October 28, 2005

• South Pacific Blog!
  

  
  Well .. .
  its pretty obvious that we’ve hit the halfway point in the run of the
  show.   

   

  When a show
  starts . . . everyone pays really good attention.  We’ve only had a few rehearsals . . . this
  could possibly be the first time we’ve actually run through the show with the
  cast.  (sounds crazy . .but I’ve been
  there.  It’s a nailbiting
  experience!).  Measures are counted
  carefully, everyone watches the conductor (well ok .. . watching the conductor
  totally depends on the conductor . . but that’s a different story.)  . . . and everyone listens and
  concentrates. 

   

  About the
  last show of the first week, is when you start to see a few traces of “comfy-ness.”  It generally starts in the trumpet
  section.  (sorry guys. . . but its
  true!)  (they’re the immature ones
  anyways)    did I say anything?  What?  Noooooo.  *innocent look* 

   

  Anyways. You
  start to see the books appear.  Books,
  magazines, day planners, cell phones (on silent) playing games, palm pilots,
  etc.  Or the tpt players will start
  adding things to the music.  A few octaves
  here . . . a squeal there . . . nothing too major, and still generally musical.

   

  Working up
  to the end of the second week . . .  the
  humor begins to work its way in.  In this
  shows case . . . signs go up on the black wall behind us (that the cast onstage
  can SEE!) . . . like “I love Joe Cable” and “We’re Horny”  (yes . . a trumpet player wrote that.  And actually tripped up one of the cast
  members.  *sigh*  we of course died of silent laughter).  The trumpet players (again) start adding more
  to the music . . . and this time they aren’t musical.  Now its more like farting noises, and
  impossibly high pitched squeals.  (yes .
  . the ENTIRE pit is above the age of 25).  
  Of course the trombones have caught on by now (it takes them a while sometimes)  ((What?!?!? I only speak the truth!!)) . . .
  and they’re piping in with the really low pitched farting noises.  Matched with the trumpet squeaker farts, the
  poor violinist has the HARDEST time concentrating (considering they are right
  behind her.)  (She’s the one who’s throat
  hurts at the end of the night from keeping all the laughter down) 

   

  Now
  today.  Today was the clincher.  Today was the start of week 3.  and let me tell you.  All bets were off. 

   

  The farting
  noises began immediately.  The notes were
  changed to “We’re Hairy” and “We’ve Got Gas!” (explanation . . there’s a line
  in the show about someone forgetting to put gas in the generator.  This was the trumpet players comeback.  It referred ONLY to the trumpet players.  Considering their form of amusement)

   

  By this
  time  . . no one is even bothering to pay
  attention any more.  The show is 3 hours
  long . . and we’ve heard these tunes so many times before . . that we come in
  at the right place out of habit.  We are
  at the point of passing notes . . . throwing paper airplanes . . . using our
  instruments as percussion extras . . . stacking mutes . . (the trumpets had a
  HUGE tower of mutes stacked up.  If you
  don’t know what a mute is . . . think about an empty aluminum can (only funny
  shaped) . . . and then think about those cans . . stacked 5 to 6 high (ontop of
  a trumpet no-less) . . and then imagine them hitting the floor.  Yes . .this is a LIVE musical.  In a REAL pit.  With an audience about 10 feet away from
  us!!!! (fortunately for all involved . . . they can’t see us!)) 

   

  Also by this
  point . . we are mocking the cast.  “Overactor!”  That’s an often used term.  The director gets into it too.  Tonight, he made one of the male leads lose
  concentration . . . and he skipped an entire line of dialogue.  (what was he doing you ask?  Well . . . he was making out with
  himself.  Imagine seeing a rather large
  (extremely gay) man rubbing his hands all over his body and gazing at you
  longingly.  You’d skip a line (or 12) as
  well.  ). 
  

   

  Aaahhh it’s
  the second half of the show . . . and it’ll just get more interesting from
  here.  The last time I played with this
  pair of trumpet players . .  the final
  show rolled around. . . and I ended up being unable to play the entire final
  song of the show.  Because I couldn’t
  stop laughing.  Infact I was laughing so
  hard, that I was crying and couldn’t breathe. 
  Infact .. I don’t think *any* of the brass were playing.  So I’m just waiting . . . waiting to see what
  will happen here.  (oh boy!)

   

  Well ..
  before I depart . . I shall leave you with some of my favorite lines from the
  show. 

   

  Emile
  DeBeque to Nellie Forbush . . . “I like songs that go.  . . ‘I love you, and you love me, and isn’t
  that fine?”  (of course . . . at that
  point . . we’re miming Barney in the pit. 
  ‘I love you . . you love me . . we’re a happy family. . .hey . . hey why
  do you have a gun?  Don’t point that at
  me its not *BLAM*’  )

   

  Commander
  Harbison to large collection of sailors: 
  “The Japanese are pulling out . . .. and there is much confusion!”    (BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA  I have a horribly dirty mind . . but I snort
  every time they say that)

   

  And of
  course. . . the best lyrics in the show . .. from the tune “I’m in Love with a
  Wonderful Guy”: 

   

  “I’m as
  corny as Kansas
  in August, I’m as normal as Blueberry pie” (blah blah blah . . I can’t hear
  these lyrics cause I’m playing right now. . blah blah blah)

  “I am in an
  conventional dither, with a conventional star in my eye .. . please will you
  excuse the expression I use I’m in Love With a Wonderful Guy!!!”

   

  *passes
  out*  I have to get up at 5:30.  that’s AM. 
   
  

  don't forget to stay tuned
  for the Buttercup Story! 
  

  • 12:07 am
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