Well, dear readers, as if we didn’t have enough drama behind-the-scenes, one of our actresses got Covid – out of the blue – woke up with symptoms and tested positive. She’s only been with us twice (she replaced Sharon McNight). So, almost the entire cast was exposed, although thankfully most were upstairs rehearsing (as was I) while she was downstairs working on music and stuff. I did hug her – several did – but getting this thing seems awfully random so we’ll have to see. Do send all your most excellent vibes and xylophones that I don’t get it and that the rest of the cast doesn’t. And if I don’t get a modern major miracle soon, it won’t matter if I get it or not, if you get my meaning and I know you do. We finished doing the tap number and semi-staged Go Visit Your Grandmother, so that just leaves the finessing of that one and then the first half of another song, and finally the title song. I’m truly struggling with that one, which is why I haven’t done it. It comes at the most peculiar time, deep in act two, just as we’re climaxing the plot – we stop dead in our tracks to do a title song that has nothing to do with anything. It’s very strange. It comes earlier in the original production, but the revised script moves around stuff so it’s not so simple if one wanted to move it. We’ll see what it feels like when I can see the entire show put together. When that will be, exactly, is anyone’s guess. After rehearsal, I stopped at In ‘N’ Out for a burger and animal fries, came home, and ate them all up. And I took an allergy pill and popped some Sambucol.
Yesterday was weird but a lot of days seem weird recently. I had fitful sleep, but I think I managed six hours. Once up, I answered e-mails, had telephonic conversations, got the e-mail from our Covid actress, made tuna sandwiches for food, did a few things on the computer, then showered and got ready to go to the theater. Once there, we reviewed the tap number, I sent the cast to the lobby to work with my assistant director, to block our leading lady into all the act one scenes. They got more than halfway through that. Cheryl Baxter came and finished the tap number and then we roughed out the Grandmother thing and that took us to the end of rehearsal. She’ll come back one more time to finish up everything else – not that much for her.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll relax and hope for good health and energy, I have a couple of telephonic conversations to have, I’ll eat, and then we have our rehearsal, not at the theater, but at an adult school auditorium. My instinct right now is to start at the top of the show and begin assembling it scene by scene, with a lot of repetition so everyone gets used to everything. We’ll just slog forth and get as far as we can get. After rehearsal, I’ll come right home to relax.
Tomorrow is more of that and also a Zoom meeting with our costume designer. He was with us last night taking measurements. I meet with the lighting designer next week. Then we have an evening rehearsal. We also have two rehearsals on the weekend and then we finally have a day off on Monday.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, relax and hope for good health and energy, have telephonic conversations, eat, rehearse, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What’s your favorite kind of late-night snack? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping we all have good health and energy.