Well, dear readers, we managed another run-through yesterday – smoother than the night before, but we’re still in the getting the lines solidified. Until they are, I can’t really do the character work I’m ready to do, but hopefully by Tuesday we can start. The set was being built whilst we were rehearsing upstairs. I’m sure that will take some getting used to, as well. I gave a few notes from the night before, and then after we finished the run-through, I let the cast do a line-through of act one, and I think that was helpful. Biggest laugh of the day belonged to Kay Cole in her final scene as Miss Preen, where she quits – she has a line about Florence Nightingale – and out came Florence Henderson – the room erupted in laughter, Jim Beaver and Kay did as well. I have what I think is a good plan for next week’s rehearsals, but whether I do it or not depends on what happens at today’s rehearsal.
Prior to rehearsal, well, nothing, because I was up at eight and out the door at nine, after only about five hours of sleep. After rehearsal, the Barry Pearl fellow, his ever-lovin’ Cindy, and I went to the Smoke House for a proper and lovely meal. Barry had recently rediscovered the Smoke House after decades of not going there. We, of course, had the garlic cheese bread, and I had the small filet mignon with Bearnaise and creamed spinach as my side dish, along with a small Caesar to start. And yes, I ate about four or five pieces of the garlic cheese bread – they’re very small, actually, but oh dear were they great. We had fun conversation, too.
After that, I came home, answered e-mails, had telephonic conversations, listened to some music, and finally sat on my couch like so much fish, where I dozed off before I could even press the “play” button for the Blu-ray player. I was out for about twenty minutes, I guess. I then watched a DGA screener.
Last night, I watched a DGA screener of a motion picture entitles Rocketman, a bio-pic of sorts about Elton John, these kinds of films being all the rage now (last year it was Bohemian Rhapsody). Even though it’s pretty paint-by-numbers, the music is great, and it was certainly entertaining and enjoyable. The fellow playing Elton John did a great job and sang the songs, too. I thought the casting of Bryce Dallas Howard as his mum was a bit weird, but she was fine – just too young-looking. It didn’t overstay its welcome and I was happy to have seen it. The Elton John actor should be up for an Oscar.
After that, I ate some shelled peanuts unshelled, listened to more music, including the marvelous war trilogy of symphonies by Weinberg. Not in love with the sound or performances on Naxos, so I have other recordings of the three – in fact, their premiere performance recordings – and having heard one of those on YouTube, I know they’ll be better. But the music is just great. I also listened to the Hollywood String Quartet play the late Beethoven string quartets – they’re so damn good it almost made me like the damn music – as you know, Beethoven, who I certainly can admire from very afar, is not really my cuppa – but that’s how brilliant these players are.
Today, I will once again be up by eight and on my way to the theater around nine-ish. I’m thinking I’ll give a few notes and then we’ll do a run-through. Since there’ll be time at the end, I’ll probably run problem sequences, especially where the lines are really rough. Then I’ll get something to eat, come home, eat whatever the something is, and then I’m relaxing, baby. I’ll watch at least one DGA screener and I don’t care who knows it. Then I’ll relax.
Tomorrow, I am sleeping in and I don’t care who knows it. Then I’ll have a proper ME day because I need a proper ME day. Then on Tuesday I have a working lunch, then we resume rehearsals and we’ll be in our theater on our set, which will be great and terrifying at the same time. But, as I said, I think I have a good plan for how to do this week. The rest of the week is more of the same – meetings and meals and rehearsals straight through to next Sunday. By the weekend I’m expecting everyone to be completely solid on their lines and blocking, so we can really find our show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up early, have a run-through, run problem sequences, eat, and relax and watch at least one motion picture. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, as I hit the road to dreamland, happy we’re mushing along and happy to have had a really good and proper meal, and I don’t care who knows it.