#LKTBT

Today's Throwback Thursday is brought to you by The Lion King: Gazelle Tour!

When I got the call to work 32 shows when The Lion King came to town in 2012, I immediately rearranged my work schedule to accommodate the rehearsals and shows. One solid month of working 8 am-5 pm and then show from 5:30 pm-10:30 pm was absolutely crazy but also one of the best experiences of my life! 

I was hired on as a dresser, which in musical theatre terms, is someone who helps actors in and out of their costumes, sets out costumes they need, and puts away the costumes that they don't need. Each dresser works a "track", which means they work with the same characters for the duration of the show and follow the same routine every night. This ensures continuity when the actors are in a different city with different dressers every month or two.

I worked with all four of the young actors who played the cubs, as well as three of the women in the company.

The first picture I took to commemorate the crazy ride!

Every actor has their costumes stored in a gondola, and the company women had three actors per gondola. That means three of almost every costume to keep track of... and that adds up to a lot of hyenas, zebras, lionesses, gazelles, cheetahs, wildebeest, giraffes, and elephants!

The costumes pre-show

Pre-setting the costumes so they are layered in the order the actor needs them. They are also laid out a certain way so the actor can step into them quickly and doesn't have to search for the arm or head openings.

Every actor has a number, and before every show, we were briefed on which actors were not performing and which actors would be performing in their place. If any of our actors were out, we had to replace all of their costumes with the understudy's costumes.

One of the fun messages on an actor's dressing room door :)

The sets for this show are absolutely breathtaking. 

We're required to wear all black backstage, but I decided to rock the show shirt a couple times!

These. Stairs. I ran all over that theater during every show, which included climbing the stairs 4 times? Maybe 5?

So I downloaded one of those apps that tracks how many steps you take...

Yep. I walked 3 1/2 miles per show.

That trademark yellow lion is everywhere!

But one of the best parts of working with the same actors for a solid month is the fun friendships you make :)

I am so thankful I got to work with the kids in the show!
With our two young Nalas goofing around :)

I became good friends with one of the ladies in the company and one of our fun escapades was a trip to the Renaissance Faire! Here we are with the daughter of the actor who plays Timon, and a new giant friend...

Thanks for the memories, Gazelle tour! Until we meet again...