Well, dear readers, it was another intense day but this one was heading in the right direction, Nudie-wise, so I think everyone felt a little better. Still, we are racing against the clock and we must win that race and leave the clock in the dust. The day began with a one-two punch, but one I readily embraced. Two of our ensemble members opted out of the show – one for work reasons, and the other for I’m sure what he perceives as personal reasons. I mourned neither, and we now have the exact cast size we’d have if we were actually doing a production of the show, so it’s really more beneficial to see how it works this way. The remaining cast members showed up in good spirits with positive energy. Unfortunately, the fellow who was supposed to open the rehearsal studio in Hollywood was twenty minutes late, which got us behind immediately. We did all the group numbers musically and then I took everyone in another room while solos were done, and Adam and I talked everyone through both acts, giving them their exact positions for every scene and song, which they duly noted. That took a while but it was time perfectly spent. Then we had a thirty-minute break, and then, unfortunately, our leading man had to leave (I’ve known about this since the get-go), so he’s going to have to catch up today. Thankfully, he now only stands in three places for the entire show, so that should make things easier, and I’ve asked our Rosie to just keep her eye on him and make sure he’s thinking forward rather than thinking behind. Cason stood in for him and we began a speed-through of act one, just going from position to position and everyone seemed very on top of everything – so if there’s good concentration we should be okay. We got through all of act one and then it was time to go. All in all, it was a productive and good day, and I just wish we’d taken this path last Wednesday, because had we we’d be in really good shape now. I continue to be impressed with Niki Scalera, who is just such a good egg and so talented and such a pleasure to work with and be around. Good natured, funny, and warm – my kind of person. After that, I came home and sat on my couch like so much fish and finished a motion picture I’d begun the night before entitled The International. It’s directed by Tom Tykwer, whose film Run, Lola, Run I’m really fond of. The International has a pretty good first half, which is really well directed. And then, slowly but surely, it all goes to hell, with terrible plotting, bad dialogue, stupidly thought out action scenes and an unsatisfying perfunctory ending. Mr. Tykwer’s work is fine because he’s doing what he can with an impossible script. The film looks great, especially on Blu-Ray and the cast is fine – Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. But you know a script is bad when its leading lady literally disappears from the film twenty minutes before it ends, never to return. And since you never know a damn thing about any of the characters, there’s no rooting interest and you don’t give a flying Wallenda about any of them.
I then toddled off to the Gardenia to see Jan Abrams’ show. I supped beforehand and I must say had really annoying people next to me – two elderly couples (the man proudly proclaimed he was seventy-one – unfortunately for him, he looked eighty-one) who never shut up for two hours. To hear these people talk about computers and cell phones was both amusing and headache inducing. Jan was in very good voice, and aside from blowing some lyrics and musical timing in her second number, did a very good job – she did blow her biggest laugh because she did exactly what I told her never to do – she looked at her pianist on the lyric line that is the laugh – therefore, there was no laugh, where there is always a huge sure-fire laugh when she plays it straight out. Why this is such a hard concept to understand I have no idea, but I can’t teach her anymore – she’s either going to learn or keep screwing it up. If she wants the laugh all she has to do is play the lyric out – if she wants no laugh all she has to do is play it to her pianist. It’s that simple. After the show, I came home and answered e-mails, ate a grape popsicle, and even listened to a CD.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get my beauty sleep and be alive and alert for what will be our only day of a run-through (save for tomorrow’s speed through on the stage).
Today, since rehearsal doesn’t start till noon, I really do hope to get in the long jog. The we have our five-hour rehearsal and I hope to get one full run-through in, plus some cleanup time. After that, I’m sure I’ll be supping with Adam, if he has no plans. And then the evening is mine all mine and I NEED it.
Tomorrow, we have a two-hour run in the theater at noon and I really do hope to run the show straight through, even if everyone is just walking it. Then we’re back at six and the show is at seven-thirty. We’re now sold out for both shows, so at least we’ve got full houses. I’m nervous about it, but I’m a realist and it will be what it will be. The cast is strong and the show is the show and it IS a staged reading with only a few days of rehearsal and hopefully everyone will understand that – and certainly I’ll be making the audience aware of it in my pre-show speech.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog, have a rehearsal, sup, and get as much relaxation time in as possible. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we hope for the best in this first public reading of Nudie Musical – all excellent vibes and xylophones appreciated as we continue racing against the clock.