Cast Member Blog - Jill Grabau

Well hello there, Blogfriends. I hope you all are enjoying these last days of summer before classes and such start up in less than 2 weeks! Personally, I know that we here at Arts Collective are super excited for the beginning of the year. In fact, we just announced the line-up for our 16th season and our first Subscriber Series! For more info on upcoming shows, auditions, tech opportunities, workshops, and much more, visit the Arts Collective website and Facebook page.

Now that that's out of the way, we have the first Cast Member Blog of the season!

On Broadway, a musical revue spanning the better half of a century of the most memorable musical theatre pieces from Broadway, is our first production of the season, playing the weekend of October 14th. Jill Grabau, On Broadway cast member and all-around Arts Collective all-star, has the honors of starting off AC's 16th season with her blog entry. Read on for a musical theatre nerdgasm, including what numbers Jill is choreographing and a super-sweet Cliff Notes-style rundown of Bob Fosse.

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Calling all musical theater geeks! Whether you love to be in musicals or just love to watch people sing and dance their butts off on stage, then this is the show for you!

When I found out that I was going to be a part of On Broadway, I got a serious case of the jitters. Not only is this a combination of some of the greatest shows on earth, it's also every musical theater nerd’s dream! And being an uber musical theater nerd, I'd say I'm in heaven!

From Showboat to Legally Blonde, and all that's in between, this show is off the chain. Some of these shows I've only ever dreamed of being a part of and now it's really happening! Please, someone pinch me!

I have been given the honor of playing the lovely part of Charity from the Bob Fosse original, Sweet Charity. The show itself is a wonder, about a woman seeking a life far more interesting than the one she's got. Although I'm rather content with my own life, and don't relate exactly to Charity's story, I still find the role intriguing. Perhaps not one of the most memorable, but probably the most fun number from the show just so happens to be the one in which I'll be making my debut, entitled "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This". In this number, Charity and her two friends, working at a dance club, dream of a life beyond what they have, "something far better than the Fandango Ballroom..."

I was offered the chance to re-stage this number, based on its original version starring Shirely McClain and Cita Rivera. Choreography has recently become my new frontier, specifically musical theater choreography. I've always loved to act and dance and create, and finally I have found the courage to combine all three. So given that, Jenny Male (director and choreographer) offered me the position of Dance Captain and asked if I would choreograph two pieces from the show: "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This" from Sweet Charity, and "Razzle Dazzle" from the sassy classic Chicago. The ironic thing is that both these numbers belong to Bob Fosse shows, who I just so happen to ADORE!

Bob Fosse—actor, dancer, director, choreographer, and more—has eased his way into claiming 1st place on my "Top 10 Favorite Dance Styles" list (yes, I have that list). His style is legendary and therefore...awesome!
Here are just a few fun facts about Fosse (other than his wicked sweetness and ever-so-classic "jazz hands!"):

• When he was a kid, he was pigeon-toed and had scoliosis, making it challenging to "turn-out" in classical dance styles. So instead, he created his own style –turned in toes, rounded shoulders and arched backs. Fosse liked to play with the abnormal; if it was weird, he liked it.

• Over time, he started to lose his hair and developed male-pattern baldness. Naturally, he wore a hat 99% percent of the time to cover his thinning grays (a bowler hat being amongst his favorites). So naturally, his hat forged a new part in his dance style and choreography.

• Fosse also adored wearing all black as much as possible, in performances, rehearsals, you name it. But the actual reason behind this stands to rumor. Some people believe that he wore all black because he spent most of his time in the theater and accordingly wanted to blend in backstage. Others think that, because he smoked like a chimney, he didn't want to discolor any of his clothing. But as for me, I believe that he chose black because it contrasted with his light-colored skin and therefore made each and every movement of his hands, fingers, neck, and head extremely noticeable—even to an audience 100 yards away.

Being a FosseHead myself, I felt it only right to stick to Fosse's effervescent style in the two numbers I'm choreographing. I thought of it as a way to pay homage to this great choreographer. The dancing is nothing flashy, but it definitely speaks for itself and holds its own amongst the many Broadway styles out there.

I told you, I'm a nerd...a big one.

So in conclusion, if you love musicals, if you love Fosse, and if you love...people running around in purple gorilla suits (no, just kidding, there won't be any purple gorillas) then On Broadway is the show for you! Buy your tickets now!

See you...On Broadway!
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Ok blogfriends, we'll see you back here Fridays and Mondays for more Cast Member Blogs, and check back often for Arts Collective news and developments! Stop by this Monday for a brief, fascinating Broadway history lesson with cast member Sarah Brodine.