Notes from Tuesday

Went back through some video tonight - You look and sound great!

At the top of the show, the house will fade to blackout and that will be the signal for the bells. Table is preset upstage center with a few votive candles on it.

Actors may not walk across the stage once the curtain is closed and the audience is in the theatre. Hannes and Larry, please limit movement on the stage.

NUNS/NOVICES/POSTULANTS - Sing loudly for the opening chants, please!

PROPS: Need to find the black curtain and rod for the doorway in to the hallway.

NUNS/NOVICES/POSTULANTS: Hallways are not echoing as anticipated... because of the number of bodies in them. Please sing loudly. Start entering during the third solo.

HANNES: Grand needs to open at the beginning of the third solo.

SOUND AND MOTHER ABBESS: After the morning hymn, and before the alleluia, there are chimes.

LIGHTS: As the nuns run out, lights fade. Lights don't come back kup until after music has started, just before Maria sings. The audience will be expecting her to be on the stage.

PROPS/SET: Book on Mother Abbess' desk looked like a magazine or something. The desk looked generally cluttered.

SET: There will be a painting and a crucifix on the wall in Mother Abbess' office. The red curtains looked messy. They may have been caught on the windows.

SET: The windows need to be sanded so that they open and close more easily

SOUND: Nuns begin "she'll out pester any pest drive a hornet from its nest..." The music starts in the middle of "pester"

SOUND: Need a way to hold the button at the end of "Maria"

SET: Mother Abbess' desk needs to be painted

MOTHER ABBESS: Lyrics in Favorite Things

POSULANTS AND NOVICES: Please get with Ms. Susan and find out how to wear your veils

POSULANTS OR NOVICES HELPING MARIA - Help her! Maria was struggling to get her coat, pick up her things, etc. Make sure you help take the nuns' habit, hand her the guitar or bag, and be involved in helping her to get ready to go. THEN take the screen and leave when she steps to center.

MARIA - Speak/yell "wake up!" in your song

SET: Ideally, rooms should transform at the same time. Couch comes on at the same time as the table, the bench comes on at the same time as the tree and the turning platform. Both sides of the stage work in tandem.

FRAU SCHMIDT - You must be firm and speak with authority. You tell Maria there will be new curtains. Instead of being appreciative, she questions that decision by saying they still are fine. You firmly say "There will be new curtains." as though she has no right to question.

CAPTAIN - Although the whistle for Frau Schmidt did come early, I liked that she wasn't standing there waiting for the whistle. Your cue line is "Don't let the captain hear you say that"

KIDS: You have to be SILENT when up on the platform or waiting to come up the stairs

SOUND: We're making the church bells where they're not an automatic tag to the end of the music cue as Maria comes into the von Trapp House Need to be able to fade the music and still have the bells when we want.

Maria, you can put your bag on the couch so that it's not in the way.

MARTA: speak up and enunciate. I couldn't hear the word parasol.

KURT: Make sure you're watching Maria in Do-re-Mi.

KIDS: Remember you point on "long" not on "fa" - This is at least the third time I've mentioned this.

GRETL: Tonight you sat on the couch near Maria after the first part of Do-Re-Mi, and I liked the formation. It's better than when you're standing. Stay on the couch with Maria and stand when she stands up.

Kids were great coming down the stairs, and for most of do-re-mi, but then it got off on the fast do-mi-mi mi-so-so You can't wait for the other person to finish

SET: We need to stabilize the bench

Rolf: You looked like you were wearing black tennis shoes

ROLF: Your bag was a problem and was in the way. Several times you or Liesl almost tripped on it, and then when you left you had to stop and get it. Can it be with your bike?

LIGHTING: May need to pull a little light up on Rolf and Maria at top of scene.

LIESL: I need to see some honest motivation for your yow! Part of it is that I don't think I want you on the bench. Try standing there stunned after the kiss, then feel the warmth coming into your face, and after Rolf has gone, Do your yow from right there.

CAST: Please stay ready & focused! There was a tree and a bench left on stage during Maria's bedroom scene, a bed that was moved with one person, and several times someone missed an entrance. It seems like part of the problem was not being able to hear.

MARIA: Change line to: We can hang that up to dry...

MARIA: Your bed will have sheets, so you can pull down the cover when checking for frogs.

Von Trapp Girls: Girls be careful how you sit or lie down in the night gowns. Gia, check with me. I need t change something.

SET: Bed for Bedrooom needs to come ON and OFF via the upstage platform, not ride in on the turning platform.

Bedroom: table, painting, bed, rug on platform, curtain in the arch way

Lights do not come up until the platform is finished turning.

PROPS: Don't need that huge plate of cookies for just Max, Elsa and Captain Half as many would be more than enough

SET: Bench and tree come on every time we're on the terrace

KIDS: You should now be able to hear your cue for Sound of Music reprise

ELSA: You look exactly like I wanted Elsa to look! Absolutely ravishing. I also like the depth you're giving to your character... not mean or manipulative.

MAX - Detweiler is pronounced with a "v"

CAPTAIN - Emphasis on the word "uniforms"

GRETL & MARTA - When dad starts to sing give each other a hug

MARIA: I love the reaction you have to Georg singing.

J - Finish saying "and I'll sing once more" before you leave. I want to see the way you smile at her.

ELSA - Maybe you need a reason to go off stage and come back to tell Maria Captain was pleased - It has brought out a softer side of him which you find interesting, for one thing.

SET, SOUND & LIGHTS - lights fade, sound cue, then platform turns/bench and tree off/table with arrangement on - all at the same time

Transition into party: 1) In the blackout, Captain, and two upstage couples enter. 2) Waltz begins 3) lights up 4) Couples continue to enter and Captain greets them. 5) David and Amy enter dancing (not in circles) 6) Frau Schmidt walks across with Gretl and Gretl bows instead of curtsy, gets corrected, and rest of lines continue

SOUND: Lendler doesn't begin until Captain asks Frau Schmidt to take up a glass of brandy.

Entrance with Maria & Kurt was late - apparently a costume issue

Women at party probably need wigs - let's look through what we have.

Colors at party should be bright - lipstick bright, but needs to be able to come off.

BRIGITTA - Make sure you're on the left side of the stairs sitting and watching as Maria has her conversation with Captain about the dress she wore the other night. Then give her a very knowing grin

After the party, we could decide to have the nuns sing offstage if we can't get you changed that quickly.

MOTHER ABBESS & MARIA Final scene of Act I has some spike marks you need to be on. In part of the scene one or both of you were in darkness. You ended up way too far apart at the close of the song.

MOTHER ABBESS -You have changed your blocking in that final scene with Maria, and now it's not working. I need to see it the way I blocked it, and then let's look at what you feel the problems are. You can't just change the blocking on your own. It's already as small a desk as we can logically use. It's also possible to move chairs.

BOYS - missed costume change. Need to get them more help or streamline process.

COSTUMES - Heather's white dress is out of place at the party

CARY: Air conditioner on house right needs to get turned off at the top of the show.

Set isn't quite finished yet! Still a few small things. If you haven't helped out for an hour or two yet, please come by during the day Wednesday.

CALL ON WEDNESDAY IS AT 6:00 - Please enter quietly through the mural hallway. There is a performance going on in the children's theatre. If you come early and get your mic on, you may be able to slip in to watch the performance at 6:00. There are also some other classes performing earlier in the day. Meredith is teaching one.

5:30 Captain & Maria
6:00 Get mics on and tested
6:20 Vocal warmups
6:35 Get dressed if you haven't yet
6:45 Company meeting and Cast Circle
7:00 Showtime!

Run it like a show, not stopping for anything but emergencies. Be alert, stay on your toes, and be sweet to everyone.