Last Call before Opening Night!...

It's the last rehearsal before Opening Night, and I could not be more proud of all of you. Thank you for stepping up, doing the impossible, and being willing to work so hard for the rest of your cast mates and the production as a whole. What a blessing it has been for me to get to know and work with all of you and your children!

I know SOME of you are getting a little bit of a delay due to the weather this morning. I hope you were able to take advantage of that extra rest. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE. I would like to give a shout out to Jamison and Jared (and anyone else who may have helped that I don't know) for completely de-icing and starting my car last night. THANK YOU, gentlemen. I literally had zero idea that the weather was so bad until we finished the run.

WE ARE STILL ON FOR REHEARSAL TONIGHT! SEVERAL TEXTS AND CALLS THIS MORNING. 

OK, the good stuff:

1. Our shirts are here! THANK YOU to Julie Sharton for taking all of our red and baseball-sleeved cast shirts home last night to label them with names for distribution. We will have them ready for you to pick up tonight. They're adorable!

2. Most of the youth were already gone, however, I want to let everyone know that Lifetouch has been scheduled to take pictures of all cast members in costume beginning tonight at 5:30pm. So, when you arrive, get in your costume and go to have your photo taken. If you are a FAMILY who is part of the show, Jan would like you to please get your photo taken with your family members. This is your REAL family, not your stage family. Please see me if you have questions.

3. Brian and I have put several packages of water bottles backstage and in the youth changing room (Choir room). Please feel free to drink them. There will be Sharpies with them to label them with your name. Just remember to throw them away. We had some kiddos eating in costume last night, so please remember - only water! Amy Hoffer and I also put together several items, crafts, games and activities for the young people for during the show. Please thank her when you can for doing that!

4. Samantha Shelton is leading hair, make up, and wigs for the show, and can help some of the principals with hair styling/makeup, if needed. Her instructions were forwarded via email yesterday, but here is another copy:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qag6J8_5l5z3E09i2kE7CLGwtPmVT1lFYNYkhKlkmS4/edit?usp=sharing
Please arrive to the venue with as much of this completed as possible. There is no room to be applying make up/doing hair at the theatre.

Mustache assignments: 
Lt. Ward
Man 2 - Hooverville
Man 4 - Hooverville
Eddie - Hooverville
Ickes
Morganthau
Hull
*Please see Sami in time to get your mustache on!

4. SCENE TRANSITIONS are the main thing that we need to focus on and continue to fix. I am going to work on some large posterboards that we can hang backstage today. However, PLEASE REVIEW this document and clue me in on any changes that have been made that I may not be aware of. If you volunteer, you have to do it! We've got this!!!!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aiSYGSL1o3z1U36oQacDWrma4cl1oPcixJODb4803Qk/edit?usp=sharing

5. Before we get started tonight, I need to have everyone on stage (in their opening scene costumes), but we are going to run the blocking for the last scene and BOWS (everyone hustle to get ready to that we have time to do this, please). After that, I also need to see the Servants to fix the dance blocking for a few of your scenes - "Gussie,", etc.

6. WE MUST START THE SHOW AT 6:30pm tonight. There will be NO STOPPING and NO ONE can leave until the conclusion of the show. If we start at 6:30, there should be no problem EASILY getting out by 10:00pm. I need everyone's help to make this happen. 

7. Brian is going to try to get the Sound Effects figured out and working with Brad in the sound booth tonight, as we have not had them so far, and many of you have asked. We're doing our best to make this happen. So, don't be alarmed when it happens for the run tonight.

8. SHOW NOTES FOR EVERYONE:

ENERGY - WE NEED IT!!!!! PLEASE BRING IT TO EVERY SCENE TONIGHT. Energy is the difference-maker between GOOD and GREAT!

PACE - There should NEVER be long pauses between lines unless it was directed. In ALL SCENES! Especially in Hooverville! Orphans - remember your unison lines!

SMILES - FUN - HAPPINESS! With the exception of Hooverville and certain Orphan scenes this show is JOY. Please bring it!

REMEMBER YOUR STAGE POSITION AND AUDIENCE SIGHTLINES! We are having a bad, bad, bad habit of turning our backs and being in full profile to the audience. I have talked to several of you personally about this. You should always be facing chest out. It feels unnatural, but it looks right to the people watching the show. This is the number one area of improvement for most of our actors in the show. STAY OPEN, please.

I need to see the Orphans (meeting in the choir room), Warbucks, Annie, Grace, Hannigan before the show for individual notes. 

You are ALL doing fabulously and the show is fantastic. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.