When Caroline Sheen was starring in the New York Musical Theatre Festival Musical show "Three Sides," she wrote a four-part series of blog entries about her experiences with this new UK-born musical.

These blogs were originally serialised and published on the Broadway World website, but they can be read below...

Three Sides – UK to USA Blog Entry #1,

"Rehearsals"
By Caroline Sheen

First, let me fill you in on a bit of the background of Three Sides… it's a three-hander musical about people trying to find love in London. My character, Carrie, finds love with both the other characters. The end result is…perhaps not what you would expect.

I was first involved with a workshop of the show back in October 2004 – actually with the exact same cast as we have now! Since then the show has undergone a lot of changes – new songs (two for me, yaay!), new scenes by Toby Davies, a man who you only have to nudge for something funny to emanate from his mouth!

Our composer/lyricist Grant [Olding] has a very hectic schedule at the moment. He is opening a show up in the North of England, writing incidental music for some touring Shakespeare and also for The Alchemist at the National theatre, which starts previews this week. It's a big deal - it stars Simon Russell Beale (Spamalot) and Alex Jennings (Olivier Award-winner for My Fair Lady). The poor man must be exhausted but he's still finding time to keep an eye on Three Sides. It's his baby and he has put so much work into it, I really hope it all pays off for him soon. He really deserves it.

A few months ago we tried out the new version in a fringe venue in west London. This went better than we could've ever expected. Audiences sat through extreme heat and still enjoyed themselves. One night was so hot I was begging Grant to change one of the lyrics which says my character is "dressed from head to toe in leather" (she's a motorcycle courier). I thought perhaps "dressed from head to toe in ice cubes" might be preferable. For the first twenty minutes of the show I felt like I was singing in a steam room while wrapped in tin foil and baking. The things we do for our art!

Now we are rehearsing for the new staging of the show we are doing for NYMF. One of the boys from the workshop has rejoined us and we have to stage it on a proscenium stage, whereas before we were in the round. I'm looking forward to it being "straight on" again – it makes for better storytelling, I feel.

The first rehearsal for New York was at Trinity College of Music in Greenwich – which just had a bomb scare, so we weren't allowed in. So we went running around Greenwich trying to find a building with a piano where we could rehearse (without having to pay).

So Jon-Paul, Mark and I sat by the river having a Starbucks while we waited. Thankfully we had salvation from the local Church, and we found ourselves in the most stunning building I have seen, around a fabulous grand piano and singing away with marvellous acoustics (of course, we edited out all the swear words – House of God and all that)

Halfway through, while Mark's singing one of his opening numbers, a lot of people walk in and sit in the pews at the back. It's a group of Russian tourists who've come to have a look around and pay their respects, say a prayer, etc. I think they thought we were just lunchtime entertainment! So Chris (our pianist) played his concertos for a bit while we chilled out. The Russians left after about 15 minutes so after all that chaos we actually managed a good rehearsal.

We have had one more rehearsal since then and things are shaping up quite well. I'm getting very excited about going to New York, and even more excited because my fiancé's film Flyboys opens while I'm there – I'm going to see it before he does! I will cry lots – I'm like that.

I'll be back with another entry soon, we have a couple more rehearsals this week. New scenes to learn and stage – who was it who said "an actor's life for me?"

Three Sides – UK to USA Blog Entry #2,

"Shopping and Thinking"
By Caroline Sheen

New York, city that never sleeps, the Big Apple – so good they nicknamed it twice. We leave for it in a matter of days! And during one of our rehearsals this week it actually hit me, my stomach lurched, my fingers went all tingly, and the realization dawned on me that we actually have to do this! It's quite exciting – it feels like we're going on a school trip. There have been pictures of us in publicity info on several Broadway websites and the nerves are beginning to appear.
 
Let me tell you a bit about our cast. There's me, lovely and pretty with a permanent halo above my head (of course). Then we have JP [Jon-Paul] who is a good northern boy, always ready with a gag to cheer us up when things – or I – seem a bit bleak. I have worked with him lots before and he is a great person to have in company. 

Mark McGee is far more sensible than JP or I, and I don't suppose he has much chance to get a word in edgeways with our motormouths. He has us in hysterics with his keenness on the occasional breakdance, usually breaking pieces of set and furniture at the same time.

Our director, Clive Paget, is the head of musical theatre at our great National Theatre, and what he doesn't know about musicals isn't worth knowing. Our resident director, who is taking us to New York while Clive staff directs Caroline, or Change at the National, is Tim Godwin, who has recently finished a run in Les Mis. He also runs his own theatre workshop company called Thrift. And our stage manager – the lovely Debs – I think is in prop hell at the moment, trying to decide what is viable to get on the plane and what we might have to scour Manhattan for once we get there (any tips on where to buy some poker chips would be much appreciated).
 
Our designer Morgan took us all out shopping this week. On his days off, JP works as a personal shopper/stylist at a very trendy shop on Oxford Street called Miss Selfridge. He has dressed Victoria Beckham and even more exciting, Nikki from "Big Brother!" Morgan and I went in there and I basically tried on everything in the shop, but we got the full treatment in the VIP room, with a sofa and a fully stocked fridge. About three hours later, we were done. Shopping for clothes is so tiring! I was truly exhausted – lots of fun though! 
 
We had our new scenes to work on this week. Toby is a genius. It's quite hard to keep a straight face with his writing, it'll take some practice. We haven't done some of the songs for about three weeks now, so I am trying to remember how we staged them. Is it bad that I have absolutely no idea?
 
Big shows opening in London this next few weeks, Wicked, Spamalot, Caroline or Change, Dirty Dancing … but the place to be is New York, 45th Street Theatre, Three Sides - if I remember what we are meant to be doing. Hmmmmm…
 
Oh, and if you're interested, there is an extended clip of the movie Flyboys online at www.flyboysthemovie.com. Mike, my boyfriend, is the one singing at the top of his voice whilst shooting the crap out of the enemy!  It opens Sept 22 in U.S. Very excited!

Three Sides – UK to USA Blog Entry #3,

"Get Packing!!"
By Caroline Sheen

One week to go! This time next week I need to be fully packed and ready to head for the Great White Way. Now, those of you who have worked in theatre (if you're anything like me) will know that there are a lot of things a girl needs to have in her dressing room. I personally need: a lot of makeup, face wash, shower gel, a towel, toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, perfume, hairbrush, a hair straightener and hairspray. I usually take a suitcase in to the theatre when I land in my dressing room for the first time.  

I think you can understand that I am panicking slightly, realising that I am responsible for taking all of the above, plus three costumes (including motorbike leathers), press info for the publicity packs (20 headshots and resumes), music for a charity benefit we are doing out of town, and normal everyday clothes to wear to have a great time in NY. I think I can safely say I won't be giving Sarah Jessica Parker a run for her money – I simply won't have enough room!

The boys have hired a minibus to get us around in NY and to cart all my cases around. I'm going to be the only girl in a group of about six boys most of the time, so will be taking advantage of every chivalrous opportunity. "But I'm only a girl" will be my most uttered phrase (sorry feminists – but I would like to have my cake and eat it!)

At rehearsal tonight we were talking about some of the references in the show and if they would transfer across the Atlantic. Do the US have an appreciation of Lulu? Do they know what giving someone a "dead leg" involves? (I'm wondering what kind of impression you're getting of the show now? Lulu? Dead leg?) We were trying to think if we have ever heard such things being referenced on "Friends" (the brit's bible of everything American) Any help with these huge issues would be appreciated. Also have no idea what the weather in NY will be. Do I need to be packing my flipflops and shorts? Or bringing some sweaters? The dilemmas a girl faces!

More rehearsals this week – we are stepping up a gear now, the pressure is on! We are getting lots of news from NY every day, from Sharon, one of our producers. The NYMF is underway! They are thinking of using my blog as publicity on Broadwayworld.com, which is one of my favourites. One thing I'm really looking forward to is singing at the Virgin Megastore when we get there. Anyone coming to watch please be aware – we may be slightly jetlagged. That'll be a new experience – performing when my body clock says its midnight. Maybe I can put "can perform with jetlag" as one of the skills on my resume! 

Note to self – pack an alarm clock. 

Three Sides – UK to USA Blog Entry #4,

"Clean Toilets and Pastrami"
By Caroline Sheen

Well, what can I say? I think I may have had the busiest 3 days of my entire life! I have been in New York now for about 3 1/2 days and I have done sooo much.

The first day I was here we had to shop for the afore mentioned leather trousers, we had a runthrough of the show in front of our American producers, we went to Virgin Megastore in Times Square to perform in a promotional concert, then we went back to a music studio to have our sitzprobe (runthrough with the band). We barely had time to grab a sandwich! It was bloody exciting though. 

The studio we did our run-through in is in a building with about 25 rehearsal studios in. There were Broadway shows being rehearsed there and loads of people hanging around outside studios waiting to audition for stuff. Whereas at home we are lucky to get a chair to wait on outside auditions, here they had wicker seats with big comfy cushions on, rugs on the floor, tables with vases of flowers on, CLEAN TOILETS! It puts the London rehearsal spaces to shame (except perhaps Sadlers Wells).

The concert at Virgin Megastore was fun. There weren't many people watching who weren't actually involved in NYMF but what the hell! Can you imagine doing something like that in the Virgin Store on Oxford Street back home? Nope!

Our sitzprobe was good, but a little bit weird – it was about 8 at night here, which by our body clocks was 1 in the morning! By 2 in the morning we were pretty much hysterical…so tired I felt a bit drunk!

We opened the next day, after a day long tech which meant NO DRESS REHEARSAL! It went really well, and continues to do so. It's going down really well with the American audiences. The new scenes work well, and it's so interesting observing what the audiences here find funny compared with audiences at home.

Today was the first day I had to myself really. We have a show tonight at 8. But having the day off meant just one thing: GOING TO SEE FLYBOYS! I am actually the most proud girlfriend in the whole entire universe. I was crying even before I went in the theatre! Mike comes over brilliantly on the big screen and his character is so well-defined. He is in it LOADS as well. It was slightly disturbing seeing his final scene (I won't spoil it for people who want to see it). I'm simply busting with pride and I know he's heartbroken not to be able to come over and see it. But, he's stuck in The Canterbury Tales for another six weeks!

I'm going to go now and get me some "pastrami on rye" or some other such New York thing. Thanks for all your lovely comments and good luck messages. You've made a jetlagged girl very happy!

Caroline Sheen (Carrie) was born and raised in South Wales. She trained at the prestigious Guildford School of Acting and graduated with a first class honors degree. Her West End credits include Jennifer in The Witches of Eastwick, Florinda in Into the Woods, Eponine in Les Misérables, Sandy in Grease, and Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She has worked at the National Theatre twice in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Once in a Lifetime. She created the role of Gestetna in Toby Davies and Grant Olding's Spittin' Distance at the Stephen Joseph Theatre. She is delighted to be performing in the NYMF. Keep supporting new writing!