arisen merely from a lack of skill in dancing. - Moliere
WillParker
Featured Actor Joined: 10/22/03
#22re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 10:28am
Physically difficult--Noises Off, by far...second would be Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz.
Mentally difficult--Tom in The Glass Menagerie
"I'll eat some breakfast then change the world."
"I hate you, and I hate your ass face!"
Feodor Sverdlov
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/21/04
#23re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:25amWEST SIDE STORY was the most physically demanding show I ever did. Also, playing Tony in SHEAR MADNESS was exhausting. Just the pre-show stuff made me tired.
scooter3843
Tom1071
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/1/04
#24re: Most Physically Hard Show You've Had To Do...
Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:43am
I have to say 42nd Street too. I had 17 quick changes. I played Mac and also danced in the ensemble. It was a re-staging of the Original Broadway Production and Choreography.
I felt like those quick changes took a year off my life every time I did them. I accidently elbowed my dresser in the face a couple times too. After the show every night I could barely walk.
Looking back I have to say I loved every minute of it.
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