Meet Rebekka Johnson, Kimmy Gatewood and Sarah Lowe, who play Candy, Cora and Seedy, a trio of cute and color-coordinated, old-timey gals known as The Apple Sisters. The Apple Sisters Variety Show is a live presentation of a World War II–era radio broadcast meant to cheer up the brave U.S. seamen in the PTO. Each of the ladies’ characters follow familiar female archetypes. Seedy, the oldest sister, is the pious den mother. Candy is like Rosie the Riveter, a broad with a can-do attitude for lesbian undertones. And Cora paved the way for dumb-blonde jokes; she’s easily foiled by things like cream pies and polysyllabic words.
Each month, the girls write and perform an all-new Apple Sisters show. With a flair for fast physical humor and extreme silliness, the performances unfold like a wacky comedy of errors. Something usually goes terribly wrong for the sisters during the course of the show and—unless you’re already living in one—the audience is transported to some kind of crazy Jack Tripper world. Ultimately, everything works out by the end through the resolving power of merry melodies, spry dancing and Stooges-inspired slapstick. Wardrobe malfunctions and steamy seltzer boob-rinses have been known to happen.
The performers maneuver nimbly through their complicated shows, so I was curious to know what rehearsals are like.
“Our process is very collaborative. It works a lot like a writers’ room for TV,” explains Kimmy Gatewood. “We have an initial pitch session that includes pitching ideas for the overall arc of the show, songs or bits we’d like to do. From there, we figure out song ideas, commercials or bits fit into the story. For the music, we come in with a strong melody, tone and style and bring it to our pianist Andy Hertz.”
The awkward transitions, dialogue and other details sort themselves out once the show’s up on its feet. “This is the most crucial part of the process because essentially, we’re finding the heart of the story and where the funny is,” Gatewood continues. “We are rehearsing up to the last minute of the show and many times making changes. The best part about our shows is that they prone to mistakes, risks and silliness. So one show is different from the next.”
Formed in February of last year, The Apple Sisters created such a buzz in the NYC comedy community that they took home an ECNY award for Best Musical Act of 2007.
“I feel like we came together magically. None of us had ever worked together before,” says Gatewood. “We all met at the PIT. Rebekka and I met through The Faculty show and Sarah and Rebekka met through Sarah’s boyfriend. The thing we immediately shared in common was that we all wanted to sing and dance.”
They each bring a different skill set to the group as well. “Rebekka is an amazingly crafty person. She makes the costumes, props and Apple everything. Sarah is an incredible dancer with lots of Broadway skills and I come from a music/songwriting background. I love coming up with songs that incorporate physical gags.”
During my interview, I discovered that the characters and their real-life counterparts have common goals. It turns out The Apple Sisters are motivated by the desire to be the number-one hit show on the radio and to eventually make it in Hollywood. The life plans of Rebekka, Sarah and Kimmy aren’t too far off.
“Our ultimate dream is do The Apple Sisters full time, take it to Broadway and then hit the road with it,” says Gatewood. “Or at least get sitcoms or commercials that pay us enough to continue to do The Apple Sisters for the rest of our lives.”
The Apple Sisters perform April 10 & 24th, The PIT, 154 W. 29th St., 212-563-7488; 8, $8.
Each month, the girls write and perform an all-new Apple Sisters show. With a flair for fast physical humor and extreme silliness, the performances unfold like a wacky comedy of errors. Something usually goes terribly wrong for the sisters during the course of the show and—unless you’re already living in one—the audience is transported to some kind of crazy Jack Tripper world. Ultimately, everything works out by the end through the resolving power of merry melodies, spry dancing and Stooges-inspired slapstick. Wardrobe malfunctions and steamy seltzer boob-rinses have been known to happen.
The performers maneuver nimbly through their complicated shows, so I was curious to know what rehearsals are like.
“Our process is very collaborative. It works a lot like a writers’ room for TV,” explains Kimmy Gatewood. “We have an initial pitch session that includes pitching ideas for the overall arc of the show, songs or bits we’d like to do. From there, we figure out song ideas, commercials or bits fit into the story. For the music, we come in with a strong melody, tone and style and bring it to our pianist Andy Hertz.”
The awkward transitions, dialogue and other details sort themselves out once the show’s up on its feet. “This is the most crucial part of the process because essentially, we’re finding the heart of the story and where the funny is,” Gatewood continues. “We are rehearsing up to the last minute of the show and many times making changes. The best part about our shows is that they prone to mistakes, risks and silliness. So one show is different from the next.”
Formed in February of last year, The Apple Sisters created such a buzz in the NYC comedy community that they took home an ECNY award for Best Musical Act of 2007.
“I feel like we came together magically. None of us had ever worked together before,” says Gatewood. “We all met at the PIT. Rebekka and I met through The Faculty show and Sarah and Rebekka met through Sarah’s boyfriend. The thing we immediately shared in common was that we all wanted to sing and dance.”
They each bring a different skill set to the group as well. “Rebekka is an amazingly crafty person. She makes the costumes, props and Apple everything. Sarah is an incredible dancer with lots of Broadway skills and I come from a music/songwriting background. I love coming up with songs that incorporate physical gags.”
During my interview, I discovered that the characters and their real-life counterparts have common goals. It turns out The Apple Sisters are motivated by the desire to be the number-one hit show on the radio and to eventually make it in Hollywood. The life plans of Rebekka, Sarah and Kimmy aren’t too far off.
“Our ultimate dream is do The Apple Sisters full time, take it to Broadway and then hit the road with it,” says Gatewood. “Or at least get sitcoms or commercials that pay us enough to continue to do The Apple Sisters for the rest of our lives.”
The Apple Sisters perform April 10 & 24th, The PIT, 154 W. 29th St., 212-563-7488; 8, $8.
