Haines Logo Text
Column Archive
April 21, 2016:

ONE FELL SWOOP

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, yesterday’s rehearsal was reviewing the previous day’s rehearsal – as always, beginning with the opening number. Once we lost our shared cast members then I began blocking all the sequences that remained unblocked and got everything done but two. I’m hoping they can begin to get their books out of their hands because one can’t even begin to think about working on performances and timing until that happens. So, everyone’s got a lot of work to do in that regard. Robert Yacko is almost completely off book now, which enables us to get detail work done. We worked on his big monologue and the song that weaves in and out of it, which involves the entire company. It’s a wonderful sequence and very moving. Of course, our missing actors are going to be playing catch up, but as long as they check in with our stage manager and get their positions and blocking, that part will hopefully not be too painless.

The helper arrived two hours in and began drilling them in the 60s number, cleaning up as she did so. After that, we did the same for the quartet and its reprise. They’re all coming along fine. I do think that on Friday and part of Saturday, in addition to assembling the show, we’re going to have to devote an hour each day to just music and solos and next week I’m thinking of starting an hour early each day for soloists to work with the MD. We shall see. I just cannot wait until I have the full cast full time, but alas that isn’t until May 2. I do have them most of next week, though – only Thursday is a problem, and then Saturday, too, but I’m not sure we’re even rehearsing that Saturday, although that would be a good time to just drill music.

Prior to that I’d gotten about eight-and-a-half hours of sleep. Just before going to bed the Internet went out. When I got up all the lights on all the modems and router were fine and where they should be and yet I could not access the Internet on the desktop – I could on the phone and iPad. I unplugged the router and plugged it back in to no avail so I called Time Warner and it was the usual nonsense of restarting the computer, which didn’t help. I was then switched to an Internet person and she asked me to change the port that the Ethernet was in on the back of the modem – there are three you can plug into back there – I did and that fixed the problem, but why you’d have to do that is anyone’s guess. I then printed out orders, answered a plethora of e-mails, and then it was time to grab a bite to eat before rehearsal. So, I went to Café 101, right off the 101 Freeway just past Vine on Franklin. I had a catfish po’ boy and a little bitty side salad, both very good. Then I headed over to rehearsal.

After rehearsal I stopped at Gelson’s and got some salad from the salad bar, and came home. For dressing I used the calorie friendly Catalina dressing, which was very good. I printed out more orders, answered more e-mails and we added a guest star to the Kritzerland show, Maude Maggart, who we’ve had once before and who was a real audience favorite. All songs but one are now chosen. Guy Haines was going to do two, but when Maude came on board I cut one, and I think I’m actually going to have him do the LA show’s opening number instead of the one I was originally going to have him do. The thought did cross my mind to bring in the entire company of LA now and then to sing the opening number, but that might be unwieldy – couldn’t do the staging of course.

Today, I’m having lunch with Lanny again – he’s playing today’s rehearsal as our MD couldn’t be there. He’s now completed all the orchestrations, other than any little fixes we may implement between now and the sitzprobe. He has to write the dance music for the 60s number, though. The music is all going to the copyist now and the helper will be helping with the taping the charts. We have our full cast for one hour so I’ll run all the full cast numbers and anything else they appear in until they have to leave. Once they’re gone, our choreographer will be back with us to drill and clean, and we’ll work and drill music as much as we can.

Tomorrow we have the first of two long days – ten to four. We’ll have our full cast from about ten to two then I’ll let them go so they can relax prior to their opening night, which I may or may not attend. Saturday we’ll have the full cast for two hours in the morning, then they’ve got a two-show day – I won’t overwork them, but those two days will be great for catch up and making sure everyone knows all the blocking. When they’re gone, then I assemble the show into what will hopefully be a cohesive whole. Sunday I will really try to have a ME day, but I have to do a show order and write the commentary at some point – maybe over the next three days so I don’t have to do it in one fell swoop. I have to say, “one fell swoop” is one of the most stupid-looking sayings ever. Look how it just sits there on the page like so much fish – one fell swoop. It would be better if it was one swell foop, foop, of course, being poof spelled backwards. Next week is insanity from start to finish but hopefully the insanity will at least be fun. Not only are we rehearsing the LA show every day, we’re also rehearsing the Kritzerland show – we had to make those rehearsals early so they end at two-thirty so I can go directly to rehearsals at LACC. Crazy, no?

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, lunch with Lanny, have a rehearsal, and then come home and make a show order and start writing a commentary. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite sayings, and which do you think are the absolute stupidest? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall awake in one fell swoop.

Search BK's Notes Archive:
 
© 2001 - 2024 by Bruce Kimmel. All Rights Reserved