My alarm clock. Happy Saturday, #missdallasmagnolia!
Dogs walked. Now it’s time for the most important choice of the day #donnabellsbakery
I can’t start any day without coffee and the NY Times crossword. In ink, of course. Baku helped.
PSM Bonnie Panson calls half-hour while stage manager Trey Johnson makes sure we’ve all signed in.
Christy Altomare starts her day with relaxation and positive thoughts. And tea.
Gentlemen, start your engines.
The ladies start every 2-show day with a group workout.
At every performance, Mary Beth Peil makes the rounds to wish everyone a good show. Here, Wes Hart is her lucky target.
Dowager ascending a staircase.
Derek Klena and I are as ready as we’ll ever be. Blasting Foreigner and The Doobie Brothers helps.
John Bolton
The Romanov sisters on stage a minute before curtain up.
Kevin Munhall warms up with an impromptu handstand just before curtain.
Conductor Tom Murray waits for his cue to start the music. The cast watched him from backstage monitors.
Caroline O’Connor waits to make her entrance backstage.
A hilarious pair: Ken Krugman and Zach Adkins admire their stylin’ palace wear.
Derek and Christy are way too sly with their fancy Anastasia blanket from a talented fan.
Constantine Germanacos grabs a free moment offstage to vocalize before his beautiful “Stay, I Pray You”.
Christy’s dressing room is rapidly filling up with thoughtful gifts from her many fans. It’s the bottom shelf, with its endless supply of candy, that’s the favorite of the cast and crew. I’m proud/not proud to have performed my solo “Meant to Be” on stage with half a Kit Kat in my mouth.
See? The Countess and The Common Man aren’t always crazy.
OK yes we are.
The matinee is finished. After greeting literally hundreds of fans at the stage door, Ramin Karimloo spends his break between shows in his dressing room working on his music: a brilliant mix of originals and covers that keeps me constantly entertained in the room next door.
Today, Mary Beth dines in her dressing room before reading and a nap between shows.
I try for a nap on the couch at home a few blocks away but Baku has other ideas.
One of my favorite dinners: Aka Obi Ramen from City Kitchen in my dressing room while Ramin is still playing great music next door.
"It's Saturday night on Broadway"! Bonnie calls half hour for the evening show. She always gives us theatre history tidbits as well - today we learn that Leslie Caron, Twyla Tharp, Dan Ayckroyd and MIssy Elliott were born.
Kid wrangler extraordinaire Amy Castro with her talented young charges, McKayla Twiggs and Nicole Scimeca. Their room is a constant source of laughter and a common refrain on their floor is "what are they doing In there?"
The coronation of the czarina: a very formal event that hair dresser Jessica McGinty performs several times during each performance in the basement of The Broadhurst. Once the dress is on, the beautiful Lauren Blackman will be wearing 50 lbs of fabric and jewels.
Janet Dickinson and Jennifer Smith coyly prepare for their royal duties on stage just before the curtain rises. Beneath their royal garb they are wearing their "Rumor in St Petersburg" outfits.
Like flying a plane: the sound board monitor backstage.
Derek is very protective of his voice, his hair, and his trail mix.
Christy keeps up with her busy social media life while the Dowager sings "Close the Door" on the monitors.
The view from upstairs. I think Escher must have worked at The Broadhurst.
Speaking of The Broadhurst, the theater celebrates its 100th birthday this month! Broadway stage manager and theatre historian Tripp Phillips hunted down every Playbill from every show that ever played the Broadhurst and created this amazing tribute in the stairwell. We are thrilled to join the illustrious history of this beautiful theater!
Zach Adkins, Shina Ann Morris and Jennifer Smith all glammed up to party at the Neva Club.
Stage management team Lee Micklin, Trey Johnson and Bonnie Panson with pals Rasputin and Bartok.
That's a wrap! Two shows done - now off to grab a drink at Sardi's with friends then home to walk the dogs and head to bed. Til next time!
"The Press Conference" just ended but Linda Cho's amazing reporter costumes are ready for the next performance.
No photo can capture the craziness that is our stage door. We love our Fanastasias!
