{"id":519,"date":"2024-06-29T15:33:50","date_gmt":"2024-06-29T19:33:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/?p=519"},"modified":"2024-06-29T15:33:50","modified_gmt":"2024-06-29T19:33:50","slug":"after-the-ball-is-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/theater-life\/after-the-ball-is-over\/","title":{"rendered":"After the ball is over . . ."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"168\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/coach-castle.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/coach-castle.jpg 168w, https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/coach-castle-84x150.jpg 84w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 168px) 100vw, 168px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Our Cinderellas danced and sang and shared heart and soul with all who came to celebrate the magic and publication of &#8220;Cinderellas of West 53rd Street:  Stories from the Legendary Rehearsal Club!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>None of us like waiting for the phone to ring so we are all continuing to create while finding our next &#8220;Corner of the Sky&#8221; as Stephen Schwartz so brilliantly wrote for Pippin &#8212; and our &#8220;Rising Stars,&#8221; Julia Adams and Sofie Hans opened our Cinderella Cabaret with heartbreaking brilliance.  Check them and all the other Cinderellas and Friends in this &#8220;teaser&#8221; video:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Circle of Cinderellas Cabaret Teaser\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lu8tl5XHAX4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>My goodness it felt good to &#8220;strut our stuff&#8221; on a stage again!  Mary Lou Barber, Diane Findlay and me singing &#8220;Broadway Baby,&#8221; originated by Ethel Shutte who had to be in her 90s when she brought down the house in <em>Follies.<\/em>  My friend, Nelson Aspen, snapped this shot with his IPhone (I totally do not remember this moment).  But it&#8217;s quite fun, yes??  We ALL had a blast doing the song &#8212; and both women were amazed I came in on time and on pitch!  The magic of an audience and the energy of adrenalin pumping that captures those unexpected moments in time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1021\" src=\"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Baby3-1-1024x1021.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-523\" srcset=\"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Baby3-1-1024x1021.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Baby3-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Baby3-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Baby3-1-768x766.jpg 768w, https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Baby3-1.jpg 1194w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to coming in on pitch with &#8220;Broadway Baby,&#8221; I HAD to perform the song that&#8217;s made Steve and me semi-famous &#8212; at least to those in show business who recognize the history and gestation of <em>A Chorus Line <\/em>and the two characters on the line, &#8220;Al&#8221; &#8212; the guy from the Bronx &#8212; and &#8220;Kristine&#8221; &#8211; the gal who &#8220;couldn&#8217;t sing!&#8221; &#8212; that were &#8220;us&#8221; &#8212; in the room with Michael Bennett.  I learned years later that Ed Kleban, whom I&#8217;d never met, create the &#8220;SING!&#8221; song from the tapes, listening to the interaction of Steve and me during that first night of taping.  I was a nervous wreck in front of the great MICHAEL BENNETT, constantly losing my train of thought &#8212; even tho I said very little that night.  Steve, however, managed to finish my sentences, keeping me on track whenever I did try to &#8220;share&#8221; how I ended up in dance.  My coming-of-age story actually intertwines with &#8220;Sheila.&#8221;  My mother was divorced, raised me on her own which meant I created my home away from home &#8212; with like-minded friends and a motherly dance teacher in El Paso, Texas.  See?  Judy Turner, the tall one who &#8220;shaved her sister&#8217;s head&#8221; was also part of &#8220;me.&#8221;  I just never had a sister.  Or a brother.  Or an Ozzy &amp; Harriet kind of 50&#8217;s home.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But my mother&#8217;s every choice was for my benefit.  I knew that and that is part of the story I told with Chryssie Whitehead who re-created my story in the 2006 Broadway revival of <em>A Chorus Line<\/em>.  Iconic.  We were FABULOUS together (I thought).  We both royally screwed up the duet, but the audience didn&#8217;t seem to notice &#8212; or if they did, they didn&#8217;t care.  We laughed.  We hugged.  We celebrated each other&#8217;s manic energy.  You just had to be in the room with us to truly understand.  Below is an excerpt from both &#8220;Sing!&#8221; &amp; &#8220;Broadway Baby.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cinderella Cabaret - Sing! &amp; Broadway Baby\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9pRbm1g0ylc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Cinderella Broadway Friends, Anita Gillette, Kurt Peterson and Jane Summerhays (front row below), who showed up to share the stage with us . . . rocked the room with their talents proving age is just a number and we all still got a lotta living to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"441\" height=\"604\" src=\"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/approved-group-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526\" srcset=\"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/approved-group-1.jpg 441w, https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/approved-group-1-219x300.jpg 219w, https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/approved-group-1-110x150.jpg 110w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 441px) 100vw, 441px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Back row, Diane Findlay, Julia Adams and Chryssie Whitehead<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that the celebration &#8220;ball&#8221; is over and the Cinderella Book and Audiobooks are out there and available for others to share in a world gone by for The Rehearsal Club, we continue to support the sisterhood of like-minded women keeping <a href=\"https:\/\/rehearsalclubnyc.com\/\">The Rehearsal Club<\/a> name alive for the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boockvorproductions.com\/\">Boockvor Productions <\/a>continues to educate and inspire the performing artist.  We were the wind beneath the sails leading the Cinderellas to publication; we continue to create a safe space for artists to feel challenged with Shakespeare readings &#8212; while keeping the door open to working with the best of the best wherever they might lead us.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, we mourn the passing of those who lifted us up &#8212; Michael Bennett, Bob Fosse, Hal Prince, Marty Charnin and others &#8212; probably still creating with the legions of angel dancers on a much more divine stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Latest life challenge is much more mundane &#8212; updating this particular website!  About 5 days before our Cinderella Cabaret went up, my computer decided to CRASH!  Now that my new one is up and running, I can no longer edit this site without paying a monthly fee to Adobe for the privilege!!  So &#8212; when I can focus &#8212; I&#8217;ll take the &#8220;free&#8221; trial to update &#8212; then cancel and start working on revamping the whole thing elsewhere.  I wonder how many others &#8220;out there&#8221; are experiencing this same &#8220;corporate greed&#8221; ripping off the lower and middle class?  I am one small voice adjusting &#8212; and not liking &#8212; to what I see happening to our country.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I actually saw it years ago when the Supreme Court gave Microsoft its monopoly and Wordperfect (an excellent data processing program I used in the law firm) went out of business!  Word took over the law firm (they trained me so I then had the skill to write that book!  Silver lining).  At least Microsoft allowed me to &#8220;buy&#8221; the new programs.  But we can&#8217;t always make lemonade from the lemons the government throws our way.  My own daughter freaked out when Roe vs Wade got reversed!  What if??!!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We, Steve and I thru Boockvor Productions, could lead our women to write and complete our Cinderella Project; we can provide the platform for actors in our circle to challenge and grow; we cannot change the course of America&#8217;s history.  We can just make sure our Democratic vote gets counted and those with forked tongues are suppressed, allowing the foundation of checks and balances our forefathers created to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stay tuned to this ongoing soap opera I call my life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Invictus:  I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.  William Ernest Henley<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"388\" height=\"272\" src=\"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/BP.Logo2_.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-527\" srcset=\"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/BP.Logo2_.jpg 388w, https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/BP.Logo2_-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/BP.Logo2_-150x105.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 388px) 100vw, 388px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our Cinderellas danced and sang and shared heart and soul with all who came to celebrate the magic and publication of &#8220;Cinderellas of West 53rd Street: Stories from the Legendary Rehearsal Club! Now what? None of us like waiting for the phone to ring so we are all continuing to create while finding our next &#8220;Corner of the Sky&#8221; as Stephen Schwartz so brilliantly wrote for Pippin &#8212; and our &#8220;Rising Stars,&#8221; Julia Adams and Sofie Hans opened our Cinderella Cabaret with heartbreaking brilliance. Check them and all the other Cinderellas and Friends in this &#8220;teaser&#8221; video: My goodness it \u2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"continue-reading-button\"> <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/theater-life\/after-the-ball-is-over\/\">Continue reading<i class=\"crycon-right-dir\"><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[36,9,54,27,25],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=519"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":529,"href":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519\/revisions\/529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denisepence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}