Well, dear readers, rehearsal got off to a very rough start yesterday, but in the end it was a very good and productive rehearsal. I arrived around 9:35 to find the theater building locked. Our stage manager was there and then our cast started arriving, but at 10:00 it was still locked. The shop person who was supposed to open it was in traffic, and finally one of the faculty called the on-campus sheriff’s office and they opened the theater. However, we still had to wait for the shop person so we could get the piano out and hooked up. That lost me about thirty minutes all told. Add to that several very late arrivals and I was, how shall we say, in a mood. When everyone (well, not everyone) was finally there I gave a BK talk – nice, but firm, and told them absolutely no more lateness for ANY reason unless it was cleared up front with our stage manager. A couple of the people who were late had never been late before, so we weren’t too hard on them. Frankly, I just don’t have that forty-five minutes to lose and I told our shared actors they’d be staying a bit later than planned.
Then we began at the beginning of the show, and started assembling its parts. The opening number is in great shape – looks and sounds wonderful. That leads directly to the second song – two people in that trio were still missing at that point, but the two gals who filled in for them when it was being taught filled in, but it’s kind of a shambles right now and must be fixed with the gals who are doing it. IF that doesn’t happen today before we lose our shared actors (the two in question are part of that group), I’ll simply let two other people do the number. One way or another, it gets cleaned up and in shape today. We continued all the way through act one, and it was fun to see stuff in order, rough as some of it was. The sketches are fun, and the songs are all working well, even though, again, one of our gals wasn’t there for her solo – in fact, she’s never been there for her solo and that’s got to change starting today. The end of act one is really so much fun, and I made adjustments to it after we finished. I also added a couple of musical playoffs, and start cues for songs that are preceded by a speech. Then we had a thirty-minute lunch break, then began act two.
There are still three numbers the choreographer has to stage so for those we just sang, just for timing. I have a few notes as we went along, but act two seems to be playing well now. Because I had to flip-flop two numbers, it played havoc with a two-part sketch because all the guys were being used save for one. So I had to make the other character a woman – it’s not quite as good that way, but it will work, I think. Otherwise I’ll see if there’s any way to adjust where the sketch happens so I can have it with two guys. The 60s dance number is great, but our shared actors are very behind and have to catch up today. Unfortunately, we only have them for an hour, although I’m going to stretch that by at least fifteen minutes. We didn’t quite finish the act, but will today, and that includes blocking the finale, which is short. I also have a really fun idea for the bows.
After rehearsal, I stopped at Gelson’s and got a lot of little stuff to eat – a half a cheese enchilada, a scoop of mac-and-cheese, a big salad, two small chicken tenders, a potato pancake, and some chopped liver, just to be Jewish on Passover. I came home and ate the enchilada, the bit of mac-and-cheese, and the two small chicken tenders, followed by the salad. That was very filling and so I never did eat the chopped liver and potato pancake but probably will later this evening if I need a snack. I sat on my couch like so much fish and watched some documentary on folks who’ve come out (celebrities) – just talking heads, but some interesting stuff. Then I did a first pass at a show order, which will definitely need some finessing.
Today, I’ll be up early again, I’ll pick up Lanny, and then we have another long rehearsal day with one thirty-minute break for food. Cheryl will be there to do two numbers with the full cast, and then she’ll do the third number (the actor in that is one of our full timers). She’ll drill the 60s number and hopefully work on the trio before we lose the two gals – but again, if I’m feeling they’re not going to get it on time, I’ll give it to two others and be done with it. I’ll then finish assembling act two (just three things to go, including the Vilanch sketch, which we haven’t even run one time). Then the rest of the rehearsal will be drilling the solo songs until people really have them down. After, I’m hoping some folks may want to go have some Genghis Cohen, and then I may have a work session when I get home – if not, that work session will happen tomorrow night.
Tomorrow I’ll be writing the commentary and finalizing the show order, but I really need to relax, too. Monday we have our first Kritzerland rehearsal and then I have to get right on the freeway and go to the LACC rehearsal, so a very crazy day. Tuesday and Wednesday are run-throughs, Thursday is our second Kritzerland rehearsal day, followed by our other rehearsal, Friday is our designer run-through, Saturday IF we rehearse it will only be ten to about two, then we have our stumble-through at five. Sunday is sound check and show. Because we were so damn late getting the event page up, we have almost no reservations at the moment, so hopefully that will change soon.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a rehearsal, eat, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite gay-themed books, movies, and plays? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have almost finished assembling the show.