Hell hath landed!

Well, as in the words for a song in West Side go "the Spit hit the Fan" yesterday with a well aimed 'thwack'

Morning rehearsal was a real battle - the kids wouldn't concentrate - Larry wasn't around, we were trying to do the scene changes (which are very complicated and done in near blackness to music!) and everything that has been annoying me for the last 3 days was getting about 10 times worse! I could feel the irritation building up inside and eventually I just screamed at them:

"does this require talking ..... I think not...so SHUT UP"

I could have added some expletives (and I'm sure many director's/SM's would) but it works better if you don't. It had the desired effect, except for on those few hardcore kids who just won't pay attention no matter what - it's cool though - the rest of the cast take care of them!

Then just before our dress the MD (Musical Director) collapsed in the dining hall with a suspected heart attack and so was whisked to hospital - the director went with him. So we were a bit thrown, the kids were upset and we had a different MD for the afternoon - and let me just point out - this is NOT an easy show to play - even Zeke (our MD) would cry every time he turned the page in the mambo or the quintet! Erich stepped in though (his nickname is weird Erich, 'nuff said) and geez, can that man play the piano. He'd done the show a while ago but still - it was AMAZING!

Oh, and I have to fire the gun at the end (it's a bloody loud starter's pistol!) - I swear the entire auditorium could hear me heart beating! I have to load it and unload it and keep it with me at all times!

AND.. it is Rachel's (one of my girl's) birthday tomorrow so normally she would have pizza/Chinese for tea, but because her parents will be here./ there's shows on, she can't have dinner with her room. So we did it yesterday. I didn't really have time to organise it though - I came out the theatre, complete with gun, after the show and was told my pizza was here. I then had to run round and find the girl's as they had no clue it was coming!

It never rains but it pours!

AB has their show over the weekend, at home. It's kind of strange not being there for it. But hopefully the little work I did for it at the beginning helped!