It is done

Well, what a wild ride this has been! Our show has opened and closed, and my friends, I must say, I thought it came off really really beautifully. It was such a thrill for me to sit back and see all these things that I have imagined for the last year and a half in "the little theatre of my mind" ACTUALLY COME TO LIFE! As a director, I have this picture...almost more of a feeling than an image...of what I want to convey, but especially as a person so young in the biz, there is a worry that what I imagine will not be as wonderful when it is "live".... but it really was!
The ensemble sounded great, they looked great, they acted like "real people", the dancers were breath-taking, the costumes were beautiful and gleaming, the lighting was lovely, the witches were creepy and wierd, and when the set piece turned around for the first time (with Dido lying on it) I heard audible gasps in the crowd.

THIS IS WHY I LOVE THEATRE!

I am going to share with you an email that was forwarded to me by one of our performers.... I don't even know the person who wrote it, but truly, it is one of the most special "reviews" I have ever received, by an ordinary audience member.

Last night's performance of "Dido" was exquisite. I can't stop thinking about it. So beautiful visually and musically. The combination of modern dance and Baroque music was surprising and powerful, especially in the last lament. I have a short list in my memory of performances throughout the years -- maybe half a dozen which were really momentous. "Dido" has joined that list.

Ok, enough gushing. I hope you were able to see the show and if you enjoyed it half as much as I did, then you had a great night at the theatre! I will share some of the "official" photos when they are available, but here is one more amateur shot to send you off on your day...


(why do men have a need to hold their boobs?)

How godlike is the form he bears

It is all coming together!!!
I won't tell you what this is, but leave you to wonder. Suffice it to say, I am very pleased so far.

Tomorrow is "load in" at the theatre which means moving all of the components of the show into the space. Set pieces, props, costumes, orchestra, lights. Then our lighting designer begins to place the lighting instruments so they light the stage properly so he can design cues during our technical rehearsal that evening. A lot of things have to go really smoothly in a short period of time tomorrow. This is where good preparation really is key. This is where a nice margarita at the end of the day is almost a requirement.

But ere we this perform...

I am very happy to report that great progress is being made!

I have been with the dancers all week and virtually all of the choreography is complete... and looks amazing. Again, I cannot express how much I enjoy seeing these dancers work... watching Dominic's mind awhirl, seeing how the dancers take what he says or demonstrates and then create these astonishing shapes with their bodies.

In the evenings I have been working with our principals and the comprimari... again, a real pleasure. I believe this is Krista River's first production in Houston (she is singing Dido) and it is great to have her onboard. She is smart and lovely and sounds wonderful.

And today..... FIRST DAY WITH CHORUS. This is a phrase that strikes a bit of terror in the hearts of most directors. Excitement, yes, but if we are honest, a little terror. All of the things you normally worry about... staying on schedule, musical preparation, and oh yes, creating art through drama... are multiplied exponentially, as there are considerably more bodies and minds in the room to be watching and reading and guiding . I have high hopes for today. In fact, I plan to get through the entire show with them by the end of our 6 hours. I may be bald by the end, but I think we can do it!!

In other news.... a bit of a tragedy: yesterday in rehearsal one of our dancers BROKE HIS FOOT. We went to the hospital immediately and got x-rays, and there it was: a clearly broken metatarsal. This is fairly devastating for him, as he will have to be off of the foot for at least 12 weeks, and obviously is a bit of a blow to the show. DW is considering replacements as we speak, and I will keep you posted.

In production!

Hello all.
I have been woefully delinquent in keeping up with posts! What can I say? Life intervenes. I am just back in Houston after having directed a Magic Flute in Tulsa, and it was a GREAT experience, if a little all-consuming. But now it is ALL DIDO ALL THE TIME!

We are in rehearsals now and I spend my days with the dancers from Dominic Walsh Dance Theater and then work with singers at night... and I tell you, it is just exhilarating watching all these talented people make beauty on a moment by moment basis. I have worked with Dominic on a few shows, and it is such a different world than opera production. Their vocabulary, their timeline, their way of understanding space and their place in it.... it is like being on a different planet... a strange and beautiful planet that takes my breath away, and sometimes makes me laugh out loud.

I just discovered that DWDT has a load of videos on YouTube. Check out this clip from "I Napoletani", a show I stage managed for them last spring. This was one of my favorite numbers in the show. I love some witty dancing, people.