So this was the second day booked on this show in Brighton Beach. After yesterday's experience I was dreading coming back. Though I got this booking from one of my favorite casting people, and I wasn't going to cancel if I was still on the list.
The voice mail message was released at midnight when I got home from "day 1". I thought for sure that my number was going to be called on the list to "not return" as I was NOT used at all the day before. As the message went on and he was reading the numbers that should not return, I barely made the cut for the numbers they needed, though I was IN! This meant I had to immediately get to bed so I could get up early and get there on time.
I woke up at a decent time to leave Queens and to get to Brooklyn. I did not want to be late and sent home.I gave myself much more extra time to get down to the area. In fact I got there too early. The doors to the restaurant where holding was located, was gated and locked and shut down.
I thought that I slept in and I was an entire day late as there was no sight of anybody there. No crew, no PA's, nobody. It felt like one of those Twilight Zone Episodes where there was some nuclear explosion the day before, this man was in a safe bomb shelter avoiding the explosion. He wakes up the next day to go outside only to find everything is shut down, and he is the only person alive.
Finally after about 15 minutes, someone came and opened the gates. I was relieved and was actually one of the first few people there to check in. So we checked in, and went to the breakfast truck to get some personalized omelette's at the "omelet station". Yes Thank-you HBO!
We returned to holding, sat down had our breakfast and went to wardrobe to get the dresses we were assgiend to wear the day before. I thought, "Great, another day of just sitting around and being treated like I'm in kindergarten class and be told what to do by a power hungry PA!" Well I was wrong..it turned out to be classic background day with much fun and surprises.....
After we got dressed, there was no time to wait around and we quickly got rushed to set. So we get to the set which was inside the Russian restaurant and of course we rush to get there only to wait outside in our dresses and heels on the boardwalk platform, where it was really chilly and overcast. Still at this point I was thinking " I will get through this!"
Finally we get directed to get on set and quietly proceed. We finally get into the restaurant and the tables were arranged differently. At first the PA is placing people, and then she gets called to do something else. We are just standing there feeling stupid and decide to "place ourselves" and sit down at this table which at the time we did not know that it would be the main shot for the day.
So my friend and I sat down and didn't expect anything and the PA didn't come around to throw us out of our seats. Shortly after we get situated, they bring out the principal actor, Jason. He ends up sitting directly across the table from where we are sitting! Nobody says anything about us sitting there and they begin the scene.
The scene was at this Russian restaurant. There are ten of us at this table eating, drinking, saluting, and just having a grand 'ol time. We are pretending to clink glasses and everyone is drunk and full of life. Jason's character is drunk and he is getting along with everyone and getting real chummy. This cute Russian waitress approaches the table to offer a plate of deserts.
He gestures to the waitress and asks her a question about a certain lady that sings there at the club to see if she is available for him to date. The waitress nods she will be here tomorrow night. Jason's' character is a happy drunk and of hearing this news, he gathers everyone at the table to raise their glasses and salute in Russian. So we all raise our glasses and cheer "Nazdrovje"!
What a great comic actor he is. IT was so much fun. From the get go, he is cracking jokes and making everyone feel important being there.The funniest part was that this much older woman was sitting right beside him and did not get any of the jokes or gestures he was making. Most of the jokes were the fact that this woman was clueless to what was going on.
On with the next scene.....
As if that wasn't enough fun, the best time was really yet to come. This time everyone was called to go to the middle of the dance floor of the restaurant. I was like oh great a dance scene. "Well Canada Anne doesn't dance!" While the crew took a break the AD was figuring out the scene. They were on the side, so my friend and I thought this was the opportune time to get up on that stage and get some poses!
The cool thing was that the microphone was one of those 1950's style they used for radio back in the day. I went up and did a quick few bars of the song "fever" and in my Marilyn Monroe pose. It felt great! Though it was for only a few moments. Even the bitchy "PMS PA" saw me up on the stage and didn't even say a word and just let me have my moment.
It was a short moment and it was done when the Director called everyone to the dance floor. We were instructed to form a circle after we dance a little and Jason would be in the center. In the circle Jason and his drunk Russian male partner would dance. And they danced. they danced Wildly, kicking their legs up. Doing the Russian dance.
Then it got even wilder. They got two chairs and they both sat down and were lifted up into the circle. It was just like going to a Jewish wedding. While the two guys were being lifted up we are all cheering and roaring and applauding.They had a bottle of vodka and were toasting each other while it was spilling all over the place. A couple of wild rounds of this and WOW what a day.
I was exhausted just being a part of it. Then we were told to go back to holding. I thought for sure that meant lunch and then we would have another 10 hours to go. Well I was gladly mistaken. Got to holding and "it was a wrap!" Yippee.
Got changed in my street clothes and went back to the "B" Train.
Back to one.
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