To taste you tasting me. Mmmmm.

Every time I think that this musical couldn't get any better, it does. Cry Baby is insanely wacky. And I fuh-reakin' love it.
Now, Cry Baby is set in 1954. And Scott keeps reminding us of Cry Baby's musical genre feud. It's originally set in 1954, duh. So, it's over-the-top musical comedy jokes here and there constantly. But there are also the grungy bad-ass kids creating all kinds of raucous. So we're stuck in the middle somewhere between old school musical comedy and hip-swingin' Rockabilly musical style. I get it. I do. And it's really easy for me right now because my character is WAY more on the musical comedy side than she would like to be. Anyways, I don't explain Scott's theory on neomusicals very well at all. I don't explain anything very well, and yet I have a blog. But my point is, I don't have a very firm grasp on Cry Baby's musical-genre-fusion. So I decided to do a little researching of my own. Nineteen fifty-four, let's time warp...
Thus! I researched 1954, and by that I mean I found some sound clips on Youtube that I think can really compare to the sensational and emotional bits between Cry Baby and Allison Lenora.
In 1954, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters topped charts with "Work with me, Annie." Take a listen. Pretend this is Wade serenading me (Lenora, not Terrie. Well, I'd be okay with it too but just for right now we're pretending this research is for Cry Baby and Lenora only).



In the 1950 and 60's, a trend deemed as "answer" songs became quite popular again; these nifty creations formed somewhere in the 30's with the Blues era. Which I think are really cool! An answer song is a song that is written in response to a previous song by a previous artist. This is a perfect example...Cry Baby plays "Work with me, Annie," on the radio for his one and only, Lenora. In response to CB's dedication, Lenora plays this on the radio: "Roll with me, Henry."



You get the gist. I hope. It's really not a hard concept.
Just for fun, I've thought of the songs with answers in our neomusical Cry BaBy.
1)Anti-Polio Picnic
answer: Nothing Bad's Ever Gonna Happen Again
2)Watch Your Ass
answer: Can't Beat the System
3)Baby Baby Baby
answer: Do That Again
4)Nobody Gets Me
answer: Screw Loose
5)A Whole Lot Worse
answer: I Did Something Wrong Once

Not factual. Only the opinions of a subtle loon. Once you actually get to see these songs in action, then my subjective list will make a little more sense.


Whew, I'm really glad I got that off of my chest!

Back to our show in progress. We've finished blocking all of Act I! Hurrah! And we've got the choreography down for most of our group numbers. (I think.) "Nothing Bad's Ever Gonna Happen Again" is crazy talk. Literally. That dance is so cool, but it is so fast. It's so hard to think that like 17 pages of the same lyrics over and over condenses into a 2 minute dance fiasco! Robin's choreography is so much fun all of the time. She challenges us, no doubt. But the end results are always as delicious as an apple martini. If you like apples, of course. Really. Apples have plenty of health benefits. Eat them.
I haven't seen all of the dances yet. Like, "I'm just a Little Upset," is apparently awesome opossum! But I have yet to see our men perform the task at hand. I'm squirmy to see it. And once we start blocking Act II, I can finally witness this saweet dance break.

Last night we blocked "Girl, can I Kiss you with Tongue." And well, I definitely got some tongue action. I, Lenora, have been paired with Turkey Point's hottest MC, Dupree. That's right: I get to have my first integrated makeout sesh!I mean, I always dreamed of smooching Lil' Bow Wow in the 6th grade. But now it's for real. Not only do I get to tongue a black man, I get to tongue a black Jewish man. (which he likes to refer to as being Blew; black and Jewish).
So, ya know..we're sitting there last night behind our bush pretending to sing and slobber on each other..no big deal. When all of a sudden, I feel the warmth of a big pink muscle on my neck. Dupree is already gettin' up on this and it's not dress rehearsal yet! I must say...Lenora is so okay with chocolate malts too. And so am I. Just as long as they put the malt in there, or else it's just a plain chocolate shake..not a malt. Yeah, yeah. You know.
What you really need to know prior to coming to see Cry Baby at New Line is this:
I may convert to Judaism if Dupree keeps licking me like that every night.


I'm signing off with one last song from 1954. Sh-Boom! by The Crew Cuts is my dedication to our entire cast, whom I love like you can't even believe.

You're just jealous of our bottomless love.

It has been prophesied...Lenora just may give Cesario a run for his money. Scott Miller has said twice now that Lenora is going to outdo Cesario and I am in total agreement. But...in Cesario's defense, Lenora is actually crazy. And everything is always more funny when it's real.
Ya know, I keep calling my characters crazy..but I'm the one that embodies these animals. What's that saying about me? Last night at rehearsal, Zak (of all people) said at one point "Oh, look. Terrie gets to play herself again."
Yea...I lost my mind a long time ago. But hey, at least I'm entertaining right?! Don't answer that..

It's been a couple weeks now, and we're moving right along. Already have a good chunk of the first act blocked. Now we just have to remember it all and make it performance worthy. Which, by the way things are going I think we could put this show up in 2 weeks! We are seriously so awesome. We know our stuff already and we're all bringing out our characters full throttle. And we still have like 6 weeks of rehearsal left! I'm worried for myself a little..I realize how much I've transformed into Lenora already at this point. She may very well take over completely by the end of it all. It was good knowing you, sound mind. I'm ready; we've lived a good life.


I like this cast. Everyone is so colorful and unique in our own ways. Some of us are really funny. A few of us have a very keen fashion sense (every girl except for me). Some of us are just plain people, but phenomenal performers. Just as every cast I've ever been a part of at New Line. We all want to put up a great and memorable show. And we'll all work like the dickens to make you feel like you aren't sitting in a theatre watching actors. Like always at New Line, you'll forget you bought a ticket to a show; you'll think you're one of us just sittin' in the car, listening to the radio and livin' like a true greaser.
I can't wait to put all the pieces together and get an audience in front of us! I'm so anxious already.

I'm really ready for a musical. I was cast in a weekly sketch comedy called Bye Bye Liver in October '11 and I really love it. It's so different from what I'm used to. I get to show off my strengths using my funny bone and I get to party with alot of really awesome people. But I have been so lost without my musical interjections! Waiting for Cry Baby to start up was really agonizing. I needed it bad. I'm here working on it and I still need it bad! There's just something about being immersed in character with song and dance. It's just a feeling I'm so acquainted with. And when it's missing from my life, I become such a different person.
Bye Bye Liver is every Saturday night at Maggie O'Brien's at 8 pm, just so's ya know. In case you wanna see me flaunt around in skimpy clothes and make you laugh all night. Just for fun. :)


Anyhoooo, Dowdy and I tackled our choreography for "All in my Head." I think it's pretty freakin' hilarious. I am so happy I finally get to sing with Mike! We get our very own song! Something I've waited for since Evita. Wow...I guess I am kind of obsessive. Interesting...anyways, I think we look a little like this: sassy.
This weekend we're all cramming into Leaping Lizards studio to get our groove on for "Nothing Bad's Ever Gonna Happen Again." I love that title. Long titles for songs make me happy. Just like overweight animals. Like this panda, in particular. Just so you know, when I watch Mulan, I laugh uncontrollably at is that freakin' panda every single time. He's awesome.

In conclusion for today here are a few of my favorite things about Cry Baby:
1) Cry Baby, obviously.
2) Dupree; Ari is so hilarious! and sweet beans, his James Brown yelps really get a girl goin'
3) Our ensemble; they are so alive I didn't realize I was living prior to meeting all of them
4) Scott Miller; his insight and humor drive us to be the wackiest people you'll ever meet. He is our fearless leader.
5) Lenora, duh.
6) Zak Farmer playing 16 different characters possible. And each one of them as authentic as the first. Hey, at least I'm not the only person in this cast with multiple personality disorder.


That's it for now. K, love ya, bye!

I'm Lenora. I'm Cry Baby's destiny.

Finally! Last night we got to sing through the entire musical. I was getting quite anxious to hear everyone else's songs. And let me reiterate: we freakin' rock this music! Not only do we rock, we're really good too. :)


I got to serenade my beautiful Cry Baby last night with "Screw Loose." And I think after it was all said (shouted) and done, he realized I am no ordinary psycho. Maybe it was my conversational bits in between verses, or maybe it was just the way I said his name but I think Cry Baby might be fallin' for me. We got him right where we want him, Lenora. I knew we'd make a great team.


I love my ballad "Screw Loose." Once you hear me sing this tune, I'm not sure you'll refer to it as a ballad. But it is in its entirety. It is a simple song about very simple, sentimental feelings. Lenora absolutely loves Cry Baby. Loving him is the best and worst thing that could have ever happened to her. And for him not to reciprocate such passion and angst for her, is horrifically tragic. However...I truly believe that Lenora has manipulated her own mind in such a way that Cry Baby not loving her is in no way possible.
In "Screw Loose" and even before (in the script) Lenora confesses to Cry Baby her eternal love with every breath she takes. (How dramatic) There is a specific line that I love in the script when Cry Baby is pushing Lenora away from him. He says to her "I thought you'd take the hint when I ran over you with my car." (or something like that) And Lenora's immediate response: "I'll always treasure that moment." No matter what kind of attention Cry Baby gives to Lenora, it is in fact just that: attention. That is the only thing she really craves. And that's all she really needs to prove that he loves her too.


I have found myself referring to myself as Lenora lately. Like, we actually are morphing into a single soul. Which I wouldn't be opposed to; I truly admire her passion. I caught myself being overly dramatic about a silly situation that happened at work one day, and realized that I was sounding an awful lot like my character for Cry Baby. So to help myself complete the transformation and fully allow Lenora to possess me, I have created a piece to better help me in forming my character analysis for her.
I've thought of a nifty little list of similarities between myself and Lenora. Just so I see for myself how crazy I might actually be.


Lenora Frigid
Age: 16 going on 13.
Height: average, about 5"
Weight: perky.
Hair: lustrous, like her love for Cry Baby.
Likes: extraterrestrials, discovering new shortcuts so as to stalk people better (specifically people named Cry Baby), painting fingernails, carving initials or pictures of lovers into her skin, daydreaming, serenading a crowd of Cry Babies, zombies, animals that may come in handy if she would ever decide to actually kidnap Cry Baby, spaghetti, ice-cream cones (strawberry preferably), doodling stick figures into trees that Cry Baby will potentially pass by, and sneaking into Cry Baby's trunk just to be closer to him.
Dislikes: The Drapes (they are so rude), The Squares (they are so dumb), Allison especially (she is so not better than us), Turkish Taffy, locks on doors that make it very difficult to be close to Cry Baby, black licorice, and when she gets a malt without the malt powder...so then it's a strawberry shake..not a strawberry malt. And anything that keeps her apart from Cry Baby for more than 5 minutes, like Allison. Did we mention Allison, yet?
Voted most-likely-to after graduation: live in a bomb shelter.
Social status: single and highly unaware of reality.


VS.


Terrie Carolan.
Age: 23 going on 13.
Height: incredibly tall.
Weight: chubby in all the right places.
Hair: an inch for every personality.
Likes: E.T. and Drew Barrymore, driving faster than is permitted so as to mingle with people sooner, painting fingernails, carving pictures into bathroom stalls, daydreaming, serenading a crowd of drunks..or not drunks..zombies, animals that may come in handy if I ever decide to start my own petting zoo, spaghetti, ice-cream (preferably strawberry), doodling stick figures on people's shoes that they will potentially wear everyday, and sneaking into Prince's SUV so as to convince him I'm the one he's waited for.
Dislikes: The Squares (they are so weird), Alf (the only alien I'm so not cool with), Turkish Taffy, locks on doors when I really have to pee, black licorice, and when I get a malt without the malt powder...so then it's a strawberry shake..not a strawberry malt. And anything that keeps me apart from Prince for more than 5 hours, like sleeping.
Voted most-likely-to after graduation: become a professional story-teller.
Social status: single and mostly unaware of reality.



I'd say Lenora and myself are going to be friends for a long time. Like Dory and Marlin. And Calvin and Hobbes.

I personally have never stalked anyone. But I think Lenora can easily convince me in due time.


I'll say sayonara for now with this: A quote from the original Lenora -- "Lenora tries hard and has the best intentions. When she was growing up, she wasn't taught — er, boundaries, maybe? She doesn't realize how far she goes is really not the norm. She doesn't get 'no.' 'No,' to her, is still 'yes.' At the heart of it, she wants what we all want — to belong and be loved."-Alli Mauzey. Lenora is so crazy. But don't forget why. She's crazy in love. And love takes us to crazy measures.


If we had to be screwy, well we'd rather be screwy for Cry Baby than anybody else.

Better watch your ass...and this progress.

Another year, another show. And another life to live...as a misunderstood (cough...crazy ass) 16 year old called Lenora. I couldn't be more excited!
Finally the long awaited Cry Baby rehearsals have begun. We've had our first week already; working on music. Which is so freakin' great! I love sock hop sounds, 50's style especially. And let me tell ya..we sound awesome as an ensemble! I pounded through my parts with Baldwin in "All in my Head," and kicked those second soprano notes' asses in our group numbers. Haven't gotten to sing my beloved 2nd part in so long. I forgot how much I love being in the middle of harmony.
This show is going to be so much fun; I can feel it in my shins. I'm prepping for a solid character analysis on Lenora. I really love her. Like, I really really love her. And if she and I weren't the same person, I'd date her.
I probably will still try to date her.

I'm really fighting with toning her down a bit, still. Sorry, Scott. Lenora is a real person. And really actually very unaware of reality. She isn't over the top as she has been portrayed in past productions of Cry Baby. Loving Wade "Cry Baby" Walker is the most beautiful and most tragic event to ever exist in Lenora's mind. And I intend to paint her true colors all over the stage.

I am so excited for this show! I know I say that every time..but here we go again on a journey with Scott to make another New Line production that has legitimate substance underneath. Nothing is on the surface at New Line. Every character is very real. Every person who plays these characters are very perceptive. I think Cry Baby is going to rock you out of your seats. And I think you will have to fight the urge to get up join us. Really.

It's going to be a great year. And I'm very glad to make my appearance as Lenora. My first personality of 2012..or multiple. It'll depend on how well her and I get along these next couple of months. :)

So here I am blogging once again. I will try to keep up with my posts..those of you who follow me on here know I'm not always very tactful with tracking my progress. I hope I never have to diet...yeesh. That process wouldn't go very well, I imagine.

Wishing you all a wonderful winter solstice! And warning you to come see this show March 1st thru the 24th. Or else.

Love ya! K, bye!