Wow

Only 22 shows left.  Last time I checked, I was the musical director.  Something happened in tonight's show that's never happened before, but it was such a major issue that it absolutely cannot happen again (and I'll try to explain clearly for the non-theatre crowd out there).  We use a click track (essentially a metronome) during 3 numbers, and I hit the button that triggers the click.  During "Steppin' to the Bad Side," I give a cue to the 4 actors onstage to cut off the notes they're singing (at the point in question), then I cue both the actors and the drummer onstage to start up again, while I press the button.  Well tonight, I gave the cue - the drummer (Trevor) went with me, and the click track started.  However, the actors decided to come in a beat late.  This is a huge problem, because there are recorded vocals later on in the song.  Therefore, once the vocals started, I had to yell measure numbers at the band to adjust for the missed beat.  Thankfully, everyone got lined up before a huge catastrophe occurred when the ensemble comes onstage to do their most difficult dance routine of the show.

So, as musical director, I went to each of the 4 guys who were involved after the show and told them individually that I'm calling a 10-minute rehearsal tomorrow night before the show.  Do you know that three of the four admitted that they don't even look at me for that cue?  Do you know that all four of them blamed either me or Trevor for tonight's gaffe?  But at least three of them reluctantly agreed to the rehearsal, without giving me sass.  One had the nerve to give me lip in front of Trevor, Darryl (keyboard 1) and Ray.  Are you telling me that he would be talking back to any other musical director?  How can an ensemble member give the MD sass for giving him a note - i.e., doing my job?  What, because this is my first time as MD of a touring company?  So I gave it back to him.  I don't care if this hasn't happened before, it will not happen again, and we're gonna run this a few times to make sure we're all on the same page.  Jeez.  Well, if nothing else, I've definitely grown one hell of a backbone on this show, and when I get my next show, I'll be a hard-ass from day one, so that there is no confusion about where I stand and that I won't be taking any crap from anybody.  Sometimes, these actors drive me insane.  This is not a democracy - I'm the MD, and if I call a rehearsal, then your ass will be at the rehearsal.  Period.  OK, I'm done.  I need a drink - going to take care of that right now...

Nearing the Final Stretch

Holy shitballs, it’s December.  This year has totally been an example of time flying, yet standing still.  Sure, that’s an oxymoron, but when you do the same 2 hour, 45 minute show 382 times over the course of a year, time can really slow down because of the repetition.  But looking back, it doesn’t feel like I’ve done the show 382 times.  Weird feeling, I know.  But it’s December in Memphis, where it got down to 29 degrees last night, accompanied by an earlier mix of rain, sleet and snow (nothing measurable but still a reminder that winter’s coming).  29 degrees on Tuesday after 81 in West Palm Beach last Sunday. 

It’s been a fun few weeks since I last wrote.  Indy was cool, even though we ended nearly every night at the one bar within walking distance from the hotel – Friday’s.  Felt like Costa Mesa all over again.  But at least the staff was nice, especially Byron.  We all made friends with him (he’s a Facebook friend now, too) and even chipped in to buy him and a friend tickets to the Sunday matinee.  Real cool guy, poured a little extra in our glasses for no extra cost, you get my drift.  Indy is Moya’s hometown, so she really gave it her all that week…although she did it for an interesting collection of houses.  We had a good crowd opening night, but Wed and Thurs were far from packed.  So for the weekend, we did $15 seats for the entire house – crazy.  I couldn’t imagine sitting in the 7^th row for $15, but that’s what happened that weekend in Indy.  The show is really hemorrhaging money and are cutting costs at whatever expense.  I won’t get into the nitty gritty, but our union takes good care of its musicians.  Right now, in Memphis, we’re on the 8^th of 8 consecutive one-weekers (all that remains is a week off, a week in Buffalo and a week in Detroit).  That means, we’ve had shows Tues-Sun and traveled every Monday – in essence, not having a true day off in two months.  Our union deems that we should get 2 “golden days” – i.e., days completely void of work and/or travel – every 28 days.  So we’re entitled to overtime on 5 Mondays at $100 a pop.  But instead of paying each band member the full five hundo, they bargained us down to $250.  We figured it was the right thing to do, since we intend to work for some of our bosses again. 

OK, highlight time.  Troubling experience in Charlotte.  Racism still exists in the South.  Had a great week in Charlotte – darts with the boys on gentlemen’s night, boneless chicken wings at Hooters, bowling night with the cast, solid band, good audiences (including a pair of ladies that bought me dinner after the Sunday matinee and thanked me for turning around to talk to them before the show), amazing soul food at Mert’s for our opening night party…I think you see that I had fun in Charlotte.  However, on Saturday night, a dozen drunk, white college kids assaulted one of our cast members and her soon-to-be-husband in the hotel.  Epithets were tossed, hotel security was useless, even the police didn’t do as much as they could have…especially the black cop.  Because the ringleader was some star linebacker at Wingate, he and his cronies only got a slap on the week…please leave the hotel premises immediately.  We all know that if it had been the other way around, we would have been in cuffs, getting hauled away as the local news videotaped.  Won’t go into any more details, but I’m still outraged that something like that could happen in 2010.  Moving on.  Indy – gave a calm, yet firm and professional speech to the cast during our sound check.  Told them they were getting sloppy with cutoffs and energy and that we’re all here to do a full and complete show.  It was the beginning of week 4 of being MD, so I felt that it was time I assert some power.  The cast was positively surprised and responded quite well to my notes.  However, within a few shows, some of their old habits began creeping back in, causing me to become frustrated.  Since I’ve been conducting a lot, I know how good the show can be when everyone gives it his/her all, and I become ticked off when the show isn’t at its best.  Well, my frustration escalated through Charlotte and boiled over opening night in Tampa.  That show was truly mediocre, which is unacceptable, especially for an opening night.  And I felt that since the cast wasn’t listening to me, I should write to someone a little more powerful than I.  I wrote an e-mail to Ray (our production stage manager), Sam (our former MD) and Aaron (our GM back in NYC).  Very harshly worded letter, with a snippiness that I later apologized for, that really stirred up emotions amongst the ensemble once they read it on the call board. 

I tried to find an example to explain to the cast how things work, and this is what I told them.  Back when I was playing the show, Sam was my boss.  If he came to me after a rehearsal or a show and said that he didn't hear a certain chord in a particular measure in a given song then, regardless of whether or not I actually played it, I didn't play it.  I could know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I played that chord.  I could bet my life savings on the fact that I played that chord.  But guess what?  It doesn't matter.  Sam is my boss, and he's right.  If he didn't hear the chord, then I didn't play it.  The next time I play that song, my job is simple: hit that chord with more conviction, so that he hears it.  Case closed, problem solved, and I'll never get that note again.  But these actors don't see it that way.  Long story short, I felt that if they wouldn’t listen to me, then I had to go to a higher source.  I may have lost the respect or friendship of a couple, but I hope I gained that of others.  When we’re in the theatre, I’m not their friend first but instead, their musical director, and when the music is sung in a half-ass fashion, that looks badly on me, because it’s my name is in the program under “musical direction by”.  Enough of my rant – bottom line is that the shows since opening night in Tampa have been decidedly better musically, and I let the higher ups know that as well.  To get the blessing of Ray (who directly told me that I’m doing a great job) and many of my other co-workers and bosses for being firm and strict and trying to get the best out of our show was truly touching.  Totally something I can build on when – not if – but when I get my next show.  Saw a good buddy of mine, Todd, down in Tampa.  He lives there now with his girlfriend, Katie, and works at the National Weather Service.  We went to grad school at Georgia Tech together.  Had a couple of wild nights with them and a few of his friends.  Loved Ybor City (thanks Becky!), the area in Tampa where the cool kids hang at night.  Lots of bars, great food (best tacos I’ve had in years at Mema’s) and new drinks (found out about Harlem, a cheaper, more powerful version of Jagermeister that’s apparently sweeping the nation). 

Time to wrap this puppy up.  West Palm last week was sweet.  Saori, one of the interns from Tokyo who I’ve mentioned many times in my blog, loves us and the show so much that she opted to spend her holiday break with us.  It was absolutely great seeing her again, and she really enjoyed seeing the show again from many different angles (the house, backstage, shadowing Deena’s track with her dresser, Emily, etc.).  Had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with some members of the crew and band.  I also spent a lot of time in a new open-air mall between the Kravis Center and our hotel called City Place.  I went shopping with Doug – part 2 of my closet renovation is what he termed it.  Quite successful, I’d say – highlights being 6 more shirts (2 of which were smalls!) and a pair of jeans (waist 32!).  Damn, Nikki is good.  Still at 178 after an intense boot camp this morning, which followed an awesome cast party last night.  But so far, the best thing about Memphis wasn’t the Jameson on the rocks I had Monday night with Matos down on Beale Street while listening to a live band.  It was the Memphis BBQ pulled pork omelet I had yesterday afternoon at Cockadoo’s – yes, the literal name of the restaurant is Cockadoo’s with a rooster as its emblem – with a side of sweet potato hash browns that were topped with powdered sugar and marshmallows.  I’ll let that image marinate for a while.  Until next time…