Let the two show day begin! But first, a walk with my two favorites. They are called Lolly and Michael. I am engaged to one of them. The other has four legs and is furry. All of us live in Montclair, New Jersey together.
Jill Paice
This is Lolly and Michael getting some exercise. Michael is training for the New York City Marathon in November and Lolly is being very helpful and also a little smudgey.
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Taking a breather.
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Keepaway.
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Lolly always insists on taking along a friend on our walks. This friend is embarrassingly dirty and I promise to be a better mother from now on.
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Quiet time post-walk and pre-breakfast.
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These are our mugs. Michael and Jill.
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This is where you get energy.
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I like my new shirt that Michael bought me and I felt the urge to strike the Matilda pose because it’s just so fun to put your hands on your hips and look upwards in a confident manner. Try it. It’s like the Peter Pan pose, but without the pointing. Weekend Warrior! This should be a new Yoga pose. Who do I tell?
Jill Paice
Commuting to work at Secaucus Junction.
Jill Paice
Attention New Jersey Transit customers. We are being held…single track in and out of New York…should be moving shortly… (NJ Transit likes to make commuters and their stage managers sweat.)
Jill Paice
So, this was June 27, 2015, one day after the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality and suddenly, the United States erupted in festivites and rainbows. This particular pic is from @montclairbread where we get the best doughnuts on earth.
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Exiting Penn Station. Walk towards the light Carol Anne!
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6th Avenue
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The Steinway Store. Having a Once moment.
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Street Fair
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Leave it… Jill, leave it!
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Stage door
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And we’re in! Claire Orr, Paula Schaffer and Ashley Leitzel-Reichenbach giving me some Charlie’s Angels with their Nerf guns. Fun fact! As soon as I finished shooting this pic, they fired on me and I was forced to no longer be friends with these people.
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Ashlee Dupre’s pretty feet
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Spencer Bell making it look like we are all a bunch of drunks in An American in Paris. Ooo! The olives! Those are Milo’s!
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Dave Campbell, looking unusually serious in this shot. Me thinks it’s because Baby #2 is due in about a week
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My station.
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No makeups.
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ALL the makeups.
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Betsy Waddell is subbing as Best Dresser for Midge Denton today who is on holiday in Canada.
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Mikey Cusumano warming up at the barre.
Jill Paice
Sara Esty giving me some love.
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Ashlee Dupre looking peasenty and dancey all at once.
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Heather Lang as her fierce self.
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Jennie Ford, first time on for Rebecca Eichenberger today and killing it!
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Places!
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Ashlee and Attila Joey Csiki after the opening ballet, but with two more hours of Show #1 still to go!
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Does anyone still wear a hat? Yes, yes they do.
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Supporting Characters Meeting commence! Max von Essen: Ulla! Jill Paice: Rose Stopnick Gellman! Brandon Uranowitz: Kate Monster!
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Setting up for our Saturday Intermission Pic!
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Finished product! “Ain’t it grand to know if we wanted to, we could?!!!!” Special thanks to Ashley Leitzel-Reichenbach for always enthusiastically supporting and inspiring our nuttiness!
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Oh boy! Dinner break! Spotted these two shows hanging out together. I like.
Jill Paice
Two of the best gals in showbiz. Mara Davi and Alexandra Socha. I’ve known these girls since we appeared in Death Takes a Holiday together. They are the rockstars in my life and I can’t believe how lucky I am that they are willing to meet me in midtown on a Saturday and share their grits and meatballs with me at Blue Dog Cafe. Love you ladies.
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Nuit nuit! Nap time!
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Well this is a first. I usually manage to sneak the M&Ms; while Max is at fight call, but today I let him catch me. Look how stylish his dressing room is. It looks nicer than my apartment.
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Leanne, Brandon, Garen Scribner, Max and me shooting a selfie. No selfie sticks allowed!
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Let’s do it again. Show #2.
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Adam Rogers stoppin’ by for little chats.
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Shannon Rugani stayin’ hydrated.
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Sam Rogers at the ready.
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Supporting Characters Meeting commence! Max Von Essen: Corny Collins! Jill Paice: Zazu! Brandon Uranowitz: Dr. Madden!
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Taeler Cyrus, post "Beginner’s Luck" and quite surprised to find a camera pointing at her.
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Waiting for the audience to finish up in the toilets so we can get started on Act II. Come on, you guys! Let’s go!
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Now we enter the Blue Period. Sarrah Strimel and Jennie Ford.
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Will Burton
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Becky Riker
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Brandon and Dontee Kiehn, our resident director.
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Oh thank goodness we are out of the Blue Period. This is Nathan Madden and Dustin Layton. That funny look in their eyes is because "Fidgety Feet" is coming and "Fidgety Feet" is surprisingly hard and uptempo!
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Ken McGee and Rick Steiger, our ASM and our PSM, keeping it real and together.
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Zoolander-ing at the stage door with Rich Miranda at the stage door.
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You guys! Look who I found sneaking about the building! It’s our director Christopher Wheeldon!
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Charlie Sutton, don’t look surprised! I see you at this exact same spot everyday!
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Candy Olsen, dancing queen
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Well now this was an exciting second show! The zipper slid right off the top of my dress with such force that Kelly Saxon thinks she might have punched herself in the face! I did one scene with an unzipped dress (YOU try keeping yourself flat to the audience while exiting a scene!) and then Michael Sancineto sewed me in to the dress so I could finish the show. Crisis averted! Side note: we love when this stuff happens. What else would we laugh about if funny little weirdo things didn’t occasionally go wrong? As long as everyone is okay, we all enjoy a good laugh about these things.
Jill Paice
“I gotta go stand in a hole.” This is the hole!
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The Three Musketeers (Brandon, Max and Robbie Fairchild) riding the elevator with Jessica Vargas just before Robbie’s entrance in the final ballet.
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Veanne Cox and Scott Willis as Madame and Monsieur Baurel. Two peas in pod, these kids.
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Larry Kleinstein, awaiting the next big costume change!
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Ariel view of the ballet
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Eh, don’t touch that.
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Victor prepping for the final bit of show.
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Me and Rick Steiger, bringing it home!
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Yes! We made it to SNOB! Saturday Night on Broadway! Will, Attila, Scott, Dustin and Nathan toasting to a job well done!
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Adam and Mikey
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Okay, so this is the mushy part. First of all, thanks for sharing my day with me. If you actually made it through all 70 pictures, you win a special award in patience. Second, I love my job. No matter what show I’m on, I always meet the most wonderful people. It’s the only good part about jobs coming and going. I have always felt that the theater gathers up all the people who aren’t sure where they fit in and gives them a place to be weird and wonderful and uninhibited. We are one lucky group. Lastly, about the company of An American in Paris. These are some of the hardest working folks on Broadway. Many of them have never done eight shows a week, but despite the fatigue and the demanding schedule, they are always here. They always come to work. Sure, there is the occasional stomach flu or small injury that might keep someone away for a day or two, but the commitment to our show is fierce and we are a loyal tribe. We have incredible support from our backstage crew. They iron us, make us look pretty, dress us, and point us in the right direction while our crew keeps us safe and keeps us laughing. Thanks for joining all of us today. They told me to tell you they think you are beautiful.
Jill Paice
“Originality is trying to be like everyone else and failing.” Jean Cocteau
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