Well, dear readers, we had us our final preview last night and I must say it was just about perfect. All my recent performance notes were addressed perfectly, and the cast was, in fact, perfect. I could not have been happier or prouder of a cast – this group is just extraordinary. Kait Haire and Peyton Kirkner, who play the same character at different ages, are simply magical and both were wonderful last night. So many people commented on how assured Peyton’s performance was and – it was. Bobby Slaski as the love interest of Kate is that really rare breed – a charming, handsome, funny leading man. Maria Kress as Kait/Peyton’s mom is fierce in the role. It was scary at times because some of it is very reminiscent of my mother and I going at it. Lloyd Pederson does a great job as an old codger, and Clara Rodriguez is warm and just right as the principal of a school – in fact, her performance puts me in mind of Mrs. Wallett – my fourth grade teacher and my favorite teacher ever. And the technical stuff got itself pulled together and there were only two or three really minor things that need adjusting. The show looks beautiful, the sound design works really well, and everyone has given me lovely compliments on my incidental score. When I got to the theater, the first thing I did was to rework the end of act one. I knew the staging of it worked and I also knew once the actors addressed my latest notes, that the scene would build properly, but I’d tried to use the short version of a music cue and a very long fadeout so it would time out together. But it was too long and didn’t work, so I cut the cue down to its final note, a held octave single note. I shortened the fade to less than half its length, then put the actors in and tested it and it really worked beautifully and in it went. And even though I’d asked repeatedly that a missing cue be put in it hadn’t been and I wanted it, so I sat with the sound guy, he found the cue, I told him exactly where to use it and in a bit of grand luck, it fit with the narration perfectly and ended exactly on time. We had a really nice crowd and they were a wonderful audience. We had laughs and tears, the show pace was just right (the total run time without intermission is coming in about 100 minutes). The comments I got were all positive, with lots of kudos for the lighting and set design. I had to fight for more lights, but they are worth every penny, and I don’t think anyone really trusted me on the set, but it, too, looks great and just works in its minimalist way. And now, on to opening night.
Prior to that, I got about ten-and-a-half hours of sleep, so that was good. The Ny-Quil worked fine and I’ll take it again this evening. I’m out of Claritin-D and had no time to get it yesterday, but the Ny-Quil should work without it. Truth be told, I’m sure one shouldn’t really do both at the same time. Once up, I was coughing up phlegm pretty much all day, which is, I hope, the final stage of whatever this thing was – it’s all that phlegm junk breaking up. And breaking up is hard to do but necessary. I didn’t enter fixes – don’t really know why. I did listen to music and answered a bunch of e-mails and typed out a list of the notes we needed to address before the performance. I didn’t have anything to eat here so I went without. Then I shaved and showered and then moseyed on over to the mail place and picked up three packages containing Airborne, floss, and Pepcid. So, those big boy sizes should hold me for a while. Then I went directly to the theater and we addressed all the technical stuff and ran through all of it, then the actors arrived, and we ran through that stuff, and then I just relaxed until it was show time.
After the show, I hung out and talked to some folks I knew, and I finally got to meet the wonderful film composer, Billy Goldenberg, who is an absolute delight. He’s friends with one of our cast members and he was out here to see his musical Ballroom in a local production. I reminded him that I’d put out his score to Busting and that I’d also been the first to record three of the cut songs from Ballroom. He was delighted that I could hum all the songs from Ballroom, but even more delighted when I hummed his music for Red Sky at Morning. He hummed along with me. So, that was fun.
Then I went to In-N-Out for my first food of the day – I got a double double with onions and animal fries to go. I came home and ate it all up – they forgot the onions and I think that was probably for the best, actually.
Today, I’ll sleep in, then I’ll write my opening night notecards, relax, listen to music, and then I’ll mosey on over to the theater around 6:45, decide where I’ll sit (maybe the back row, where I’ve been for the past three nights), maybe a bit closer. There’ll be a little after party, but I usually don’t stay long at those affairs.
Tomorrow, I really can just relax, enter fixes, catch up on stuff, and then I’ll attend the evening performance. Sunday, I’ll be at the matinee, and then I’ll come right home so I can partake of the Annual Oscar Bash right here at haineshisway.com – at least I think that’s when it is. Is it? If so, we must have a fine time of it here on the West Coast and the East Coast. We must have ourselves a partay. Then next week is sink or swim time, baby – I know not the way the tide will go, and I suppose we shall see.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, sleep in, write opening night notecards, relax, listen to music, and then attend opening night and the after party. I will, of course, have a full report for you. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, many classical CDs. Blu-ray, The World, the Flesh, and the Devil. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had an almost perfect preview and happy that the phlegm is breaking up with me.