It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Well, maybe not quite that dramatic. However, we still have a few kinks to work out now that we have practiced in our full costumes and makeup — and in the venue rather than the rehearsal studio.
The dancer portraying the Nutcracker/Prince was there tonight. He performed the same role with us last year. If you’d like to know what he looks like, just picture James Blunt as a ballet dancer. They have a very similar hairstyle and face.
I noticed that the floral arrangements I was sewing together by hand the other day have made their way onto a few pink tutus in the dressing room. They are decorating costumes for the Reed Flute dance. So I guess my handwork was deemed acceptable. (Brings back a memory of working as a seamstress in the costume room for the theater department when I was in college.)
My dance partner looked fairly dashing in his tuxedo, top hat and shiny shoes. (Not quite Fred Astaire, but he’ll do.) He noted that he will be doing this show for the next five years — as long as his daughter continues dancing at the studio — and that, based on my daughter’s age, I am likely tied in for another eight years, myself. Nevertheless, my partner is already looking forward to having a new (as in: someone other than me!) wife in next year’s show. I told him, “Don’t be casting me aside just yet… we still have three shows to get through together!”
When we walked off the stage into the wings, his real-life wife was standing there and I saw him jump back for a split second. When she was gone, I said, “Umm… did you forget you had an actual wife?” He laughed and said, “Yeah. For a second there, I thought ‘Oh, my god, I’m a bigamist!'”
Other snafus that will be corrected between now and showtime: The sound of the pulleys that shake the snowbag during the Waltz of the Snowflakes; the mechanics of the Christmas tree as it is “growing” magically; the lighting and curtain movements; the backstage crew offloading the tree and other stage props between Acts I and II; me nearly falling over on stage when I twirled; Mrs. Stahlbaum forgetting to say farewell to her guests before exiting the stage; etc.
These are all minor details and perfectly normal for dress rehearsal…. At least, that is what we are telling ourselves. 🙂
Tomorrow night is the dress rehearsal for Act II… unless, of course, we get the predicted one-to-three inches of snow they are forecasting for our area at which point schools will be closed and we will all be trapped indoors. Well, at least for a few hours.
We shall see!
P.S. Since it looks like I’ll be performing in the show for a while,
I’m thinking of making my own dress to dance in next year
(and thereafter). The one I wear is pretty, but I’d prefer
a color other than lavender. It doesn’t feel very
Christmassy to me. Also, everyone else is in jewel
tones… and I’d like puffed sleeves.
