PhotosPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Love Means..." A Two-Show Day With Love Story, the Musical Stars Will Reynolds and Alexandra SilberSpend a day at Philly's Walnut Street Theatre with Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds, who star in the American premiere of Love Story, the Musical. Follow them en route to the theatre and learn the various methods and exercises required to bring Jenny Cavilleri and Oliver Barrett IV to life.
By
Matthew Blank
October 04, 2012
"Well hello Playbill. Alexandra ('Al') Silber and Will Reynolds here, straight from Philadelphia's historic Walnut Street Theatre," said the pair in a joint statement. "For us, playing Jenny 'snotty Radcliffe bitch' Cavilleri and Oliver 'preppy Harvard bastard' Barrett IV-- lovers of such notoriety-- has been a tall order, but also nothing short of a joy."
"That said:
1. Interestingly, it is in fact, *not* always sunny in Philadelphia.
2. It HAS been 'hot as hell-- in Philadel-PHIA.' 3. This show isn't about 'brotherly love...'
. Love DOES mean having to say you're sorry. All. The. Time."
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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Love Means..." A Two-Show Day With Love Story, the Musical Stars Will Reynolds and Alexandra Silber
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Love Means..." A Two-Show Day With Love Story, the Musical Stars Will Reynolds and Alexandra Silber
Spend a day at the historic Walnut Street Theatre with Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds, who star in the American premiere of Love Story, the Musical. Follow them en route to the theatre and learn the various methods and exercises required to bring Jenny Cavilleri and Oliver Barrett IV to life. Read the Playbill.com story.
43 PHOTOS
Welcome all! Will Reynolds and Al Silber here, giving you a glimpse behind-the-scenes of a two-show day here at Love Story The Musical at Walnut Street Theatre. NOTE: Serious business ahead.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
At rise: The Hotel. Morning. Philadelphia. Will's body is his temple. Al's body runs on strong coffee. ...Opposites attract.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
[At rise: City Hall. The walk to work…]
WILL: LOOK AL! LOOK! HISTORY!!! AL: Um...Will...we...have places to *be*...
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
AL: Just a quiiiiiiiick stop at the paper store. I'll be quick. Promise. WILL: And by "quick" means you mean "slow" and by "promise" you mean "pack of paper lies."
(PS: We have no idea who those people in the cover art are, but we call them "Brad" and "Allison...")
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
View from the stage. or, *WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS...*
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
It is not Sunday unless it is DOLLAR $UNDAY! [Disclaimer: Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds do not condone gambling.]
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
We begin our warm-up with a "game" developed by PR that we commandeered.
It includes the lobbing of tomatoes and garlic... at our likeness...
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
So... every day, Will's character Oliver gets so upset he throws a phone…
...this would be what we call the "Phone Graveyard"... because that's right... there's a new phone every show...
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
We have a lot of props, and a great crew to organize all of them!
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
A show like ours requires following each others' every move. Following each others' every move means MIRROR EXERCISES.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
A show like ours requires quick instincts. Quick instincts means ZIP ZAP ZOP.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
A show like ours requires trust. Trust means TRUST FALLS.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
A show like ours requires sexiness. Sexiness means HIS AND HERS KIMONOS.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Al likes to read a love quotation over the monitor before every matinee-- just to get us all in the mood…
...and in case you were concerned that "in the mood" means just quotes from Plato, Baudelaire and Helen Keller FEAR NOT...this week's offering wa
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Everything it takes to make a "Jenny"
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
We both have a lot of hair. Hair is a very important part of the show. And acting. Let's be real about that.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Al makes Will report to her dressing room daily, for she has made it very clear that she cannot have fake Sexy Time with Will if his curl isn't in perfectly coiffed place... Will, thus, coaches his hair into submission. His fake sex life depends on it.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Daily shave! (There is a lot of kissing--and no one likes a rug-burn...)
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
YIKES. [*pause*] Neither are wigs, folks! It may start out rough, but the coiff sure cleans up nicely!
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
"You and me!"
A quick "Places" check-in.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Danielle, Lisa and Sarah open our show in beautifully tight harmony, so everyday before places they gather in the bathroom to sort it out... today... things are, uh, looking a little rough..
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Everyday, we cook pasta. live. onstage. with propane gas. and onions and peppers and garlic. and sharp sharp knives.
Al juggles. It happens. This is a shot from our very first attempt!
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Cast members gather daily to partake and judge the day's offerings...
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
...aaaaand sometimes it gets a little intense...
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
After the show, we have a post-show cuddle. It became our first ever Saturday Intermission Picture... "But we don't HAVE an intermission!" we cried!
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Sensible between-shows nap on the hospital bed...
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
...sensible onstage "Insanity" workout with Charles Hagerty.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
...now off to the park for a quick stroll!
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
The rest of our time is usually spent signing posters… mostly for us.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
We like to have one or two hour notes sessions before the second show... most of the notes are for Al... some are for Will but most are for Al. We wanna try some of that "less is more acting." Insert "Waiting for Guffman" quote.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
A quick visit upstairs to our Dads! Paul Nolan and Charles Pistone have a whoooooole THING going on.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
...During the show, there is a *lot* of panicked running down the hall...
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Hockey quick change madness!!!
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Our Stage Management Team enjoys scoring what we like to call "Sexy Time" (aka the love-making scene... buuuut we call it Sexy Time...) OLYMPICS STYLE.
Don't know what that 4.3 is about... must've been the dismount...
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
...we *ALSO* like to score each others' performances-- just to keep things "real."
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Another post-show cuddle-fest.
[we took to the hospital bed....*naturally*....]
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
And, if things get really rough... there is always SCOTCH. Luckily, and by utter coincidence, Will and I have the same favorite Scotch.... creepy.
[DISCLAIMER: ALEXANDRA SILBER AND WILL REYNOLDS ENCOURAGE YOU TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY.]
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
As we leave the theatre... we take one last glance…
::LOVE STORY THEME::
...we can't--well LOOK: we just can't help ourselves.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
We walk home together every night. It's pretty gross.
Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds
Bye Playbill! Thanks for joining us! We're gonna go home and live text the Lifetime movie from our respective hotel rooms. It's gonna be great.
Direction and musical staging are by Annabel Bolton, who worked on the original English production. The run plays to Oct. 21 on the WST Mainstage.
The show — which premiered at Chichester's Minerva Theatre in June 2010 before moving to London's West End in December 2012 — features music by Howard Goodall, book by Stephen Clark and lyrics by Clark and Goodall.
"Inspired by Erich Segal's best-selling iconic novel of the same name, and one of the most romantic films of all time, this life-affirming musical will have audiences remembering the first time they fell in love," according to WST notes. "When Oliver Barrett IV wanders into a library in search of a book, he discovers Jenny Cavilleri. They came from different worlds. He was a Harvard man, she was Radcliffe. He was rich, she was poor. But they fell in love. This is their story."
Musical and vocal direction are by Douglass G. Lutz. The creative team also includes set designer Peter McKintosh, lighting designer Shon Causer, costume designer Colleen Grady and sound designer Will Pickens.
The cast includes Charles Pistone as Phil Cavilleri, Jane Labanz as Alison, Paul L. Nolan as Oliver Barrett III, plus Pierce Cravens, Lisa Marie Gargione, Sarah Gliko, Charles Hagerty, Danielle Herbert, John Jarboe and Scott Langdon.
For tickets and information, call (215) 574-3550 or (800) 982-2787. Tickets are also available by visiting WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.com.
![[At rise: City Hall. The walk to work…]<p> WILL: LOOK AL! LOOK! HISTORY!!! <br> AL: Um...Will...we...have places to *be*...](http://assets.playbill.com/editorial/_embeddedGallerySize/0f8c66ef8dfcc89f200daec72794b700-lovestoryfeat3.jpg)
![It is not Sunday unless it is DOLLAR $UNDAY! [Disclaimer: Alexandra Silber and Will Reynolds do not condone gambling.]](http://assets.playbill.com/editorial/_embeddedGallerySize/961eb6f0d6d367694bfcc12df9339923-lovestoryfeat9.jpg)
![YIKES. <br> [*pause*]<br> Neither are wigs, folks! It may start out rough, but the coiff sure cleans up nicely!](http://assets.playbill.com/editorial/_embeddedGallerySize/6af96b00a64ca4a03b9d63b042b0cf1a-lovestoryfeat22.jpg)
![Another post-show cuddle-fest. <p> [we took to the hospital bed....*naturally*....]](http://assets.playbill.com/editorial/_embeddedGallerySize/6a383d3ffc833be3f7bd110479d2c217-lovestoryfeat39.jpg)
![And, if things get really rough... there is always SCOTCH. Luckily, and by utter coincidence, Will and I have the same favorite Scotch.... creepy.<p> [DISCLAIMER: ALEXANDRA SILBER AND WILL REYNOLDS ENCOURAGE YOU TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY.]](http://assets.playbill.com/editorial/_embeddedGallerySize/c20098df2325966bac6ec1fcb8edfdb8-lovestoryfeat40.jpg)
