Footy, writing, posting, hope

One of the venues where we hold the Eisteddfod is at the local independent theatre - the Playhouse. In lieu of words here are some pictures I took on our final night there while I hung about backstage moving kids, music stands and pianos on and off the stage.

Avenue Q: It Sucks to Be Me

Did you grow up watching Sesame Street?
Do you now think Bert and Ernie have some unresolved homosexual tension between the?
Did you think the Cookie Monster had an unnatural fetish for cookies and the letter C?

Are you now all grown up and wondering where your life is going and trying to cope with all the challenges it throws at you?

If so then get yourself along to Avenue Q. Yes, it's a musical and I understand that not everyone is a big fan of the musical. But this is a musical for people who might not even like musicals. Songs about racism, pornography and the internet, sex, sexuality and more with a mixture of actors, and actors with puppets. It's fabulous, fantastic and really difficult to explain why to anyone who hasn't seen it. But here's one of the less M/R rated songs. Enjoy. And then if you live in Brisbane make it your business to get yourself a ticket. You won't regret it.

Day 5: One Day More

How to rally yourself for the final day of a week long community musical event. Think of a song from a musical that has the same title as how you are feeling. One day more....Of course I'm not readying myself for a revolution. I just want a nap.

Look for Alun Armstrong as Thenardier. Treat.

This song gives me goosebumps.

I am incapable of forming any coherent sentences unless absolutely necessary, so that's all you get today.

the plot is not the thing

Jinx and I had the privilege of watching a dress rehearsal of Aladdin on Sunday evening. When you describe a pantomime to someone who isn't familiar with the tradition, I can imagine they would look at you strangely and wonder what on earth there is of entertainment or interest to be found there. Surely, they might ask, the pantomime is a dated and anachronistic mode of popular entertainment?

Well, let's see. The central character is the "dame" - a man playing a big, blousy, slightly camp female character - in this case Widow Twankey. And then the title role is usually a male played by a female - in this case Aladdin. And then there are other clownish roles (here two policemen - Bamboo and Typhoo) and an evil Egyptian magician fella (whose name I forgot because it doesn't matter) who is after the magic lamp that Aladdin ends up with, allowing him to marry his princess. There are jokes galore, usually localised within the script, lots and lots of audience interaction, singalongs, chases round the theatre and my favourite of all - the audience screaming "Look behind you!". To enjoy it you must find the child within who has no preconceptions about how the world actually works, and enter a chaotic world of slapstick, colour, movement and dancing. The plot is always thin to non-existent...but the plot is not the thing that's important here.

When I was growing up in Bundaberg we lived in the same street that the Playhouse theatre is now still in. Every Christmas we would troop down in the stinking heat of summer to see the matinee. This was in the days before the theatre was airconditioned, but we would spend a raucous (and sometimes I must say, very long) afternoon doing all the things just described. The most exciting part was when it was all over and the actors would remain in costume and go outside to meet all the children as they filed out the theatre. This was a real thrill, and having been involved in Jack and the Giant (a previous panto production) in 2006, this joy has not changed in the intervening years. Kids are always fascinated (and sometimes I must say, a little freaked out) to see the actors come down from the stage and mingle amongst the audience.

Twenty five years later it's no different. Surprising as it may seem I found myself laughing at the jokes, singing and clapping along, and screaming quite loudly, "He went that way" during the chase scene. I hadn't laughed out loud that much for quite some time. What could be better than that?

what now?

Well the wind has finished sweeping down the plains, the corn has been cut down and the mornings are a little less beautiful. That's right, Oklahoma has completed its run at the Playhouse theatre and this morning, all around town there are people waking up wondering just what they used to do on Tuesday, Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons. The 10 week rehearsal period is rather intense. And people who have never felt the inclination to be involved are often bemused by the dedication and willingness of others to be take part in such events.

When you're involved in a project like this you get swept up in it, you live and breathe it for a couple of months. You see the same people many times a week, chatting, laughing and, yes, sometimes griping. You're part of a team all working towards a common goal and that's a good, and often exciting feeling. Then, of course there's the adrenalin rush of the performances, the nerves, the tension, and the joy when it all goes well and audiences laugh and enjoy themselves.

And, then it's over and we all return to our everyday lives, but it's the memories of the great times that keep people returning to the theatre...so they can experience it all over again. The theatre brings people together in a positive way, and that's a wonderful thing to be part of.

corn, tiaras and butter churns

Well I finally got around to taking some more pictures up at the theatre. Mostly frontstage this time (except for this one above). You'll note my wonderful pink fluffy tiara sitting on the piano. Friday's night theme in the pit was "bling". So in addition to my crystal sandals mentioned in an earlier post, wonderful Donna had been to the reject shop and bought some $2 tiaras. Wearing a tiara really does make you feel like a princess. Wearing a reject shop tiara makes you feel like a tacky, secondhand sort of princess.

That corn really is as high as an elephant's eye.

Here's Aunt Eller's chair and her butter churn...ready for the opening scene.

The view from afar...well up in the auditorium anyway. This is what the audience sees. Note some cast members "walking the stage" before the theatre "goes live". Goodness but my theatrical lingo is impressive.

And here's a shot of Aunt Eller's little house. If you look carefully you can see she's got some healthy red geraniums in a windowbox there. I'm not sure if this would be authentic to Oklahoma but they sure do look "purty". My Oklahoma lingo is getting quite impressive too..."ain't it".

before it all starts...the quiet before the storm

I took a quiet walk around the theatre this afternoon. Once all the cast are ready they disappear out the back for vocal warm ups etc and everything gets very quiet before they open the doors to let the audience in.

Downstairs under the stage are the well used dressing rooms. Wigs aplenty!

This is the theatre in the dark before the audience pour in.

In the pit ...where the instrumentalists all squish in together.

Backstage...the waiting area for when the cast aren't on the stage. It's usually in darkness during the show.

Last but not least, this is my place in the orchestra pit.

OK!

A great run through last night in front of an audience of other theatre members and friends. Tomorrow night, a sold out charity night....Then Friday night is officially opening night to the great Bundaberg public. As of the weekend about 1000 tickets already sold I think.

Oklahoma - OKAY!

it's amazing the difference a hat makes

Last night's rehearsal was a great one, especially for those of us in the pit. Apart from the wonderful stash of lollies (for eating while the dialogue is going on) we also received some very special Oklahoma style hats. It seems it's amazing the difference a hat makes to how much fun you can have while watching a show you have seen hundreds of times already. Suddenly the jokes became a whole lot funnier and the musical numbers so much more energetic and enjoyable.

a long afternoon at the theatre

Well it's getting closer now to when Oklahoma actually opens. Just over a week in fact before we begin playing to real audiences. So all the last minute things are starting to be put in place up at the theatre. Sets are being painted, costumes finalised, hair and makeup all starting to happen. We now also have an orchestra in the pit. Well not actually a full orchestra but some strings, a flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone and percussion. And it sounds pretty good if I do say so myself. And we're really just running the show in full at every rehearsal. So this afternoon we began at 1 and finished at 5:30. It was a long but productive afternoon, although a little concerning that one of the leads couldn't sing today...but I guess that it's better now than on opening night.

But the highlight for me was when the auction scene came together bee-yoo-ti-fully in Act 2.

Maybe I should have some spinach (like Popeye!)

Another long afternoon at rehearsal yesterday. It didn't end up being the full run that had been planned. Rather, we spent the time going over certain scenes and fixing up lots of little details. I have finally been banished to the pit and have started playing the real piano. It's bit of shock to the system in terms of the muscle needed. The keyboard's keys aren't weighted so it's no work at all to play in terms of arms, shoulders, fingers etc. However, the piano in the pit is a Beale with a quite heavy action. I doubt that it's been tuned regularly either so imagine it could be improved slightly with some care and attention. It's a good workout for me nevertheless (although my back is a little bit sore today!)

maybe it's karma

It was f-f-f-f-f-freezing at rehearsal last night. I know I've whined a lot about the temperature at the theatre, but really last night it got to the point where I really wanted to wrap myself in a blanket like a little old granny. It was a long rehearsal too. We're getting to the stage of running the show through. And even though there were lots of people away for various reasons this is what happened last night. We did Act 2 and then at a about quarter past nine started on Act 1. Act 1 is the monster act - song after song after song, including the dream sequence at the end. When 10:20 arrived and we were only about two thirds of the way through I upped and left. Leanne could play. So I'm wondering what time they decided to finish.

My punishment for this piking out however, was all the hot water had been used up by the time I arrived home. So I couldn't get warm under the drizzly cool shower. If I'd stayed at practice longer then the water might have warmed up again.
These are the choices we make I guess. Or maybe it's karma....

a little dopey

Well for someone who likes a good musical I've discovered I was a little dopey when it came to Oklahoma. I always thought that the big showstopping title number was the finale...but it seems not. (I'm guessing the majority of the cast were aware of this long before me!) As we worked our way through Act 2 last night it seems that the song is the high point of the second act after which there are two fights, one resulting in a death - and then the actual finale. I think this is an unusual dramatic arc for a musical...and perhaps explains why Oklahoma is considered a classic - for the way it developed the genre.

View from the pit

It was a fairly light afternoon at rehearsal today for me. We worked over Farmer and the Cowman again - revising what was blocked on Thurday night. Following that there is a long section of dialogue (the auction) which meant no music and I could have a pleasant sit down and watch the proceedings. Up until now the orchestra pit has been covered over but I get the feeling it's only a matter of time until the covers come off and I am banished to the depths of the theatre (in crazy phantom of the opera style) instead of being up in the auditorium with everyone else. The pit has the real piano which is much nicer to play but it makes it very hard to see what's happening on stage. And the view from the pit is just a lot of dancing feet.

all cows all the time

Last night at rehearsal we moved into Act 2 and it was all Farmerand the Cowman all the time. For the entire practice....there's dancing, singing, dialogue, comedy, a fight...it's got everything. So it took quite some time to get through blocking the whole thing. And then we just kept running and running it....

I was okay sitting at the piano but by the end of the night everyone looked exhausted! I'm sure all that dancing is better than going to the gym.

is it a circus...no it's a dream sequence

Rehearsal was interesting this afternoon...most of the time was spent on the "dream sequence". Interesting because I have been rewatching the documentary on Broadway: The American Musical and they had comments from Agnes B De Mille who choreographed the original Oklahoma Broadway production's dream sequence. She said originally Laurey's dream was set to be in a circus! Thanks goodness they changed it after her questioning of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It also goes on for 15-20 minutes in the original show. With the modern audience in mind, our insightful directors have chosen to cut it down to around 5 minutes. Quite frankly dream sequences like this usually make me want to run screaming from the room, but i think i can manage to survive the five minutes or so that we're keeping. Lyne, our choreographer, has done a great job to focus on the drama and the story, and because I have to be on my toes to play the music, I've got something to keep me occupied for the duration.

"many a new day-ing"

Another monster rehearsal last night at the theatre. It was all work on the chorus numbers so heaps of repetition of entrances, singing, dancing, as well as singing and dancing at the same time. For me, it was three hours of almost non-stop playing. While the chorus music isn't too difficult (and I've developed the knack of knowing what to leave out...the main principle at the moment being "bash out the melody!"), I did have to concentrate so I was ready to start when they were ready to enter, sing or dance etc.
Still it's fun when the chorus people are all there...lots to watch and people to chat with...and plenty to laugh about!
Those songs do get stuck in your head though..all day I've been "many a new day-ing"