What can I say?

On Friday, April 30, 2010, Kevin Covert called out of the show. After month’s of competing for the perfect attendance record, Covert went down.

Next week’s Covert Report is going to be quite interesting.

This week’s Facebook Status Update of the week:

Softball day!

I kinda of have the best job. I kind of left the office and went to Central Park today. And it was a nice day:

And I liberated Tegan from the Company Management office and we went to the park and I ate a pretzel and sat on bleechers and lots of softball. I say “lots” because all six fields were in use at the same time! That’s alot of Broadway folks. And a lot of softball. Players often overlapped in the outfield and everyone had to be super vigilent that they woudn’t be tagged by a Rock of Ages homer or a Mary Poppins foul ball.

This picture doesn't really do it justice, but let's just say, these two players are not playing in the same game.

Softball is WAAAAYYY different than bowling. The Bowling League is competitive but it is Man vs. Pins and there is not a lot of strategy involved. With Softball, there is crazzzy strategy: batting order, base coaching, positions, teamwork. And thus, the vibe is way more competitive. But I have thoughts as to how to bring up the fun in the stands…

Today we played the team from HAIR, who, surprisingly, had clothes on. (hardee har). They lead for much of the game until a late inning rally by Team Fantasticals which left us only one run behind by the end of this pre-season game.

Ephraim, this Ailvin Ailey trained dancer, was quite the ball player.

Sound Man, Ty, gets congratulated on a great play.

Stage Manager, Arturo

Chad's dresser, Jim, checks out the action with his pup, Spence.

I think Daniel knows I was taking his picture

Check out the leaves flowing in the breeze while Erik pitches. Can anyone say, allergies?

Chad smiles despite defeat.

My favorite part? That Stage Manager, Gary, was like a full-on coach. But because we know him as afriend and colleague, its more like having your Dad or Uncle coaching you, where you know for sure they are still going to like you if you strike out but you desperately want to do well for “Coach.”

Coach Gary

Oh, and Stage Manager Monica, who was all over the score book- you can take the girl out of the Stage Management office, but you can’t take the stage manager out of the girl.

Way to go Fantasticals! Better luck next week!

The Covert Report – Volume 27

Kicking Ass and Taking Names

Well, the 30’s have come and gone. If I do say so myself (and I will) I had quite an AMAZING birthday party on Sunday night after the matinee. The lovely people over at the Glass House Tavern on 47th were kind enough to section off part of the bar, and the upstairs mezzanine for my birthday!! Good food and lots of flowing drinks.

Pretty much my entire cast came to celebrate with me….and an additional 70 or so people wandered in and out over the course of the evening. I am truly very blessed to have such wonderful friends. My friend Mia had a 3 tiered cake made with a topper that said “The Mayor of Broadway turns 40″. Now, when Gerry MacIntyre saw this he became immediately offended….Sorry Gerry, there is a new Mayor in town. Not to be outdone, he has now deemed his new title to be “Governor”. Congrats on your promotion Gerry.

It was a truly amazing night. My friends Holly and Steve hired a photographer to capture the whole evening on film. Look for pictures soon!

Now, back to my friend Mia. She is the one getting married in St. Lucia in July, and she had asked me weeks ago to attend her dress fitting this past Monday. Even though it was the actual birthday, I said that I would go with her because I can’t wait to see this dress. Well, instead of a fitting we pull up in a cab in front of The Great Jones Spa!! It was a birthday surprise!!!

My treatment specialist and massage therapist, Tobias, was amazing. The massage was just what these old bones needed and I had something called a “coconut and sugar scrub”…..I could honestly go to a spa every day off…

Once the treatments were finished, I was told to put on my new swimsuit that Mia had given me and head down to the “Aqua Lounge” for some hottubbing and a little R&R. Expecting to find Mia awaiting me, instead I find Mia, Holly and Liz!!!! This is awesome. Five minutes later, Dylis rounds the corner with a bottle of bubbly!! Five minutes after that, here comes Justin with 3 bottles of bubbly. My dearest friends, and a spa day. Could 40 get off to a better start?

A few hours later (and only one reprimand from management to keep our voices down) Dylis made the observation that we were basically using the spa as a bar. A bit water logged, we decided it was time to leave the heavenly confines of Great Jones Spa and head over to Five Points for a little snack.

Then, it was off to nap before my official Birthday Dinner at Becco!! Thanks to Mia, Al, Dylis, Scott, Enders, Brad, Holly, Steve, Justin, Stephen, Liz, Jermaine, Chad, Jaime and Nicole for amazing company and just a marvelous dinner filled with trivia questions about my life! 40 ain’t so bad after all….

Here is an even better way to start off the new decade. I woke up to a text from my fave gal Carolyn that MEMPHIS TIED FOR THE MOST OUTER CRITIC CIRCLE NOMINATIONS with 7!!! How cool is that? Yay for Chad, Montego and Cass for their acting noms – To Chris for director and Sergio for choreography. To David and Bryan for the score, and to the entire company for BEST MUSICAL! That is an amazing birthday present.

To keep the celebration going, Liz and I went to the Easter Bonnet yesterday. And YES….MEMPHIS WON FOR PRESENTATION for the most amazing spoken word, singing and dance piece called “Love Terrorists”. It took my breath away with it’s beauty. My cast rocks!! And big kudos to Debbie in wardrobe for the amazing Bonnet!! What a great piece.

Then, to end Easter Bonnet, Montego came out and sang an absolutely stunning rendition of “Help Is On The Way” She looked and sounded like an angel.

All in all, I would say that MEMPHIS is kicking ass and taking names, and that all my worries about the big FOUR ZERO were just silly.

Here is to another blessed week at The Shubert on Broadway!!

Hockadoo!!

-Kevin

Celebrity Sighting of the Week – You know, I was so wrapped up in turning 40 and planning my party, I didn’t even notice…..maybe Carolyn can throw one in here?… In the “Kevin is dumb” category….there was not only a celeb here, but he came to my birthday party!! Stage and TV star Christopher Seiber with whom I was lucky enough to do “SPAMALOT” with!! What an awesome friend, talent and person!!

With all the excitment thus far this week, this blog entry could probably write itself. It it could, it would say:

Dear Blog, yesterday the show Memphis was honored with Seven Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations. And no, despite all temptation, the producers did not run over to Sardi’s to celebrate (Sardis is closed on Monday).  I know for a fact that the Memphis family truly feels honored to be nominated- and that’s not a cliched phrase- find yourself nominated for something big in your industry and I dare you not to feel completely humbled into using that phrase.

So now the Memphis Blog has become the official blog of the Broadway musical which garned the most O.C.C. nominations. No matter what happens, we will always have that. “No, No, they can’t take that away from me.” If only there were awards for official Broadway Production Diary Blogs…

The fun did not stop on Monday.

Today’s events saw Memphis take the top honor for Best Presentation at the 24th annual BC/EFA Easter Bonnet Competition. This event marks the end of the Spring Fundraising efforts by the Broadway community to support BC/EFA as well as:

The AIDS Initative

The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative

The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic

The Dancer’s Resource

The Actor’s Fund

and many more health organizations, grant programs, and social services in this country and throughout the world. For instance, BC/EFA has donated $2.7 million dollars to AIDS organizations in South Africa in honor of the cast members of the Broadway and National Touring Companies of The Lion King.

This year’s Spring Collection drive raised an astonishing amount of money: $3, 265,700

In addition to doing 6 weeks of fundraising, some of the Broadway shows will also create elaborate Easter Bonnets and perform a piece as part of the production.

Special Memphis Blog Shout out to Memphis Producer Nick Demos who directed the opening number this year an homage to Lady Gaga, a Broadway goes Gaga spectacle if you will. Also to Memphis Producer Francince Bizar who let Costume Designer, Machine Dazzle, hole up in her midtown apartment to create those opening number costumes. (Fun Fact: Francine’s apartment is rapidly becomign the go-to place for crafts as her kitchen was the site of the 100th performance cake baking party. We love Francine!)

The Memphis piece, called “Love Terrorists” is featured in the YouTube clip below- see the company win for Best Easter Bonnet presentation at the end of the clip as well!

Book by Daniel Watts, Music by Derrick Baskin, Directed by James Brown III and Ephraim Sykes, Choreographed by Ephraim Sykes, the Memphis piece also included:
Tracee Beazer, Hillary Elk, Rhett George, Tyrone Jackson, Candice McCall, SydneyMorton, Vivian Nixon (back from LA having just shot an episode of “Glee”), John Eric Parker, Betsy Struxness, Cary Tedder, LaQuet Sharnell, Charlie Williams, and Dan’yelle Williamson.

This is something that takes an extraordinary effort to put together. If you’ve seen the show, you see what these cast members do every show. Now, picture the Wednesday matinee comes down. These guys take about 20-25 minutes before they reassemble on the Shubert stage and then they put this together. Then they do an evening show. Now multiple this by several Wednesday and Saturday rehearsals and the result; a moving, visually stunning, gloriously choreographed original piece. Kudos to them. Major Kudos.

The cast onstage after winning the Presentation part of the competition

This piece would not have been as successful without the efforts of our wardrobe department. John, Debbie, Jim, and Miro- who spent weeks constructing an Easter Bonnet that would "explode" and move. Their talents and their efforts are so appreciated by the entire Memphis family. So its only natural to show off the Bonnet a bit!

The top of the bonnet; the weapons of mass destruction if you will

(This one is for Thea who I know will appreciate this) Wanna know what puts the Broadway in Broadway?

Individual bugle beads glued onto the fake grenades.

They don't mess around these Wardrobe folks!

AND that is not all the wonderfulness today- oh no. Today, we caught the first glimpse of Ephraim Sykes as part fo the Broadway Bares ad campaign!

Mr. Moneybags, Ephraim poses to support Braodway Bares.

When it rains, it pours. And then you go to Sardis.

So as this awards season begins and becomes all anyone in the industry is talking about, we wanted to take a moment to say that we are thrilled to be here, doing our show, night after night and are loving every minute of being part of the Broadway community. From baring it all to baring our souls, we’ll do it all. Just put a sign up sheet on the callboard.

And a very Happy Opening to next door neighbors, ENRON! The view from Sardis of course as the Press start to assemble to catch the Arrivals.

Q & A with J (Week Four)

“I was never tiny.”

J. Bernard Calloway (Delray) has been answering your questions for four weeks now. Thanks to all who submitted questions so far and sorry if we haven’t gotten to your question! I’m working with J on other special blog entries so look out for those to come soon!

1. Have you ever completely broken character in Memphis or any other shows you’ve been in? If so what was the cause and did you give the person that caused it a smackdown afterwards?- BJ

What’s up BJ! I have never completely broken character, but there have been moments sporadically in Memphis when that has happened. Really no specific moments. You must know that when one is doing live theatre sometimes things go a little wonky. No smackdowns have occured. YET!! Lol

2. Do you play any musical instruments?- Raellen

Hey Raellen! Great seeing you again. Yeah! My main instrument, outside of singing, is the drumset. I do dabble a little on the piano and some acoustic guitar.

3. Superman or Batman?

Superman. ALL DAY BABY!!

4. Yankees or Mets?

Yankees. Nothing against the Mets:-)

5. If you could trade places with any character in the show, whose track would you want to try for a day? -Sarah

Hey Sarah! Awesome question. I would try Gator’s track. I mean, of course I would have to take it down a couple of keys. TRUST!

HAD TO ASK: Randy once told someone in our office (not naming names) that “she must have been a weird kid.” What were you like as a tiny tot? Were you tiny? -Carolyn (I would not be opposed to seeing a pic of Baby Jeffrey…Trust.)

I was a cry baby! Yeah I’m not afraid to admitt it! Lol!! I was a good kid though. Very active! I was never tiny. I really started getting big in high school playing football and on through college.

Another day out of the city. Waiting for the Stage Management report from this afternoon’s matinee to come through so you can see why I am forced to do another one of these “Did you know?” series.

For today’s topic, I thought I would pick something more salacious: Making out.

For Chad and Montego, playing “Huey” and “Felicia” all of these years, I’m sure the kissing part of the show is somewhat old hat for them. HOWEVER, for months now,  I  have been watching Montego’s mouth, more precisely, her lips and her lip color- or lack of it.

Did you know, that Montego strategically alters her lip color throughout the show? The first time I noticed it, was in the “Someday” scene. When Felicia comes back and says “I hope you don’t mind me coming back, but, I owe you something, don’t I? The big first kiss is coming up in this scene but I didn’t want to presume, so I went to Betty.

Betty, or “Betty Spaghetti’ as Derrick once referred to her in his Broadway.com video blog, is Montego’s dresser. One afternoon, in the wings, I asked betty about Montego’s changing “lip moments” through the show.

“Is it strategic or does she not have time to reapply when she is offstage?”

Betty responds “Her lips are a very big part of the changes.”

And that was all I got out of Betty Spaghetti.

I’m sure Betty didn’t want to reveal the “Magician’s secrets” as it were so I went to the source. Ms. Montego herself. In fact, Montego came to me. What I mean is that she wanted to talk to me about a totally unrelated topic and invited me to her dressing room (go me, go me) where I sat on the floral chaise. (For those of you watching Broadway.com, Jackie Hoffman is not the only Broadway personality with a chaise…)  So I’m on the floral chaise and I ask her about her “lip moments.”

“I think the worst thing in the world would be to leave Chad out there with all of that mess all over him,” she said. “He doesn’t have the ability to deal with it onstage so , yes, I deliberatley change my lip color to prevent being all over him for the rest of the show.”

Ahhh, confirmation. Case closed.

Watch for it: lips on, lips off, lips on, lips off and so on and so forth until the curtain call and the making out is done.

Easy, breezy, beautiful.

When traveling, it becomes exponentially more difficult to blog about the show. I can’t run over to an event or to the theatre and grab some pictures; its harder to be inspired by the days events when the days events are not coming through to your so-called “smart phone.” (this problem has sinced corrected itself).

Since I am out in the great wide world free from the world back home (aka no phone), I had many hours to ponder what I could possibly write about. As I have the wonderful advantage of being able to go see the show whenever I like, the amount of times I have seen the show is too numerable to count. When you see the show that many times, you begin to watch other things onstage besides the main action. You start to solve the mystery of quick changes (well, maybe that’s just me as a former dresser- I feel like I say that a lot-clearly I miss being ”in the action’ as it were) or you come up with questions to ask the actors that usually begin with “is that on purpose?”

So this weekend, I hope to share with you some of my “observations” which may or may not enhance your viewing next time you see the show. Maybe you’ve already figured these things out yourself. Most likely these tidbits will have no bearing on your life whatsoever.  But maybe they will blow your mind…

Did you know that during the Opening Number, “Underground”, the Main Street Ensemble (Charlie, Betsy, Cary, Hillary) are the people crossing on the bridge before Huey walks into the Delray’s bar?

Now you may be thinking, “aren’t those the white kids in the show? What are they doing on Beale Street? Isn’t that a major plot point the show- that “white folks” don’t come down there very often, “unless they officers of the law we’ve got to slip ‘em some cash?”

If you were saying that to yourself, you are correct.

This problem is solved through costuming. For instance, Hillary and Betsy wear very dark colored pantyhose, and voila!; a Main Street Cast member is suddenly an extra in the Beale Street number.

Like I said before, these tidbits will probably have no bearing on your life whatsoever…these were much more interesting in my head then they are written out…hockadoo?

The Covert Report – Volume 26

TWENTY SIX!!!

Now this is very exciting for me.  Very very exciting.  Why you ask?  Well, here we are on week number 26 of the Covert Report…and it just happens to be my FAVORITE NUMBER!!!

Let’s count the ways.  Well, I was born on April 26 (isn’t it a strange coincidence that the 26th Covert report will collide with my not 26th birthday?)

The number 26 is in my social security number.

If you spell my name – KEVIN – out on the touch pad of a phone it equals 26. (I had a LOT of free time growing up….)

I graduated 26th in my class from High School.

Basically it is just a really awesome number.

Many many congratulations are in order this week here at MEMPHIS.  To start off, our very own Charlie Williams was crowned MR. BROADWAY on Monday night at Symphony Space.  The competition was fierce, but my boo bear was head and shoulders above the competition.  The evening started off with the talent portion.  Charlie came out in sweats and began to RAP about how he was new to the city and to Broadway and how he just wants to be himself.  Then he stopped mid rap and said that if he was really gonna be himself that wasn’t the way it was gonna be.  He then stripped down to a silver sequin outfit with black tights and totally danced it out to Streisand’s MAIN EVENT!!  It was brilliant!  (Side note…I actually had to tell Charlie that “The Main Event” was actually a movie with Streisand and Ryan O’Neal about a woman who owned a cosmetics company and a washed up boxer…that is useless knowledge stuck in my brain….Oh, the 80’s…)

Next onto the interview.  Looking very dapper in a suit, Charlie was quick to answer Michael Musto’s q uestion….”Do you think Spiderman will open?”  Charlie replied, “Yes, February 25th just like the posters say”…..

Finally the swimsuit competition.  I was particularly proud of this portion b/c Charlie bought the little speedo he wore with a gift certificate I gave him for his birthday…and I helped him pick it out.  Ah youth….the last time I wore a speedo I was 26 (see how I brought that around full circle?).

With all the contestants gathered onstage, Tovah Feldshuh announced to the awaiting crowd that the winner was MR. MEMPHIS!!  Congratulations Charlie –  I am so proud of you that I think you should take a night off to ponder what you will do with this crown to make the World a better place (ANYTHING to try and get the little bastard to miss a show…these final 4 are stubborn!!)

Also, this week marks the beginning of, gulp, awards season.  It truly gives me heartburn, but it is gonna happen whether I want it to or not.  The first out of the gates is The Drama League.  MEMPHIS was honored with a nomination for Best New Musical and an acting honor for the lovely Montego Glover!  So, here we go!!

Now, remember a few weeks ago when I talked about those damn pants that Chad threw into the audience?  Then the next show he threw them away from me onto the stage.  Well, fasten your seat belts and get ready for this one.  There is definitely some sort of pants conspiracy going on…..

This past Sunday matinee, the very dapper and talented Bryan Fenkart was on for Huey Calhoun.  He was having a marvelous show (I think he only blew out 4 0r 5 microphones with his sweat…that boy SWEATS!!)….when we get to Tear Down The House I was standing there as Martin Holton enjoying watching Bryan dance.  (Trust me on this…Bryan dancing is a true treat)….well, we get to the pant throwing part….and Bryan THREW T HE PANTS UP OVER MY HEAD – WAY OVER – OUT OF REACH OVER – AND THEY LANDED IN THE 4TH ROW HOUSE LEFT!!  I didn’t even attempt to catch them, I just watched as they flew over.  I am not even sure how he was able to get them that high in the air…..Once the gentlemen on the 4th row caught them, I busted up laughing.  I couldn’t contain myself….and I walked off the stage.

This, it should be noted, does not bode well for our Softball Team which has it’s first scrimmage against “American Idiot” This week.

Bowling update….just 2 weeks to go in the season and we are in 6th and 11th….my team, not 6th. However, if you add the 1 and 1 in 11…that equals 2, plus the other team is in 6th…you get 26….see the logic there?

Well, this is the last blog of my 30’s….I am SLOWLY coming around to the inevitable.  No matter what age I am turning…I still feel 26 (I’m really grasping at straws now…)

Hockadoo!!

-Kevin

Celebrity Sighting of the Week –  Even though she is a friend of mine, I am going to give the shout out to JULIA MURNEY.  An amazing Elphaba in Wicked and the original Queenie in The Wild Party (the good one….)

One of the things that constantly comes up in my job is figuring out how to “celebrate” occasions. This is where my former life as a Sorority Girl/Student Body President comes in handy. Countless dances, Booze Cruises, Winter Formals, Passport Parties (no Sarah, not like you need your passport to get in- more like each room is a different country with a different beverage), Charity events, Ceremonies; yes Dad, all that money for school and I developed adept skills at party planning.

But what do you do mid-day when Charlie has won the Mr. Broadway 2010 Crown (sorry no pics) and the show has been honored with a Drama League nomination for Best Musical and an Outstanding Performance nomination for Montego Glover?

You walk right over to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and get a giant Mrs. Fields Cookie.

Its Broadway which loosely translates to “the Big Time”. So obviously one needs a Big Cookie.

And to the locals, who knew that there was a Mrs. Fields in Port Authority? A Bowling Alley and a Mrs. Fields. That place is rapidly becoming the undiscovered gem of the city.

Side note: It was pretty awkward to see tourists walking around there today. On such a lovely day, no disrespect, but surely there are better places to be than inside Port Authority. Like in line at the TKTS booth for instance. Today was a perfect day for that. Or on a Memphis bus taking a tour of the city.

Shoot, all this typing about cookies and now I’m hungry. I should have snagged me some of that cookie before I left the theatre.

Bon Appetit Memphis! Kudos to all!

Dear Monday,

You are given a bum rap. People are mad at you for even existing, for being the thing that crushes the weekend high. I for one, have to admit to cursing your name from time to time, wishing you would go back from whence you came.

But not today, Monday. Today, I give you props.

Not much could really tarnish the high from the onstage proposal on Saturday. Not even you Monday.

What’s even better about you Monday? It means its time for tweet o’ the week!!

I will admit to not know much about twitter, but I do know that we have some very fantastical tweeters (?) in Memphisland who like to spread the fantastical word of Memphis on the world wide web. To acknowledge their contributions (and to enhance my understanding of all things technologically oriented) I thought it would be fun to start a tweet of the week.(I haven’t much told my bosses about this so if I can wrangle up a prize, I will!!)

Sooooo…while waiting for “prize approval”…drumroll please, Chester….emilyfayeoakley you are the winner of this week’s Tweet o’ the week, tweeted on Saturday!

And in Celebrity Tweet news, thanks to Nick-tastic for pointing out this morning that Hoda Kotb, host of the 4th hour of the Today’s show and just all around great gal/Memphis fan tweeted this gem:

HOTA KOTB: good am! listening to “memphis lives in me” this
minute… love that… julianne moore is on with us this a-m…

and I’m in love with the fact that Hoda starts her day with Memphis…the best part of waking up…even on a Monday.