Monday, March 02, 2009

Still standing

... if on tender feet (gotta get better-fitting character shoes). I survived Tech Week and the green room sweatshop; I only built two Pontevedrian dresses, but I trimmed several - 3 rows of trim, 4 yds each, plus bodice trim. Then there was the sewing of random skirt hooks and hems, ransacking of my stores for accessories & props, and trying to survive the up-ended schedule (getting to bed about 4 hours before my alarm usually goes off for work). My fingers are full of holes now, but the costumes look even better than the batch for the last time this company did the show 13 years ago. Same costumer; it was her first show with the company. She's still costuming shows, getting better with each one, and she sings, too - she's Hannah Glawari.

The first weekend went well, we had enthusiastic houses, especially for the outreach matinee, we sound and look wonderful, and I love having the Chief in the wings (he's helping with set changes).

The chorus doesn't have a lot of singing in this show, but the music is wonderful. I'm bummed that my stupid knees keep me out of the running for much dancing - even the 8 bars of polka I do can be uncomfortable on bad days - but the singing I get to do is feeling really good. The harp adds a lot to the orchestral sound, and the harpist is a stitch. Yesterday he brought canteloupe for green room munchies, with the hollowed-out halves upside-down on a plate with one labeled "Glawari" and the other "melons". (Reference to a joke in the show; the Pontevedrian ambassador mistakenly decodes "Glawari millions" as "Glawari melons".)

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