NewsPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A "Pre-Sandy" Day with The Other Josh Cohen's Drum-Playing Hannah EllessHannah Elless (Broadway's Godspell), who plays drums and numerous characters in Off-Broadway's The Other Josh Cohen, shares an untypical day at the theatre. She documented her experience Oct. 28, the day subways were shut down and evening shows canceled in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy.
By
Matthew Blank
October 31, 2012
Originally scheduled as a two-show day, the later shows were canceled to allow everyone time to get somewhere safe.
When asked how she planned to ride out the storm, Elless told Playbill.com, "Monday is my normal day off and when I usually do my grocery shopping anyway. It's worth noting that I'm not from the East Coast, so Sandy is my very first hurricane. I guess New York beat me to the stores. Wish me luck! They're aren't a lot of recipes involving both Cheez-Its and chocolate chips."
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A "Pre-Sandy" Day with The Other Josh Cohen's Drum-Playing Hannah Elless
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A "Pre-Sandy" Day with The Other Josh Cohen's Drum-Playing Hannah Elless
Hannah Elless (Broadway's Godspell), who plays drums and numerous characters in Off-Broadway's The Other Josh Cohen, shares an untypical day at the theatre. She documented her experience Oct. 28, the day subways were shut down and evening shows canceled in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy. Read the Playbill.com story.
66 PHOTOS
No alarm clock for me on this 2-show day! Waking up to the morning light! Good morning baby plants!
Hannah Elless
Starting my morning with some Oolong tea in (what else?) my Broadway Godspell mug!
Hannah Elless
My breakfast. I literally eat two eggs a day - one way or another. They are the perfect food!
Hannah Elless
The yolky aftermath... <3
Hannah Elless
Don't hate! I'm a Michigan girl and my Tigers are in the world series this year! Go Tigs!
Getting in a quick spin before Hurricane Sandy shuts down my gym! I do some of this...
Hannah Elless
And a lot of this... (Did I mention I love tweeting? And Beyonce?)
Hannah Elless
Stopping by the farmers market on my way home. You can't beat the New York fall produce! Stocking up on some veggies so that I can cook dinner on my day off!
Hannah Elless
Honeycrisp apples are my FAVORITE.
Hannah Elless
Weather check on the walk home. Sandy is coming and she means business. This is my very first hurricane! Hoping that she takes it easy on us!
Hannah Elless
Hurricane preparedness. Obviously the most important purchase was the Lindt sea salt chocolate.
Hannah Elless
My mother calling/texting to check in on the hurricane situation. I include this text only to show that it took her exactly 56 minutes to remember that I don't have a bathtub. Priceless. Love you, Mom!
Hannah Elless
A greens supplement that I drink almost every day. Raw food energy!
Hannah Elless
Power up! Doesn't it look delicious?
Hannah Elless
My beloved to-go thermos that my childhood best friend crafted for me before I moved to NYC! I take it everywhere! Yes, that's a picture of us and yes, that's a doily framing our faces.
Hannah Elless
Fueled for a 2-show day! Let's do this!!
Hannah Elless
My ride to work! Except nights after 10pm, mornings before 5am, select weekends in October, and whenever else it doesn't feel like running local.
Hannah Elless
Sometimes I play Russian roulette with my music. I put my songs on shuffle and whatever plays first is my theme song for the day. My phone knows me so well. A perfect anthem for the hurricane day!
Hannah Elless
The train stop that gets you to The Other Josh Cohen!
Hannah Elless
Here we are! The Soho Playhouse & Huron Club! 15 VANDAM ST
Hannah Elless
That's my show!
Hannah Elless
Playing through November 11th! Get your tickets and come see us! http://www.theotherjoshcohen.com
Hannah Elless
I walk through our green room/bar to get backstage. A great post-show hangout for the audience & cast/creatives!
Hannah Elless
Checking in at our callboard. As you can see, we take our sign-in sheet very seriously.
Hannah Elless
I drop off my stuff in the girls' dressing room!
Hannah Elless
Our beautiful and amazing dresser, Courtney Irizarry, being shy!
Hannah Elless
Backstage with props & wigs. AKA Kate Wetherhead's sacred domain.
Hannah Elless
Our Asst Stage Manager, Michael Alifanz, gearing up for the 2-show day!
Hannah Elless
Time for sound check and warming up the V-drums.
Hannah Elless
Me and my shadow.
Hannah Elless
Our sound guru, Gala Lok, readying our microphones!
Hannah Elless
Because I play an electric drum set for the show, I use anti-vibe drumsticks to help reduce the shock to my hands/wrists/arms.
Hannah Elless
A back shot of my purple mandolin! She's making her Off-Bway debut but is not a stranger to the theatre. She came on the Broadway tour of Mamma Mia!. Since then she's played at the Laurie Beechman, Joe's Pub and 54 Below.
Hannah Elless
My opening night present to the cast. 2-sided customized guitar picks for the show!
Hannah Elless
My weapons of choice. Time to tune!
Hannah Elless
Fresh-faced! Ready for the makeup and curling iron!
Hannah Elless
Tools of the trade.
Hannah Elless
Since I'm busy taking pictures, fellow castmate and band member, Ken Triwush offers to tune my mandolin for me today. Thanks, Ken! (Tune 'er a little sharp, ok?)
Hannah Elless
Music director & cast member Vadim Feichtner gives hurricane Sandy updates. Everyone is trying to figure out how to get home after the MTA shuts down at 7pm. Hurricane madness!!!
Hannah Elless
Watch out Rock of Ages! Don't mess with the mane!
Hannah Elless
Sexy face warm-ups for the role of drummer chick.
Hannah Elless
My one and only gorgeous female co-star, Kate Wetherhead. Sometimes I catch her talking to her newspaper. :)
Hannah Elless
Checking in with the boys' dressing room. I wish I could tell you what's happening here. I'll let you guess which one's not wearing pants.
Hannah Elless
Ken Triwush shows off his snacks. I tease that he only eats snacks marketed to women. He already ate his Luna bar for the day. True story.
Hannah Elless
Our dressing room walls are paper thin and we can hear EVERYTHING the guys say like, "Don't go in *there* for awhile..."
Hannah Elless
Josh Cohen star Steve Rosen maintains the mustache...
Hannah Elless
...so that we can appropriately do our pre-show mustache warmups.
Hannah Elless
Hey, Evita and Peter and the Starcatcher! You're not the only mustache-aware shows in town! Check out our grooming technique.
Hannah Elless
Everyone looks good in the "Josh Cohen" flannel! Posing with both Joshes (David Rossmer & Steve Rosen) as I sport the signature "look."
Hannah Elless
A few last minute warmups before they call places!
Hannah Elless
Production Intern, Kevin Patrick Doonan, gets a motivational speech before heading on stage to start the pre-show.
Hannah Elless
What? There's an impending doom-filled hurricane?! The Other Josh Cohen cast is calm, cool and collected.
Hannah Elless
The most important preparation for our show. Backstage before every performance Kate Wetherhead reads a selection of Stanislavski's "An Actor Prepares" to inspire and enlighten.
Hannah Elless
And while Kate reads, Josh Cohen's apartment gets robbed!
Hannah Elless
Backstage shot during the show! Kate Wetherhead goes all Neil Diamond on us!
Hannah Elless
David Rossmer at the keys.
Hannah Elless
Backstage quick change for the girls! About to sing some "Samuel Cohen's Family Tree."
Hannah Elless
Hearing the news from our Stage Manager, Janet Takami, that hurricane Sandy has officially canceled our second show!
Hannah Elless
Hurricane Sandy strikes! Don't forget an umbrella!
Hannah Elless
The ladies of The Other Josh Cohen post-show.
Hannah Elless
Instead of a quick in-between show dinner, I am headed home to wait out the storm!
Hannah Elless
An empty theater, robbed of its second show!
Hannah Elless
Oh, Sandy.
Hannah Elless
One last Neil Diamond pose before hitting the subway home!
Hannah Elless
What do you do when your show is cancelled by a hurricane? You drink a Hurricane and make the best of it! Thanks Playbill for spending a day with me and The Other Josh Cohen. Until the next time! xoxo
Directed by Tony winner Ted Sperling with choreography by Andrew Palermo and musical direction by Vadim Feichtner, the production will continue through Nov. 11. The Other Josh Cohen features book, music and lyrics by David Rossmer and Steve Rosen.
The new musical, according to press notes, "tells the true story of a good guy trying to break a streak of incredibly bad luck. He's single, broke and just a few days before Valentine's Day, comes home to find his apartment has been completely robbed. Well, almost; the thief had the decency to leave behind a Neil Diamond CD. Six days later a mysterious letter arrives in his mailbox that changes his life forever. Will his Jewish guilt let him enjoy his good fortune? Will he ever be able to stop kicking himself if he doesn't? And will there ever be a time when nice guys finish first?"
Rossmer and Rosen both play Josh Cohen: one in the present day, the other Josh, one year earlier. The two "frequently interact (and sing) together, creating a funny absurdity of one guy relating with himself. The score is in the style of a long-lost Neil Diamond album."
The cast also includes Kate Wetherhead, Vadim Feichtner, Hannah Elless and Ken Triwush.
Show times are Wednesday-Friday 8 PM, Saturday at 3 PM and 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM and 5 PM.
Tickets are $65 ($35 during previews) and can be purchased online at sohoplayhouse.com. The SoHo Playhouse is located at 15 Vandam Street.
