Last night was opening night for The Fantastick's, and it was............wait for it............wait, you know what is coming..........it was Fantastic!!! hee hee
We had two dress rehearsals because the lead female lead is played by two different young woman. Two very talented, lovely young women. I have watched them for several years now as they grew up on the Opera House stage. And to get to see them in this production is just wonderful.
Our dress rehearsal on Wednesday went well, Thursday did not go as well, but in the theater there is a superstition that a bad dress rehearsal means a great opening night. And it was a great opening night. We have extremely supportive audiences Wednesday and Thursday. Mostly family and friends of our Opera House stage companies. They cheered and laughed and it was so delightful to get to see so many of the kids I have watched grow up on this stage.
Friday night was the fund raiser to benefit the art league, the Opera House and MAD Co. The crowd might not have been as big as we hoped, but the audience was fantastic. Really, they were so responsive, they laughed and cheered and gave us another standing ovation. Everyone really shined last night. Erin is adorable as Matt. The Louisa's sweet, innocent and silly. The Dad's, oh my goodness, Dan and Larry are hysterical. And Dave and Jacob as the acting troupe are over the top. Jacob does one of his famous death scenes in this play. And don't forget Jeff as the infamous El Gallo. Pronounced El Guy Yo!
Last night we are Tovya as our Luisa and each of the Louisa's are so very different in their energy, voice and dance, and I honestly can not tell you which one would be my favorite. They are each so special in every way.
So we have done two of our six performances and the audiences have loved the show. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful to this 56 year old woman with lung cancer. You would never know as I run around the stage and toss swords and move drapes and hold walls and branches. I get to watch most of the show from on the stage. I can't tell you how amazing it is to get to watch these talented actors from up close and personal.
And then we have Abbie, our Stage Manager and Becca, our stage hand. These young ladies are so helpful and do their jobs so extremely well. The audience will never know just how much these two young women do for us, and how they keep the show flowing along smoothly. They preset our props. They clean up after us. They assist us with props in the wings during the show. Abbie starts and cues the show, Becca handles the lights.
Then there is the orchestra. We have Janis who is such a talented and amazingly sweet friend. She has a gorgeous voice and in this show she plays our piano. Andy our Opera House drummer does his great job and if I need to remember why I am doing this show, all I have to do is to look done at him and he will be smiling back up. The final member of our perfect little orchestra is Kaitlyn, the harp player. Those three musicians blend in with the voices and add bird sounds, whispers of wind and violent storms. They keep the voices on key and the beat throbbing away.
Finally there are the crew working out in the audience. We have our Caleb up in the balcony with the spot light. And he has a very important and busy part. Then we have a crew of sound people, the Director and Todd, our resident sound and light guy who pulls it all together.
There are many different styles of directing and our Director, Melanie, directs differently then any of the other directors at the Opera House. It takes longer to block the show, but when it is blocked, the detail already blended in is amazing. The end result speaks of her success.
We have a matinee show today, then a pickup rehearsal on Tuesday and three more performances next weekend.
Thursday I had lunch at the Rosemary Tree with my friend Lenny and Friday Carolyn and I want shopping in Tallahassee. I actually bought some clothes. Clothes that fit me. Clothes that I can replace some of my older clothes that are perfectly fine, but way too big for me. It is time for me to quit thinking I will ever be significantly larger then I am now. Where I have been for more then a year.
We also went to Wally World so I could pick up a toy for the big brother, Owen. Carolyn saw this battery operated car that makes car sounds and rears up on its back tires, plays music and is very cool. There were two cars to choose from, I picked the electric blue Viper. I had looked at baby things at several stores, but I was not sure what Gibson would need after having a big brother would has grown out of so many things. So I decided a gift card at Wally World will allow them Lily and Jason to get those everyday things babies need, but are not fun to buy. That way they can choose what to get and not spend them money on the not so fun things. As we were leaving Carolyn saw a Winnie The Pooh pillow stuffed animal and a monkey stuffed animal that had huge eyes. The monkey is big and it looks like those photos where they are too close to the dog nose so the nose and the eyes are googly and huge.
I laughed and said, well, just don't show it to Owen, and you can have it to play with Jason. He laughed but I saw the glint in his eyes. hee hee After all, Owen also got the monkey. Owen is a money boy.
I was able to kiss Lily on the forehead and stroke the warm pink softness of Gibson. I got to hug Daddy Jason and Auntie Jesse. How very very lucky and special I am to get to share this family of the Mr and Mrs Moon. How very lucky!!! My family is so far away, and I love this one so much.
Well, time to go and put Nola's face on. Everyone who has come to the show has been so complimentary. I appreciate their precious kind sweet words. And I am amazed as I stand on that stage each night. The lights burn down hot and bright, I run back and forth. Who would have guessed that a 56 year old woman with Stage 4 lung cancer would be able to be in this historic production. The longest running musical. Now played by a new cast. A Director who played Luisa when she was young, now shares this show with a new generation of Matt and Luisa's to a world of people some who are familiar with this old show. Others who are new to this play.
This may very well be my last production on stage. I have now realized how hard this is on my brain. I am tired. I am worn out and as this glorious weather tempts me to go outside and play, but my body is heavy and my eyelids droop. My eyes sting with desire to close and rest. But now, the show must go one, so off I go. And when I get home? Will I drive over to the Suwanee Spring Music Festival? No, as much as I so missed not being there this weekend, there will be more weekend music festivals, and I will go to one or more of those. Oh, yes I will.
Well, break a leg. I will have some photos for my next post.
Enjoy the glorious blue sky and soft spring green.
Enjoy the warm air as blows around us thick with pollen and the scent of flowers.
Oh life
sweet life
and when better to enjoy then right now the first week of spring
We had two dress rehearsals because the lead female lead is played by two different young woman. Two very talented, lovely young women. I have watched them for several years now as they grew up on the Opera House stage. And to get to see them in this production is just wonderful.
Our dress rehearsal on Wednesday went well, Thursday did not go as well, but in the theater there is a superstition that a bad dress rehearsal means a great opening night. And it was a great opening night. We have extremely supportive audiences Wednesday and Thursday. Mostly family and friends of our Opera House stage companies. They cheered and laughed and it was so delightful to get to see so many of the kids I have watched grow up on this stage.
Friday night was the fund raiser to benefit the art league, the Opera House and MAD Co. The crowd might not have been as big as we hoped, but the audience was fantastic. Really, they were so responsive, they laughed and cheered and gave us another standing ovation. Everyone really shined last night. Erin is adorable as Matt. The Louisa's sweet, innocent and silly. The Dad's, oh my goodness, Dan and Larry are hysterical. And Dave and Jacob as the acting troupe are over the top. Jacob does one of his famous death scenes in this play. And don't forget Jeff as the infamous El Gallo. Pronounced El Guy Yo!
Last night we are Tovya as our Luisa and each of the Louisa's are so very different in their energy, voice and dance, and I honestly can not tell you which one would be my favorite. They are each so special in every way.
So we have done two of our six performances and the audiences have loved the show. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful to this 56 year old woman with lung cancer. You would never know as I run around the stage and toss swords and move drapes and hold walls and branches. I get to watch most of the show from on the stage. I can't tell you how amazing it is to get to watch these talented actors from up close and personal.
And then we have Abbie, our Stage Manager and Becca, our stage hand. These young ladies are so helpful and do their jobs so extremely well. The audience will never know just how much these two young women do for us, and how they keep the show flowing along smoothly. They preset our props. They clean up after us. They assist us with props in the wings during the show. Abbie starts and cues the show, Becca handles the lights.
Then there is the orchestra. We have Janis who is such a talented and amazingly sweet friend. She has a gorgeous voice and in this show she plays our piano. Andy our Opera House drummer does his great job and if I need to remember why I am doing this show, all I have to do is to look done at him and he will be smiling back up. The final member of our perfect little orchestra is Kaitlyn, the harp player. Those three musicians blend in with the voices and add bird sounds, whispers of wind and violent storms. They keep the voices on key and the beat throbbing away.
Finally there are the crew working out in the audience. We have our Caleb up in the balcony with the spot light. And he has a very important and busy part. Then we have a crew of sound people, the Director and Todd, our resident sound and light guy who pulls it all together.
There are many different styles of directing and our Director, Melanie, directs differently then any of the other directors at the Opera House. It takes longer to block the show, but when it is blocked, the detail already blended in is amazing. The end result speaks of her success.
We have a matinee show today, then a pickup rehearsal on Tuesday and three more performances next weekend.
Thursday I had lunch at the Rosemary Tree with my friend Lenny and Friday Carolyn and I want shopping in Tallahassee. I actually bought some clothes. Clothes that fit me. Clothes that I can replace some of my older clothes that are perfectly fine, but way too big for me. It is time for me to quit thinking I will ever be significantly larger then I am now. Where I have been for more then a year.
We also went to Wally World so I could pick up a toy for the big brother, Owen. Carolyn saw this battery operated car that makes car sounds and rears up on its back tires, plays music and is very cool. There were two cars to choose from, I picked the electric blue Viper. I had looked at baby things at several stores, but I was not sure what Gibson would need after having a big brother would has grown out of so many things. So I decided a gift card at Wally World will allow them Lily and Jason to get those everyday things babies need, but are not fun to buy. That way they can choose what to get and not spend them money on the not so fun things. As we were leaving Carolyn saw a Winnie The Pooh pillow stuffed animal and a monkey stuffed animal that had huge eyes. The monkey is big and it looks like those photos where they are too close to the dog nose so the nose and the eyes are googly and huge.
I laughed and said, well, just don't show it to Owen, and you can have it to play with Jason. He laughed but I saw the glint in his eyes. hee hee After all, Owen also got the monkey. Owen is a money boy.
I was able to kiss Lily on the forehead and stroke the warm pink softness of Gibson. I got to hug Daddy Jason and Auntie Jesse. How very very lucky and special I am to get to share this family of the Mr and Mrs Moon. How very lucky!!! My family is so far away, and I love this one so much.
Well, time to go and put Nola's face on. Everyone who has come to the show has been so complimentary. I appreciate their precious kind sweet words. And I am amazed as I stand on that stage each night. The lights burn down hot and bright, I run back and forth. Who would have guessed that a 56 year old woman with Stage 4 lung cancer would be able to be in this historic production. The longest running musical. Now played by a new cast. A Director who played Luisa when she was young, now shares this show with a new generation of Matt and Luisa's to a world of people some who are familiar with this old show. Others who are new to this play.
This may very well be my last production on stage. I have now realized how hard this is on my brain. I am tired. I am worn out and as this glorious weather tempts me to go outside and play, but my body is heavy and my eyelids droop. My eyes sting with desire to close and rest. But now, the show must go one, so off I go. And when I get home? Will I drive over to the Suwanee Spring Music Festival? No, as much as I so missed not being there this weekend, there will be more weekend music festivals, and I will go to one or more of those. Oh, yes I will.
Well, break a leg. I will have some photos for my next post.
Enjoy the glorious blue sky and soft spring green.
Enjoy the warm air as blows around us thick with pollen and the scent of flowers.
Oh life
sweet life
and when better to enjoy then right now the first week of spring
No comments:
Post a Comment