It's all over but the viewing....CANADA SINGS SEASON 2 BEHIND THE SCENES!

So...there is a distance now...it has been almost two weeks...alright, it has been 11 days since we finished shooting on the old Canada Sings Season 2...and I AM STILL EXHAUSTED!!!
Yes, I am.
Pooped, if you will.
In my track pants and eshewing a bra...if you must know.
But I find myself reliving the final week over and over again...the ups and the downs...the agony/heartaches and the SURPRISE/THRILL....the singing and the dancing...the JUDGES...the judging and the final decisions...the laughter...and, of course, if you know me at all...the tears...of all kinds.
Now, I know I am biased...so biased....extremly biased...but this show NOT ONLY delivers on the promise of Season One...but it gives you a Valentine and kiss on the mouth as well...does this make sense? Who CARES!!! I think you catch my drift, people.
Season One was killer....the teams, their dedication...the numbers...the moments...they paved the way!!! Our season one teams jumped in the pool first and came up gasping for breath and won...all of the teams won.
And thanks to them ALL for their faith and bravery...in the unknown.
Now, I don’t mean to be fresh, but Season Two is the grown up sibling to Season One...can I make anymore analogies?
Is this indeed an analogy? WHO CARES!!! YOU catch my drift. Don’t you?
The final week...production week...which is so freakin’ busy that I COULD NOT even find the time to blog about it...or write about it...and we all know what a social media whore I am...so I must have been busy...MUST HAVE BEEN!!!
CV and I (and the lovely Scott and Kelly) got to our dressing room (that we shared...don’t worry it was large...and had a nice bar, may I say...and a lot of health (-ish...I speak for myself, here) competition and joy in it....

 

early in the day...like 8:00am and didn’t get out of our make up and out of the glad rags until late....like 11:30pm...and we usually had a very short break somewhere in the middle of the day...SHORT!!!
WE shot one show every day...for 6 days...6 long, amazing days.
The day was filled with stage rehearsals, blocking, meetings, costume look sees, mic checks, freaking out, pep talks, Pepto Bismol, make up and hair, dress rehearsals....so many things...oh and then we (CV, Scott and Kelly and I) got into our hair, make up and wardrobe and shot a show!
A show people.
Well, mostly, by show time, we would sit in the audience...and freak out...okay...I will speak for myself...but we watched our teams take the stage and make MAGIC!!!
The singing...the dancing...you know...all of the things I mentioned earlier.
Our teams did so well.
ALL the teams did so well.
The CV and Sharron Teams....RCAF, OPP, Stampede Casino, Ontario Science Centre, Purdy’s Chocolate and Elmwood Spa...you should all be proud...not one of you walked away from that stage without doing your very best. So proud....wait till you see, you guys!! You made us proud...but most important I hope youmade yourselves proud.
AND all the Scott and Kelly Teams...CAA, WestJest, Go Transit, Peel Children’s Aid, Dumas Miners, RBC....same at ya!!! You all were stellar!!! Hard working....worthy opponents!
I couldn’t help but be inspired by all of you.
My fave thing was the way all the teams took to each other...they all wished each other the best. There was no ill will...they were all so excited to be competing. And thrilled to be showing the fruits of their labours. And EVERY team worked hard....it was a week of nail biting and turning to each other on ATeam row (the 4 seats that we sat in and watched the stage from....here...Scott took a picture...so, as a result...he is not in it....)

 

And we would say, “What is gonna HAPPEN!?!?”
Indeed.
How exciting.
Thank you for the amazing week...and thank you for the experience.
I can’t wait for you all to see yourselves on the TV...and for all of Canada to FREAK OUT when they see how AWESOME you all are.
I mean...really.
Oh, what a season!!!
And the judges!
Jann....awesome....funny...heartfelt and invested...and naked in Zoomer last month!!
Ice....yes...I said, Ice....who came up before the first show to tell us how excited he was about the season...and then proved it.
Laurieann....new!!!...so well spoken...and she choreo’d for Gaga....what a great addition....
And these guys did not have it easy...NOR did they always agree...I think I can say that, right?
I mean...we couldn’t hear them...I am not giving anything away...but it was pretty clear from 10 rows away that they were having hard times figuring out the winner!!!
And they could bust a move, as the youngs from 10 years ago would say....

(Jann, not pictured, is krumping just off camera....)


WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK!!!
WHAT AN AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE!!! 
Behind the scenes and in front of the camera!!!

There were so many great moments....wanna see?

First Day OUTFIT (CV, handsome as always)!!! Thanks, as always to Fashion Crimes for all of my production week wear!!

 

AUDIENCE!!!!

 

MORE audience!!! Up in right corner ATeam Row....and look...there is Peter, Brett, James, Virginia....and there is Nicholas' mother...and RUBY!! (If you don't know them...just look to the next pic!)

 

ATeam on another day....and between Kelly and Christian...a honourary member of the ATeam....Maureen, one of our fab director/producers...making the best face....ever...

Okay....this next one has a boob alert...LOOK OUT AND KNOW I WAS GOING FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC!!!

Here is us (me still on Boob Alert) in the audience that night....isn't everyone so handsome and lovely (Boob Alert aside) ...Scott has been pressured for a few days now by Maureen (honourary ATeam member) to have his hair done...against his will...good sport, that Scott.

 

Here is some backstage joy!!!

All the fabulous guys on audio....

 John, the awesome onstage (so important) audio head.

And Paul and James who were so kind to all of our excited teams who had never had a mic on before....they are fabulous and patient...very good at taking care of our peeps. And there is Brent (camera tech) and Chris (field audio...has his hand up and down my top numerous times on the road...to MIC ME, people!!)

 

And the wonderful production teams and the producers and execs...who sit backstage and watch the whole world...all the reality feeds, the performance feeds...all the angles...and take care of the show from all levels...I can't even comprehend the work involved...and the way they encourage us to create and think outside the box...the best ever...Insight Productions' John and Barb the Executive Producers and Erin the Supervising Producer... and fabulous execs from Global TV (I am not sure if they would like to be named so ...THANK YOU SJ and L!!!) All amazing people...just amazing...Thank you so much for this blessing of a job. It is inspiring, challenging and gobsmacking. Deadly combo!!

See how much is involved, how many people...how crazy this week is? HUH!?!? SEE!?!?

And just in case you thought that was all...there is so much more....there is still more!!! 

Here is Mr. Orin Isaacs!!! He is the musical supervisor of the whole fishnizzle....he is the man who listens to my arrangements and then says to himself..."I think she means....this..." and then makes the magic...and is then when I am all doubtin' my stuff he gives me the speech in his higher voice "Ya, know Shar....let me tell you a story..." ...thanks to you, Orin. I get it!!!

 

And here is Team Riley...run by honourary Ateam member Maureen Riley...one of the two production teams that we travel on the road with during the rehearsal weeks and we really slog it out together!

The other production team, Team Tovey....well, sadly, we didn't get a shot with them at the theatre...but they are equally hard working...and headed by a Brit...here he is, the one with pom pom in his hat...bless....and with Team Tovey member...the awesome Meghan...sadly Jacqueline was taking this shot...and is not in it...but so many people are missing...Team Tovey also rocks.

And here is another fave Ateam shot....!!!

 

So, that is all the behind the scenes stuff!

I wish we had a shot of Lisa Williams, the wardrobe head and her amazing team...Sarah, Casey and so many more, who made the teams looks so wonderful....and the hair and make up crew...who made them feel like rock stars...and to Adreano and Gigi who made the four of us look so fancy in the hair and the face...and everyone at the Insight Office...Lori and Julietta...so many awesome people behind the cameras....and so many exciting, tiring and fabulous days...and now...it is up to the editors, post show producers and network...and all the other talented people who are involved in the final product... they are all working their butts off!

Then we are on the air... in May sometime!!!

Keep your eyes OPEN!!!

CANADA SINGS SEASON 2 on GLOBAL TV in May.

(I wish I could show you some shots of our teams...but you know....TOP SECRET!!!)