For most of you readers know, I have thrown caution to the wind (not literally as there is not a person named "caution" and throwing said person to the wind would be unneccessarily cruel...well, depends on the person) and have gone forward with pursuing my childhood dreams of acting, not stardom, singing, and writing---and now dance thrown into the mix (Yikes!)
With increasing support from friends and the ever present help of my creator, I put myself through the some time, not so humiliating, process of auditions (the theatre world around here is candy-land, comparatively). In truth, the tiring part is the grueling process of preparing monologues for said 'try-outs', as finding the time in a 'cramped schedule' is difficult, to say the least.
So, without further ado, I recently was given the part of the Butcher, or as we shall now know as "Mrs. Bissett" (in my mind, Francine), as I was graciously (?) allowed into the family of Randallians in their Christmas performance of, Scrooge, The Magical Musical. This yet to be lovely production opens December 12th (to a sold-out audience) at the already lovely Randall Theatre of Medford.
The issue is, at this time, up to last night, we all feel very ill-prepared and worried about the fast-approaching opening night with increasing trepidation, more so, than former plays that have trespassed across the boards. In weak encouragement, we try to leave each other with the ol' meme, a la Shakespeare In Love, "It'll work out"...with response from hearer..."How?"...and the come-back..."It's a Mystery!"
Until last night, I, myself, felt uncertain if I could really pull it through...maybe its the negative feedback of a so-called best friend who when I posted, jokingly, that I "must rehearse"--responded "why bother? You'll just fail anyway..." or something to that affect.
Last night, we the cast, mostly, and not the directorial staff, came together to rehearse on our own. Before our work, we came together in a circle and talked about our insecurities, frustrations, worries...and something magical happened, we started to became a unit, a family...it became an "all for one, one for all"---as we put our hands together and yelled out in unison (the first time?): "Scrooge!"
We're genna do this, folks! Come hell or high water, something "fantastic" (in the words of the Doctor) will occur.
As one of our fearless (fearful?) leaders quipped, that after the run-thrus, work-thrus, final dress rehearsal, it'll get worse...(Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence)...However, I heard,
"It'll get birthed!"
So, that's what's going to happen over the next four days and then some, a baby will be birthed, a life will be formed, a "magical miracle of musical excellence" will develop....
Believe it, folks, it'll happen! That's the magic of theatre, and the grit and sweat of some overly-hard-working actors and crew with day-jobs and "lives"(really?)...
So, to my dear cast & crew, I leave you with the word I expressed to my darling "babe" at the start of the production:
Alon-sy!
Scrooge opens to the public December the 14th (the dearest day in all the year...) at the little theatre that could.
