We have another vlog with Brighton Beach’s Owen Grover!! Tour the set and find out the rehearsal must haves!
There are still 4 chances to see Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs! February, 2-4. www.mltlive.com for more information and to purchase tickets! See you there!
Backstage at MLT is abuzz today with anticipation for the opening of Brighton Beach Memoirs! Here’s another backstage look with Ursina!
Hello, MLT readers. We have the night before opening night off, which is both a blessing and a little scary. We certainly need the rest after long rehearsals this tech week, but we must face the fact that the rehearsal process is over: tomorrow’s the real thing! We are all excited to have an audience and put our hard work to the test. Will they laugh at the things we think are hysterical, or will the jokes fall flat? Every audience has their own personality, so it’s likely that we will experience a variety of reactions over the course of the run.
We successfully implemented real food into our dinner scene last night, which was great. It continues to be a challenge to figure out how and when to plate the food so that it is…
a) warm enough to be palatable.
b) ready to go by the time the scene starts!
I am sure we will continue to fine tune the process as the show runs. I won’t tell you what we’re substituting for the liver! The cabbage part of our “liver and cabbage” dinner is real, but none of us could actually stomach the thought of eating liver… I think we found a good alternative that is both believable and digestible. You can guess….
One must mention the tireless efforts of those who work behind the scenes to make these things happen. For example, Lee Creighton has assembled a huge amount of props, from mundane items like books and pillows to period things like vintage family photos and authentic Life magazines from 1937. You might want to ask her for her nephew Andy’s secret recipe for fake mash potatoes—I have a scene in which I have to mash the aforementioned tuber, and and they whipped me up a realistic looking batch that will last the entire run of the show without spoiling. Just don’t try to eat them…
All this while nursing a broken elbow… thanks, Lee!
-Ursina
Don’t forget that Brighton Beach Memoirs opens tomorrow night and will be running at the Firehouse from January 27th-February 5th. Head over to www.mltlive.org for tickets and more information!!
Let’s meet the youngest cast member of Brighton Beach Memoirs, Annie Krivit of Marblehead!
Tell me about yourself.
I am fourteen years old, a freshman in high school, and I love to sing and act.
And your character?
Laurie is thirteen, and she is very smart; she is constantly reading books. She appears to be an innocent little kid, but she is in tune to everything that is going on in the household. She has a “flutter” in her heart, which she often uses to her advantage.
Is this your first MLT show? If not, what else have you done?
I was in a few children’s shows, such as Into the Magic and Mystery at the Museum, several years ago.
What made you decide to audition for Brighton Beach?
I saw the audition notice on the MLT website, and I was just ending another show. I decided to audition because I wanted to take part in MLT again.
What is your favorite part of doing Brighton Beach?
I love working with people older than me. It’s been a great experience not just being in shows with other kids.
Have you had any difficulties with getting in character or finding who your character is?
I’ve had some difficulty finding out Laurie’s emotions and reactions because she is always eavesdropping, so she listens to everyone’s conversations.
How has it been working with your other cast members?
It’s been great. They’ve all been so nice and everyone’s really funny.
Do you have any before-show rituals?
Not really, except I try not to talk very much the day of a show, and I don’t sing at all before a musical, which is hard for me because I’m constantly singing.
What’s next after Brighton Beach is over?
I’m not sure yet. I’m planning on doing a few more shows before the school year is over.
And now for some completely un-theatre related questions:
What is your favorite food? Movie? Song?
My favorite food is probably chicken soup. My favorite movie is Chicago, and I don’t have a favorite song, but I’m obsessed with the Spring Awakening soundtrack. I love it.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you bring with you?
I would bring food, a good book, and my iPod. I don’t think I could live without music.
Brighton Beach Memoirs opens TOMORROW! Have you gotten your yet? Performance Dates and times: Friday, January 27 at 7:30pm; Saturday, January 28 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; Sunday, January 29 at 2:00pm; Friday, February 3 at 7:30pm; Saturday, February 4 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; and Sunday, February 5 at 2:00pm.
For ticket sales and more information please visit www.MLTlive.org!
Here we have a quick interview with Jacqui Amrich, the actress who plays Nora in MLT’s upcoming production of Brighton Beach Memoirs!
Tell me about yourself.
My name is Jacqui Amrich, I live at home with my parents, brother, and dog in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, and I currently attend Salem State University as a theater major.
And your character?
I play Nora, Eugene’s 16 year-old-cousin, Blanche’s daughter, and Laurie’s older sister. She’s a teenage girl with big dreams of being on stage, and at the top of the show she’s ecstatic to announce to the family that she had been chosen to audition for a Broadway show. She has all of the enthusiasm and excitement of youth and can often come off as dramatic or over-reactive – which also makes her very fun to play.
Is this your first MLT show? If not, what else have you done?
This is my second show at MLT and with Steve Black as a director. My first was last fall as Wendla in Spring Awakening.
What made you decide to audition for Brighton Beach?
I decided to audition for Brighton Beach Memoirs because I enjoyed my last experience with Marblehead Little Theatre so much. Steve is a fantastic director, and his process works really well with mine. I also thought it would be a wonderful, very welcome change to do a comedy, as I haven’t done one in a while; and when I read the script, I fell in love with the whole show.
What is your favorite part of doing Brighton Beach?
I think one of my favorite parts about Brighton Beach Memoirs is who I’m working with. Everyone involved is supremely skilled and talented. And when you have that level of professionalism, it allows so much room to really play with and explore the piece which makes it that much more fun. I think we all really trust and respect each other’s work which shows on stage in our family dynamic.
Have you had any difficulties with getting in character or finding who your character is?
Nora as a character was definitely difficult to ground and make real, because her actions and huge ups and downs can seem so superfluous, unjustified, and caricature-like. It was really a matter of looking closely at all of the information given on her and her history, and figuring out the source and reason for all of her behaviors in order to understand them and make them believable.
Do you have any before-show rituals?
I guess my only before-show-ritual would be pumping myself up by blasting my current favorite songs in the car on my hour-and-a-half commute to MLT, and belting along as loud as humanly possible.
What’s next after Brighton Beach is over?
After this I’m planning on taking some time to really get back into my studies at college, as I’ve been on leave for the past year. In the meantime, I will soon be appearing in the independent film Portico, presented by Cage Insider Productions, prospectively going to the Cannes Film Festival.
And now for some completely un-theatre related questions:
What is your favorite food? Movie?
One of my favorite foods growing up has always been my mom’s homemade chicken-and-wine (coq au vin)… or anything else; it’s hard to get sick of her home-cooking. One of my favorite movies is still the perfectly 90’s take on Shakespeare, 10 Things I Hate About You.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you bring with you?
On a desert Island, I would probably have to have Chapstick, a pencil, and an ENORMOUS notebook.
Have you gotten your tickets to see Brighton Beach Memoirs yet? Performance Dates and times: Friday, January 27 at 7:30pm; Saturday, January 28 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; Sunday, January 29 at 2:00pm; Friday, February 3 at 7:30pm; Saturday, February 4 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; and Sunday, February 5 at 2:00pm.
For ticket sales and more information please visit www.MLTlive.org!
Check out the video below for interviews with the cast and director of MLT’s Brighton Beach Memoirs!
Get your tickets before it’s too late! Brighton Beach Memoirs opens this Friday, January 27th and runs until February 5th. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.mltlive.org.
See you there!
WHAT IS THIS? A VIDEO!?!? Indeed it is!! Below is the first installment of the Brighton Beach Memoir’s video blog! Check it out!
Now, go immediately to www.mltlive.org to get your tickets! January 27th-February 5th at the Firehouse. 12 School Street.
Do not pass go, do not collect $200. See you there!!!
Hi blog readers! My name is Ursina Amsler and I am playing the role of Kate Jerome, the mom, in MLT’s upcoming production of “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” I can’t say I have much experience in the world of blogging, but I have been asked by our esteemed director to enlighten you with my thoughts about the creative process we have been going through to bring this witty and touching Neil Simon play to life.
First of all, let me say that I LOVE my character: Kate is a tough, strong woman who is doing her best to hold her family together. The Jeromes live in the Brighton Beach Neighborhood of Brooklyn in the 1930’s. The depression has hit and times are tough. World War II is looming and let’s just say things can be tense around the house. Kate is not the most affectionate mom (she probably didn’t read any Dr. Sears books on parenting) but she is nevertheless devoted to her family.
Owen Grover, whose video blog you will have a chance to see, plays my son, Eugene. Eugene and Kate have a fun dynamic that Owen and I have enjoyed exploring. Kate is always annoyed with Eugene’s adolescent absentmindedness—Eugene is constantly leaving things around the house, making too much noise, or generally irritating Kate with his boyish antics. We have a fun little exchange which we have dubbed the “Cirque du Soleil” move, involving the quick and agile transfer of several props including a roller skate, a baseball, and a glass of lemonade. Its not too be missed—here’s hoping I don’t spill anything.
Tech week is nearly upon us and we are all scrambling to learn our lines and work out the proverbial kinks in the production. Still in the planning stages is how to pull off the dinner scene: seven people around a dining room table eating liver… yum. I’ll let you know what we come up for that one!
– Ursina
Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs will be running at the Firehouse from January 27th-February 5th. Don’t forget to head over to www.mltlive.org for tickets and more information!!
Backstage at MLT 