Well, dear readers, we had our invited dress rehearsal and we got through it without having to stop and without any real disasters. Considering what it COULD have been, I wasn’t displeased. We had about ten people there. Energy was a bit off for the first ten or fifteen minutes, but then things picked up, we started getting some laughs and that was good. We just have to grab them sooner. The band was shaky, and our musical director will attend to that. They did much better at the sitzprobe. There were a few sound issues, some fumfered and forgotten lines, but the fact that we’d never had a single costume, it was surprisingly smooth in terms of pace. Some of the light cues were either early or late, but that’s to be expected, too. So, after the show, I gave all those sorts of notes and hopefully we can hone everything over the two previews so that we’re really ready on opening night. The set is functioning well, and the lighting looks very nice – we do have to fix just a couple of things that need light, but that’s not difficult. I’m really very pleased with the cast and our two leads are fantastic. I really thought we were surely in disaster territory last night, so I’m grateful that it went as well as it did. After notes, I came right home. Prior to all that, I finally got eight hours of good sleep, got up, answered a ton of texts and e-mails, had a modern major miracle, much appreciated, and then took advantage of another 50% coupon for Uber Eats. I knew exactly what I wanted – there’s a pretty good deli up by Mulholland and Beverly Glen, in the shopping center where Richard Sherman and I lunched. I think it’s the one that Steven Spielberg’s mom once owned. I ordered a turkey sandwich on rye and kishka. Food arrived thirty minutes later – sandwich was excellent and very close to what Jerry’s Deli was like. The kishka was actually very good. So, that was a nice lunch and calorie friendly, too. No fries or onion rings. The cost of sandwiches these days is pretty absurd. Then I shaved and showered, stopped at the ATM, went to the mail place, where I was surprised to find that the test hardcover had arrived. Looked very nice, so I placed the book order and hopefully that will arrive soon. Then I moseyed on over to the theater and arrived at four-forty-five. I saw the new lighting our designer had done and that looked lovely, plus the back wall of the set was finally fully painted and I thought it looked great – and our lighting designer and put lights so that it can have different color washes. Then we ran a couple of things, then did the dress rehearsal.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, eat, then I just want to relax until it’s time to go to the theater. At six, we’ll run a couple of things, then we play our first preview and I’m hoping we have a really nice house, as I think it will help the actors. Even last night, the show got some very big laughs, and you could just feel the energy pick up. Depending on how it goes, I’ll either just give a couple of general notes or full notes. I’d prefer the general to the full. Then I’ll come home or maybe I’ll go out for a bite to eat.
Tomorrow will be more of the same and then we have our second preview. Friday, we open, there’s an after-party, then we play Saturday night and Sunday matinee. And then on Monday, I go back to the eye doctor in the morning and hopefully he’ll do a referral for the doctor who’ll do the actual surgery.
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, eat, relax, run a few things, then have our first preview. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy we got through the final dress unscathed.