h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In addition to rehearsing 'Kiss Me, Kate', I have also allowed myself to be roped in to 'The Sound of Gershwin' to be performed in May in a small theatre on the coast. It'll be my first show at this particular theatre, and I will have overlapping (but not clashing) rehearsals between now and the end of March. Foolishness, I'm sure!

We are starting to learn the chorus bits, which thus far include 'I Got Rhythm', 'Nice Work If You Can Get It', 'Lady, Be Good', 'They All Laughed' and 'Fascinating Rhythm'. Wonderful stuff. I'll also be singing a solo and a quartet. The quarter is the reasonably well-known 'Bidin' My Time' and the solo is called 'Who Cares?' They've managed to do something incredible here, and have given me a solo that I don't recall hearing before, although some quick research this morning (I was only told the title of the song last night) reveals that I do have it on CD. It's from 'Of Thee I Sing', the first musical to win the Pullitzer Prize for Drama. I hope it's good!

The group of people are fun, and (as so often happens) the women outnumber the men 2:1. Of the eight men, three are called David. What're the odds?

Oops. I can't spell Pulitzer!

I'm fond of Gershwin songs.
Currently on my MP3 player I have an album of Gershwin songs by loads of different people; Sting, Sinead O'Connor, Robert Palmer, Peter Gabrial, Oleta Adams, Meatloaf and others.
I also like the more traditional treatments.

You're going to be very busy over the next few months. Don't suppose any of your shows will coincide with Hyp's visit?

I don't think so. 27-31 March for Kate and 22-26 May for Gershwin. I think that puts them either side of the visit. Which reminds me, I must tell them I'm not available on the weekend of the London meet!

Several of those are in Lady Be Good. A cracking musical. Should be a good sing Must admit I also had a blank look for the title 'Who Cares?'

I'm rather fond of my studio recording of Lady, Be Good. Definitely my most-listened-to Gershwin CD, above even Crazy For You.

How did folks like the Gershwins, Porter, Berlin and Kern write so many blooming fantastic songs? The running order for this show made me as I read down it.

I love Gershwin. Makes me wish I could sing.

*waves magic want to grant Hypatia permission to sing*

Thanks for that, Vestboy. The problem is that when I sing everyone within earshot runs screaming from the room. Can you wave that wand again and make me sound like Barbara Streisand?

I'll give it a go.
*Frantically waves wand but accidentally hits Hypatia across the nose*
Try singing now - you... look a bit more like her, at least.

Clears throat....clears it again....takes a deep breath.....clears throat.... Fascinating rhythm....nope, didn't work.

*checks wand*
Ah! The batteries have run out.

*Tries to bring postings back to subject*
If I have a Gershgo in the Gershlottery I might Gershwin some.

Just my luck. A wand with a dead battery and a now I have this bump on my nose.

I have now had a chance to learn my song with the musical director and it's rather fun. Quite bouncy with some rather sweet lyrics. I don't yet know how the director wants me to play it (silly/serious/whatever) but at least I know how it goes.

We've also set the opening, 'I Got Rhythm', which was absolutely chaotic. Or at least it was while we were taught each individual bit of it. The first time we tried to run it through it ... worked! It was amazing, and we were all very surprised. I was expecting it to end in a terrible on-stage traffic jam, but somehow everything went together and we got through it. Not perfect, obviously, but good and great fun. I go from held poses to head choreography to a kickline, while others do a Charleston and various things.

Now that Kiss Me, Kate is over, The Sound of Gershwin is kicking up a gear. Not the same Society, but the pace of rehearsals in the various groups around the area tends to ebb and flow depending on what the other groups are doing!

So much music to learn. Stiarway to Paradise, a Porgy and Bess medley and Love Walked Right In were introduced while I was messing around with Cole Porter, but I think that's everything now. We've also set the movements for Strike Up The Band (lots of marching) and For You, For Me, For Evermore, which we're doing as a tango. Good stuff.

I apparently also missed the choreogeaphy for Clap Yo' Hands, which involves complicated clapping, slapping etc.

I have discovered that there are brief acting bits between the numbers. We've not been given the scripts yet, but I do know that I am to be George Gershwin himself at one point, reminiscing about the song 'The Man I Love'. Who knows what else I'll have to do...

I've realised I've rather neglected this thread. We're now 10 days away from the opening night, so rehearsals have been a tad intense. I have to do a kickline, a Viennese waltz, some marching, plenty of jazz hands and goodness knows what else in terms of choreography. I have one full length solo and a snatch of solo near the end, plus the quartet Bidin' My Time. All good fun, though I feel as though we're woefully underprepared at the moment. Not many rehearsals left!

We have now run the show through a few times and it seems to be falling in to shape, though far too many people are frantically checking the running order all the time (or asking me!). Over the weekend, we'll have the band call and the dreaded technical rehearsal.

Why are technical rehearsals "dreaded"?