Well, dear readers, I had to have a little snack and so I’m starting to write these here notes a little late. When one has to have a little snack then one has to have a little snack and when one has to have a little snack then one starts these here notes a little late. Anyway, we had a nice rehearsal last night, although I do wish the cast knew the lyrics by now. I was very clear up front about when things had to be committed to memory, but alas, that is a slow process. My friend Cheryl Baxter came in to do the tap number, so we let her have the stage with the five people who are involved in it. The nice thing is that the stage is empty of the huge set that was there so now the cast knows exactly where everything is as the floor has been taped out. The rest of us went upstairs, where I staged the reprise of Boom Ditty Boom, the two big scenes that end the show and so now all the scenes are blocked – whether everyone wrote down their blocking correctly is anyone’s guess, but the assistant director has all of it down so that’s all covered. We don’t really have the kind of room we need in the small theater upstairs, so I couldn’t figure out what I want to do with the final song. Then I went downstairs and saw the tap number, which is going to be great. In the original production, the song was sung by two people. In ours, I came up with something fun to add three people to it, hence the tap. Cheryl will be back tonight, and she’ll finish up the number and then help stage the first part of Broadway, My Street and then Go Visit Your Grandmother. That’s all the musical numbers except the final song, in which there’s not much to do. So, I’m hoping by Thursday we can start at the top of the show and begin assembling everything into a whole. We’ll run scenes several times and not move on until everyone knows what they’re doing. That should take two to three rehearsals and then we can begin slogging our way through run-throughs. I’d really love to have another week but that’s not possible and the actors just have to get the words into their heads.
Yesterday was something or other. I got nine hours of good sleep, arising at ten. Once up, I answered e-mails and had telephonic calls. I had mac-and-cheese for food, but it wasn’t very good – normally it’s great but the past two times, not so much. Part of the problem was it arrived completely cold, which meant it was prepared and just sat there getting cold. The Dasher got here in five minutes, so it was definitely cold when he picked it up. Then I relaxed for a bit, shaved, then moseyed on over to the theater.
After rehearsal, I did a quick Gelson’s run and lo and behold they had the onion rolls they never have, so I grabbed those, a little thing of potato salad, some chips, and, and a can of tuna. I came home, ate the potato salad and the chips and I have the makings for tuna sandwiches today.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll have tuna sandwiches for food, I’ll try to do some writing, then we have our rehearsal at seven, during which we’ll finish the few things on the big numbers and then we’ll drill all the group numbers over and over again. Then I’ll come home and relax.
Tomorrow, we’re at a school auditorium, but that’s the last time we’re out of the theater. We’ll begin assembling the show, bit by bit, putting it together. We’ll continue that on Friday night, then we have both Saturday and Sunday rehearsals.
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, write, rehearse, and relax. 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, having had a little snack and written a little notes.