BACKSTAGE BLOG – Once More from the Top
Rehearsals are measured not in hours, but in calories burned. The cast and production team of Inspire have been hard at work these last two weeks making sure everything is pretty and perfect for opening day. There has been laughter, tears, sweat, and probably some blood, too, but I am trying to make this a family-friendly post.
Amidst about a week of wondering which of us is going to be the next one to become stricken with some kind of stomach ailment, cold, or slight fever, we were able to celebrate the birthday of Corey O’Brien, our lovely male dancer! There are currently two birthday cakes in the kitchen of our cast house right now. They are right next to the Cheerios, but this information is irrelevant.
On another note, the costumes for this show are banging. I don’t want to give anything away, but I am going to steal every suit jacket and nice pair of pants after our final performance. The photo to the left is proof that Julie Keough-Mishler (with Dan Radlbeck, AMT Stage Manager) looks just as graceful offstage as she does on! The ladies look beyond fabulous in their many evening gowns, and I’ve just got to say that real men wear purple, pink, and lavender. Congratulations, Wess Cooke – you are a real man. In the photo below, Matthew Gotwalt, Company Show Manager, models the latest Inspire fashion. I think he cried when he had to take it off!
So my friends and family are constantly asking me what to expect when they come see the show. While I almost want to lie to them and say that I’m now working as a male model on “The Price is Right Live!” coming to AMT on April 19, I will share with you what I share with them … I tell them that they will see a dance move called The Titanic, yet it has nothing to do with the Celine Dion songs that will be performed in the show. I tell them that the beautiful set, lights, instrumentals, and sound effects will create a powerful experience for the audience, but really all I’m doing is looking for which number on the stage to travel to next. Seriously, there’s a very scientific system when it comes to hitting your marks on this stage. My choreography for one song is 14-20-9-12-16. Another is 1-5-9-1-3-12. And finally, I tell them that the show will do exactly what the title dictates. It will inspire.
— Rocky Paterra, Inspire Vocalist