Well, dear readers, we’ve finally opened the show. Not a perfect opening but an excellent one. No, we had a mic go out, the three sound effects cues didn’t come up, but the energy was very good. The funny thing about shows is that when you’re coming off a performance where the audience energy matches the performer energy then it’s double energy. And I’ve found after doing this stuff for fifty-something years, that the performance that follows that is usually not quite up to that energy. That’s nitpicking, of course, and I know I feel it more than anyone else would feel it. Cast did great, the mic issue was handled really well and didn’t happen until the last ten minutes of the show, we know what the sound effects problem was, so that will never happen again. Light cues worked perfectly and so did, at long last, the projections. All week long, I’ve been told that we only had twenty reservations for opening night. But I knew that didn’t count the Goldstar tickets, and there were twenty of those that had sold out. So, I knew there’d be forty, but I think we had close to seventy, so that’s a nice big house to open to. Lots of numbers got very big applause, some got cheers, and I got many lovely compliments after. I think to people who grew up here, the show is not only high energy fun, but very moving in certain of its sections. Some very big laughs, too. Barry Pearl and his ever-lovin’ Cindy were there, the Wechters were there, one of our songwriters, Wayne Moore was there, and a few other folks I know. There were a handful of Group Rep members, but I found the absence of most Group Rep members who come to every opening night to be rather shocking. The lack of support is very off-putting to me – I’ve attended every opening night since I began directing there because I feel it’s my duty to be supportive. I guess that’s a one-way street, however. I think there were a couple of critics there, maybe three. Not sure if they cared for it or not. The partay had lots of food – I didn’t really eat, save for a tiny bit of potato salad and a piece of cheese. Then I came home. Since I’d only eaten a burger for food, I ordered some pad Thai from somewhere and it just arrived. Just thought I deserved a little treat. Not the best I’ve had, but not bad. I’ll probably eat half and toss the other half.
Yesterday was fine. I got about seven hours of sleep – restless sleep – got up just before noon o’clock. Answered e-mails, ordered the burger from a place that’s in the same shopping center as Gelson’s – not bad – and then I spent the afternoon writing thank you cards to the cast and backstage folks. I shaved and showered, prettied up, and then moseyed on over to the theater and got there around six-thirty. When I walked in, I could see the projections were on the correct screens, so that was a load off. I gave everyone their thank you things, we did a quick sound check, and then did the show. By the way, can’t say enough about the band – they really cook.
Today, I am sleeping in and I don’t care who knows it. I’m not doing a damn thing until it’s time to get ready, other than doing some catching up on stuff. I’ll mosey on over to the theater around six-fifteen to make sure all the sound stuff is working properly, including the sound effects. Hoping for a decent-sized audience, but first weekends are usually very light at the Group Rep. I’ll be curious to see if I know anyone in the audience. But send lots of excellent vibes and xylophones that we get through it without sound or other tech issues.
Tomorrow is our first matinee and hoping we have a nice group for that. That tends to skew older and I think this will appeal to those folks. Then, come Monday, I spend this whole week catching up on all the stuff I’ve let slide, and that’s a lot o’ stuff. I’ll get back to writing on the David Wechter thing, we’ll catch up on the rest of the shipping CDs thing, I’ll give the motor car its first bath under my ownership, and I’ll try to have a meal or two with folks I haven’t seen for a while.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, sleep in, not do a damn thing other than catching up on a few things, I’ll go to the theater for sound checks and fixes, see the show, maybe go out after should I actually know anyone there, and then come home and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What is the most memorable opening night you’ve attended? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy we’ve finally had our opening night.