Stage Banter: The Arena Stage Blog

"The best seat in the house"

Hi bloggers,

The show is up and running. And it’s a great experience. The audience close to the band always responds when “the ladies” of the band show up. And there are no shortage of compliments on the dresses!! Since I sit in front of one of the AC vents, I’ve taken to wearing a “little light something” over my shoulders to prevent getting a stiff neck or back. It’s the best seat in the house!

Each night I take a few notes while the show is running, hopefully not too noticeable. Balance issues, bad notes I hear, tempo and coordination comments, cue lights and controls that need re-positioning. And during the days, the understudies work with Jose, my assistant, and Susan, the stage manager to be ready “just in case.” I hear they’re doing great! If Julie goes on for “Sally,” she will sing in higher keys than Meg – so we’ve got those transpositions ready in the band books – although they’re not rehearsed. That will happen right on the job!

Yummy cookies and cakes continue to show up backstage. Got to watch uncontrolled eating – it’s that vanity thing in a dress ...

-George

Call and response

Hi Arena Bloggers,

Now that the show is up and running, I can actually respond to a few comments that have been posted here, both musical and non...

Wow... when do you sleep?
Yes, it’s a busy schedule, but I’m good about getting the gym, sleeping seven hours a night, and watching how many backstage goodies I consume. You’d be careful too if you had to wear a dress on stage!! I've gotten run down on projects in the past and I try to be extra good to myself while I’m working this hard.

(In response to my post about the drag costumes:) George – I guess the big question is, do you have the legs for the outfit?
Thanks to my Mom, YES!! See for yourself.

George, thank you for all of this insight. Would enjoy reading more about the logistics of cuts and handling transpositions: are these by hand, worked in some notation software (e.g., Finale), or some other mechanism?
You should see my score!! I make the cuts in pencil – they keep changing right up to opening – so nothing in ink or printed. Once things settle down, the orchestra parts get cleaned up (thanks to the tireless work of Jose Simbulan, the assistant music director).

Would you please share with us what you told the Helen Hayes judges about what MD’ing is and is not?
We talked for a couple of hours and I’ve recently been told that one the judges now looks at musicals in an entirely different light. To summarize in one sentence, I basically told them that every single note, musical element, musical sound (not sound effects), tempo, introduction, dance arrangement, vocal harmony, song interpretation, song key, transition music, instrument choice, and musical performance is the result of the work of the music director.

Any suggestions on where/how to get the rights to “Mein Herr/Maybe This Time”? I’m starting to work on a production of this and nobody seems to know...
We had to go directly to the creator since he is the only one who can give the rights.

Since you’re sharing almost everything about rehearsals, can you give us that key lime bar recipe too?
HAH! Never. (Hint: check out past issues of Cook’s magazine.)

 

-George

Life is a ...

Dear bloggers …

What a great opening last night. The cast was psyched, as was the crew and band. I had some friends in the audience who came up to me while I was on stage before Act 1 and Act 2. The Act 1 folks remarked on the dress and the pearls. Gratefully, the Act 2 folks had more to say about the Act 1 they just saw. The somber-ness of the closing of the second act was quickly dispelled by the festivities in the lobby afterwards. Bratwurst and cabbage – that was first for “show food,” I’m sure. A couple of people came up and spoke to me about this very blog, but I’m still hoarding that key lime cookie recipe.

Today was take-a-nap day and I’ll go in early to clean up the performance score, go through scripts and past scores I’ve got stored in the dressing room, start making a copy of the show book as a back-up, check up on times for the understudy rehearsals, and determine what keys the Sally understudy sings best in. We’ll have to make special orchestra parts in case she goes on since she has a higher voice than Meg. The other understudies will sing in the same keys, luckily.

I also get a long overdue haircut today and even go to the gym to “relax” a bit.

-george f-s, aka franco al dente (at the piano)

Opening Night tonight!

Dear Arena Bloggers,

It's been WAY too long since I’ve written, but I just have not had the space to sit down and collect my thoughts. I know, that’s no excuse, but the work has been non-stop. And “stop” is just another word for “sleep”! The entire cast and band has lived through the most intense period in any production, namely, the tech process, the preview process, and, tonight, OPENING. Energy is very high in the cast, and Molly’s leadership is the best ANYWHERE for inspiring, guiding and igniting a cast and production crew.

This afternoon I’ll get some gifts to distribute to cast and band and crew, maybe go to the gym or get a massage, study my score one more time, get some spicy clothes ready for the pre-show dinner, heat up the stage with my fantastic drag band, and then celebrate at the post-show party. 

Hope to see you THERE!!

-George

 

Dear Blog ...

Sorry it’s been so long, but energy has just NOT been available. By the end of the rehearsal day, this guy is just out o’ steam.

Take today, for instance. Teching is a wonderfully detailed process of putting all the elements of the show together. It’s when teamwork either works well or NOT. We’re doing great under Susan White’s great leadership – gotta love that stage manager – she’s the BEST!!

OK, so we didn’t finish teching the show but we did make it through Act 1 before dinner break. Some of the costumes are outrageous – but, of course, the most outrageous costume moment of the day came at 6:30 when the band showed up and got into their drag for the first time. Imagine a room full of straight guys wondering how to get into their dresses, wigs, garters and hats!! I guess you had to be there. 

I finished putting on my own costume, and looked in the mirror. Imagine my amazement when it was indeed my GRANDMOTHER looking back. Same face, hair, and dress – I swear it. By the end of that rehearsal I had removed my wig and hat – couldn’t hear that well. Adjustments are forthcoming.

But the band did splendidly in playing Act 1. No train wrecks and the pieces generally fit. That was the first time we saw how reversing the order of scenes 1 and 2 worked. It’s now in the original order once again. Guess they knew what they were doing all along! 

The first time we’ll put Act 2 with band will be in front of the preview audience – a little scary I think. We’ll also be putting in an arrangement of “Maybe This Time” and adding several sounds and patch changes to the electronic keyboard I have – like celeste, bells, xylophone and even a pipe organ. Jose will be programming tomorrow and I’ll give it a test drive during rehearsal.

More later ... now to dreamland ... 

-George

Week's end

Yes, indeed, we finished blocking the second act and even did a “stumble-through” of it. Very powerful and hard not to get très upset at all this Nazi history unfolding before our eyes. I got my two-hour music rehearsal this morning and worked on shaping consonants, getting the right intention in the voice color, and correcting “who-sings-what-when” in the larger numbers. At this point I wanted to work with actors doing their blocking – in motion. What good is getting the music right and then not being able to think about it when you’re doing blocking and “ography”? Very useful morning.

And, yes, they got their just rewards. The Key Lime bars came out great. Quite the “pick-me-up” before the stumble-through. Totally cleaned out the pan.

Tonight I’ve been looking through my classical music collection. We’re playing with the idea that Ernst plays romantic piano while violence is going on onstage. Something German of course. I’ll bring in several Beethoven pieces to look at. And one by a guy named “Keiser.” A complete unknown for sure, but a sweet piece that might fit the bill – and written by a German.

As a result of the Act 2 run, there were a couple of structural problems we need to look at tomorrow; then another pass at Act 2 at day’s end.

Meanwhile, I’ll be busy this weekend getting my performance piano/conductor’s score ready for the band rehearsal Tuesday eve. Send good vibes!

-George

Coffee and sweets keep us going.

Closing in on the end of another juicy week and, best news, we’re almost done blocking the show. For me that’s a great place to be because it means that many of the the music choices have been made – at least for the most part. I’ve crafted each song as to how and when to begin, how much underscoring is needed, what is the best key for the singer to be in, special accents for the choreography that’s being created, tempos for songs, choice of instruments and, most importantly, how to best support Molly’s story-telling. Now that we’ve got the first complete sketch of the show, Jose and I can work to get the individual parts ready for the band BEFORE first rehearsal on the 29th! We've got a big room set up and music for all the instruments all over the place. Every change we make in the score, every “tailoring” of the moment, every musical idea – all these mean some change in the music – and this means changing all nine instrumental parts. It’s a huge “detail oriented” job. Good thing there’s an ever-full kettle of coffee around!

I still don't know what I’LL be playing! As of tomorrow, we’ll have the performance keyboard in the rehearsal room so I can get used to it in my role as piano/conductor. I’ve been playing from a piano/vocal rehearsal book. At some point I'll have to make a piano/conductor performance book – and let the rest of the band play all the hard stuff!! (just kidding...)

Speaking of tomorrow, I get two glorious hours to work on the music with the cast. Both David and Molly won’t be available, so, I'll get the cast to shape and refine the singing in the large ensemble numbers. And because they’re going to be FABULOUS when we’re done with that process, I’ve made a big tray of key lime bars tonight as their reward.  I’d save you some, but they will surely be gone in a flash!!

-George

"The Jungle," the musical?

Howdy once again.

Today I remembered one of the funniest quotes so far in this process. We were going around the room yesterday with each person saying what they thought of the first Act I stumble-through. Walter Charles offered this quip: “People who like sausages and musicals should never see how they’re made.” Thought I would break a rib laughing. But he is SO right. It almost makes me feel you’d be better off not having me add to the blog pile!

Well, maybe just a bit.

Got the music today from the Library of Congress for an arrangement of “Mein Herr” we can use. Taught it to the ladies – Meg already knew it. And off we went to blocking it. Quite a gutsy number. Then one of our entertaining production meetings with all designers and technical staff over lunch. You definitely don’t want to know about these sausages.

And by late in the day we had finished making more cuts and did another stumble-through of act one with designers in attendance – lighting and sound and sets and costumes. Went quite well. I was at the piano the entire day and really appreciated an unsolicited shoulder rub from a cast member. I've got the “warning” lines and the “cue” lines written in for Act I – I depend on these to help me navigate playing and “acting” (since I’m on-stage for the entire act).

Finally, at the end of the day, I reviewed the score with my assistant, Jose, to make sure we were on track for getting the music ready for the first “orchestra read” coming on the 29th. Looking forward to hearing the band parts!!

-George

Will they have to shave their legs, too?

Today, Saturday, on a break in rehearsal:

Whew. The drummer fits. We had him in today with his drum kit to see if he would fit where we hoped he would and still leave room for the t’sax and the t’bone. And it worked. Also we found the accordion player comes with his own stool and that puts him up a little higher. I think the best place for him is the mouth of vom 2 [between the east and south tiers in the Fichandler], right in front of the rest of the vom 2 players – with the tuba on top.

I think it only fair to make sure the band members know they are playing characters in this show. Or maybe band players are band players, no matter the time or place. But these guys are going to be in drag. I think that'll make a difference, don’t you???

“Maybe This Time” we decided to end big, not like the ’98 version. Whew. Meg’s doing great. Glad we got the rights to this.

OK, break’s almost over. We're staging the big “Money” song. Costumes galore and massive staging make this a big number. And later I get to teach “Tomorrow” – looking forward to hearing these guys sing sweetly!

-George

Dropping Sally's keys

Yesterday we got moving further into Sally's songs.  Boy, does Meg have a low voice!  And we're playing those scenes pretty dark as well.  So, one by one, we worked on each song to find the "right key" for her to sing in.  I tried to shut my eyes to the fact that every key change requires changing every part in the band, and just trusted in the magic of theater and of assistants.  These songs included "Maybe This Time," "Mein Herr" and "Cabaret."  Yup, all keys went DOWN by the end of the day.  Right after that rehearsal I went into a recording session to make a CD of all these songs for Meg to work with -- and in these new and lower keys.

 

Just finished setting up the "music room" in one of the dressing rooms.  I've finally got room to spread out the band parts.  We're making some nip 'n' tuck changes to dance arrangements that mean getting into the parts and making these changes.  Not to mention all those transpositions (key changes)!!

 

Next, I'm going into a dance rehearsal to see how the music and the dance fit together.  The dancers are pretty amazing -- and I want them to sing at the same time!!!

-George