lately

My last post was a week-and-a-half ago, and with good reason: a week ago was my last night off before four days of Camelot rehearsals, and last night was my time to both relax and catch up on household stuff. There's still a pile of laundry to be put away, yet here I sit typing, under the guise that I'll do it later tonight.

Camelot opens this Friday, so naturally I'm coming into a full week of rehearsals, including today's sitz probe where the cast sings with the orchestra for the first time. I think we have a pretty solid show, so it should be good. Here are the details:

Fri, Feb 16; 8:00
Sat, Feb 17; 8:00
Sun, Feb 18; 2:00

Thu, Feb 22; 8:00
Fri, Feb 23; 8:00
Sat, Feb 24; 8:00

Fri, Mar 2; 8:00
Sat, Mar 3; 8:00
Sun, Mar 4; 2:00

Fri, Mar 9; 8:00
Sat, Mar 10; 8:00

(Psst... also a free preview night on Thursday the 15th...)

You can see the cast list here. The theater is at 36119 Center Ridge Rd in North Ridgeville, near the corner of Routes 113 and 83, in front of an aesthetically ironic water tower.

Surprisingly, this has been one of the less stressful musicals I've played for, as far as time goes. I'm not sure why. And that's even with being a music director rather than just an accompanist. I think I've fared pretty well, save for being a nervous wreck before music rehearsals, but I'd like to be in some shows before I MD again. I want to work with a good music director and really pay attention, to see how they do it. My teaching only goes so far, and I'm not as familiar with how to fine-tune the singers when it comes to things like pitch, blend, and diction. I can recognize when they need fixing, but don't know how to get them to do it. I commend the Camelot cast for bringing their own experience to the table when I didn't quite know the proper tricks or techniques to accomplish such things.

Speaking of being in a show, I'm planning to audition for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with Elyria Summer Theatre. Yes, they're doing it again, even though it's only been five years. Same director, too. I had a lot of fun playing for that show before, and think it would be fun to be part of the cast as well. Of course, I likely won't have a shot at Joseph unless I can lose the gut before auditions come around, since he's shirtless for quite some time. We shall see. I will say with confidence that I can sing the part, though.

What else, what else... Last Sunday, a few friends and I went to the Home & Garden Show, which was mildly disappointing. With the unceasing bitter wind lately, it was good to see some flowers and greenery, but there's just way too much "DIY trade show" gimmickry for my taste. I warned Becki, "Don't make eye contact with any of the carnies or you'll go home with five crates of OxiClean." I much preferred last year's Dutch theme, which was full of daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths -- coincidentally my three favorite flowers. The moment we walked in last year, it smelled like jelly beans (which is what I think hyacinths smell like, perhaps because I associate them with Easter).

Afterward, I stayed at Stu & Laurie's for the Commercial-a-thon, otherwise known as the Super Bowl. Big time disappointment there. Many of the "commercials" were just CBS advertising their own shows, and the rest weren't particularly amusing. Nonetheless, it was a good excuse to enjoy a shrimp ring, cheese fondue, quesadillas, and Toll House pie.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go disappear into the Camelot vortex again.