Well, dear readers, it is late and therefore I must write these here notes in a hurry because it is late and these here notes should have been up twenty minutes ago and now all HELL will break loose if I don’t get them posted quickly. So, let’s get to the important part first, our first staging rehearsal. We all arrived to find that they hadn’t cleared the stage because no one told them it had to be done. We did it, but from now on it will be done before we arrive. I began with Holmes and Watson. I’d sketched it out roughly in my mind and we just dove in and forty-five minutes later we had us a fully staged number. The planned stuff worked really well, and all the stuff I just came up with as we got to new sections came easily. But having two wonderful actors who pick up stuff quickly is so helpful, and boy do I love staging numbers like it. We ran it many times, filmed it for reference, and they’ll now get it in their bones. Then I blocked two duets that really didn’t call for much movement, so that went quickly. Then Cheryl Baxter arrived, and we showed her Holmes and Watson in case she wanted to change or finesse, but she loved it and didn’t change or finesse a thing. She then taught them some waltz moves that will be used when we block Dancing with Alice. Then she went to work on Wild and Reckless while I went to the lobby and did the minimal blocking for She Touched Me. I came back and saw how terrific Wild and Reckless will be. All in all, it was an enjoyable four hours and I think everyone had a really fun time. And – five numbers done. Now we move onto the big overture/opening number. I’ve sketched only a bit of it out because I have to see the cast on their feet and figure things out when I see how they move, where I can place people, and all that stuff. After that, I stopped at Popeye’s and got the usual two breasts to go, came home, and ate as much as I could – they were the Dolly Parton of chicken breasts, and I could not finish breast two. Then I had scads of e-mails to answer. Then I sat on my couch, dozed off, watched some really irritating YouTube videos, and then had a long telephonic conversation, hence the lateness of the notes.
Prior to all that, I got a bit over ten hours of sleep, arising at eleven. I shaved and showered, and then was on my way to the theater and the rest you know.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll have me a ME day – a few things to do – mail place, ATM, I have to finish proofing the design book so I can get that back for the final pass, I’ll eat, and then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I’m up early to take the motor car in, then I’ll walk home and perhaps go back to bed for a bit. Then I’ll just do prep work and proofing. Tuesday, we’re back staging and that continues on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I must say, this month is flying by, like a gazelle eating horse radish in front of a horse.
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, have a ME day, go to the mail place, the ATM, finish proofing, 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, happy to have had a wonderfully fun first staging day.