So I was just watching some video from Big River. I took it this morning at our “dress rehearsal” for the 2nd weekend of performances. I put my camera on a music stand and hoped for the best and I really did get some good clips although the vocals are hard to hear because the music stand is right between the piano, guitar and bass amplifiers and the drums. Which was cool because it gave me an opportunity to hear some of the really nice drum fills my friend, Nathan, has been playing and also the neat stuff my brother Neal has been playing on the guitar.
I am in awe of what Neal does. He’s a full time guitar teacher and he also has a gig as a children’s entertainer with his best friend Ernie. Did I mention he has a wonderful wife (I love her like a sister) and two adorable children? Well if I didn’t mention it, their pictures are plastered all over my blog.
So to get back to awesomeness – My friend Nathan is also someone I am in awe of. He works where I work and he does some pretty technical stuff and yet, he is a totally talented musician and he just loves to play! I really respect that ability to balance creativity and technology.
So that got me thinking about the folks that I’m working with at our community theater. It’s funny because those folks are all super talented – I mean their voices are unbelievable. And their acting skills – they just blow me away! And they’re all so down to earth. I feel pretty comfortable with them.
And most of them also have jobs that are not music or theater related. Some of them are school music teachers but there’s a social worker, a FEMA employee, and office workers, professionals – oh and a retiree. Thank God Albert’s in the cast, or I would be the oldest person in the show!
Albert is a theater professional – he’s been touring companies and on Broadway. He’s really amazing as well. His comedic timing is impeccable and he still has a great voice.
I feel really comfortable with Cathy. We’re often clumped together in scenes and she has a beautiful voice and can dance as well. She’s in the Moorish dance and is a riot. I crack up every time I hear her sing in that scene.
David – too. He’s in the scene and he sings in this great falsetto. As a muleteer, he does some great bits and he has also helped build the set. He cracks me up in that Moorish scene.
Robert is Don Quixote and he is very believable. I really liked his audition – we were all in the audition room together so I saw a lot of the cast when they auditioned. I thought, physically, he should have been taller, but then I remembered when we did LaMancha at the high school, our Quixote wasn’t tall and gaunt. Robert has totally pulled it off. And he’s hysterically funny – he can go from complete silliness to total seriousness in three seconds.
I could go on and on – Mike has the richest baritone I’ve ever heard – Honestly when he speaks, it’s like music. Last night at notes, Dana, our director, said “I believe every word you say, Mike.” And it’s a true compliment. Oh and, of course, Jess – She’s brilliant! She has helped me immensely, both with acting and directing. Just by observing and listening to her, I’ve learned to think a little bit outside the box…
Which leads me to Dana and Deb – our director and music director – sisters, who do an incredible job of herding this disparate group into one cohesive, well-oiled machine!
I’d like to talk a little bit about the other folks, too- I’m sure I’ll add more soon.

Oh - did I mention we got our costumes????