THE DON GIOVANNI DIARIES: PART TWO
Omg. What DIDN'T happen last night?
So, I finally get a chance to walk down to the stage door by myself, and I take total advantage of it. Vanilla Bean Hot Chocolate in hand (sooooo good), I just relished in the fact that OMG I'M WALKING TOWARDS THE STAGE DOOR. WITH A PURPOSE.
I say hi to my lovely ladies who were having a smoke outside, and then walk through. Now, it seems I'm a bit of a fool, since I once again embarrassed myself by not being able to figure out the stage door. I enter the code. Nothing. I enter it again, nothing. Finally it opens! I'm like yesss. So I walk through and ask my friend how the heck you open it without making a fool of yourself... apparently you enter the code and then PUSH. I. am an idiot.
And I'm walking towards the rehearsal hall, when suddenly I hear, in this big booming voice, "MISS THIGH-SEN!". Now, I'm used to having my last name mispronounced, so I turn around to respond. IT'S VALERIAN RUMINSKI, ONE OF THE SOLOISTS. And so, caught totally offguard, I'm like, "...yes?" and he comes up with this big grin and is like "I had a look at your facebook profile and pictures... it's so weird being able to be in contact with people like this!" And I go on about how I'd done the same, and started talking about this one picture that established his hero-status in my eyes. And overall, I'm just like... ashjkhdjkss;. A Met Opera star is Facestalking me. GLEE.
So the rehearsal starts, and we do this really cool scene where Commendatore's statue appears and all the ladies don masks. It's reaaally creepy, and I LOVE IT. Not to mention Valerian actually gets a chance to sing, with that amazing voice of his.
The next scene we rehearse is another Commendatore scene, though just before he appears again. Henry was like "Okay, Torchiere girls!" and I'm like... argh. They get all the fun. And then Henry is like "And orchestra!" and I'm like... HOLY FLIP THAT'S ME.
GUYS. I GET A CHANCE TO BE PART OF THE ACTION.
It was a difficult scene because we're like, acting, trying to follow the cues, trying to follow the music, and trying to play without a bow... MIMING FTW. But after a few times I got comfortable with it and it's actually a really fun scene :D I EVEN KINDOF INTERACTED WITH LEPORELLO. MULTIPLE TIMES.
And dudes, Wendy Nielsen. She has presence in SPADES. Sharing a stage with her was a wonderful experience, short-lived though it is. Hahah and I got to make a face at her when Henry was like "Orchestra! You're not happy that she's there!" and I snarled jokingly and she laughed. When we were waiting in the wings, she just... like, I don't know. Just being around someone with that much presence is a wonderful feeling.
And then we ran through Act Two, which I was beginning to think didn't exist. Turns out, IT IS FULL OF AWESOME. It has a sextet that gives me chills, it has laughs (Leporello imitating Commendatore never fails to get me!), it has aria after aria after aria (Maria's = lovely, Mark's = wonderful, Wendy's = tear-jerking), it has one of the most romantic scenes ever (Matt and Michele need to just be a couple. Right now. Their chemistry is... wow), it has creepiness, and of course... it has the finale.
I'm actually having a hard time with this scene. Henry wants it to transition from seductive to destructive... and neither of those is in my character. She's sweet, she doesn't really want Don Giovanni to go to hell, but she knows she has to. I just feel like the rest of the characters are very uniform... all with arms flailing, teeth bared... very demonic. The thing is... I really can't see my character being like that.
But what lightened my spirits greatly was having Taras/Leporello under the table, hiding, and all of a sudden he makes this cross with his fingers as if to ward off evil lol I made eye contact with him and raised an appropriate eyebrow. Like... I'm a nun. What do you think you're doing? lol it brought me great joy.
Not to mention, when Donna Elvira sees Commendatore and screams, running away, Valerian had this hilarious expression of "Yeahh... I have that effect on people."
And then we had break, during which people dispensed candy galore. It was wonderful.
Then Henry delivered his notes for the Super cast, which I wholeheartedly agreed with. Falling out of character is a big pet peeve of mine.
And then Kelly announced that... after rehearsal on Friday (tonight), they're having a wine and cheese event! I'm like... omg. My first NAC party!!! I'm still fangirling about it, big time. Made myself all pretty-like. Did I mention that I'm excited?
OTHER NOTES FROM THE NIGHT:
- Gerry whispering in my ear. Interesting experience :/
- Aaron was HYPER. Good GOD. I do NOT want to see him drunk.
- Maria Knapik = still my hero from the Poland sector. We be BFFs, y'all.
- Mannn. I left my hot chocolate there. :( Half-drank, too.
- Sage and Christall's reactions to finding out that Aaron is married = priceless. I mean... it just doesn't seem to work. He doesn't wear his ring, and he makes THE raunchiest comments. Particularly TO people. And poor Christall is heartbroken
So, I finally get a chance to walk down to the stage door by myself, and I take total advantage of it. Vanilla Bean Hot Chocolate in hand (sooooo good), I just relished in the fact that OMG I'M WALKING TOWARDS THE STAGE DOOR. WITH A PURPOSE.
I say hi to my lovely ladies who were having a smoke outside, and then walk through. Now, it seems I'm a bit of a fool, since I once again embarrassed myself by not being able to figure out the stage door. I enter the code. Nothing. I enter it again, nothing. Finally it opens! I'm like yesss. So I walk through and ask my friend how the heck you open it without making a fool of yourself... apparently you enter the code and then PUSH. I. am an idiot.
And I'm walking towards the rehearsal hall, when suddenly I hear, in this big booming voice, "MISS THIGH-SEN!". Now, I'm used to having my last name mispronounced, so I turn around to respond. IT'S VALERIAN RUMINSKI, ONE OF THE SOLOISTS. And so, caught totally offguard, I'm like, "...yes?" and he comes up with this big grin and is like "I had a look at your facebook profile and pictures... it's so weird being able to be in contact with people like this!" And I go on about how I'd done the same, and started talking about this one picture that established his hero-status in my eyes. And overall, I'm just like... ashjkhdjkss;. A Met Opera star is Facestalking me. GLEE.
So the rehearsal starts, and we do this really cool scene where Commendatore's statue appears and all the ladies don masks. It's reaaally creepy, and I LOVE IT. Not to mention Valerian actually gets a chance to sing, with that amazing voice of his.
The next scene we rehearse is another Commendatore scene, though just before he appears again. Henry was like "Okay, Torchiere girls!" and I'm like... argh. They get all the fun. And then Henry is like "And orchestra!" and I'm like... HOLY FLIP THAT'S ME.
GUYS. I GET A CHANCE TO BE PART OF THE ACTION.
It was a difficult scene because we're like, acting, trying to follow the cues, trying to follow the music, and trying to play without a bow... MIMING FTW. But after a few times I got comfortable with it and it's actually a really fun scene :D I EVEN KINDOF INTERACTED WITH LEPORELLO. MULTIPLE TIMES.
And dudes, Wendy Nielsen. She has presence in SPADES. Sharing a stage with her was a wonderful experience, short-lived though it is. Hahah and I got to make a face at her when Henry was like "Orchestra! You're not happy that she's there!" and I snarled jokingly and she laughed. When we were waiting in the wings, she just... like, I don't know. Just being around someone with that much presence is a wonderful feeling.
And then we ran through Act Two, which I was beginning to think didn't exist. Turns out, IT IS FULL OF AWESOME. It has a sextet that gives me chills, it has laughs (Leporello imitating Commendatore never fails to get me!), it has aria after aria after aria (Maria's = lovely, Mark's = wonderful, Wendy's = tear-jerking), it has one of the most romantic scenes ever (Matt and Michele need to just be a couple. Right now. Their chemistry is... wow), it has creepiness, and of course... it has the finale.
I'm actually having a hard time with this scene. Henry wants it to transition from seductive to destructive... and neither of those is in my character. She's sweet, she doesn't really want Don Giovanni to go to hell, but she knows she has to. I just feel like the rest of the characters are very uniform... all with arms flailing, teeth bared... very demonic. The thing is... I really can't see my character being like that.
But what lightened my spirits greatly was having Taras/Leporello under the table, hiding, and all of a sudden he makes this cross with his fingers as if to ward off evil lol I made eye contact with him and raised an appropriate eyebrow. Like... I'm a nun. What do you think you're doing? lol it brought me great joy.
Not to mention, when Donna Elvira sees Commendatore and screams, running away, Valerian had this hilarious expression of "Yeahh... I have that effect on people."
And then we had break, during which people dispensed candy galore. It was wonderful.
Then Henry delivered his notes for the Super cast, which I wholeheartedly agreed with. Falling out of character is a big pet peeve of mine.
And then Kelly announced that... after rehearsal on Friday (tonight), they're having a wine and cheese event! I'm like... omg. My first NAC party!!! I'm still fangirling about it, big time. Made myself all pretty-like. Did I mention that I'm excited?
OTHER NOTES FROM THE NIGHT:
- Gerry whispering in my ear. Interesting experience :/
- Aaron was HYPER. Good GOD. I do NOT want to see him drunk.
- Maria Knapik = still my hero from the Poland sector. We be BFFs, y'all.
- Mannn. I left my hot chocolate there. :( Half-drank, too.
- Sage and Christall's reactions to finding out that Aaron is married = priceless. I mean... it just doesn't seem to work. He doesn't wear his ring, and he makes THE raunchiest comments. Particularly TO people. And poor Christall is heartbroken