We are in good shape folks. While today's show was not perfect, it was very well acted and sung. The sets look great, as do the costumes. So overall, we have a lovely theatrical picture. We are tweaking the lighting tomorrow so it will look even better. I think we really have a hit on our hands! So sell those tickets!
For tomorrow: We will settle in at 3:30pm We will run all the narrator scenes We will run the fight scene between Gaston and Beast We will run Guest, Gaston and Human Again If time permits, we will run Belle - - but that number is looking great. Notes from Today: All: Open up more to the audience, especially the leads and slow down lines, diction Narrators: Be more expressive, elongate lines, be more dramatic, pretend you are telling a story to a small child Wolves: Mr. Goins will be there on Thursday and Friday shows. He may be entering from the audience. I am sorry that we don't have wolf hats for everyone, but if you have a black cap or ski hat, bring those in. D'Arque/Vershawn: Use the white belt. It is taped to the wall on stage right where you enter. Be creepier. Gaston: If you have a pocket, put the money sachel in your pocket at the start of the show. Mugs: I fixed 1 mug and made 2 others tonight. Wig People: You need skull caps and then you need to bobbie-pin your wig to your head. We will help you do this. Beast: Less volume when angry. And remember to change into your one-piece wig after the Beauty and the Beast scene. Let's do that as a rehearsal tomorrow. Beast: When Belle tries to say goodbye to her father after she trades places, stop her with a growl and by blocking her. Don't touch her, but frighten her. Score cards: We will make those 10.0, 9.5 and 10,0 signs for the Gaston spitting part of Gaston Gaston Song: Figure out when we stop clanging mugs Mob Song: Very end needs a tweak or two, but looks great. We could use a few more branches or brooms held up high! Beast: Have a tray when walking on before the line "Act like a Gentleman" This should be set stage right for you. Julia Shovan, please assist with this. Crew: Rose table more upstage, we will mark it once we find the best position. I think this is the only time it will come on stage Crew: Lose the fireplace log after the first time we use the fireplace Crew: Flash lights during all the wolf scenes, end of Mob Scene and part of the battle Beast: no cape for Beauty and the Beast song. I think you only wear the cape for the first 3 scenes. ALL: No sneaking onto stage. All cellphones OFF as it interferes with microphones. Cleaner curtain call. Bring water bottle with your name on it. And a big thank you to all the parents who have helped us to include Ms. Erle, Mr. Vince, Ms. Edgevich, Ms. Carol, Mr. John, Ms. Sonya and many others. Looking forward to tomorrow. Wear your Beauty shirts!!! Best, Mr. Todd
0 Comments
On Thursday: All kids stay after school to work on last minute tweaks. We will rehearse until about 4:45pm or so. Then all the kids will partake in our Thursday Night Opening Night Dinner. Everything is set for that. The kids will eat until about 5:15 or so, then we will get into hair, make-up, costumes, etc. We perform the first show at 7pm.So the kids DO NOT go home on Thursday until after the performance.
On Friday: Kids leave school via the bus, BUT all actors and crew should be back at the school at 5pm. If you can, please come with hair and make-up done. Please let me know if you will have trouble getting your child back to the school by 5pm and we can arrange a carpool or something. Thanks. On Saturday: Call time for crew and actors is 5pm. Again, come with hair and make-up done. On Sunday: Call time is at 2pm. Show is at 4pm. Please stay afterwards to help clean-up, return the stage to a classroom, etc. Important Notes: All costumes stay at the school Crew needs to be in all black clothing My cell: 410-302-2050 WOW,
Great job today, At times, I felt taken away to the story you were telling me, so I know we have the magic to tell this incredible tale. Some beautiful acting, dancing and singing, too. Give me more! I may come around tomorrow as we prepare to run the show and ask you your characters first name, your age, what you do for a living, what do you know about the caste, who is in your family... so be thinking... The crew did a awesome job today with still some kinks to work out, but we will! Mr. David, Ryan and Mr. Bill will focus on the lighting design. Mr. Ed, who is just awesome on the board and with awesome sound effects, will work with the narrators and soloists tomorrow before the run. Practice your lines! Here are some notes and things to do/get: ALL: Open up, either full to audience or a 3/4 turn. Don't turn you back on the audience. Let everyone see you. ALL: Diction and slow it down. GIve me some beats between lines, before lines or punch lines or for dramatic effect ALL: Sing out and smile AND have fun Plates: You look awesome up there on the risers. We just need to keep you mostly full to the audience, and I want you to come down the steps in each number. I am thinking in Human Again that you should enter from the steps, 2 on each side. We will work on this before the run-thru tomorrow. James, can you assist with this? RUG: I need you to do a trick, cartwheel at the end of each number, perhaps the worm in Guest and a cartwheel or nice spin Silly Girls: Thank you for the LALALAs!! Now lets add a waving hand move up in the air on those. LALALA! Love it. CREW: Rig Smoke Machine under steps, work on Library Scene Change, mark the windows and move the 2 side ones over more to SL and SR, let's use the walkies ALL: Does anyone have a set of walkies or 2-day radios we can borrow. Preferrably with earbuds MOB Song: Not in Sync with Music, Get those props. Overall looked great. The battle was darn good tonight! Keeping bringing it. Flatware up higher with props to the music beats. Better ending. CREW: You need to be all in black Trees: Olivia and D are Trees. Mr. Bill and I finished them tonight and they look darn cool. I need 2 crew members or actors to be the other 2 trees. See me tomorrow to be assigned and shown how to be a tree. Thanks. BELLE: At the end of Belle, be reading as you lean on the proscenium arch. It will divide you better from the crowd VILLAGERS: Near the end of Belle, when Gaston is on the well, I would like you to try to circle around the well in a counter-clock turn, on a count of 8. We will try this before the run-thru Maurice: Circle the well with you cart 2 times before moving wider. You never need to leave the stage area. This will give time for the flats to go off, then the well, and the trees on. Maurice: Be more excited and freaked out by all the enchanted items, but you love it at the same time. After cart crash, fall back to clear machine. Belle run to help him. Be in front of the machine. Rose Blanket: Be more graceful with the blanket. Some in with it billowing. Dance around with it at the end, over your head. I will show you. Crew: Make room for Maurice by moving the panels when he enters with invention Crew: Clear a spot for to access the light panel on SR. Crew: Level benches with tape Lindsay: Change line to: Oh, lets pretend the Gaston really wants to marry you. Soooooo, what's it like to be the Mrs. Gaston? ALL: DON"T MISS ENTRANCES, ahem, Gaston, Napkins, Silly Girls - - you know who you are! CREW/CURTAIN: Curtain Closes after the Silly Girls sing the Belle Reprise and after Belle crosses past curtain line PROPS AND SETS: We need a fancy table skirt for Belle's Bedroom, something very frilly, as well as a picture frame, big brush, fake flowers in PLASTIC VASE POTTS/MADAME and BELLE: After Home Reprise (which was lovely) let's try again to exit down steps SL. Belle you go first and help them down if need be PUB Patrons in GASTON: Be animated, have strong drinking pose, a few people should be telling stories or jokes at the tables, others should be listening and then start to listen to Gaston and LeFou as they start to sing. Now you are listening to their story, which is always pretty good. Remember to Stand on the benches. Maurice: Good excitement in the pub Belle. Slow it down and say last line "then I'll save her myself" out to the audience and then run off. COGS: Good job tonight. Give me more. Have a nervous twitch, like shaking your hands, drumming your hands on your costume or something. Remember to go up steps, pantomime no dinner date scene with Belle and come back to tell the Master, "She she ah she ah (beat, beat) she's not coming. Good laugh after Broke line - - make it longer and bigger. Slow Down your lines and Diction. But I'm hungry *beat, beat) "except that." MUSIC?????? Beast: Overall, great job. Stay more open to audience. More 3/4 turns. Try some lines in the show less angry. He is angry at the beginning but slowly starts to melt as soon as Belle comes to the Castle. Gaston: Be more macho. Strike a manly pose and then say your line. Bigger on Whipsering with LeFou. I liked when LeFou jumps in your arms at the end better. Luminere: Slow down lines. Add pose on the click before start of Guest. Was there missing lines after Beauty and the Beast tonight? NOTHING BUT A FOOL: Belle and Lumiere DSR, Beast UC and Cogs DR. BEAST: Make the 2nd Nothing but a fool sound depressed or like you may cry WOLVES: Be ready and be one stage. Come on whether you have a mask or not. We are trying to get more hats. If you have a black or gray winter nylon skull hat, bring that in. CREW: Maybe we move the fireplace more right for easier way to get on and off??? But actors do need to get around it. SOMETHING THERE: Enchanted leads please stay to the left of the library Props: Sachel of $$$ White Belt for D'Arque/Vershan needs brighter Villager Costume and white socks. He can wear the same pants CURTAIN CALL: Sloppy start, but it got better. We will hold the music for abut 3 more seconds so you can get into place. The curtain does not close. The first line should get there as the lights are coming back up. Music starts when lights go up. Wait for everyone in your group to get in line before grabbing hands and doing bow. Otherwise, not too shabby. :) PROPS/MUGS: We either need a few more fake plastic mugs, which we can spray grey and/or we need to fix the ones that are broken. Does anyone have any grey plastic mugs. Or mugs you don't care if we paint? WIGS: Put them away in the plastic it bag they came in. All wigs should live together in one larger bag. Props: Unbreakable vase for rose D'Arque/Vershawn: I have a white belt for you to use a prop. See me about that, as well as adding a white ascot to your costume LeFou: Fabulous. I have a cap for you. Belle: Lovely. Don't forget to look at Beast before you exit during Something There. Choreograph your dress changes. Lines were dropped tonight so I think you have time. You sound beautiful and I love your character choices. TO MANY: I am seeing some great acting on stage. Good job! Remember good freezes, interesting poses, fake-talking without sound or over-doing it Chip: Add line, Oh, man, when Mama tells you off to bed Madame: Slow down on ending line, "I'm surprised that is still fits me after all these years." If the music is not yet done, then add a line. "The last time I wore this was when I was starring in the opera Romeo and Juliet at the Vienna Opera House. I was stupendous, if I must say so myself... well, there.... I just did." CREW: You are working so hard. I appreciate all that you are doing. And Mr. Vince is awesome! See you all on Wednesday for our 3rd Dress Rehearsal (which will include some hair and make-up as we will NOT have time to do everyone. I want to run the show by 4:40pm and run a few scenes as outlined above. So there will NOT be time for too much hair and make-up. Sorry, but that will happen on Thursday, fer sure. Best, Mr. Todd I look forward to morrow, Mr. T0dd Parents, Cast and Crew:
We will run the show on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with costumes, all sets, props, audio and lights. Students will be responsible for their costumes and props, and putting them away neatly at the end of each run-thru and performance. We will need parents to lend us a hand in returning the stage area for Dr. Robert's class each day. Here is some details: 1. Remove the chairs, stands and piano from the stage area, putting them in the hall 2. Open the dividing wall 3. Move back the risers and set the steps 4. Set Props and Set Pieces where they need to go 5. Get into costume 7. Ryan: Work with Mr. David Castle Smith to set-up lighting system 8. Crew: Work with Mr. Vince on crew set piece assignments, marking set pieces, etc. This will bring us to about 4:30 pm, at which time we will get microphones, have a short group circle and then run the show. The show takes about 90-minutes to run. So this will take us to about 6:15 or so. After we run the show, this is what needs to occur: 1. Stay on stage for about 10-minutes of notes (cast and crew) 2. Take off costumes, gather all costumes and hand them back up 3. Clean-up your area 4. Store all props in one place (stage left) 5. Move some set pieces to downstage for storage 6. Return all chairs, piano and stands for band class set-up 7. Bring back the wall This will take us to about 6:30pm, at which time we need to paint the front steps black and finish off the library panels. Busy days ahead, Mr. Todd Great rehearsal today. So much coming together at this point that I sometimes forget to tell all the crew members, actors and parent helpers how much I LOVE YOU ALL! We are doing a fantastic thing - - creating a musical. It is hard work, but because of all your hard work, we will have an awesome show and will share with our audiences a BEAUTIFUL story. We have some work to do, but let's have fun in the process. Bring those smiles on stage, pop those eyes, nail those moves with strong hands and arms, and sing out those songs. And find those characters and stay in character!!!! BE IN THE MOMENT! Oh--- and please stop talking. Don't upstage yourself by turning your back to the audience. FIND the Light! Have FUN! If lines or blocking does not go according to plan, just go with it, improvise, sell it! SELL IT!
Crew: This show is a demanding crew show with lots of set changes, lighting changes, prop placements and curtain cues. We will nail all of this down, but be present and be ready to be assigned many set pieces to moves, stage lights to control and overall control of the stage. We will work this on Friday Parents: Keep bringing it. We still need a small tool belt with a few interesting tools for Maurice, an old nasty blanket (queen size or bigger) for the Enchantress. We still need some help painting, making trees and painting dishes, as well as Maurice's invention. This set/prop making will happen on Friday and possible over the weekend. And we need help organizing all our Props. Prop-wise, we could use some fake food, more bread, fake apples, plastic dishes. I have grapes! I have two Dads helping with lights and crews. Thanks, David and Vince. I may need one or two more come Monday and thru-out Tech Week and the performances. Tomorrow: The lighting crew comes in to hang lights. We will still break down the wall and set the stage. We will mark where set pieces are going to be for the lighting dudes. We make practice a few scene changes on stage, too. Then we will move the flats to the back of the cafeteria for painting. We will need to fold all the cafeteria tables and line them up in the back for space. The Silly Girls will go to the gym to work on their song. Lefou and Gaston will work on their reprise (Leslie, can you assist them?). Belle and Beast will work on their dance with Ms. Leslie. Actors will try on their villager costumes for approval or to determine what we need. Actors will try on or wear their Enchanted Object costumes, We will talk with individuals about hair. We will run some scenes - - Tracey will run some trouble scenes in the gym. We will run the last scene after Home thru the Finale. We will stage the curtain call. I time permits, we will run the big company numbers (a number is the song with choregraphy, if you haven't figured that out by now) :) Busy Day!!! Very excited about our show, Mr. Todd |
AuthorImportant notes from the production team Archives
March 2019
Categories |