New Year's Eve Opening

You just knew that this opening would be different than most. I know I was nervous about dancing on a public stage, for the first time, in heels. I didn't want to trip and turn an ankle, like I did at the end of Act I, Sunday, during dress rehearsal, falling onto the concrete as I exitted into the stage right wing (but nevertheless managing to narrowly avoid an injury).

From the moment we turned and faced the audience Monday night, you knew we were having an impact. I could hear people laughing, which can express (or hide) a number of emotions - shock, surprise, even amusement. Whatever it was, it was all there!

The rapid pace of the show caused lots of problems during scene changes in rehearsal. On opening night, most of these changes went reasonably well. Nevertheless, the brakes simply will not function on the rolling platform we use, which causes a serious hazard for the dancers.

Some people faced any number of distractions. Apparently a friend of Daryl's, trying to be helpful, placed his wig into a microwave oven, setting it afire, and forcing Daryl to take valuable time in order to secure another wig. He turned his ankle early during the show, which was the first of the injury scares we had. Nevertheless, it appeared his injury was not all that bad (or at least not as bad as it could have been).

The second injury scare was more serious. Monica felt something pop in her leg during the Can-Can dance number in Act I, forcing her into the stage left wing in extreme pain. She gamely soldiered on as Marie Dindon in Act II, but how quickly she can recover as a dancer hasn't been established. At rehearsal Wednesday night, director/choreographer Ron Cisneros will have to make appropriate decisions based on the latest information.

We made a number of errors during the show, but based on the overall favorable reaction of the audience, we did OK, nonetheless. This year's New Year's Eve Gala offering, Jerry Herman's "La Cage Aux Folles," seems to have gotten a more-favorable reaction from the DMTC audience than last year's Jerry Herman New Year's Eve Gala offering, "Mame."

Based on my need to get my false eyelashes on and off as rapidly as possible, in order to switch sexes as well as characters, from Cagelle to Messr. Renaud, and back again, the Reverend Mother Joseph suggested the use of very large, easy-to-handle false eyelashes. These eyelashes were a minor hit in the dressing room. Catherine, in particular, seemed awestruck, likely provoking future eyelash ambitions of her own.

It was great seeing Lauren and MikeMac in the audience, plus Katherine Coppola as well. The dinner afterwards was catered by Ludy's Barbeque in Woodland - always a good choice! Dancing afterwards was fun!