Another Openin', Another Show

Hurrah! We got "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" up on its feet with a full house and much eating and drinking and carrying on at the party afterwards. No major (or even minor!) catastrophes during our opening night. The show as well recieved and it looks great - bright and lively, with brilliant dancing and singing and everything that musical comedy should be.

A couple of bumps in the road -there always are. The costume shop manager's mother passed away last week and so we lost a hand for a few days. Everyone felt terrible for her and of course, as heartless as it is, we lost a stitcher and that has put the costume shop behind so they're scrambling to keep up with openings. Last night our kitchen table was covered with baskets of lace and paint, decorative flowers and a couple of sewing machines. The ladies sewed ornaments on bonnets and parasols while watching movies - a flurry of thread, cloth and dye late into the night to have as much ready as possible for our second dress of "Pirates" today.

The other kink that put the shops behind was the lack of a scenic painter until almost the last minute. A skilled and industrious woman came to the rescue from Missoula and the shop was putting up scenery as fast as she could slap paint on it.

The acting company is holding up pretty well. We had another evening off last night, but sometimes I think it's better off not to have time off, because everyone stays out late and comes in groggy the next day. Well, not Everyone, but enough that it can frustrate the director who gave up rehearsal time.

We're looking into scenic painters for "Hello Dolly" and "Big River' - I suggested they call up to Whitefish and see who's available up there to paint. It might even end up being John Rawlings, who teaches art at the community college in Kalispell (among other things).

Anyway, we're forging on ahead through tech and dress rehearsals. I'm excited for the opening of Pirates; the costumes are fantastic, the lighting is artful and actors are doing a terrific job and it's just a fun pleasure to watch. Tomorrow we'll see if the audience agrees...