Hello, dear friends! It’s late Monday night and I have an audition in the morning so I’m writing you now for tomorrow’s blog. Can I just tell you here and now how much I appreciate you? This blog exists to keep you connected on a weekly basis to the goings on behind the scenes and has turned into something more than that. I just think it’s incredible the stuff that has come up in here in the honest effort to get you to know how important you are to the process of producing Paramount’s Broadway Series. What it has done to me, to be explaining my approach and reasoning and hopes to you, has produced quite a change in me. I’m in no way a writer. Grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, writing style are all over the place. But because of this office and the fact that I am in service to this theatre, this community and to you…I’ve begun to find a voice. My voice as an Artistic Director. And to say the words, “Season Three” just blows my mind! I’m here for you to thank you and connect with you for without you and your attendance, there wouldn’t be a Season Three. And because of my responsibility to you, accounting for quality and values in the writing and the music and the casting and production and design…something more has been happening and the relationship we’ve developed has been a reward on this job that I never could have ever expected. Because of you, I am a better man. A life in the arts is full of doubts and disappointments, anxiety and demons. But at Paramount, I have experienced joy like nowhere else. I have felt like a citizen nowhere else. The rewards of giving to and partnering with this audience has given in return a purposefulness to this freelance actor/director/choreographer guy that is hard to put into words. And the best way to show my thanks is to just keep doing the best I can for you. So let me tell you about today:
Miss Saigon has still a set of challenges with its casting and this morning we made some headway with the replacing of an actor in a major role. (Oh, it was tough to lose him)! In my inquiry email to his prospective replacement I wrote: “One door closes, another one opens.” After careful consideration I am very excited for you to hear this young man sing! He got the part! And there is an audition tomorrow for an Ensemble Actor which will hopefully be cast right there and then on the spot, I think he’s that good. (I hope he doesn’t see this)!
This afternoon, I dropped by rehearsal for In The Heights and all I could think about was you and how much you are going to love this production and this cast! The men are handsome, the women beautiful and they come in all shapes and sizes with one thing in common…they’re hot! I observed the opening number being staged by Director Rachel Rockwell and Choreographer Katie Spelman and the layering of dancing and singing filled the room with an energy and spirit that could barely be contained! The talent of everyone giving story and character and relationship in perpetual motion and rhythm is breathtaking!
Time to call it a day and sign off. Thank you.
Jim