February 1st - Rehearsal Heaven

 

Here it is, February, and the first day of the busiest Theatrical month I've ever known.  With three productions happening on two coasts, I'm getting to really live the life of a writer for perhaps the first time in my life.  Crazy that I can be fourtysomething and just now doing this.  But here I am.

My goal and mantra for the month has to be to allow myself to relax and actually enjoy this.  Sometimes I get so lost in the stress and pressure of things, so afraid of the criticism and potential failure, that I don't really let myself appreciate it all.  I'm not going to make that mistake this month.

My flight arrived at Burbank at 2pm, which left me just enough time to get my luggage from bag check, get my rental car, stop by my friend Brian's to get his keys, and head to rehearsal for '40 is the New 15'.  It was great to see the cast again (4 of the 5 cast members were in our August production of the show at the Secret Rose) and Michele (our director) and Cindy had done a fabulous job so far getting everyone ready for tomorrow's presentation.  Tod Macofsky, Angela Wolcott, Ed Martin and Kevin Noonchester are all back, and slipped right back into their roles comfortably.  The new addition to the sandbox is Jennifer Shelton as Winter.  This is the fourth actress to play Winter, and all of them have, in their own ways, been wonderful.  But Jennifer really brings a maturity and depth to the role that is all her own.  Dry and sarcastic and yet also completely likeable.  And her voice kicks ass.  I'm really eager to see how the audience responds to the new Winter.

I'm also eager to hear the response to the new Act Two song for Oren.  Replacing 'What Next?' was a challenge, but we knew it had to be done.  The new song, 'Flying By', is the most emotionally deep song we have written for this character, and it's the fourth (!) song to inhabit this place in the show.  It sounds beautiful in Kevin's voice, and when he learns it better, it will be great I'm sure.   

The trimming we did to Sarah's act two song, 'Higher' seems to be turning out very well.  I don't miss the lyrics we cut at all, and Cindy's changes to the score really work.

Anyway, tomorrow we present the first 25 minutes of the show at Disney, and get feedback from the room.  So far all I know is that Stephen Schwartz is heading the panel, I don't know who the other panelists are yet,  but I'll keep you posted as soon as I know.  I'm going to do my best to bask in the moment and not allow my inner demons to spoil it for me.

The second half of my evening was spent at another rehearsal, this time for 'Now and Then a Hero', in preparation for our reading at the Secret Rose on the 10th.   Elise is back with us, the only holdover from our previous reading at the Colony last year.  She looks great!  Apparently she's lost about 20 pounds and about 10 years while she's at it.  If she gets any younger looking, we may have to recast her part.  The rest of the cast are all new... Jimmer Bolden, Jennifer Chu, David Holmes and Selah Victor.  Selah wasn't there tonight, but the others were awesome.  Jimmer has such a beautiful, booming baritone voice; and David's dramatic and powerful voice will be in full display with this score.  Jennifer has a huge voice as well... and a huge infectious personality that fills the room.  I liked her immediately.  (And the fact that she is fluent in Mandarin will really come in handy for the Sue Koh Lee sequence!)

It was definitely a rehearsal tonight, the cast is just now getting their parts and there was a lot of plunking-out parts and repetition.  But I can feel that there is a diamond in there.

That's about it for now... admittely it was a lot!  Tomorrow it's off to Disney/ASCAP.  The presentation starts at 7pm sharp.  I can't wait.  I'll fill you in here as to how it goes!  And I promise to take pictures.  And to ENJOY IT.  No matter what happens.  ENJOY IT.