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November 2, 2017:

FINDING THE HEARTBEAT AND THE PACE

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, we finished assembling the show last night – it was a bit of an ordeal in terms of the set moves (literally almost no one remembers who’s doing what or how or where), so we kept having to stop and I just got completely flummoxed and frustrated by it. So tomorrow the cast is meeting with our ASM and set designer and going over every single set move so that this never happens again. Kay Cole finished her big sequence, which will be very dynamic and different from anything else in the show, Lanny was there taking notes and will now create the music for the sequence, and we also smoothed out some dance movement I’d done in Kay’s absence. I need to get to work on the acting stuff and that will begin happening on Friday. But there’s a real show lurking somewhere and we just have to find its heartbeat and pace and get the whole thing running seamlessly and smoothly.

Prior to that, I got seven hours of sleep, got up, and the helper’s husband came by and we removed four of the seven bookcases in the book room. Getting them out the back door was another story altogether. We had to remove a door and really squeeze them out – we know they’d fit somehow because we got them in, but it was really nutty. Then we took them to the new house and placed them – they’ll now be braced to the wall, probably on Friday when we move the others. Then we can unpack those boxes and put the books on the shelves.

Then I came home briefly, did some banking, and then moseyed on over to the House of Pies for some eggs benedict and a small salad. Then I went to a costume meeting, saw sketches and stuff, and then it was time for rehearsal.

After rehearsal I stopped at Gelson’s and got a small snack and then came home, ate it, whilst catching up on e-mails and other items. Then I dealt with something about an upcoming classical project and made my suggestion about how to proceed, and also found two other classical projects to do, too.

Today, we have an eleven-thirty rehearsal for Kritzerland, then as soon as it’s over I’ll be on my way to LACC to meet a friend who’ll be handling the box-office for Levi. We’ll lunch, and then we have our rehearsal at five – a designer run-through – which is absolutely nutty after nine days of four-hour rehearsals, but it is what it is and I know everyone will do our best to get through everything. We have a scene after the opening number that just isn’t playing at all, mostly because I don’t have enough people to make it play, so I’m going to cut it down and isolate how we’re doing it so that it’s only taking half the stage – that will help a lot. I’ll rewrite a bit and then we’ll be fine I think – the scene is basically there for one important plot point – the rest of it is okay but not essential. After the run, if there’s time left Kay and I will clean up musical stuff.

Tomorrow I think we’ll try to move the rest of the bookcases over, then it’s the Levi rehearsal, where we’ll do detail work for the first two hours, and then we’ll do a complete run-through without stops for two hours, then give notes. Saturday we have our stumble-through and then a Levi rehearsal – same deal – detail work and then a run-through. Saturday night I’m doing nothing, resting my voice, and relaxing. Sunday I’m doing nothing until it’s time for sound check and then it’s our show. Next week is all run-throughs all the time, as well as moving more stuff over, including the piano on Monday morning.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a Kritzerland rehearsal, I must meet and eat, I must do a designer run and I must relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite sandwiches to make at home and your favorites to eat out, and what is the oddest sandwich you’ve ever had? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as we begin to find the heartbeat and the pace of Levi.

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