Tuesday, February 27, 2007

I'm Back!

The show is over! I survived "She Loves Me." (sounds like a t-shirt) I'm so tired. *grin*

The run was FABULOUS. I was a little sad after the last performance because I have grown to love the music and all of the great kids in the show. But I'm loving eating at regular hours, sleeping more than 4 hours at a time and NOT running my head off every day of the week.

I'll get some pictures up from the show shortly.

J sounds like he is doing well. Probably not getting enough sleep and certainly missing home but ok. I've been able to talk to him more in the past week and it's been great.

Munchkin is good. She had a bad day yesterday but, as I told her, we all have bad days and, fortunately, today is a new day.

K is getting ready for the wedding. Her hubby-to-be moved back to Texas over the weekend and has already gotten a job - in Temple! SWEET!!! I'm so excited!

Well, there is more news but I've got to run out to a meeting. I'll try and get online and update tonight, after the kiddo goes to bed.

It's good to be back.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Weekend Update

Ok, so it's Monday. *grin*

The show is going really well. We had our first three performances Friday, Saturday and yesterday to full houses. I'm having a ball but I'm ready to get back to "normal."

Until the show is over (next Sunday) fridaynightgirl is taking a break. I'll return to posting all the news from Crazyville in a week. Hopefully, I'll have lots of pictures from the show to post. See you soon!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Tech Week

I realize that it's been a week since my last update. I'm doing pretty well to match my shoes in the morning, much less come up with witty blog fodder. *grin*

We are into Tech Week. For those of you unfamiliar with the endurance trial that is Tech Sunday, let me "splain" it to you.

For the last six weeks, we've been rehearsing five days a week for three hours a night (sometimes less, depending on what we were doing). That stopped on Sunday. Tech Sunday starts at 2pm and doesn't end until we're done. I left the theatre at 11:20pm. It was exhausting work. The first several hours were working out light cues and scene changes. We took a break for dinner and then came back for a full run of the show.

Last night was the earliest we'd been released and that was at 10:30pm. I was actually in bed by midnight. WOW.

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. We're doing full hair, makeup and costumes now. It's so fun! The costumes are fabulous - they were built for me and they really look beautiful. We've finally got the hairstyle figured out so it's really neat too!
As if that wasn't fun enough, I was in the paper. Now, I've been in the paper several times for various work affairs, ribbon cuttings and of course events at work are in the paper all the time. But I haven't been on the cover of the Leisure since I was a Senior in High School. It's kind of funny to see too.



(I'm on the right - isn't that stand-up collar cool??)

Anyway, last night we did just scene changes. Several of us have really quick costume changes and working those out takes some practice.

Tonight and tomorrow night are our dress rehearsals and then we open on Friday. I'm SO excited! All this work and here we are.

Well, I'd better get back to it. I'll post pictures soon. I promise!!

Friday, February 9, 2007

Facing the Giants



Boy, I'm on a roll today.

"I support the Troops but...."



When I hear people say things like, "I support the troops but I don't support the war." - isn't that a contradiction? How can you truly support a soldier if you don't also support what he/she is there to do? If you whine and complain because he/she is far away from home for months at a time, are you really supporting that soldier?
*sigh*


Look, I don't like this war any more than anybody else, ok? I would much rather have J home, safe and sound, than in Iraq. But, he is there to do a job and he is risking his life doing it. How can I "support" him if I don't support his mission?

It seems like a lot of folks are holding signs tearing down President Bush and the War in one hand and then waving their American Flags with the other.

I just don't get it. For the record: fridaynightgirl supports President Bush. I support the US Military and wish them Godspeed home to their families, safe and sound, "mission accomplished." Until then, I will continue to hang my flag in front of my house and shake my head and frown at young punks and celebrities with the audacity to spew filth, hate and dissention without stopping to realize that people died to give them the freedom to do so.

*clearing throat*

[and this ends today's Soap Box Sermon]

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Tonight

Tonight I got some terrible news that the new baby (one of a pair of twins) of a very good friend died last night. While I am, as a mother, heartbroken for those sweet parents and that sweet baby - it made me realize what a blessed life I lead.

I have a darling little girl that is smart, beautiful and healthy. I have an adorable little home that protects me from the sorrows of the world outside inside its little rooms. I have a tremendous job that challenges me to continue to grow and adapt and remain flexible while using the many gifts that I have been given. I have a wonderful family that loves and supports me; through thick and thin. And I have the love of a wonderful man that inspires me to be brave - to stand up for the things I believe in - to remain steadfast because he is so very worth it. A man who's love gives me hope for our future, together.

Friday, February 2, 2007

This Might Work


On this episode of This Old Blog....

As I'm sure you've noticed, there have been some changes around here. Fridaynightgirl put on her html hat and waded through the "new" blogger. (just when I was finally getting the hang of the old blogger, too!)

It's probably not the finished product, but at least it's not green and white...

Stay tuned - more home improvements after a word from our sponsor.

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Temporary Ugliness

Due to some technical difficulties by Blogger, I've been "forced" to "upgrade" my template to something acceptable by Blogger. So, until I can figure out how to fix this gawd-awful look with a template that works with the "new and improved" Blogger, this is what we have. I know - boring.

We'll fix it - I promise.

I like the green, though... Very cheerful.

When Lightning Strikes


Last night we rehearsed the finale of the show. It's the scene where Georg and Amalia finally tell each other how they feel. The first time we went through it, when we blocked it, it was stiff and uncomfortable. I felt out of sync with Kirk and embarrassed to be working such a personal moment in view of the rest of our cast who, although they are all darling and I'm really enjoying working with them, can be a little juvenile at times. (But who isn't?)

So, Tim had mercy on me and didn't belabor it. We left it alone for a week. But we were bound to come back to it. And we did - last night. I felt "nervous and upset" (that's a line from one of Georg's songs) but eager to get to the point where I really got into it and forgot about how nervous that scene makes me. Or, at least, learn how to harness that nervousness into Amalia's moment and use it to enhance the tension.

So, we went through the scene several times (including the kiss) with the rest of the cast so we could get the finale and bows set and then Tim made everybody leave. I'm really glad he did, too, because even though they didn't mean any harm, the little kissing noises coming from backstage were really distracting. Funny, but distracting...

Once everybody but the four of us (Tim - director, David - musical director, Kirk - Georg and me - Amalia) was gone, the room got really still. Tim started really working his magic then, making subtle changes in the blocking that really increased the tension in between the two characters until it was almost painful.

But still, I was basically moving through the lines and blocking sans emotion. Oh, I was probably convincing enough but that's not the way I operate. I have to give my whole heart or I feel dissatisfied. So, searching my little psyche for a moment of similar tension, similar uncertainty and with similar stakes, I wrapped my arms around a particular memory with J. As his face came into my mind's eye, I felt that familiar pang in my heart and I knew that I'd stumbled onto something.


The next time we went through it, my heart was in my throat and there were tears in my eyes. The atmosphere was absolutely electric. The finale became much more poignant and we were all just swept away. Boy, that sounds very fanciful... *grin*

Anyway, I know they say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but I'm counting on it hitting at least six more times - during performances. If we can do that, we'll bring the house down.

Needless to say, I came home last night totally exhausted. Wrung out is more like it. Exhilarated, yes, but also totally stomped. I gave everything I had last night and it was good.