The The-Ah-Tuh - Anything Goes

I had always wanted to be in a play or musical, but was always terrified of auditioning. Finally, I bucked up my courage and auditioned, and (surprise!) was actually cast in a part with three small lines in Anything Goes, a production by the Music Theatre of Denton.

Believe it or not, this was a production fraught with drama and crisis. The leading actress developed terrible laryngitis, so opening night was cancelled and changed to a second dress rehearsal where there was NO ONE in that role on stage, just a reader in front of the stage reading lines, with the hilarious result of actors on stage interacting with a blank space on the floor. The next night we had a 'stand-in' who did a fantastic job of reading little notes left all over the stage and doing about 90% of the lines, and everyone just sort of picked up on modified choreography. The rest of the production, the cast Reno was back in her part and doing a great job.

MTD is a great group of people, all around, and in spite of a few such issues, the experience was fantastic. All the pluses made up for that horrific drive to Denton (one hour each way) each and every night. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if they cast me! Greasepaint in my blood, lots of fun.

Egads! Click on the photos for a larger view.

	Here's my very own cute but scruffy sailor, what about that beard!
Here I am, in my pivotal (drag) role as "FBI Agent #2", surrounded by the two chinamen Chris Hawthorne and Joe Strohl.
	Becky Baker (dancer) and Leigh Ann Rector (Mrs. Harcourt), one of my favorite folks from the production -- a crazy woman!
Chris, that crazy Canadian (blame Canada!), draped happily over all the girls in the cast. Chris is one of the coolest things about this production, what a GREAT guy to have as a friend!
	My good friends Blair (one of the sailors) and Lisa (the Manhattan Girl, dancer). They got married about a month after the show.
The four sailors (Dave Thomas, Lester Hasse, Dawn Williams, and Blair King) practice their singing and choreography of "Buddy Beware" which was incredibly cute. Missing from this picture is Pat Sherman (a wonderful woman!), who played Erma and should be perching on their collective knees in this scene, but who missed this rehearsal due to a family tragedy.
	Becky Pepper, Chris Hawthorne, Joe Strohl, and Jenni Myers pose in costume backstage.
Mas oui but I am a rakish french artiste! This is my ensemble for the second part of the first act, because my pivotal character "FBI Agent" actually leaves the ship in the fourth scene, never to return. I traipsed all over shipboard, with my lovely moustache, pretending to sketch the young beauties there. This would be what we in the theatre business (ahem) call "making business" on stage. Unfortunately, my fetching ensemble for the second act, the drunken floozy overaged flapper woman, was not captured on film for this page!
	John Evarts (fabulous Lord Evelyn Oakleigh) and Becky Baker.
The sailors and captain perform "There's No Cure Like Travel" early in the first act.
Dress rehearsal -- on the deck of the ship, Eli Whitney and Evangeline Harcourt meet, with his Yale bulldog and cheer, and her little dog Cheeky.
	Reno Sweeney and her "Angels" meet the Chinamen and reporters onstage.
The real Reverend Henry T. Dobson and his Chinese converts (Luke and John) on stage.
	Don't blink, you'll miss me! The FBI escort Billy, protesting, from the ship's bar to look for Moonface Martin.
The FBI arrests Reverend Henry T. Dobson by mistake, leaving Moonface Martin, in his lovely preacher's garb, on the ship's deck.
	Big stage number in first act, "Bon Voyage". The entire cast is on deck saying goodbye. I am on stage left, between two young ladies, in my french artiste outfit. The two pieces of "deck" building on the stage rotate -- that's what I fell off during the last show and managed to sprain my ankle!
Another shot of the entire crew on stage for "Bon Voyage"
	The huge production number in the first Act, "Anything Goes", with our incredible 'fill in at the last minute" Reno Sweeney
More of Anything Goes.
	Yet more of the Anything Goes choreography.
I believe this is prior to singing "Public Enemy Number One". You can see my rakish french artiste leaning over the railing and sketching the proceedings.
	John Garcia (MoonFace Martin) and Scott Wood (Billy Crocker) languish in the ship's brig
But wait! for the last rehearsal, Billy just scoots through the jail cell bars and makes his escape to sing his number.
	Chris Hawthorne spends his time in solitary.
The four sailors in their big song and dance number "There'll Always Be a Lady Fair!"
	The work crew for final tear down, showing off their muscles.
Another collection of the final gang. Great group of people, and a whole lot of fun!