Nuts and bolts of set building...

Well today was the first day of set building and we had a decent turnout from the cast! As it is always difficult to get people out to work, I was impressed with the workers who were there. Everyone was willing and able to get their hands dirty and we were able to get some stuff done. 

While Teresa and company painted benches, many cast mates got employed straightening up some wood and flats needed for future use. In  addition we, we had John come out and donate some time to organize lumber and cut some 2x4 to size for our rolling walls. Now, its safe to say nothing was safe from getting white washed, when we left, there were freshly painted set pieces strewn about everywhere! Its funny, because a lot of the cast out there were pulling old pieces of set work out and asking questions on its origins. Its funny, I was able to answer most, but there were many older pieces I couldn't identify! I think its great we have so much history out at that place. Its my hope that we can get more cast members out there next weekend... more hands make load seem lighter!

Right after set building, we had another rehearsal out at the White Sands Mall. This time, instead of focusing on dance, we mainly worked on the music and blocking. It was a challenge at first (as are all things new) but by the time we finished the cast was belting out notes like pros! We'll get them whipped into shape... its just a matter of time. : ) 

pics, updates and stage diving...

We are back! After a phenomenal first rehearsal, we continued the fun at the next practice! Like I said before, we rehearsed the finale (yes, odd that we start there) and we continued the process of fine tuning the dance. Cami (our choreographer) finished the nuts and bolts and started the process of fine tuning by putting the smaller dance sets with the larger ensemble pieces.

 When all was said and done the dance looked fantastic! Its hard to put into words the awe you feel when you see the cast start to gel together so quickly! The highlight of the evening was our attempts at stage diving... we decided to have the character Ryan (played by Diego) dive over the cast, where the goal was for them to catch him. Now... it was nerve rattling at first... but Diego and the cast were troopers. 

They tried a low drop on his first time... then we had him turning mid dive to land on his back... both seemed equally unsuitable. Finally he dropped from a similar height, but the cast caught him higher up, which created the desired effect! By the end of the first segment of rehearsal, they got it down!  

After a very eventful first half to the evening we sat down for a bit to cool off and we pow wowed. We discussed scripts, music and sets. The main thing I wanted to convey to the cast was that the production, though steeped in the roots of the original movie, is an entirely different creature.

It has been staged as a more theatrical piece, with set changes timed into the show and the ensemble taking on a more active role in the production. 

Heck, they even created a new character, the school announcer Jack Scott (played by Paul), to move story at a much faster pace. I think they got the gist of my meaning and from there Cami picked up the pace with more dancing. When the evening was over, I know I felt as if there was an air of accomplishment. Boy, I sure love this gig! : )             

                                                                                        

first rehearsal...

The first rehearsal for this show went REALLY well! I have been so impressed with the cast so far... they are an enthusiastic bunch of young people who seem to really like to "get down"! Not only did we get through the major nuts and bolts of the choreography for the piece "We're all in this Together", but our choreographer Cami also worked on the finer bits as well...

The thing that I like about this show (and I have been razzed about liking this show) : ) is that it is SO high energy! It is unlike anything we have done before in the history of the Alamogordo Music Theater. I think that this show is a tremendous opportunity for the young talent of this community, 95 percent of the cast is under the age of twenty and High School Musical is an extrodinary prospect to highlight their gifts! We have dancers, singers and actors. Individually they bring their own set of skills to the table. However, it is my hope that when all is said and done, with their combined abilities, that we have a set of performers whose skills encompass all the disciplines of the fine arts! I can't stress enough my amazement at the abilties of these teens! We have people who have studied ballet, hip hop, tap and jazz... when these cast members weren't practicing, they were brushing up on their moves. It was great... I intend to try to incorporate as many of their abilities as I can within the show.

I wanted to take a moment and thank a bunch of people for helping with last nights rehearsal... Tammy & Nate from the Boys and Girls Club have been great! They have provided a great place to rehearse. In addition I have a great team set up for the show... Ronnie my producer, Randall my assistant director and Cami my choreographer! Thanks a million! Keep checking in regularly... more updates to come!