Tech Sunday at Musicals at Richter (MAR) was the busiest rehearsal I have ever seen. Perhaps a rehearsal at an outdoor venue just seems busier by virtue of the fact that it is bigger and noisier. I got to observe just about everything that goes into putting a show on the boards and getting to watch a rehearsal of the entire second act of Some Enchanted Evening was a bonus.
When I arrived, I got to meet Dianna Waller, a member of the board at MAR. She was busy putting the final touches of paint on the large set for Some Enchanted Evening. It features two gold Greek goddess statues, faux marble columns and gold railing on the elevated portions of the stage. Ms. Waller, who was marvelous last year in Brigadoon, is the brave volunteer who is willing to climb a ladder to paint to highest portions of the scenery.
I was given the grand tour of the large Richter House that is next to the stage area, as well as the backstage area. The beautiful old home is used as a rehearsal space and dressing rooms. It also has a large "music room" with a fireplace where the band was rehearsing for the first time with the Musical Director for the first two shows of the season, Dan Koch. Mr. Koch is married to powerhouse actress Juliette Garrison Koch, who will be appearing in the second show of the season 9 to 5. Ms. Koch's younger son Spencer will play her son in that show, and her older son Luke has a featured role in the current production. This young man has an incredible baritone voice that he will show off in the song "My Boy Bill" from Carousel. Mr. Koch brought the youngest members of the family with him and in fact there were many young actors on site to play with.
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The dressing room is just that, one room per gender. The costumes for the first two shows were put together by Renee Purdee and were already hung on racks in the ladies dressing room. One beautiful striped silk gown for Laura Kennedy to wear as Anna in The King and I songs hung next to the hoop skirt that will be worn beneath it. The matching bonnet laid ready nearby. An assistant to Ms. Purdy will work the shows that she cannot attend to help the actors be dressed correctly.
Backstage at MAR is as unique as one would expect, given that it is outside. The large area is lit with blue lights for performances and mirrors are added to the back of the set for use during the show. Each one of the cast members has a duty to perform at each show, whether it be taking care of the props or cleaning up after the show.
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Since I had sat in for some of the auditions, I was anxious to hear who had gotten which roles in the three shows of the season. Chuck Stango was awarded the role of Herman in Sweet Charity and Donald Birely has written a part for the very funny Cat Heidel as Herman's partner; the duo will sing "I Love Weddings." Dr. Barbara Kessler will appear as a woman fond of the drink in 9 to 5; this should be a great role for this talented lady.
Before the rehearsal onstage began, the sound of the band rehearsal drifted out of the house and the strains of "I am Sixteen Going on 17" and "Whistle a Happy Tune" mixed with the sounds of electric drills and kids and one dog running around playing kickball. Lighting people worked in the lighting booth that sustained heavy damage over the winter. The lighting grid above the stage stays up all year and made it through the winter quite well. Ms. Waller and who she calls her "partner in crime," the equally talented and funny Ted Schwartz are teaming up for a comic number in the second act and rehearsed a little dance onstage.
When artistic director Donald Birely decided it was time to run the second at of the show, he called the cast members for a pep talk and reminder that at MAR, everybody helps do whatever has to be done. Kelly Frisch, the stage manager, was never far away so that she could make a note of the last minute changes in staging made by Mr. Birely or his assistant Lauren Sherwood. The triple threat Ms. Sherwood will be playing Charity in the replacement show Sweet Charity as well as Judy in 9 to 5. Cats had to be dropped due to the fact they could not compete with all the available lead roles for men in the area to sign up enough of them to be in the ensemble.
Some Enchanted Evening is a musical review highlighting the work of Rogers and Hammerstein. The songs come from the shows The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, South Pacific, The King and I, and State Fair, among others. I did not recognize every single one of the songs, but I had fun trying to identify the show for each one that I did. The second act contains some classic R&H pieces, like "Don't Marry Me," "No Other Love Have I," Cockeyed Optimist," "You'll Never Walk Alone," and a full cast finale of a medley of "happy" songs.
I was impressed that the actors ran the entire second act without accompaniment and still sang quite well without getting a note. Two microphones taped to the stage helped amplify the voices to the perfect level. It was not too late to fix the staging, and the director did just that. His assistant reminded the actors of the choreography. While a few numbers were repeated, there were surprisingly few stops and starts for a Tech Sunday.
After the actors finished their piece and exited the stage, they milled around in the area where the audience will sit. Only once did the director have to remind them that this was a rehearsal and they had to be quieter. One actress hung curtains on a stage doorway while others rehearsed and then stepped forward to perform her featured number. Two birds left their dropping on the stage during the rehearsal and one clap of thunder could be heard before the sun reappeared.
I left before they rehearsed the first act so as not to spoil the rest of the show for me when I see it for my review next Saturday. I know that I am going to enjoy it.
Some Enchanted Evening
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Concept by Jeffrey B. Moss
for Jerry Kravat Ent. Services
June 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, and 29
More so than any composer and lyricist who have written for the stage, the songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein have become an integral part of our everyday lives. We sing them in the shower, we dance to them in the ballrooms, we hear them on the radio and TV commercials and in elevators and supermarkets too. We still thrill to them on the live stage in their respective shows and we teach them to our children. This stunning collection of compositions place our talented performers in a theatrical setting where the songs are sung with their own style and sensibilities. This show offers the audience a glorious parade of genuine hits.
