Well, dear readers, I’ll keep these here notes short and sweet rather than long and sour. Today is, of course, show day and a long one it is so I need to get these here notes written, posted right at midnight, and then to bed as I must be up at eight to get ready and clearheaded. So, yesterday was fine. It was fine. Fine it was. I got eight hours of sleep, decided there was too much to do to leave the house and eat or anything like it, even though rehearsals weren’t going to start until three-thirty. I know I had many telephonic calls, found out we gained back three feet of dancer space, so that was good, talked about other aspects of the show, made some mic adjustments about who was where and other stuff I simply cannot remember. I mean, I know I was busy right up until rehearsal began at three-thirty. I did set my opening remarks – they’re written out and I’ll have that paper with me, but I think I know the first half by heart and since the second half is just reading some names, it should be fine.
First to arrive was Linda Hart and we ran her number several times – Richard did a great job on the arrangement, which was based on an idea she had and worked on with her personal MD. It will work great.
She was followed by Brent Barrett. I hadn’t seen him in quite some time so we had so much fun catching up and laughing. First he ran his solo, I Wanna Be Like You, which is great – he’s done it before at Kritzerland – and then Darcie Roberts, his co-star from Busker Alley, arrived and we ran their duet from that show and it’s really beautiful. Brent left and Darcie ran her solo, a beautiful ballad.
Then Jenna and Sami arrived. Jenna ran her solo, they ran the opening number, and then Sami did her solo. They all went off to Chin Chin for dinner and asked me to join them, which I said I would. Then Roz Kind came and ran her number a couple of times and that was the end of the rehearsals.
Then I drove over to Chin Chin and we all supped – they have some kind of trio thing where you choose half portion sizes of three items – I had the small Chinese chicken salad, some sliced pork and a pork bao – all okay and more filling than I would have thought, but then again I hadn’t eaten anything all day. Then I came right home, played music and had to do all the entrance and exit plots for each person, which I’d forgotten to do. Our producer also e-mailed me and told me the Wallis had sent out a bunch of e-mails to people who’d reserved tickets a month ago and had confirmations telling them the event was sold out – well that’s outrageous and I’m sorry but I know where my mind goes in terms of why this could happen and of course it all has to do with the fellow who doesn’t play nice with others. We’ll see if I’m right – if I am, I think our producer has to take the hard line and issue the ultimate threat if they don’t fix it and put it back the way it was. What a situation. We’re trying to do a wonderful, positive thing, and this is anything but that. We’ll see how it all shakes out.
Today, I’ll be up at eight, shave, shower, and then be on my way to the Wallis. First up, I work with the lighting and sound folks while our band runs their show music. I also have to keep my ear on them, too. They break at twelve-thirty and I attend to things with our PAs and stage manager. At one our cast begins arriving, and then at one-thirty sharp we begin our sound check. Everyone has time to run their number once and address any issues, but it’s the stage manager’s job to keep that moving so we never get behind. We have to be totally through by four to start the thirty minutes for the dance number and if there’s any way to give them a bit more time we need to try and do that. Then the orchestra has their hour, and then there’s an hour break, then we do any additional sound stuff for fifteen minutes, I get the cast onstage to brief them about how the finale and what follows it works, and then thirty minutes later, it’s show time and hopefully the wacko ticket situation won’t be too horrendous.
Tomorrow I sleep and relax and that is all. Next week is already crazy busy – everything is behind with shipping stuff so that gets rectified on Monday, and I have meetings and meals, a Kay Cole rehearsal, the Kritzerland show to lock down, meetings and meals, stuff to see.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a very long day at the theater, do a sound check, and then do our show. Today’s topic of discussion – you’re on your own today. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland hoping that show day goes smoothly and well and that our show does, too.