Closing Week

Another show finds its way to a close.  "Love Song" by John Kolvenbach ends its run this week with four more shows.  It's been a fun show and has had great responses. (save for one bad review Glenn Heath, as Joan's laid-back hubby, Harry, provides a pleasant vocal balance. But nearly everything he does seems geared toward an audience.)  Still, I felt the last weekend was flat.......at least for me.  That seems to be a struggle at the moment.  I try not to "lock everything in" when I'm playing a character simply to keep it fresh for me.  Obviously blocking, lines, cues, etc need to be consistent, but I always like to push the envelope and give scenes a bit more dynamics.  Didn't feel that way this weekend.  Obviously I hear something different from the Director, so maybe it's possible that I stopped doing what I was being charged with in the review and actually settled into the normalcy of my character.  Perhaps.  Still, this production has been a nice palette cleanser as I tend to do one play for every three musicals.  

Which is where I am now, prepping for Sweeney Todd.  #1 bucket list role, and even though it's technically an US role, it's community theater and I'll be performing at least 3 shows.  To me that's great.  Last time I was in Sweeney was as the Judge in Oct 2011 and I only had 3 performances then too.  The title role is a bit different.  Act I is not too bad, but Act II is a bitch.  Mostly music for this one with the smattering of dialogue, but stage presence is going to be the key.  Not a lot of time either for me on stage as this is a remounting of the production done this past Oct.  Still, I am up for the challenge, and will get right back to it once I've posted here.  Excited doesn't even begin to cover the feelings.  And, it's nice to know that I was chosen.  It's a little validation for when I auditioned originally.  I don't know if I would have been cast then had I not been out of town for the closing weekend, but being brought in now does feel good.

Then what????  I hate looking ahead as it seems that I'm not devoting the focus I should for my current show(s).  That's a fair comment, but if I don't look at the horizon, then well I might miss a great opportunity.  Tons this year too.  Wow!   I've promised not to do as many shows this year, and that having been said, there are enough productions to make me go crazy.  I'm definitely auditioning for "Next to Normal", "Music Man" and "The Producers", but there's "Cabaret", "Into the Woods (Sondheim!!!!! Yes)", "The Wild Party", "How to Succeed in Business......", and I think "Guys and Dolls".  The only one I know I won't audition for is  Signature Productions' "Camelot".   I'm excited for the company's return as they mount great shows, but with so many other shows, I'm not so keen on this one as I played Arthur in '02.  I think I'm too old anymore for it and the only other role I'd play is Pellinore, and I'm not old enough for that one.

Funny, those are all musicals......don't even know of any straight plays other than the ones already cast......except for "Death of a Salesman".......Willy Loman......bucket list role for sure.........hmmmmmm.

Opening Night

Another Opening Night.  Feels like I say that a lot lately.  Not complaining in the slightest, but wondering how anyone does it.  The process of getting a show up and ready kicks my ass sometimes and I second guess myself about whether or not I'm doing the right thing or maybe I'm being lazy.   I certainly know I'm tired.   "Love Song" by John Kolvenbach opens tonight at the Art Square Theatre and if we improve as much tonight as we did from Wed to Thu, it's going to be fantastic.  It's already been great for me.  The role feels very familiar and that's perhaps why my character development during the rehearsal process has felt non-existent.  The character Harry is me.  Maybe I should just embrace that concept instead of fighting it.  Lots of firsts in this one too.  Surprisingly, after nearly 10 years of doing this, there were some steps and methods that I'd never been involved with before.  Lots of table readings and discussions and dissections of the character before we ever set foot on the stage.  Made the process of blocking very simplified.  Our motivations were well established, so movement had its purpose and didn't feel like wandering.  I hate it when my character moves across stage for no reason other than that's what I was directed to do.  The notes process was typical, but our line notes were on forms with shorthand notations specifically indicating what the error(s) in the dialogue was. Way better than a stack of paper scraps, or a verbal dressing down after rehearsals.  Even the speed-throughs were fun (read as I hated every minute of it, but loved how useful it was).  Hindsight is great.  A line Nazi was on book for every word, every contraction, every pause, period and pronouncement.  Very aggravating to have to re-say a line 15 times because you learned it wrong.  As King of the Paraphrasers, I was scowling at the AD the whole time and professing my love for her through clenched teeth.

I wish I had a ritual.........I think.   I'm not superstitious, but I like feeling comfortable.  It happens eventually with most every show I've done.  (Notable exceptions excluded for the sake of courtesy.)  I don't eat the same sandwich before opening night, nor do I have lucky underwear.  I do try to remember what  I felt at final dress and use that going forward, but it's not like I give the same static performance.  I did once make the mistake of having a Super-Big Gulp with a little mini-bar bottle of rum (or two) mixed in on final dress.  I did it out of raw nervousness.  I needed to take the edge off of my performance.  I was the title character and felt an overwhelming need to carry the show.  I had a great final dress, so I didn't want to test fate. I had the same drink every performance.  That was very early on and I've never done that sense.  The exception being The Rocky Horror Show.  As the Narrator (Criminologist for you Picture Show Nerds) I asked the Director, one night during tech if I could try drinking on stage.  He let me try it, and afterwards, insisted that I make it a part of the character in every performance.  Let's say that the 2 show Halloween Night Spectacular was indeed Spectacular.  With all the call-outs I had to respond to, I was indeed loose-lipped that night.  There is video to prove it.

I guess I do have one thing that I do for every show.  I carry a Talisman in a little black felt bag.  The Talisman has been with me for every performance, every rehearsal, every show......every day for that matter since it was given to me at the end of a run of Annie in the summer of 2011.  I squeeze it before every curtain and remember what it means to me and how fortunate I have been to be given the opportunities to act and tell stories with my characters.   It gives me strength, because I know the person who gave it to me is my biggest supporter and possibly the President of my Fan Club.  It calms me like no rum and coke ever could. It steels my nerves and focuses me to the task at hand.  So much from a little stone given to me on a midnight hike in Red Rock Canyon.  Thank you Kelly.  I've said it before, many times each day, but so you know that there is not doubt,  I love you.   Time for me to go kick a curtain, which is paraphrasing for break a leg.