TheatreNerds
Thank you for helping us spread a message of unity and acceptance as we come together to illuminate the path to a more inclusive and caring community.
Date: Saturday, October 26th
Location: Staging area at Truman Waterfront Park
Schedule:
3pm-4pm Check-in:
*Anyone wishing to participate/volunteer must check in with us by 4pm to sign a release form in exchange for a parade wristband. Anyone without a wristband will not be permitted to join us – NO EXCEPTIONS (The parade organizers strictly monitor this!)
Waiver Release Form
4pm Rehearsal and Runthrough
4:30pm Break:
Please use this time to put the finishing touches on your costumes and rest. We will have food and drinks (and lots of coffee!) for everyone. *We are requesting everyone remain within the general vicinity of Truman Waterfront Park.
5:30pm Call Time!:
At this point everyone must return to staging area to line up and get ready!
6:15pm Final Places
7pm Parade Begins!
• Plan to arrive earlier than your assigned line-up time.
• Bring drinking water, trash bags and first aid kits.
• Bring hand sanitizer and toilet paper.
• Please do not bring live animals or children to the parade.
• Dress for success! Although the atmosphere is relaxed, nudity is not allowed. This is a costume and entertainment parade; therefore, costumes are required!
• Absolutely no political signage, impersonation or endorsement along the parade route. This applies to local, state and national candidates. There will be monitors along the route who will pull groups from the route if this rule is not strictly followed. Fantasy Fest is about CREATIVITY, not negativity and political agendas.
• Travel in the parade route is one way. Once we reach the end of the route, we may not turn around and walk back down the parade route, even with a wristband. Parade officials will be reliably intolerant of this; our group may be suspended for muliple years as a result of this violation and may not be eligible for any prize category.
We are performing the finale from Mean Girls, the Musical, which takes place at their high school prom. The costuming in the Broadway version included all kinds of attire beyond the traditional gown and tuxes, so this really leaves it wide open to interpretation. We are excited to see what you come up with, and ask that you keep the following in mind:
• Keep it within Key West’s version of family-friendly (i.e. nothing overtly sexual, and ladies, please have top coverings of more than just paint and pasties!)
• NO politics!
• THINK PINK! (after all, this IS Mean Girls)
• Embrace the 90s neon cosmic carnival vibe – whatever you think that actually means…
• Wear comfy shoes you can dance in!
Lacking in the costuming/creativity department? No worries! We will have various props and costuming accent pieces available to give your outfit a little extra zhuzh.
Rehearsal Track
Sheet Music
The Broadway version
The Inspiration
If you know your vocal range, please familiarize yourself with the corresponding line. Don’t know your part or can’t read music? No problem! Just sing along with the melody line (the main, dominant notes) that the chorus sings.
We will begin at the pickup to measure 65 (Pg. 5) and continue through to the end of the song:
Measure 65: Jamie begins as solo
Measure 77: add people on FLOAT
Measure 81: Just Jamie
Measure 82: Everyone on STREET
Parade Route and Judging Location:
We will be stopping three times along the route to perform, and then one more time before the final performance for the judges. In between performance stops, we will be playing RuPaul’s Call Me Mother, in honor of our very own Puddin’ Taine, Queen Mother 38!
Duties: When working or performing during the parade, be upbeat, dance if you want, and hand out throwables to the parade attendees, especially kids!
Staging and Blocking: There will be 2 stand mics on the float with a small group of singers. We will also have walkers to sing on the street around the float.
Judging Notes: During the Fantasy Fest parade, the TDC’s PR agency, NewmanPR, coordinates the action in the lighted area at the corner of Duval and Fleming, where all the video crews and photographers shoot the parade. Their team includes a woman with a clipboard who stops the floats in the proper position, so the videographers and photographers can shoot them for national and international audiences. Here are a few things that the parade organizers suggest we do to help the media team promote our parade.:
• Make sure all your participants understand that the Fleming and Duval area, in front of the La Concha, is where they should “play to the media” and show off their best elements. NEW for 2024- BLACKLIGHTS & FOG- floats with these FX will use the 400 block as their media stop.
• When you approach that area, put your best and most colorful dancers or marchers on the side of the float ACROSS from the La Concha — the side where the scaffolding is. Your participants need to “play” to the camera people in the street and on the scaffolding.
• Once you’re in that area, the clipboard woman will stop your float or entry when it’s in the best position — so please make sure your driver knows that. A guy with a large stop sign will also help direct you — so please have your driver watch the stop sign person AND the clipboard woman for signals.
• To keep the parade paced correctly, the media team can only spend about 90 seconds with each float or entry. When you approach the La Conch area, get your dancers or marchers in place, near the front of your float on the scaffolding side — filling the blank pavement — so the media team doesn’t have to waste time positioning them.
• Some floats and entries may be easy to shoot while moving, so the clipboard woman won’t need to stop them. If they don’t stop you, don’t worry — your entry is still being shot.
• The float or entry BEHIND the stopped float should be fairly close behind it, to show that this is a MAJOR parade with lots of entries. The monitors at Eaton Street and in the middle of the Fleming Street block will position you correctly.
• Remember the media team might ask you to do some confusing things — like direct your float or dancers one way, and then another, to get the best “look.” Please pay attention to the clipboard woman and the stop sign guy, and be patient — so they can give your entry the publicity it deserves.
Wheel watchers/spotters while we travel through the whole parade route, people to help with costumes and props for the performances, support runners to handle all the performers needs during the parade run, and people who can help put the finishing touches on the parade float.
Phone: (305) 520-7245
Email: jamie@theatrenerds.com
Community is Everything.
