Life On the Wicked Stage: Act 2

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

Smaller Lines at Local Best Buy

Although the temperature is about the same, we noticed that the line at the local Best Buy in Mechanicsville was much smaller than it was last year. Then it stretched around the front of the store. Not this time around.

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.

Technorati Tags: Thanksgiving

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.

Walking iPhone Robot

Ok, just geeky fun.

Get your own dev kit here.

Via CrunchGear

Technorati Tags: Walking iPhone robot

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.

Telematic Drum Circle

We used to have parties in Chicago that featured drum circles. Killer parties that had quite a reputation, and the drumming was good to. Well, here’s a chance to do a virtual drum circle worldwide on the Internet.

Via Make

Technorati Tags: Telematic Drum Circle

Sunday Morning Reading

Life on the Wicked Stage has been wicked absent for a week or so as I’ve been sick as a dog and also running rehearsals for A Christmas Carol. Not much time to do anything other than store up energy for rehearsals and then collapse again. But I’m slowly coming out of it as the show progresses. Hopefully life here will resume shortly. In the meantime, here’s some Sunday morning reading to share.

Forget pilgrims, solemn religious observances, and turkey. The real first thanksgiving featured booze and guns. That’s the real America folks. Only thing missing was football, but there were athletic contests. Thanksgiving myths exposed.

Some Verizon employees hacked Obama’s personal cell phone. Like every breath he utters won’t be recorded for history.

PETA wants to ban horse drawn carriages. PETA needs to wake up. At the rate we’re going economically, we’ll all be looking for farm animals to lug us around soon.

Get your Wolverine on. I’m surprised these things are legal. But I look for news stories on these being used for bad things soon.

That old West and East thing always had me confused to. But then most labels have lost there meaning these days.

So the pirates in the Indian ocean are getting bolder and bolder. Why is it that NATO, the US, or just about anyone with any sense can’t just blow these bastards out of the water? I’m just asking.

Jesus Diaz decries the now ubiquitous beta culture. I agree here.

Sunday Morning Reading

Some Sunday morning reading to share. Not much time this week to do much reading, but here’s a few tidbits for you to enjoy.

Jeff Bezos and Amazon made noise a few weeks back when he said Amazon was working with companies to get rid of ‘wrap rage’ and come up with Frustration Free packaging. I guess the noise gets louder now, as The New York Times finally picked up on it.

Obama is going to do a YouTube addresses weekly, but is going to have to surrender his Blackberry due to all sorts of legal issues. He is hoping to have a laptop on his desk though. Watch for sales of that model to skyrocket.

Spam production is up. And not of the email variety. Apparently with the economy in the toilet, Hormel Foods is seeing a rise in demand for that old stand-by, Spam.

It was only a matter of time before always on Internet activity made it into a play. Continuous City, a play that features on-line video chat does just that. Patrons can also record videos that might be included in the play.

Google’s voice recognition search app didn’t debut on Friday as publicized. Now, speculation is set for a Monday release, while some think Apple is playing games again.