Congratulations Everyone!

Hey!  I figured out how to do this - Wow!  I just wanted to take a minute to thank you all for all your hard work this year.  You put together a tremendous show and I couldn't be more proud of each and every one of you.  I consider myself very blessed to be a part of this group.  We are so thankful to have found such wonderful friends here in WI and so happy to be a part of your productions.  It fills a place in my heart - but to share it with all of you makes it even better.  Again - wonderful job everyone.  Have a great summer off and hope to see you all for next year's show!  Blessings to you all - Sue

Shout Outs!!!!!

I'm so proud of you all!  Each one of you gave your very best, and it showed!  We had three fantastic performances!!  I feel like I just delivered a baby - any stresses or challenges leading up to the show have been forgotten.  Instead, what I have to hold onto is the memory of three beautiful shows!  Thank you for that gift!

I hope you had as wonderful of a time with Willow Blues as I did!  This past year, especially this past week, I truly enjoyed the opportunity to work with you and get to know you better.

Your audience and fellow cast-mates appreciated your efforts as well!  Here are the shout-outs for the entire cast, crew, etc.  (There were a few that I am forwarding directly to the individuals involved.)

"A Fabulous Cast - Great Characterization, Wonderful Acting!
Costumes & Hair:  Fantastic
Set:  Love the trees & walls
Directors::  Well done bringing out the talent in these children!"

"Cast, 'The Joy of the Lord be your Strength'"

"Cast:  You have all worked hard & long and brought a lot of enjoyment to those who watch.  Great job!"  -  Amy Martin

"The Cast:  Wow!  You made me laugh, you made me cry, I am sooo proud of you.  Awesome show.  Congratulations!"  -  Jackie H.

"Cast - Awesome!  Fantastic!  You Rock!  Keep up the good job you do and give God the Glory!" -  The Hintz Family

"Cast/Directors/Stage Crew/Makeup:  Thank you all for such a great year.  I have always prayed for good friends and this year my prayer was answered with meeting all of you.  You all don't know how much I appreciated you ALL!!"  -  Unknown (for now)

"Stage helpers & Mic people:  We love you!  We are so glad that you could have had a part in this play with us though you were not able to act with us!  Hope to see all of you in the next play - whether backstage or on stage!"  -  Anonymous

"The Staff behind the scene:  Great Job!"  - The (okay, I know this is a last name the rest of you probably all know, but I could not figure it out) Eckytrons (?)

"The Crew - You all do a good job with your different jobs.  It is nice to have you work on the lights, music, props, hair & makeup, & curtains."  - Elizabeth Cary

"Char, Sue, Jenny, all directors! - Thank you for all the time & work you have invested (& brain cells) into a great production."  -  Amy Martin

I'm So Proud! *sniff*

GREAT show last night!  Best ever!  It helps having a large audience, doesn't it?  It really brings out the best in you.  

Just a few "constructive criticism" things:

• We can still be a bit louder.  For the first act, I had the music too loud for your voices.  Sorry about that.  (I think we had a better balance for Act II.)  Speaking lines though, still could use a little more "oomph".  A couple of spots that I noticed need to be louder are some of the Translator's lines, although "You need a bigger door," was perfect.  The audience loved it.  And Morgan, in Scene 7 you will be loud enough if you make sure to keep your face to the audience the entire time.  It was only when you looked down at the papers on the desk that I couldn't hear you.
• Some characters need to s-l-o-w  d-o-w-n their lines.  Brandon, Evan, and Henry ~ your volume was good, but some of your lines were too fast.  Remember, the audience is hearing these lines for the first time, so do them a favor and slow down a bit.  Thank you!  (I know that some of your speaking lines are during songs, so you have to go quickly.  On those parts, make sure you speak extra clearly instead.)
• On "Lock, Stock, and Barrel" (verse 3), the words were all good except for some folks are singing "please buy it all" when it should be "please buy the lot".  Nick, I was a hair late for your "By at least one bob."  Sorry.  I'll be quicker tonight.
• Artists ~ a little too much acting in Scene 11 (blowing your noses and such).  Keep doing what you're doing, but just bring it down a notch.  It was merely a bit distracting from the main part of the scene.  Thank you.
• Thugs ~ wonderful job overall on "Pilferin' Porcelain".  Sometimes you were rushing the words on the chorus just a little bit.  Keep your ears open for the music so it's easier to keep in time, okay?  You are still the cutest thugs around.  = )

May I repeat myself, though...what a GREAT show!  I'm so proud of you all!  Last night, I did much less analyzing of the show, and much more of sitting back and enjoying your performance!

Did you hear how the audience loved the parts with the boat?  And Koong-Se's ditzy-ness in thinking Chang was IN the boat?  Nicely played.  Good recovery between "Drink a Cuppa" and the reprise (Maddi, Juli, Ethan, Sloane).  Emma, excellent job adopting the "mustache" lines.  You were loud and clear.  Best ever on "All You Need Is Cash"--singing AND speaking lines.  Well done.  Constable, I liked how you didn't try to talk over the rustling sound of the packing paper when you were digging for the plate.  You waited to speak, and we could hear you loudly and clearly.  Ethan, the Bergmanns were saying they liked how you fell at the gunshot part.  (I was busy looking at the computer screen then, but they said it was great.)  And how about those stage hands and Puff the Dragon during curtain call?  = )

One more thing I'm proud of is outside of your "stage time".  Yesterday, it warmed my heart to see all of you being friends.  It doesn't matter your age--everyone can play Ninja.  Smiles and encouraging comments are everywhere.  Hugs?  Plenty!  I think I am most proud of how you all love each other.  What a beautiful picture of the Body of Christ.  You overwhelm me at times--in such a good way.  = )

You are "a very dedicated group of workers."

"Thank you one and all."

More Stuff I Loved!

Okay, this is just a quick go-through of the notes I wrote down today.  This post is kind of "for fun".  I just love telling you all how great you are!
___________________________________________________________

Emma ~ Great projection on "Thomas"!  Good grief!  I'm your own mother and I never knew you could sing that loudly!  Really, all four of you Workers did a great job on those lyrics today.

Georgi ~ Nice job on Michelle's part today.  Did you feel like you were talking to yourself?  ;)  (Michelle, thanks for getting there as quickly as you could.)

Allie ~ Your timing on coming through the door is always impeccable.

Buddy ~ Good job moving when you saw you were in front of Seth.

Buddy & Seth ~  Good projection on your lines and singing.

Maddy F ~ At first your lines were a little quiet, but you fixed it and got louder.  Good job!

Peter F ~ Your line with "illustrious master" is always crystal clear--and that's a mouthful!

Brandon & Elena ~ I love how you work the part when Chang is being dragged off of the stage.  (You draggers do a great job, too!)  Chang's "Nooooo!" always makes Christian and me laugh out loud.

Angela ~ I loved how immensely annoyed the Contessa was today--in both of her scenes.

Elizabeth ~ You always do a great job "translating".  = )

Drink a Cuppa was very good today.  Whatever you Gypsies did to get on stage quickly without being breathless--keep it up!  Juli, Maddi, and Ethan, you work so well together.

Chang's Friends ~ Best job EVER on Shi-Jing!  You found your places right away, and I could hear much more of your singing.

Henry ~ I love how you do "I know...yer in love."  Everything is very natural and I forget that you're acting.  Also, nice job pulling the good plate out of the box.  Did you hear the audience say, "Ooooooh..."?  That's when they realized what Parimutuel's evil plan was.

Lydia ~ I loved how you gently took Hope's hand at the end of Scene 10 when the curtain was closing.  It was natural and not rushed.

Michelle ~ Your performance is consistently excellent in lines and lyrics.  

Sloane ~ Lovely job on Chasing Dreams Reprise.

Puppet Show ~ One of the puppets was backwards, but you fixed it.  Nice job.

Isaiah ~ I'm still lovin' that fist pump and "Yessss!"  = )

Micayla ~ Good entrance on Scene 14A.

Thugs ~ Best job EVER on Pilferin' Porcelain.  I loved your hand motions, Conner.

Michael ~ Great job on the retrenched line!  And great reaction after Parimutuel tells you, "Not just yet, Shinplaster."  You look disappointed that you don't get to beat up Albert.  

Nick & Henry ~ You both are consistently on your toes and a joy to watch.

Confucius Say Reprise ~ YES!  Loved it!  Thank you for rolling with the punches today!  It looked like we had always done it that way; that's how good it was. 

____________________________________________________________

Our audiences are in for such a treat this weekend!  

Love,
Mrs. Green, #1 Fan

Song Refreshers

LOVELY job today, everyone!  It's amazing how you all step things up when we have an audience.  (Directors, maybe we need to set up a "practice audience" sooner!)  Great show today.  = )

I went back and watched the choreography video for "Confucius Say (Reprise)", and it looks like the Chinese cast is supposed to be a little bit closer to the audience than the English cast.  It's at the end of this post, if you'd like to view it.  However, the English group on stage left is only a little farther back, and the stage right group is waaaay far back.  To simplify things, let's just have every front row person be the same distance from the audience.  That means that the first two people in each row will need to make sure they're lining up with the first two people in the other rows.  The others will fall in line behind you.  

Mrs. Stuewer, I went back and looked to see if I could find a video for the Curtain Call.  I could not.  Sorry.


I know we're back at the high school fairly early tomorrow (noon), but if you are able, please quickly review these songs:

"Thomas" ~ This was MUCH better today.  I could hear all of the Workers' lyrics.  So, great job there!  Still, this song has been a bit inconsistent, so I'd like for everyone to go over this with your CD--just to cement some things before our performance tomorrow.  Eek!  Tomorrow!

"Confucius Say" ~ Great job on all of your words, everyone!  We just need a little more volume.  Families, I really need for you to enunciate extra.  That's because your hats shadow your faces, so we can't see your lips as well.  Practice (with your CD) being louder and singing your consonants in a strong way.  Breathe with your belly.  I know you can do it.  I'm so proud of you!

"All You Need Is Cash" ~ Good timing on your speaking lines during this song, but the words were a bit mushy and a little quiet yet.  Good volume on singing though, everyone.

"Thomas Reprise" ~ This started out below pitch, but you fixed it toward the end.  Practice getting the first note right with your CD.  (Can you hear the music okay?  Do the monitors need to be louder?)

"Tell Me" ~ Could you hear the music okay, Brandon?  The tenor part was a little below pitch.  Do we need more volume in the monitors?

"Now It Falls" ~ The alto was a little under pitch.  Can all of you altos please refresh your memories with the video at the end of this post?  The song starts at 0:37.  The alto chorus part starts at 1:12.  The song ends at 2:23.  (Keep in mind that this video was made before we decided that all ladies would sing both choruses.  I think I say in the video that you only sing the last one.  I still want all ladies to sing both choruses.)  

Thank you, everyone!  I really appreciate all of your hard work and dedication!

Love,
Mrs. Green

Important Change for Chinese Cast!!

Hi Gang,
I apologize for this last-minute change.  I wouldn't do it if I didn't think you could handle it, though.  You guys are so flexible and adaptable!  Thank you for that.

Chinese cast ~ for Confucius Say, at the very end of the play, I'm going to have you help Ta-Jin out a little bit at the start of the song.  This part of the play is so important.  We need the audience to know that Koong-Se and Chang get their happy ending, and that Ta-Jin is fine with that.  

So, Ta-Jin will still yell, "STOP!"  Then you all will join in and sing:

He won't want your daughter for his wife.
It would be a far too stressful life... 

So that top line is the change, and the second line is what you've always been singing.  Continue from there as you usually do.  (Isaiah, you may sing, "I don't want your daughter for my wife.")  

Here's a video with which you can practice:

Please let me know in the comments that you've read and/or watched this.  Also post if you have any questions.  Again, I apologize for this last-minute change.  I should have done this sooner.  Mea culpa.  We will practice this at the end of warm-ups tomorrow.  Thank you.

~ Mrs. Green

Stuff I Loved!

This post is all about the stuff I loved from Thursday's rehearsal.  = )

Scene 1
YAY for Charlie hooking the computer up to the sound board!  I have a half-second delay now, so I was able to time the pause in L, S, & Barrel better for Nick.  Great job, Nick!  And thanks for your patience on that song particularly.

Scene 2
Elena & Brandon ~ great enunciation and volume.
Seth & Buddy ~ I always love watching you.  You crack me up.
Seth ~ great inflection in your speaking lines (going up and down)
Buddy ~ You noticed you were blocking Seth at one point, so you moved.  Excellent.
Peter F ~ good slow speed on your lines

Scene 3
Sloane ~ Good volume and diction, as always
Ethan ~ Nice vowels on Drink a Cuppa!  

Scene 4
Sloane & Ethan ~ You adapted so quickly to the line changes during the song!  Thanks!
Marie ~ Great job on Koong-Suh

Scene 5
Seth & Buddy ~ I love it when the tassels on your hats go back and forth during The Four Starts.  That makes me chuckle.  It's a little Charlie Chaplin-ish.  = )

Scene 7
Nick ~ Bills...rent.  Great!  You got it!
Evan ~ I love the nodding and gestures on "Someone's got to marry the poor."  Good stuff.
Much better timing on the "as a father-in-law" part!
Except for the last spin, the dance interlude was the best I've seen.  Good job.
Better pitch on Thomas Reprise.  I can tell you practiced.

Scene 8
Evan, I liked how you waited for the music to play a little bit before you sang the final "poor".  Your pitch was excellent there.

Scene 9
You all handled the lyrics much better!  Keep up the good work!  

Scene 11
Erica ~ good job on your line
Angela ~ Thanks for remember "Hurrah!"
Everyone ~ The cheering after Angela's line was great!  
The song ~ I could hear the words much better.  (Don't hold out the word "falls" for too long. The chord changes, and then that note clashes.)

Scene 12
Good volume here, Tricia.
(To remind all of you Scene 12-ers of what Mrs. Stuewer said, we'll do all of Scene 12 in front of the curtain tomorrow.)

Scene 13
Isaiah ~ I liked the fist pump after the soldiers lines. 

Scene 14
Sloane ~ Good with "why" in your first line.
Juli & Maddi ~ Love the part where Maddi drags Juli away from Sloane & Ethan!
Thugs ~ Much, much better on "No one's ever doubted that you're honest..."
Michael ~ Almost perfect on your retrenched section!  I can tell you practiced.  Nice!
Ethan ~ Good timing coming out of the kiln.


We're going to have a great week!  I'm so proud of you.  See you all tomorrow!
~ Mrs. Green 

A Couple of Makeup Tidbits

Remember to bring your own box to keep your things in.  It should be a cardboard box or a plastic tote that fits underneath a chair.  Label it with your name.

You will need to provide a long-lasting lipstick for your family, starting on Thursday.  The Victorians especially wouldn't have had the very bright lipstick, so try for a more subtle color.  The Chinese families can probably get away with brighter colors.

Also, bring your own comb along that you can keep in your box and take along when your hair is getting done.

Heading into the Homestretch...

Last year, the evening Kilroy finished, as a joke to my family, I pretended to be looking online for a new script for the next (this) production.  Unfortunately, I got sucked into the experience and stayed up until past 1 a.m. looking at shows.  Silly me!

That was just the beginning.  As you know, it took a long time to pick out a script.  Some scripts didn’t have enough parts, or most of the lines were carried by only a few people.  Some scripts had inappropriate material.  Many of the new scripts Pioneer Drama is putting out revolve around high school activities or vampires.  Not going there!  Some scripts were, well, frankly, dumb.  Some scripts had plenty of parts, but they just weren’t challenging enough for our group.  You are capable of putting on a high caliber show, and I wanted a script that reflected it.

Some shows are too expensive for us and/or they don’t performance CD’s (which we need because we don’t have a band or orchestra).  There were a couple times I thought I had a show picked, and then I backtracked because something was nagging at me that it wasn’t right.  I’m pretty sure the rest of the members of the production team were getting concerned about me, possibly even my sanity.  ;-)

But, then we hit upon Willow Blues, and it was right.  There are plenty of parts (as Mrs. Conto and you family members/Chang’s friends/dragon dancers/sailors/thugs well know!), with interesting characters.  It’s a sophisticated, funny, elegant, lovely show, worthy of your talents!  (Plus, it was in our price range and had the materials we needed.)

But, it’s also been a difficult show to put together.  Without a DVD or youtube videos, it hasn’t always been easy visualizing the production. It’s harder to learn songs without a vocal CD  (Thank you, thank you, Mrs. Green, for all of you efforts!), and it’s just not as fun to listen to the music without the words.  With 2 different locales and so many different sets, it’s been hard to convey how everything should look.  (Huge thanks to Kathy Conto and to Cheryl for all of your work in organizing and making costumes and props!!)  And my understanding of the work involved in all of the set changes was naïve, to say the least. (Tremendous thanks to Sue Kluge for ALL of your behind-the-scene efforts!) 

I have to admit, there were times after rehearsals that I didn’t think it would all come together.  I was concerned that we wouldn’t be able to pull off a show and have the audience understand what was going on.  I worried that it wouldn’t look right.  I was having trouble ‘seeing’ the show.

But on Thursday, I saw it.  And it was splendid!

I can’t tell you how gratifying it was for me to see many of you having fun and enjoying your characters!  This is what I was envisioning when I first looked at the script.  Thank you for all of your patience and work this past year!

To be clear, we’re not quite there yet.  Some of you need to remember to face the audience when you speak.  If someone is standing in front of you, discretely move aside so the audience can see you.  And VOLUME!  Some more of you will be getting miked this week, but all of you should practice saying your lines clearly and loudly.  Practice your songs – know the words and sing them out!! 

Set changes are still difficult.  We’re moving all of Scene 12 to the front of the curtain, so that should help for setting up the puppet show.  We’re also going to run through all of the set changes at the beginning of rehearsal on Tuesday.  

We’re not quite there, yet, but if everyone works hard, I think we’ll peak at just the right time.  Have fun with your roles!  Not in a silly way, but so that we can see you enjoy playing your character. 

Enchant the audience!!

Take Good Care of Yourselves

Now is the time to start taking extra good care of your bodies so you--and your voices--are strong and healthy.  So....

• No late nights (until performances, anyway).  Make sure you are getting proper rest.  Try to sleep in next Saturday/Sunday, with your parents' permission.
• Don't try to survive on junk food.  Caffeine & sugar may give you some quick energy, but protein, nuts, whole grains, fruits & veggies will give you sustained energy and necessary vitamins.  (Do we have any nut allergies in the group?  If we do, then we won't bring nuts as part of our sack lunches/suppers.)
• Take a multi-vitamin, with your parents' permission.
• Wash your hands often.
• Try to stay away from sick people as much as you can.  If you can't, then wash your hands even more often.
• Laugh!  "A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)"

Next weekend, avoid caffeine and dairy products for a few hours before performances.  Caffeine constricts your vocal chords, and dairy products coat them.  (If you drink coffee in the morning or have milk on your cereal, you'll be fine.  Avoid these things for lunch and supper, though.  If you drink caffeine on a daily basis, don't go cold turkey now.  You'll get headaches.  Just try to have your "dose" of it early in the day.)

If your throat gets sore, add some honey to your water bottle.  You can also have a tablespoon of plain honey before you brush your teeth at night.  Just don't swallow any water while you're brushing.  The honey needs to stay in your throat.

Love,

Mrs. Green

Notes from Mrs. Green

I apologize for the fact that most of these notes are somewhat negative in content--as in, "this is what you did wrong".  I just didn't have time to write down all of the good stuff you did.  With another rehearsal tomorrow already, I needed to to this quickly.  Some of this is new information: music cue changes, line changes, lapel mic additions, etc.  (I made mistakes, too, which are pointed out below.)

As much as it depends on you--FULL COSTUMES ARE EXPECTED FROM NOW ON.  You may leave them at the high school if you like, but you need to bring hangers from home.  Now would be a good time to find a box to keep your non-hangable things in.  (This box should be able to fit under a chair.)  Please, take care of your costume pieces and props--hang them up, put them away, etc.  We need to take good care of them so they stay nice and fresh-looking, and so we know where they are.  Also, some of our things are borrowed from elsewhere, and we need to return them in excellent condition.  Let's be good stewards, shall we?


"Thomas"
I'm going to pause the music after Maddi says, "Thomas Barnes is going to save the factory!"    We'll let the curtain open most of the way, and then I'll restart the music.  Then Evan, you can start yelling for Thomas.  That curtain soaks up too much of your voices.  We need to get it out of the way.

It was difficult to hear some of the singing lines still.  I'm going to ask Charlie if he can lower the hanging microphones.  Remember how low they were last year?  I think that would help. Please go over this song with your CD a couple of times before Thursday, though.  I'm not sure everyone was singing when they were supposed to--on time, that is.


"Lock, Stock & Barrel"
Better this week with the 3rd verse.  Now work on enunciation.  British people hit their "t's" harder than we Americans do.  So, work on "loT", "debT', and "forgeT".

Nick, Charlie will have the computer wired into the sound system for Thursday.  I still had a 7 second delay today.  Once it's wired into the sound system, it responds much more quickly, so I'll be able to get the timing better on "by at least one bob."  I hope.  We may have to practice a little extra.


Scene 2
I'm getting there with the gong.  I still had a 7 second delay today, but that will be fixed on Thursday.  Charlie will wire the computer into the sound system for us.  (It's wireless right now, and that makes it take longer.)  I'm also going to have the gong fade out some.  Colter, don't speak until the gong is a little quieter.  We don't want to lose your lines in the resonating gong.

After the curtain closes, and you're talking about the NFL, I'm going to insert some sound effects.  This will help to slow the scene down (which will help out those who are setting up the next scene), and it will cover up some of the noise from behind the curtain.  I'm not exactly sure how this will happen on Thursday, but be prepared to pause after some or all of the "football" lines.

Scene 3
We skipped over Kathryn's line, "Is everybody going to embrace the boy?"  

"Drink a Cuppa"
We're going to put lapel microphones on Juli & Maddi.  (Does Ethan already have one for "Chasing Dreams"?  If he doesn't, then he should get a mic, too.)  

"Chasing Dreams"
I still had a 7 second delay with the music, but Charlie will fix that for Thursday.  Savanna, thanks for rolling with your line even when the music wasn't ready yet.

Trisha, your line about the glazing being fixed needs to be louder.  Good timing, though.

Painters, your lines need to be louder too.  I'll turn down the music some.

Okay, Sloane & Ethan, I'm going to change your speaking lines a little.  There are just too many words to get in that short instrumental, and I can't pause the music without it sounding silly.  And you can't come in any sooner, Sloane.  Your timing has been great there.  Here's what I want you to do:

Kathryn: But being in China would be better than dreaming of being there. (no change)
Thomas: There's a little matter of a vast ocean!
Kathryn: We can buy tickets on a steamer!  I've saved thirty pounds!  (so, just drop "already")
Thomas: We? Well, I've--I've got...LOTS of money saved.
Kathryn: Then it's settled! You. Me. And China!

Marie, you've been saying Kuhng-See instead of Koong-Suh (right after the song).  


"Shi-Jing"
Chang's Friends, don't forget your new spots for this song:

Alex, Gabe, and Peter F are in the front row.

Chris, Peter K, Steven, and Conner are in the back row.

Make sure you are standing in this zig-zag pattern

 (orange line),so we can see each one of you. 

"All You Need Is Cash"

Evan, your pitch was better today.  Nice!  When you sing, "Someone's got to marry the poor" still walk away from the others on stage, but turn the top part of your body toward the audience while you sing.  We'll be able to hear you better.

"As a father-in-law" was better this time, but still a little behind the beat.  I can tell you worked on it though.  Let me know if you can't hear the music well enough.  Perhaps we can turn up the monitors.

The talking part between Albert and Ann needs to be much louder. 

"Thomas Reprise"

Now that I've got the songs in order on the computer, I'll try to play the right one.  ; )

I could tell you were trying to raise the pitch, but it still needs work.  Please practice with your CD's (rehearsal CD for a couple of times, then switch to performance CD for a couple of times).  I could make a vocal video for you, but it wouldn't help any more than the CD's would, since you're not having trouble with the words.

"Handle with Care"

A couple of your hats were too low on your foreheads, sailors.  We couldn't see your cute faces!

Conner, sing "What's to declare?" toward the audience a little bit.  We'll be able to hear you  better.

Slow down your actions on the instrumental part where Thomas is sick.  Pause between each thing and pretend to talk about, "What should we do for him?"  "I don't know."  Give a shrug.  Look around.  "Aha!  Here's some coffee!  I'll try this!"  (Morgan, thanks for filling in today!)  Do those kinds of motions with the pizza and then for the paper bag, too. 

Sailors, at the end of the song, you're supposed to sing, "We're fragile," not "All fragile" or "I'm fragile."  I heard a mixture there.

Peter F, can you slow down your lines a little bit (after the song)?  That would give the scene changers a little more time back there.  Thanks.

Scene 11

We're changing Angela's line from "Three cheers for Monsieur Parimutuel!" to "Hurrah for Monsieur Parimutuel!"  I think that will make this part less awkward.  Right after she says that, cheer and clap in your own way--if your character is happy about this news (for example, workers and artists).  Hug your neighbor or dance a little jig, if you like--but nothing too distracting from the rest of the scene.  

Remember, it's pronounced "miss-YUR".  There shouldn't be any /n/ sound in there. I can't remember now who said it incorrectly, so everyone check yourselves.  I heard it more than once. 

Scene 13

Maria, we are going to give you a lapel mic for this.

We missed a couple of lines on p. 55:

ZHONG: Not if we'd been there, he wouldn't.

FENG: Yeah--we'd have spotted him a mile away!

Scene 14

Sloane, make sure to get the word "Why" in your first line here, otherwise Peggy's line ("Because--because you will when you see it.") doesn't make sense.  I think you said, "What would I want to look at in here?" (p. 57 in your script)

"Pilferin' Porcelain"

Thugs, I gave you a little help Tuesday on "No one's ever doubted that you're honest," but I won't do that any more.  Remember to think ahead.  (A couple of you are thinking ahead.  Thank you.)

Michael, if I have time today, I'm going to make a vocal video for you to help you with that "retrenched" section.  In the meantime, work with your rehearsal CD and play that section over and over.  You can practice chanting the words slowly without the music first, if that helps.  I may not have time today, so don't wait for me to get the video up, okay?

Sorry I missed the gunshot.  Grrrr...7 second delay....  I'll get it tomorrow!

"Confucius Say ~ Reprise"

Isaiah--we needed you!  You can not miss this cue!

Chinese cast--"HE's the one that SHE'll harangue."  I'm still hearing some of you singing it backwards.  If you just can't remember, then sing "Ee's the one that ee'll harangue."  I know that sounds silly, but the /sh/ sound is too obviously wrong when it's in the wrong place.

At the end of the song, stage left (the audience's right) is a little crowded.  Your lines (that you are standing in) are too close together.

Thomas, we need to get a sling on you before this scene.  Apparently, you are the one who gets shot in the arm by Parimutuel's gun.  It should be the arm that Kathryn is NOT hanging onto.  You'll need to modify your dancing during the song accordingly.

Whew!  That's a lot!  And I know the other directors are working on their lists.  Please make the musical as much of a priority as your parents allow for this week and the next.  We need your time and focus.  Thank you! ~ Mrs. Green

April 16 Rehearsal Notes

Yesterday, when I returned home from play practice, I saw this posted on my facebook timeline:  “Things musicals taught me – ‘Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.’ Les Miserable”

It was a tough play practice.  We had a late start because the dressing room wasn’t open and because people arrived late.  I will try to make sure the dressing room is open earlier.  I would ask that you all try to arrive in time to change into your costumes so you’re ready to go by 12:30.

It was confusing adjusting to the prop changes.  I will go through the script and see if there are items we can eliminate to simplify the sets.  I ask that you all will be sure to double check when you need to move props.

The background noises were still way too loud and people missed their cues.  I understand it was confusing backstage and you were having a hard time following along.  I will see if we can find adults to help you out.  You need to make sure that you’re paying attention, not goofing off with your friends, and are ready to go when it’s time.

Okay – onto my general notes from rehearsal.  Most of the things have been covered already.

Everyone – notch up the volume!!  If the audience can’t hear or understand you, it’s not going to be fun for them to watch!!!

Some of you are speaking too much to the side.  Try to look out at the audience more as you talk.

Chinese families – Practice being louder with your songs.  Buddy & Seth are always louder than you are, and it’s only the two of them.  I would also like to see some more reactions from you when you hear your case has been dismissed.  Happiness, relief, etc.

I noticed there were a number of times when people, especially in the factory setting, were being blocked.  If you can see that someone is standing in front of you, adjust your position so that the audience can see you!!

Sailors – You sound great at the beginning and at the end of Handle with Care.  We really need to hear you in the middle, too! 

Sweethearts – you haven’t seen your fellas in months.  Be sure you’re happy to see them!

Little girls in Scene 10 – be sure you’re looking at Koong-Se, and not at the sailors.  Just pretend the sailors aren’t there.

Don’t rush the end of Scene 10!!!

In Scene 11 – Barnes & Gilbody, I think we’ll have you get off the tables from behind.  It’ll be more ladylike. 

Angela will be changing her line to “Hurrah for Monsieur Parimutuel!”, then everyone can clap or cheer briefly.

Thugs – after you’re done with Pilfering Porcelain, be sure to back up so Katherine can get through.

Brandon – thanks for filling in for Ethan.  You did a great job!

Morgan – You rock!! Awesome job as Thomas!

On Thursday, I would like to meet with Sloane, Peter F., Elliot, Seth, Marie, Maddie F., and Isaiah.  I have very brief individual comments for you.

Even not-so-great rehearsal will end, and the next one will be fantastic!  Let’s make it happen!!!

Song Notes

In general--we still need to speak up some when the curtains are moving (including the scrim).  It was better this time, though.

"Thomas"

Better job in dealing with the curtain!  I guess I'll keep the music turned up.  I think a singing cue was missed because the music was too soft.  Monitors will help.  Hopefully Charlie can get those for us tomorrow.

Sloane, thanks for singing with Erica. 

Maddi & Juli, does the "I'd try the biscuit room" line come too soon?  I could put the workers on that line instead of you two.  

"Lock, Stock, & Barrel"

Nick, I'm still trying to figure out the delay between the computer and when the music comes out of the speakers.  On Thursday, everything was wireless.  Charlie is going to work on wiring everything to the soundboard so there's less of a delay.  That will help.

Third verse, people...THIRD VERSE.  I expect perfection tomorrow!  
Lock, stock, and barrel...please buy the lot.
Please buy the fact'ry...please buy the shop.
Please buy the benches...shelves and door and bell.
And though we're in debt, don't forget, to buy our jobs as well!

"Confucius Say"

Seth & Buddy, great job on your lines!  Good enunciation, inflection, and volume.  You were a little ahead of the beat on the song sometimes.  If you watch the video, you'll see what I mean.  Hopefully we'll get some monitors soon, and that will help you hear the music a little better.  Still, try not to rush.

"Drink a Cuppa"

Good job, Savanna, while I was trying to get the music started.  I still have to work out the timing.

Ethan, watch your vowel on "girl for me."  Sing it the lower way, if that helps.

"Chasing Dreams"

Sloane & Ethan, you have so many words to get out in the dialog part of the song.  Should we try to cut some of those?  I hate to make you rush, and I don't know that all of those words are necessary.  

Watch your diphthongs, Ethan.  See "Notes for Songs from Act 1" post for details.

Near the end of the song, the script says, "So will we always be us two?"  I think you're singing "it" instead of "we".  That's okay.  It still makes sense.  Just make sure both of you sing the same thing there.

"Shi-Jing"

Elena, before the song, your first line has the word "interminable" in it.  It's pronounced in-TERM-in-ah-bull.  Put the emphasis on "term".

Great job, Brandon!  You were a little late starting singing, but caught up quickly.  The lyrics about the tiger are "turned around to flee".  We changed that from "turned as one to flee" because we only have one tiger.  = )  Great job, overall though.  

Chang's Friends ~ much better this week!  Your side-step started to fall apart near the end, so try to stay focused throughout the whole song.  

"All You Need Is Cash"

Nick, bills...then, rent.

Still behind on the beat on "father-in-law".  Perhaps monitors will help, but still work on it.  "do you wanna-be" needs to be quicker.

Your speaking lines in the song were a little better, but they need to be much louder.  And be more annoyed with Miss Chamberlain, Albert.  She's not supposed to be hearing this, in your opinion.  This is none of her business.

When you three gents start your dance, make sure you have an arm's length distance between you, so that when you spin you don't run into each other.


"Thomas Reprise"

This is still under pitch.  Let's go over it on Tuesday.


"All You Need Is Cash Reprise"

Evan, instead of going down on your knees the first time, just stand and pull out your pockets.  Go down on your knees on the last "poor", though. 

The lyrics are behind the beat here, too.  And the slow "As a father-in-law" part is late.  Let's go over this too.


"Handle with Care"

The words were a teensy bit late at the beginning of the song.  Think ahead of the song, take a nice big breath early, and then sing "Here's China from China" loudly and clearly.  

Conner, great job on "What's to declare?"  Can you please turn your head to the audience a little bit as you sing this?  

I think you got into the box-throwing a little too much and then you forgot about verse two? "Our captain is fearless..."  Let's not throw the boxes quite so high.  They're supposed to be light boxes, but not empty boxes, right?

We need to take our time giving Thomas things during the instrumental.  Slow that whole thing down.  It'll help when we have real props.  Ethan, maybe you can use more of the stage when you're looking for somewhere private to throw up.  You have lots of time.  Go the other way first, frantically searching for a spot.  Then go back toward the sailors and past them.  Then...vomit away!  ; )

Verse three was great, sailors!  It fell apart a little at the end, when the ladies came on.


"Tell Me"

Brandon, I knew that we threw you off when we were messing with the microphones.  Sing the harmony part if you can, but you did the right thing by going to the melody when we threw you off.  Just don't let your face show that you're doing something other than what you originally meant to do.  The audience will never know....


"Now It Falls"

Great start to the song, Michelle.

Everyone, anticipate your next line--especially after the little instrumental parts.  Also, sing a little louder, please.

On the chorus, you need to enunciate a little more.  The more singers there are, the easier it is for things to get muddy-sounding.  


"Chasing Dreams Reprise"

Nice emotion in your solo here, Sloane.  Remember that we changed the lyrics on the last line to "And yet I'm here, still chasing dream, with you."


"Pilferin' Porcelain"

Much better job on "No one's ever doubted..." thugs!  Remember to think ahead so you all can get it perfectly.  When you're singing, "That's..our..game," I want you to already be thinking about "No-one's ever doubted," okay?  Much better, though!  YAY!

Michael, your solo line is a mouthful, isn't it?  Whew!  I mean, who ever says "retrenched" these days?  Keep working at it, though.  You'll get it!  = )  And LOVELY job on "Genteel and refined".  That was your best ever on that part.


"Confucius Say Reprise"

Isaiah, your "Stop" was in perfect timing, but the rest of it was rushed.  Slow that part down, and don't forget to YELL!!!!  

"HE's the one that SHE'LL harangue."  I'm still hearing that switched around from some of you.  

Nice job Colter and Ethan (on the talking parts).  Ethan, over-enunciate "not get joke".  That's a good line.  Relish it. 

Excellent ending, "This play's through!"  

Mrs. Kluge's Notes

While I know all the scene change notes were brand new Thursday, there were a number that were missed.  Please make sure you check the list on each side of the stage to be sure you know when you're asked to move a set piece.  It's not hard and no one has to do all that much.  Please be ready off stage to move your set piece quickly during scene changes - it's just as important as being ready back stage to go on for your part.

Videos from April 11th

It was so nice to have everyone back at rehearsal yesterday!  Now we can really get somewhere.

Thanks for your patience as we tried to figure out some sound and lighting things.  It's great to have Charlie, isn't it?

Here are the videos.  Between three memory cards, I managed to record the whole musical (except for a few lines in Scene 9 when I was switching cards.)  

I'll put my notes on songs in another post, so stay "tuned".  (Get it?  Tuned?  Because they're notes on the songs?) ~ Mrs. Green, the bad-pun queen

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5 (up to "Shi-Jing")

Scene 5 (from "Shi-Jing" through "The Four Starts")

Scene 5 (after "The Four Starts")

Scene 6

Scene 7

Scene 8

Scene 9 ("Handle with Care" only)

I missed the lines after the song.  Sorry!

I had to switch memory cards right then.

Scene 10

Scene 11

Scene 12

Scene 13

Scene 14

Scene 15