Well, dear readers, we have probed the sitz and are here to tell the tale. We’ll be telling the tale of the sitz because the tale must be told. In fact, I’ll just tell the damn tale right now. Yesterday we probed the sitz and it was a whole slab of fun from start to finish. We convened about thirty minutes after our run-through – the band was set up and ready to go. We skipped the short prelude and went right to the opening number – boy did it sound great with the cast singing it. It’s a really wonderful orchestration and you could just seen the cast light up hearing it. That continued with every number – they were really jazzed hearing all these wonderful Lanny Meyers charts. We only stopped a few times to make adjustments, especially for tempo and dynamics. The kids got up and danced along with the two big dance numbers and that was also grand fun. The whole thing took a crisp two hours, which included a ten-minute break. The show itself has about seventy-five minutes of music. I’m really glad we had the band rehearse on their own, because they were all much tighter at the sitzprobe. It was a very pleasurable way to spend the evening.
After that, Grant Geissman and I were joined by Doug Haverty for a bite to eat. I’d only had a really small turkey sandwich for lunch so I was famished. I had a cup of chicken soup, chicken tenders, and a few fries. Prior to all that, I’d gotten a wonderful ten hours of sleep, which I really needed – in fact, I need a couple more days of it. Once up, I answered e-mails and did stuff that needed doing, and then I got ready. I stopped at the mail place and picked up some mail, then moseyed on over to LACC. Once there, I had my little sandwich, which I got from the food truck there, then I visited with the lighting designer briefly, then it was time to do our run-through.
Act one went very well – fifty-four minutes, like clockwork, and several things in the act were the best they’ve been. Then came act two. It’s still too rough for my taste and still two to four minutes too long. And we have yet to really have a good run at the long monologue in that act, which I told the actor has to happen today. We skipped it yesterday, in fact. But what’s working in act two is working very well. And interestingly, what’s not working the way they need to are two of the non-musical sequences – the monologue and the Vilanch sketch, which I’ll work on today before we run it. If we add the time the monologue normally takes, the act would have run fifty-eight minutes. Got to get that down to fifty-four or so and I have every confidence we can and will. We still have a couple of under the weather actors, but they’re getting better.
Today, I have cancelled the one o’clock meeting – just don’t have the time to do it, so I’ve asked for it to be rescheduled for early next week, when I will have more time. So, hopefully I’ll arise after a good night’s beauty sleep. Then I have a two-hour paper tech, and then the cast arrives at five. We’ll work through some stuff, then at six we begin a run-through with no stops, doing what they call a light-over. After that’s done, we’re all going over to Genghis Cohen for a cast dinner.
Tomorrow we arrive at nine or ten (not sure which) and begin a cue to cue – that should probably take four to five hours – if we finish within that time, then we’ll definitely do a run-through. Saturday is whatever needs be done for tech, and we’ll then do either a full-out run-through without costumes or with. After that, I’m sure I’ll be working through stuff. Sunday is our day of rest. And then we’re back on Monday for a dress rehearsal. Tuesday the band is back and we do another dress rehearsal. Wednesday is final dress and I’ll be inviting a few people in to see it. Thursday is our preview and then we open on Friday.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the Frug, for today is the birthday of our very own dear reader George. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own dear reader George. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN DEAR READER GEORGE!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a paper tech, do a run-through, and then sup at Genghis Cohen. Today’s topic of discussion: If you could attend the first orchestra/cast rehearsal of any musical, which would it be and why? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that probing the sitz was so much fun.