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General goings-on
Apr. 21st, 2007 10:58 amI haven't been home in the evenings this week because of my involvement in Mrs. Cwabs' cabaret fundraiser for the Memphis Theatre Project, a local startup theatre that hosts an improv troupe and a more-legit theatre group. Opening night was last night--this on top of the job-change thing and (this will be news for those of you who don't get random text messages and/or watch my twitter page) the observed bicycle accident.
It went pretty well, especially for a show that we hadn't really run from one end to the other. I sing/play two numbers in it: a trumpet solo and once through the main line of "Be Careful, It's My Heart," and a molest-an-audience-member version of "Ain't Misbehavin'" where I have to pick someone with whom to dance the second time through. Last night only had one acceptable dance partner, as my dancing with another big hairy guy doesn't really fit in with the theme of the show. I've warned everyone involved that if I can't find a suitable dance partner I'll be scatting the second time through.
The only real hiccup of the night came when C., a seventeen-year-old girl in the cast, couldn't make her costume change in time to come on for "Mood Indigo." She's a great singer in the Leann Rimes style, and that song really showcases her talents. Unfortunately, because she was late getting onstage, she started into the song without having the band give her a note and was a half-step low--the band couldn't compensate, and so they sat out and she sang the first half of it acapella. Meanwhile, offstage, we're wondering why there's no band, and assume that we've overloaded a circuit breaker (it happened in rehearsals), and so I run up and try to reset the circuit breaker that the instruments are plugged into. Which also flips some of the onstage lights on and off, adding to the confusion. The second time through the band kicked in, and the audience was none the wiser (outside of the light thing). C. was a little shaken up by the experience, but still pulled it off like a pro.
The show was very nearly a sell out, which is really good for something with limited publicity resources that the Commerical Appeal mostly ignores since they can't really afford the sort of press kit that the CA's expecting. Tonight has more reservations; Sunday is an evening performance that might work for the show or against it.
Monday I'm auditioning for a role in The Pillowman--getting to do theatre again is one of the unspecified perks of the new job.
It went pretty well, especially for a show that we hadn't really run from one end to the other. I sing/play two numbers in it: a trumpet solo and once through the main line of "Be Careful, It's My Heart," and a molest-an-audience-member version of "Ain't Misbehavin'" where I have to pick someone with whom to dance the second time through. Last night only had one acceptable dance partner, as my dancing with another big hairy guy doesn't really fit in with the theme of the show. I've warned everyone involved that if I can't find a suitable dance partner I'll be scatting the second time through.
The only real hiccup of the night came when C., a seventeen-year-old girl in the cast, couldn't make her costume change in time to come on for "Mood Indigo." She's a great singer in the Leann Rimes style, and that song really showcases her talents. Unfortunately, because she was late getting onstage, she started into the song without having the band give her a note and was a half-step low--the band couldn't compensate, and so they sat out and she sang the first half of it acapella. Meanwhile, offstage, we're wondering why there's no band, and assume that we've overloaded a circuit breaker (it happened in rehearsals), and so I run up and try to reset the circuit breaker that the instruments are plugged into. Which also flips some of the onstage lights on and off, adding to the confusion. The second time through the band kicked in, and the audience was none the wiser (outside of the light thing). C. was a little shaken up by the experience, but still pulled it off like a pro.
The show was very nearly a sell out, which is really good for something with limited publicity resources that the Commerical Appeal mostly ignores since they can't really afford the sort of press kit that the CA's expecting. Tonight has more reservations; Sunday is an evening performance that might work for the show or against it.
Monday I'm auditioning for a role in The Pillowman--getting to do theatre again is one of the unspecified perks of the new job.
