Choreography notes

SOM Notes 11/24/2011
I was able to see the whole run last night and I have a few last tweaking notes. I really appreciate the adjustments you made from the notes regarding Tuesday nightʼs run.
Thanks! And Happy Thanksgiving!
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
• Berthe, Sophia, Margaretta- Take each “A flibberti gibbit, “A willoʼ wisp”, “A Clown” to the next person down the line so the last one is directed at Mother Abbess.
• Berthe, Sophia, Margaretta- when Mother Abbess sings “A girl” from her desk,
everyone look at her.
My Favorite Things
• Maria- Beautiful turn Leslie on “tied”. Thank you for that adjustment.
I Have Confidence
• Maria- Can you take your guitar and suitcase with you when you go out into the
audience? It looks odd that you set them down to ʻtravelʼ and then pick them back up.
Iʼm not sure what we set originally, but I think it will work better like that.
• Maria- Can you end the song with your hands on top of your hat, rather than your hips. I know that is a change.
Do Re Mi
• Kurt & Friederich- At the end of the first full song of Do Re Mi, sit on the couch on the bump like Gretyl and Marta do (but on the SR side).
• Kurt- When you sing “Far” and the children are marching backward really run in a
circle around them with energy and then back to your spot.
• Gretyl (CJ)- On “A Note to Follow So” the right hand gestures first.
16 Going on 17
• Rolf/ Liesel- in general be careful-- think ahead of your movement and donʼt feel you have to rush. In fact, many times we are getting there way too early with the playing space allotted. Remember the intention of the song- a playful, young, flirty love. Savor it and remember what that felt like for something to be new and exciting and unsure. You wouldnʼt want to rush through it.
• Liesels- be careful that when you mock him that you are being playful in a silly
moment, not a mean one.
• Rolf- The bike still seems in the middle of the stage. Please set more USL.
• Liesel- Donʼt pinch Rolf on the chest until you sing “men”- just touch his arms prior to that.
• Rolf- you did better lifting her up, but any time you spin her really make contact- donʼt let her just do it on her own even though she can, it looks really inauthentic to the audience.
• Tracy- Can the thunder be louder at the end of this song? It breaks up a kiss and it was hard for me to hear in the house.
Lonely Goatherd
• Children: Remember 2 chasse circles around on Mariaʼs last “Happy are they lady O
lady” and Freeze on “Soon the duet will become a trio”.
• Children: Remember no handshakes anymore. Just go on to the bed in the order you
would have gone with the handshake movement. (ie. if Marta & Kurt went first in the
handshakes then they still go first and sit on bed just cut the handshake movement.
Then whoever was next crosses to the bed and sits etc. Then the Captain will come in
and interrupt).
• Maria/ Lights- Can you fall onto the bed, defeated, on the bump in the music? Can we hold the black out until after that beat?
The Lendler
• David & Amy- You still need to start more center. Aim your turn out of the regular waltz to happen in front of where the stairs meet the US platform. Then you will be in the right spot for The Lendler dance since it goes right into.
• Everyone- Smile! Laugh! Itʼs a party. Donʼt be afraid to make audible noise while
dancing.
• Dancers- you got off on your counts at the end when Maria & the Captain started
speaking. Remember 2 & 1-3 waltz around partner, 4-6 turn her. 1-6 waltz around
connected by crossed palms. Then 1-6 girls curtsy. 1-6 boys bow. Donʼt be afraid to
finish out the song even if they arenʼt speaking anymore. It is supposed to look like
that.
So Long Farewell
• Brigitta (Jessica)- Donʼt put your hands behind your back until the 4th bell tone. But really nice scene work. Brigitta is a hard role and both of you girls are doing a great job!!
• Gretyl (CJ)- eyes up on “Coo coo”. And make sure you donʼt jump forward until you
sing the word “You”. You were a little early last night.
• Children- After you wipe hands 1-2, actually hop toward SR on 3-4, so we can move
the line down (Rather than just turning SR).
• Louisa- when you sing “fly” no sun arms- just use the same diagonal arm you use in
the second act.
• Children- when you first sing “So” in the phrase “so long farewell” and you are on the stairs LOOK at the guests. I still saw children looking at the audience.
-SECOND ACT
My Favorite Things Reprise
• Everyone- Since there is a bench DR, after Friederich turns Gretyl DS, girls actually
move to sit on the bench and other children stand behind so we use it. Then when
Maria comes in and hugs you everyone adjust center stage so the chasse circle
happens there. Maria has to end up USC in the circle when children hug her on last
beat. Make sure all tall children hug her in plie.
No Way to Stop It
• Elsa- remember to cross far DR on “Let them think theyʼre on your side” and then look back at the captain on “be non-committal”
• Elsa- donʼt cross to center stage until you actually sing “a crazy planet full of crazy people”- let the Captain move his chair first in that musical space while you watch then move on your lyric.
• Captain- when you sing “thatʼs you” make sure you pop up SR of Elsa so you are not
covered by her.
• Elsa- donʼt look at the Captain at the end of the song. You can look out or at the
jewelry on your hand.
So Long Farewell Reprise
• Children- Make sure arms are sharp on the clock. The first 2 children were late- those should pop up together as one unit and connect palm to palm at the same time.
• Greytl- Make sure you remember to pop up on the first “Coo Coo”
• Children- In general it looked like you guys were remembering it as you were going
along. Might need to run it a few more times for memory.
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Thank you everyone!!! Happy opening tomorrow!! Xo Ellen



SOM Choreography Notes 11/23/11
Thank you everyone for your hard work last night. I am very proud of you and I think you will have a very charming successful show! I have a few last notes that are very
important for you to read. Even though I only saw one set of children BOTH casts need
to read the notes because it could effect your staging etc. Again, thank you and break a leg Friday!! XO Ellen

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?
• All Nuns- you move down into a line at the edge of the stage when you sing “how do
you solve a problem like maria”- make sure you are equally distant from each other.
Later you are in a line again- same thing-- check peripherally that you are equally
spaced.
• All Nuns- Hands come in front of the body, palms up, on “Moon”, open hands on
“beam”, and then put hands in pockets on “hand” (like you did before). I just wanted to make this more clean.

My Favorite Things
• Maria- When you tie on “brown paper packages tied” let the arm extension of the tying initiate the drag turn. Like one movement.
• Mother Abbess- on the lyric “When the dog bites” try to get to the complete other side of Maria (Leslie may need to move a step DS to help this).
• Both- “And then I donʼt feel so bad” keep out looking at the audience, then look at
each other on the bump at the end of the song.

I Have Confidence
• Teri/ Maria- do we need the nuns to actually help change Maria? If we donʼt can they just come out and bring the screen in the blues, then come back on and strike it when she is finished using it? (They are very distracting). Alternatively, if we do need them to help her then Maria needs to deliver the first part of the song to them as if she is singing to them about her concerns and cut that first cross to center stage.
• Maria- Keep your eyes up on the bell kicks and donʼt worry about making it big- it can be small.
• Maria- Go off the stage in the middle of the song and sing to the front row
Do Re Mi
* Maria- sit more SR on the stairs when you say “Come on Iʼll make it easier” so that at least Louisa can sit by you on the stairs and not half on half off.

Teri- Ilich said you guys have a beautiful chaise lounge you used for Midsummer- is
there anyway we can use that instead of the couch?
Teri- The guitar seems to be in the way. Is there anyway it can live far DSR on the other side of the couch?
Children- If we keep the couch, the children need to clump all around it and not have
space between their bodies and the couch.
Maria- when going down the line with the children when you tap their heads and they
plie, you need to plie 2x when you sing “do do” and tap on top of your head.
Raegan- right hand gestures first on “A Note to Follow So”.

16 Going on 17
Rolf- when you jump off the bench try not to be so loud- land in plie lightly.
Rolf- when you are singing “You need someone older and wiser” and crossing away
from Liesel while she mocks you- do not smile-- it looks like you are giving away her
joke before it happens. Just think about how you are going to protect her and keep her safe from the out side world- you are the man she needs.
Teri/Rolf- Can the bike live more USL- it seems to be in the way for the whole scene/
number.
Rolf & Liesel- Last Dance break: You have to connect more. Rolf when she turns
around, really lift her up on the bench-- stay connected to her. She will help you by
using a plie. The last lift at the end also needs work-- it should be seamless-- you begin to turn her one way as a prep and then change into another turn-- it should flow. Both of you and both Liesels should work this multiple times to try and get it to look smoother.
Also the ending was late-- you have to kiss on that bump or it ruins everything. So work that timing with the music and the jacket prop-- if you need to leave earlier that is fine as long as the kiss is timed to the end note of the song.
Liesel- that “Wee” is iconic-- donʼt feel worried to really go for it-- let it ring out to the back of the house-- if you do, the audience will rejoice with you!

Lonely Goatherd
Gia- once Maria gets up and starts dancing, stop crossing legs and sit up and look at
her. By the way you did an amazing job last night-- your scene work was beyond your
years. Iʼm very impressed :)
Gretl- remember to put your hands around your mouth the first time you sing “Lay de o
de lay oo” when you are on Kurtʼs lap.
Children- make that first big circle that Maria gets in the middle of on the other side of the bed (SR). There is more room.
Maria/ Liesel- Stay DR and DL respectively, of the children when they move up to throw the pillows-- you two keep singing with your focus out or to each other and the children will just be an extra fun addition in USC on the bed. You can notice them- just donʼt get hidden back behind them-- you two are the focus.
Children- At the end of the song CUT the handshake up to the bed. When you start
echo singing, just move in to the bed and sit around Maria and the Captain will come in and cut you off.

How Does Love Survive?
Elsa- “Keeping romance alive”- make sure you are looking at the Captain when you sing
this lyric.
Elsa- No foot flick at the end of the number, but the sharp look from you and the Captain toward Max works really well.

The Lendler
David/ Ellie- Need to start more center stage.
Everyone- need to have more confidence and more joyful-- you are at a party and this is a dance you do all the time.
David- at the end, the girls curtsy first for 1-6 and then the boys bow for 1-6 (you went at the same time as the girls)

So Long Farewell
Sean- you were late on your hands behind the back on the last bell tone.
3 young girls- “And the bells in the steeple too”- there are 4 leans.
All Children- space out your line more. Maybe the guests could be a little more SL and children adjust slightly more right. We have no room for the movement- which is really lovely btw. Thank you.
Guests- you should LIKE this number. It is supposed to be charming and even goes on
in the second act to be performed at a festival. Please react positively-- the audience sees you too. Never think you arenʼt important on stage- even if you say no lines-- you are very important and help tell the story.
Louisa- “Fly” more DSL so Brigitta can reel you in. You were right next to her last night so it didnʼt make sense.
All children- when you are on the stairs and sing “So Long Farewell” look at the guests. You are singing that to them- you are saying goodbye to the guests- look at them.
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There were so many things that were so lovely last night. I just know it will continue to grow and be a lovely show. You should feel very proud.