A Guide to Your Shoes

You have to wear shoes, thats a given. There aren't many shows you can be barefoot. And it's never exactly safe to be barefoot on stage. Or backstage. Or in a theater. So here's a quick guide to the many shoe options.
Reminder, always check in with your director and costume department for the required shoes. This is just to show the options.


WOMENS CHARACTER SHOES
These are the basic of the basic when it comes to shoes. They come in many colors, but te most common are usually black or tan. They vary in heel height, so always double check before purchasing. All in all, if you get good quality ones, they can last somewhere between 3-6 shows, depending on the severity of dance numbers and performing. Character shoes can also vary in styles, from the simple Mary Jane to te classic T-strap to the sultry open toe or open shank shoe.

MENS CHARACTER SHOES
Men's shoes are typically professional looking, often described as 'Oxford' styled. They come with a short heel and tie up. Similarly, character shoes can also include a tap on the ball and heel for specific shoes. Some may also include a rubber padding behind the ball tap to insure a sturdy footing and grip.

JAZZ SHOES
Jazz shoes are very flexible shoes that can be slip-on or tied up, depending on style. Usually, these shoes are best to be worn during choreography before wearing the actual shoe that will be used on stage. These are the best bet when it come to a rehearsal shoe that is durable and easy.

DANCE BOOTS
For a more traditional show, the shoe may have to be taller. Lace up Dane boots are similar to men's character shoes, but with a taller heel for ladies, and usually come up to the calf.

SNEAKERS
The best place to find sneakers in a theater is when the show is high performance, with lots of running around. Eventually, an actual stage shoe will take the place of the sneaker.

TECH SHOES
All black is the most common rule for a techies shoe, and should always be a sneaker. Depending in the theatre, people who move set pieces might have a costume that goes with the show, so more of a character shoe is needed.

DESIGNER BRAND
More recently, brand shoes such as Converse, Keds, or TOMs have come quite popular for stage shoes. These shoes are best for children's shows, or more current shoes, for the modern day person. This comes down to the directors vision and interpretation of the show.

Just to stress it again, always always check and double check to make your shoe is correct for the show. Even the color or heel height can make a big differnece to the appearance on stage.

As always, leave comments below and make sure to look at all the other posts!

Spotlight: Jekyll & Hyde

This has always been an interesting show for me. Not a very well-known show, due to some mixed reviews by audiences and critics alike, this has become an obsession of mine recently so I decided to research this show a little more.

The plot is based off the original novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, but with some slight moderation. Love interests are given to the character of Jekyll to add more depth and character arc. Also, Jekyll is under pressure from the board of governors as they will not allow him to continue on with his experiments as he tries to experiment on the human mind. This show has some great songs, such as “This is The Moment”, “Someone Like You”, and “Murder, Murder”. Although the plot is somewhat lacking, and only some productions do the show justice, I had the privilege of seeing a really phenomenal production of Jekyll. And what was great about it, was it was not like any other production I have seen.

 

The composers Wildhorn and Cuden had drawn up the score in 1980, but released a concept album in 1986 featuring Colm Wilkinson (the original Jean Valjean from Les Miserables). Then a tour was sparked in 1990 where it received critical acclaim before finally coming to Broadway in 1997. But the production did not receive as much praise as the tour had, and it lost money in revenues. The show did run for over 1,500 performances and it quickly became a cult favorite. There is a recording of the final cast that includes David Hasselhoff as Jekyll and Colleen Sexton as Lucy. If y’all are interested in watching, the link to it can be found on the bottom of this article. Just be aware: it’s David Hasselhoff. Don’t expect high quality. There was also a 2012 tour that led into a Broadway revival with Constantine Maroulis and Deborah Cox, with new orchestrations to give it a heavy rock feel. But this epically flopped, and it closed after 29 performances.

Heehee. Derpin' Hasselhoff. 

I had seen this before and I thought the show was alright. The music was good, and I liked the themes and the characters. I just wish it could’ve been better. Then last Saturday, I saw Casa Manana’s production of Jekyll in Fort Worth, Texas as part of their Apprentice Program. All I could say was, wow. I was amazed by the set, the lights, and the actors! All of these things topped the Broadway production for me. What did they do different, you may ask? Well let me tell you. It’s a simple rule that all theaters must try to follow, no matter what they do. 

THEY TOOK RISKS.

The set was very minimal, with just paneling and scaffolding. The lights did most of the work and told most of the story. Sounds great right? But get this: the feel of the show? Punk rock. The orchestrations were only about 8 people, but the music had a very heavy, yet light rock feel. The costumes were what did it for me. The upper-class characters were dressed as Gothic characters while lower class were punks. The whole show worked with these themes! The show can easily have an edgy rock feel but you just don’t want to overpower the show with rock. Vocally, everything was the same if not a little more “popier” but I was fine with that! I didn’t want to see a classic Jekyll with Victorian style set and clothes! They did something different, and most theatres are scared of interpretation. As long as you do the true story justice, interpretation can be great! Don’t be afraid to put new ideas out there!

Link to Derp Hasselhoff Jekyll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAQKsUolXGU

Link to Constantine singing This is The Moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuMgllxdNh8

Link to Casa Manana Behind the Scenes Video of Jekyll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFWoOM-I6Xw

Hopefully, with these Spotlight articles we will help introduce people to new shows and help broaden their theatrical knowledge. Any questions or comments, feel free to let us know below or on twitter! 

Andrew