Life On the Wicked Stage: Act 2

One Christmas Down More to Go

Well a part of Christmas is now behind us, but we’ve got more to go.

We’ve got several more performances this weekend of A Christmas Carol at Wayside Theatre before we close on Sunday.

We then hit the road for our annual Chicago pilgrimage to visit my wife’s large family. That’s always a round of great family gatherings and we always look forward to the trip. Here’s hoping the weather there eases up a bit before we hit town. We’ve been lucky the last few years.

At any rate, the brief Christmas with my mother, sisters, and their families was a great, but far too short time. We had a fabulous meal, decided to head out and do some bowling on Christmas night, got to watch Thomasin play Rock Band with our nephew Steven, and generally had a great time with the entire family.

One of our many little family traditions is that we exchange a gag or “special” gift with each of the sibling families. I think we won this year with a large nose that hangs in your shower and dispenses shower gel when you push on the nose.

If you have to ask, then just move on.

Enjoy some pictures after the jump and more at this Flickr feed.

Christmas Carol Diaries: Cold Evening Before a Full House

We’ve got a full house tonight after a full house this afternoon. It is getting colder by the hour as we head to a very cold night tonight. Things are starting to feel a bit like, well…. you know.

Technorati Tags: A Christmas Carol,Wayside Theatre

Christmas Carol Diaries: Great Reviews in For A Christmas Carol

Hooray for our side! Two great reviews in yesterday and today for our new musical version of A Christmas Carol and I’m really glad to see them. They both spurred a hefty bump in ticket sales and things are looking up for the moment.

I’m particularly thrilled that they picked up on the staging and story telling conventions we used, in addition to the wonderful music by my collaborator Steve Przybylski. We think we’ve got a neat little package together with this show that maybe others theatres might want to take a look at down the road.

Both reviews also loved the cast, which is more than easy to love because they are just terrific and really love doing the show.

We’ve had four student matinees this week and the kids are really eating up the show as well, which is always a plus. Evening shows are going as we expect and we’ve got big houses all weekend.

Let’s hope we can continue on this trend.

Here’s a link to the Winchester Star review and here’s one to the Northern VA. Daily review.

Technorati Tags: A Christmas Carol,Charles Dickens,Wayside Theatre,Ebenezer Scrooge

Christmas Carol Diaries: Pictures

Pictures, pictures, we’ve got pictures. The Flickr feed is here.

 

Technorati Tags: A Christmas Carol,Charles Dickens,Wayside Theatre,The Ghost of Christmas Past

Christmas Carol Diaries: World Premiere Today

Although tomorrow night is the official ‘press’ opening of our new musical version of A Christmas Carol at Wayside Theatre, today’s preview matinee is the first time this adaption of the Charles Dickens’ classic will be in front of an audience. Ticket sales picked up dramatically (they have been way down so far due to the economy) and we’ve got a sold out house this afternoon. The energy is high, the expectations even higher, and the adrenalin is pumping.

Watching a piece you wrote is far more excruciating than a piece you’ve just directed. One you’ve written and directed is even more so. At least my collaborator, composer Steve Przybylski, gets to play the show from behind the keyboard. I just get to sit and watch and take notes on my Tablet PC.

As I blog this, we’re about 29 minutes from curtain, so hang on to your hats, folks. Here we go.

Technorati Tags: A Christmas Carol,Charles Dickens,Wayside Theatre,Ebenzer Scrooge

Christmas Carol Diaries: The Night Before First Audience

OK, it is really the afternoon, but it is the day before we have first audiences. Today as we all stagger in bloated from Thanksgiving feasting, we are preparing for two final dress rehearsals as well as a few tweaks. The large double casts have their assignments for the weekend, and we are looking for good work ahead today.

Everyone who is seeing the show (we had quite a few parents of the local children in attendance on Wednesday) has fallen in love with it and we’re really close to making something special happen on stage. The last little gap to be closed is small, but that last little bit is always the hardest part. We’ve got today’s rehearsals and tomorrow’s previews to get there and I think we’ll make it in fine fashion.

Good news, my voice seems to be coming back. Must be quick visit to Mom’s and a bit of a relaxing day that helped.

Here’s to good work today.

Technorati Tags: A Christmas Carol,Charles Dickens,Wayside Theatre

Happy Thanksgiving

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, may you find peace, warmth, and love within the embrace of your family and friends this year. We’re off to my mother’s for a quick day of eating, fun, and relaxation before hustling back to finish up rehearsals and take A Christmas Carol into previews and opening this weekend.

Happy a happy and safe day.

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Christmas Carol Diaries: Down To It

Yesterday was our long day of rehearsal where we teched the show from 11am to 4pm then did a dress rehearsal for one cast at 6pm and the second cast did a run thru with no costumes. No they weren't naked. They were in street clothes. Today we do two dress rehearsals. Our costumers have done a heroic job and the characters look fantastic.

Yesterday's work was awe inspiriing. The cast that dresssed rose to the occasion and did amazing work. The cast that did not dress took things to new heights and was phenomenal. Everyone really turned the burners on full and the show was wonderful.

Tonight I have the unenviable decision of deciding which group performs on our opening night on Saturday. Hearts will be broken and their will be disappointment. But unfortunately, that's show biz. We'll make those announcements at the conclusion of rehearsal tonight. Tomorrow we are off for Thanksgiving Day and then resume on Friday with two dress rehearsals. Then Saturday each team has one preview performane. I can't wait to unveil the show to the public on Saturday.

Christmas Carol Diaries: Yelling with no Voice

I’ve been quite sick this week, so much so that I’ve had to get as much rest as I can so I can make it through rehearsals for A Christmas Carol all week, while at the same time trying to keep the theatre from plunging into insolvency. The financial situation is dire and desperate and hitting us hard. I’ve had no voice all week, but somehow, probably due to adrenalin, my voice comes back enough for me to yell out direction in rehearsal. Within a few minutes after we complete work, I’m voiceless again. Fear is an amazing thing.

That’s been tough because my voice is one of my, if not the primary tool, I use in rehearsal. Normally it is big and loud, but now it is just the big croaking sound. I find myself using my body more and more to compensate.

All of that said, I’m on the way back, and the show has made miraculous progress with everyone working extremely hard. The two casts are heating up the competition for who gets to go on opening night. (I pick that cast this week. Heartbreak will occur.)

We’ve also discovered just how much joy creating on your feet can be. I can honestly say the efforts of some of our adult professionals is amazing, and even more so, watching the many local kids jump in feet first is astounding to watch.

One thing for sure, this is going to be a great Christmas Carol, whether, I’m able to speak or not.

The Christmas Carol Diaries: Chaos into Magic Moments

I’m not sure if our rehearsals compare more to the chaos that usually ensures in the run up to Christmas or a Christmas morning with a house full of kids. But it is chaos nevertheless. With two complete casts working in our small theatre at times it seems like just madness trying to move them from one place to another. The children in our cast (from tiny tots to teens) are all doing excellent work, and manage to make us all crack up now and then. While at times it feels like swatting flies, at some point each scene begins to come into shape in these early staging moments and we see the potential for real magic begin to take shape.

We’re changing things on our feet and didn’t accomplish all of our goals for last night, but we’re moving forward. I think everyone senses we have something special building, and I’m looking forward to seeing just what that is.

Now if we can just keep cast members from getting ill, we’ll be able to move on.

Technorati Tags: Wayside Theatre,A Christmas Carol,culture,entertainment