Blah, Blah, Blah Wednesday #2 Recap

Thanks once again to all fans who participated during our second Blah, Blah, Blah Wednesday chat on Facebook, featuring cast members Erin Burniston (Ensemble/Dance Captain), Rachel Geisler (Anna), and Jim Hogan (Georg).  Below are some highlights from the text chat on December 8!

Q: You all understudy at least one other role (and Erin, of course, covers five, haha). How is that like? Is it diffiicult to learn and be expected to perform two different roles?
Erin: It is a tough job. I am consistently thinking of everything at once and learning the boys' choreography as well, as I am the dance captain. Now that we're on tour, I've been able to focus on one person each night as we've been able to do the show.
Jim: It's difficult, but it's a different kind of difficult. We get to perform every night. During the rehearsal process, I focused on Georg, my character, but throughout the performing process, I got to think more about Melchior.

Q: Erin, what is your favourite role to go on as? And which swing dress do you get to wear? For Rachel and Jim, what is it like being double cast? Have any of you had the chance to go on yet?
Rachel: I didn't find out I was understudying for Ilse until about halfway through the rehearsal process in New York. Jim and I have not gone on yet, but that's probably for the best, since we've needed the time to focus on the characters we play every night.
Erin: This fall, I was able to perform as Thea which was such a blast. I think Thea is the girl with the most personality. And my swing dress is pink and brown.

Q: Rachel - Have you received any gifts from fans? If so, what has been your favorite?
Erin - What is it like to sit through the show each night and just SING? It looks like tons of fun!!!
Jim - What's your favorite song to sing? You are amazing during "Touch Me" :)
Rachel: We were in Lexington, and we got a box of cookies, and they decorated a box with quotes from the show. The cookies were pretty awesome too.
Erin: Singing is my first love, so I really love sitting onstage and singing the group numbers. Holding the handheld mic is lots of fun, and it feels like I'm giving my own concert every night.
Jim: My favorite song to sing is -- I mean, I don't want to be cliche about it -- but it's definitely "Touch Me." To be able to just get up there and freely sing my favorite song is incredible.

Q: What songs did you three audition with?
Rachel: I sang "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane.
Erin: "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles
Jim: "Evaporated" by Ben Folds

Q: Hello! First off, you guys seriously rock! My question for all of you is what are all the backstage rituals you like to do before/during/after the show? Also, do you enjoy it when audience members in the stage seats rock out with you guys during the show?
Jim: Before the show, we circle up with all the cast members that we can, and we talk about what we're going to do with the show, and we end it with a little quote that was given to us by Michael Mayer. In terms of the audience members, they *have* to rock out with us!

Q: What was the audition process like? Was there ever a point where you were positive you had the role?
Erin: It was a long process of callbacks. It took about a week and a half. I was never positive that I was going to be cast, but it was a fun process to be able to sing the music and have a chance at all.

Q: If you saw the show before you were cast in it, what cast did you see and what were your impressions of the show?
Rachel: I saw the original Broadway cast in previews and absolutely fell in love with it. I saw it more times on Broadway than I want to admit.

Q: Were all of you involved in high school drama classes and productions? If you were, what was your favorite role that you portrayed? Thank you! :)
Erin: I was very involved with my high school musicals and in chorus. My favorite roles were Ciinderella in Into the Woods and Laurie in Oklahoma!, and I would love play both of them again sometime.
Jim: Yes, I was involved with my high school's productions and other high schools' productions. My favorite roles were Bobby Child in Crazy for You and Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Rachel: My favorite roles in high school were Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown and Eileen Sherwood in Wonderful Town. A lot of "towns"!

See you next week for Blah, Blah, Blah Wednesday #3!