Well, dear readers, it is late and I must write these here notes in a flurry of a hurry but never worry, I shall write like the wind. But first may I call your attention to a rather astonishing bit of tid? This is the final day of October. How can that be? I must say, October has been a very challenging month in certain ways, and in other ways it’s occasionally been fine and fun. And that means tomorrow is November, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that November will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful. Oh, and given that it’s the final day of October that must mean it is Halloween, so I shall try to make these notes scary and ghoulish as well as contrary and foolish. As I write these here notes, I am wearing my official Halloween costume of the old Jew.
Yesterday, I got seven hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, had a telephonic conversation, and then we had an almost three-hour music rehearsal for the little musical revue I’m directing. I will say that it is such a pleasure to work with solid pros who commit to a project, know their stuff, come to work, have fun, don’t suddenly have conflicts, and just do their job. It’s a wonderful group – Brittney Bertier, Mary Gordon Murray, Eric Thomas Petersen, Nick Sacks, and Robert Yacko, with musical director John Boswell.
After that, I went and picked up packages, stopped at the bank briefly, had a turkey sandwich, then came home. I did some work on the computer, got the good news that we found a replacement for Kritzerland, and then it was time to mosey on over to the theater.
We couldn’t do a proper run-through, so I’d already let the kids off – not Peyton Kirkner but the other five kids. We were missing too many people plus our one performer who is still resting her voice. In fact, I let her go home to rest because neither the person she plays her two scenes with or anyone else can hear anything she’s saying. I began with Petyon’s scenes, just getting them back where they were before the crazy rehearsal of Monday night, then I let her go. Then I worked quite a few other scenes and songs with those who were there, then let others go, then kept whittling down until we’d worked it all, plus I worked with Alexa to get her up to speed on the person she has to cover on Thursday. As of Friday, we should, in theory, have our full company. And then there’s no more fooling around as we’re then only one week away from tech.
We were done in two hours, but as has been the case, I stayed twenty more minutes just to discuss the state of things with Doug. This has not been an easy one, that I can tell you. With Dial ‘M’ for Murder we had not ONE actor conflict for the entirety of the rehearsal period – not ONE. Nor did we have any illnesses. But that was six people and this is twenty-one.
I stopped at Gelson’s and got one small chicken tender, a tiny bit of potato salad, and a tiny sliver of cake for a sweet, came home, ate all that up whilst listening to beautiful music, which has been a life saver this past week – it’s amazing how beautiful music calms the nerves.
Today I have the day and evening off – in other words, a ME day. I’ll sleep in, then eat, hopefully pick up packages, buy a few bags of candy for whoever comes trick or treating, I have a movie to watch and I’ll listen to lots of music. I’ll go through the Kritzerland show order and make sure it works with the cuts we’ve made – I do know I have to move a few things around from the original show order.
Tomorrow we have our second Kritzerland rehearsal and then it’s right to the theater for a run-through, with one person being covered. Friday we should have our full company for a run-through at six, Saturday we should be able to do at least one full run, and I may try for two to catch up a bit. Then we have our stumble-through at four. Sunday we’ll have a run-through, I’ll come home around two and get ready for Kritzerland, and then we have our sound check and show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a ME day, eat, hopefully pick up packages, buy candy, work on the show order, and then wait for trick or treaters and watch a movie and listen to more music. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as I prepare to scare the living daylights out of trick or treaters in my scary costume of the old Jew. Happy Halloween!