Tasti-Skank-in-Training Part II

If you've been following my Backstage blog for awhile you might remember a couple entries I wrote about two awesome Broadway actresses I think are the bomb-diggity.  Their names our Kate and Sarah and they have a band called Tasti-Skank.  

I first wrote about the hilarious girl group on a lonely Monday night off from Spring Awakening when I went to see them for the first time at Joe's Pub.  A few months later I added them to my very official Lemon's Lurve List when they made my boyfriendless Valentine's Day super-fun by performing a show at Ars Nova. I learned every word of their inappropriate, explitive-filled songs and sang them to my roommates and co-workers every chance I got.  I hoped to someday be as clever and talented as the girls of TastiSkank!!!

This week I've finally started rehearsal for Peter Pan at Alabama Shakespeare Festival and you can imagine how excited I was to learn that the actress playing Peter Pan was Sarah....Yes, THAT famous, super star Broadway actress Sarah from the girl rock duo, TastiSkank!!  

When I first saw her and the other actors at the airport on our way to Alabama, I was a bit shy.  I wasn't sure how much I should let Sarah in on my love for her girl band and musical theatre super starness.  

Finally, after traveling all day, during a quick trip to the grocery store, I confessed to Sarah just what a big fan I was.  We all went as a group and Sarah and I ended up in the backseat of the car together.  

"I'm actually quite a big fan of your music..."  

"Oh!  TastiSkank??"

"Yeah, I actually went to a few shows...."

"The one at Joe's Pub?"

'Yep, and Ars Nova,...and Comix, and then I watched some of your college performances on Youtube.  And I love your music videos.  Oh, and I even wrote a blog about you."

"A blog about me?"

Uh-oh, Sarah started to sound a little scared, but I have no filter when I get excited and nervous, so I continued to talk, "Ummm....yeah, well, it's about you and Kate,...and, um like, how I want to be just like you, like how I want to be a "Tasti-Skank-in-Training'...kinda silly, I guess...it was a couple blogs, actually...."  

I don't know why I kept talking.  I knew I sounded like a Tasti-Skank stalker, but I was just being honest and it was like once I started I couldn't stop!!  "Yeah, my favorite song is "I Heart Dirty Boys with No Money,"  I just really relate to that one, like I always ended up interested in guys who don't have jobs and like, do drugs and stuff.....Well, not all the time, that's not true,....I mean, I just like the song alot....It's really, um, clever.  So, yeah, you guys are really good."

I waited for Sarah...,or anyone, to say something to fill the silence.  The two Lost Boys in the front seat had stopped talking to listen to me chatter on about my love of Tasti-Skank.  They were horrified at my confession I'm sure.  We hadn't even started rehearsal and I could already tell everyone going to the grocry store thought I was a freak.  

Finally I filled the void with something even more stalkeresque than before: "Yeah, it's kind of weird actually because my older sister's name is Sara, and we call my little sister Kate, so my real sister's names are the same names of you and Kate in Tasti-Skank....sorta cool, or, I guess, um, kinda interesting.  So I'm really excited to be in this show with you.  Like really excited.  Like, I put on my Wall on Facebook that I was so excited to be in a show with you.  It's gonna be....awesome."  

Finally Sarah spoke back and, to my surprise, she didn't seem weirded out by my nervous chatter one bit.  "Wow, that's so cool!  I'm so excited to be in the show too.  I think I actually remember you from one of the shows...Didn't you say something about your turn-off being "when guys wear girl jeans."

"Yeah that's right!!  That was me!!!  I said 'I don't like it when boys wear tighter jeans than me!!'"

Sarah responded back quickly,  "That was awesome. I hate when guys where too-tight jeans too..."

We continued to chatter through grocery shopping, and Sarah even said she wanted to hear some of the songs I wrote!  Then, last night after rehearsal,  Sarah helped me write a new love song Tasti-Skank style.  It was soo much fun!!  

Turns out, not only will I learn to fly in this production of Peter Pan, but I'll also be getting extra training on how to become a super Skankilicious songwriter!!  

I'll be sure to keep you posted on my progress, Backstage Blogosphere.  

--  Emily Kinney

Here's a quick sampling from a a song I wrote last night with Sarah called 'Foreign Exchange Program:'

All your girlfriends are from foreign countries,

They don't speak any English at all,

All they need is a passport, an accent.

For your old, crusty heart to fall. 

***

I've got ethnic diversity in my background!

I took Spanish for two years in highschool! 

But I'm just guessin':  Nebraska's not exotic.

I thought you said Sexy Farm Girls were cool!

....But I was the fool....

Comments

[Christine]

Pretty cool emily!

[Kathleen Sauer]

HI Emily! Loved your story... reminded me of the time i literally bumped into John Travolta & Kelly Preston in a hotel hallway....I began jabbering on and on to them as they cautiously smiled and nodded at me.... John holding tightly onto Kelly's arm.....I couldn't stop myself from talking! Sounds like your situation turned out fine!
Seems as though your time in Arkansas is starting out terrifically!
Have fun Flying & Singing!

Kathleen Sauer ( Angela's Mom)