Courtney Jones worked at NYCPAS as Assistant to the Director for two years before embarking on the national tour of “WICKED” as an ensemble cast member. She is a graduate of SUNY Purchase College and has danced professionally in New York City with Jennifer Muller/The Works, among others. This is her third blog from the road. The Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City can be described in one word: cute. Once I was able to get past the insane number of fans waiting outside for the WICKED lottery -- which had to be called a “raffle” since they do not allow gambling in Salt Lake City (check out this photo of a typical WICKED “raffle” turnout in Salt Lake City) -- I got to see such a charming space with great character.
This was one of my favorite venues for a couple of reasons. First, there was ample space to warm up. Second, the warm-up room had a piano, upon which our lovely Musical Director Boko Suzuki would play Stevie Wonder tunes every day at intermission. And last, but not least, the Capitol Theatre had a fantastic crew!
The layout backstage at this venue was also great for a few reasons. There was crossover access and not a lot of stairs to navigate.
The house was quite intimate and I often heard performers comment on how close the audience felt. This could be really exciting, especially if you are someone like me who loves to look directly into the audience, or quite challenging if you prefer to maybe hear the house and not necessarily “see the house”.
One funny moment that I will never forget happened back stage in Salt Lake. The stage was a little small for the craziness that is WICKED, so our lovely crew had to build an extension of the backstage area leading to the gondolas. There was a small ramp that got you onto the backstage area, and I was trying to navigate in my very tight Emerald City mermaid dress. I’m sure you can see where this is headed... My foot caught the front of my dress, and all I can say is, I went down...
It took four crew members to physically put me back on my feet. The next day, when I arrived, the stage crew had lovingly drawn a chalk outline of my body (hat included) just in case I had forgotten such a wonderful moment. See photo…
All in all, I had a lovely time at the Capitol Theatre. If you ever find yourself seeing a show there, try not to let the nearby chain restaurants grab your attention. Instead, head across the street to the Olive Bistro. They have awesome food, a lovely owner and great frozen drinks.
You must be a registered user and logged in to post comments. Click here to login or register.
