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Wednesday, July 15, 2009:

Hell week starts Sunday. All week I'll be working days, then commuting to the mountains at night. Once we open, my schedule should be fairly easy-ish.

I remembered last night why I have a general policy not to spend a lot of time killing time with groups of performers. (After show hangouts being the exception) Inevitably the conversations start about who's amazing, and who's not, who is up for the same roles you are, and who they heard got cast, and who didn't. I find auditioning manageable only if I can walk away and not think about it again. Or that's the theory. I'd rather not know who I'm up against, or how good everyone else thinks they are. Policy back firmly in place.

Oklahoma had a markedly good rehearsal last night. The chorus made every entrance on time and with enthusiasm, and our new track tempos are much sprightlier. My personal practice sessions are going well, even though I don't maintain it easily in the very difficult acoustics of our rehearsal space. (One room, like singing underwater, the other, an echo chamber) The dialect coach called in this week to monitor the cast approved my accent, and was very happy that we're pronouncing Catoosie correctly. (My personal mission)

My credit card is now paid off. Hoorah! This week I should be able to start saving for next season.

Last night my roommate and I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter: The Half Blood Prince. I had not been especially looking forward to this installment, since I'm not thrilled with the new Dumbledore. But good directing makes a difference, and this director did a lovely job balancing plot and subplot, exchanging exposition for action, and keeping everything moving along. Kudos to Daniel Radcliffe for his acting in the "Felix" scene. Also to Ron Weasley for the Love Potion scene. Kudos to Narcissa Malfoy for perpetual tearage. Nice mention to Draco Malfoy as well for a greatly expanded role from his previous one liners. I missed Moaning Myrtle, but nothing else was terribly glaring that got cut. There wasn't too much additional shooting that didn't come from the book, and only one directoral decision is going to be difficult to overcome for a major plot point in the next film or two.

That's my two bits. On a side note, I've never seen so many teenyboppers using a wizarding movie as an excuse to wear hotpants. And I saw even a balding middle aged man dressed in Hogwarts robes. There was no possible way, either, to eat all the candy, popcorn and soda my roommate and I splurged on for the film.
Rachel LeAnn // 6:08 PM

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Monday, July 06, 2009:

My main feeling these days is...exhausted, but happy. I'm working full time, but right now with two consecutive days off. The first of those I usually spent taking several hour naps inbetween reading a chapter or two, then waking up to discover I've drooled all over whatever I'm laying on. Carpet, pillows...my cat. I'm not normally a drooler...it's just a sign of extreme fatigue.

My work schedule is regular for a change, but I'm up at 5 every morning. That means that I'm off usually around 1. No later than 4. And leaves several hours for a nap before rehearsal. BUT my rehearsals go til 10, which leaves a maximum of six hours of sleep a night. A nap is not a luxury, but a regimented part of my routine. I can't wear out now. Once the show is open, I'll be working 50 hours a week, and spending my two days off doing three performances of Oklahoma!

I'm really enjoying this show. Really really. I love the character (who'd have thought?), and love playing opposite my costar. Which is good, since our play is completely different than the play the rest of the cast are putting on. We keep walking in on scenes we've never seen before, and we rehearse on different days than everyone else. I think I remember that from that last time I did this show. Curly and Laurey spend most of the play with each other, and the minor characters and chorus have their own plot and scenes. Not much interaction outside of chorus numbers, but even then - Laurey isn't in the Dream Ballet or Farmer and the Cowman. So I interact less with the rest of the cast even than Curly does.

Tonight I've got to get Oklahoma out of my head to do a single performance of Le Musee du Rodin at a Seattle Playwrites meeting at ArtsWest. I read lines on the bus this morning, luckily it's not memorized, and we'll have one more readthrough before the reading tonight.

Tomorrow we begin Act 1 runthroughs, and block the end of the show. I'm hoping to convince my choreographer to give me a private lesson to make sure I look credible dancing Many a New Day. As long as I get to dance, I'd like to look credible doing it. I've got the basic choreography down, but I want someone to make sure my arms and feet are pointing and curving correctly. I'm doing fine now, but with a slightly more work I could move more firmly into "moves well."

I'm at the library killing time, hoping a practice room becomes available. I got off work early, and rather than go home for a couple of hours, then taking a bus to West Seattle, I may as well stay in town and be productive until it's time to go. I brought my blacks to work and changed in the dishroom, and did my makeup and hair in the library bathroom. It worked.

Off to run lines.
Rachel LeAnn // 2:24 PM

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Saturday, June 27, 2009:

A rehearsal free night tonight. Ahhhhh.....

I love Oklahoma! I didn't expect to enjoy this role this much, especially since my heart was set on playing a different role this summer, but it's lovely to work with a costar again in a second show, even if it wasn't the costar I was expecting.

We rehearse in a tiny church gym with acoustics that guarantee a headache after a few minutes. If someone walks into a corner and whispers, the reverb can overcome a room of talking actors. Crowd noise is unbearable. The director has cut off rehearsal because he can't bear the barage of the actors hitting high notes (the one high-ish one in the show).

Our music director is a professional, and is putting together the pre-recorded orchestra track himself. Right now it's very raw, but he's allowing us to give imput into tempos and timing. Curly and I, after a lugubrious reprise post-proposal scene, asked for a faster tempo, since the kissing was already over for the scene, so we weren't leading up to anything, and it needed to be more "Yay!" than "Ahhhhh." The director said he'd write that down.

Le Musee du Rodin had it's last read through last night before our performance for the Seattle Playwrite group on the 6th. One actor was pushing for another reading tonight, but luckily the cast voted her down. We've already had 5 rehearsals - unheard of for a reading minus set, blocking, or costume. We do get to keep our accents, which were hanging in the balance for a few days. I'm glad. I spent a lot of money and time to get mine down pat.

Only a month until Oklahoma! opens!!!! Sadly, I don't get to try my own dream ballet. They've got much better dancers than me - and the director is tied to Laurey overlooking the ballet from the 2nd floor balcony of the farmhouse. But I do get to dance front and center in Many a New Day, which is great fun!
Rachel LeAnn // 6:58 PM

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009:

In answer to Angie, about how many stage engagements I've had:

Engaged (or 'pinned', I suppose, since that was the "thing" in Bye Bye Birdie) 5 times.

Married 6 times. But Sound of Music was my first stage wedding, Oklahoma will be my second.

In a relationship that presumably ended in marriage, 2 or 3, depending.

Divorces - 2
Flings - 1

Relationships ending in the death of a partner, 1.

Relationships ending in my own death, 1.

(Drea, can you name the shows?)
Rachel LeAnn // 2:48 PM

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Monday, June 22, 2009:

A shortie.

I'm working full time. I'm in rehearsals five nights a week. Last night we choreographed "Many a New Day." I'm so happy that Laurie gets to dance it, instead of just sing. Tonight Act 1 opening, and proposal scene at the auction. First day of blocking and we've jumped straight to the punch.

This week is going to be very long. I have an audition this evening before rehearsal, and on my non-Oklahoma days I have a read-though and a pickup rehearsal for Le Musee du Rodin, which peforms July 6.

Next week I audition for The Sound of Music. Again. Different company. Still haven't heard back from Village, but neither has anyone else, so no disappointment yet.

I should have more rehearsal stories soon. There's not much to say about the past week of vocal rehearsals except that it's not my favorite part of the process.
Rachel LeAnn // 3:05 PM

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Friday, June 12, 2009:

Off work early. At the library waiting to use a practice room. Going to see Night Flight tonight at the Moore. Tomorrow I have a callback. And I caught myself today saying "We've got tables a-plenty" and realized I'm already taking on Laurie for the summer....ergh.
Rachel LeAnn // 1:56 PM

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Thursday, June 11, 2009:

A productive day, ending with an Oklahoma accent coaching. Trying to turn my second hand Texan into reasonable Oklahoma - without any of the R&H horrible transliterated New York Oakie is a challenge. And then, determining if I will stand out too much if I do a real accent and the rest of the cast does the musical theater one will be another thing. Fard. (Fired) Hard. (Hired) All (I'll - but not Texan Aihl).
Rachel LeAnn // 10:02 PM

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Tuesday, June 09, 2009:

Preparing for a role is my favorite part of a play. Except actually performing. That's saying a lot, too, because I even like tech rehearsals. (The only thing I don't like about performing is the initial meet and greet, where the very excited production team meets the actors and tells us what makes this experience unique. After signing a contract, getting measured, meeting the cast and getting my script, I can save the socializing and stories of past productions until the production is up and rolling.)

Yesterday I checked out a book on Oklahoma Territory. I've read Green Grow the Lilacs to find some more interesting character traits (there are tons), and I've also checked into what books were published within 15 years of 1906 to find out what her influences may have been. Or which ones I'm choosing them to be. I've looked up movies set in Oklahoma besides Oklahoma! to get a real accent started as I learn lines, and I've started developing a back history and motivation for Laurie based on interchanges in the original play that didn't make it into the musical. I know who Curly is, how much older he is than she, how long she's loved him, and how long he's known she existed. I know where she grew up, what happened to her parents, and why she escapes into dreams and is so frightened of something bad happening.

The audience won't be aware of any of this, of course, but it helps me to know all of this about her, making her more than a two dimensional musical theater ingenue.

My script has several pages of post it notes in it, and I spent the other evening with a pot of tea and a yellow highlighter going through my script. I love my job!
Rachel LeAnn // 1:17 PM

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Friday, June 05, 2009:

I have news! I got a callback for Meet Me In St. Louis at Village Theatre! Next Saturday!
Rachel LeAnn // 9:09 PM

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Saturday, May 30, 2009:

I put on eyeliner today for the first time in ages. I wear makeup every day. The same makeup, with the same routine, at the same time each morning. Today everyone comments on how pretty and glamorous I look. Hmmmm.

I got off work at 3, and had a rehearsal at TPS at 5. So I wandered through the streets of Seattle through the sunny day and 70 degree weather, talking on the phone to the oldest member of the blessed company. I had a molasses cookie from my favorite Pike's Place Bakery, The Three Girls, and a lovely stroll with my SPF 50.

Rehearsal went well. My second readthrough of a new play. We're reading it for a group of playwrites on July 6. It's still too long, but either the exhaustion or my newness to the genre enables me to slash through paragraphs of lines. Someone today called my cuts "fearless." They aren't really. After getting up at 5am, I lacked the energy to maintain that level of emotional disbelief for 9 pages straight, and opted to cut down the scene. It really was too long, started too high, and then had nowhere to go. I think my note was "shrill." Which I can be. Especially in a French accent.
Rachel LeAnn // 9:13 PM

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