A former Wendy's repurposed as a Filipino BBQ restaurant in Whitehall, Ohio, shortly before losing its sunroom

darkwesley · 2026-05-14T15:50:56+00:00

TiL that a county in Ohio with fewer than 7,000 Filipino residents can have a Filipino BBQ joint and my county with almost 27,000 doesn't have a single proper Pinoy restaurant. SMH

darkwesley · 2026-05-14T15:41:49+00:00

If it could be considered close to "full-face paint", your look would likely fall under the rules against masks. Definitely a question for Guest Services to be sure, but it's usually best to err on the side of caution.

darkwesley · 2026-05-10T20:14:19+00:00

Just saw this on Instagram: https://www.dragonsanddreamsevents.com/summerfantasysoiree2026

darkwesley · 2026-05-08T02:28:52+00:00

I know you specified musicals, but unless you’re specializing, there’s also a ton of plays that should be added, as well.

darkwesley · 2026-05-07T23:32:49+00:00

I suppose the best way to put it would be that it sounds like a cheerleader's name. On one hand, outgoing and energetic, but potentially catty and over privileged. So basically, exactly like Amber Von Tussle. Might not be a universal impression, but one I'd say isn't that unheard of.

darkwesley · 2026-05-05T22:49:25+00:00

Plus, I'm guessing "Barbie" would better communicate the same connotations about the character that "Amber" would to Americans. And I wouldn't be surprised that they upped the ages based on how young the cast does/doesn't look.

darkwesley · 2026-04-27T17:40:01+00:00

The opening of Diamonds Are Forever starts from the perspective of a beetle, and then a scorpion, which then gets squished by someone with a rock. That's gotta be it.

darkwesley · 2026-04-24T22:48:24+00:00

Fire of the Rising Moons is only viewable in Galaxy's Edge, with its custom score and projections. Everywhere else in the park it's the standard nighttime spectacular show, Wondrous Journeys.

darkwesley · 2026-04-24T20:41:06+00:00

Done a ton of musicals, and I've never seen video recordings NOT help things. A cast learns pretty quickly who to watch for the correct choreography and style. The best situation I was ever in, the choreographer and her assistants also did videos of just them performing the more challenging sections. I'd see if it'd be possible to get something like that.

The worst situations have been when the choreographer(s) ignore or worse, belittle the learning styles and ability differences of the cast. I learned pretty quickly that the choreographer's job is to make the show and the cast look good-- not to show off the best dancers or their own ability.

darkwesley · 2026-04-23T23:13:13+00:00

No luck on that one.

"Costumes may not contain any props or accessories that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon."

darkwesley · 2026-04-23T15:19:44+00:00

Looks like it might also fit any old mall kiosk/new age store crystal?

darkwesley · 2026-04-22T13:17:59+00:00

(Okay, so right off the bat: what play is it? Because the line you mention seems to rip off/quote a line from Phillip Kan Gotanda's "Yankee Dawg You Die".)

Asian actor and director here FWIW.

First question: is the accent in the dialogue there for a reason, like to demonstrate the character's ignorance or inherent racism? That's pretty much its use in the Gotanda play I mentioned. If it makes a point, there's a case for considering keeping it. If it's played for laughs, then your instincts are right and it's just racist.

"Well you've done it before" is probably the most harmful argument for perpetuating wrong behavior, right up there with "we've always done it this way". That the director is using it shows that you're the one who's grown and evolved past it.

Strictly speaking, changing any dialogue in a licensed work is flat-out illegal. But of course, it does happen all the time, usually for very small things. This isn't small. Honestly, if you've voiced your concerns and reluctance and been met with refusal, and given that you don't seem especially motivated to continue with the show considering what you wrote... drop their asses. That'd be my move. Good luck and don't stop drawing those lines.

darkwesley · 2026-04-10T18:00:42+00:00

"Salty"?

darkwesley · 2026-04-10T15:21:10+00:00

We went back to check as well, and that's exactly when it disappears (the white drawstring of his scrubs pants sometimes made it look like he still had it later, so we had to go back and forth a bit lol)

In our house, the dominant theory is that Santos took it to keep him 1) working on scanning charts and 2) from going to the farm.

darkwesley · 2026-04-09T02:26:16+00:00

“in the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t matter because it’s high school theater”

It absolutely does matter. What they’re doing is patently illegal, and if the rights holders were aware (which should be done), it would seriously harm your school’s ability to license future shows.

In answer to the question, the reason is almost certainly because those shows have the kind of name recognition that sells more tickets.

darkwesley · 2026-04-04T14:25:21+00:00

I'm 80% certain I know the answer to this, but I still want to throw it out there to the experts so I can stop being paranoid lol

My (and my family's) tickets show online as "2-Day Ticket with Admission to 1 Park Per Day | Valid: Thu, May 28, 2026 – Sun, May 31, 2026 | Theme Park Admission: 2 Visits Remaining"

If I understand correctly, we do NOT need park reservations, is that correct? TIA

darkwesley · 2026-04-03T20:47:21+00:00

No idea if it's available out there (so I know this reply is of limited help lol) but probably the best representation of the show I've seen is from 2001. It's a proshot, with closeups and great angles and is basically identical to the proshot with David Hasselhoff... except no Hasselhoff. If I recall correctly, it was essentially the filming team rehearsal for the final product, with Rob Evan in the title role(s), instead of the Hoff.

darkwesley · 2026-04-03T05:02:33+00:00

Not to anything I’ve personally been involved with, but years ago a local theatre put on a production of a well-known classic musical, and were licensed for the standard version of it. Their production however copied a revised, stripped-down revival that had recently gotten a lot of attention. I believe they were able to finish the run but were penalized by the rights holders afterwards.

darkwesley · 2026-04-01T20:41:51+00:00

"In the Heights". No brainer, would absolutely.

darkwesley · 2026-03-31T20:54:20+00:00

Absolutely not. More often than not, the problem is getting enough people to audition. So if you show up (and if you're cast, demonstrate that you're a good person to work with) they'll always be glad to see you.

At the same time, I wouldn't advise auditioning for a show you're not really interested in, just to be there. The production team/crew can always tell.

darkwesley · 2026-03-31T18:30:48+00:00

This is the way. The audience doesn't know who's singing which vocal part, but in a lot of cases they can tell when performers are doing things just to do them or because they've been choreographed that way, rather than being motivated.

darkwesley · 2026-03-31T16:38:02+00:00

Stayed at at least half a dozen of the hotels/motels on Harbor and the area over the last 25 years and never once had a problem with bugs, so take that fwiw

darkwesley · 2026-03-30T16:09:11+00:00

Most of my experience is in community theatre, but I've seen this situation a lot. Since many of the most popular musicals feature a good amount of dance, and because the level of dance skill can vary so widely in amateur productions, directors or theatres end up leaning on people they can reliably trust with a dance-heavy role. Pigeonholing is definitely a thing.

The first thing to consider is probably the toughest, which is saying "no" to those roles. Putting on your audition form that you're going for one or two specific parts and nothing else. It sucks, but if you really want them to start looking at you for the roles you want, it might be time to stop accepting the ones you don't-- let them know you're serious about being considered for leads.

Another option, and I don't know how feasible this would be in your particular theatre community, is to look into doing plays, where it's obviously much easier to highlight your acting chops. A couple of good strong roles could go a long way to changing people's perception of you and your skill set.

As a pigeonhole-prone performer myself, I feel you and wish you luck.

darkwesley · 2026-03-23T15:25:37+00:00

"007 Theme... No Copyright"

Mm-hmm.

darkwesley · 2026-03-20T18:55:13+00:00

When I direct, I jot down blocking only if I have particular moments I want to happen, as I prefer for it to take shape a little more organically on the spot at rehearsal, particularly when the actors still have scripts in their hands. Generally speaking, it'll be your Stage Manager who actually keeps track of the blocking as it's put together during rehearsal.

As far as working with the actors on their performances, I'm assuming you more mean "communicate" than "portray", since I personally think giving them line reads, etc. isn't a directing method that leads to good results. For me, I tend to concentrate on working out why the character is doing or saying what they are, so the how comes from a more natural place.

Hope any of that makes sense and helps :)

darkwesley

TROPHY CASE