Oh, how I missed the show this weekend!
To have missed four performances this past weekend felt like a lifetime and I was super excited to get back to the show tonight. And it did not disappoint. I got chills, had tears- the whole deal.
The show is still evolving, which means that the cast comes in during the day and has rehearsal. They get new pages of dialogue, new costume pieces, new blocking, and then incorporate things into the show at that evening’s performance. The creatives talk about it after the show, notes are generated and the cycle continues the next day.
For those of us who go to the show each night, it is a little like a Where’s Waldo of changes- some are easy to spot because it is a very obvious costume change or blocking pattern; others are harder to distinguish as they may be a subtle word change here and there.
Maybe because I was away for four days or maybe they made a lot of changes during rehearsal today, either way, the show was a Feast of new nuances. I wish I could tell you about them, but I don’t know how to do that without spoiling it for you!
I can say that this pace is grueling, even for those of us not onstage. This is the time when the work and the hours start to catch up with you. And with the arrival of Fall in New York City, the change in weather is bringing sniffles and colds and all those things that performers (and producer associates like myself) fear. Sometime around 5pm, I developed a throat tickle that by the curtain call had turned into a full blown sore throat.
Fun Fact: there is a kiosk on the west corner of 44th and Broadway that sells Ricola lozenges! In the middle of Times Square, you can get a Ricola. Halls cough drops as well, but they have TWO different flavors of Ricola. The lemon AND the orange kind. I’m an orange kind of girl. Ricola ALSO sponsors all the Broadway shows and provides lots and lots of lozenges for the hard working singing/dancing/acting folk- they are usually listed in the Playbill as well. Try and find “Ricola” next time you are at a Broadway show.
Secret Fun Fact: we took a tour of the Shubert Theatre during the run of Blithe Spirit. I may or may not have taken a Ricola lozenge from backstage at Blithe Spirit.
Memphis Blog Shout Out: Happy Opening to the talented (& handsome) cast of A Steady Rain!!! It is fun (& hot) having Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig around the corner on 45th Street.
Tonight we also had a giant group from BroadwaySpace.com come to the show. BroadwaySpace is like Facebook for theater fans and they set up a special Meet-up to come to the show tonight.
They all sat in the balcony (which I haven’t been able to do yet- but promise to catch the show from up there and report on it) and then got to stay for a talk back after the show with Composer David Bryan, Music Director Kenny Seymour, and cast members: Cary Tedder, Montego Glover, Hillary Elk, LaQuet Sharnell, Bryan Fenkart, Chad Kimball, Ephraim Sykes, Jermaine Rembert, & James M. Iglehardt.
It was so fun.
Like this picture. Here it is again. But large and in charge. (click for full-size)
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