Rachel Dratch Media Gallery

Here are a few excerpts from the ArtsBeat blog chronicling Rachel’s journey. To read the full stories, including a few audio clips, go to artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/24-hour-musicals/.

“Actors, directors, choreographers and others involved in “The 24 Hour Musicals” gathered at the Gramercy Theater Sunday night to introduce themselves”.

“At Sunday night’s introductions, Rachel Dratch sang a few bars from “Suppertime,” Snoopy’s ode to his favorite meal of the day, from the musical ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’”.

“By 6 a.m. Polaroids of the cast members were assembled and reassembled to see which shows and actors would match up best”.

“Around 9:30 a.m. the titles and casts of the four mini-musicals to be performed tonight were announced: “Islands,” “Multiphobia,” “Dr. Williams” and “Rachel Said Sorry,” which stars Tracie Thoms, Mandy Gonzalez, Marnie Schulenburg and Rachel Dratch”.

“Lance Horne and Rachel Dratch met Monday morning to rehearse a number from the mini-musical “Rachel Said Sorry,” which he composed overnight in collaboration with the playwright Gina Gionfriddo”.

“From left, Tracie Thoms, Rachel Dratch and Mandy Gonzalez read over the script for the musical “Rachel Said Sorry,” composed by Lance Horne, written by Gina Gionfriddo and directed by Maria Mileaf. They were in a van that took them from the National Arts Club to a rehearsal space near Astor Place on Monday morning around 10:30 a.m.”

“It’s fascinating to watch how different actors memorize their lines. Rachel Dratch is sitting in a chair saying her lines under her breath, lips slightly moving, as she subtly sways back and forth, as if deep in prayer”.

10 p.m.: Curtain down on “The 24 Hour Musicals.”

“More than a day after participants first gathered at the Gramercy Theater to make introductions and pose for Polaroids, the event concluded with four very different musicals”.

“Rachel Said Sorry”

“The plot: a confrontation between four female friends over an alleged insult directed toward a bride-to-be on the way to brunch

The music: rhythm and blues, soaring ballads and riffs, laughs when Rachel Dratch pulled out her cue cards”.

All excerpts from Erik Piepenburg of “ArtsBeat”