Andrea Castillo- The Key Holder to LEGACY

Today’s features is “The Queen Bee”. Also known as Andrea Castillo who is my wife too.

Let me set the record straight. If The Queen says “There Shall Not”… then there shall not.

In other words, Andrea has been very supportive of me doing these larger shows at SteppingStone Theatre. These shows take so much time away from my family that it would be cruel to do them without their approval. The truth is, I couldn’t do it without their support.

Andrea is super supportive and thanks to her I am able to do these amazing shows.

In addition to this, Andrea works on finding ways to raise money for the production and the expenses that come with this production. Last year she planned and executed a Spaghetti Dinner which helped our production enormously. This year we have been blessed with lots of fund raising work so we have not had to bust out any pots and pans.

Thank you Andrea! I love You!!

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Shout out to all of the “Stages” blog readers!! I know I am an avid reader and I’m sure we’ve got many more! I’ll start with who I am - Andrea Castillo and I am a current member of production. As luck would have it I’m also “MJ’s” wife! This is my first year as an official member of production and I am happy to be a part of it! My part of production comes more in the background scenes. A big part of what I do is trying to raise funds for LEGACY and all of their production costs, though MJ himself has brought in most of the revenues this year, I help where I can and should we need more I will definitely do my part to get us where we need to be. Also, since all of the production is on a volunteer basis (not only the dancers but also other fellow members of production) I like to put together a shindig  after the shows as a big thank you to everyone for their love and support as well as to celebrate our great accomplishment! I’m also available in any other area’s Luis, Marques, Anthony, Gloria or even dancers might need me. Though I’m not that roaring creative personality like Luis is, I have my “moments of glory” and will contribute an idea here or there. I’m more of a type-A personality so I can be of more assistance in the organization area and getting things set up or sometimes I can just be that other person that says “maybe that’s not such a great idea” or “too much” ß this one I often find myself saying to Luis ;)

I’ve been with Luis for nearly (gasp) 10 years (this June) and have seen the progression of not only Luis as Michael but also the progression of the shows. Each show gets bigger and grander and is still so amazing and great! I love being an audience member and getting to experience it from the audiences view. This is where I think I can also help production, because I take on a much different view than everyone else. I’m the only member of production who doesn’t work behind the scenes or in the actual show once ShowTime comes. I gave it a “go” last year as a backstage helper for one show but I’d much rather see it from the audience view! And yes, every.single.show. I will attend J Though this year will be much different than any other years, this year I am in charge of a little tiny person I like to call my “snuggle bug” aka Esmeralda. She is Luis and I’s sweet baby girl, born just last month! These days she consumes all of my time, but I don’t mind. During the shows I’m sure you’ll see me walking around (with the baby) either in the lobby or balcony or regular seating area or even backstage and downstairs! Also look for me at our concession stands during the shows! We’ll be selling candy and hopefully some sort of “memorabilia”. What types of items would you like to see for sale there? I have some idea’s but am not sure yet…so if you have something you think would be cool for us to sell just let me know! I look forward to this year’s shows and can’t wait to see everyone there!

I hear a little one calling my name….until next time…

-Much love,

Andrea C.

Now I get to be the judge for once!!

After the Spanish radio station in Minneapolis got hold of the LEGACY video, I received a pleasant phone call last week in regards to a big dance competition event going on. Initially I thought: “Sweet! Another good promotional performance!”….wrong. Even better!

The radio station is called “La Invasora 1400” and they are having their version of “Dancing With the Stars” where all of their DJ’s and radio personalities will compete in this competition. The name of the competition is “Bailando Con La Raza Trabajadora” and I was asked to be a judge at this event. It was a really nice surprise knowing that they are interested in having judges from different genres of dance styles.

What’s exciting for me is that I happen to listen to these folks on the radio on my way to work some mornings so it will be neat to meet them and give them my opinion on their performance along with my score.

The event is this Friday, March 25^th and I am very excited about it!

After the event is done and I fulfill my contractual duties, I will have the opportunity to advertise LEGACY to the Latinos in the Twin Cities through this station which is very popular amongst Latinos in the cities. 

SUPER FUN!  FIESTA, FIESTA!!   YAAAY!

I will be sure to update this with photos and gossip!!

LC

After seeing this video, I heard my phone ring, ring!!!

Today's Special: Cecilia Huffman

My production feature today is Cecilia Huffman.

Ceci started as a LEGACY fan. She was at every show that I can remember with the exception of the private events. She was the girl who followed the show and was in the greenroom hanging out with the cast; that’s how I met her actually…. in the greenroom we were in at the MOA. 

Later, as I got to know more about Ceci I learned that she liked to do photography! I decided to interview some people about being our photographer at rehearsals and shows including Ceci. Not only is she a good photographer but she loves being part of the show and it shows… unlike other shmucks…

(muu-a-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha) 

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Ceci, Trinidy and Luis (MOA Show)

LIGHTS! CAMERAS! LEGACYYYYY!!!
Hello Everybody I’m Cecilia ! , but everybody calls me Ceci, so let’s just go with that. I’m the short girl who runs around snapping pictures, laughing and enjoying all of the wonderful benefits being a LEGACY production team member offers, also known as the photographer lol. Who would’ve thought that being the official Photographer for LEGACY meant that I get to be “blessed” with the luxury of putting down the camera and helping all the cast members get dressed before their next number, packing their faces with make-up for thriller, pointing out all of their minor mistakes just for shits and giggles and getting made fun of for being the youngest… oh yeah, I take pictures too.

So how did I manage to get tangled up with all of the craziness that LEGACY is made up of? Well I started out as a fan… yes, just a little fan in this big, big world. I went to almost all the promo shows last year as well as opening night for the big performance. I walked around the Mall of America taking pictures (with my cellphone) of the cast in their thriller costumes scaring people, and did that same thing during the show at Cinco de Mayo just for fun. When I found out that LEGACY was putting on another show, I told myself that I HAD to be a part of it in some fashion, I didn’t care if I was just the ‘bag-girl’ (we should really invest in one of those by the way!) or something of the sort, and anything really, was good enough for me. I just really wanted to be involved this time around. So uhh, guess who got super excited when they found out LEGACY needed a photographer? THIS GIRL! So I went through the interview process and all that fun stuff, and BAM, here I am.

I must say, I was a little nervous at first, I had never really taken motion shots before, and so I didn’t know If I would be any good at it, but I figured, if I wasn’t, I would make myself be, because this wasn’t an opportunity I was willing to pass up simply because it was new to me. So yeah, blah blah blah, enough with the boring stuff… I LOVE BEING A PART OF LEGACY. I love everything about it. Every single cast member is so unique, and it’s amazing to see the ‘persona’ they become when they know the camera has an eye on them.

With every picture that I take of this group, there is a surplus amount of memories that come with them, whether they be good, bad, funny, or embarrassing (my personal favorite). Nothing makes me feel better than those moments when the dancers all surround Luis’s computer while I’m going through the pictures, and we all just laugh and talk about all the madness that was going on when the photos were being taken. *tear* lol haha :D

Sooooooo, yeahhhh, uhm … The more feedback I get on the photos (posted on the facebook site), the more photos I will post ! Let me know what you guys want to see more of ! That being said… I’m still a baby, & I have school in the morning… goodnight all !
God Bless !
-Ceci :)

Dance doesn't always come easy.

Most of the choreography in the shows is taken directly off either the music videos or from the live performances; it all depends on what the feel of the show asks for.

At the SST Studios exploring monster behavior (LOL)

I take dances directly off the television set. I play, rewind, sssllloowwww it down etc. in order to copy the choreography and replicate it as accurate as I can possibly get it. This applies for the backup dancer’s parts in the videos, MJ’s endless sets of moves/combos  and let’s not forget about his facial expressions as well.

Whenever there is a song that MJ never performed live or had a music video to I create my own version (or Alan creates one for us in this year’s case – the Asst. Choreographer). We do either our own complete version or a mix of both- MJ choreography and our own to keep it in the same realm of the show.

Dance doesn’t come easy to me. I’m dead serious. I don’t “crump”, no idea how to do “tutting” or any of those styles and truly; I look ridiculous when I try. I surprise people when I say that because people have this notion that because I can dance my ass off for two hours onstage I must breathe, live and eat dance.  I am humble enough to say that I am not the best dancer in the LEGACY show; I’m not. We have amazing talent involved in this show and dance comes so easy to some of these other cats (I suppose that is why they got the gig, right?). Most of the dancers can learn a fairly difficult piece in one session. I on the other hand, have to let it “simmer” in my brain and repeat it many times (usually at home) before I can say “I GOT THIS” and then find room to make it my own, as I have to stay in character on top of it. I've been told by other dancers is that it doesn't help that I don't count when I dance. You know... 5,6,7 & 8.  I prefer learning the choreography and fitting it to the music. That way, the dance is built in the music and not in my head. 

Creating dance also does not come easy either. I have to be feeling very inspired to come up with something that I am proud of. Thus far, my proudest dance that I’ve done is last year’s “Scream” (minus the MJ and Janet classic part, of course- that was off the video). Everything else was cooked in my “creative room” and some flare was added in the studio when we all tried different things to see what looked better with 11 people doing it. You will not be seeing “Scream”  in the 2011 show and that’s because we have other crazy numbers waiting for you.

Performing "Scream" in 2010's LEGACY Shows! 

It’s easy to assume that all this comes easy to me but that’s a misconception by my own admission. Maybe it’s beyond the dancing that captivates people. My mother said to me a long time ago after a show: “You’re a very good actor! You transform yourself and I ask myself- where is Luis?” and I said :“Mom, I don’t act! I dance!”… Then, she went on to tell me that what I do onstage is not only dancing. It’s also acting and really becoming someone else; she was referring to the “MJ Swagger”: the facial expressions, the hands and everything else other than the feet moving. She really got me thinking …

Dancing like Michael Jackson comes easy. I don't know where it comes from; it just does (well, I do practice, don't get me wrong) but it comes from somewhere deeper than my reheased dance-chest. When I hit the stage I forget about Luis, think about nothing and dance my heart out for the audience. They feed be energy and I give them my soul; through my performance.

Random LEGACY Choreography Facts:

-Thriller is the easiest dance to learn and the most popular at every show! Really…? Really!

-Dangerous was the most difficult dance to learn taking us over 13 hours to learn it!!

-This year, there is a “twist” to the Thriller dance.

-Alan Mure choreographed “Remember The Time” for the 2010 shows.

-Alan Mure choreographed “You Rock My World” this year

-I just gave you a sneak peak at the lineup…. Oops. I hope Gloria doesn’t read this.

-The 2011 show has 7-8 new numbers! The others have been tweaked so you don’t get the same show. 

BY THE WAY!!!

LEGACY was featured in this video. This is a promo for the JUST DANCE 2 Video Game. 
Check it out! This was filmed at a show we had on March 5th, 2011. 

Featured Dancer: Trinidy Combs!!!

Today I’d like to feature  a dancer who is very talented and is truly popular amongst our audiences; Trinidy Combs. She’s charming, charismatic and is an extremely good dancer.

In the dance studio I could choke her some days but in the end she follow through if and when she practices outside of studio-time.

When we first auditioned her, Trinidy stood out amongst all the dancers in her category and she looked like she actually enjoyed what she did.

This is her second year dancing with LEGACY and we will miss her very much as she gets ready to depart to college after August, 2011. This LEGACY show is the last one you’ll get to see her in. 

-LC

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Trinidy Combs

Ello!
I'm Trinidy-
Im not really a diva I SWEAR!
All of the dancers bring different, interesting, attributes to the show- it's so fun to watch everyone interact. I love how it feels when you dance your heart out on stage then you go back stage and your muscles are sore and shaking. I'm addicted to the adrenaline I get from performing. But like most addictions you need more and more to get the same high. And I found that I wasn't getting the same high anymore so I came up with a solution; I would not practice before going on stage. I got more adrenaline all right! as i panicked trying to remember the next step! After a MAJoR mess up I decided I would give up on my search for adrenaline and practice before shows. 

I loved going to rehearsals and getting in trouble. Last year we were all kind of new to each other so I got away with a lot. This year, Luis is taking no Bull from Trinidy. (he sucked the fun out of dance!) Joking, I love you luis! (hehe) 

The team likes to give me crap about the amount of "attention" I need. But I'm a performer! If I didn't want to be seen I wouldn't have spent 8 months practicing :) just.saying-Although.. I am starting to understand that the rest of the group has also spent 8 months practicing.. (I don't know why this JUST became clear to me)

One of the things I will forever remember about the Legacy production is dress rehearsal. I mean I know things go wrong during these pre-show practices but ours went horrific! I honestly was scared for the show. Our dressing rooms were a flight and a half stairs down from the stage, so in between each number we had to fly down the stairs, find our costumes, change, then book it back up to the stage. People would run on stage without shoes on, hats on backwards, come on stage half way into a song when they were really supposed to be there in the beginning. Once during a dress rehearsal for Smooth Criminal my shoe flew off into the audience seats and I couldn't stop laughing. But miraculously, when it was really time to do the show, we were all dressed in time and ready to go. Granted, many of us decided to say ex-nay to the stairs and would try to hide behind props back stage to change. 

Performing "In The Closet"

We had so much fun, I absolutely cannot wait to do it again. 
peace out :)

Feedback, Feedback, Feedback!!

It’s always nice to hear people’s feedback in response to our shows. Sometimes it’s positive feedback and sometimes it’s constructive feedback. Both are highly appreciated. With the constructive feedback, we can always use that to improve the next show. With positive feedback, we feel reinforcement and encouragement to continue doing good things.

From last year’s show, I’ve received some constructive feedback from seasoned professionals who have worked the stage for many years. It’s always nice to know how we can improve our performances. One example that stands out to me is from Richard Hitchler (the Director of SteppingStone). A few production members and I were out at lunch with Richard and we were talking about last year’s show. He pointed out that some things could have been tweaked to make the audience experience more enjoyable. In between quick costume changes, there was MJ music playing in the background while we got ready for the next number. Although this tactic has worked, he made us realize that we can use that time for other opportunities! In that case we went ahead and took note of his input. You never know… you might just get something different at this show. My point is: constructive feedback is always a big plus. That’s a simple example of constructive feedback.

What’s even more rewarding is the type of feedback that makes you want to book the next show ASAP! You want more people to feel the same way the last did and you just want to ram them with good ass entertainment. Below is a scanned “Thank You” card I received in the mail yesterday from the wonderful people who hired us to do a show in downtown St. Paul. It was for a fundraiser gala for their school and they were very pleased with our work. This is exactly why we do what we do!! 

-LC

The "Safe-Zone"...Literally.

In the LEGACY productions, it is my job and responsibility is to create, create, create.

Literally.  For LEGACY, it is my job to lay down the “blueprint” or path in which the show will take.   There is always a certain vision that WE work towards and that takes many people and AN ABUNDANCE of creativity.

 My duties range from the choreography to the marketing materials to the music editing for the show and on and on…. Sometimes I don’t know why I’m still sane and walking around. I’m very passionate about what I do that sometimes I forget about the amount of work this all really is. The blueprint for the show includes the lineup (music), the feel of the show, the marketing materials, set ideas and the costuming ideas; these are the primary things we have in place before we begin running. Once these have been determined, some of these areas go to their respective people and some stay with me. The costuming goes to the costumer, set to set and so on…

Editing the music for an entire new show can take me months to complete. Every show has full custom-mixed songs and they have to be perfect. I find myself making adjustment to it weeks before opening night; I always find opportunity to add “umph” to the show. Never fails.  Then there is the choreography, which also takes time. Luckily, this time around we have a assistant choreographer who has been creating awesome work. Alan Mure has been helping create amazing work for this show which also gives me time to focus on other areas.

The "Creative Room"

In the middle of all of this creativity there is a special place that I call “the creative room”which to me is also a "Safe-Zone". I’ve allocated a room in my home that is solely used for the purposes of creativity. It’s particularly used to create for LEGACY. This is a place where I can go to and get lost for hours on end. Many would be surprised to know that much of my original choreography (as in, not used by MJ) comes out of this small, mirror-less room.  All the mixes, artwork that you’ve seen, lineups, costuming ideas and much more came from this room. You don’t have to have a fancy dance studio (which I have access to outside) or a state of the art recording studio to create what I consider pretty cool stuff. All you really need is imagination, a quiet, safe place and enough equipment to get the work done.

There is something to be said about “safe-zones”… this is a term we used to use all the time in the production when doing shows at kid-friendly events. We would keep the show in the “safe-zone” to not offend. In other words, “safe zone” means you tone down the sexual dance moves and other things that could potentially get us in hot water. We would also refrain from doing certain dances at certain events because sometimes it’d be too racy for the occasion.

"Safe-Zones"

For example, the photo to the right showcases a "safe-zone"show which took place last year. Here, more than half of our audience were young adults and younger kids who are of course, very impressionable. Notice that everyone has their hands on the belts instead of the crotch. In this particular case, I failed since mine is on the crotch. Luckily, there were SO MANY of us on stage that I don't think I stood out. Here is a good example of me either not following instructions very well  given by Gloria (our producer) or my honest mistake. 

There is that safe-zone and there is THE safe-zone, literally. A place where you can create without being judged or told it’s not good enough. A place where you can lose yourself in your imagination, creativity and art. The best part is the fact that the only judge is you until your audience sees the work of course. As I said before: In this business you are ALWAYS going to be judged for better or for worse. 

It’s not all always cheers and standing ovations.

Todays blog is brought to you by my ability to upset people; apparently.

I should know better and ignore the negative vibes that come with being a unique entertainer. People can be a bit sharp with the things they say. I’ve had several bad experiences in the past while working as an MJ impersonator. I’ve been called names to my face and virtually, of course. I’ve even been pulled aside after shows and been given the “you need to find God” lecture. I guess it’s offensive to some people that I “pay tribute” to a dead fellow human rather than to God (That was a Saturday show Mr. ,not Sunday). It strikes me as odd that someone like that would even stay to see my show but what the heck… it’s ironic, that’s all.

Lately, I’ve felt aggression from different angles and I can’t understand why some people feel the need/urgency to try to create negativity. This urgency to say hurtful things has been ongoing. I assume people can assume that I’m gay or that I’m a “fem” based on what I have to do to accomplish my job (wear all that makeup, the hair, the lashes not to mention the unusual clothes).  That doesn’t bother me though. I’ve been classified gay so many times that it’s part of my life now.  

I’ve been hearing “ not good enough”, “not fast enough”," not skinny enough” as an MJ impersonator but honestly; I refuse to accept that without proper justification. I’ve seen GREAT MJ impersonators (Navi, for example) and I’ve seen others that look comedic to say the least but who are good dancers otherwise. I don’t mean for this to sound arrogant but if audiences are paying to come see the show it’s a positive sign to me. I let the audiences speak the truth. It’s not just about the ticket sales either; it’s about the response one gets.  

I’ve had to learn quickly that being the center of attention in a room (while performing) you will be judged in both, positive and negative ways. When I step out as MJ in full gear and “persona” I am vulnerable to criticism. If I want to be professional I need to accept that and I do. The negative feedback and criticism doesn’t bother me. Even the intentional hurtful to-be comments don’t bother me. What bothers me is the intent behind the negativity. What is the point? It’s not going to make me feel less or make me sad. What does make me sad is the fact that once someone is picking up momentum and actually getting ready for “The Launch”, others try to tear it down. I’ve worked my ass way too hard to get were I’m at this point to let bad vibes get in the way.  Call this their envy, hater-ade or bitterness.

I choose to call it my motivation.

LC 

Tickets On Sale? When? Where? How can I earn FREE tickets?

We have been receiving many inquiries about ticket availability via e-mail, facebook and in person too.  Our goal is to have tickets available for purchase on the SteppingStone Theatre website NO LATER than Saturday, March 19^th, 2011.

Thus far, LEGACY has pre-sold over 73 seats to two large groups (over 25 ticket orders). These groups knew they were coming to the show since last year so they wanted to guarantee tickets for their groups. We have been able to sell tickets to large groups before ticket actually go on sale to the general public. Currently, there are two other large groups pending to buy their several dozens on tickets to this awesome show! No worries, there are enough shows this year to meet demand. At this rate, it's looking like opening night is going to be quite busy!

The ticket prices are as follows:

In Advance- $12

At the Door- $15

Groups over 25- $10

Buy online- www.steppingstonetheatre.org

Buy in person- Flag me down or contact me. I can deliver in the cities, believe it or not. And no, I am not in my MJ gear when I deliver. 

WANT FREE TICKETS?

In order to raise money for our production expenses we are selling boxes of candy. If anyone would like to volunteer to sell candy you can earn free tickets. For every  5 boxes  of candy sold, we will give that volunteer 2 tickets to any of the shows!! This is worth $30!! The candy is provided by the production too.   

I know 5 boxes sounds like a lot of candy but if you have access to school, sporting events etc., the candy goes QUICK. There are 30 pieces of chocolate bars per box.

If you are interested, please e-mail me at mr.lcastillo@yahoo.com so we can help each other!!!  This is really nice especially since there is enough time between now and May to sell more than 5 boxes.

LC

2 Shows in 1 Weekend= Crazy & Fun!!

This past weekend we had two shows which were an overall success for LEGACY. In our opinion, one of the shows went much better than the other. What I mean by that is that one of the shows was much better executed than the other. However, both audiences were highly entertained which is the most important thing! 

On Saturday, March 5th we performed for "Dance Your Heart Out" at the Radisson Hotel ball room in downtown Minneapolis. This is an organization that raises money and awareness for children and families living with HIV. Last year we performed for DYHO at the MOA right around this time as well. It’s always nice to be part of this great event; it's rewarding and we get to work with some of the same people such as DJ Adrian Perryman who always does a wonderful job. The folks running the event knew what they were doing so everything ran very smoothly. I was very happy with the accommodations we were offered. It's always nice having a space ( commonly referred as a green room) where our dancers can relax, get ready for a show, not to mention being given yummy food! 

At this show, some dancers did make some slight mistakes during the new numbers but that's fine; nothing too bad. I don't think the audience cared because they were clapping anyway! I am not stressing out about technical mistakes YET since it's only March. If these mistakes happen in early May, we have a problem!!! LOL

On Sunday night, we were hired to perform at DaVinci Trattoria. This was for a private gala/fundraiser for the White Bear Montessori School and that was a very good show. Although the crowd was not as big as we're used to having, it was by far a super fun show. The crowd was very energetic and very into our show. They were singing along, screaming at times and even yelling out names of songs they wanted to see us dance to which most of the ones they would yell for, they got to see!!  Technically for us it was a great performance; smooth and flawless.  The staff was very nice to us from the beginning and the accommodations for our crew was incredible as well. We’re not used to leather couches, big screen TV, candles and gourmet sandwiches as our green room experience before a show!!  YummooooOOO!!

This was a crazy, busy weekend but after these shows, it's back to focusing on LEGACY rehearsals. We are on the homestretch of a bad ass, new show and then we run the show until it's perfect!!  Our next scheduled set of shows begin mid-April unless we have an offer we can't pass up!

BIG thanks to all the dancers, costumer (Lisa C.) and Glo for all your hard work! LEGACY is NOTHING without YOU. 

Also, a million thanks to wonderful organizations hiring us to entertain your events and the connection in between us (Ching Lauj- thank you!!)!! We are always happy to put on a great show for any event!

Luis C.

The blogs stopped for a moment. Not the show!

Esmeralda Lynn Castillo

Well Hello again!!  It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog. It’s not that I haven’t had anything to talk about; I’ve been busy training on being a dad! My daughter was born on Thursday, February 24^th. Leading up to going into the hospital being at the hospital and settling at home has taken time. I've had to place this show on the backburner (for myself) for a couple of weeks and focus on my family.

Rehearsals have not stopped. Alan Mure and Gloria Gamboa have been running rehearsals as scheduled so the production continues so it does not fall behind.

Although I’ve had to pull myself   away from the production for a while,  I have not lost focus on it so don't count me out for too long. I return to rehearsals this week and also, LEGACY has two shows this weekend (the 5^th and 6^th) at two different venues.

When I booked these shows months ago I thought it would be nothing but a breeze since I know the drill like the palm of my hand! I didn't take into account the fact that I'm sleep deprived and on-call 24hrs a day. My wife delivered the baby via C-section so I have to take on much of the baby-care duties for the first couple of days while she recovers.  I love to take care of the baby, change diapers and I don't mind poop either; those are a challenge. What I don't like so much is knowing that I have large commitments that I HAVE TO tend to on top of my first priority which is my family.

After getting home from the hospital, I have four days to regroup and start setting up all the prep-work for these shows. I will admit that it feels good knowing that I am going back to my routine even though I am on-call no matter what I'm doing or where I am. The best option is to make sure that this baby is exposed to the “show-business” schedules and drills. That is where I will place my bet!

After this weekend I would have gone from “Where is he?” to “There he is again!!

-LC