Tag Archives: opening night

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Opening Night- Spamalot

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I love Fall, not only is it the season when the intense AZ heat finally begins to let up and we can all stop sweating all the time, but there is something about the season that marks new. I’m not sure if it goes hand in hand with the new school year and memories of leaving summer behind and heading into uncharted territory. The other great thing about this season is that it marks the beginning of a new theatre season. We’ve all been working so hard to get this season up and going at Phoenix Theatre and finally we were able to celebrate opening night of Spamalot.

Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy, Monty Python & the Holy Grail, Spamalot tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, featuring a bevy of beautiful show girls and hilarious dance numbers, not to mention cows, killer rabbits and French people. Written by Monty Python alum Eric Idle and a musical score by John Du Prez; Spamalot “raises sillines to an art form!”

This show is just hilarious. By opening night, I’ve already seen the show twice, but this is one I could see over and over again with no problem. If you’re a fan of Monty Python and The Holy Grail, you’ll love every second of this production. I certainly can’t speak for other companies putting the show on, but our cast is outstanding and really brings all the jokes to their highest potential. Everyone seemed to have such a great time and I know this one will sell out fast once the word of mouth starts to circulate.

After the show we all headed to the opening night party. The staff, actors, and designers all  get a chance to hang out for a while and we always have the best time.

We all get a chance to be weirdos per the usual. Here, we’re being ghosts.

I just feel so lucky and blessed to be surrounded with such great people every day.

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Opening Night- Gypsy at Phoenix Theatre

 

 

I love opening night here at the theatre. I haven’t always made it a priority to see a show on opening night in the past. Actually it is usually the opposite. “Oh… that show is still playing. I better get tickets before it closes” is certainly more like it. However, since I have been working at Phoenix Theatre, opening night is kind of a special deal. It is the staff and press night. It really is a time when everyone working on the project can gather around one another and celebrate all the hard work that was put in this performance. This one was more work than most of the other shows we have worked to put up (in my time here anyways). The week leading up to opening was stressful and crazy for everyone involved, so this night was especially sweet.

Now for some shameless self promotion…

The show is really something spectacular. I’m so proud of the quality of work we put on stage. I was especially impressed with the staging and Kathy Fitzgerald certainly lived up to the hype around her Broadway success. Her character and voice carried the show in a way I don’t think many actors could. I won’t be giving a full critique as I’m really bias in my opinion, but I will say it is a beautiful show and worth seeing. Here are some of my favorite shots from the show, probably because I took them :)

Gypsy

Gypsy

Gypsy

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Gypsy

The hubs went with me to the show, but was sleepy so I went to the opening night party solo. Here are a few from the party.

The marketing department rocks!

Marketing Mavens

A few of the super talented actors I have come to know. Jonathan is actually in Gypsy as one of the farm boys, Yonkers and Trisha was on our stage earlier this season in The Spitfire Grill.

Actors

Me and Kathy Fitzgerald.

Kathy

Such a fun night! If you’re in the Phoenix area and would like to see Gypsy at Phoenix Theatre, you only have until April 1st. Go to the Phoenix Theatre website for more information and tickets.

Make sure to keep reading for some of Dawn’s thoughts on Gypsy!

Sara

 

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending two musicals I had never before seen live: RENT at Mesa Community College and Gypsy at Phoenix Theatre. Two very different venues and two very different shows.

I would like to focus here on Gypsy. As I young girl I think I held the Flagstaff Public Library record for check outs on the 1962 Gypsy starring Natalie Wood and Rosalind Russell. I could watch the last 20mins of that movie ten times in a row and never get a enough.

Last night’s staging of Gypsy made me appreciate those big final moments even more. Herby walking out on Rose, Gypsy Rose Lee stepping into the limelight and enrapturing the men around her and Mama Rose belting out Everything’s Coming Up Roses with all the passion of a star and all the desperation of a woman scorned.

If you’re in the area, don’t miss this fantastic show at Phoenix Theatre and if you’re not, do yourself a favor and hunt down a copy of the 1962 film version.

You know, maybe Gypsy Rose Lee’s autobiography, Gypsy a Memoir, should be our next book club book!

Dawn