Notes - 4/19

Pre-show

• For our first run through of that sequence, it went pretty well.  Keep that energy as we rehearse it so that we maintain that sense of the first time. 
• Play with the departure from you as a person versus you as a character in this play.  Roleplay how different the actor can be from the person in the role they play in JCS  (example:  since Natalie is playing a very powerful, serious role, she can play up her playful, “average” status as Natalie).
• Eventually we will set a duration on the vocal and physical warm-up section, once we know more about how long hanging the curtains etc. will take.  For now keep improvising it.

 Act I

• Everyone double-cast:  Always be checking in with your counterpart if you miss any part of rehearsal and make sure you aren’t missing out on important notes/blocking.
• Soul girls:  keep those fluid, Fosse-style arms.  Emily, notice how Shumani moves her arms.  That’s the kind of fluidity I’m talking about.
• Soul girls:  make the change of level from standing to almost slithering on the floor toward Judas more gradual/less abrupt.
• Judas:  stay DSL longer before crossing toward the ladder, which will allow you to wait longer before you climb the ladder.  You shouldn’t spend very long at the top before you hit the end of the song.  Shoot for only singing “It’s all gone sour” at the top.
• Apostles who bring on the SL block and “C” shape, plan on having those pre-set on SL and bring them on from that side.  I think that’s Maddy, Rhiannon and Amanda.
• ALL:  don’t play with your hair when you are not the focus.  I noticed Asa and Rhiannon both doing it but I’m sure there were more.  It’s a hard thing to get into the habit of doing, so everyone please start now in remembering to not have those extraneous movements.
• Apostles:  focus directing on JC when you sing the last two “What’s the buzz”’s.
• Judas:  your blocking was off for “Strange Thing Mystifying”.  Were you present Saturday when we finished the blocking on this?  If not, you need to talk with Truett and find out what we did.
• Ensemble:  don’t’ forget to enter at the beginning of “Hosanna”
• Priests:  you were late in starting your “doo-wop” moves.  Find time to go to a dressing room and practice infront of a mirror.
• Robyn:  good job on remembering to turn as you come back into the group after singing a solo.  It looked good.
• Kevin:  make sure you remember to turn also, instead of chasseing back to place.
• Priests:  If you get a chance, Youtube “The Temptations” to get a better feeling of the style of your movement during the doo wop.
• Ensemble:  remember to avoid the orchestra area.
• Ensemble:  good harmony on “Hosanna”
• Rhiannon and Miriam:  great energy during the semi circle on Simon Zealotes.
• Temple people:  fill in the gap between the gamblers and yourselves.  Try not to let the gamblers look like they are separated from you in any way.
• Temple people:  keep working on a more organic feeling as you transition from temple movement to contract improve/writhing.
• Pancake people:  keep working on concealing that you’re about to flip Stephen.
• Ensemble:  on “heal yourself” keep an eye out for Mary as she comes on for her song.  You will have a little more time than you did with the cd, but not much more.
• JC:  more toward SR on I Don’t Know How To Love Him, versus being completely center.
• Soul girls:  is there room for the ladder to come on from SR or does it have to come on from SL before Blood Money?
• Judas:  play with more interaction with the soul girls/your conscience and a frenetic energy before you start to sing on Blood Money.
• Judas:  You had your back to us a lot in Blood Money, particularly when the priests circled you.  Even if you are singing to someone upstage, you don’t have to be looking at them.  We know who you’re singing to.
• Soul girls:  as Judas betrays the location of where Jesus can be found, lean in more and keep a little movement in your body.

 

• Act II
• Every time the shapes come on stage it should be the same people bringing them on.  We had a mix up with this.
• Ensemble:  remember that if you are back stage you need to be watching the show versus carrying on conversations.
• JC/ensemble:  don’t leave so quickly before Herod’s song
• Soul girls:  you came on a little early for “Herod’s song”.  You start to enter after the ensemble has sung their last words, “where is it now?”
• Soul girls:  keep working on that middle and end part of “Herod’s Song”  It starts strong, but then starts to fall apart.  The main problems are spacing and doing things in synch.  Pay attention to both of these things even more than you already are.
• Apostles:  anticipate “Could We Start Again Please”.  You looked like you had no idea it was coming up, and Mary did not have her trapezoid.
• Soul girls:  we will run through Judas’s Death and wrapping the ladder before rehearsal today so that you are more comfortable with the changes.
• JC can begin to enter with the guards as the ladder is almost but not quite off stage.
• Ensemble:  make sure you’re always listening.  You were ahead of the cd on Trial by Pilate.
• Ensemble:  commit to your movement on Superstar.  Many of you have an almost neutral facial expression and your body looks like it’s just going through the moves.
• Emily:  reminder that you will be putting the crown of thorns on JC.
• Ensemble:  we’ll try running through the end/how you leave stage today.

 

• *reminder:   Sunday will be a long day.  You arrive at noon, we tech the show, we take a dinner break around 5:00 where food will be provided for you, and then we run the show that night.  We will be done by 10:00 pm but it’s going to be a long day.  Get your rest, drink water, and eat healthy foods.