BANGKOK, Thailand—The day after our opening night in Bangkok (which, by the way, was smashing), we all received the news that our “Cinderella” run will have an early closing. Our final performance will now be on Jan. 22 in Singapore.
The news was met with mixed feelings from everyone in the company. On the one hand, everyone gets to go home early, but on the other, it means an early end to our status as employed actors. So, what does this company do in light of this news?
We have a Christmakwanzukkah party!
Funny name
What’s with the funny name? Christmakwanzukkah is a contraction of the three major holidays celebrated at this same time: Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah. Since in the company there are people of so many different religious, philosophical and ideological beliefs, a coming together of the three names into one seemed appropriate for this celebration, a coming together of our actors, touring musicians and touring crew.
Our hotel, the Sofitel Grand Centara, has a karaoke bar called Cencio on the lower lobby floor. Jamey Jennings, our company manager, reserved two large karaoke rooms and the main dining area for our party. The food was a beautiful mix of Thai and Western food from appetizers to dessert, and there was free-flowing soda, iced tea, beer and wine at the bar. After a long night at the theater, it was definitely something for all of us to look forward to.
Gift exchange
As at most holiday parties we had a gift exchange… with a twist: you could actually steal another person’s present! The rules are quite simple: Those partygoers who are interested in being part of the exchange must bring a gift (There’s a value limit to each present brought. For example, no gift can be worth more than P100). Each participant’s name is then dropped into a hat (or a bag). The host of the party then picks out a name, and then that person comes up and picks a present. Another name is then drawn, at which time this person has a choice: to open a new present or steal the one already opened. Each opened gift can be stolen a maximum of three times. At the third time, the opened present becomes the official property of the third stealer.
The gifts were actually quite fantastic: DVD collections, Dr. Seuss underwear, handmade monk’s bowls, stuffed animals, reading material, a helicopter (I was the first one to open that… quite appropriate, actually), and loads of gift cards for coffee, massages and books. The exchange went on until 1:30 a.m., when Julia Cook picked the last present of the night.
Karaoke time
The party didn’t end there, though. Because we were in a karaoke establishment, it was fitting that we would get into some serious singing! (If nothing else, it was a welcome break from doing musical theater day in and day out).
The music selection was quite a varied one: from Michael Bublé to LeAnn Rimes to Bon Jovi. One by one, members of the company (and company management) stepped up the microphone and wailed a song or two. It was quite an enjoyable evening and early morning… at around 2:30 a.m., I headed back to my room. The party was still going strong, though. At work the next evening, I was told it finally wrapped up at 4 a.m.
Indeed, the celebration was a wonderful one. Sigh. I’m really going to miss these folks when the run ends.
To everyone reading Backstory, have a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Kwanzaa and a Happy Hanukkah. Enjoy the holiday season, and the joy and peace it brings.
