Saturday, December 5, 2009

Twas the Knife Before Christmas

So many of you know I am a dancer who loves performing in theatre productions. Actually I have been involved with the theatre for most of my life. It is a dream of mine to one day perform on Broadway. In the meantime, I have been busy building my resume by performing in regional, off-Broadway, and local theatre productions. A few months ago, I was asked to join a local Murder Mystery Theatre Company called Kill-Her Entertainment. It is directed by the amazing Nikki Lauren, who I first worked with two summers ago. We were part of the Actor's Harbor Theatre Company at Snug Harbor Cultural Center. Our first show together was Pippin under the direction of the late Chris Catt (a true visionary-one of the greatest directors and mentors I have ever worked with). I was asked to become the company's official choreographer. I was honored to have been given such a prestigious job with the established company. My first show with the company was Saturday Knife Fever, a show we will be reviving in Sayreville, New Jersey in February...so I am not gonna to tell you any details about the show...you are just gonna have to wait until I post it =)

With "Mrs. Claus" Nikki Lauren


Team Santa:Freddie, Ginger Bread, Candy Cane, and Herbert

However, I will tell you about my second show with Kill-Her Entertainment titled Twas the Knife Before Christmas. Here is the plot summary: The show takes place at the local chapter meeting of Adults for Santa at the Hillside Terrace Knights of Columbus (which is the actual venue of the show). This meetng has been called because Santa feels that everyone has stopped believing in him. So he sends his elves Candy Cane, Ginger Bread, Freddie, and Herbert to get the Christmas Spirit back on Earth. Ebeneezer Stoogio, a business man who only cares about his Blackberry, is hired to run the meeting. The meeting is constantly interrupted by characters such as Mrs. Claus, Louie the Limo Driver, and Melvin (Elfis' twin brother). Then, the meeting turns for the worst when Elfis the elf is murdered! Before the audience can guest who murdered Elfis, there is a Christmas Cabaret including a Dancing with the Stars dance section and singers performing some favorite Christmas classics. Once the audience has all the clues they begin questioning the suspects during Act Two. The murderer is finally revealed in Act Three...it was Herbert the Elf! The show ends with Herbert going to jail and the rest of the North Pole Gang living happily ever after, knowing that people indeed have the Christmas spirit.

With Nate my dance partner

Performing with Elfis (before the murder)

I played Ginger Bread the dancing elf in the show. My dance partner, Nate (who played Freddie), and I performed a swing routine to Jingle Bell Rock that I choreographed. Since it was a spoof on Dancing with the Stars, we were announced as "Freddie and Ginger...Bread!" (Get it Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers). It was a big hit at the show! Kill-Her Entertainment is unique from other Murder Mystery Companies because we incorporate musical routines in the production. Nikki Lauren, besides directing, writes all the scripts for the company. The whole cast had a blast working on this show. I guess you can say we brought the Christmas spirit to Staten Island =) .