Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Making of Married Alive

           Hard to believe, but in just a few days we will be opening yet another production.   This one is a musical comedy PERFECT for the holiday season.   Whether you want to attend as a couple or as a bunch of friends spending a great evening together, MARRIED ALIVE is going to be the perfect main course for your evening.   This is a brand new musical comedy with Midwest origins and will be the first time that it will be presented in our region...thus it becomes a Regional Premiere!   We all are quite aware of the trials and tribulations of trying to keep and sustain relationships....and this musical has it all.   Following the married lives of two couples.....One "just married" and the other "long time married"...the musical is sweet, touching, and--most of the time--laugh out loud funny.   From the dreaded holiday gathering with the in-laws to the struggles of adjusting to life with a new baby, or dealing with being passed by in a promotion at work, MARRIED ALIVE goes from Niagra to Viagra and back again.   Michael Rohlena, acting as Set and Lighting Designer, will be utilizing our new lighting instruments to their fullest.    WE WILL HAVE MOVING LIGHTS ON OUR STAGE!   (Too cool)   Thanks to the very generous gift from the Gilchrist Foundation, we are excited to see what our patrons reactions will be to this very "uptown" technical enhancement.   
          Okay....so I said at this post title that this would be the "Making of Married Alive"....here are a couple of quick anecdotes.    Russ and myself are playing the "older couple"....(don't know why......right?) There is a very silly scene where the two characters, Ron and Debra, are trying to spice up the excitement in their "boudoir".   I don't know about you, but seeing your long time spouse dressed up in a silly costume trying to act sexy, is a challenge for even the most jaded actress.  I have yet to get through that scene without laughing... and I mean....laughing until I cry type laughing.   Russ, while known as a serious actor, is really very comedic and it is so much fun to see how the scene is developing.  The other night, Director Donny Short, just told Russ to go with his instincts and forget the choreography.   I am looking forward to that scene every night as I know that it will be going off in some fun new directions.   (This is one example where audience response really can dictate how far a scene like this can go.....too fun).
The "just married" couple IS just married as of five short months ago (as opposed to our 396 months!) and is being played by Amanda and Reed Gibson.   Amanda has been seen on our stage several times as Amanda Powers.   This talented, multi-faceted performer will be singing for the first time as a LAMB actress and she is wonderful. Husband Reed is a former LAMB Ewe student who has grown up into a very talented performer himself and sings the heck out of the song about how he feels he "married up".  The other night at rehearsal,  Donny told him that he looks like a Disney prince.  (Our vote is the ruffian romantic lead in TANGLED...tell us what you think).   It is so much fun to have such a lovely and loving couple to work with....although I don't think Russ and I EVER kissed so much...but what the hey!   Their most difficult scenes have been the argument scenes (hmmmm....those were easy for the other couple!!!! hmmmm....)
            So....if you want to have an absolutely great time at the theatre, want to entertain friends, want to relax and just enjoy yourself or your spouse.....come and see MARRIED ALIVE.   Opening Friday, Dec. 2 and running through Dec. 18 at LAMB Arts Regional Theatre.   

oh.....and let me know what you think of our new lighting system and which Disney male romantic lead Reed looks the most like...
     
Diana Guhin Wooley
CEO LAMB Arts Ltd
417 Market Street Sioux City, IA 51103
712-293-0930
Keep current with LAMB--:www.lambtheatre.com

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