Pictures

I had a couple of moms take some pictures with my camera last night, and I thought I'd share.  You can click on the slideshow to be taken to a web album where you are welcome to download any picture you like.  I won't claim that they're super high quality, but hey - they're pictures.



If you also took pictures and would like to share, let me know!  One of the easiest ways is by uploading to a Picasa* web album and then emailing me the link.  If you do go that route, please be sure to upload at the original size so we can all enjoy the pictures in their best quality.

*Picasa is a free program by Google, and it's great for organizing and editing photos and has super easy features for blogging, printing, uploading, and sharing.  If you're a picture person and you aren't using it, you should be!

Rehearsal Video

Warning: watching these clips may cause dizziness or headaches, since I apparently do not have a steady hand!  The sound isn't great (the camera just hears what I hear, and since the accoustics of the room are awful... well, you get the picture), but hopefully you'll be able to watch your faces and bodies to see how much you either are or aren't acting.  Enjoy watching these clips, and try to pick out one or two things you can improve on (plus at least 8 or 9 you're awesome at).

By the way, they are in alphabetical order (still missing Sing a Christmas Carol... check back for that one):

While You Wait...

While you wait for the videos you really want to see (I'm uploading them right now), check this one out!

(Couldn't get it to embed... just click this LINK.)

Costumes: Looking Ahead

Looking ahead to costume day (Monday), here's what you will need to bring for yourself:

Shoes: You will need to provide your own shoes which should be something along the lines of a dress shoe or boot, keeping in mind whether you are playing a child or an adult, a boy or a girl, etc.  No tennis shoes and nothing too modern.

Socks: Please plan to wear socks or hosiery which will not distract from your costume.  Blacks and browns will generally work best.

Coats: If you want to wear a coat between buildings, it will have to be a dress coat or an overcoat (not a parka, jacket, hoodie, etc) and it will need to be in Dickens-appropriate neutral colors.  Please plan accordingly.

Specific questions and items will be addressed at your costume meeting on Monday.

LIKE the Utah State Fair Facebook Page

If you're looking for an easy way to share information about our upcoming performances and the Dickens Festival in general, LIKE the Utah State Fair Facebook Page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Utah-State-Fair/233944945214?ref=ts

In The Spirit of Thanksgiving

What a GREAT week of rehearsals!

I just want to express my gratitude to my fellow directors Andrea and Rebecca, our producer JJ, and especially to our AWESOME CAST for a wonderful week of hard work. I really appreciate everyone's patience and professionalism, I really couldn't have asked for a better cast. Seriously, a very, very fun cast to work with, everyone teachable and malleable. I've been so happy with the progress of everything. Still a few kinks to work out, but I really think we're exactly where we want to be. Great work everyone!

Just some things to consider over the next week:

DRINK LOTS OF WATER, it won't necessarily keep you from getting sick, but it's one of the ways I know to stay healthy.

WASH YOUR HANDS too. We don't want people to be dropping from colds or flu the week we get back.

DRIVE SAFELY, I hear it's gonna be cold this week. Stay safe!

Lastly...

Enjoy Thanksgiving, be with your families. I am definitely thankful for the chance to have worked with each and every one of you and I am excited to put on a great show in a few weeks.

ALOHA,

Thomas

Due Tomorrow

The wristband form and the picture/dvd order form are due at rehearsal tomorrow (Saturday, 11/20/10).

Other important dates & info:

11/30/10 - COUPONS
$1.00 off coupons will be available for your friends and family

12/6/10 - COSTUME NIGHT
Please arrive at your scheduled time to receive your costume.  If you have lost your costume schedule, please speak to Jacqueline Vuki at rehearsal.

12/7/10 - CAST PARTY
Cast party will be on December 7th from 5:00 pm to 5:45 pm.  This will be a pot luck snack fest with some awards and other fun things.  Sign up on 11/20/10.

12/7/10 - FIRST DRESS REHEARSAL
This is a Tuesday night, so mark your calendars now.  After the cast party, you will get dressed and we'll rehearse from 6 to 10.

12/8/10 - FINAL REHEARSAL
Call time is at 5:00 pm - arrange your schedules accordingly.  We will be taking our cast pictures on this night, so every one needs to be there on time!  Plan to rehearse until 10 pm.

12/11/10 - PIZZA
Pizza, water, and clear soda will be provided for dinner on this day.  You will be responsible to bring your own lunch.

Check the rehearsal schedule tab for all other rehearsals and show times.

READ ON FOR INFORMATION FOR THE ORPHANS & URCHINS!!!

Saturday's Rehearsal - Orphans/Urchins

If you are the parent of an orphan/urchin who is only in Food Glorious Food, Oliver Oliver, and Father Christmas, here is what to expect tomorrow.

9:00 am - Run all the way through Oliver (kids will be expected to sit and watch the show once they are off stage)
10:00 am - Run the scene with "Father Christmas" a few times, then dismiss the little ones.

The rest of the cast will then run Scrooge as many times as possible until 1pm.  If your little one can/wants to stay to do the run through he/she may, but they will be required to sit and quietly watch the show.

After the Thanksgiving break, please plan to have your little one attend all rehearsals as scheduled.  They will need to be in the concluding numbers / curtain call for both shows, so we will need them there for both the beginning and the end of the run.

Please talk to me on Saturday if you have any questions or concerns.

In Preparation for Saturday

This Saturday will be the last choreography rehearsal where the focus will be primarily on the dancing, and where I can stop and start and be picky to my heart's content.  It will be an important and difficult rehearsal, and I will need every cast member at his or her personal best.

The only way to get to this level is to also have the "audience" at its best as well.  In an ideal world, we'd have a segmented rehearsal space where some members of the cast could go to chat and enjoy each other's company when not on stage.  We don't have that luxury, so I will need to ask that cast members be prepared to do one of the following options when not on stage:

1) Sit in the audience section.  I will designate an audience section near the "stage" where cast members can sit and silently watch the action.

2) Sit in the silent activity area.  The corner behind the pillar will be designated as an area for cast members who have brought personal, silent activities (books, coloring books, game systems with headphones, etc.).

3) Hang out in the kitchen.  I have noticed that when talking quietly in the kitchen, there is enough of a sound barrier that I don't seem to hear it.  A few cast members can take advantage of this area, although it is small.

4) Play outside in the grassy area.  If your child has to stay beyond his or her rehearsal time, you may want to bring a warm coat and send them outside to play.  Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee supervision for those cast members, so this is probably only an option for those children who are old enough to supervise themselves.

Please prepare your children/teenagers/selves that no one will be allowed to be walking, running, or wandering aimlessly around in the building.  Cast members who are doing so will be asked to wait outside.

Please read the schedule carefully and attend all required times and don't attend when you don't need to!  (Not really possible for the families, I know - sorry.)  Plan ahead for the times you won't be on stage.

I am looking forward to a productive rehearsal on Saturday where I only have to be "mean" about the dancing!

List of Props

We don't need anything pretty or realistic looking, but if you have any of the following and could bring (and leave ) them, it will help us piece together the show.  I will keep this list updated, so please check back!

Plastic mugs with handles - need 9 more
Box sturdy enough to stand on (for Tom Jenkins in Thank You Very Much)
Props for knife grinders (Who Will Buy)
Pocket watch (think outside the box... could be keys on a lanyard, toy on yarn)
Top hats - a whole bunch

No Street Theater fror Sat 11/13

I can not be there this Saturday and so no street theater. I would like to see everyone next week 11/20. I would like to hear all the sellers (apple, knife, flower, little match girl, newspaper boys) ascents at 9:00am for 5 minutes. I would like to see the suffragettes song at 9:30am for 10 minutes. The gossipers and Charles dickens I want to hear your ascent and your info on your character at 9:45am for 5 minutes each. All character (Bette, Nancy, bob c, tiny Tim, Fagin, charlie, dodger, Oliver) I want to hear your cry and your accent at 9:15am. Mary Poppins if you can come at 10 am that would be great! :) Thanks for being flexible with the schedule I really appreciate all the hard work you are doing.
JJ

Street Theater For Sat 11/06

Just a reminder that the street theater schedule will be a little different for this Sat. I would like to see all performers between 9:30am and 10:30am. If you are not already scheduled to be there plan on coming at 9:30am and working your stuff and then you will be done. If you are scheduled to be there I will try to work around the other stuff going on so that all actors will get a chance to practice.
Thanks Everyone
JJ

Orphan/Urchin Lyrics

Father Christmas:

Father Christmas; Father Christmas; He’s the meanest man
In the whole wide world, in the whole wide world you can feel it

He’s a miser; He’s a skinflint; He’s a stingy lout,
Leaving your stocking out for your Christmas gift and he’ll steal it.

It’s a shame; He’s a villain; What a game for a villain to play on Christmas day

After Christmas Father Christmas will be just as mean as he’s ever been
And I’m here to say we should all send Father Christmas

On his merry Christmas way

Interlude

Father Christmas; Father Christmas; He’s the rott’nest man
In the universe and there’s no one worse; I can feel it.

He’s a rascal; He’s a bandit. He’s a crafty one,
Leave it all undone; He’ll come in your house and he’ll sell it.

  

It’s a crime; It’s a scandal; What a game for a vandal to play on Christmas day

If you distrust Father Christmas; It’s as well to know
That there’s hope to sow cause I mean so say

We should all send Father Christmas

Interlude

Father Christmas; Father Christmas; Father Christmas; Father Christmas

On his merry Christmas way

Food Glorious Food:

Is it worth the waiting for if we live till eighty-four, all we ever get is gruel.

Every day we say our prayer; will they change the bill of fare, still we get the same old gruel.

There's not a crust,  not a crumb can we find,

Can we beg, can we borrow or catch

But there's nothing to stop us from getting a thrill

When we all close our eyes and imagine:

Food, glorious food: hot sausage and mustard

While we're in the mood, cold jelly and custard

What is it we dream about?  What brings on a sigh?

Piled peaches and cream about six feet high!

Food, glorious food - don't care what it looks like.

Burnt, underdone, crude - don't care what the cook's like.

Why should we be fated to do nothing but brood on

Food, magical food, wonderful food, marvelous food,

Fabulous food, glorious food!

Calendar Updates, Placeholder Props, AND Note About Shoes

CALENDAR:
For those of you who've been using the online schedule, I now have it updated to include everything through December 4th.  Stay tuned for Tech Week rehearsals.

If you have any questions regarding schedule, feel free to call or text (even better!) on my cell phone at (801) 641-3898.  See you all at rehearsals this week.

PLACEHOLDER PROPS:
Don't forget that you need to start bringing placeholder props: just something to have in your hand to get used to carrying something on/off/around.  If you have any plastic mugs with handles, please bring them for the men to use in Oom Pah Pah.


SHOES:
Please start rehearsing in the shoes you'll wear in the show.  Unless otherwise specified, please plan on the following:

Adult women, teenage girls (when they're playing girls) - character shoes, jazz shoes, or easy to dance in plain pumps, etc.

Orphans/urchins/pickpockets - jazz shoes, black ballet shoes, brown or black church shoes (if they are easy to dance in), simple black or brown tennis shoes (must look period-appropriate), black keds, etc.

Men/older boys - brown or black dress shoes, boots, etc. (must be easy to dance in)

If you have any questions about your shoes, bring them in, and I'll take a look.

Street Theater For Sat 10/30

Sorry, no street theater for this Saturday. We will start back up next Saturday and I would like to see all performers between 9:30am and 10:30am. If you are not already scheduled to be there plan on coming at 9:30am and working your stuff and then you will be done. If you are scheduled to be there I will try to work around the other stuff going on so that all actors will get a chance to practice. You all are so AWESOME! I am so excited for this to come together. Keep up the good work.
JJ

Attendance Confirmation for this week

Wednesday night: If you are a "Fagin's Boy" or in "Who Will Buy" you should plan on being at rehearsal, right at 7pm.

Thursday night: We will mostly be focusing on Fezziwig's party, so Christmas Past, Isabel, Young Scrooge, Mr. & Mrs. Fezziwig should be there, as should all the chorus members to learn the song "December the 25th."

After we're done working the scenes for Fezziwig's party, we won't need everyone for "Father Christmas," only Tom Jenkins. No urchins need to be there Thursday night.

Looking forward to another great week of rehearsals! Please start memorizing your lines IN ACCENT. If you need help with this, we have resources available to help you with that, let us know.

ALOHA, Thomas

Updates by Email

If you aren't a regular blog-checker, be sure to sign up for updates by email!  There is a link on the left.  Just click the link, provide your email address and word verification, then follow the instructions in your confirmation email.  You'll only get emails when we update the blog... nothing else!

Tracks Uploaded

All the tracks for both shows are now uploaded and {crossing my fingers} correct.  Listen away to your heart's content by clicking on the music tracks/lyrics link.  CD's will be coming soon!

Clarification on tonight's schedule

We will NOT need any company members for tonight's rehearsal, I apologize for not making that clearer, but we will NOT be needing those who are only in "Company" for Scrooge. To clarify, we WILL need: Crachit Family, Salesmen 1&2, Christmas PRESENT, and Scrooge. To everyone else: see you Saturday! ALOHA, Thomas

I'd Do Anything - Tap Sequence

Starting with the Right Foot:
Shuffle Step Ball Change, Shuffle Step Ball Change,
F-lap Heel, F-lap Heel, F-lap Heel Ball Change

Starting with the Left Foot:
Shuffle Step Ball Change, Shuffle Step Ball Change,
F-lap Heel, F-lap Heel, F-lap Heel, Out, In

From Front:

From Back:

Online Calendar (*Updated)

The online version of the rehearsal schedule *including street theater is now up to date through October 30th.  If there are any discrepancies between your printed schedule and the online schedule, please refer to the online version.

Note: The printed version shows ORPHANS rehearsals beginning at 9:30 on Saturdays.  This is incorrect.  ORPHANS need to plan to attend rehearsal EVERY SATURDAY from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM with the exception of October 30th *when they will be done by 9:30.

Please look closely at who is expected to attend each rehearsal, especially when it comes to the Saturday dance rehearsals.  I may or may not need principles, depending on my plans for that day.  For example, I will not need any adults (Bumble, Corney, Tom Jenkins, etc.) at the orphans rehearsals until we get closer to the show.

Please contact the directors with any scheduling questions.  It's better to play it safe!

See you all on Wednesday!

Welcome to the Dickens Festival Blog

Welcome to the Dickens Festival Blog, your one stop shop for all the information you could ever need.  Browse through the tabs to find information such as rehearsal schedule and casts lists, and check back frequently for messages from the production staff!

Audition Building

Sorry the building has not been given to us yet but we will post it soon as we have it

Thanks! :)

Auditions

The Dickens’ Christmas Festival Presented by The Utah State Fairpark is making its triumphant return to Salt Lake and you can be a part of it. The sights and sounds of 19th Century London come alive at the Dickens’ Festival. The Festival is not just another craft show, but a unique and unusual entertainment and shopping experience. We will once again delight thousands of families with a different entertainment experience. Come be part of Scrooge’s transformation as he is visited by ghosts or Oliver and is merry band of pickpockets. Come be part of life in Olde England and interact with guest and vendors alike as one of the many Dickens’ characters to roam the streets of our lovely hamlet.

Dickens’ Theater Company Auditions
Sept 22, 23 4:30-9:00pm by appointment only
Sept 24 4:30-6:30pm Open Auditions
Sept 24 7:00-9:00pm Call Backs

Auditions are being held and the Utah State Fairpark in Building
Please come prepared with 16 bars of a song and 1 minute monologue.
Come dressed to dance.
To schedule an appointment or ask questions please call Jacqueline at 801-341-5020 or 801-599-2761

Roles
Nancy
Fagin
Bill Sykes
Mr. Bumble
Orphans
Oliver
Artful Dodger
Fagin's Boys
Widow Corney
Bet Charlotte
Chorus
Ebenezer Scrooge
Bob Cratchit
Tom Jenkins
Jacob Marley
Christmas Past
Present
Yet to Come
Mr. Fezziwig
Mrs. Fezziwig
Young Adult Ebenezer
Fred
Isabel
Mrs. Cratchit
Tiny Tim-
Cratchit Kids
Broom man
Bobbie
Apple Lady
Ballerina
Bird Woman (Mary Poppins)
Candle Man
Carolers
Charles Dickens
Fezziewig Dancers
Giant Ghosts
Miss Havisham and company
Juggler
Little match girl
Newspaper boys
Mary Poppins
Bert (Mary Poppins)
Pip and Convict
Preacher
Puppet Lady
Screevers
Shoeshine Boys
Storybook Lady
Suffragettes (Marry Poppins)
Town Cryer
Toy soldier