MEET THE STAGE MANAGER: Elisa J. Rupert

You've met the cast...you've been introduced to the crew...and now...the time has come to roll out the red carpet for the liaison between both groups. Our stage manager is the life of this show, people. She is the gaff-taping, cue-calling, savant-direction-remembering, master-driving, chocolate-hating, iPod-sharing, medicine-providing (but only if you find it yourself), beautiful-voiced queen of the road. Put your hands together for our favorite stage manager: Elisa J. Rupert!

I think it has taken me so long to do Elisa's PROFILE because I've been trying to decide exactly HOW to scale down all the greatness into ONE sleek blog entry! I knew that it had to start with a love that we both share. The place is called Chili's - the food is our favorite - and it made us instant friends! She loves the lettuce wraps - I love the boneless buffalo chicken salad - we both love the chips and salsa. I mean - you can tell a true friendship when it starts with Chili's.
She also loves Jane Monheit, Tenascious D, iPods, continental breakfasts and Kanye West. (OK - one of these things is not like the other...but it's fun to say Kanye's name and see her get riled up!)
Elisa is a California girl who has been living in New York City for the past...um...5 years. (mmmm....lo mein.......) This is her, like, 3rd or 4th tour - with previous tours/stage managing stints being with dance companies and other musicals. Willy Wonka has turned out to be her favorite experience, EVER, and so she was telling me the other day that she might retire after this one. I mean, how do you follow up with something beyond this? The answer is you don't. You simply retire from the business and start a line of women's perfumes and clothing.
Although she is a behind-the-scenes kind of gal, you will all love to know that Elisa has a B-E-A-UTIFUL singing voice, and is a lot of fun to sing along with in the van. She does a mean Elphaba from WICKED - and if someone would do colorblind casting for Aida, she would put Heather Headley to shame!
Elisa has been all over this country of ours with the tours she has done - but her favorite destination for traveling is to visit her mother in the land down under. She loves Austrailia and could very well serve as a spokesperson for the travel and tourism board, with all of the good things she has to say about it!
The thing I like best about Elisa is her laugh! She loves to laugh - and is one of those people that is a LOT of fun to laugh with. Plus, she is always surprising me. With new skills (Did you READ the Tahlequah blog where she cut Tara's hair? HELLO! Who expected that!) to her listening-ear and sensible-advise (if you haven't been to Dr. Rupert yet...get an appointment!),
Elisa has become more than an Equity stage manager who knows her stuff...she has become a friend to most all of us on the tour - and that is better to come away with in the end, as opposed to any t-shirts or magnets you could collect in each city! (Although, the Decorah t-shirts really are pretty cool....but no...Elisa trumps it!)
We are a lucky cast because we all get along and we support each other - but we are most lucky to have the knowledge, skill and talents of Elisa on the road with us! Plus she'll always be an extra vote for Chili's!
Hands together...EJR is in the house!