The theatre is building its own set for this show, which has been pretty rare in the years I've been here. The set is being recreated by our very talented head painter, Matt, based on the design used for an earlier production. While I've seen pieces of it under construction in our warehouse, this is the first opportunity I've really had to see all the plans and have it fully explained. I'm excited about it. After the meeting Matt took me back to the warehouse to look at it again, now that it's closer to completion, and I have a better context for it.
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Simultaneously, the most significant project of the year was going on onstage: the replacement of the entire deck surface. The deck has been due for replacement since at least last year, and Singin' in the Rain sealed its fate with the inevitable water damage. As I mentioned last week, several sections had to be replaced during the run, including one emergency replacement at intermission. The crew did a lot of work today, almost all of the new surface has been laid. It still needs to be screwed down more permanently and then painted, but it looks great already.
I also got to see something I'll probably never see again -- the actual stage floor of the Robinson Theatre, just before the last of the large pieces was laid over it.
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Bye-bye old deck!
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Our rehearsal schedule in the afternoon was very easy -- just music rehearsals with a few principals. I sat around and worked on some leftover notes from the meeting, and getting the contact sheet ready. In the evening we had the whole company present. Seventy-seven. Yes, 77. Seven seven. Forty-nine adults, twenty-eight children. This is only slightly more than my previous Reagle-high of 72 for Carousel. I've heard people saying 61 all day, but by my count I get 77. To be perfectly honest, I think once you get beyond 50 it's all the same.
Anyway, with this mass of people, we did a read/sing-through of the show, including watching the DVD of the movie for the ballet scene. Our choreographer, Gemze de Lappe, was the original dancer portraying Simon of Legree in the "Small House of Uncle Thomas" ballet, and she also dances the role in the movie, which I didn't know until recently. She's wearing a giant mask so it's impossible to tell it's her, but it was fun to see her performance from over 50 years ago. I have no doubt she could do it today at 80-something! She doesn't join us until tomorrow, but I've worked with her before on Carousel, and she's quite an amazing lady.
Tomorrow is our first full day of rehearsal, and I'm looking forward to it.
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