DON'T PANIC!!!!...Everything is going to be just fine. ( I shouldn't take it as a bad omen that I misspelled "fine" when I first wrote this, right?) I keep repeating these phrases like a mantra. I said it when only 1/2 of the microphones we have work. I said it again when our awesome orchestra leader came to me and said "I don't think we are all going to fit in the pit". Oh yeah and when our awesome orchestra played and when we couldn't hear the singing even with the working microphones...I may have said it again.
I definitely said it when I made a list of thing we don't have yet. The list of things we need is quite eclectic...a bed for Dorothy, anything resembling the Wiz's balloon for his grand exit, flying monkey outfits, Emerald City costumes and condoms (yes, condoms) oh yeah and that one scene doesn't really work ....we need to re choreograph it.... and this list keeps growing .
But you know, everything will be just fine. We have various wonderfully talented people working on the construction of beds and balloons. People are sewing, dying or ordering (what I would do) costumes. Condoms....it has something to do with the sound and the mics and apparently we need extra large ones..you go girl....I received an email earlier today that the condoms were purchased...buy one get one"half off " too!!! Now its been a while since I, myself, actually bought any ...but half-off condoms don't seem too reliable to me. But what do I know....
I have been busy dancing! I danced, pranced and posed all around my living room for a few hours last night playing all the parts of the Emerald City ensemble ( I really have to get curtains for my living room window ...) and now we have that dance to re-learn 11 days before opening night...11 DAYS!!!
Don't Panic...everything is g....I can't say it anymore...did I mention my hair is falling out...I am definitely stressing..this next week is EVERYTHING! My hope for next week is that all our costumes are done especially the Tin Man's pants...which right now look like they were made for the Tin Boy....tight you ask?...we may have to charge more than $8 a ticket and raise the audience age to 18 and older .
I also hope that our microphones vs the orchestra situation comes out win/win. Everyone has worked too hard to not hear every aspect of the score, instrumentally and vocally! I hope the audience in our little tiny auditorium won't have to have that "I couldn't hear the singers" look on their "God it's hot in here" faces.
I hope our lights...wait..lights? ...up until now our lights have been either on or off...I'm sure there will be more of a lighting design, right?....don't panic!!!
I do though, hope some of my panic is shared by the cast . As of our last rehearsal, our fabulous cast of 15 is really just that.. fabulous! They know their lines, they know their entrances and exits and all their cues. The problem is there are roughly 35 people in the cast. Those 15 to 20 people need to turn it up a few 100 notches. The funny part about this whole deal is I know they will. They will make me so proud and some will even surprise me. Plus, I know the costumes will be great, as will the lights and the sound... well...I'm never confident about the sound. The sound is so important and I am admittedly out of element with the sound equipment (see condoms). We have been in 3 different venues and had 3 different sound boards with 3 different groups of sound people -we still have the sound issues. One thing that is always the constant....this scenario...
Me: I couldn't hear them all at on this song
Sound Person: Oh, they must have forgot to turn their mic on.....
Seriously. Every. Year.
A few years back I was watching the Tony Awards ( a high holiday in my house) and their sound sucked ...(Mr. Broderick is your mic turned on?) . Well if the TONY's can't do it ....am I expecting too much?
See, I don't think so ...I really think everything is going to be alright. I think our little Toto is going to make it all the way across the stage with out urinating or worse. I think our Emerald City is going to be gorgeously green and clothed. I think we are going to have full houses every comfortably cool night....I think the theatre gods will be watching over us the next 2 weeks. I just hope my black curls will be intact right through to the last curtain call and maybe even the cast party...just saying
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Ohhhh....We're half way there
Oh Bon Jovi..."living on a prayer" never meant more to me. Okay so I haven't started the heavy duty praying yet, but every time the phone rings and I see it's from our tech/set director...I say a little prayer to the theatre saint...(I'm assuming Saint Liza?) But that's what happens when you are half way there. Also every summer about half way there, we get a heat wave....and this year it's a HEAT WAVE!!!! It's about 90 degrees out and 9000 degrees on stage...it's "hot as balls" under those lights. But here's what I love...those kids that are up there, sweating like crazy, giving it their all in that little HOT auditorium.
Now mind you, that is not all of them. In fact, there are some that I want to remind that they did actually audition for this show a month or so ago and supposedly want to be in the show....I don't thing anyone is up there against their will with the exception of Louie, my daughter's Pom who is playing the part of Toto. But even Louie will perform for a treat... who wouldn't! But the point is, we have a job to do, a job we all signed up for. I know it's hot and we are at the putting it together part and not everyone is in all the scenes all the time....but when you are up there- act...ACT!!!
I just keep thinking back to my days (I warned you before that I was going to talk about ...."when I was in shows.....") I just loved every minute of the process....we used to watch the scenes we weren't in....we knew the show by heart....I hated the days when they didn't need us...and when I wasn't there....the songs/choreography were running always through my head as I was serving cheeseburger combo platters at Sambo's (an unfortunate name for an unfortunate restaurant). I am happy to say that I think I see glimmers of those kinds of kids....those little surprises that you give a little part to ( flying monkey) and they take it to new heights ( no pun intended).
Here's another thing that happens when you're half way there....the sets and the costumes start to come together....we see what works and what doesn't. The lights and the sound problems are just 'blossoming" (more on that later) also blossoming are the little friendships and the ever popular summer crushes (another of my personal favorites). I love those little connections people make....romantic or otherwise. It was those fabulous summers that I met the people who are still in my life today. People who I have been through life changing events with and that's what happened half way there....but half way there also means that we are a week away from a week aways from the week of the show.....WHAT???
Next week and the week after the temperature may not be as high as it's been but it is certainly going to be hell. The week before the week before the show has been affectionately coined Bitch Week. People start to panic...people snap when asked a question....people are nasty and stressed ...and by people I mean me. I've warned everyone ...they are aware...that's all I am going to say about it right now....because it maybe this year will be different ....maybe it won't be so bad....maybe I'll be optimistic...maybe I'm half way there....just saying
Now mind you, that is not all of them. In fact, there are some that I want to remind that they did actually audition for this show a month or so ago and supposedly want to be in the show....I don't thing anyone is up there against their will with the exception of Louie, my daughter's Pom who is playing the part of Toto. But even Louie will perform for a treat... who wouldn't! But the point is, we have a job to do, a job we all signed up for. I know it's hot and we are at the putting it together part and not everyone is in all the scenes all the time....but when you are up there- act...ACT!!!
I just keep thinking back to my days (I warned you before that I was going to talk about ...."when I was in shows.....") I just loved every minute of the process....we used to watch the scenes we weren't in....we knew the show by heart....I hated the days when they didn't need us...and when I wasn't there....the songs/choreography were running always through my head as I was serving cheeseburger combo platters at Sambo's (an unfortunate name for an unfortunate restaurant). I am happy to say that I think I see glimmers of those kinds of kids....those little surprises that you give a little part to ( flying monkey) and they take it to new heights ( no pun intended).
Here's another thing that happens when you're half way there....the sets and the costumes start to come together....we see what works and what doesn't. The lights and the sound problems are just 'blossoming" (more on that later) also blossoming are the little friendships and the ever popular summer crushes (another of my personal favorites). I love those little connections people make....romantic or otherwise. It was those fabulous summers that I met the people who are still in my life today. People who I have been through life changing events with and that's what happened half way there....but half way there also means that we are a week away from a week aways from the week of the show.....WHAT???
Next week and the week after the temperature may not be as high as it's been but it is certainly going to be hell. The week before the week before the show has been affectionately coined Bitch Week. People start to panic...people snap when asked a question....people are nasty and stressed ...and by people I mean me. I've warned everyone ...they are aware...that's all I am going to say about it right now....because it maybe this year will be different ....maybe it won't be so bad....maybe I'll be optimistic...maybe I'm half way there....just saying
Saturday, July 9, 2011
I heart first week of rehearsal!
Okay, I'll have to remember to go back and read this blog in 3 or 4 weeks when I am pacing the floor at 3 AM wondering how are we going to pull this off....? But until then, I have to say how much I love, love, love rehearsal...week one! There is a buzz.....an excitement that is part enthusiasm part naivety....I love seeing the kids....some old faces and some new...all ready to go...and them seeing me not as a semi scary person in the back of the auditorium during auditions...but as their leader...their director, the one who is going to make sure the show will be awesome, the. best. show. ever ....oh, that must be the naive part....
But honestly, there is something so special about everyone meeting each other and learning their parts and who is who. I so enjoy handing out little solos and lines ( that was always my personal favorite when I was in these shows "Mr Detroit hasn't been in all night" ) For the second time in 4 shows I got to enjoy handing a major part over to the understudy!!! WHAT? The look of pride, excitement, fear and nausea on our new cowardly lion's face was priceless. I have to say the last two expressions (fear and nausea) were on my face also. This is a brand new member of our group He was good, right? ..I think he sang an Elton John song...who is he again?...but as week one went on....I already know he can do it!!!! See, there is something magical about week one!
This year, though, I am not being fooled by the magic of week one, I am trying to be realistic and learn from my mistakes ( or at least try to make different ones). I am learning that even though we have the WHOLE SUMMER AHEAD OF US (5 weeks Monday-Friday from 6 to 9 and some Saturdays) I am not going to "take on" or "okay " any major projects or outside the box ideas that are going to soak up all of our resources (financial, emotional, etc). We will call them Energy Suckers/
ENERGY SUCKER EXAMPLE 1: Two years ago, we did GREASE....I told all the kids NOT to watch the movie because its just an John Travolta;/Olivia Newton John gig...half the songs aren't even in it ...blah blah blah ...we can do better than that. But not listening to my own advice, I thought how cool to have a drive in on the stage "just like in the movie" Doh!
I spent hours ...days looking on you tube for the video clip of the little hot dog jumping through the hoop...and the dancing sodas....LOVE IT. I looked for some horror movie clips to put on there too. I had all my best people on it..I was obsessed... I drove my technical director absolutely crazy...
So we set up a computer, lowered a screen and while Danny Zuko sang "Stranded at the Drive-In" (not Sandy like in the movie, see) he would be singing in front of those adorable little hot dogs jumping through those cute little hoops....Right?
Okay, so it worked 2 out of the 3 shows. I think 2 people came up to me and said that drive in thing was cool (one of them was my dad)...for all that time and energy AND the night it didn't work ...still haunts me....I'm not pointing fingers, even though I know whose fault it actually was...I always take the blame!
So when someone comes up to me with an idea that I know will be an Energy Sucker....I say "great idea" ..."I love it" ( remember I was an actor too) but let's see if we need to spend $300 dollars (that we don't have) on a certain light or a motorized whatever and 300 hours of crew time on a 30 seconds part of the show that maybe my dad will think is cool.
BUT....
I still love the enthusiasm -I still love, love, love week one of rehearsal....I'm just trying to prevent the fires I will be putting out in 3 or 4 weeks when I am pacing the floor at 3 AM.......just saying
But honestly, there is something so special about everyone meeting each other and learning their parts and who is who. I so enjoy handing out little solos and lines ( that was always my personal favorite when I was in these shows "Mr Detroit hasn't been in all night" ) For the second time in 4 shows I got to enjoy handing a major part over to the understudy!!! WHAT? The look of pride, excitement, fear and nausea on our new cowardly lion's face was priceless. I have to say the last two expressions (fear and nausea) were on my face also. This is a brand new member of our group He was good, right? ..I think he sang an Elton John song...who is he again?...but as week one went on....I already know he can do it!!!! See, there is something magical about week one!
This year, though, I am not being fooled by the magic of week one, I am trying to be realistic and learn from my mistakes ( or at least try to make different ones). I am learning that even though we have the WHOLE SUMMER AHEAD OF US (5 weeks Monday-Friday from 6 to 9 and some Saturdays) I am not going to "take on" or "okay " any major projects or outside the box ideas that are going to soak up all of our resources (financial, emotional, etc). We will call them Energy Suckers/
ENERGY SUCKER EXAMPLE 1: Two years ago, we did GREASE....I told all the kids NOT to watch the movie because its just an John Travolta;/Olivia Newton John gig...half the songs aren't even in it ...blah blah blah ...we can do better than that. But not listening to my own advice, I thought how cool to have a drive in on the stage "just like in the movie" Doh!
I spent hours ...days looking on you tube for the video clip of the little hot dog jumping through the hoop...and the dancing sodas....LOVE IT. I looked for some horror movie clips to put on there too. I had all my best people on it..I was obsessed... I drove my technical director absolutely crazy...
So we set up a computer, lowered a screen and while Danny Zuko sang "Stranded at the Drive-In" (not Sandy like in the movie, see) he would be singing in front of those adorable little hot dogs jumping through those cute little hoops....Right?
Okay, so it worked 2 out of the 3 shows. I think 2 people came up to me and said that drive in thing was cool (one of them was my dad)...for all that time and energy AND the night it didn't work ...still haunts me....I'm not pointing fingers, even though I know whose fault it actually was...I always take the blame!
So when someone comes up to me with an idea that I know will be an Energy Sucker....I say "great idea" ..."I love it" ( remember I was an actor too) but let's see if we need to spend $300 dollars (that we don't have) on a certain light or a motorized whatever and 300 hours of crew time on a 30 seconds part of the show that maybe my dad will think is cool.
BUT....
I still love the enthusiasm -I still love, love, love week one of rehearsal....I'm just trying to prevent the fires I will be putting out in 3 or 4 weeks when I am pacing the floor at 3 AM.......just saying
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