I've always thought that matinee audiences were the worst. That was the only thing wrong with how today's performance went. For some reason, the Sunday afternoon crowd was very nonresponsive; so many things that the audiences on the other nights laughed, applauded or responded to fell to silent response from this afternoon's crowd. While this was a little discouraging, I feel confident enough in the job I did to know that I was giving it my best.
And thus ends our run of Baby. With this senior project of mine coming to an end, it's been a wake-up call for a lot of things. B.J. told me, Tabby and Steven how proud he was of the three of us, which made me realize how he's been there since I first came to this school and was on the running crew for his project. I realized that this will probably be the final show I do at this school with old friends like Steven and all the new freshmen I've been able to watch take their first steps towards growth. The biggest realization for me, though, was that, for once, I actually feel like I've grown as an artist. I've looked back on who I used to be and who I am now, and see that there's SO much difference. And yet I still feel that there's room to improve. The minute I stop admitting that, I stop growing, and Baby has made me see how much of that I can still do.
That wraps up my blog! Thanks so much to everyone who followed along and read about my progress. I plan to keep this up, and as soon as I get pics from the show I'll post them! Thanks to my friends and family for their support, Marcus for his amazing guidance, and of course, Jesus Christ, through whom all of this is possible!
Curtain
Monday, November 22, 2010
11/20/10 - 3rd Performance
This has been the best show we've had so far in the run!!! Everything felt great; acting, singing, technical aspects, everything! Not that it was perfect, but it was still an amazing run. Along with the afternoon I had had before the show, this was a great way to cap off a really awesome day.
11/19/10 - 2nd Performance
Second nights usually have a few problems, and Baby was no exception. Certain scenes with Mary Kate didn't feel as connected as they usually do, and my singing was a little pitchy at certain points. The biggest screw-up, though, was on my part. My prop cell phone for the band crossover in Act I, Scene 12 was missing; I eventually had to borrow Anna, a member of the costume crew's, iPhone for the scene. I was pretty upset, assuming that someone had taken it and not put it back. It wasn't until I looked through my stuff, though, that I found that that someone was me; I forgot to put it back the last time I used it. Aside from that embarrassment, everything else went well, just not as well as last night. These things happen, though; I'm not going to let it get to me.
11/18/10 - Opening Night
Opening nights are always so thrilling! While I said that having the audience last night was good, nothing compares to having a near-full house waiting to see this show's first official run. And they loved it! Tonight's run went great. There was one big technical issue, unfortunately: the auto-tuning didn't turn on for "Fatherhood Blues!" That was kind of disappointing, but the audience still loved the number. It's hard to believe that we only have three more times to do this. I can't wait to see how they turn out!
11/17/10 - Invited Dress
Having an audience there tonight, as small as it was, was so useful. I admit I had to fight a little bit of Jimmy Fallon. though. I didn't expect there to be laughter when there was, or at least for it to be as strong as it was. At the same time, when something really worked, they let us know. A few more notes here and there, but overall, I feel SO ready to open tomorrow night.
11/6-16/10 - 30th-40th Rehearsals
So I've fallen behind on my journaling for the past week and a half. Due to the fact that these rehearsals have been complete run-throughs and tech runs, a lot of the events have blurred together, so I figured I would just address the highlights all in this one entry.
On the night of our 31st rehearsal, I hit the lowest point I've had in this whole process...in terms of my self-confidence. Nothing went wrong, I was just being way to self-critical and thought I wasn't performing as good as I should be, and this led to me having a private emotional breakdown backstage. Marcus noticed my behavior afterwards, during our intermission break, and spoke to me for a bit. He raised my spirits back up, and helped me realize that while I'm working, that's all I need to focus on: the work. I could worry about the self-criticism at the end of the day. This really helped me out, and I'm now working on a new, more affirmative way to approach my rehearsal process.
On the same night, we finally added auto-tuning to "Fatherhood Blues." It sounds so cool! I've never done a show with anything like it before! The kinks have been getting worked out as we've kept working on it, and now it's gonna be great when we put it in front of an audience. Carl also came by one night and choreographed some new choreography. It took some getting used to; I tend to panic a little when something that new is added this late in the rehearsal process. Eventually, though, I got the hang of it. It looks good, and goes well with the auto-tuning.
On a vocal note, Laurie and Marcus told me to cut the rock singing. They're worried that it's taking too much of a toll on my voice. I'm okay with this; I know how to make the songs sound contemporary enough to still meet Marcus's vision while still singing safe.
The band was added to the show, and they sound amazing! It gives this old '80s show a totally new sound. I love the rock influence, and I know the audience is going to love it, too.
These are the simplest costumes I've ever worn for a show, since they're so close to what I wear everyday anyway. Two things have me stoked: a Thundercats T-shirt and pleather pants! I may sound like a real geek in saying this, but they make me feel so cool!
Finally, I have to mention the awesome crew that has been brought in for set transitions. They caught on quick to the flow of the show, and have worked as hard as the rest of us. I really hope their work helps them become successful in this department.
Tomorrow night is our invited dress rehearsal, our first night with an audience and with every element coming smoothly together. We're so ready to open! I'm excited!
On the night of our 31st rehearsal, I hit the lowest point I've had in this whole process...in terms of my self-confidence. Nothing went wrong, I was just being way to self-critical and thought I wasn't performing as good as I should be, and this led to me having a private emotional breakdown backstage. Marcus noticed my behavior afterwards, during our intermission break, and spoke to me for a bit. He raised my spirits back up, and helped me realize that while I'm working, that's all I need to focus on: the work. I could worry about the self-criticism at the end of the day. This really helped me out, and I'm now working on a new, more affirmative way to approach my rehearsal process.
On the same night, we finally added auto-tuning to "Fatherhood Blues." It sounds so cool! I've never done a show with anything like it before! The kinks have been getting worked out as we've kept working on it, and now it's gonna be great when we put it in front of an audience. Carl also came by one night and choreographed some new choreography. It took some getting used to; I tend to panic a little when something that new is added this late in the rehearsal process. Eventually, though, I got the hang of it. It looks good, and goes well with the auto-tuning.
On a vocal note, Laurie and Marcus told me to cut the rock singing. They're worried that it's taking too much of a toll on my voice. I'm okay with this; I know how to make the songs sound contemporary enough to still meet Marcus's vision while still singing safe.
The band was added to the show, and they sound amazing! It gives this old '80s show a totally new sound. I love the rock influence, and I know the audience is going to love it, too.
These are the simplest costumes I've ever worn for a show, since they're so close to what I wear everyday anyway. Two things have me stoked: a Thundercats T-shirt and pleather pants! I may sound like a real geek in saying this, but they make me feel so cool!
Finally, I have to mention the awesome crew that has been brought in for set transitions. They caught on quick to the flow of the show, and have worked as hard as the rest of us. I really hope their work helps them become successful in this department.
Tomorrow night is our invited dress rehearsal, our first night with an audience and with every element coming smoothly together. We're so ready to open! I'm excited!
Friday, November 5, 2010
11/5/10 - 29th Rehearsal
Tonight was a very smooth run of Act II. It went really well. The best part of the night, though was afterward, when Marcus held me and Mary Kate back to re-stage "Two People in Love." He said the choreography just wasn't working out for him, and, to be honest, we felt like it wasn't either. I didn't want to say anything, but it's the same reason that it wasn't for Marcus; it felt too unnatural for the two of us. The three of us went through and did a lot of things out of our own ideas. The number feels SO much better now! Mary Kate and I feel really good about it.
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