Today, in many ways is the day I have been waiting for for three years, ever since I was offered this show. The entrance of the Three Little Maids. It is a sort of tipping point for the whole piece, setting the tone for the show in a way that the other songs cannot. I suppose this is because it is the "To Be Or Not To Be", the "Un Bel Di", the "Stellaaaaaa!" of this piece. On opening night of the first production it was encored three times. Three. No pressure there, though. And the tune lives in on a million unexpected ways. Chariots of Fire? Yep. Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO? Yep--it's that catchy music they play between scenes. And a grillion other places. Thank the gods that we have three little maids who any director would envy--Alison Tupay, Kristen Forrest Leich and Katherine Jolly. Not to mention the incomparable Sean Curran as choreographer. OTSL folks know him as the choreographer of Nixon in China--my folks might remember him as the choreographer of the Martinu double bill I directed for Gotham Chamber Opera a few years back. 
That's him in black showing the ladies how to stand. (By the way, check out that natural light in the rehearsal room. That is NOT something you get every day. This rehearsal space is better than a spa, I swear.)
That's him in black showing the ladies how to stand. (By the way, check out that natural light in the rehearsal room. That is NOT something you get every day. This rehearsal space is better than a spa, I swear.)
That's the Ladies Chorus working with Sean on "So Please You Sir We Much Regret".
We also staged the Nanki-Poo/Yum-Yum duet--"Were You Not to Ko-Ko Plighted". That's Patrick Miller, our Nanki-Poo, serenading Ms. Jolly. Interesting staging that scene. I had always thought the main point was the comedy of them saying "This is what we'll never do" and kissing. In working on it, we sort of stumbled on a slightly more melancholy take. Not sure where it will take us, but there is definitely something appropriate in it. The best comedy comes with a nice dose of pathos, and the music certainly has a melancholy string to be plucked. Just goes to show that you never really know a scene till you get it on its feet and start playing.Tomorrow we begin working on the At 1 Finale. Can't believe we've made it this far so soon. Still lots of polish and futzing to be done, certainly, but we've got a strong base for a big chunk of the act.
3 comments:
What are those green things the ladies are wearing around their necks in the "So please you, sir" pics?
Those are very large name tags so that the production staff can refer to all the ensemble members by their first and last names
Very nicce!
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