For some of the younger actors in "Gypsy" -- those who may be hopeful, but uncertain of their futures in theater -- here is a story they may wish to posted by Tom Nadeau @ 5:46 PM  

Cast members came with their costumes Monday, most of them anyway. Some came wearing them, some carrying them on coat hangers and some with promises to have them soon.

Some of the props and sets also were assembled, including grandpa’s chair where he sits, reading the newspaper and vowing Rose won’t get “88 cents;” the two reversible newsstands/flagboards; the table for Mr. Goldstone’s Chinese repast; the train June almost goes to Broadway on; and the makeup table at the unnamed house of burlesque where Louise makes her debut as Gypsy Rose Lee.

“That’s Louise!!”

These sets and props and the unveiling of the costumes – especially the cow -- sent little shiver of excitement through the cast and crew. It seemed be the first real signal that the show was really and truly coming together, as director Bob Heckman had predicted all along.

Before moving it ought to be mentioned that the crew seems to be enlarging. At least three new faces showed backstage – trim ladies with silver hair assisting with costumes and props. It was as if they appeared out of nowhere, although the all seemed to know exactly what they were doing.

Weber came in his racetrack tout costume, still lacking a proper fedora to finish off his regalia. Tim Van Zant had miraculously come up with a derby, a costume accessory Weber had briefly considered. Van Zant loaned his and Weber modeled it or Heckman, who quickly shook his head no.

“The other hat,” he said with a combination sadness and disgust. “You look like a clown in that one.”

Jayne White wasn’t not in full costume last night, but she did have some of the funnier “Rose” touches already in place, including an oversized purse stuffed with a what at first appeared to be a tan koala bear. Upon closer examination it took on the characteristics of a teacup Pekinese dog. That would be “Chowsie.”

The junior newsboys were a motley bunch with some coming decked out in fill costume, such as Alex and Mazerolle and Amy Whosit., both looking more authentic than the “Our Gang” kids.

Mazerolle almost has her dance down. Only a few fine points to smooth out, like remembering to swing her arms, keep her chin and eyes up; and smile, smile, SMILE! She’ll be a star yet.

Alex also appears as one of “Jocko’s Kids” in the opening scene. Heckman reportedly told her to wear the same newsboy outfit in that scene as well. He’s probably saying it as a convenience for Alex and her mother, so they won’t have to make a second costume. However, that’s arguably a mistake on the director’s part.

The audience will surely recognize little Alex and the outfit from one scene to another, which would impair the willing suspension of belief. Better to have a second costume and change with the speed of lightning. It would also give the impression of a larger cast, which wouldn’t hurt the show any.

Maybe she could be the “Hawaiian girl” shown in the Rosalind Russell movie version. In any event her mother should just go ahead, get the second costume together and bull her way through it. Heckman has said he likes actors who know what to do and then just do it.

And speaking of “Jocko’s Kids,” the balloon girl came wearing her balloons, a great little costume put together by her mother, Jayne White, apparently. The balloon girl is so active and excited on stage it looks like she may one day follow in her mother’s footsteps to the footlights.

This was the first time Julie Bryson and Carmen Smith performed in costume. Bryson was seen in a farm girl outfit of pale blue skirt and white blouse, later augmented with a white fur jacket when she heads (almost) for Hollywood, but doesn’t.

“What care I for tinsel and glamour?”

It is difficult to express the change that comes over an actor when the costume is added, at least in Bryson’s case. With the costume donned her already professional dance movements became even more precise and dramatic; her voice strengthened – which it needed to beside the throatier Smith – and her execution of those oh so slight “selling” gestures that oh so make the difference went from competent to perfect.

The absolute hands-down hit of Act One Monday night was Bryson and the cow costume and with Yvette Somebodyorother and Carmen Smith inside it.

True, the black and white cow might in a dark alley be mistaken for a large Dalmatian, but on the whole it was delightful and whoever made it deserves a big hand. It even had shiny black hooves.

The performance of the Cow-creators/Yvette/Carmen demonstrated the true spirit of the theater. It’s not a giant role, but the two, Yvette up front and Carmen in the rear, as it were, took it and made something out of it by working out there own choreography and milking it (so to speak) for all it was worth.

Although it may have been one of the best rehearsals so far, Heckman still pressed for more and better, which is the director’s job, of course,

He was finicky about the exact placement of the two panels that function as the newsstand and flagboard.

“Open the space. Baby June has to come through there…Make sure the curtain is over the edges,” he counseled the set manager.

Heckman was particularly forceful with the adult chorus line.

“There’s holes in the line you could drive a truck through,” he complained.

Actually the line seems to be improving, with Beka W-something and Brenden T. probably the most polished, at least Monday night, anyhow. They do have some things to coordinate better, like whether they are carrying stuffed animals when they are “Farmboys” or not and if so, in what arm.

Anyway, starting Wednesday there will be more practice and everyone had to be working together, Heckman told them.

EDITOR’S NOTE: the cast list finally will be available on Wednesday, so correct names can be insterted later on. Earlier attempts to get the cast and crew make their names available were largely unsuccessful.

Some people – Hey! That would make a good song title, if anyone ever wanted to write a musical. – may have just turned to these pages to check up on the progress of Ponderosa Theater Company’s production of “Gypsy,” set to open May 17 and run through June 2 at the community auditorium at Marysville High School here in California.

This is a Blogger weblog. Being free, it understandably has certain limitations. It seems impossible to get the ‘”Gypsy” Journal entries to display any other way but in reverse chronology. In theory this would be possible, but not in practice.

Because some people – There we go it again. -- are not fluent in weblog jargon and may not understand the function of archives, the web manager here has made sure all of the posts appear on the front page, which means the whole story is right here before you're very eyes, although, because of the reverse chronology problem mentioned above, newcomers must start at the bottom and read upward to come entirely up to speed on the events as perceived by one mere spectator and bit player.

When it’s all over, cast members can feel free to print the whole thing out and save it as a souvenir of the hard work they’ve put in.

Since Steven Sondheim wrote the music for "Gypsy," the actors who are now singing his notes (and Jule Styne's words) might be interested in this new profile of the composer.

Costumes are coming Monday night! Jayne White says she has rounded up 10 for the flamboyant Rose, the three strippers expect to have their ornamental outfits ready and the elaborate “Caroline the Cow” was reportedly ready to go Saturday.

At Friday night’s rehearsal Al Durbin, Rose’s father, was attired in a snug pinstripe vest and suit pants. He said he was still foraging for a pocket watch to complete the retired railroad worker’s persona.

Weber had his houndstooth jacket and vest, but he lacked a hat of the appropriate color and expressed doubts about his blue and red polka dot hand-tided bow tie.

“It really should be red,” Elizabeth Janiak, Miss Mazeppa, advised.

Little Alex Mazerolle was collecting some potential “Newsboy” slouch caps for director Bob Heckman to pass on.

Wednesday, the costumer brought in a beautiful dark double-breasted suit at appeared to fit Timothy Van Zant, a.k.a., Herbie to a “T.”

Friday was also the night for handing in bios. Some of the teenage actors had more to report about their life accomplishments compared to their adult colleagues. A few forgot altogether to write them out. Lined was hastily handed out along with pencils.

Reviewing one’s life and boiling it down to 30 or 50 words is always humbling experience.

One thing the stage experiences listed in some of the short bios revealed was that many actors seem to have been in "Our Town."