April 29, 2005
Ever since day one of rehearsals for Lennon, there's been one area in particlular to which the swings have never had access:
The stage.
So it was a welcome change on Thursday when the understudies had their first officially scheduled rehearsal on the set. With the directors all gone, the stage managers, Artie, Laurie and Justin, were there to take us through both acts. We got through it all, but it was awkward. With the four of us choosing one role apiece and Laurie and Justin running back and forth to stand in for other players, there were many holes and much confusion about who was who. But hey, at least we got to touch the props, right?
These swing rehearsals will happen once a week, which means we'll get two more in before the show closes here. These rehearsals are extremely important, because starting next Tuesday, the show will run every day for twelve days, sixteen consecutive performances without a day off. This kind of schedule pushes the limits of the opening players' endurance, and we may be asked to fill in for them just to give them a break. Even with minimal practice, we'll be expected to look as though we've been doing it every night. No excuses. No problem.
The buzz around town appears to be very good and the show is selling well. With a seating capacity of around 2200 (at least twice the size of the Broadhurst Theatre in New York), it's impossible to sell the room out during a run like this, so if we get half a house we're doing fine. Bonnie Raitt came to see the show on Thursday night and visited us backstage. She was ecstatic! Being the daughter of a Broadway legend, she has a great appreciation for musicals anyway, and her favorite Beatle is John.
Meanwhile, I'm enjoying more and more of the city, experiencing the bohemian neighborhoods of the Castro and Mission districts (not to mention Golden Gate Park and the west beach), and making new pals along the way. Plus I got a great haircut. I'm diggin' this place!