It's TO-DAY!

The title of this post is the title of a wonderful song by Jerry Herman from the fantastic musical Mame. I'm in a Jerry Herman type of mood today.

Why you ask? Well, things are starting to gear up for JERRY'S GIRLS, a musical review of Jerry Herman's wonderfully optimistic music, that I am directing and choreographing for McLean Community Players this spring.


We have our first production meeting with all involved on Oct. 15 in Mclean. I am very excited to get started on this project, my first theatre project in 1 and 1/2 years! The last show I worked on was Evita for Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre and that was June 2008!

So I am chomping at the bit to get in there. It's a cast of 9 women (can expand it to 12 if needed) and it's a musical review of Jerry Herman's music (Hello Dolly, Mame, La Cage Aux Folles, Mack & Mabel, and more...) It's fantastic music, full of hope and optimism, just what the public needs in times like these, I think!

Also, unlike Red,Hot & Cole, (my last directing/choreographing project at MCP back in 2008) it has a minimal amount of dialogue/script. It's basically just a review of the wonderful JH music! There is some dancing, 1 tap number, and 3 larger musical numbers and 1 big solo dance number for 1 woman (a la Chita Rivera)..so I am excited to get started.

I have a wonderful Music/Vocal Director named Rosemary Dyer. She is a mature woman and yet so full of energy and experience and I love working with her. She vocal directed Aida, Showboat and many other shows I choreographed for Hans Bachmann and she has exactly the point of view I need for this Jerry Herman music--that as you know--was mostly written for mature women to sing--Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury, Pearl Bailey, Ethel Merman, Mary Martin etc..

Jerry wrote for women of a "certain age" and songs like "I Put My Hand In", "It Takes A Woman", "So Long, Dearie", "It's Today", "Open a New Window", "Bosom Buddies", "Before the Parade Passes By", "The Best of Times", "If He Walked Into My Life" are all written for mature women who have been around the block a few times and have come out survivors. It's very exciting!

So I will definitely need Rosie's input, as a man in my late 30s, I really don't have that perspective nailed down quite yet!

I hope to have a minimal set and mostly focus on the staging and the costumes for the "spectacle" part. That keeps the budget in check and also allows the performers to shine their brightest. Am hoping to get some top-notch ladies to come out and audition!

So on with the show! More info as I have it!