No News is GREAT news!!!

Well, as I was always concerned - I knew that as soon as I got busy I would stop writing. But I NEEDED to write this down - Tuesday's rehearsal was AMAZING! I am SO incredibly excited about this show!!! Everything is starting to click, become perfected, and HUGELY WILDLY entertaining!
   This is the part of the process where I truly start to blown away by what starts out so small, builds, and then explodes. I can the relationships that are being formed, the interactions become real and interesting.

The Photoshoot!

INCREDIBLE photoshoot at the Blaney's!!!

(Lucas Blaney, who plays our Danny 'loaned' us his Dad's 50's collection to take some fun & fantastic pictures!!!)

Here's a sneak peak of some of my favourites!

Actors seen in the pictures are:
Jennie Neumann, Lucas Blaney, Dustin Freeland, Stephanie Davis, Claire Wardle, Katie Stone, Emily Kapahi, Robin Sukorokoff, Dimitrios Stephanoy, Craig DeCarlo, Kyle Vesterback,
Caleb DiPomponio
PS Sorry the layout is so weird! Can't seem to get it looking nice! :(

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!

Lucas Blaney & Alex Gullason star as Danny & Sandy

We had an UNBELIEVABLE rehearsal last night!

Although there is still lots of work that is needed - I think last night I was struck by what an amazing show we are going to have. There are absolutely NO weak links. Everyone has talent to spare. Starting to delve into their characters and truly create a new world.

At this point I am normally seeing nothing but flaws in order to create the best show possible. I tend to spend 1/2 the rehearsal making cringing faces to my stage manager (and she spends a 1/2 hour AFTER rehearsal encouraging me), but not last night! I was even entertained while watching!

I just wanted to post this, so that if something stressful happens from here on in - I will KNOW and be ENCOURAGED that we have an UNBELIEVABLE show - and I am so THRILLED to be working with this cast.

THANK YOU EVERYONE for all the additional work that you're putting in. And a BIG shout out to Angela King - my Dance Captain - who is whipping them into shape!

You are going to blow VANCOUVER away!!!!

Getting PUMPED!!!

Super pumped about things that are happening now for GREASE!!!!

COVER OF PLAYBOARD MAGAZINE (Play-BOARD)

On the cover of Playboard magazine this month (looks GREAT!!!) (Here's a link to the digital copy (check it out!! )
http://www.playboardmag.com/pdfs/Playboard%20-%20October%202012.pdf

BRENTWOOD PROMO

We gathered one weekend at Brentwood Mall to promote the show - SO much fun! Thanks to the cast members that helped us do that - you looked and sounded GREAT!!! Here are links to the video's from that weekend (kindly recorded by long-time volunteer and Crew member April Cleaver - thanks April!).

GLEE PARODY

I've put together a FANTASTIC commercial "parody" promoting the show! The cast of Glee will be back at it (on a break for BASEBALL of all things!) celebrating the 'most popular musical of all time' GREASE!!! Their show debuts ONE DAY before we open!!! BEST TIMING EVER!!!!

MY video:

GLEE'S Official Trailer for the GREASE episode:

PRODUCTION CREW

Production wise, everything is coming into place. Just a few names of some of the amazing designers:
Lighting Designer: Phil Guhl  Set Designer: John Bassette  Costume Design: Chris Sinosich and Sebastian and Co. Props: Tami Sinosich etc  The show is going to LOOK phenomenal!!!
I also have an amazing crew of helpers, volunteers (including the performers). I just need to focus on getting the show completely blocked/choreographed and then perfected!!! This is the part I like the most - where the show starts to emerge before my eyes and I get a sense of just how awesome (or terrible) it's going to be - and this year is pretty special!!!

GOTTA GET OFF BOOK

Had to reminded my actors tonight to practise/rehearse dance steps everyday AND to get OFF BOOK!!! The ONLY way to discover your character, the relationships and build a show up from the inside is to know your lines, your steps, your blocking - SO well that you don't have to think about it. THEN everything can begin to emerge.  I'm hoping that the actors in this cast will show some initiative and do it for THEMSELVES!!!! They will enjoy the next couple of weeks SO MUCH MORE if they know their stuff and then they just get to 'play'! :) That's the rewarding part!

And now for something a little more positive...

The GREASE Sing-Off

Caught this video a little while ago and FINALLY got it upload to Youtube. For those of you who DON'T know the kids in this clip - it's my son Caedence who's 9 and my daughter Aurielle, who is 3. I wonder if either of them will end up in the arts??!! :) (I know who ended up on a time out! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLzTqQjZ3U4&feature=g-upl

I'm a terrible Blogger...

BLOGGING?

I knew this would happen.

Jennifer Gillis in TO

Once I actually started rehearsal I wouldn't get ANY extra time to actually keep a blog - because every spare second I have away from my kids and hubby, I use to prepare for Grease rehearsals. Actually - that's a bit of a lie... I have also been completely obsessed and distracted by my interactions with Jennifer Gillis and her amazing journey happening right now on CBC's Over the Rainbow. (VOTE FOR JENNIFER!!!). Particularily this week. For some reason, Toronto thinks it's the centre of Canada and so Jen is not getting ANY PR out here in BC. So this week, I did take some time to make a few phone calls and send a few emails to see if I could help jumpstart the interest out here in BC. BUT, I digress! This is NOT a diary of my day to day life, but a blog about my experience directing Footlight's GREASE! So I've decided I'm not going to care so much WHAT I write and how I write it! I wanted this Blog mainly for a 'keepsake' for myself. If people find it boring - I have to be okay with that. I just have to write!

I HATE CONFLICTS!!!

So things have been going pretty well. The frustration with my missing leads (who have been involved in Riverview High) is now about to subside.  Although an additional wrench was thrown in when they made 'Pick of the Fringe' (HUGE shout out to all those involved in the original musical!!!) - giving them another performance that - yet again, conflicted with our rehearsal schedule! Out of the 5 days that they could've performed on - there were only 2 of them that conflicted with our rehearsals - my dear friend Murphy stepped in and made sure that it would be one of those days.


But all of the Riverview High stuff is over now - and I am THRILLED that there aren't ANY MORE listed conflicts on my conflict sheet EXCEPT that several cast members came to me on Sunday and told me about callbacks that they had for Oklahoma (Royal City) that would potential conflict with Sunday rehearsal!!!! So I am giving up on my desire to have a FULL cast, all the time. At this point, I can do MY job, to the best of my ability, and hope they do theirs.

Phil Guhl - Lighting Designer!

Some exciting news on the Lighting Designer front though. I can't even remember if I've recorded any of my 'plight' to find a set designer and lighting designer - nevertheless, it has been exhausting!! BUT good things come to those who wait and I am SO extremely excited to have lighting designer Phil Guhl join our team this year at Footlight! I was put into contact with him by Shel Piercy (to whom, now, I am indebted!) and met with him last week. He is not only AMAZING at what he does, but SUCH a nice guy. I'm super excited to finally have the support of a professional lighting designer!

BRENTWOOD MALL PROMO

Sound of Music (myself filling in for  Bree Greig)

The Wizard of Oz (Jennifer Gillis)

The cast is going to have some upcoming appearances at Brentwood Mall (which we have done several years in a row now - see inserted pictures) - so PLEASE swing by THIS weekend - Sept. 29th & 30th between 11-3pm to hear some of our fantastic cast singing their hearts out.

BYE BYE BASEMENT

LASTLY, we have permanently said 'GOODBYE' to our low-ceiling, NO dancing space and now find ourselves in the fantastic Multi-purpose room at Burnaby South School (attached to the MJF) - YAY!!!!!

MUSIC!!!! SKETCHES!!!! ACTION!!!!

MUSIC

Well - Sunday's rehearsal was a disaster thanks to the fact that it is IMPOSSIBLE to find a version of each song that is familiar to people AND that we have the music for!! Nonetheless, we had a music meeting today and literally listened to EVERY song, at least twice from different sound tracks and cast recordings to find the most accurate version that fits our score. With that being done, things should be much clearer from here on out.

SKETCHES

I also got some sketches from my designer today and VERY excited about how my set is going to look. I LOVE the process of layering a designers ideas with my own and what ends up coming to fruition! It can be a very frustrating process (I'm sure my designers would attest!) but it is so very rewarding in the end. (ps NOT my set for Grease to the right, I just loved this drawing! :)

ACTION

 Had a fabulous rehearsal with Lucas Blaney & Alex Gullason last night (we don't normally rehearse on Mondays but we're trying desperately to get in some rehearsals while SIX of my leads are busy rehearsing another show on the SAME days!!). We worked on Lucas' main song and then did the scene at the drive-in. I find one of my difficulties is taking my own spin on scenes when there are so many moments that have been forever etched in our mind from the movie! I like to give people the moments that they're longing for, but still make our 'take' on the scene honest and original. I think Lucas and Alex did just that. Great actors, great chemistry - not much I had to do there!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

Still hoping and praying for a new space!!! There has GOT to be somewhere in Burnaby/East Van for rent that doesn't have 6 foot ceilings and carpet (OH so good to dance on!)!!! Oh yeah - and is cheap! :)