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  WINDY CITY TIMES

THEATER The Naked Truth
Backstage with the Boys from Naked Boys Singing!
by David R. Guarino
2003-06-25

This article shared 26389 times since Wed Jun 25, 2003
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On May 17, I spent an entire evening backstage with the cast and crew of one of Chicago's hottest theatrical productions, Robert Schrock's Naked Boys Singing! (nearing the end of its second year), directed by David Zak and presented at Bailiwick Theater. Want to know what really goes on behind the scenes? Come along as I follow the company backstage from call time to the finale. Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

May 17, 2003:

7:50 p.m. I arrive at Bailiwick Theater 10 minutes before the scheduled 8 p.m. call time for Naked Boys Singing! (NBS), having made plans with my editor, Tracy Baim, to take photos of the cast before the 9 p.m. curtain. David Zak, NBS Director and Artistic Director of Bailiwick, greets me and takes me backstage to the long, homey and somewhat cluttered dressing room where the guys reside. I am immediately introduced to Keith Stoneking (the newest member of the troupe) and John Cardone, who hails from Los Angeles and does an outstanding second act solo number called 'The Entertainer' in full drag! Keith tells me that he comes from Nashville, Tenn., and he moved to Chicago to become a member of the cast of NBS. Within the next 10 minutes I will meet the rest of the guys (Brook Robertson, Tim Gallagher, Antonio Zayas, Scott Thomas, Brian Givens and Dan Hickey—who is filling in this night for Craig Lewis).

8 p.m. CALL TIME

THE SCENE: Electric with excitement. The guys are complaining that it is kind of cold in the theater this evening. Dan Hickey: 'We won't be hanging low tonight.' The dressing room is filled with an eclectic hodgepodge of makeup, memorabilia, and assorted bits and pieces of casually scattered NBS costumes. There are cowboy boots, John Cardone's wigs for the stellar 'The Entertainer' number, Tim Gallagher's Naked Boys Singing! Jacket draped behind his chair (which was very cool and from what I was told only given to long-time cast members), Antonio Zayas' teddy bear, Scott Thomas' fan mail and love letters taped to the mirrors, NBS posters, cast lists, stage directions, song lists and much, much more. I gaze upward at the ceiling of the dressing room, filled with hand-written notes, pictures, what look like congratulatory cards and letters punctuated with various commentary by those once utilizing this room. There is a well-worn couch opposite the dressing table which I quickly make my designated 'home base.' My initial nervousness quickly abates as I meet the remaining cast members who each greet me with a warm handshake and/or a hug.

COMMENTARY: My initial thought is that it can be a somewhat daunting experience spending an entire performance backstage (and conducting interviews) with an ensemble of handsome, sexy men in varying stages of dress or totally nude. My uneasiness soon vanishes as I find out that the cast of NBS are consummate pros, warm, welcoming, and very at ease with themselves, their naked bodies and my presence backstage. The guys do everything possible to make me comfortable all the while preparing to go about the business of executing one of Chicago's favorite theatrical productions. There is a growing anticipation in the air.

8:10 p.m. The cast assembles in the theater to do warm-ups. I join David Zak and Tracy in the aisle to the sounds of the fully clothed cast singing the catchy 'Nothin' But the Radio On.' Everyone is sounding great and spirits are high as it is Saturday night and a full house is a definite possibility.

8:20 p.m. Director David Zak asks the guys to get naked for some cast photos to be taken by Tracy. Next, I have my photo taken with the Boys and no, David does not ask me to take my clothes off too. (Lucky for you)

8:25 p.m. Photos completed, I meet up with NBS musical director Robert Ollis backstage. Robert tells me he took his training at the University of Missouri. Tim Gallagher: 'And what year did you graduate, Robert?' DG: Now, Tim, stop being evil.' Tim: 'Evil? No, not me! I'm the nice guy in the cast! No, that would be Brook.' DG: 'Brook, are you the nice guy in the cast?' Brook Robertson: (with a sheepish smile) 'I don't know, I'm not exactly sure what that means. But if we didn't all get along really well, I don't think we would still be here, especially Tim, myself and Scott.' I ask if there is a Martha Stewart or a Lucille Ball in the cast and I am told that there are all types. By now I am finding that many of the members of the cast and crew come from small towns or cities. Robert has been with the show from the beginning of its run in Chicago. Robert tells me that every time a new cast member enters the troupe, he teaches the newcomer the music and the 'dance captain' (Antonio Zayas) teaches them the dances.

WITH MUSICAL DIRECTOR ROBERT OLLIS: DG: What has this experience of being the Musical Director of Naked Boys Singing! been like for you? RO: It's been a lot of fun. We have had a wonderful time all the way through the audition process. We originally started out with 35 men in the cast and narrowed it down via a number of stages to a cast of eight. DG: I've heard a rumor that one time you got naked with the rest of the Boys. Is that true, Robert? RO: (laughing) There was one time that a Nudist Club rented the theater and their group came and saw the show. Everyone in the audience was naked as well as on stage. I bowed to peer pressure.

An NBS CHICAGO TRADITION: Right about now some of the Boys head over to the local 7-Eleven for what I understand is a 'before show' tradition. The guys call the 7-Eleven 'The Place,' and from what Tim Gallagher tells me, some actually buy pretty much the same guilty pleasure before every performance. Is the cast superstitious or merely creatures of habit?

I can now hear raised voices in the theater and ask Tim Gallagher if I can take a peek at the audience. Like a kid in a candy store I follow Tim up the darkened steps leading up to the stage, and he leads me to the far side of the curtain where I sneak a glimpse of a very vocal crowd anxiously awaiting. A woman with badly teased hair spots me and screams out, 'Hey don't be shy!' I cower away in horror, snap the curtain back and trip back down the almost pitch-black stairs.

8:40 p.m. The guys return from their trip to 'The Place,' treats in hand. Original cast member Scott Thomas (who hails from Wisconsin and was the original 'Naked Maid') proudly points to his Super Big Gulp Diet Coke. Yep, Scott's a big guy all right … I am told that Brian Givens usually gets an Orange and somebody else likes 'something goomy-or peanuts.' OK, moving right along I ask the guys if this ritual is good luck or just something that they do. Somebody says, 'It's a tradition.' Tim Gallagher: 'On Thursdays and Fridays a lot of these guys are coming from working all day and they need something to keep them going food-wise. And that fills them up, because you don't want to eat a big meal and then do this show.'

8:45 p.m. Dan Hickey, a continuing cast member who's filling in tonight for Craig Lewis, catches up with me as the guys begin preparations for their entrance and their first big number, 'Gratuitous Nudity.' Dan is a sweet guy who hails from Dayton, Ohio, and has been with the show for a year and a quarter. He is currently appearing in a local production called Rumpelstiltskin Revisited. Dan: 'It's great! I get to scare children during the day and adults (here at Bailiwick) at night.' Right about now Tim is making a boisterously loud announcement that 'They told us to keep our clothes ON tonight.' This invokes laughter from the other guys and myself, though I still don't know exactly who the THEY in his sentence refers to.

Dan: I have been with the show for about a year and a quarter and I recently left because I'm doing Rumpelstiltskin Revisited. I come in on occasions when they have one or two people off and the understudy isn't available. DG: What has been your most exciting adventure in NBS? Dan: One of the things I have found to be the most fun about being a member of the NBS cast are doing the promotions. There was one in particular where we went to the W Hotel at, I believe, 4:30 in the morning, opening for The Goo Goo Dolls and appearing on The Eric and Kathy Show on The Mix. We dropped our towels on that show for the small audience that was there! The best part was that nobody knew we were going to do it. I was the first (to drop my towel) and slowly everybody else followed.

I ask the guys what is one of the funniest things that's happened on stage. Tim Gallagher: 'It won't get anybody in trouble? ... The curtain used to be on a string that would open and close it, and it broke, and part of the string was hanging loose. And so the string got tied up on the grille that comes out so it pulled part of the curtain out into (the area) where the guys need to move around. Also it was pulling the string across like a tight band so as they rotated it (the curtain) was, like getting strangled on the string as it was going around and everybody was saying, 'You know we are troupers! You know we're professionals!'' Antonio Zayas: 'Then at one point the curtain wouldn't open at all, so we were, like, three people dancing right in front of the curtain…'

Musical Director Robert Ollis: 'There have been performances when it was very, very cold outside and somehow the heating (in the theater) wasn't working very well, and the audience all had their coats on … and so they're sitting there with their coats on, and the guys were performing naked … .' Tim Gallagher: (The audience was) 'Feeling really sorry for us.'

8:54 p.m. As I glance at my watch I hear the voices from tonight's assembling audience getting louder. Sounds like a pretty rowdy crowd. All I keep remembering is that woman with the teased hair … I notice that some of the guys are now feverishly applying makeup. Scott tells me he doesn't use any makeup because his skin has a dark enough tone already. The newest cast member, Keith Stoneking, comes over to where I am sitting on 'my' well-worn sofa and we chat as the tension builds and curtain time fast approaches. Keith is a handsome and sweet young man with just the slightest hint of a Southern accent. He's pretty tall too.

KEITH STONEKING: DG: Keith, you were just telling me that you're hoping for a very vocal crowd tonight. KS: I just want it to be vocal, because the more interactive it is, the better. I mean, there are people who watch the show like this: (Keith covers his face with his hands). Hopefully you will find people (in the audience) who you can connect to just by the way they smile or by their attitude. Then you can develop a real exchange with them. (At this point the Stage Manager, Peter Blair, walks through the dressing room and announces 'Two Minutes, Guys!') DG: Keith, what's your favorite number in the show? KS: I love doing 'Muscle Addiction,' and I really enjoy 'Nothin' But the Radio On.' I have fun with the numbers for the characters. A young kid … and mystified. And being the new Naked Boy and having just moved to Chicago, those characters are just that much easier (for me) to relate to. You know, I think 'Window to Window' is my favorite song.

I thank Keith, and tell him to break a leg. As the other Boys file by heading for the stage to perform 'Gratuitous Nudity,' I wish them well and give them each a pat on the back. Why do I suddenly feel like I am watching my children go off to summer camp or their first day of school? And why is it suddenly getting so hot in this dressing room?

8:59 p.m. Before he hits the stage, the very talented (and kind) Brian Givens stops to chat for a minute or two.

BRIAN GIVENS: DG: Are you ready to knock 'em dead? Which song is your favorite? BG: I think 'Window to Window' is one of the nicest pieces in the show. DG: You do a beautiful job with it. I had tears in my eyes when I saw you perform the reprise (of 'Window to Window') the first time. BG: It's so nice to hear you say that. Sometimes we wonder if the audience is really 'getting' certain emotions and it's wonderful to know that they are. Actually I think the whole show is really very well put together. DG: Can you remember the first night that you actually performed in this show? BG: (nods) My first night I was only nervous about doing 'Muscle Addiction.' That was the only time I can ever remember being nervous.

9 p.m. SHOWTIME. The dressing room empties out and the Boys hit the stage to the sounds of the screams and cheers of tonight's packed house. Since the very attractive Brook Robertson is the last person to take his clothes off and isn't yet due on the stage, I seize this opportunity to talk to him about his long history with the show.

BROOK ROBERTSON: BR: It's (appearing in NBS) like having a second job. I mean in some ways it is a job because obviously we're getting paid to do it. The fortunate thing for us is that we enjoy it. Literally I'm sure that's why everybody is still here doing it. [At this moment Stage manager Peter Blair leans over: 'Brook, be sure and watch for staples on the floor. There might be some out there.'] It's just a part of your schedule, you know, that you're going to be here four nights a week, almost every week, unless they cancel a show or something which happens rarely. And it becomes somewhat routine, but at the same time there are things about it, like you being here tonight, that make it interesting and different and we have different experiences from night to night. DG: Do you always sing the lead in 'Nothin' But the Radio On?' BR: I am the original lead for 'Radio,' though there was a period when I sang 'Kris....' and Antonio sang 'Radio.'

9:08 p.m. Brook has his curtain call and with the guys gone I get an opportunity to talk to Assistant Stage Director Candice Tatum. Candice tells me that she has been with NBS since March. DG: What's the biggest challenge about working with these guys four nights a week? CT: There's a lot to do backstage, so just remembering everything that has to happen is a challenge. [I'm responsible for] all of the backstage work, including keeping track of the props. Because the area is rather small backstage, there's just a lot of moving things around. So I'm the stage crew basically. DG: So in between sets you have to change everything around and get everybody ready for the next scene. What made you want to become part of this production. CT: The reason why I wanted to work on Naked Boys when I got the offer was because I wanted to stay with the Bailiwick. I did a co-production of Hell In a Handbag and Poseidon An Upside Down Musical. It was a lot of fun. I did stage management and technical operations for them. Candice has to get back to work and we can hear the cheers of the audience as the Boys begin coming back to the dressing room, hot, sweaty and very enthusiastic.

9:15 p.m. SCOTT THOMAS AND THE AMAZING 'FAN MAIL': Scott Thomas is beckoning me to come take a look at some interesting 'fan mail' he has taped to his dressing table mirror. Apparently at least one admirer has requested that Scott swim naked in a pool and then cook breakfast for a female client. (It would seem that he wants Scott to be naked when he cooks as well) Scott tells me he has no intention of giving up his day (or I guess in this case his night) job.

The guys tell me that during the opening number there was a man in the first row who had his elbows on the stage. Brian: 'He'd better get them off cause I'll step on them during 'Windows.'' (laughter) Another guy was laying his coat on the stage. Tim: 'This guy keeps putting his coat right next to the piano, I mean, on our stage! I mean, I'm going over there to do my song and I picked it up and just gently handed it to him while I was singing. And as I moved away, he picked it up and put it back. I had to move it, like three times ... . This is not the coat check, come on!'

At this point Keith is walking by wearing nothing but what appears to be a diaper. Keith: 'This is the costume I have to get into before going onstage.' Tim: 'It's for the Bris number.' Brian is telling us about yet another strange audience member—an older lady in a tan suit who grabbed her mouth in an odd fashion and continued to do so when Brook started undressing. Right about now Tim clues me in on the challenges of getting the audience to shift emotional gears.

9:44 p.m.-10:33 p.m. INTERMISSION.

The cast breaks for a 10-minute intermission around 9:45 p.m. Dan Hickey tells me about the joys of being an understudy and Antonio Zayas shows me a stuffed teddy bear which he hugs and which I assume is yet another good-luck charm or perhaps the group's mascot. Antonio is quite charming and he seems like a really nice guy. He describes a scene segue that the guys can almost do in their sleep. Antonio is one of the dance captains for NBS and that means he is charged with teaching the dances to all newly cast naked boys under the guidance of choreographer Andrew Delo.

Around 10 p.m. the cast is pumped and ready to go out to do a very popular number in the second act, 'Muscle Addiction.' A highlight of this period is that at one point John Cardone and I are the only ones left in the dressing room as he dons a reddish woman's wig and carefully finishes applying his makeup for his showstopping 'The Entertainer' number. Soon, he dons a slinky purple gown which he slit up the side and black pumps that look like they could make a guy crippled for life.

JOHN CARDONE: 'I officially joined the cast July 25, 2002. There are two other times I appeared as a female, one was in a 1989 production of Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill in Los Angeles. I qualify this by saying that the role required me to be female and not really a drag queen. The same is true of a production of Bitches that I did at the Bailiwick for the Factory Theater and we played young cheerleaders, but both plays specifically state that the roles require the actors to play the roles as if they actually were these people and not 'drag queens' in order to keep the play real and funny. I think those experiences helped with my entertainer number in helping me find the comedy and the reality of the character I create.'

10:34 p.m. Backstage to watch the Boys as they do their finale and take their bows. The ending was glorious and Candice and I clap heartily for the Boys who, as always, knocked 'em dead. Before leaving I had an opportunity to chat with Peter Blair, who has been the Stage Director since October. Peter told me he was happy to be a part of a well-paid, open-run production. Tim, John and I were the last to leave. In the lobby they were stopped by groups of adoring fans, and they signed autographs and posed for pictures. This turned out to be a pretty fine evening. So what if David Zak didn't ask me to take off my clothes too? Hands down, it still doesn't get much better than this…

Call (773) 883-1090.


This article shared 26389 times since Wed Jun 25, 2003
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