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[bk]

Well, you've read the notes, the notes were first edition notes, and now it is time for you to post until the first edition cows come home.

[bk]

And the word of the day is: LENITIVE!

[singdaw]

Thank you, bk - very interesting and enjoyable notes (and photos) today.

[singdaw]

[singdaw]

For DR TCB, from yesterday:  (this isn't a first edition, but at least it is signed)

[singdaw]

This is very long, so I apologize in advance (skip right along if you wish), but some DRs may find it a fun read. It was posted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson on Facebook:

An amazing night I will NEVER forget.
 
Last nights performance of "The Comedy of Errors" at The Delacort Theater for Shakespeare in the Park will be an experience I will remember forever. It will go down as one of the most moving nights I have EVER had as an actor. Here is what happened:

About 30 minutes into our 90 minute show it began to rain. Nothing new for an actor doing out door theater. We continued for about 10 more minutes until it began to down pour. Buckets. At that point our stage manager, Cole made an announcement to the audience over the sound system that we would hold until the storm passed. The audience cheered, encouraging us that they were willing to wait out the rain with us. After all, they waited all day for the free tickets that got them into the theater in the first place! (New York theater goers are the beasts. I love them!)

The rain only got worse. I began to realize it would be very unlikely for us to be able to continue. Our dancers would slip, the expensive sound equipment that we were wearing to amplify our voices would be ruined. Still, the audience stayed, only cheering harder when the rain increased.

Finally, the storm lightened and Cole announced that we would begin again shortly which was met with applause and cheers from the audience AND the cast.

Then something beyond mother natures control happened: the sound board fried and shut down. Apparently there wasn't enough time to properly cover all the equipment and now the entire sound system was down. No mics to amplify. No speakers to play music for the dancers. Nothing. Stage Management was about to announce to the audience that we would have to unfortunately call the show.

Then Hamish and I had an idea.

Did George C. Scott have a body mic when he did "The Merchant of Venice" back in 1961 at this same theater?
(Granted, he didn't have to worry about helicopters or private jets flying over the Delacort Theater on their way to the Hamptons).
Lets finish the show wireless. Unplugged!

To my amazement Rebecca Sherman, our company manager took a deep breath and just said "Do it. It will be amazing."

Hamish and I ran out on to the soaking wet stage and announced to the equally wet audience that we would continue! Using Hamish's mother's famed "Linklater Technique" we explained to the audience that they would have to move down as close to the stage as possible to hear. (Only 600 brave people from the originally sold out 1800 seat house had stayed).

What proceeded was one of the most magical hours of my life.

The brilliant De’Adre Aziza started where we left off, with her jazz influenced version of "Sigh No More", the audience snapping along to keep the beat.
One of the dance fueled transitions started with Bryan Langlitz, our dance captain yelling out : "And a 5,6,7,8" as the dancers leapt and flew across the puddled stage.
During a moment that required a sound cue of a bell, I pointed at the church that was meant to be producing the sound and exclaimed "BONG! BONG!"

When Emily Bergl knocked a gun out of Tyler Caffall's hand the entire company, in unison yelled "BANG" and then produced the dying cat sound that was meant to follow.

At one point it started raining sheets again... only this time Cole had no one of stopping us. We just spoke louder to be heard over the rain that was pounding down upon us.

Hamish called it the greatest game of "Chicken" ever played. The audience wasn't leaving because we kept going and we continued on only because the 600 strong stayed put. Everyone was soaked but at this point, who cared. (Apologies to our brilliant costume designer Toni Leslie James who probably cared a little.)

The end of the play ends with a quiet moment I share with my long lost twin. The audience stayed completely still and silent to hear the final words of the play, laughing where the jokes were but then silencing immediately to hear the next lines. That's when I lost it. You never would have been able to tell because I was soaking wet but I started to ugly cry.
I was so moved by this shared moment. It truly personified why I am fueled to put on silly costumes and wigs and pretend to be someone else in front of a collected group of strangers.

When we finally reached the end of the play the audience exploded into applause. We didn't bow though....all we could do was applaud right back to THEM.

From this day forward when I am asked why I want to act I will think upon last night. Thank you to the cast of "Comedy of Errors"! Thank you to the crew at the Delacort for being so game.

Thank you to the staff at The Public Theater and to the ushers who never flinched. Thank you to the wardrobe and hair department who had to dry all of our clothes and reset our wigs...and again, sorry. Thank you to our Stagemanager Cole and our company manager Rebecca who told us to just go and have fun. Most of all: Thank you to the 600 amazing audience members who cheered us on and stayed. You have no idea what joy you gave ALL of us.

Also, R.I.P. old soggy sound board. You will be missed.

[Ben]

Morning all.

That is all.

[FJL]

Good morning.    So much on which to catch up, but hope I didn't miss any special occasions along the way.

[FJL]

Re rained-on shows at the Delacorte:

The following post had been a "comment" related to an article by Ben Brantley in the Times on a rained out show

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/theater-talkback-facing-the-elements/

[FJL]

This was an ELEGANCE parody about a rained-on HELLO DOLLY. 

This was about an outdoor HELLO DOLLY where the parade got rained on before it passed by:

(ELEMENTS - alternate version, to tune of ELEGANCE)

Yes, you dorks
It’s raining here
Why are you still remaining here?
Our whole cast of Hello Dolly
Is stunned you stayed but well oh golly

If you don’t leave
We’re stuck up here
I just stepped in muddy muck up here

We’ve got elements
If you brave the elements
The producers will not call the show off

Though the stage is puddly
We all beg so subtl-y
If you sit there in your ponchos
We can not stop, per our head honchos

They say the show is going on
Note the rain gear that we’re throwing on

We’ve got elements
Soldier on with elements-

Have you noticed that the orchestra is slightly out of tune?
That’s because the grand piano is home to a wet raccoon

Ooooh, we’ve got elements
We’ve got live-in elements
Despite elements, elements, elements –
They won’t let us off!

[KevinH]

Good morning!

[Laura]

Good morning.

[Ben]

The Missing Link was fun. It was shown in 35mm on a variable speed projector (according to the people who arranged the afternoon experience).

We watched Jack Benny in Charley's Aunt last night after the afternoon experience. I'm glad we saw it but it was not Mr. Benny's best moment on celluloid, IMHO. I did like Faye Emerson but her falling for Jack was also not highly believable.

So, Laura, did your air conditioner make a big bad sound and then die, leaving you without cool air in your current heat wave???

[Laura]

I have no idea what the noise was. But, dang, he bolted out of the room like it was on fire. It is working fine. But it is old. Quite old.

[elmore3003]

Good morning, all!  I wanted to sleep in, but 8:45 was as far as I got.

I have no plans for today, so I'll see where the day takes me. DR George, thanks for the June 30 birthday list. Today is the birthday of John Gay, one of my favorite writers, so I may have a listen to THE BEGGAR'S OPERA today. By a peculiar coincidence I am currently reading Deryn Lake's Death At The Beggar's Opera.

[Ben]

We are listening to the Minneapolis production of Boy Meets Boy in honor of Gay Pride Day. It's supposed to be a huge turnout today and since we are half a block from the festivities I'm sure we will hear much of it as it goes by. They are saying there will be close to 2 million participants/viewers.

[Ben]

BMB (the Minneapolis production) was directed by my friend, Dick Rehse.

[ChasSmith]

Good morning, all.

I got to 8:50, but Poe (the cat) wouldn't hear of me getting a moment more.

[ChasSmith]

Wonderful notes, and that is one beautiful wall o' books there.

[Jrand74]

Well OUR two versions of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS have been presented....so TODAY we can put up the set for ANGEL STREET and get 8 whole days of rehearsal on it before we open.

[Jennifer]

I'm not sure if this is only a one day sale.

But Divergent is only $1.99 on kindle today (e-book):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CFA9RS/ref=as_li_ss_sm_fb_us_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=399837&creativeASIN=B004CFA9RS&linkCode=shr&tag=theche0d-20&creativeASIN=B004CFA9RS

This is going to be a huge movie. It's a dystopian trilogy and this is the first book. If you like YA dystopia this book is excellent.

[singdaw]

[Ginny]

Sunday morning greetings from the Grand Ballroom at McCormick Place.  I got here early enough to get a great aisle seat for Giada De Laurentiis' presentation, which starts in about 20 minutes.  And I've already won $50 in spending money from a vendor.  Good day, so far!

[Ginny]

Fr. Richard has ventured, by train, out to Riverside to attend church.

[Jrand74]

Have fun DR GINNY.  Don't spend your $50 all in one place!

[Ginny]

Have fun DR GINNY.  Don't spend your $50 all in one place!

I kinda have to, DR JRand, because it's a gift certificate from a company...

[Charles Pogue]

I've been trying to post a photo of my library, but it keeps telling me my file is too large and I don't know how to make it smaller.  I've been collecting books since I was twelve....starting with Tarzan and Edgar Rice Burroughs.  I now have between 5-6,000 books.  The collection consists of mostly adventure, fantasy, mystery, historical fiction from the late 19th century through the 20th century.  Then there's all the books on theatre, plays, and film.  The rest is history, bio, and mythology.  I don't collect exclusively first, but have enormous number.  I've built two different libraries in two different homes to house the collection.  I always intend to read any book I buy and have never bought a book as an investment.

[ArnoldMBrockman]

And the word of the day is: LENITIVE!

And The Song Of The Day Is:  SOFTLY,AS I LEAVE YOU

[Jrand74]

Have fun DR GINNY.  Don't spend your $50 all in one place!

I kinda have to, DR JRand, because it's a gift certificate from a company...

Oh....well hope they have a good selection!

[Jrand74]

Off to set building.  Pray for Rosemary's Baby.