Well, dear readers, we had another fun rehearsal (at least it’s fun for me) last night. We picked up right where we left off and I continued vacuuming the staging, fixing transitions, giving some tiny ideas for the playing of scenes (I’m really just letting the actors find their way and only making little suggestions at this point based on what they’re doing), I blocked the one scene that hadn’t been blocked – kept it very simple and it’s really effective. Some of the actors have already found lovely things in their characters so it’s fun to watch as that part of it grows. We got to the end, ran the finale three times because it was rough, and then we ran one of Kay’s numbers several times as they hadn’t done it, really, since she did the number. I’m still completely baffled by how the panels work and I’m pretty sure I’ll remain baffled until I actually have them in a week and a few days. I do know I’m switching things around from the way they are in the drawings, because Tesshi, our set designer, did those drawings just because I thought they’d help, and they were only guesses. And as I see the form of the staging I just knew I needed to switch some of the placements up a bit.
Prior to that, I’d gotten ten hours of sleep because I got up too early and didn’t get out of bed, thinking I’d just get another thirty minutes of sleep – that turned into quite a bit more. So, once up, I answered e-mails, had telephonic conversations, had a bagel, and listened to lots of music whilst doing work on the computer.
I got to the theatre at six-thirty after picking up some packages to work on the song Little Miracles with the gal who’s singing it. We corrected some wrong notes she was singing and I think it will be very good. Then we had our rehearsal.
After rehearsal, I stopped at Ralph’s and got a small roast beef sandwich and some Diet Coke, which I was out of, came home, ate the sandwich and had a little ice cream for my sweet, answered more e-mails, and listened to more music. I’ve been listening to a LOT of Lyrita CDs. In the 1970s, Lyrita was one of my all-time favorite classical LP labels – I bought every LP they issued as the composers were all the great English folks and I just loved that music. It was a great day when they began issuing them on CD and I snapped up as many as I knew about. I’m still finding things I never knew had come out. The Lyrita sound is amazing and the CDs are beautifully mastered. So the last few days has been all Lyrita all the time – music by the likes of Elgar, Bax, Finzi, Holst, E.J.Moeran, Edmund Rubbra, Vaughan Williams, the three Willams: Walton, Alwyn, and Wordsworth, and Malcolm Arnold and some lesser known but equally wonderful composers. All this music makes me very happy.
Today, I shall relax, hopefully pick up some packages, eat, we have an earlier rehearsal from six to nine and I may not even use all three hours, and then more relaxing.
Tomorrow we have a day rehearsal, then I have to go downtown to pick something up, come back home and someone will pick up what I’ve picked up unless I figure out an easier way to do it. Sunday is a day off and I have to go see a matinee of a musical featuring Sandy Bainum and Jenna Lea Rosen. Monday is a double rehearsal – one for the revue I’m directing, and our usual evening rehearsal, then Tuesday another revue rehearsal but it’s a night off for our usual evening rehearsal, then we’re back to every night and both weekend days. We’re in good shape so far and my goal is to have this running like a well-oiled machine by the end of next week, so that when we finally hit tech we are chomping at the bit to open and that we’ll all be comfortable and completely prepared.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, relax, hopefully pick up some packages, eat, and rehearse. 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, all Lyrita all the time – about eleven more CDs to go. Blu-ray, the recently arrived Who Killed Teddy Bear. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping that I’ll soon not be baffled by the baffling panels.