Tuesday, September 28, 2010
9/25/10 - 5th Rehearsal
Today we had a second sing-through of the show, and you could tell that there was SO much improvement. Not only did everyone know their music, but you could tell that everyone was really getting in touch with their characters. Some great choices were starting to be made. Mine and Mary Kate's songs felt great as ever, and I was able to hit the rock wail again! The show sounds great now, and I can't wait to start dances next week!
9/24/10 - 4th Rehearsal
After having a couple of nights off, it was back to work.
First, B.J. and I worked on "At Night She Comes Home to Me." I have to say, it's really cool getting to work with B.J. one more time. The last show we did together was Hair (with B.J. as Claude and me as Berger), back in Fall 2008, and it's great to be able to play off of each other again. B.J. had worked on his portion of the song earlier in the week, so there was a bit more focus on my segment. Marcus told me to really emphasize the punk rock for my first few measures, really punching the words and getting more physical. Then he asked for something I didn't expect: a high-falsetto rock wail at the climax of my part of the song. That's a high, octave-jumping G (or, as I call it, the Jesus Christ Superstar note)! I'll admit that I've worked on this on my own (mostly during car rides), but have never had to do it for anyone else before, never mind a show. But much to my amazement, I pulled it off on the first try! Unfortunately, I started wearing down after the third run of the song, so I put it to rest for the night. It's just one more thing I have to work on. I know I can do it without damaging my voice, it's just a matter of breath support and dramatic build.
The rest of the night was just with the three couples. We first ran "We Start Today," which is pretty much the same, except for a new extension that shows some of the private conversations amongst the characters; in Danny's case, he's calling his mother to let her know he's switching his major from science to music. This is some backstory that was never clearly emphasized before, so I love it.
The big hurdle to jump, though, was "Baby, Baby, Baby." It wasn't a problem for any of the actors, though. It was a big picture problem for Marcus; the song as it's written is just too much of a lounge number. With the stuff he's been working on with all of us, it really clashes with the pop/rock/blues vision he has for the show, and runs the risk of sticking out like a sore thumb. Luckily, though, with Laurie's help, I think we have the song rearranged for the better. We took it uptempo, and Marcus asked us to take more liberty with the style and play with the riffs. I think that by the time we get it staged and have an orchestra together, it's going to fit in well with the rest of the show.
First, B.J. and I worked on "At Night She Comes Home to Me." I have to say, it's really cool getting to work with B.J. one more time. The last show we did together was Hair (with B.J. as Claude and me as Berger), back in Fall 2008, and it's great to be able to play off of each other again. B.J. had worked on his portion of the song earlier in the week, so there was a bit more focus on my segment. Marcus told me to really emphasize the punk rock for my first few measures, really punching the words and getting more physical. Then he asked for something I didn't expect: a high-falsetto rock wail at the climax of my part of the song. That's a high, octave-jumping G (or, as I call it, the Jesus Christ Superstar note)! I'll admit that I've worked on this on my own (mostly during car rides), but have never had to do it for anyone else before, never mind a show. But much to my amazement, I pulled it off on the first try! Unfortunately, I started wearing down after the third run of the song, so I put it to rest for the night. It's just one more thing I have to work on. I know I can do it without damaging my voice, it's just a matter of breath support and dramatic build.
The rest of the night was just with the three couples. We first ran "We Start Today," which is pretty much the same, except for a new extension that shows some of the private conversations amongst the characters; in Danny's case, he's calling his mother to let her know he's switching his major from science to music. This is some backstory that was never clearly emphasized before, so I love it.
The big hurdle to jump, though, was "Baby, Baby, Baby." It wasn't a problem for any of the actors, though. It was a big picture problem for Marcus; the song as it's written is just too much of a lounge number. With the stuff he's been working on with all of us, it really clashes with the pop/rock/blues vision he has for the show, and runs the risk of sticking out like a sore thumb. Luckily, though, with Laurie's help, I think we have the song rearranged for the better. We took it uptempo, and Marcus asked us to take more liberty with the style and play with the riffs. I think that by the time we get it staged and have an orchestra together, it's going to fit in well with the rest of the show.
9/21/10 - 3rd Rehearsal
Tonight's entire rehearsal was focused on the songs between me and Mary Kate.
I can't say enough about how cool it is to work with this girl. She's so professional and comes ready for anything, but at the same time has a great energy about her. It's so much fun to sing with her, so I can't wait to get to act with her. Marcus really had us play around with our two duets, "What Could Be Better" and "Two People in Love." It's starting to develop a chemistry for us, and I think that it'll really come further into play once we start blocking scenes. It also might help us to hang out a little more outside of rehearsals.
When we got to "I Chose Right," Marcus asked me to really start playing up the rock vocals during the bridge of the song. He wants there to be a definite difference between Danny's musical theatre sound and the punk rocker he wants to be, using the bridge as a demonstration of the performer he's going to be while he's gone. It's something I hadn't really thought about, since I thought that this was Danny at his most sincere. It still is, but the vocals give the song more levels, and show off more of Danny's personality. I'll have to keep playing with it; give it some grit without hurting my vocal chords
I can't say enough about how cool it is to work with this girl. She's so professional and comes ready for anything, but at the same time has a great energy about her. It's so much fun to sing with her, so I can't wait to get to act with her. Marcus really had us play around with our two duets, "What Could Be Better" and "Two People in Love." It's starting to develop a chemistry for us, and I think that it'll really come further into play once we start blocking scenes. It also might help us to hang out a little more outside of rehearsals.
When we got to "I Chose Right," Marcus asked me to really start playing up the rock vocals during the bridge of the song. He wants there to be a definite difference between Danny's musical theatre sound and the punk rocker he wants to be, using the bridge as a demonstration of the performer he's going to be while he's gone. It's something I hadn't really thought about, since I thought that this was Danny at his most sincere. It still is, but the vocals give the song more levels, and show off more of Danny's personality. I'll have to keep playing with it; give it some grit without hurting my vocal chords
Monday, September 27, 2010
9/20/10 - 2nd Rehearsal
I was only called tonight for about a half hour later on in the evening. This was for further work on "Fatherhood Blues."
Marcus got me to do a few things that really helped progress my physicality. The term he used that stuck out to me most was for me to "open up;" to put some focus on my center going outward instead of pulling inward. He set a chair aside, and during my two big builds in the song, he had me leap off of it. I could really understand what he was talking about whenever I jumped, and I've taken a mental note of what to work and focus on.
Marcus got me to do a few things that really helped progress my physicality. The term he used that stuck out to me most was for me to "open up;" to put some focus on my center going outward instead of pulling inward. He set a chair aside, and during my two big builds in the song, he had me leap off of it. I could really understand what he was talking about whenever I jumped, and I've taken a mental note of what to work and focus on.
9/19/10 - 1st Rehearsal
Marcus informed us that our entire first week of rehearsals are strictly going to be learning music. Next week will dance-focused, then week three will start the scene work. He stressed the importance of learning our music now so that everything else will be easier when we get to it.
Tonight was a first rough sing-through of the show. It had its stumbles here and there, but mainly out of unfamiliarity with the material. It just showed what needs to be worked on in the coming week. I felt really glad that I knew so much of my music. I made sure that part of my summer was spent listening to the cast album over and over and over again so that it would get ingrained into my head, and it really paid off.
Unfortunately, we already have some illness starting amongst the cast. I have to be sure to stay careful with my health.
To follow up on something I mentioned in my last entry, we finally got to hear the new song, "The End of Summer," in action. It's absolutely beautiful! It almost sounds tailor-made just for Tabby, Lindsey and Mary Kate. I'd be lying if I said it didn't put a lump in my throat.
Speaking of whom, singing with Mary Kate feels so good. We sound really great together, and I have a good feeling that working with her is going to be a lot of fun.
Before we let out, Marcus returned to a couple of numbers. One was "Fatherhood Blues." While he worked with everyone, the thing he focused on with me was getting me to loosen up, physically and vocally. Rather than focusing on getting the song right, he said he wanted me to just let my voice out, and really start tapping into the wannabe punk rock side of Danny. Tonight was a start, so I hope it progresses further.
Tonight was a first rough sing-through of the show. It had its stumbles here and there, but mainly out of unfamiliarity with the material. It just showed what needs to be worked on in the coming week. I felt really glad that I knew so much of my music. I made sure that part of my summer was spent listening to the cast album over and over and over again so that it would get ingrained into my head, and it really paid off.
Unfortunately, we already have some illness starting amongst the cast. I have to be sure to stay careful with my health.
To follow up on something I mentioned in my last entry, we finally got to hear the new song, "The End of Summer," in action. It's absolutely beautiful! It almost sounds tailor-made just for Tabby, Lindsey and Mary Kate. I'd be lying if I said it didn't put a lump in my throat.
Speaking of whom, singing with Mary Kate feels so good. We sound really great together, and I have a good feeling that working with her is going to be a lot of fun.
Before we let out, Marcus returned to a couple of numbers. One was "Fatherhood Blues." While he worked with everyone, the thing he focused on with me was getting me to loosen up, physically and vocally. Rather than focusing on getting the song right, he said he wanted me to just let my voice out, and really start tapping into the wannabe punk rock side of Danny. Tonight was a start, so I hope it progresses further.
9/18/10 - Reading the New Script
NOTE: Yes, I've fallen behind AGAIN on posting my journal entries, but I have been keeping track of what's going on, so consider these next six entries my catching up.
During my research at the beginnning of the summer, I read about the 2004 production of Baby at the Paper Mill Playhouse. The production contained a revised libretto and new music. But when looking back on MTIShows.com (MTI licenses the performing rights of the show), the only version mentioned was the 1987 National Tour, the copy Tabby, Steven, and I had recieved at the end of the semester. I pushed the thought of the new script out of my mind to focus on what I had. Once I returned to school, though, I went back to the MTI site and saw the 2004 version listed. When I asked Marcus which script we would end up with, he said we would have to wait to see when they arrived. It turns out that the official script for Baby is now, in fact, the revised version, and I wondered how it would be in comparison.
SPOILER WARNING! IF YOU ARE READING THIS BLOG, AREN'T IN THE CAST OR CREW, AND STILL PLAN ON SEEING THE SHOW, STOP READING THIS ENTRY NOW!!!!
The answer is that it's so much better than the '87 version! The script (while not entirely) fixes some of the problems I had with the older one, removing and/or rewriting some of the cheesier and dated dialogue to make it more contemporary and timeless. The new material adds so much to the story. The biggest change comes as part of Alan and Arlene's story; in this new version, Arlene has a miscarriage halfway through Act II. This was something the writers wanted from the beginning but had to change before the Broadway opening, and I have to admit it works. They still reach their happy ending of rediscovering and renewing their love for each other, but only after hitting rock bottom, and this gives us a bigger dramatic payoff. There's also the new song, "The End of Summer," where the three leading ladies have another trio, this time expressing their fears for the future. I can't find a single recording or video of the song, so I can't wait to hear it.
The biggest change involving Danny and Lizzie, however, is the scene leading into "Two People in Love." It's completely rewritten, removing all the over-the-top goofiness the older version had. In short, it's more realistic and gets to the point of Danny's conflict! Danny returns from his tour with the band totally changed, fearful of his future with Lizzie and his ability to provide for her and the baby. He doubts his career in music, and now says he doesn't want to marry Lizzie so she won't have to change. They fight, which culminates in the realization that it's too late; they BOTH have changed. We then get to my favorite addition: a soft-spoken intro into "Two People In Love," which briefly reprises "I Chose Right" and "What Could Be Better?," and thus the following song has newer, stronger meaning. It's not just a declaration of their love anymore, but an affirmation of their strength and faith in each other.
Overall, this new script is great, and with this and the cast we have I KNOW now that this show will be amazing!
During my research at the beginnning of the summer, I read about the 2004 production of Baby at the Paper Mill Playhouse. The production contained a revised libretto and new music. But when looking back on MTIShows.com (MTI licenses the performing rights of the show), the only version mentioned was the 1987 National Tour, the copy Tabby, Steven, and I had recieved at the end of the semester. I pushed the thought of the new script out of my mind to focus on what I had. Once I returned to school, though, I went back to the MTI site and saw the 2004 version listed. When I asked Marcus which script we would end up with, he said we would have to wait to see when they arrived. It turns out that the official script for Baby is now, in fact, the revised version, and I wondered how it would be in comparison.
SPOILER WARNING! IF YOU ARE READING THIS BLOG, AREN'T IN THE CAST OR CREW, AND STILL PLAN ON SEEING THE SHOW, STOP READING THIS ENTRY NOW!!!!
The answer is that it's so much better than the '87 version! The script (while not entirely) fixes some of the problems I had with the older one, removing and/or rewriting some of the cheesier and dated dialogue to make it more contemporary and timeless. The new material adds so much to the story. The biggest change comes as part of Alan and Arlene's story; in this new version, Arlene has a miscarriage halfway through Act II. This was something the writers wanted from the beginning but had to change before the Broadway opening, and I have to admit it works. They still reach their happy ending of rediscovering and renewing their love for each other, but only after hitting rock bottom, and this gives us a bigger dramatic payoff. There's also the new song, "The End of Summer," where the three leading ladies have another trio, this time expressing their fears for the future. I can't find a single recording or video of the song, so I can't wait to hear it.
The biggest change involving Danny and Lizzie, however, is the scene leading into "Two People in Love." It's completely rewritten, removing all the over-the-top goofiness the older version had. In short, it's more realistic and gets to the point of Danny's conflict! Danny returns from his tour with the band totally changed, fearful of his future with Lizzie and his ability to provide for her and the baby. He doubts his career in music, and now says he doesn't want to marry Lizzie so she won't have to change. They fight, which culminates in the realization that it's too late; they BOTH have changed. We then get to my favorite addition: a soft-spoken intro into "Two People In Love," which briefly reprises "I Chose Right" and "What Could Be Better?," and thus the following song has newer, stronger meaning. It's not just a declaration of their love anymore, but an affirmation of their strength and faith in each other.
Overall, this new script is great, and with this and the cast we have I KNOW now that this show will be amazing!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
BABY CAST AND CREW
Baby
Book by Sybille Pearson
Music by David Shire
Lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Danny..........Grant Bowen
Lizzie...........Mary Kate McLaurine
Pam............Tabby Stott
Nick.............B.J. Underwood
Alan............Steven Williams
Arlene..........Lindsey Bristol
Chorus:
Frank Demming
Michael Adams
Trent Loggins
Stephen Means
Jenna McCown
Meghan Browning
Keeli Berman
Bethany Dawson
Director - Marcus Lane
Choreographer - Carl Dean
Music Director - Laurie Middaugh
Stage Manager - Hannah Jean Farris
Asst. Stage Managers - Kayleigh Funderburk, Stephen Billy, and Brittany Ellard
Congrats to everyone who got cast and great job to everyone who auditioned! I can't wait to get started!
Book by Sybille Pearson
Music by David Shire
Lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Danny..........Grant Bowen
Lizzie...........Mary Kate McLaurine
Pam............Tabby Stott
Nick.............B.J. Underwood
Alan............Steven Williams
Arlene..........Lindsey Bristol
Chorus:
Frank Demming
Michael Adams
Trent Loggins
Stephen Means
Jenna McCown
Meghan Browning
Keeli Berman
Bethany Dawson
Director - Marcus Lane
Choreographer - Carl Dean
Music Director - Laurie Middaugh
Stage Manager - Hannah Jean Farris
Asst. Stage Managers - Kayleigh Funderburk, Stephen Billy, and Brittany Ellard
Congrats to everyone who got cast and great job to everyone who auditioned! I can't wait to get started!
2/4/10 - Dance Auditions
This is the most confident I've ever felt coming out of a dance audition. Sure, after having worked with Carl Dean twice already, I will admit this was a different combination than what he normally comes into auditions with. Rather than functioning by counts of eight, it was lyrical, and focused on what was going on musically within that cut of the song he chose (which was the show's opening number, "We Start Today"). The thing is, that's how I function best as a dancer anyway. There was a little bit of a rough start in the beginning due to my focus on trying to get every step right. But after the first group was let go Carl spoke to us about focusing on the performance rather than the accuracy, and putting out more energy. Once I focused on that, I found that my dancing actullay got better, and I suddenly tapped into an energy that I feel I'll soon need for Danny.
Eager to see how the cast turns out! Can't wait!
Eager to see how the cast turns out! Can't wait!
UPDATE FOR FOLLOWERS
Hey guys! Thought I'd put this post up before I put up my next entries. I've been having to balance preparing for Baby with getting into the swing of classes starting back, so I've been behind on getting these posts up. Once we actually start rehearsing regularly, it should be easier to write every night. Rest assured, though, I am keeping track of things; just because they haven't been posted doesn't mean I haven't started writing them yet.
One more thing before I post the next one: even though I have written a journal entry about this, I am not going to post the one about callbacks. I figured it would be best to avoid publicly mentioning names in the scenario where people were still competing for roles. I do have written it though, and saved it as a draft on my account.
Thanks again to everyone who's following my process! I promise it's going to be more regularly updated from now on.
One more thing before I post the next one: even though I have written a journal entry about this, I am not going to post the one about callbacks. I figured it would be best to avoid publicly mentioning names in the scenario where people were still competing for roles. I do have written it though, and saved it as a draft on my account.
Thanks again to everyone who's following my process! I promise it's going to be more regularly updated from now on.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
8/31-9/1/2010 - Auditions
Even though I've already been cast, I'm still required to audition, so I still wanted to do well and pick appropriate material.
My monologue was the one I used in Acting from the Camera last year, from the movie Kicking & Screaming. I know something from a movie isn't always what's to be used in a theatre audition, but it's an obscure piece, and the closest thing to a character resembling Danny I have in my repetoire. Like Danny, Grover [the character from the movie] is younger, is doing whatever he can for the girl he loves, and is really taking a big step to change himself for the better in the face of serious circumstances. There's nothing in the monologue that's just like anything in Baby, but I feel there's enough of a connection to my character for me to display.
I had a few ideas for my song that would suit Danny. Among them were "I'm Alive" from Next to Normal (already one of my stronger audition cuts) and Jason Robert Brown's song "Someone to Fall Back On." But I figured a smarter choice would be to reflect the more romantic side of the character and show his certainty in his commitment to Lizzie, so I decided to use "I Chose Right" as a template. I found the song in my rep book that I felt matched that perfectly; Billy Joel's "She's Got a Way" (more specifically, the arrangement used in Movin' Out). It's a beautiful song of admiration, and Joel would probably be one of Danny's idols.
As for how my execution of these went, however, I feel it could've gone better. I'm can't really pinpoint what went wrong. I just didn't feel I took the monologue far enough, and even though I sang the song well, my performance of it felt very wooden. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself as usual, but that's how it honestly felt. Even though I'm already in the show, I still wanted to prove myself to the faculty. I'll just learn from this one and move on.
My monologue was the one I used in Acting from the Camera last year, from the movie Kicking & Screaming. I know something from a movie isn't always what's to be used in a theatre audition, but it's an obscure piece, and the closest thing to a character resembling Danny I have in my repetoire. Like Danny, Grover [the character from the movie] is younger, is doing whatever he can for the girl he loves, and is really taking a big step to change himself for the better in the face of serious circumstances. There's nothing in the monologue that's just like anything in Baby, but I feel there's enough of a connection to my character for me to display.
I had a few ideas for my song that would suit Danny. Among them were "I'm Alive" from Next to Normal (already one of my stronger audition cuts) and Jason Robert Brown's song "Someone to Fall Back On." But I figured a smarter choice would be to reflect the more romantic side of the character and show his certainty in his commitment to Lizzie, so I decided to use "I Chose Right" as a template. I found the song in my rep book that I felt matched that perfectly; Billy Joel's "She's Got a Way" (more specifically, the arrangement used in Movin' Out). It's a beautiful song of admiration, and Joel would probably be one of Danny's idols.
As for how my execution of these went, however, I feel it could've gone better. I'm can't really pinpoint what went wrong. I just didn't feel I took the monologue far enough, and even though I sang the song well, my performance of it felt very wooden. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself as usual, but that's how it honestly felt. Even though I'm already in the show, I still wanted to prove myself to the faculty. I'll just learn from this one and move on.
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