Look out! I hope to be riiiiipped in 12 weeks. :)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Free Personal Training!
Just wanted to let my readers (mostly friends on tour!) know that their is a great website for getting fit! Bodybuilding.com is an awesome site for fitness advice, products, and goal tracking! Be sure to check out their Personalized Muscle Building and Fat Loss Guides as well as their new iPhone app!
Look out! I hope to be riiiiipped in 12 weeks. :)
Look out! I hope to be riiiiipped in 12 weeks. :)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Swing it, Brother! Swing!
Recently I was pleased when producer Ken Davenport featured Arbender Robinson, a Dance Captain/Swing on his blog. From reading this account, I am inspired to share my own experience approaching such a heavy job!
First off, many of you might not know what a Swing is or does! Often when I tell people I'm the Male Swing on Beauty and the Beast, they say "I don't remember that character in the castle!" :)
Essentially, as Swing I am an on-call actor. If someone can't do the show (due to illness, injury, or conflict), I fulfill their performance, or track. My job is to cover the eight tracks of the male ensemble. I was also hired to understudy Lefou. In an emergency situation, I also cover the eight female ensemble tracks in the town scenes!
Requirements:
Arbender spoke very accurately when he said swinging "requires a ton of homework to remember different vocal parts, blocking, choreography, and acting intentions for each character. This includes everything they do offstage, too: costume changes, prop shifts, entrances and exits, etc."
Swinging requires a person to be very organized and detail oriented to document and implement every nuance of a role. In addition, one has to delineate what is critical to the show vs. an individual's artistic choices. One has to be able to fulfill ALL the critical requirements AND adapt/adopt the artistic choices.
Tips/Tricks:
It's easiest to get everything down first! I choose to work digitally through videos, notes, charts and tracking sheets. Once in the computer, it's easy to clean up and implement changes. Digital notation makes it easy to record future notes, modifications and discoveries as well as preserve the work for future generations!
While I'd love to elaborate on my methodology of digital notation, it is my hope to find freelance work after this tour teaching my process to stage managers, dance captains, swings and any directors/choreographers interested in preserving or selling their work. Swinging is a very difficult job and I am hopeful that my process can be further refined and perfected to become useful to others.
I will say that if one finds themselves in a Swing role, begin by WRITING THINGS DOWN. Many of your questions can be answered by returning to your own notes! Look at the big picture. Find the patterns first, and then notate the myriad variations with MAXIMUM specificity.
Hint: Think about movement in terms of US/DS (or upstage and downstage!) as well as towards center or away. (It will help you to quickly reverse things!)
Pitfalls:
You get MANY days off!
Inevitable anxiety...
Positives:
You get MANY days off!
You get to play MANY parts!
I really enjoy my job because every day is different! Performing the same role everyday in a long run has its advantages and disadvantages. However, Swinging Beauty and the Beast has taught me things about myself and theatre that I would never have garnered if I didn’t get to observe and do so much!
I am grateful and proud of this show and hope you'll get the opportunity to see it--with or without me in it! :)
First off, many of you might not know what a Swing is or does! Often when I tell people I'm the Male Swing on Beauty and the Beast, they say "I don't remember that character in the castle!" :)
Essentially, as Swing I am an on-call actor. If someone can't do the show (due to illness, injury, or conflict), I fulfill their performance, or track. My job is to cover the eight tracks of the male ensemble. I was also hired to understudy Lefou. In an emergency situation, I also cover the eight female ensemble tracks in the town scenes!
Requirements:
Arbender spoke very accurately when he said swinging "requires a ton of homework to remember different vocal parts, blocking, choreography, and acting intentions for each character. This includes everything they do offstage, too: costume changes, prop shifts, entrances and exits, etc."
Swinging requires a person to be very organized and detail oriented to document and implement every nuance of a role. In addition, one has to delineate what is critical to the show vs. an individual's artistic choices. One has to be able to fulfill ALL the critical requirements AND adapt/adopt the artistic choices.
Tips/Tricks:
It's easiest to get everything down first! I choose to work digitally through videos, notes, charts and tracking sheets. Once in the computer, it's easy to clean up and implement changes. Digital notation makes it easy to record future notes, modifications and discoveries as well as preserve the work for future generations!
While I'd love to elaborate on my methodology of digital notation, it is my hope to find freelance work after this tour teaching my process to stage managers, dance captains, swings and any directors/choreographers interested in preserving or selling their work. Swinging is a very difficult job and I am hopeful that my process can be further refined and perfected to become useful to others.
I will say that if one finds themselves in a Swing role, begin by WRITING THINGS DOWN. Many of your questions can be answered by returning to your own notes! Look at the big picture. Find the patterns first, and then notate the myriad variations with MAXIMUM specificity.
Hint: Think about movement in terms of US/DS (or upstage and downstage!) as well as towards center or away. (It will help you to quickly reverse things!)
Pitfalls:
You get MANY days off!
Inevitable anxiety...
Positives:
You get MANY days off!
You get to play MANY parts!
I really enjoy my job because every day is different! Performing the same role everyday in a long run has its advantages and disadvantages. However, Swinging Beauty and the Beast has taught me things about myself and theatre that I would never have garnered if I didn’t get to observe and do so much!
I am grateful and proud of this show and hope you'll get the opportunity to see it--with or without me in it! :)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Tony's Tour Tips
Greetings from New Haven, CT and the Town and Castle of Disney's Beauty and the Beast!
Though this is my first tour, I feel I've learned things I didn't know before. Therefore, I wanted to share some touring tips for my friends (heading into tours of A CHORUS LINE, THE COLOR PURPLE, and SPAMALOT) that will help save money and sanity!
Errands
Hotel
Hope our paths cross out there!!!
(((LOVE)))
Tony
Though this is my first tour, I feel I've learned things I didn't know before. Therefore, I wanted to share some touring tips for my friends (heading into tours of A CHORUS LINE, THE COLOR PURPLE, and SPAMALOT) that will help save money and sanity!
Errands
- Banking
- Obviously, notify them you'll be traveling!
- Go paperless.
- It's the dawning of the age of greenness!
- You don't want Mom involved in your financial affairs...
- Register for a rewards card.
- Charge everything.
- Set up a Mint.com account for budgeting.
- Print your statements for your accountant at tax season!
- Use your points for recreational travel or a pre-paid Christmas!
- Direct deposit will keep money IN your account...
- Set up auto-pay for your bills.
- Research
- Learn about the rules of minimalism (You don't want to carry things you won't need).
- Sign up for all rewards programs
- Hotels
- Airlines
- Pharmacies
- Retail
- Starbucks
- Follow Tony's tips!
Packing
- Get good luggage (Heys has been suggested)
- Something lightweight yet durable...
- Leave room to grow
- Get a smart phone, stupid!
- Lost? I'll get directions!
- Need Yelp? Find out what others recommend.
- Instant pics and videos and access to your Twitter and Facebook!
- Download free podcasts
- Keep your business going--email all day long!
- Buy a durable external hard drive
.
- Back it up (You don't want to lose your stuff)!
- Use Handbrake to rip your favorite movies and TV shows!
- Keep yourself entertained on long travel days
- Share with your tour mates!
- Pack a power strip
. Some hotels only have ONE outlet!!!
- Buy Purex's new detergent sheets
. It saves space and is less messy.
Bus
- Find the perfect bus buddy.
- Someone you don't see all the time--but will and can!
- Find your position (I would suggest you sleep on the floor and get an aisle seat).
- Buy a shower caddy
for the bus window.
- Store your headphones
and *headphone splitter
!
- Keep some snacks on board!
- Invest in a foam egg crate
and good pillow
!
- A sleep mask
and Benadryl
can also help you to get good rest...
Hotel
- Eat ANY free food.
- ...sneak some home for later!
- You can easily make oatmeal and coffee in your room!
- Grocery shopping saves SO much money...
- Call ahead to get a fridge and microwave.
- A plugged sink with ice can serve as a mini fridge!
- If the front desk is "out of quarters," refund your dollars in their vending machines! Hotcha!
- Ask your local crew and staff for recommendations.
- Find the hot restaurants and bars!
- Get the best stylist in town!
- Going out is expensive...
- Pre-game at home and BYOB!
- Ask about specials/happy hour when arriving.
- Just say no (once in a while).
Hope our paths cross out there!!!
(((LOVE)))
Tony
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