Tic Toc! Tic Toc!

The pressure is on. This week will be our last week of regular
rehearsing because next week (starting Saturday) is hell week.
Saturday we will show up at the theater and basically we will be
there every day until the following Sunday. Its exciting but
frightening at the same time. Whenever hell week arrives, you know
there's no going back and every choice you've made up until now
better be the right one.

Thats really all I have to say right now, I'm sure more will come
this week. Wish us luck!

My First Grease Injury...

So last night while doing "Greased Lightening", I slashed my thumb open on the hubcap. I wasn't aware of how deep it was until I got home and started cleaning it out. I'm gonna scar (now I have to come up with some cool back-story of where the scar came from... I'm thinking I should say it happened while I was rebuilding my carburetor). Since it was my first injury, maybe I'll save the band-aid (thank you Jeff W. for tracking one down) in my Memory Chest. For those that don't know what a Memory Chest is, I'll explain:

Greg (G.P. - he's so pretentious) Hunsaker is our technical director. The other night we were out at the Moolah and Greg started opening up to the group and talked about his Memory Chest (he claims he said Memory Trunk, but I'm sure he said chest) that he keeps full of items from his sorted little past. At first I was going to let it go, but then, like there was chum in the water, I attacked. The pleasure here is that Greg is the gayest straight man I know. I'm sure he writes in his journal every night while he sips his tea and looks at articles from his Memory Chest. And after the single tear falls down his cheek becuase he found his "GREGGY" name tag from the store where he managed the Women's Clothing Department [I know... how gay is that?], he wanks off to the latest edition of JUGGS (or whatever filthy dirty stuff he looks at... or perhaps he uses Martha Stewart Living [love ya Greg]).

Other than the life-threatening injury I sustained, and the near loss of an appendage (Jeff Wright saved my life... MY HERO!), rehearsal was good. We had to grease back our hair for the first time and even though my hair is long, it's not long enough yet. I still have 2.5 weeks and, if nothing else, I'm sure I can fake it (if I had a nickel for every time I have said that). More later.

This Time I'm Serious! I'm in love with...

...this whole cast. We had our first run through on the set last night and needless to say it was a little rough (at least on my part). The guitar thing didn't go to well... chalk it up to nerves or something because I could totally play it at home with my St. Bernard watching me (he's a good audience... very forgiving). Practice Practice Practice (words from my piano teacher when I was 10 - shortly before I quit taking piano). 

Anyway, back to the cast. We all went out for Joe's (Sonny) birthday last night to this cute little place named "The Sidebar". I love it when a cast gets along as well as we are. Along with that, just like with any friendship, there will be bumps in the road, but I think we all genuinely like each other, which I am hoping will translate on stage. I had the chance to talk with a few cast members that I don't usually get to talk to a lot and I learned a great deal about them and their personal lives, etc. Brendan (Danny) brought his GF and she seemed very nice, Isabel feels like Jesus Christ sometimes, and in general we were a happy group... OH YEAH... RASPBERRY MOJITOS ARE YUMMY!

I have every hope that out of this cast will come some long-term relationships in my life, but even if they turn out to be theater friends (see below for definition), I know that I am going to walk away from Grease with good feelings and fond memories (and then I'll forget everyone's name in a few weeks after that).

*THEATER FRIENDS definition (courtesy of my friend Sarah Armstrong) = These are friends you make during the run of a show and then afterwards either you or they get busy and you loose touch until the next show you are in with them. At that time you pick up where you left off. It happens all the time and is pretty common practice in our world.

I can't hold it in anymore! I'm in love with...

... this show (bet you thought I was going to say something juicy...psych). We had the best rehearsal last night. Not because we learned something new and interesting (like rolling on the floor with hubcaps in our hands [props to Robin on that new move]), or because I had some miraculous character realization that told me Doody was in fact a serial killer or anything.

It's because we were able to take the time to fix little issues and polish a little tarnish. Not only for choreography but for songs as well. And then we walked through the show scene by scene so everyone was able to get familiar with exits and entrances and how to move around the theater and the set. It sounds really silly, but nothing makes you feel more comfortable than having that breathing room to learn exactly what you are doing.

Costume fittings are Saturday... I have lost weight since the first measurements (YAY) so I hope it all goes well... OH YEAH! Our first full run-thru is Thursday. I'll let you know how that goes.

P.S. Beth, send me your info and I'll pass it on to the right peeps.

I can smell the testerone on your breath!!!

We learned our final dance yesterday - "All Choked Up" (they replaced it with "Better Shape Up" in the movie...dumb-asses). Never did I think we would be doing push-ups in the middle of a dance number and grunting like we are having sex (there's a visual for everyone reading), but the number kicks ass! Its boys against girls in this dance and I got to tell ya', I think the skirts could learn a lot from the guys. GO BACK TO THE KITCHEN WHERE YOU BELONG LADIES!!! They think they are so sly pushing us down on our knees, but what straight man wouldn't want to be at crotch level to his girl :P. Barry (Kenicke) got out of the push-ups because he had to take his Brazilian cousin to see Piazza at the Fox (Did I mention his cousin is BRAZILIAN?).

Tonight is clean-up night for all the dances. What a great idea... It will be great just to dedicate a whole rehearsal to polishing (or un-polishing... whatever the look we are going for is). OH YEAH! We move into the Artloft tonight too. And G.P., if you read my blog, I am working on the license plates (I have all the way up to Louisiana done).

Feelin' Good in the Neighborhood

Last night we ran Act 1 and I have to say, I am really impressed at
how many people bring their "A Game" to rehearsals. Even more
impressive is having the time for Scott to stop us during the process
and work through issues that may pop up. It really helps because you
have time to correct before anything becomes a bad habit.

Monday will be the first time I bring my guitar to rehearsal (I
really gotta practice this weekend). I also have a homework
assignment to watch a little Elvis and get some moves for Doody
during Magic Changes. I am also really starting to feel like Roger
and Doody have been friends for a long time and Roger makes sure that
Doody is "protected". And Doody, Sonny and Roger are really getting
along. I think the audience will believe that we all grew up in the
same neighborhood and have been life-long friends.

New note: A bunch of us went out after rehearsal to Applebee's and
had a great time. Thanks everyone who went. Jeff had a great idea...
Thursday is Joe's (Sonny) Birthday... lets do it again. I had a blast
(and Beth.... I feel your pain. let's lunch!).

Thats all for now. We have more dance on Sunday.