I'm halfway through the orchestrations for FACES OF GOD today. I cheat by not having a completely traditional orchestra playing as I have done for LOVE OF THE CENTURY and CITY OF THE GODS - I have added a heavy guitar to give oomph to the bass.
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Dr Mary Ann Tsao, advisor to the Musical Theatre Society, attended OPENING THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART last night and loved it. Wow! This is so encouraging for all of us involved!
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I leave the house earlier than usual. Apparently a reporter from Life! is coming down to interview some of us and take photographs. Publicity for the show. Besides, we musicians are rehearsing HOME with Alvin. We haven't quite gotten the feel for the last two nights. Alvin let us listen to the mp3 - it is my first time ever listening to it! - and today we decide to try it out before the show.
It pours heavily. And then you realise how badly covered (pun unintended) the CBD is. From the Standard Chartered bank building there is no shelter to the next complex, which is the building housing the Bank of China. Let's not even talk about connectivity to the Fullerton... why are we talking about walkway shelters in the heartlands and they don't even bother to build them in the city? What, everybody owns a car? Excuse me, there are still lots of office workers who ride the MRT and the buses and you're expecting them to to catch their trains and buses damp?
The small umbrella that I am carrying is no match for the torrential downpour. My sleeves and shoes are drenched by the time I arrive at the foyer of Victoria Theatre. Jayson and Rong Hui are at the foyer - Rong Hui advises not to go in as we are wet and the auditorium is freaking cold. Hui Ling's mum arrives soon after, and she gets Buddhist Fellowship polo tees for us to wear - my gratitude to her! She is worried that we may catch the chills. We change at the foyer toilet, and then I remain behind and attempt to dry my black T-shirt which I will be wearing during the show later using the electric hand dryer. Not as comfortable as heating up my army uniform, because the cotton allows a great deal of heat to pass through and sing my hand.
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I have to confer with Stella on the cue for Agnetta to sing IT'S A HEARTACHE, because Angie commented that we started too soon, while Stella was still speaking. As a result the audience couldn't catch the dialogue, and neither could they concentrate on the song too. "Okay, so it's 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I say for the third time.
"Yeah," replies Stella.
Then I'm off to brief Agnetta on the entrance. "Let's just play by ear," I tell her. "Worse comes to worse, I'll just fiddle around with the chords and only play the A-major chord (the song is in D-major) when I hear 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry'."
Hope it works out. Fingers crossed.
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Shit I screwed the Db/Eb chord towards the end of OPENING THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART. I play a pure D-flat chord, spoils the effect...
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As usual people laugh at all the wrong places in THE MAN AND HIS FOUR WIVES. Talk about a tragic comedy.
I am always paranoid about the curtain screwing up.
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The mikes cocked up in the second half.
First, Nick's mike was not turned on. So, while he and Ren Shang - as the devas - danced about, he deliberately danced off the stage into the wings where the tech guy quickly solved the problem, while Ren Shang continued prancing about solo, before Nick flew back onto stage to rejoin him.
Second, Stella's mike had problems during THE SEVEN SPINSTERS. I think they forgot to click her connection with the amps.
For a moment I thought Cat's mike was problematic as well, but turns out that she didn't speak her first lines loudly enough. Whew.
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Break-time from playing. For the first time the musicians change into black long-sleeves and jeans. Smart casual, I like. I think I'm going to dress like this when I play for The Next Wave of New Musicals III in June. I'm going to miss jamming with a band, though. I'll be playing on a piano all alone...
No more people to talk cock with during the dialogues when music is not required.
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Everybody is damn high today. Last performance, all the way! No more chance to do this again.
After that Mr Chan Soo Sen comes on stage. He wants to sing, so we play for him. Then photo-taking. Proceed to Singapore Cricket Club for the post-performance party.
I'm deliberating whether to return to camp tomorrow or not. Samuel calls me, asks if I want to switch duty with him, so that I only go back on Thursday. I'm on for it. So I head down to Actor's Pub with Mal, Chris, Shane and Leon after the party.
More about Actor's later.
