WGN-TV from today's parade

Here's a link to the parade video. For some reason the commentator says at the end that Theatre at the Center is in Hammond, but we are really in Munster!  Thanksgiving Day Parade on WGN-TV

Parade Rehearsal Video

Thought this might be interesting for a different view of today's parade.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxhP9qDAtSA

Parade Pictures

We performed in the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade this morning. Here are some pictures from the wet morning!

WLS TV segment

Here's a link to today's tv appearance http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/entertainment&id=7138665

Upcoming Television Appearances

We will be performing the title song on TV twice in the coming days. Wednesday, November 25, 2009 we are scheduled to perform on the WLS-TV ABC 7 News in Chicago. They have us scheduled to perform at 11:45 AM but since it's a news show if there is snow, breaking world news or some local event, we may get bumped!

Thursday, November 26 we will be performing in the 2009 McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade. We will be performing at around 8:20 AM Central time. This parade will be televised on WGN-TV, so everyone should get to see it if you wake up early!

Final Day of Previews

Well I watched today's performance. We really have an amazing cast, crew and orchestra. The audience gave the show a standing ovation! And it was deserved but so far the best performance that I have watched has been the first (last Thursday). Today's show had some rough choral elements as well as some performances that I think were effected by report cards at school! Technically the stage manager and stage crew have the tech elements well in hand. I only had one note each for props, set and costumes.

There was a strange noise during the second act that I was unable to determine if it was 1.) a squeaky ventilation fan, 2.) a hearing aid feeding back, 3.) a personal ventilating device being used by the old man in front of me, 4.) a feedback issue from the reeds section. My sound guy heard it too so it probably wasn't number 3!

Tomorrow is our press opening. Our artistic director is already thinking about bringing this show back for our 2011 season and I think that's only because we are already contracted to do a different show in 2010! So 24 hours from now the house will open and the fun will begin!

Video

Here are some new promotional videos for the show!
Stagechannel Video

Pictures

Here are some pictures from the final dress rehearsal that were taken by our lighting designer - Guy Rhodes http://www.guyrhodes.com/blog/

First Performance

Our first performance was today. The cast, crew and musicians all did a great job. The audience gave the show a standing ovation. John Reeger and Julie Shannon were both at the show and they told me that this is the best production of their show that they have seen. Wow!!! We had a few technical issues with today's performance which hopefully we will address tomorrow. After the performance we audio recorded a couple of the songs for some upcoming promotional appearances and also shot promotional videos of the production numbers "The Christmas Schooner" and "That's America" We also had a full house today, which was a great way to begin the run!

There was a preview article about the show in today's SOUTHTOWNSTAR Newspaper by Don Snider. http://www.southtownstar.com/entertainment/52weekends/1875988,111209Schooner.article

Tomorrow's TIMES has an article as well! http://nwitimes.com/entertainment/books-and-literature/article_7b7b9feb-f98b-5b37-acc4-41daafd6207c.html

Cast List

Tech Rehearsal

Yesterday we had our technical rehearsal and though it was a long day I felt so energized when we were through. The show is in really good shape. The day began at the theatre at 8 AM for me, I had my production manager hat on and set up the video monitoring system for the conductor and the lift operator (this involved only one run to radio shack!) I also hauled the chairs and music stands for the orchestra to the stage.

The actors were called at 11:30 AM and by noon the mic checks had begun. We had a minor emergency just before we were to start - the lift stopped working. Ann called in the elevator repairman (I think his name is Carl or St. Saves the Day) and he had the lift working in no time. By 4:30 PM we had teched through the first act. We had added in microphones, costumes, lights, and Christmas trees all at the same time and the cast handled all of the additions with aplomb.

After dinner break we added the orchestra and started back at the top of the show. We were able to run the first act straight through with Barry (Sound Designer) mixing the orchestra, voices and sound effects on the fly. That left us 3 1/2 hours to tech the second act which we did with 15 minutes to spare!

The composer, Julie Shannon, was at the rehearsal last night. Her husband Bill brought a bunch of microphones that he is loaning to us for miking the orchestra and that made a huge difference! Julie seemed overjoyed at the production. I think the audiences will love it too!

Northern Michigan Pines

I drove up to Northern Michigan to get 12 more stars for the show!

First Load of Trees Arrived Today

Libby brought the first load of fresh pines to the theatre today!

Orchestra Rehearsal Photos

Music Director/Conductor - Bill Underwood

John Blane, Bill Geller, Julie Shannon

Kara Bershad

Randy Glancy

Ethan Deppe

What a day!

I am sitting in the theatre right now. I arrived here at 7:30 this morning and worked on some contracts and budgets for future shows. We had Schooner rehearsal from 10 am - 6 pm where we were able to clean up and restage the parts of the show that needed the most attention. The author, John Reeger showed up at rehearsal at 2 PM and thoroughly enjoyed what he saw.

We are having our first orchestra tonight and that is taking place in our green room. Some new faces that it was nice to meet as well as our talented core players.Julie Shannon - the composer/lyricist, her husband -Bill, and John Blane just arrived to sit in on the music rehearsal. They are downstairs because on stage right now they are about 9 hours into the light focus. I should really take a picture of the genie lift on the boat!

All in all a blessed day that will end in about 5 hours with my setting the building alarm and going home!

Rehearsal footage from November 4th

Check out this rehearsal footage from rehearsal yesterday - November 4th. The show is really coming along & how 'bout that set?

Great News!

Our PR people have secure the opportunity for the cast to perform on WLS-TV on Wednesday, November 25 on their 11 AM News program. Make way for the Molly!!!

Beginning Week 2 of rehearsals

We had a very productive day of cleaning up and working on most of the major choreography in the show. Matt also brilliantly re-staged "What is it about the Water". It was a number that the two of us had intended to collaborate on and in the end that was what happened, it just took a circuitous route but by the end of the afternoon the number looked great!

Both Matt and Bill are very effective communicators and I so appreciate that about them.

So as of today, the show is pretty well put together. We still need the real table and counter unit along with the chairs in order to finish some of the scene change choreography. I feel we have a real good base of the show established. We will be able to do a good deal of detail work this week as the scripts in actors' hands get replaced by hand props and proper gestures. Tomorrow we will be working on Act 2 in the morning and then make our first attempt at a run-through of the entire show in the afternoon.

I also had a very nice interview today with Don Snider of the Daily Southtown. He was very complimentary of out past productions and is looking forward to seeing Schooner. I will post a link to his article when it comes out.

Some photos of the set 10/31/09

They started to add some paint to the decking on Saturday.