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OLTL Discussion Group
Read if you will this could get long (lol).
As with every year we lost a LOT of talent through graduation. We lost MOST. I call this cast the nicest bunch of no talents I ever worked with. We chose songs and one acts to suit them.
When The Midnight Choo Choo Leaves For Alabam (Irving Berlin)
A jazzy version of Wash That Man from a Rogers and Hammerstein review
CHARM (one act...very cute)
My Funny Valentine (great rendition for four girls)
MAGICIAN BEN VS. THE WIZARD MERLIN (one act...so so for newbies)
Freedom (from Shenandoah)
MARRED BLISS (hysterical one act...nicely done by upper classmen)
Go Into Your Dance (tap from 42nd Street)
Everybody Ought To Have A Maid (brought the house down - from FORUM)
Tick Tock Goes The Clock (60s girl dance number from Promises Promises to end the act. Girls did fab).
The Monster Mash (My annual Holloweeny number - full set with monsters, zombies, Boris and Igor. Gloriously goofy)
TABLE FOR THREE (One act with 3 newbies pulling it off and then some)
Montage (3 numbers that mix from FOLLIES)
Oh How I Hate To get Up In The Morning (another Berlin and boys are adorable in their army garb)
FIGHT DREAMS (one act about a fantasy...eh)
It's Raining On Prom Night (Grease - with a twist in staging...fun and funny)
EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE (one act about lost luggage - all actors ARE the luggage)
Friendship (Our senior number)
Freedom (a reprise for company as curtain call)
Everything was going along swimmingly. Tough with so many green performers but they were doing their best. Then came the morning of opening day...
I get an e-mail from my director that's labeled DISASTER. A freshman girl in the show was suspended due to a text, she's gone. Another, sophomore, also involved may be gone too. Must start damage control. I jump into my car as a third is named and director says he's canceling (4rd girl is cleared of any wrong doing). Puhleeeze...this is theater and the show MUST go on AND WILL if I have a say.
Seems freshman girl received a disgusting text and showed to sophomore girl (who initially got the blame for sending it). For some GODforsaken reason she wants the text and tries to forward from freshman cell to her own and it goes far and wide and includes an elementary school student. No word who finally put a stop to it but this went on for a few days before it came to light. Teen boys, we don't know, started this and given the language and subject matter they are in big trouble. Our girls got 5 days at home suspension.
Both girls have siblings in the show. Sophomore girl has a freshman sister and freshman girl has identical twin so they are highly effected, too (not to mention the poor embarrassed parents). Tech is redone to cover. Junior covers freshman scene and sophomore (the cleared one) covers her monologue (at a moments notice, this is NOT easy as it was wordy and hard). Senior covers sophomore in Wash That Man and dance captain covers her in the tap number. NO ONE can learn (or fit the costume) for 60s girl number so I re-stage for four instead of five. All this is done from 12 noon until we open at 7. Good lord!
Thank goodness they all had their concentration caps ON and the show was a hit and no one would know our dilemma. I feel bad for the two girls missing their Footlights Club debuts but a hard lesson was learned by all. The stress was unreal but the success more than made up for it.
I tell them constantly if I see cell phones in use my head will explode. Now I've got ammo for the future as we're not supposed to disallow them use after school. Watch me!!
Must be a tough act working with teenagers. I'm sure it's keeping you young though. The show sounds great. All's well that ends well, eh?
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Wow, when you say ''The show must go on'' you mean it! I don't know how you did all of that changing in just one afternoon. The kids too. It's amazing how everyone pulled together. So hectic but exciting too when a successful show was performed and they realized that they DID IT! What satisfaction all of you must feel! The show numbers sounded great! Congratulations W.E.
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W.E...thanks for posting about the Showcase here.
(C&P from the other board)...
As they say, all's well that ends well, but what a hellish afternoon that must have been. And, even with that, I still think you have a an awesome job...working with any age kids is really rewarding.
You had some great stuff for the Showcase. Just think of all the new talent you'll be helping to develope.
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