Well, dear readers, I suppose it is time to write these here notes, being that it’s almost midnight. I just took my allergy pill – the weather is just so weird right now – yesterday, for example, was a hot summer day. Well, it’s October, for heaven’s sake. Anyway, all the weather changes have resulted in the worst allergy season in ages. Damn them, damn them all to HELL. I’ve just been sitting on my couch like so much fish, listening to some live performances from musicals on a fun YouTube channel, and zoning out. I had a very long day yesterday, but I happily did manage to get nine hours of sleep. Once up, I had a telephonic conversation, answered e-mails, then I shaved and showered and shortly thereafter I was on my way to the theater. We were missing a few folks – what else is new – but we had a productive rehearsal. The first thing I did was make some adjustments in the staging of one of the act one numbers, as I removed one member of what was a quartet and what became a trio. Amazingly, not a lot had to be adjusted and by gum and by golly and buy bonds if it didn’t work better as a trio. Then I went back into act two. We ran the opening number, then moved along and did two extremely long scenes, one of which had a musical number. I’ve sort of come up with a style for the group scenes, which makes them not that difficult to stage. The second long scene doesn’t have a song and when I read it I didn’t realize how funny it was. But on its feet, it’s pretty hilarious and will be even more so when everyone is off book. Then I let everyone go, except Fay De Witt and four others and we ran See the Light, her big number. Its staging will be very simple, but I wanted everyone firm on the music before doing it. Oh, and one of our cast members had a nasty fall, but I think she’ll be fine. I said to her, “Old people must never fall.” I then did a few things, went up the aisle to converse with Kay Cole, misjudged a step and – fell – like a beached whale. I was so annoyed that I just sat up instantly and assured everyone I was fine, which I basically was. But my knees are a bit sore as are my upper legs.
After that, I moseyed on over to the Coral Café and had a chicken salad sandwich with bacon, which was excellent, along with some fries. I also took home a scoop of the chicken salad for a snack. Then I went back to the theater and met with our set designer and the fellow who’ll be building it and I’m comfy that we’re now all on the same page. It’s extremely simple, which is what I wanted it to be. There was a bit of an irritant towards the mid-point of the meeting and I kind of could not hide my irritation – I don’t like when someone comes into a meeting that they’re not part of with what I perceive as negativity. Let’s just say I got it off my chest and then left.
I came home, caught up with stuff, ate some of the chicken salad whilst watching a few irritating YouTube videos and a few heartwarming dog rescue videos. Then I had a long telephonic conversation, had a cinnamon bun for a sweet treat and then sat on my couch like so much fish, listening to live performances from musicals – some VERY rare stuff, all soundboard recordings.
Today is a ME day and I don’t care who knows it. I’ll sleep in, at least that’s the hope, then I’m just relaxing, doing a little prep work on the last couple of scenes of act two and a little pre-staging work on the first half of an act one number – I’ve already done the last half. Mostly, I’ll just watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is also a day off, but I have a lot of stuff to do, including some concentrated writing. Then we resume rehearsals on Tuesday evening, and I’m pretty sure I have the entire cast that night. But I also have Cheryl Baxter coming in to choreograph a tap section, so while she’s doing that, we’ll either go upstairs or to the lobby to work on the last couple of scenes of act two, after which we’ll get back onstage and do as much as we can and hopefully finish the act. The rest of the week is more of the same including a Friday night rehearsal and both weekend days. I’ll assemble the show, run stuff two or three times as we go to solidify, and then get us into run-throughs. And pray that a damn modern major miracle shows up or someone may have to call the Neptune Society, if you get my meaning.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a ME day, do a little prep work, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall rest my knees and upper legs, what with having been the fall guy.