Last Show!

So sad - today is that last show!

Yesterday was awesome. The photo shot was very, very successful and we got some wicked shots, which is always good news. So check out the website soon and you can see the new pics.

The show was also great. The Lieutenant Governor came (we call her the LG for short - everybody needs a nickname) which was such a treat. Afterwards she came to speak to us and told us that she loved the show and it really made her think. She was a lovely lady and I hope she will come back to see us again. - we also got our picture taken with her but I think we might need permission to post it. :)

It was also great to see Alicia. She came and spoke for us at the top of the show and it was nice to have her hanging around backstage with us. I love when the gang is all around!

After the show Carolle, Sara and I went to the "shoe shop" for some eats and drinks!!!! Unfortunately I won't be able to go out after our last show because of my friends wedding so we had to go out last night - that is sad because I couldn't have my traditional after show food - DEEP FRIED PEP. That particular cuisine is only for instances when I don't have to do anything the next day. ----- but I had spring rolls which was a good compromise. 

So tonight is that last show - and the last pre-show banana which makes me sad. You should all be happy to know the life of Nutella is still going strong and I still carry a container of it around with me. During this run of shows, we decided to test the banana theory I came up with last time we were in Fredericton and I must say this particular pre-show practice is a keeper!!!! woap woap. Feel free to try this - Before a show at about the half hour mark, eat a banana (I enjoy it most when it's accompanied by Nutella and CC even bought peanut butter to go with it) The effects are amazing. It totally calms you down and stops the shakes that most people have before a show. I now swear by this "law" - yes I just declared it a law and I will practice it before every show - Jon if your reading this make sure Sara has a banana before her show, you ate her one from last night.

Alright back to the fact that it is the last show. I must admit I love this show. I love the continuity it has and I love the things it makes the audience think about it. Hopefully someone that runs a theatre will enjoy the show as much as me and we can tour it. I really believe that this show is worth seeing and sharing to as many people as possible. 

My mother just phoned me and read the review in the paper. She started the conversation saying it wasn't a good review - I was sad and asked her to read it to me. When she was done I was laughing and saying mom that was a wicked review and you are a jokester.. she thinks she is funny sometimes. - here is the link if you would like to read it. http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/ArtsLife/1057795.html

This will be my last post until the fall, which is sad but don't forget about us when the fall comes because there is lots of touring - which means lots of new stories and fun adventures. 

Cheers

Melanie

Dress Rehearsal and Opening Night!

Well, as always, dress rehearsal and opening night go by in the blink of an eye. I'm always amazed at how things really do always come together in the end and yesterday was no exception. (it does help to have an amazing production team who you trust immensely!)

We started our day at 10:30am when we met at the theatre to go through notes from the technical run with Lesandra and Lisa. To give you a sense of how the chain reaction has continued until the very last moment, both of them were still making considerable adjustments right before the dress rehearsal. This can be stressful on the performers as you really want to feel that the piece is somewhat settled in your brain and body before the show opens, but at the same time you really want to fulfill the vision of the choreographer and need to trust that the changes are for the good of the piece. I didn't have a ton of mind-altering changes, but Mel and Carolle had lots to think about and I think they both did amazing to assimilate and experiment on the fly.

Overall, the dress rehearsal went well, with only a few minor hitches. Personally, I always like a few things to go wrong because it rattles you a little bit and then you're all the more focused for the real show.

After the dress rehearsal, we said goodbye to Lesandra who was driving back to Fredericton. Unfortunately, she couldn't stay for the show, but it was so great to have her theatre for the tech and to get some final notes on the piece. It always makes the piece fresher when the choreographer reminds you of some of the original nuances that may have been lost in the rehearsal process. I also rushed off to pick up the programs before the printer closed. Can't have a show without a program!

At 5:30pm, we all met back at the theatre to prepare for the show. After make-up, warm-up, review of the changes from the morning, and a pre-show set up, we were ready to share the show with an audience!

Things went smoothly and the show was well received by a very receptive audience. Following the show, we held a reception that was superbly decorated and co-ordinated by my mom and Alicia's mom, Irene with a crew of volunteers. We're so lucky to have such incredible moms and a network of supporters who are so generous with their time and effort.

My day started early when I drove Rebecca to the airport this morning at 7:30am and it was sad to see her go. I wish she was staying for the whole run of the show. She has been so amazing to work with and her lighting is awesome. I know we'll work together again soon. I took some photos during the dress rehearsal from backstage, but they might be a bit dark to see anything.

We're off to do a photo shoot at the theatre with Holly this afternoon and then two more shows. Hard to believe that our season is almost at an end. Bitter sweet...

Sara

Huge Tech Day at the Dunn

So...a very long tech day today. We started at 9am and went right until 10pm! Cue to Cue with the lights and sound, running each piece with the cues...then a final tech run of the entire show at 8:30ish. The lights look great and things went very smoothly today. Rach arrived with some new costumes....things are really coming together now and we're ready to open tomorrow!

Dealing with a bit of nerves now with my solo, so I thought I'd be honest about that and write about it. I guess I'm dealing with the combination of lights (slightly disorienting), adrenaline and a technically challenging solo. I plan to eat a banana right before the dress and show tomorrow to see if this helps....it's supposed to calmn the adrenaline rush. I'll let you know how that goes. I'm also going to try some deep/centreing breathing to lower my heart rate slightly (recommended by my opera singing sister Erin who has actually taken whole courses on this stuff).

Here are a few pics from the theatre today....Hope you can make it to the show....we open tomorrow!!
Also - here's the link to a lovely article in today's Herald! http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/ArtsLife/1057103.html

Our photographer extraordinaire Holly (front row at the Dunn), choreographer Lisa Phinney and company member Sarah Rozee watch the tech run. Note the Sarg's special brief case sitting in the front row to the right....he can fix anything with this box of tricks!

Mel and choreographer Lesandra Dodson work on some final details during the warmup before our tech run tonight....something about a lightening flash!

Here's Sarg and our crew chief Deb hanging something that I won't give away...you'll need to come to the show to see it.

Given The Circumstances Opens in TWO DAYS!

We're in production this week for our home season mainstage, "Given the Circumstances", which is set to open on Thursday! Production week began on Sunday at the Sir James Dunn. Our lighting designer Rebecca Picherack arrived from Toronto for a full day of hanging and focusing the lights.
We spent the "holiday" Monday in the studio. It was a doozy - we started at 8:30 working on some final changes with choreographer Lisa Phinney for her duet; ballet bar at 9:30; more work with Lisa at 10:15; cleaning rehearsal with our rehearsal director Catherine Walker at 11:00 and an interview with the Herald over lunch at 12:00. The afternoon was spent running the entire show for Rebecca. It felt great to do the four pieces in a row and get a sense of how the evening will feel. It feels like a FULL show....lots of dancing and lots of emotion!
The whole process for this show has been so interesting. You may know this already, but we decided to make the 4 works in sequence like a chain reaction. Each choreographer in the chain used the previous works as inspiration (in whatever way they wanted) for their own creation. The works are connected in a number of ways. The "reactions" have continued to evolve over the last month as we returned to the process and made final changes! Last Friday we had an in-studio showing for some invited guests who were asked to provide feedback.....and some final changes came out of that showing.
Today was spent partly at the studio and partly at the Dunn while Rebecca and Sarg (that's Marcel - our tech director - see previous posts) continued with the focus and levels for lights and worked out other technical details. It was also spent partly on the administrative details that go along with producing/presenting your own show! (i.e. finishing the program, making a plan for the photo shoot that will happen this week, final postering efforts, etc....) Tomorrow will be the first full day in the theatre for the dancers (9:00am - 10pm).....can't wait. The Dunn really feels like a second home for us and we're anxious to get settled in the theatre!!
I'll try to take some pics tomorrow and we'll let you know how it goes!
Have you got your tickets yet???
CC