Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry because she of the Evil Eye will be here all too soon and we have an early stumble-through that I must be awake and alert for. So, let me just say that I got seven hours of sleep, then the helper’s husband arrived with a friend and they got the last of the book room book cases out of here and over to the new house, where they’re currently in the garage – we’ll put them in early next week, on Monday most likely, since the piano is being moved that day, too. So, that took the morning and then I had to mosey on over to LACC for our rehearsal.
Yesterday was what I call vacuuming the play day, where I start at the top and clean up the staging and begin to talk to the actors about performances. Since Kay was there and wanted to clean up three numbers, we didn’t move as quickly as I usually do and we only got a bit more than halfway through act one in our five hours. But the cleaning was good, and in doing it I fixed the really awkward scene that follows the long opening sequence. I focused it, got rid of some people, and blocked it anew and it’s much, much better now – quick, to the point, and we’re in and out of it in about ninety seconds. We made a few line deletions as we went, and I added a cute line in one scene that should get a laugh. Everyone was in a good mood and concentrating, so that was a good thing, too. We do have to fix some musical things that the cast just isn’t getting yet, but hopefully we’ll do that soon.
After rehearsal, our MD Richard Allen and I went to the House of Pies where we met up with our very own Rob Stevens, whose birthday it was, and we gave him a nice birthday dinner – he turned the age I will turn in just three short weeks from now. We all had fun and laughed and laughed and just when we thought we could laugh no more, we laughed again. I then had a message from someone who dropped something off at the house for me at five – telling me the front door was wide open when he got there. It seems the helper’s husband’s friend left it open when the helper’s husband let him in. I couldn’t believe it. It seems to me that closing a door is a pretty standard thing to do, but noooooo, it was left open. I had no way of knowing that and I never actually went in that direction before leaving via the back door, since the motor car was in the garage. So, I was horrified and extremely nervous, even though the door was closed at five, it had been wide open for five whole hours. I rushed home as quickly as I could – traffic was thankfully not too too terrible. I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked in the back door and saw the computer. I think anyone who may have passed by and seen the open door would probably have just assumed someone was home and doing something. But it could have been a disaster. Thank heavens it wasn’t.
Then I caught up on e-mails, read through and finessed the commentary, which I thought was okay – I thought it was going to be awful since I was so tired on the many nights over which it was written. I got the count for the show – it’s not terrible, but I really hope it goes up by ten or twenty – but even if we just have what we have it will be a nice-sized crowd. And I’ll do a push after the stumble-through this morning.
I listened to some music, including Regina, the newer recording conducted by John Mauceri – hadn’t heard it since I bought it. I do prefer, I think, the sound and performances on the original recording that I’ve spoken about recently, but this newer recording is complete whereas the original has several notable cuts.
Today, I’ll be up early, I’ll do a quick trip to the bank, and I’ll pack up some stuff and get the room ready for the stumble-through. There really won’t be much for she of the Evil Eye to do, but she’ll clean the bathrooms and the kitchen, vacuum, do the laundry and get everything clean that can be cleaned – I’ll give it another vacuuming when the furniture is out. Then the next time I see her will be at the new house. We do the stumble-through at eleven-thirty, then I’ll give notes and run whatever’s rough, and then I go right to LACC for our two o’clock rehearsal, which will last four to five hours. I hope to finish vacuuming the play in two hours and then we’ll do a run-through. After that I’ll eat, then I do nothing in the evening but relax and keep my trap shut.
Tomorrow, I’ll sleep in until eleven if I can, then I’ll relax and keep my trap shut until I mosey on over to The Federal for sound check, and then we do our show. I’m sure some of us will go out for a bite afterwards. Monday is the piano move and hopefully we’ll get the bookcases installed in the book room of the new house and maybe even bring over some of the boxed up books so we can put them on the shelves. Then we have our Levi run-through. The rest of the week is moving stuff to the new house and Levi run-throughs and cleanups.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do some banking, do a stumble-through, have a rehearsal, eat, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: Favorite fried foods – and what is the most exotic fried food you ever had – me, fried alligator. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, ready to stumble-through and continue vacuuming the play.