Squinting and smiling at the brightness of the morning sun shimmering silver and gold on the frosty waters of The Fox this morning! Today’s rehearsals for Paramount’s production of Once begins with an exercise called a “stumble-through,” our first go at putting the entire show together in sequence.
Song and instrumental arrangements have been worked out. Musical staging is finding its finishes. Scene work has been exploring character and relationships, making discoveries and connections, and all of it is pretty much on its “feet.”
Just happening to read the words of the great spiritual teacher Amit Ray this morning: “Collaboration is the essence of life.” What an appreciation of how that sums up the process we are all experiencing!
Yesterday, while Tom Vendafreddo led this gorgeously versatile cast on refining their instrumentals and vocals and William Carlos Angulo choreographing the working and re-working of the stagings for them,
I marvel at what multi-talented “beasts” they all are moving from piano to guitar to cello to drums, singing and acting, characterizing this play with heart and soul and their divine individuality and sense of humor.
Mentioning this to William on a break, he quips, “They’re polymaths!” The day continued with Matt Guthier and Christina Leinicke from our costume shop dropping by to check on a few notes, as did Katie Cordts on hair styles. Tim Rater watched a staging sequence. Alex Bulholzer checked in as our Tech and Sound Supervisor. The place is buzzin’ like a beehive! I’m loving the energy of all of us together, the essence of collaboration, how everyone’s participation creates how we are telling this beautiful story; a story about how rich we are when we express ourselves, our art. It will be a very exciting morning seeing how we put it all together for the first time! But can we inspire audiences to see themselves in this story and appreciate their own collaborations in life?
Love & thanks,
Jim
Once opens April 25. Don’t miss it!
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