Opening Night

Boy, stage makeup is scary isn't it?? 

Well, we opened on Friday! It went well, all things considered. Saturday night was even better. This show is really a dancer's show. There are so many phenomenal dance numbers, and the choreography by Alex Sanchez is both stunning beautiful and intensely energetic. As the Conta Costa Times said, we have a "cast of nearly two dozen powerhouse dancers who leap and soar around the stage". They get applause during numbers every night!

That review overall is pretty funny, and really nails the production on the head. (See my side links). Seven Brides is not a musical you go to for deep emotional content, nor is it politically correct, realistic, contemporary or brilliantly written. However, if you can suspend your disbelief (as you often must in musical comedy), it's is utterly hilarious, silly, energetic and engaging.  We're having a blast!! The audiences have started hissing and cheering on different characters as they get further into the show. 

Woodminster is really a family venue, in every sense of the term. It is run by two generations of the Schlader family, and a large portion of their audiences are families that come in groups, with their blankets, food and warm coats for a beautiful night under the stars. 

I love this venue. Really. I LOVE it. It's so beautiful. From the seats, you can look over the proscenium and see the glowing lights of the San Francisco shoreline. The theatre itself is surrounded by redwoods, which happen to be my favorite tree. So I'm just in a little piece of heaven in this theatre.

Show closes Sunday!! 4 more performances!!

www.Woodminster.com

Let me know if you're coming out to see it.

Lots of love,

Mindy

"Seven Brides" Opens Friday July 11th!

Hey everybody!

Rehearsals are moving right along. It's been intense rehearsing outdoors. On weekends, we have daytime rehearsals in the blistering heat (literally... the soles of people's shoes are melting off as they dance). And on weekdays we rehearse at night. That's hasn't been so bad. We only had one really frigid night during the first or second week, when I would sing, and sustain a note, and streams of mist would come out of my mouth! It's great to be out in nature though! It's such a gorgeous venue. It's nestled into the Oakland hills, among the redwoods, and you can see the lights of San Francisco beyond the proscenium of the theatre! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

We just got our sounds system on Tuesday, and I'm making all the necessary vocal adjustments. Everything is sounding 10 times better! It's echoing through the hills. Because of the amplification, and the fact that I can now hear myself (it's a 2,000 seat, outdoor, uncovered theatre), I'm able to put all the finesse back into the sound. It's so gratifying... *sigh* All that hard work does pay off in the end. Yay.

And we're opening in two days!! I'm so excited!! It's getting better every night. Some of the cuts in the show are pretty awkward - but we're making sense out of them. I understand why they made them. When your audience is out in the cold, they can get antsy pretty quickly. Ah, outdoor theatre!

Here are some pics for you guys. They were all taken in broad daylight, and before the sets were finished, but they're still really fun. I hope you enjoy them!

Love,

Mindy

It begins...

Hi all!

Welcome to my new blog!

I'm excited to announce that I've been cast in the starring role of Milly in "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" at the Woodminster Amphitheatre this summer! I'm so excited to have another great role to dig my teeth into. It's so wonderful to have a full and lush arch to let go into night after night. It's a meditation in being present. I think one of my favorite things in the world is being ontstage and realizing that "Mindy" has been completely gone for a period of time, and that in that space, somebody else has actually had the space to show up.  

I had the experience a lot during My Fair Lady, and it was so wonderful. Of course, it helps to have such an outstanding leading man to play off of. Kit was so steady, consistant and present every day, no matter what was going on. I never had to worry about him, and that freed me up so much. We just fed off of each other! Anytime you have the opportunity to work with him, do it!

I'm also delighted to say that I'll be performing in a couple of weeks with the Oakland East Bay Symphony for the first time.  Actually, it's my first time performing with ANY symphony. I could get used to this! 

We'll be doing a concert version of Follies (as you can see!) and I'll be portraying Young Phyllis. Rita Moreno will be guest starring. We only have four nights of rehearsal, which is a totally new way of working for me. Talk about doing your homework!! I'm hoping that I'll get to watch Rita rehearse. I've heard so many amazing things about her. I doubt I'll have much contact with her at all, as she's doing a one song stint, and I've got a tiny role. But none the less: if I get to watch her, I am going to EAT IT UP!!! AH!

I'm waiting to hear back about a few more gigs, and I should have news about the rest of my summer before Follies opens. So I'll keep you all posted!