Final Portrait

So, nearly a year after the Christmas show we've decided to add the final product from the night of the first performance. For this post we're going to give you our portrait in costume--you'll have to wait a day or so till I can find the rest of the pictures. Enjoy.

Dress Rehearsal

Hegeler (Steve Seaborn) and Mr. Ferris (Baker) discuss the Ferris Wheel

We’re only an hour and a half away from the first performance as I write this. I’m happy to report stage fright hasn’t overtaken me. In fact, I’ve found myself popping out of bed this week with the sort of nervous excitement one experiences on the day before a vacation or maybe even Christmas morning.
Amanda, on the other hand, spent the early part of the week on the verge of puking.
I think in both cases, our hectic work schedules of the past few weeks have played a part. In my case, trying to come up with an economic positive for my daily Grinch Free Zone articles has kept me distracted from most other concerns, whereas, Amanda appears to have been simply overloaded with stress.

The ladies are in character even before dress rehearsal begins.

Still, our dress rehearsal on Tuesday lifted both of our spirits. The addition of costumes and the knowledge that there were only two days to show time brought out the best in the cast. That may be a little hyperbolic, but the cast definitely seems to know what we’re supposed to be doing. Plus, Amanda was able to find a comfortable way of keeping her camera hidden for the majority of the performance, which is helpful, as she’ll be photographing tonight’s first show for a front-page story Friday. Look for it at www.newstrib.com.

Megan Allicks reviews her family tree as Camilla Hegeler with Sharon Wagenknecht.


W.W. Boyington (John Byrne) rides the elevator in the Hegeler Carus Mansion, which he designed in 1874.

Annie Hegeler played by Kristen VanWingerden gives her Christmas present to her father Edward Hegeler played by Steve Seaborn

Emelie Fiedler, Camilla Hegeler, and Camilla Hegeler Sr. wait for the magic lantern show to begin.

Edward Hegeler tells "A Visit from St. Nicholas."

Clara Barton (Marlene Moshage) and Julius Hegeler (Steve Kwaitek) sing "Silent Night."

Mustaches and Misperceptions

"He had an angular face, black hair, a black mustache, and dark eyes, the kind of looks soon to be coveted by an industry that Thomas Edison was just then bringing to life. He 'was eminently engaging and social and he had a keen sense of humor,' his partners wrote. 'In all gatherings he at once became the center of attraction, having a ready command of language and a constant fund of amusing anecdotes and experiences.'"

That's how Erik Larson describes George Ferris in his well-received history of the Columbian Exposition, "The Devil in the White City." It's quite a bit more positive than the vision of a wheel-crazed madmen in a downward spiral that my friends and coworkers have been describing based on their quick and questionable Google-based research.
The basic details are pretty easy to track down. He was born, got married, built the first Ferris Wheel, died, and then a year after death a funeral director refused to hand over his ashes because of unpaid bills. I even found a brief New York Times article showing that barely a year after Ferris died, Margaret Ann was possibly engaged to a self-proclaimed "healer." Those facts are known and documented.

Yet when it comes to bringing the social scientist or the eccentric to life in only a few rehearsals the task is far from easy.
Nevertheless, I'm happy to say that with only our dress rehearsal left to go before the shows, starting Dec. 11 ( A few tickets are still available), I'm pretty comfortable in Ferris' shoes. Some of the details of how big the Wheel was or how many people rode on it continue to escape my mind but in general I think the show should go off quite well. If nothing else, the rest of the case should more than compensate. Steve Seaborn, as Edward Hegeler, gave his first full read-through of "A Visit From St. Nicholas" tonight. It was a bravura performance, full of energy and humor.


Edward Hegeler is coming to get you!

Aside from growing into the character of George Ferris, I'm finally growing into the mustache. While far from perfect facial follicles, my mustache, currently disguised within a beard, has finally begun to get some respect. After weeks of peach fuzz jokes, I'm starting to get some complements. This thing should be in pretty impressive condition by the time the show opens.

The future of mustaches!

The Hegeler family singers!

Directors Tricia and Chad! Dance, Dance, Dance!

Another Perspective

Our new piano player. At the second practice we got to run through the Christmas Carols!

How does it feel photographing this Hegeler Carus Adventure?

Good question.

Right now, it feels fun.

I was excited when Sharon first proposed the idea of becoming Mr. and Ms. Ferris a few weeks ago. I think I can say with certainty much more excited than Matt. No one has ever asked me to be in a play before. Now, I think Matt and I are equally excited. I'm going to say the only thing that distinguishes our mutual excitement is I can't and have no need to grow a mustache.

The first practice, for me, involved a lot of listening and not many photos. I didn't feel like it was appropriate. Being a character afforded me an excuse to keep my camera slung over my shoulder rather than in front of my face. And even though including us in photos was now OK, I had to figure out how to do it. I still am figuring out how to include myself in photos appropriately. And figuring out how to shoot opening night while acting will be another challenge. Suggestions? I'm looking into remote cameras.

Another surprise was the lighting. I was warned that the lighting was less than impressive, so I brought my flash and a bulky battery pack that makes me feel like a Ghostbuster into practice. I didn't need it though. I found out that at a high ISO (film speed), low shutter speed and F2.8 I could make some rather appealing pictures with the ambient light. I don't have to do much in way of composition to make a mansion look beautiful though. Check out this picture from practice two:

Here Chad speaks with another actress as Dr. Paul Carus on the stairwell.

At the end of the first practice I got my dress, which I am a little worried about but soon you'll get to see some photos of myself and fellow NewsTribber Lindsay Vaughn making me look good...more to come on that...

Second practice, way more comfortable. Perhaps it was being able to bum around the mansion when we took our introduction portrait above that made me feel more at home in Hegeler Carus. I took a great deal more photos, but I already wrote a ton so here's just a few below:

Before I go, I have one more point to touch on...Matt already cued you to his lack in ability where singing is concerned, but I feel the need to add, 'Matt really can't sing.' It is the most earnestly awful odd sound, ever. It is like when someone jams their finger in your belly button, you want to puke and laugh at the same time. Take your place near him during our singing numbers, priceless.
-Amanda

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

It would appear my shortcomings know no bounds. As I've already written, I have almost no acting experience. My singing skills are even worse, as was evident during our second practice last night, in which we began working on the Christmas carols that bridge the small scenes that make up the show.

You know how whenever a new hot singer is becoming famous an article will almost certainly pop up, noting the fact the singer honed their craft in their hometown church choir? Well, when it came to singing in church, my main focus was trying to make my mom giggle at my wild octave swings and general tone-deafness as our family stood in the mother's chapel of St. Val's on occasional Sunday mornings. My talents never really progressed from there. To go further, my top vocal role models are Will Ferrell impersonating Robert Goulet during his days on Saturday Night Live and Don Knotts in that episode of the Andy Griffith Show where they turn off Barney's mic and have another guy sing his parts.

The real singers in the cast were busy discussing how to

translate Christmas carols into German during the 2nd practice.

Before the night began, Amanda seemed to doubt my claims that I couldn't sing. Afterwards, she was near-speechless over how accurate I had been.
Luckily for all those who will attend the show, there are others with wonderful voices that easily drown out my warbling.
Otherwise, the show is moving along nicely. A few characters have had to be erased as actors dropped out, but they've been replaced. The overall flow of the show is solidifying, as well.

Keep checking for new posts and more photos and have a happy Thanksgiving!

Ferris Wheels we know, tires are another issue

If learning the history of George Ferris and the Hegeler family wasn't enough, we had to deal with car problems, too. We were driving through Ottawa on our way to Mr. Penguin to get fitted for the tuxedo I'll be wearing in the show when we noticed a strange noise coming from outside the car. It turns out I had a flat tire. Amanda was kind enough to photograph the process of me using the pathetic excuse for a jack that comes equipped in 2002 Chevy Cavaliers. In case the photos don't tell the full story, it was frustratingly breezy and my knuckles still bear the cuts and scrapes from rubbing against the concrete of the parking lot.



Removing the flat and replacing it with a "donut" ended up taking longer than the fitting, which was over within minutes of entering the store. Still, the day wasn't a total wash. Our tuxes will have tails -an all new experience for me.


Amanda has also picked up her dress for the show, but I'll let her explain that process later.

One Practice Down, Three to Go

We survived our first weekly practice last Tuesday. Only three to go.
Walking into the Hegeler Carus Mansion, Amanda and I found the main hallway lined with nearly 30 chairs, each one representing one of the players in the show. As our fellow actors filled the space, the feeling was both overwhelming and comforting. When we were first asked to take part, I pictured about a dozen people taking part in the show. Being surrounded by others who have spent years acting, even if only at the local level, had me thinking we were in over our head, since the limit of my acting credentials are a few small parts in junior high plays and Amanda even less.
Nonetheless, knowing there were enough people in the program that two journalists could easily disappear into the background helped buck my overall confidence. Rehearsal number 2 is tonight. Check in later for stories on costumes and car problems.