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.