Sunday's rehearsal at Cooper was a little chaotic, I am told, as we discovered our new performance space. The stage directions are changing to accommodate the different space but we are all aware that we have paying customers very imminently so the changes will be learned. In case I haven't said it before, huge thanks to the folks at Cooper for being so accommodating at our time of potential disaster.
Tonight it's act 2 as Ali doesn't think it's been run right through. A few blocks have been set out in the wings to demonstrate areas like the mission, the raked seating has been rolled forward, and Martin has marked out where the pared-down orchestra will be sitting. A slow start as some of those backstage seem unable to hear Ali's comments but after her plea for a megaphone, their deafness diminishes.
Amanda is surrounded by Hot Box Girls and some attendees at the Hot Box Club, and she makes a start on Take Back Your Mink. Some of the dancers have high heels on while others merely pretend but they make a decent go of it. Some of their stage audience look mildly distracted but probably they'll act better with a full audience on the main seats. At the end of the number, Ali reminds them that they will all need to practise the dancing in high heels. Other notes are given to the 'audience' and we move on, as the Hot Box Girls leave carrying some rather exotic looking pink satin outfits!
Our next scene involves Sky and some alcohol. We are still perfecting American accents as well as learning the new stage entrance points but there's not much need for the prompt at least. The scene leads into Adelaide's Lament but we don't get the whole of it and then we start a scene with the mission band, although there is some debate about where the last chair is to be left after the club scene has been dismantled. The mission band march straight on and then straight off again, leaving Arvide and Sarah to perform their scene together and an opportunity for Neil to sing his solo. Judging by where the chair has been moved to, Neil is now performing a mirror image of the scene as previously rehearsed but he shrugs it off anyway. Round of applause!
On to the crap game. This is a slang name, not an adjective describing the performance. A couple of reminders about the dance steps but most of them manage, including when the hint of 'Superman' is given. I really wish I'd been at more of the crap shooters' rehearsals... There's something with hats too, but it's better seen than described, so I won't spoil it for you. Big Jule comes in now and there are plenty of laughs as he outmanoeuvres Nathan but he's dropped the deep gravelly voice I heard him use in a read through a few months ago - presumably the rumble would have wrecked the sound system. We get to the fight with a few prompts and a reminder about what happens when one is punched in the solar plexus. That section is replayed and Big Jule clutches his stomach suitably.
We move on through the lines until the beginning of Luck Be A Lady - one of the crap shooters asks if they should all still be looking at the ground. Yes, say Ali, because then she can't see their eyes move. They run through the whole song and then Ali asks if Martin wants to do the chorus section of it again. As if there was any question! They run through it again, this time with occasional interruptions for Martin to remind them of certain harmonies. It's run again without interruption now and the chaps are repositioned to create a better tableau effect.
There's another scene between Adelaide and Nathan next, the one that was done during the auditions, so even though I've not seen it since then, it still feels familiar if done without books (except when Nathan has to borrow one because he left his copy of Adelaide's mother's letter somewhere) this time. It still makes me laugh.
Next we're off to the mission hall and although Ali thinks we need to imagine the benches, some have been miraculously acquired, so the stage is set up the way we need to have it for the scene and then the cast exit, ready to enter during a 'blackout', at which point they have to look as though they've been there for hours. We run through the scene which leads to the song Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat. It's interesting for a change to see them from the front as opposed to my usual position and once they've all perfected it, they'll look really good. The next few lines need a little revision as several folks don't seem to be entirely certain of what they have to say, but there's nothing like having to take a prompt in front of the rest of the chorus for focussing your line-learning.
Ali is a little concerned that we will run out of time to finish the act, but Trevor takes a moment to reassure her that she has much longer than she thinks. Perhaps we will finish act two after all!
The scene with Adelaide and Sarah hasn't been blocked yet so there is some discussion before the second half of the scene is performed. Sky has no difficult posing as a young man holding a baby, but Nathan's pose is more reminiscent of a candelabra. However, the blocking and the lyrics of Marry the Man Today are a little patchy. Ali makes more notes and they do the song again. The second time is an improvement but they'll still need to work on it. Martin adds some lyrics that may be prompts but actually sound as though it's a trio rather than a duet. The ladies offer to do the last section again but Martin is adamant that it can wait until tomorrow.
Changing the entrances etc for the final Broadway scene should be simple once the newspapers have been moved and the cast will need to be in their Runyonland costumes. While Ali is talking to the cast about knowing where they need to be and get to, the lights come up, which garners a collective ooh. One of the lighting guys has been here this evening, taking notes and he's just tried out a setting.
The music starts and the cast reenacts Runyonland even though the music is slightly different from the opening number. This causes a couple of problems but these are swiftly overcome. After a few placements, Ali asks if there is anyone who doesn't know what they're doing. The cast is surprisingly silent! Ali asks to run it again now, complete with wits.
There are some wits in evidence for the final dialogue, including a Vulcan death grip and laughter at the proper name of Sarah's beloved. But they quickly pass and we're onto the finale, which gets a well done from Ali. Though she then adds an -ish. A couple of notes from Ali and then from the top again. I think she means the top of this number, though given its initial similarity to the opening number, it may take me some time to notice. This time it gets a hooray from Ali. Once more to ensure that people are raising the correct arm at the correct time, and then Ali wants to work with the crap dancers. Amanda has a quick word about hairstyles and Steve mentions headshot photos for the front of house. Ali also wants to call an extra rehearsal on Saturday at 4 for a walkthrough with the scenery in situ, which it seems quite a lot of people will be able to manage.
Costume call at 6.30 tomorrow with a complete run through starting at 8, at St. Mary's as usual, bearing in mind that other people are using the school hall at 6.30 so we will need to be quiet.
...much like Ali wishes people would be now, as she tries to work on the crap dancers' routine, so those who have finished are asked to leave the hall and talk elsewhere. Ali works with the small group on stage, while a handful of people round up the stage blocks and help to dismantle the raked seating. All right, we don't dismantle it, we flatten the chairs and take out the handrail, before David is able to press the button that miraculously deflates the entire thing. But it was still cool. :-)
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