Miscast! A Musical Revue is coming up, and I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at their first group rehearsal. Walking in the door to Yad La’Banim I saw a group of women dancing to the sounds of Greased Lightning. It was a funny, energy filled performance, spiking my interest about the rest of the pieces. In the same room I saw Keren and Manuela, both in The Stage’s marketing committee, working on marketing material, and in the back, behind a glass door, a production team was having a meeting. Walking further in I could hear faint strains of another piece being rehearsed on the main stage. Miscast! is a show in which the performers play roles which they never would be cast for in a normal production. This could mean men as women, the young as the old or anything else your creative mind can think of.
Sitting down with the Director Nora De Paz, in a few spare minutes she had in an already busy morning, I was impressed both by her professional background and her love for the show. She’s already directed several performances including contemporary French plays in Paris, France, and here in Israel both a children's play and an Opera. She also has experience as an actress, including plenty of voice-over work. In regards to Miscast! she said she already enjoyed the auditions, making her confident that an audience will enjoy the show. Nora sees it as an original idea, a special chance for actors frustrated with their inability to be cast in a dream role simply due to their looks or gender, to be able to perform in their fantasy part. As an actress herself, I believe she can relate in a unique way to the desires of the cast.
I also got a chance to speak with a couple of cast members. First up was Tessa Snitcher, who studied opera singing at Tel-Aviv University. I don’t want to spoil the show too much, so I’ll just say she sings a traditionally male sung song with a gritty vibe. She said she sees the show as people coming together in a fun environment, who at the end of the process can come out as friends. As someone who’s had the opportunity to participate in shows, the fun of working together is one of my favorite parts, so I really enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of rehearsals for Miscast!
The second cast member I spoke with was Yaniv Rosenblat. A professional actor, he said he was pleasantly surprised by the level of talent displayed at rehearsal. I must say I agree. Everywhere I looked people were going all out, putting their all into making this a high quality production. Yaniv is singing two songs, which are originally comedic, made even funnier with a miscast actor. This rehearsal was the first time he had a chance to work with the woman who will be portraying the second character in one of his acts, giving him a chance to experience a change in the performance.
Just from the short preview I got, I could tell this is going to be a fun and funny show. Miscast! is clearly not only about having an amazing final production, but also about everyone working as a team to get there. I know I’m going to be there opening night. Are you?
By Ma'ayan Dekel