Catfights, Cavier, & Couture!!

My dear friend Brian is coming over in a bit to watch episodes of my favorite show "Dynasty" and I couldn't resist writing about the show that I love!! One of my many nicknames is Alexis as in Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Colby Rowan and Brian is Princess Amanda (remember the royal wedding in the fake country Moldavia!). I grew up watching Dynasty and loved the drama, the characters, the fashion, and the shoulder pads!! Joan Collins was fantastic and "Dynasty" brought to life the classic tradition of the catfight!! So this is my dedication to the iconic show that is "Dynasty".

I didn't really start watching "Dynasty" until season two. Let's face it, was there anything great in season one!!?? Season two introduced us to the iconic character/superbitch Alexis. As she entered the courtroom in her black & white ensemble with matching over the top hat, we knew this woman would change the show forever! Alexis knew how to deal with any situation and could wear fur, big shoulder pads, skirts, and big hair like nobody's business! And not to even mention that cigarette lighter?? The lighter was like a huge crystal cube that she would pick up effortlessly to light her extra long cigarettes! The woman knew how to smoke!! Alexis knew how to bring the drama whether she was firing a shotgun to cause Krystle's miscarriage, or trying to slap her already dead husband Cecil Colby back to life on his hospital bed, or the classic Krystle/Alexis catfights!! Alexis was just a force of nature and she brought a life to the show! I have been compared to Alexis many times and take it with great reverence! No one else could be called a viper and be slapped so many times and still come out smelling like success.

Aside from Alexis, there are so many other iconic characters in the "Dynasty" world. Krystle Carrington (Linda Evans) always brought class with big shoulder pads and her fabulous hairstyle with the winged bangs. Sammy Jo (Heather Locklear) always brought the trashy side to the show with her clothes and her sliding down the stair railing at the Carrington mansion only to run literally into Alexis! Then there was the classy lounge singer Dominique Deveraux (Dihan Caroll) who borught her voice and also some catfights! The gay son Stephen (Jack Coleman) always struggled with his father Blake (John Forsythe) and finally found love. Fallon Carrington (Pamela Sue Martin/Emma Sams) brought glamour and some insane plotlines like her alien abduction? and her alter ego Randall Adams. Crazy son Adam (Gordon Thomson) always brought drama as he was rather shady and the final Carrington child Amanda (Catherine Oxenburg) brought royal flair as she married a prince in a fake country called Moldavia. Then there are other family members such as Alexis' sister Caress and her cousin Sable Colby. The list goes on and on, but these characters brought many memorable storylines to the show!

Part of the glamour of "Dynasty" was the list of stars on the show. Aside from the regular characters, the show brought old Hollywood glamour in its guest stars. Such faces as Rock Hudson, Ali MacGraw, and George Hamilton came onto the show, and let's not forget the "Dynasty" spin-off series "Dynasty II: The Colbys" with such Hollywood favorites as Barbara Stanwyck, Charlton Heston, and Ricardo Montalban. The Colbys only lasted two seasons before being cancelled, but the Colbys were equally fabulous!

So now to the catfights. "Dynasty" brought the art of the catfight to a new level. Krystle and Alexis had their first catfight in the studio where Alexis lived. The fight was complete with broken furniture, slapping, and stunt doubles. The second catfight took place when Krystle shoved Alexis into the lily pond at the Carrington mansion. Blake arrived to break up the fight and Alexis left with a very wet hat! Then we come to the mud slide catfight where the ladies slide down a literal mudslide and end up in a valley mud puddle. Alexis cursed the mud on her new couture and left without a shoe! Alexis also had a catfight with Dominique that included slapping, kicking, a dog, broken furniture, and of course stunt doubles. Fallon and Sammy Jo also had a great catfight in a vat of water and Alexis and Sable had a memorable catfight in a hotel lobby. Then we come to the Krystle/Alexis catfight in the reunion special. The fight starts over a broach and soon escalates into a brawl in a fashion warehouse including broken furniture, a mannequin arm, sequins, a feather boa, ripped clothes, and of course stunt doubles! The catfights really were a highlight of the show! Episodes without catfights got lower ratings I know it!

Aside from the catfights, "Dynasty" brought the fashion. With costumes designed by Nolan Miller, each week brought fabulous ensembles. Alexis was famous for her large hats, fur, and shoulder pads. Krystle would bring festive capes, gowns, and shoulder pads. Dominique would rock the turban, fur, and shoulder pads (is there a theme here?). Other "Dynasty" staples were Daisy Dukes (Sammy Jo), fur hats (Alexis), leg warmers (Sammy Jo), hand bags (everyone), and of course GLITZ!!

"Dynasty" brought some classic storylines to the small screen so let's revisit some of them. My favorite storyline of the whole series was the Moldavian Massacre when the entire cast was gunned down by terrorists at the royal wedding of Amanda Carrington and Prince Michael of Moldavia. First of all, the country was made up and the cliffhanger ended with the cast laying in a bloody pile of bodies so we had to wait and see who survived!! It was a nailbiter!! Then there was the famous Rita plot where Krystle was kidnapped by her niece Sammy Jo and replaced with a doppleganger named Rita. The whole storyline ended in a Krystle vs. Krystle catfight in the attic of the horse ranch. Then there was the story where Fallon drove away on her wedding night and later made her way to California as Randall Adams and fell in love with Jeff Colby's cousin Miles Colby. Only later would Fallon return to Denver with Miles and start to regain her memory!! Then there is the classic character Claudia Blaisdale who starting going cuckoo crackers hearing voices of dead people and later burning down a building!! Dear Claudia. And let's not forget Caress who got out of a South American prison and travelled to Denver to write a book about her sister Alexis. So many dramatic stories that played out every week!

I grew up with "Dynasty" and was actually called Alexis in junior high. The show brought the drama and glam to the small screen every week and left us waiting for more! The Carringtons were people who were rich and glitzy, but still had to deal with life's problems. I enjoyed every week of the drama and loved to see what would happen next on the show. I will have to write another blog for this show as there is just too much to cover! And we haven't even talked about the theme song! The theme song! And the trumpets! Thanks for strolling down this memory lane with me! In the words of Dominique Deveraux, "I don't care what you say to my face, you viper. Retract this or I'll cram it down your throat!"

The Show Must Go On: My WCP Memories

As I have just accepted the job of choreographer for the Waterloo Community Playhouse's 2011 summer production of "All Shook Up", I have been a little reflective of my years working at the Playhouse. I would like to walk you through my years in the theater life there, including the ups and the downs. I will be naming specifics so this post is not for the faint of heart. Here we go!!

My first year at WCP I choreographed the show "State Fair". This classic musical follows two love stories through the days of the Iowa State Fair. Not a musical that I knew well, but it was a lot of fun to do. When I did my first WCP show I was very new to the community theater scene and the people involved in the production. My eyes were quickly opened to say the least!! As we cast the show we included personalities very fitting to the state fair, such as the Pig Clown and Cow Clown. The Pig Clown was dressed in baggy pants with suspenders and an oversized Pig head, while the Cow Clown was dressed in a pink & white gingham dress (a la Minnie Pearl) and an oversized Pig head. The Pig Clown also got to carry a festive bouquet of balloons!! The problem was the Pig Clown couldn't breath with the huge pig head on!! My first theater altercation with the head director came when the Pig Clown was complaining about the head and how she couldn't breath. I felt sympathetic towards her as she had tripped at the last rehearsal and fallen on the steps leading to the stage. I voiced a concern about the head and was immediately told by the director that it was none of my business!! I am not prepared when someone yells in my face in public in front of an entire show cast! I left the rehearsal to cool down and the director later apologized for the outburst, but he was tired of hearing about the pig head!!! Lesson learned. Mind my choreography. Got it.. "State Fair" was a great first show full of wonderful songs and dances and the first ever State Fair Singers!! If we just had higher kicks!! Oh, and let's not forget our drunk judge (drunk from saucy mincemeat) played by the iconic Val Lippert!! It's a great State Fair!

My second show at WCP was "The Sound of Music", the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. The key words for the show were: pencils, Gardettos, and Mother Ass, yes Ass. Working with the same musical director and director was a great thing, but when directors disagree, things can get a little ugly. During one such disagreement, the director actually threw a container of pencils at the musical director. Backstage drama. The role of Mother Abbess was taken by a fabulous singer who we later found out really wanted the role of Maria. Now if you don't get the role that you want, either accept the role you are given with a good attitude, or don't take the role. Mother Abbess took the role, but harboured some resentment about the Maria thing. As time went on, it became clear that she was not giving 100% to the part and the singing was suffering. During a rehearsal, the musical director had had enough and proceeded to throw down her Gardettos (a la Naomi Campbell) and head to the stage. Words were exchanged and the problem was solved. I should also share that during this show the musical director and myself experienced an addiction to Gardettos. So much so that at one rehearsal we ate an entire extra big bag of Gardettos. Not realizing how many Gardettos were actually eaten, I suddenly took ill and felt like a brick was in my stomach. I had to leave the rehearsal and go home and vomit (a la Kate Moss). Not a great moment. The best part about "Sound of Music" were the kids who are now grown ups!! They were so fun to work with!!

My next show was the classic "Fiddler on the Roof" complete with the famous bottle dance! I met my dear friend Liza during "State Fair" as he played the Cow Clown, but during "Fiddler" I really got to know Liza and not just critique his frog jumps! Higher frog jumps Cow Clown!! Anyway, the bottle dance is a highlight of the show and the hope is to not drop a bottle during the dance, as they are balanced on the dancers' heads. I started by talking to the dancers about being careful with their bottles, etc... At our first rehearsal, barely five minutes into the rehearsal, I heard a crash as Liza was playing with the bottle and it crashed on the floor!! I immediately yelled for a broom and dustpan. Clean up!!! Then there was the casting of the lead role Tevya. We had three men in line for the role. Each brought something to the part so the decision was tough. However, when one of the men was not picked for the role, he proceeded to call the director and blame the casting on the musical director and the choreographer (me)! He wanted the two of us to know that we did not know what we were doing and we made the wrong choice. It got rather serious when the director had to walk us out to our cars after rehearsals for fear of our safety.. Crazy times!! One of the other potential Tevya's was also calling me after callbacks to see how things went and what the directors were thinking. I had to tell him that we could not discuss that and this phone call was not appropriate. More backstage drama!! At one point during the show I was going to murder all of the papas as they tried to change my choreography and tell me what I had written for them! Not going to happen boys!!

The next show was "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Andrew Lloyd Webber. What a fun show! On and off stage. I think this show could be dubbed the party show. The cast was out of control!! The first issue was casting the female lead Mary Magdelene. The musical director wanted the role and the musical director job also. This can be a tricky road so that was a big decision. We did cast her as Mary, which meant that we had to find a role for another WCP acting staple. Can we say...Lady..by..the..fire??? That's the other female role. Lady by the fire.. Moving on. There were also issues with costumes. The three ladies known as the Soul Girls received their costumes and looked like three Golden Girls, not Soul Girls. Black smocks with black pants. Really?? Really. Trying to change a costume at WCP was like negotiating a nuclear arms situation, so I told the girls to deal and channel both Bea Arthur and the Supremes! Good idea right?? The show was fabulous with great dancing if I do say so myself!!

My final show at WCP was the wonderful hit show "Grease". I was actually not going to do the show, but the new musical director talked me into it! I gave in and said yes. A great decision. The cast was great and we had lots of fun with this one! The show opened with the cast introducing themselves by running across the stage yelling their name. The real fun one was Jan who got Twinkies thrown up to her as she ran past the pit! The "Grease" cast also included a great Buckle friend named Angela Zimmerman. She had great stage energy and danced very well!! Unfortunately, the night the Buckle folks came to see her she was not on stage. I could not figure out where she was, but later found out that she had been on the beach all day in extreme heat and suffered heat stroke!! Poor Angela!!!

I could go on and on about my WCP years, but I truly enjoyed those years! I got to meet and work with many people who are still in my life and will probably meet some new people this summer as I make my return. Thank you all for the memories!! Leg up!!