Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much exhausted fish after a long day’s journey into night, which began at eleven, when I got up after seven-and-a-half hours of sleep and got to the theater at one to work with the lighting designer. It was very slow going because we didn’t have anyone there to walk around in the lights, so either I’d go up there or he would, and it was just endless. We did manage to at least write the cues for act one. I’m sure he’ll need to finesse them, and I do wish he’d designed all the looks prior to my being there, but we just go cue to cue and figure it out, with me reminding him where people are and what the deal is. So, I’m back today at one to do act two and I’m yakking so much between all that AND the rehearsal that I have very little voice left. Trying to rest it from now until one today. The endless allergies aren’t helping anything, either. I also finally had to order in food from nearby Tom’s Burgers, a place I’m fond of and who does a very good bacon cheeseburger, which is what I ordered on a combo – burger, fries, Diet Pepsi. It arrived pretty quickly – no drink, an absolutely wretched-tasting burger that I ate anyway because I was so hungry, and decent fries with not an iota of salt anywhere (and none in the theater). Then our cast arrived – one less even than yesterday, due to someone having to come late. We’ll have two more back with us tonight and the final two on Saturday. Absolute madness. The run-through had its moments, but with even one more missing it’s just so hard for everyone to concentrate when lines are being read from the audience and lyrics are being sung from the audience. Lots of fumfering and fighting for lines, but everyone got through it and again it ran just what it should. We have yet to get the projections to work correctly, but I think that will be fixed for tonight, hopefully. We have to get it working properly so we can train the fellow who’ll actually be operating the two computers during the run. So, as it’s looking now, we get exactly one more rehearsal with the full cast before our final dress on Tuesday. As I said, absolute madness and I can only hope that our returning cast members have been working on their stuff while away. I still haven’t given any notes, but I’ll definitely be taking some tonight. Otherwise, I ate a muffin top and an ice cream cone for my snack and am listening to Handel but really must be in bed by one.
Yesterday was a day you pretty well know about already. I can’t really think of anything I haven’t mentioned in the long paragraph above. If I do, I’ll circle back or, at the very least, square back.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll be at the theater by one, I’ll order in something from somewhere nearby, perhaps the Coral Café, then we’ll write all the act two cues, which are not as many as act one, and which are simpler for the most part. Then all but two of our cast will arrive and we’ll run the show from start to finish with Richard Allen playing, as he’ll be playing from now on and that’s very helpful to the cast. I’ll take notes, and then later I’ll e-mail them to the various cast members. Then I’ll finally relax.
Tomorrow, I can sleep in, which is good, and then we have our cue-to-cue at three, sans one actress and actor, and then we do our last complete run-through of the show. After, everyone has to stay to run problem stuff because after the run-through there really is no tomorrow. Everyone has to step up to the plate and hit it out of the park. It’s that simple. Sunday is off, then we have our sitzprobe on Monday night, after which I’ll run a few things that need running. Tuesday is our one and only dress rehearsal and final tech. Wednesday is a preview, as is Thursday, and then we open on Friday. I’ll probably attend all three performances opening weekend.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven, do whatever needs doing, be at the theater by one, order in something from somewhere for food, write the act two light cues, and then we’ll do a complete run-through with lights and live piano, after which I’ll come home and relax with more Handel. 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, more Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Blu-ray, nothing. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, continuing the lighting of our show.