Well, dear readers, we were pretty sure this was going to happen and happen it did yesterday afternoon: One of our student actors has missed many rehearsals and has been under the weather and we had to let him go. So, we’re madly scrambling to find a replacement right now. It’s nutty. I offered it to two people I enjoy working with – one can’t do it, one hasn’t responded and is a little slow in doing so for my taste. So, we hunt and hopefully can have someone who can begin this very day.
We did another run-through and shaved three minutes off act one just in pacing – it’s running a very tight fifty-four minutes now, which is just right. I’ve made no cuts in act two yet, but we managed to shave two minutes off in pacing and the pacing of act two was still way too slow for my taste, so I’m thinking that we can lose another two minutes from pacing alone. I’m going to really work on the sketches and the monologue that’s way too slow – that actor just doesn’t know it well and so it alone is probably two minutes too long – I’ve told him I can’t even begin to work on pacing and performance until he’s not struggling with every other line. I’ve also told the entire company they must be off book by Friday. But overall, the show is in pretty good shape even now. The stuff that’s tight is so much fun to watch, and the trio number was 1000% better. So, we continue to hone and get tighter and stronger. We have a little over two weeks now to get this where it needs to be and I think we can. I’d be thrilled if we could get there in a week – that would make me feel really secure, but as long as we ultimately get there, I’ll be fine.
Cheryl was with us and she used the first ninety minutes working on her stuff, which is really terrific. And I worked on the song that might get cut – we took out the bridge, which shortened it by forty seconds, so that was good and the song is better for it. I also made about eight to ten note adjustments (the composer gave us leave to do that) so that the singer can have an easier time of it – those changes were all to the good. It was a productive rehearsal, and I’m here to tell you that there are several show stopping moments in this show.
Prior to that, I got nine hours of sleep. I answered e-mails, had telephonic calls, then went and had lunch at the House of Pies – fish and chips – really quite good – and a little dinner salad. I bought thirty-five of their freshly made cookies for our company and boy did they devour them. I then had a couple of little meetings at the school and then we began our rehearsal.
After, I stopped at Gelson’s for some tiny evening snacks, came home, ate them all up, and then finished writing the commentary.
Today, I have to do some banking, then hopefully will pick up some packages, eat a little something, then have our rehearsal – and hopefully with a new cast member.
Tomorrow I’ll be up very early so I can get a haircut at nine, then we have our second Kritzerland rehearsal, then we have our LA show rehearsal. Friday is our long day, from ten to four and I have our full cast – heavenly. Saturday we have a two-hour music rehearsal in the morning, then we’ll have our stumble-through. Sunday is sound check and then our show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do some banking, hopefully pick up packages, eat, and rehearse. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping we can find our replacement quickly and effortlessly.