Marita Taavitsainen stars in two summer theater plays this year.
Iskelmä singer Marita Taavitsainen, 53, has a busy summer ahead of her: in addition to singing gigs, her calendar has been filled with two summer theater roles. Taavitsainen has a role in the familiar from last summer Stray dogs– musical play as well as in the one about Reijo Taipalee The king of fairy tales in the play.
In the play in 2019, Taavitsainen plays the late Taipaleen Anita-wife. When the two women met recently, Taavitsainen realized that his own cheerful, cheerful nature did not fit the role in question.
– Anita is a very calm, even-tempered and downright aristocratic, hands-on type of person. I try to put ice in my hat and mentally calm down my character.
Of course, Taavitsainen also wants to keep the strings in his hands, at least sometimes. The meticulous side of the beloved singer comes out when responding to the staging of the production. Everything has to be just right and not almost.
– Even if the world falls apart, at least the carpet fringes are straight, the tango queen laughs.
Marita Taavitsainen plays Anita Råback-Taipaletta in the new play. Riitta Heiskanen
Constant tinkering and fiddling is also a way to control tension. The method has been known for years. When you are filing clothes and hair, make-up and running errands in the back room, you can step on stage relaxed. Otherwise, tension and panic would take over and nothing would come of it.
– If I sat with my hands crossed and opened my voice a little, I would start to get too tense and that’s not good for me. For me, the best way to focus is to keep moving and keep the machines running.
Gigs are stressful
On the other hand, there’s no need to worry or plan when you’re on stage. This has caused challenges now that Taavitsainen has been gigging with changing musicians during the summer: when there are few gigs, you can’t commit your own band. The ever-changing line-up is not the only thing that causes stress in the situation.
Now, for the first time in his almost 30-year career, Taavitsainen has had to learn to plan a song list for a gig in advance – and stick to the plan.
– However, I have a repertoire of 300 songs. I can’t say rehearse them all, maybe we’ll play one that hits the mood, he says.
The summer was originally supposed to be calm in terms of singing gigs. Insidiously, however, the calendar has started to fill up and new appearances are agreed upon even with a short notice.
– I thought I would do the summer theater performances and something else, if it came. Now something has come! Organizing these is quite a show.
However, Taavitsainen is happy that there is enough to do: the last two years have largely been spent twiddling their thumbs.
In the fall, Taavitsainen returns to bingo work. Riitta Heiskanen
Bingo
Outside of the summer season, Taavitsai is also busy hosting bingo on a cruise ship, and the same work will be returned to again in the fall. The singer says that she had a great time at work: the work feels familiar and safe, and the audience is largely the same as in stage dances.
– Black is wonderful when people are so happy. It’s like winning the lottery when they get a small bag (winning money). Or sometimes even bigger, Taavitsainen describes.
In bingo work, you can connect with people in a different way than on stage. At the concert you can only talk between songs, there is more time and space for talking on the ship.
– Although playing bingo is a serious place. It’s as quiet as a felt slipper factory when the numbers are listed.
Taavitsainen says that many regular customers participate in bingo. On every trip, the ex-tango queen is asked to sing, even though it’s not actually part of the job description.
– It doesn’t matter, it’s wonderful to be asked. Yes, I always sing a little then, he admits.
Working on the interior
In recent years, Taavitsainen also had time to try running his own hair salon. The store’s story ended before it could properly begin, when Corona struck and no employees could be found.
Taavitsainen does not rule out the possibility of trying his luck with a new hair salon in the future. However, the idea seems unlikely.
– You never know. Yes, this could still be for me here. It was my dream and now the dream has come true.
Taavitsainen spends a busy summer working. Pete Anikari
At the moment, Taavitsainen is channeling his creativity in addition to performing in interior design.
– I don’t know how I can spend all night thinking about curtains or wall hangings for the sets of Reijo Taipale’s childhood home. Still, it seems to interest me, he laughs.
– You can immediately see your own handprint on it. Singing is shouting into the wind, it only gets applause.
At home, the decor changes every week. The family members don’t give a second about this anymore.
Taavitsainen has two children from his former spouse Tomi Natrin with. Taking care of the children works, at least in principle, on a week-by-week basis. In practice, we go according to the situation.
Taavitsainen’s summer is going as usual with work. The children, on the other hand, spend quality time in the nursery, go on trips, swim and go to amusement parks.
– It was also best for me to see my grandmother and cousins. Summer vacation is the best time of life, Taavitsainen recalls his childhood.
– Summer is the golden time for gigging musicians. I am often asked if I am going on vacation. I answer that I really don’t! Yes, two years is enough vacation time.
The King of Fairy Tales premieres at the Esakallio summer theater on Sunday, July 3.