Tuesday, August 14, 2007

The Sacrifices We Make...

...for our art.

There are a number of items that fit this category: sacrifices for and to family, in finances, in creative ideas, in bohemian lifestyles…the list goes on.

In a recent post I mentioned how I made a rather quick change in my appearance by losing 5-8 pounds in about a month. I sacrificed food. Not completely, but I ate a lot of rice cakes I’ll tell you, and frankly I don’t know how rice cakes can be labeled a food product in the first place! I made that sacrifice so that I would fit a costume picked for me in the musical review, COLE.



About two weeks before our first rehearsal the small cast was called for a promotional photo shoot. There we were made to wear very nice formal outfits, the men in dazzling black & white tuxedos. My tuxedo was a dashing double breasted winged collar with tails and white tie & vest. However, I felt like a sausage stuffed in that outfit. But I sucked in the gut & stood tall for the modeling session. I knew by the reaction of Sharon, the director, that the spiffy outfits we were wearing would be the very ones chosen for the show. Uh oh! I had to do something…and fast!

I had previous experience in trying to look fit for a show. Last summer I slimmed down to wear a slinky, transparent Carmen Miranda dress with halter top. I looked like a tropical fruit-ka-bob Yes, you can bet my vanity forced me be the best looking Carmen Miranda I could be so I reached an ideal weight suitable for a 6 foot man in drag.

How did I manage to lose the poundage required to fit the tux so that I looked marvelous on stage? The easy answer is I stopped eating and drank gallons of water. But really I ate smaller portions of healthier food, like 6 inch Subway tuna sandwiches, rice cakes, Wheat Thin crackers, anything that would put something in my belly and keep me from being hungry. And I drank a lot of water. No soda. Coffee is a must for me but I limited it to only one cup each morning. But water is an amazing element to rinse the inside of your body. Just be prepared to jump to the restroom every, oh, 15 minutes or so.

So what sacrifices do YOU make for your art? Do you keep a strict diet? Exercise regiment? Botox injections? Leave me a comment and let me know. (Comments can be anonymous for those Botox patients not willing to sacrifice their identity!)

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Comments on "The Sacrifices We Make..."

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (August 16, 2007 7:39 PM) : 

So where do cajun tots and beer fit in? ;)

 

Blogger Evil Baritone said ... (August 17, 2007 7:38 AM) : 

Those rich delicacies, along with donuts (mmmm....donuts....) have been enjoyed immensely since closing!

 

Blogger Seth M. Renne said ... (August 25, 2007 7:24 PM) : 

It seems that no matter what the how I end up sacrificing sleep more than anything.

 

Blogger Princess Alpenrose said ... (September 12, 2007 12:21 PM) : 

Oh, the sacrifices we make, EB!!!

(Araidne walks around muttering, "I love my Art, I love my Art, I love my Art ...")

 

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