Chaos Attraction

Last Minute Role Substitution

2022-12-04, 8:24 p.m.

(Note: this entry, even though written Sunday at the last minute before the Holidailies rollover, is covering Friday night. I'll write up the rest of the weekend later because HOO BOY WAS IT EVENTFUL.)

When we last left off, I had found out that the Ghost of Christmas Future/Young Marley got covid that afternoon and to show up hours early to redo the show, but not what, exactly, was going to happen.

Friday night, I showed up at the theater to find Steve the Beadle* rehearsing for Present. He will be playing Present for the weekend. Young Marley will be played by Victor since YM's scenes don't overlap with the scenes Victor is playing a main character in. The usual Steve*, who has been running sound for this show, will be playing the Beadle in the scenes where the Beadle is required. Kimmie is back to run the sound.

* We have two Steves in this story. The usual Steve is one of the co-runners of the theater, the second Steve is new to performing, so I refer to him by his character--Beadle is a Victorian era cop. Looks like the guy in gold bling and a giant hat on the right here.)

So, shuffling parts it is, then! So THAT's what's going to happen! I note that Steve the Beadle is retired/owns an ice cream shop, so presumably he might have had more free time to study lines/songs at the last minute. I asked him when he found out he was doing this and he said 2 p.m. and that he suggested Morgan for the lead, but Jan insisted that it be a man and he's the only one available. So...there you go. He made comments about wanting to trade, and also wished his kid Maya (Tiny Tim) could do it since she memorizes all of the shows she's in (I note she acts out Scrooge's "Yesterday, Tomorrow and Today" number backstage, I look forward to her eventual one woman production of the show someday). Actually, Maya is ALSO in the kids' show of Disney's Descendants going on at the same time because she is super hardcore (ensemble for that one since it's a high school plot and she's 11) and she is on notice for possibly ending up to fill in as Audrey on Saturday since Audrey may have some kind of lung infection. StB was all, "If anyone can help out by singing in the back...."

Jan said she'd announce what went on at the beginning of the show and the guys can go on with scripts. Jean was at the ready to provide new costumes, though I note that Omar is 6'6 and StB is around my height, so I guess that might have had some issues on the giant robe. Jan: "I'm not expecting miracles." She said to not worry about dancing, just "have fun on the stage" and ad-lib during "Abundance and Charity."

Fun fact: in October when we were having flash flooding, the stage leaked. I'm told it leaked during Descendants last time it rained during a show. And it's predicted to POUR RAIN on Saturday. And it's like, right in an obvious space where it leaks, too. And we're doing dance numbers over there...I'm in that corner...god, that's going to suck, because I'm sure the landlord hasn't fixed shit. Hell, last time it rained it also briefly leaked out of a pipe backstage and that's going to hit the sets and bed during a show.... You know, I know I'm supposed to parrot, "We need the rain! We're in a drought!" (imagine this being said in high pitched old crone voice like I say it IRL) and be happy every time it randomly pours and pours and pours out of nowhere. But you know what? Giant pourings of rain Cause Problems Too, y'all!)

Quotes:

Steve the Beadle: "I got the Diet Coke line down well. If there's no kids, it'll be a gin and tonic." (Note: randomly Present says, "I could really use a Diet Coke right now!" because that was a sponsor of the original show. No, that's not period....I note that StB forgot the line, sadly.)

I can't really see this from my side since this is happening on the opposite side of the stage from me, but Omar as Young Marley holds up a piece of paper to the creditors (I note that I'm on Young Scrooge's side, and he's much politer.) Noel said that Omar usually holds up a piece of paper that says "F U!" on it . Victor did a weasel smile at them instead.

Noel on the location of the school she works at: "We're between the jail and the high school. We get both." (I note Dannette just finished her grad school course work and Noel is trying to recruit her to work at her CC.)

Brian, in the building today: "That whole English language has me really stumped."

Stacy (and Jan said same later): "People need to stop getting covid."

Morgan: "What if I don't wanna have goodwill towards men?"
Me: "You'd be Scrooge."

Noel: "Has anyone seen my knickers?"
After they were found, Dannette: "Has anyone seen my million dollars?"

Kimmie warned us before the show that since she doesn't know the cues, she was supposedly just going to turn on everyone's mics when they were onstage, so anything we said would be heard. So Steve-the-new-Beadle walked up to me onstage (while in the Old Jo(e) ragpicker outfit) and said, "Do you have any teeth?" Me in a half-loud version of the creepy voice I do for the character: "I'll see what I can do." (I already sell bones...literally....it cracks me up that Other Jennifer always buys a big ol’ bone from me for her son to play with in this show.) I note I heard later that Jan apparently warned some people that Steve is likely to make conversation with you onstage, hah hah.

Anyway, despite all this drama, the show went fairly well. StB went onstage with his script. He forgot some lines, he did a little improv on the dancers being from this town, but hey, he survived, and the plot went on. Steve-now-the-new-Beadle forgot a line (you'd think after he's watched the show enough times he'd remember this stuff, but I guess not, he said) at the opening but otherwise did fine, Victor did well at being Young Marley. Overall, people survived, and the show went on, and that's what counts.

After that, we went to dinner at IHOP again and discussed shows and weird foods (mostly ones Danny has tried) and the time Virginia's cat wore a sweater and tolerated it, and stuff like that. I ordered two chocolate chip pancakes and otherwise a regular breakfast and actually FINISHED THE PANCAKES, which is like the first time I've ever finished pancakes. Really, I think I just can't eat 3 at one go.

I will note that Don said to me, "You're doing a great job" (note: at my character) "because you're so annoying." LOL there. You do one creepy voice at the audition and BOY DID IT CATCH ON, y'all! I'm happy it entertains people/gets some lulz, anyway.


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