Boeing... Boeing... GONE! (Almost)

Panoramic view of the Boeing-Boeing set

     Believe it or not, we're entering the fifth and last week of performances of our production of Boeing-Boeing.  It's been a fantastic run so far, and it's broken records, too.  In case you hadn't heard, this production has "become the biggest-selling show in the theater’s 10-year history."  There are still some tickets available if you haven't seen it yet or want to come see it again, so click that link or give our box office a call today - (828) 239-0263. 

     If you have seen the show and something caught your eye - say, the globe bar? the vintage coffee pot? - then you're in luck!  We're auctioning off (most of) this wonderful set, so you have a chance to win a pretty excellent Boeing-Boeing souvenir.  Just check out our website for more information.  Doing some Spring cleaning and just found room for that unique 'inchworm chair'?  Then make your bid today!  The auction is open through next Wednesday, March 23 at 5 PM.  All bids must be made by phone, though you can check the bids on an item online at any time.  Get a piece of the set before it's Boeing-Boeing GONE!

     We hope to see you in our neck of the woods soon, or see a piece of our set in yours.  Have a great weekend, and happy Spring!

Let's Fa(r)ce It

We here at NC Stage love farce.  Last year we had Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw, and in our earlier years we produced Loot, also by Orton.  The first play Scott & Charlie ever performed in together was one of Marc Camoletti's other famous plays, Don't Dress for Dinner.  Both are fans of the genre and have keen acting skills for farce.  So, today, we have a little treat: I've asked Charlie to interview Scott about farce and why they both love it. Enjoy!

from the 'Bedroom farce' Wikipedia article:

"Boeing Boeing is a classic French farce for the stage by Marc Camoletti. Monopolizing on most of the conventions of farce's canon, it concerns a Parisian playboy bachelor with three international stewardess fiancées he secretly keeps in careful rotation until their flight schedules change and he, along with his provincial friend and sassy maid, must keep them from finding out about each other. Lucky they have enough doors in the apartment to keep the girls unwittingly flitting about for two hours."

Do you like farce? 

Do you have any favorite farces? 

Do you want more farce? Let us know!

Liebling! Gretchen's Boeing-Boeing Dating Profile

 

Today Gretchen's profile is our featured dating profile for the characters in Boeing-Boeing. Boeing-Boeing shows us one way of trying to work the dating system, though with stressful (and hilarious) consequences.  This week on the blog, we will have the dating profiles for Gloria, Gabriella, and Gretchen that might help clear things up for our friend Bernard. Oh, and we will also have Bertha's profile, too. Enjoy!

Gretchen (our our passionate German with Lufthansa): 

Q: What are your best qualities?

A: Ooh!  My best qualities are hard to decide, but I am fery happy and zat seems to make ozers fery happy.

 

Q: What do you look for in a romantic partner?

A: For my partner, I look for someone who is romantic oont funny oont surprising!

Q: What is your idea of a romantic evening?

A: A romantic evening vould be my lover eating German foot vith me, (even if he didn't like it,)  oont a nice valk vith some champagne oont a nice tussle in ze hay, (ze bed.)

Q: How do you comfort someone when something stressful happens?

A: I tend to be over exuberant, but I try to hug zem and let zem know zey are not alone.

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?  
A: I vould go to Schulenberg!  My Mozer lives zere!

 

Q: What is one word that describes your life?

A: Spicy.

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Be sure to read our other lovely ladies' profiles, too! 

Coming Soon: Bertha!

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How about you? Share your answers with us! 

What are your best qualities?

What color best describes your personality and why?

What do you look for in a romantic partner?

What is your idea of a romantic evening?

How do you comfort someone when something stressful happens?

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Your work lets you out early, what do you do with this free time?

What is one word that describes your life?

What's your theme song? 

Ciao! Gabriella's Profile

We continue our dating profiles for the characters in Boeing-Boeing with Gabriella today!  Boeing-Boeing shows us one way of trying to work the dating system, though with stressful (and hilarious) consequences.  This week on the blog, we will have the dating profiles for Gloria, Gabriella, and Gretchen that might help clear things up for our friend Bernard. Oh, and we will also have Bertha's profile, too. Enjoy!

Gabriella (our sharp and sassy Italian with Alitalia): 

Q: What do you look for in a romantic partner?

A: A nice shiny bald head

Q: What is your idea of a romantic evening?

A: Whiskey, fine dining, amore, and whiskey -- in that order.

Q: Your work lets you out early, what do you do with this free time?

A: Jump rope!

Q: What is one word that describes your life?

A: Loud

Q: What's your theme song?  
A: Up Up and Away in My Beautiful Balloon

 

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Come back the rest of the week to read 

our other lovely ladies' profiles, too! 

Tomorrow, Gretchen!

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How about you? Share your answers with us! 

What are your best qualities?

What color best describes your personality and why?

What do you look for in a romantic partner?

What is your idea of a romantic evening?

How do you comfort someone when something stressful happens?

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Your work lets you out early, what do you do with this free time?

What is one word that describes your life?

What's your theme song? 

Start your dating profile with... NC Stage?!?!

We here at NC Stage recognize that the dating field can be a competitive one.  Boeing-Boeing shows us one way of trying to work the system, though with stressful (and hilarious) consequences.  This week on the blog, we will have the dating profiles for Gloria, Gabriella, and Gretchen that might help clear things up for our friend Bernard. Oh, and we will also have Bertha's profile, too. Enjoy!

Gloria (our lovely American with TWA): 

Q: What are your best qualities? 

A: Well, I've got all the fantastic qualities that a great flight attendant should have! I'm very friendly, I can take control quickly in high-stress situations, and I'm a great multi-tasker!
 

Q: One word that describes your life?  

A: Excitin', darlin' !

Q: What's your theme song?

A: "Gloria" by Them, of course! I love that song!

Q: What color best describes your personality?   

A: Red. It's fiery, patriotic, excitin', and is TWA's color! It also looks marvelous on me and is the color of some of my favorite foods!

5) What do you look for in a romantic partner?  

A: I need a real man, not a baby. He has to be smart, considerate, and sweet. Being very rich is a bonus, but I'll keep him around even if he isn't rich, if he's sweet enough. Last but not least, he must like to try new things.

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Come back the rest of the week to read 

our other lovely ladies' profiles, too! 

Tomorrow, Gabriella!

-----------------

How about you? Share your answers with us! 

What are your best qualities?

What color best describes your personality and why?

What do you look for in a romantic partner?

What is your idea of a romantic evening?

How do you comfort someone when something stressful happens?

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Your work lets you out early, what do you do with this free time?

What is one word that describes your life?

What's your theme song?  

Celebrate Valentine's Day with NC Stage

Aren't these androgynous cherubs just so adorable?

Yes, in case you haven't gotten around to looking at a calendar lately, it's quite obvious that Valentine's Day is fast approaching.  What's been on our mind lately though is the fast approaching arrival of Boeing-Boeing.  We've had our set being built, more lobby renovation going on, special events happening, and general hub-bub of a Mainstage production drawing near, so if you're feeling like there's a bazillion things going on in your life, we feel you.  And now Valentine's Day is right around the corner...

Our advice? Celebrate a little late.  

Valentine's Day shouldn't be a stress-fest, so take your time and join us sometime after Valentine's Day (perhaps between February 16 and March 13?) for an afternoon or evening at the theatre where you can feel intimately connected with our actors as well as your fellow audience members.  Go out for lunch or dinner beforehand, see the show, then get some chocolate afterwards. Sounds delightful, right? And another great thing about it is you can do all this by supporting local businesses.  We love Asheville, and we love you.  So buy you and your sweetheart (or a friend) some tickets, and come see us.  We're looking forward to our belated celebration with you. 

Much love, NC Stage

*Further reading: Other benefits of celebrating late include getting candy and chocolate at awesome discounts (I'm a big fan of the heart-shaped York peppermint patties -- a hint to anyone looking for me to be their Valentine; I also like truffles), not dealing with crowds at restaurants, and, of course, picking your own V-day!

Pay-What-You-Can Night: February 16th!

Amazingly, we still have some tickets available for Boeing-Boeing's Pay-What-You-Can Night Wednesday, February 16th. Sometimes folks don't call for tickets because they think the performance is full, or that they don't qualify - not true! You can still get tickets, but don't wait too long!

For fun, here's a little FAQ about our Pay-What-You-Can Nights, which we've been doing since our very first performance in 2002.

Q: Can I really pay what I want? What's the catch?
A: Well, there is a $6 minimum, but other than that, you truly can pay what you can afford. It's an honor system. We don't even ask for your tax return!

Q: How can you possibly afford to give out $6 tickets?
A: We do take a big hit on Pay-What-You-Can Nights, but we're able to subsidize the costs because we're a non-profit and we have a loyal group of supporters. Our individual donors and business sponsors make it possible, so if you see a name in the playbill that you recognize, please thank them for making theatre affordable for our community!



Q: How do I know when you're going to have a Pay-What-You-Can Night?
A: For Mainstage productions, Pay-What-You-Can Night is always the first Wednesday of the run. Sometimes the companies we host through our Catalyst Series also choose to do a Pay-What-You-Can Night. We'll always post the information on our website and include it in our email newsletters.

Q: Wow, this is a really generous offer. How can I help support it?

A: Thanks, that's very kind of you! It costs about $1,000 to subsidize each Pay-What-You-Can Night. You could sponsor an individual Pay-What-You-Can performance for that amount and be recognized on all of our marketing and publicity. Or you can support NC Stage's annual fund with a gift of any amount. Contact our Development Director Barbara Benisch for more information.

Q: I heard you have to fight for a seat that night. What gives?
A: We've gotten much more efficient at seating over the years. Just call ahead to get your name is on the list, then pay for your tickets and choose your seats the night of the show. Our box office opens at 6:00pm, so the earlier you get here, the better choice of seats you get. Once you have your tickets, you can go have dinner, or make yourself comfortable in our lobby and enjoy our concessions until the show begins at 7:30pm. No need to elbow anyone for a seat.

Q: What if I forgot to call ahead - am I out of luck?
A: No! Make sure you get on the waiting list. Despite everyone's best intentions, there are always some cancellations and no-shows. If patrons haven't shown up by 10 minutes before curtain, we start offering tickets to the waiting list. You have to be here in person to get waiting list tickets, but isn't that worth it for a $6 ticket?

Q: How do I pay for my tickets?
A: We apologize for any inconvenience, but for maximum efficiency in the box office, we only accept cash, and we're not able to make change. There's is an ATM just two blocks from NC Stage, and our box office staff will be happy to give you directions.

Q: What about nickels, dimes and quarters?
A: We'll be honest, it's kind of a hassle for our box office staff. But it's legal tender, so we'll take it! We recommend counting the coins out ahead of time, or you may get some glares from the patrons in line behind you. (On the other hand, we do love dollar coins - they're so handy for getting out of the parking garage!)

For reservations, call (828) 239-0263

Pay-What-You-Can Night tickets begin at $6. Cash only, exact change only at the door. Reservations highly recommended. Tickets for other performances range from $16 - $28, with $10 student rush tickets available at 2:00pm the day of the show.

Read more about Boeing-Boeing here!

Any other questions, post below, or email us!

Suggested Listening: On Flying

Since Boeing-Boeing is tangentially about flying, I've been looking into other forms of entertainment that deal with aviation and found quite a lot of material. Initially I was looking into books about flying and airline hostesses, but then I got thinking about movies and music, too. For this post, I'll be focusing on songs about flying, planes, all that air travel-y stuff. 

Before we move forward, I must say, to get some of today's material for this post I navigated parts of the internet I'd never thought I'd see: Airline Pilot forums. There I found five pages of suggested flying-related songs and commentary on the songs... and something about a video done by the Blue Angels and some funky breathing technique used by fighter pilots in certain situations so they can keep blood in their brains. Eye-opening, really. Anyhow, the favorites of the pilot crowd ranged from "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum to "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins (from the Top Gun soundtrack). Other songs mentioned were Lenny Kravitz's "Fly Away," Guns N' Roses' "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," "Learning to Fly" by both Pink Floyd and Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffett's "Jamaica Mistaka," Elton John's "Rocket Man," Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Zephyr," and "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf. 

Of course there were more, but it got me thinking... what are some favorite flying/plane/air travel songs of the NC Stage staff? And the responses...

 - Willie:  "Indigo Girls, 'Airplane.' It's goofy, but it gets stuck in my head on a surprising number of flights.  Others that spring to mind are Nanci Griffith's 'Flier,' which is sad and sweet, and of course 'Back in the U.S.S.R.'"

 - Amanda: "'Leavin' on a Jet Plane' by John Denver. Love me some John Denver.  Makes me tear up.  Totally different: 'The Letter' by the Box Tops - awesome sing-along at the top of your voice when you're driving.  'Get me a ticket for an aeroplane, ain't got time to take a fast train...'"

 - Melinda: "Red Hot Chili Peppers - 'Aeroplane'... though it has some strong language. Gary Allen's 'Watching Airplanes' or Steve Miller Band's 'Jet Airliner' are good ones, too."

 - Lauren (me): I love me some Ben Folds, so I'm going to have to mention 'Landed', but I love Ol' Blue Eyes and his song 'Come Fly with Me,' too. However I always think of the Junior Birdman song that my mom taught me as a kid.

 - Charlie: "It's a tie between 'Snakes On A Plane (Bring It)' by Cobra Starship, and 'Final Countdown' by Europe. Enjoy!"

 

What's your favorite flying/airplane/sky song?

Drawing a blank? Here's another list of flying songs from Made Manual (a website I found the other day when I was looking for a recipe for Mac n' Cheese balls) that might help stimulate the imagination.

Boeing-Boeing: From Hollywood to Bollywood

In one of our first staff meetings of the new year while we were discussing Boeing-Boeing, someone mentioned that while they were describing the play to a friend, that friend stopped them and said, "Isn't that a Tony Curtis movie?" True! The play was made into a movie in 1965 starring Jerry Lewis and Tony Curtis and was actually nominated for two Golden Globes. Despite that fact and the fact that the play was revived in a Broadway production back in 2008 (and won two Tony awards), it's surprisingly hard to find the movie version today. You can't find it on Netflix, but you can find it in 10-minute segments on YouTube and sold in VHS format on obscure websites, but that's about as good as it gets. I posted a clip from the movie in one of our previous posts, just so you can get a taste of what it's like.

However, while I was reading the Wikipedia article about the 1965 movie, I found out there have been two, yes TWO, Bollywood remakes of the film: one actually titled Boeing-Boeing (1985), and the other, made by the same guy -- Priyadarshan -- twenty years later, entitled Garam Masala (2005). From my anecdotal research, it seems that the director's second incarnation of the film is the one that was more popular. Shocked at the novelty of my discovery, I decided to see if I could find a copy of the movie, and lo and behold, Netflix came through in my search. I put it at the top of my queue and waited for it to arrive.

Remember that 'snow event' in mid-January? Well, the movie arrived in the mail shortly before that, so when I found myself snow-bound at home, I sat myself down ready for a laugh. Yes, I laughed occasionally, but ouch! It was kind of painful. Maybe my perspective was tainted by the fact that I couldn't manage to get the DVD menu to work properly for a good half hour since it was produced in India and the Citibank India ads couldn't be skipped as I went back trying to set the subtitles to English, but still I can't believe I made it through. (Well, actually, I took a break half-way through for about 45 minutes so I could wring out my brain, but I did finish watching the movie.) I'm not advocating for or against the movie, I'm just saying it was a doozy. 

I feel the play's silliness is nicely compact, so as silly as the story is already, I couldn't believe that they decided to ADD to it for the Bollywood movie. With the additional story elements and the songs (that don't seem to connect much with the plot in my opinion), the movie came out to be about two-and-a-half hours long. Despite all that was added, a lot is very similar to the 1965 film. In fact, someone made a couple YouTube videos illustrating the parallels between the movies, which is pretty neat. The quality of the videos aren't top notch but it's fun to watch, and I think it brings across the sense of speed in the story -- the ladies coming and going, the kitchen orders changing, all that chaotic hilarity. It's up to you whether you decide to rent the DVD, but either way, I think the videos are worth a watch. Enjoy!

Part one:

Part two:

First Day of Boeing-Boeing Rehearsals...

Charlie as Bernard and Scott as Robert

First off, we want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who came out the Reuter Center on Sunday to watch our (For)Play reading of Boeing-Boeing. As Charlie said, we hope it "puts you in the mood" to come see it when we open in mid-February (hint hint... get your tickets soon!). We're excited about it: we've got a great group of designers and a fantastic cast -- Scott & Charlie, Maria Buchanan, Vivian Smith, Julia Vanderveen, and Paige Posey -- and they start rehearsals tonight and continue them this week, provided it's not snowing-snowing. (Haha!)

If you missed the (For)Play reading and you aren't familiar with the play, here's the premise: Bernard is a successful businessman living in Paris whose three stewardess girlfriends never cross paths because they work for different airlines and, as Bernard says, "The whole secret is order. I am organized- beautifully organized. (...) All you need is a timetable." But, as we all know, jets get faster, weather delays occur, and timetables become irrelevant. Fortunately, Bernard has his maid/cook/servant/assistant Bertha and his old friend Robert to help him manage things. As Bernard puts it, "Yes, it is a bit touch and go today. But today's an exception. (...) Normally it's perfectly straightforward." How will it all unfold? Join us in February and you'll find out!

As rehearsals progress, you'll be seeing all kinds of different features on the blog: why Scott loves farce so much, some sneak peeks from designers, funny anecdotes from rehearsal, material inspired by Boeing-Boeing (did you know there's a Bollywood version?), and much more. Also, we'll be starting a series of Facebook contests with some pretty excellent prizes, so become a fan of NC Stage and you could win some sweet stuff! Keep checking back in.

Boeing-Boeing tickets on sale NOW!

9:59:57...58...59... 10 AM! Finally! I'm calling NC Stage right now.

The time has come...

 to get your Boeing-Boeing tickets!

If you're thinking "Gee, it seems early..." then you're right. It's a bit earlier than when we usually put tickets on sale for our shows, but we know seats are going to fly faster than a Concorde. Also, it's a great gift for a theatre-/farce-/fun-loving loved one, so if you're looking for a last-minute Christmas gift, or a really early Valentine's Day present, this is a good one. Plus, it's got the duo of all duos in it: Charlie Flynn-McIver and Scott Treadway, so why wait? Call our box office now (or go online) and you can get your top-choice seats! We look forward to hearing from you - 828.239.0263.