BWW Blog: Jeff Blumenkrantz – Favorite Dressing Room Items of the BRIGHT STAR Cast

Richard Gatta loves his mini terrarium, a Broadway debut gift from his girlfriend, longtime Phantom cast member, Carly Blake Sebouhian.

I love my Sonny Angel, a Japanese figurine which my good friend and collaborator Alysha Umphress (On the Town) is famous for gifting. In fact, she gave several of us Sonny Angels for our first preview, photos of which have filled a very… um… ‘creative’ iMessage thread, but it turns out I’m the only one who picked it as my favorite item. Hmph.

Carmen Cusack loves the gift our co-writer Edie Brickell gave her for our Kennedy Center opening. Edie was self-conscious about a lyric she had written for Carmen: ‘Someone’s gonna buzz around me like a fuzzy bumblebee.’ She asked Carmen if she hated singing it, and Carmen said, ‘Oh no, it’s my favorite thing!’ ? Hence, the stuffed bumble bee!

SENTIMENTAL ITEMS

Carmen also loves her Etsy quilt which features photos of her with her beloved friends and family.

Hannah Elless painted this wooden rainbow for her uncle years ago and gave it to him for good luck. He recently gave it back to her to return the good luck for Bright Star.

Stephen Bogardus loves this photo of himself with his wife, fabulous Broadway gypsy Dana Moore.

Allison Briner-Dardenne likes this cork board in the Women’s Ensemble Dressing ‘Womb’? featuring fun polaroids.

Michael X. Martin claims that his favorite dressing room items are his roommates, although I’m not sure Patrick Cummings, Tony Roach, and Max Chernin share the sentiment. (Missing, Bill Youmans. He would have been nice about it.)

Dee Hoty brings this picture of her with her mother to every dressing room she occupies, along with the picture of both of her parents and the pennant from her alma mater, Otterbein.

SHOW BIZ MEMORABILIA

Dee also brings her Noh theatre curtain, a 1991 gift from Tommy Tune, which is meant to be hung in the dressing room doorway, but it’s been so ravaged by dressers carrying baskets through it for years that it now hangs on the wall.

Michael Mulheren keeps this copy of The Scottish Play on hand as a reminder not to believe in jinxes and superstitions…. MACBETH!!! Take that, theatre gods!

Emily Padgett loves this Ken Fallin portrait of her as ‘Lucy Grant’? in Bright Star.

SURVIVAL TOOLS

Paul Nolan‘s beloved extra-strong coffee comes from this AeroPress.

AJ Shively can’t live without his purple therapy/massage ball.

Lizzie Klemperer, with her dressing place positioned as it is next to the sink, likes her little white mug basket/drying rack.

Max Chernin favors his Bluetooth speaker, which provides quite the interesting mix of pre-show music.

Patrick Cummings needs his tattoo-covering makeup and sponge.

Sandy DeNise likes her cough drops, stored in a little tin that originally held opening night truffles from Edie & Steve.

Sarah Jane Shanks… no comment necessary.

And finally, Stevie Lee Anderson loves his big martini glass, which he gets to put to use every Saturday night, i.e. Shot Night at Bright Star, courtesy of our hostess, Miss Dee Hoty!

Thanks for the question, Judy!

Any other questions for me or the Bright Star cast?

Tweet me @blumietunes and/or use #askblumie!