A More Theater Monday Monthly Mashup for March, 2019 - Backstage at Wicked Rosie Theater Kids - Passing It On 2019

 

Me - My topic for this month is my visit backstage at Wicked. A friend of ours was working backstage at Wicked for a few months so I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go backstage before a performance one day. It was so big, There is a ton of space. It was the third theater that I had been lucky enough to go backstage at, and it was the biggest. The other theaters both had tiny backstage areas. This one was huge. There was a ton of props and scenery. The stage was slanted. There was a reason for it, but I forgot what it was. Our friend taught us how they keep the props and scenery from moving around on the slanted stage. Otherwise, everything would just slid down the stage and fall off which would be dangerous for everyone. I got to take pictures in front of Dorothy's house.

 
  

The first two times we went backstage, we just went on stage and in the area around there. This tour was a little more extensive. We got to go down in the area below stage too. When we rode in the elevator on our way down, there was somebody with a bunch of costumes from the show riding the elevator with us. That was really cool! Downstairs is where they do all the technical stuff for the show,  and some of the guys who work there told us about what they did. It was interesting,   Also downstairs, there were all these huge coolers of dry ice. Our friend told us how much dry ice they go through every show. I don't remember the exact amount but it is quite a lot. In the staircases, backstage they have the names of everybody who has  ever been in Wicked by  the year they were in the show so some people's names appear more than once. It's amazing how many people have been in the show including a lot of people you never knew were in the show. We are so lucky to have a friend who works on Broadway and takes us backstage at different theaters!

 


What: Rosie's Theater Kids Passing It On 2019

Where: The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College
             68th St. (between Park and Lexington Aves)
             New York, NY

When: This event took place on Sunday March 24, 2019

Mom - My topic for this month's is Rosie Theater Kids Passing It On 2019. Rosie's Theater Kids is a non-profit theater organization started by actress, comedian and former talk show host, Rosie O'Donnell in 2003 which provides dance, music and drama training to New York City kids. As part of the program kids have the opportunity to be mentored by industry professionals culminating in Passing It On, a benefit performance in which the kids have the opportunity to show what they have learned. We were lucky enough to be invited to cover this year's Passing It On which took place on March 24, 2019. It was quite an honor. The quality of the performance of the kids who participated in the performances was astounding. The performances including singing, dancing, music and even a heartbreakingly touching spoken word performance. This year's mentors included Bill Berloni, Julio Monge, Karla Garcia, Chase Brock, Claudia Rahardjanoto, Adam Cates, Michael Kooman, Sally Taylor and Nikki Kimbrough some of whom were in attendence at the event. At the end of the performances, the graduating seniors introduced themselves and spoke about the colleges they had already been accepted to and their future plans, and then several scholarships were awarded. It was refreshing to see how supportive the kids were of one another and how excited they were to see which of their classmates had been awarded scholarships. There was no hint of jealousy or disappointment which is something grown ups can learn a lesson from. It was also interesting to note that not all the kids are planning to go into a career in the performing arts. It shows how much learning about the performing arts prepares one for any type of career not just a career in the performing arts. Kids don't just learn acting, singing, and dancing in these programs. They learn how to speak in front of others, how to work with others, and many other important skills that are important in life no matter what career one pursues. It was also refreshing that not all the kids are planning on pursuing a career in theater because it is such a hard life and only a small fraction of people actually make it in the business. Not everyone is cut out for it. For these kids who are better suited to other areas to realize it at such a young age can only be beneficial for them. All in all, it was  fantastic event which we were delighted to have the opportunity to attend, and we hope to have the privledge of covering again in the future.

To find out more about Rosie's Theater Kids or to make a donation, visit https://rosiestheaterkids.org.

And that's our view.  What is in your mind?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Photo credits: All Rosie's Theater Kids Passing It On 2019 photos by Rosalie O'Connor