Muttering

[mrdreamjeans]

Illness is really taking a toll on the show. We’re up to 12 out of 29 people in the cast with some kind of upper respiratory virus. Only two people can be out at a time, so many of my peers are performing sick. Kathy, who plays Eva, was out tonight, so Kate (who usually plays the mistress) was on for her and Brianna was on for Kate. We’ve already been put on alert that Joel might debut as Peron tomorrow afternoon because Phillip is sick ... so is Mark, the other understudy for the role. The score card keeps changing.

We had a four-hour rehearsal this afternoon. The first hour was to be vocals, but for many in the cast, the choice was - you can have me sing now or in the show tonight. The conductor decided we’d sit down and discuss changes he wanted made, instead of singing them. It worked well. We then spent an hour polishing the choreography for the Aristos and another hour on the Military in “Peron’s Latest Flame”. With the show tonight and the difficulties in having time to get back and forth from the theater to the hotel in traffic, many of us wound up being at the theater from 1:30pm to 10:30pm. A long day.....

Our dance captain, conductor and director held replacement auditions at the Debbie Reynolds Studios on Wednesday and Thursday. They saw over 70 dancers and more than 200 singers in the two days. The large numbers were in part due to making the morning of the second day an Open Call where they saw non-union performers. You can tell how few jobs there are out there when so many people show up when there are no known openings. Almost 300 singers and dancers working hard just for the possibility of being a future replacement. It makes me reflect on how fortunate I am.

A couple of interesting bits:

We’ve been told that the first week of June is no longer an open week on our schedule. We will know in a few days if we will be extended a sixth week in Toronto or play a week in Washington, DC. It will be one or the other for sure.

Our lobby was deserted last night when we returned from the show. Five minutes after I dropped my stuff in my room and headed out for breakfast at IHOP, 80+ musicians comprising the China Philharmonic Orchestra checked into the Ramada. The first person I spotted was the company manager from the last tour of “Evita” in 1998-99. Chris was tour manager for the orchestra. Small world.....

Finally, Donna who dresses Chris and Halden here in Los Angeles (and who I know from previous gigs at the Pantages) told us an amazing story. Donna has three children from her first marriage. They are 36, 35 and 15. She and her second husband decided to have a family by in-vitro. They have a 19-month old and twins who are 6 months old. Donna is 58 years old!!!!! She's in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest woman in the United States to give birth to twins. Simply amazing!

Comments

[nlotic.livejournal.com]

Best wishes to you and your cast and hopes for wellness.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks Lee!

Sickness/blessings

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

Wow, sounds like this upper respretory illness is indeed taking a toll on the cast. Take extra vitamins etc and hope you stave off this.

But on the other hand, keep thanking God for the opportunity you have been given with this show. I tend to look at it as this. No mater how bad things are for me, there is always someone else who's worse off than me.

Take care and oh, Donna is a savior with twins and all at her age. Wow.

Hugs from Seattle, er, Tacoma this weekend. :-)

[bearfuz.livejournal.com]

Wow, a week in DC? I won't be there, but the "new" company of Big River will be just finishing up their run. You'll likely run into some of them.

Stay well, buddy! I remember those multiple-combo days we used to have on Les Miz. Winters were always like that for us. Sounds like it's harder with Evita though.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

You're right about it being winter and typical for a tour. I think the change in climate from Spokane to Los Angeles has nailed a lot of people. I had a flu shot in late January and I tend to isolate unless I'm at work, so I'm hoping I avoid the general malaise:) I'm not sure whether to root for a sixth week in Toronto for one week in DC where I will get to see some good friends. HUGS!

[trulygrateful.livejournal.com]

12 out of 29? OMG!!!

There should be some sort of rule which prohibits performers from being on stage while they should be at (home?) recuperating. It seems to me that, by performing, it's keeping these people from getting better and just making them iller (er, I mean sicker).

The downside to showbiz, I 'spose.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

That would be in a perfect world, but the reality is that there are two swings and once they're on, things are mixed up. Whatever is considered most important, gets covered somehow. We're still doing good shows, but it's really hard on everyone. Hope you're doing well. Hugs!

[orange-groves.livejournal.com]

Damn! Stay well, mister!

[gotmoof.livejournal.com]

58? damn... and my sister thought she was the cryptkeeper for having her first at 33.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Yeah... Tell Jeanne to get off your back and get busy giving Eamon a little brother or sister. According to Donna's standard, she's got 25 years to do it! LOL!

the beat goes on

[sfbear.livejournal.com]

Yes that show has to go on. It is hard to do a show but you have to learn lots of lines and make sure people know other roles. U can not do that show with out the big people or it will not. I hope all are better when they come to San Fran.

Re: the beat goes on

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

We're fortunate. All of our understudies are excellent. Since we don't have any big names anyway, the audience just sits back and enjoys what they see. Quality work. We have another week here, so I think everyone will have recovered by the time we hit the Bay Area.

[ursusnoir.livejournal.com]

Yuck there is some nasty stuff going around right now. I had a brief brush with it last Wed. And I thought I was good about obsessively washing my hands and using the hand sanitizer at work and in my car :) Tell your cast mates that every second they can they need to sleep and stay hydrated :) Lot's of Vit C too.