Wollymamoths, Lap dances from Eartha Kitt, and the dumbest question to Cady Huffman I have EVER heard....Welcome to Westport Country Playhouse...

[mrslovett7]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 4:41pm

Today, my theatre department from school went to see All About Us at the Westport Country Playhouse along with several other schools from other parts of Connecticut. The show starred the magnificent Eartha Kitt, Cady Huffman, Shuler Hensley, and Yvette Freeman. Music and Lyrics by Kander and Ebb.

While the music and lyrics were not outstanding and had hints of Cabaret throughout the show, the cast was unbelieveable!! From the side-splitting Wollymamoths' rendition of "Warm" To Socrates, Plato, Homer, and Moses's encouraging "A Whole Lot of Lovin'" and finally Eatha Kitt's insane performance of "Rain" in which she nearly danced on top of a delighted 19 year old boy in the front row, the entire theatre was howling with laughter nearly every second of the show. Tony Award winning Cady Huffman sparkles as the seductive New Jersey maid, Sabina who frequently breaks the forth wall and speaks out of character to the audience. Shuler Hensley, also a Tony winner, and Yvette Freeman portray the not entirely satisfied married couple of 5000 years with the emotionally unstable son Henry, and a little-more-sexually-active-than-she-looks daughter, Gladys. Make sure that when you see this, you are up on you bible history so that you get the jokes.

After, we were lucky enough to do a talk back with the actors. While the actors were facsinating to listen to and gave great advice, I now firmly believe there *are* such things as stupid questions as demonstrated by a few of the audience members thankfully from *other* schools.

The first came from the back of the orchestra section, "How do you memorize your lines? Is it hard?"

Michael Thomas Holmes (Plato): ......well, we just read the script through and rehearse until we know the lines by heart. It's not too hard when you work on it for hours a day.

Next, this is my personal favorite, and let me remind you, among the actors on stage are Eartha Kitt, Cady Huffman and Yvette Freeman: "Have any of you been in other plays?"

...............ummmmmm

It was SO hilarious. The actors looked shocked and then amused. Cady Huffman grabbed the microphone and said: Yes.

The scariest part was that this person was serious.

However, the worst was yet to come. While the other questions were just plain stupid, this next one was UNBELIEVEABLY rude. A girl in the 2nd row asks: "Some of you are famous and have Tony Awards, so why are you here?"
The ENTIRE theatre gasped and then kind of shifted their uncomfortable gaze onto the actos on stage who were less thn amused and most insulted. Eartha Kitt explained that the Westport Country Playhouse has had numerous famous names on its stage and it's not about the money "because we are after all making $2.75 an hour" and that it was about being in this musical by Kander and Ebb and being part of the theatre.

I was personally embarassd that I was in the company of these people, it wasn't only stupid to ask that, it was rude. I felt really bad for the other uknown actors.

The last one was from someone who obviously had never been to the theatre before. He asked, "Cady, when you were talking to us and yelling at Shuler, was that part of the show?"

Cady, just kind of internally collapsed and told him that yes, it was part of the show.


All in all the show had everyone in tears of laughter. If you are in the area I heartily reccomend going.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 4:45pm

Woolymammoth*

[beyondblessed]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 7:43pm

WOW. I can't believe that.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 8:19pm

OMG that IS embarrasing.
Thanks for your comments on the show, I've been curious about it.

[BroadwaySinger2]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 8:30pm

That's a verrrrry rude comment! How could someone have the nerve to do that?!

[mrslovett7]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 9:53pm

No it really is wollymamoth, I made sure I spelled it right lol.

I really wonder about some of those people in the audience today.

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 10:11pm

Well, actually, it's either woolly or wooly mammoth. Two words. Either spelling of woolly/wooly is correct. So says Webster's.

Hard to believe those questions. Hopefully they've learned something.

lc

[singtopher]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:14pm

At my school there is a Gen Ed class that sees a special performace of some of the shows that my department puts on. After each one there is a talk back and the "How do you learn all the lines" question comes up each time. My personal favorite was when someone asked "When the understudies go on do they say the same lines?" Just makes you realize the general american public isn't theatre savy.