First, the cast has finished blocking the show!! For those of you unfamiliar to theatre lingo--that simply means the kids have learned it from beginning to end. That in itself is a huge accomplishment, especially considering the ton of snow we were plagued with this winter that caused us to have to cancel many rehearsals. From here on out--it's tweaking, polishing, and repeating! Now, the kids can practice becoming their characters. They can work on chemistry, timing, and delivery and become confident in their parts. As I mentioned in the previous entry, there is so much that goes into the making of a musical. The kids have come a long way--but that certainly doesn't mean they're going to be breathing a sigh of relief for long (or at all). This is a hard show. The music is challenging, the choreography demanding, and the task of recreating already well-loved characters is intimidating. So, there is still a lot of work for them to do.
In addition to the cast carrying out their responsibilities, other Peter Pan teams have begun their work for the show. One such team is the construction crew. This is a ready, willing, and abled body group of dads, brothers, moms, sisters, and whomever else they can round up, who have been working diligently on creating the set for this show. It's a lofty project for them--far more extensive than past sets. But, I can assure you, they're killing it. I saw some of their already completed work and it's the bomb dot com. As with the cast, they still have a lot to do between now and show time, but I'm confident their finished product is going to beautifully enhance the show.
Another group of busy bees is the costume committee. Some of our costumes we were fortunate enough to inherit from the Muse Machine from when they did Peter Pan (mostly Indian costumes). We have talented and experienced seamstresses from Dayton creating the costumes for Peter Pan and Captain Hook. Cast moms are busy assembling pirate costumes & resizing Indian costumes to fit our girls (many of whom are much smaller than the costumes as they are now). We even have a couple very important costumes coming from out of state--Nana and the Crocodile. Until you've been involved in a production, you don't really realize how important costuming is. Great costuming can really make a show--and I know ours will be nothing less than great!
Tonight, another extremely important group of individuals began meeting to work on their part of the show. This group of people are the hidden, unsung heroes of musical theater. They add an element of emotion, magic, and depth that is invaluable to the experience of live theater--that group is none other than the orchestra. What would a musical be without the music? Boring, that's what! Maybe I'm just overly partial to the orchestra as a long-time orchestra musician myself, but I also like to give credit to where credit is due. My husband somehow inherited the role of conducting this show--and he's been putting a lot of time in already trying to comprise the best personnel possible. The pit (the short name used to refer to the orchestra) is comprised of professionals from the Miami Valley area and students from both Versailles and Greenville. Greenville has a luxury Versailles does not, and that's an Orchestra program with an abundance of string players. We've never had a string section in Versailles for musicals and I really think audiences are going to appreciate their presence in this show (and, it's a perk for the Greenville kids as they don't have the luxury of doing an annual musical: win-win!!). Brian is extremely optimistic after tonight's rehearsal. Get ready Versailles for the first full pit orchestra EVER!! It's going to rock your socks off!
Coming up in the schedule is the beginning of technical work such as lighting design and sound. My brother Jacob has designed lighting for the entire show--another element that typically hasn't been utilized to it's capacity in Versailles that adds so much to a show. I can't wait to see what he's come up with. And of course, still to come, is the added element of flying. I will probably have a future entry JUST on that. Be on the look out for your sneak peak!
Also some fun things--there is going to be a character meal at the high school prior to the show where families can come with their kids and get to meet and interact with none other than Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Tiger Lily, Wendy, John, and Michael. It's sure to be a great experience for kids and a good opportunity to promote the show and raise the level of excitement leading up to opening night. Details for that should be available soon.
Okay, that's all you get for now! Stay tuned for more and enjoy the pics!
Michael, John, and Wendy sleeping soundly in their make-shift beds...aren't they Darling??
Pirates and Lost Boys rehearsing the final act of the show
Captain Hook getting instruction from "Captain" Jacob
And more Pirates and Lost Boys
My adorable side-kick and cast member wanna-be
The beginnings of the Darling's nursery.
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