It's Almost Here

I can't believe this will be our last week of rehearsals before we are at the Junior High.  We have gotten so much done in the last week or so, and I am so excited to see things come together.  Remember we will be having practices on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week.  I will need all cast members at all practices this week.  Here is the plan for this week.
Monday, March 27th
We will be learning the closing number Welcome Home as well as curtain call.  All members of the cast are involved in both of these numbers.
Wednesday, March 29th
This will be a "tech" rehearsal.  We will be doing a slow run through of the entire show.  This will be sloooooow so have your child bring something to read/homework.  We will be focusing on working with the crew throughout this rehearsal.  We will have many if not all of our sets and props for this rehearsal, so we need to make sure the crew knows their responsibility in getting everything where it needs to go during the show.
Thursday, March 30th
We will be running through the show once, possibly twice during this rehearsal.  This one should go much quicker than the "tech" rehearsal on Wednesday.  This rehearsal will involve the whole cast and most of the props and sets.  It will involve some costumes (we need to practice some of the quicker costume changes with Ensemble 1), but it is NOT a dress rehearsal.
I also have a bunch of last minute notes for you this week.  I know this is rather long, but please read all the way through.
For performances:
1.  My insects will need some kind of black pants/shirts for the first part of the show (when they are puppeteers).  If they don't have these items, please let me know.
2.  My choir will need to wear blue jeans and a t shirt (it doesn't matter what the shirt looks like).  We will have shirts for them to change into at the school, so if they wear their musical t shirt, please have it marked with their name so that when they change we will know whose shirt is whose.
3.  Remember all cast members will need to wear a camisole and some sort of bike shorts or spankies to the junior high (under their regular clothes) so they can change comfortably in the dressing rooms.
4.  I still need a few lawn/lounge chairs if any of you have any at home that we can use for the show.  If you are willing to let us borrow your chairs, will you please put your name on the bottom of the chair and bring it to the school by this Wednesday.
5.  We will be having work days at Hidden Hollow during Spring Break to finish up some last minute sets/props/costume things.  I realize that many of you go out of town during Spring Break so these are not mandatory work days.  As of now, we are planning on being at the school only a couple of days.  (I'm not sure yet which ones), but we may need to add a couple depending on how much we get done.  I will be sending texts out the night before to say if we will be at the school the next day or not.  We will for sure be bringing all of our things over to Frontier Middle School on Friday of Spring Break, so if you have a van/truck/trailer or any vehicle we can put stuff in, please sign up on the sign up genius to help with that.  If you don't want to haul stuff over, but you can help at the Junior High with unloading and set up, we could use help with that too.
Lastly, because we don't have school next week, I thought I would give you a calendar for our Performance week.
Monday, April 10th- Tech Rehearsal 4:00-7:00ish
This will be a tech rehearsal where we spend time with the Junior high lights and sound guys.  We will not need all of you at this rehearsal.  For this rehearsal, I just need the leads and the stage crew (James, Insects, Spiker, Sponge and Ladahlord).  The only crew members I do not need at this rehearsal are the ones doing only hair and makeup.
Tuesday, April 11th & Wednesday, April 12th Dress Rehearsal 4:00-8:00
I know this seems like a long day, but we will need every bit of this time.  We will start arriving at the school at 4:00 where we have rotations for the kids to work on the stage, get hair done, get make up done, check mics, etc.  We will do these rotations from 4:00-6:00.  At 6:00 we will begin our dress rehearsal.  On dress rehearsal nights we like to get ready and be ready to start just like on show nights.  The run through will go from 6:00-7:15ish.  Then we will need to put costumes, sets, and props back and get them ready for the next day.  We will also go through some directors notes with the kids.  Plan on picking the kids up by 8:00.  The choir kids will need to show up on dress rehearsal and performance nights at 5:30.  I will need all crew members these nights.
Wednesday, April 12th- During the regular school day
We will be having a school assembly on Wednesday morning at Hidden Hollow.  Our assembly will be at 9:30 so I need all students to arrive at school at A track time whether they are A or B trackers.  During that track time, we will get costumes and make up on as well as practice the numbers we will be performing for the school during the assembly.  If your child is a B tracker, they will need to come at A track time, but they will have to stay through B track time unless you come and check them out early.  This is the easiest way for teachers to keep track.
Thursday, April 13th and Friday April 14th 4:00-8:00
These nights will be show nights.  They will work similarly to dress rehearsal nights, the only difference will be that we will have an audience.  I have it calendared to go until 8:00 on these evenings, but you are free to take your children home after the show is over and their costumes and props are all put in place for the next day.
Saturday, April 15th 12:00-8:00
This is a long but fun day.  The kids will come at 12:30 (choir doesn't need to show up until 2:00).  We will get ready for the matinee show to start at 2:30.  After the matinee show, we will have our cast party.  We are working with Chick-Fil-A and they will be donating late lunch/early dinner for us that afternoon.  Please keep in mind that this cast party will be at about 3:30-4:00 so please send snacks for them to have before that time.  After the cast party, we will need to start getting ready for our final showing.  This show will begin at 6:00 and again, you are free to take your kids home after the show.  In saying all of that, I will need help after that final show with packing things up and getting them back to Hidden Hollow that night.  Please check out the sign up genius and sign up for any and all help you can give.
I know this is A LOT of information, but thanks for reading all the way to the end.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SIGN UP GENIUS!

March 20th and 22nd

Just a quick reminder to start off with, please remember that I canceled the Thursday rehearsal for this week due to the fact that we have our First Annual Hidden Hollow Arts Festival.  I have had a couple of emails over the last week or so regarding that rehearsal, so I wanted to just remind you that it has been canceled.
It is hard to believe that we only have 5 rehearsals left, 2 this week and 3 next week.  We are really close to finishing up everything and it is looking so good.  This is the part of the process that is the hardest yet most rewarding for all involved.
Here is the plan for this week
Monday, March 20th
James and Insects will be working on blocking of lines leading up to Plump and Juicy as well as choreography for that number.
Ensemble 1 will be working on vocals with Mrs. Hickenlooper for the first hour of practice and then getting together with Insects on Plump and Juicy.
Sponge and Spiker will be blocking a few scenes during the first hour.
Sponge, Spiker, Ladahlord, and Earthworm will be working on Vocals with Mrs. Hickenlooper during the second hour.
Ensemble 2 will be having a final costume fitting and polishing up the opening number as well as Money on That Tree and I've Got You!
I DO NOT need Ensemble 3 to be there on Monday
Wednesday, March 22nd
Ensemble 2 & 3 will be blocking the New York and The Attack scene.
Ensemble 1 will be doing their final costume fitting and practicing costume change from vagrants to weeds.  They will also be working on cleaning up and polishing the opening number, Property of Spiker and Sponge, Shake it Up and Plump and Juicy.
Friday, March 24th
I will be having a leads only rehearsal on Friday (Ladahlord, Spiker, Sponge, James and Insects).  We will be cleaning up our blocking and transitions as well as working on characterization.  I know this rehearsal was not previously on the schedule so please let me know if there are any conflicts.  I know that many of you will be having your math testing for Junior High on Thursday so it will be a long week.  However, I am hoping you can all be there.

And There Were Seven Left!!! AGHHHHH!

I am happy to report that we actually got more done last week than we had planned.  This is exciting news and I hope that we just continue moving onward and upward!!  We have a big week planned this week, and I am going to need all cast members at both practices.  Last week your child should have come home with a musical CD.  Please have your child listen to this CD as much as possible over the next four weeks.  That's right I said four weeks.  I can't believe it is coming so soon.  I know that if we all listen to the music as much as possible and work on our vocals at home, things will really come together.  Also starting this week we will be working with Mrs. Hickenlooper and with the choir on both Mondays and Wednesdays on vocals.
This is the plan for this week.
Monday, March 13th
Insects will be cleaning up and practicing all scenes through Scene 8 and Scene 10 leading up to Plump and Juicy
Spiker, Sponge, Ladahlord, Ensemble 2: Scene 9 and I've Got You!  We just have to learn the last little bit of the dance and then we will clean things up.
Ensemble 1 & 3:  Will be cleaning up their dances as well as working on Vocals with Mrs. Hickenlooper.
The Garden Guild and Reporters will be meeting with costume moms to make sure we have all of their costume pieces.
Choir will meet from 3:45-4:45
Wednesday, March 15th 
Insects & Ensemble 1 will be working on Plump & Juicy
Ensemble 2 will be cleaning up Money on that Tree as well as I've Got You!  You will also be working with Mrs. Hickenlooper on Vocals.
The Hollywood Agents will be meeting with costume moms to make sure we have all of their costume pieces.
Choir will meet from 3:45-4:45
**One last quick note:  If any of you have any costume pieces that you were thinking of using in the show, please bring those pieces to us by Wednesday, March 15th.  You do not need to provide pieces for your child's costume, however, we have had many cast members tell us that they have things at home that they were planning on using.  I am going to make a big trip to the DI this weekend and I would like to have the most comprehensive list that I can to finish up the rest of the costumes.

An Update

I have a couple of things that I missed on my post last week!  In addition to the groups that are already scheduled for Wednesday, I need Ensemble 1 & 3 to come to rehearsal as. well.  We will be practicing and perfecting The Getaway for Spiker and Sponge as well as doing costume fittings.
Also, I really need some help from you all at home.  We have been working really hard over the last couple of months on choreography, blocking and vocals at rehearsals.  The kids are doing AMAZINGLY on so many things and I can see this spectacular show take shape.  In saying all of this we need A LOT of work on vocals.  We are so lucky to have Mrs. Hickenlooper working with us on Mondays with our vocals.  She is so talented and I have seen her do amazing things at Hidden Hollow for years.  She is fabulous at teaching students music, and bringing out the best in them musically.  Although we have her helping us, we are never going to get where we need to be if we don't practice at home.  Today it was very clear to me that we are NOT practicing at home.  During our rehearsals today, we starting practicing using instrumental tracks and I was really taken back.  First, please help your child to learn and memorize the words of the songs.  Secondly, please have them work on projection and pitch.  Mrs. Hickenlooper has already worked with them on most of the songs and they should have notes written in their scripts on what to work on within the song.

March 6th and 8th

I have had many of you email and ask me about the time of rehearsal on Monday.  I realize that Monday is a non-school day for your kids, however, it is not for me.  I would love to have rehearsal earlier in the morning, but I will be working until 3:30.  Therefore, rehearsal will have to begin at 3:30.  I know this may cause a problem for some of you, it is my hope that it's not problematic for many of you.  We are definitely at crunch time and we need all the time we can get.

Monday, March 6th 3:30-5:30

Sponge and Spiker, Billy and Bobby Cop, Ensemble 1 & 3 will be working on The Getaway for Spiker and Sponge

Ensemble 2 will be working on Vocals for Right Before Your Eyes, Money on that Tree, Welcome Home, and practicing and perfecting Money on that Tree.

Insects will be finishing up Floating Along and working on Scene 8 (please go through lines on this scene so we can focus on blocking).
Choir will be meeting from 3:45-4:45

Wednesday, March 8th 3:45-5:45 (Jr. Jazz is now over)

Spiker, Sponge, Ladahlord, Ensemble 2 will be working on I've Got You!

Insects will be working on Scene 8

Please remember that we have 9 rehearsals left and we need every minute of the time we have left before we go on break.  Please be considerate and make sure your child is at rehearsal unless it is an emergency!

A Big Favor

Hello All!!! I would like to ask you all for a big favor.  Tickets went on sale yesterday, and although it is early in the process, I would like to get the word out to as many people as possible to come and get their tickets for our spectacular show.   I was thinking if we all posted something on our Facebook or Instagram, that would get the word out to loads of people with very little effort.  Just click here, and download the image.  Then you can post the image on your profile with a short caption promoting your child and all the hard work they are doing for the show.
Thank you all in advance!!!  Let's fill the auditorium!!