"You're Riding The Wave, Or At Least On The Beach..."

This title is taken from the lyrics of "Nine Percent Chance," which is one of my all-time top five favorite songs of HIGH FIDELITY. I have to relate that line to the experience of the past couple of weeks: it really has been a wave to ride - a wave of fun, emotion, exhaustion, laughter, tears, unexpected moments, and extreme creativity.

So we've finished our second weekend of the show. Halfway done. That seems unbelievable to comprehend... It's exciting to know that we still have two weekends to perform, but concerning to realize how quickly it has gone so far. I will miss this show immensely when it closes...

Seems like it was another great series of shows. Friday and Saturday night were completely sold out (word to the wise - get your tix IN ADVANCE if you are planning to see the show). Lots of friends and colleagues in the audience, which was very cool. All of the written and verbal reviews of the show have been overwhelmingly positive, which is always so encouraging. It seems like the crowds not only enjoy the show, but they really "get it," too...

I've had a lot of folks tell me some really encouraging things after the shows, too. There is a very talented local actor, whose work I respect immensely, who grabbed me in a bear hug while saying: "You made him so real." That made my night, to say the least... To borrow from Rob's view of the world, those are probably the top five words I've ever been lucky enough to receive about a performance...

I've enjoyed having some downtime last night and tonight, but now I'm itching for Thursday to roll around again, so that we can revisit this complex and fun world again. My brothers, Mark and Steve, are driving up from Arkansas to see the show on Saturday night. I'm extremely excited for that, and so grateful to them for making this effort. Cool side note: we are three of the only folks who saw the show on Broadway in 2006. Mark was living in Stamford, CT, and Steve and I went to visit during the holiday season. I insisted on seeing one show since we were going to be in NYC, and they agreed. I picked this one, thinking that it would be perfect for three young, single guys who love music. We all enjoyed it a lot, and were surprised when it closed so quickly. Once they found out I was playing Rob in the first post-NYC production, they were all about trying to get up here to see it. I'm thrilled that they are coming, and I can't wait to get their feedback after seeing this very different take from the Broadway production. It will be fun to hang out together, too. Look out, St. Louis - the Wright Brothers are in town...

I had a cast party on Saturday night. I think it was a success, based on the time of morning that it wrapped up, as well as the amounts of trash produced. Seriously, it was a good time. I always love filling up my house with a bunch of crazy theatre-folk. We ate and drank heartily, and the conversations quickly went south, which is always hilarious... My dog Roxie loved the company and the scraps that she was fed. Thanks to everyone for coming over!

That's all for the moment. Best to all who read this.

Rock On,
Jeff

One Weekend Down, Three To Go (I Wish There Were More...)

Hi, gang -

Wow. Opening Weekend is now behind us. Hard to believe that this time last week, we were just doing our first full tech/dress rehearsal. And while that evening went fairly well, it wasn't all that hot yet... The shows this weekend, though, were in fact hot. Based on my sweaty T-shirt at the end of them, at least...

Seriously, it seemed to be a fantastic opening. Congrats to the cast and crew, and many thanks to the audiences!! We opened with a Preview Night last Thursday, and got some great response from the average-sized (expected) house. Afterwards, most of the cast went to Joannie's in Soulard to celebrate our success over food and drinks - good times, especially since I had taken Friday off from work... How nice it was to sleep in a little bit after such a long week!

Friday night was the "official" Opening Night, and it really seemed to rock! The crowd laughed and clapped (love that!) in all the appropriate places, and even some that we didn't expect. Most folks even stood up at the end of the curtain call. Many of the local critics and reviewers were in the crowd that night as well. So far, we've seen reviews in the Post-Dispatch and the KDHX website, and both were very positive. I guess we're expecting to see more this week in The Riverfront Times, Ladue News, www.talkinbroadway.com, and also in the next local episode of Two On the Aisle. Should be some great publicity (one hopes...). After Friday night's show, the cast gathered at The Cheesecake Factory for more food and drink, and then I went home and crashed hard. It's amazing how draining this show is. I don't believe I've ever done a show where I've never left the stage (except intermission, that is). I love it because it requires constant focus, which is great, but it is definitely tiring as well...

Saturday night was show #3. Also a good one, with a few little flubs here and there. Of course, that is the magic of live theatre and the show always goes on. I don't think the audience noticed anything. Again, a successful show and a responsive crowd. Cast party hosted by Peanut (Aaron/"Dick") and Zak ("Barry") afterwards, which was loads of fun. A late night and a zombie-like sleep for me again...

Yesterday was a luxuriously relaxing day after such a long week. I did some crappy house chores, but mostly just chilled out. It was fantastic. I had been invited to a couple of parties to watch the Tony awards, which was very nice, but I declined to continue some peace and quiet at home. There's a lot to be said for a couch, a cold beer, and a friendly golden retriever. The awards were entertaining as well.

So now we have three nights off, before picking back up again for weekend #2, Thursday through Saturday. Honestly, I'm ready to do it again right now, but I will also enjoy the time off. I'll try to keep posting at least once after each weekend. Every performance of every show is different, depending on the energy, the audience, and about 1,000 other factors. I'll try to keep a good log of that kind of stuff.

As always, best to all who read this. Enjoy your week!!

Rock on,
Jeff

The Shortest Post Ever...

Hey, gang -

We've now had all of our dress/tech rehearsals and they have gone quite smoothly. Preview Night is tomorrow night, and opening weekend begins Friday. The first of 4 weekends. I'm thoroughly excited, but at the moment, thoroughly exhausted... Please come see the show if you can.

Rock on,
Jeff

Opening Soon: Championship Vinyl

Hi, all -

Major transitions have happened since my last post. We moved into the theatre space on Sunday. The A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre is a great space, and I think it will work brilliantly for this show. When we first arrived, we got to work putting up the risers, which was quite an ordeal, but they looked great when we were done. Next we helped to bring in the set. Our set designers have outdone themselves on these pieces - they are so artistic and cool...

Monday night was our first run-through in the space. Understandably, it was a tad rough. It's always a big challenge to try to recreate what you've done in a completely different setup. But we at least got used to the set changes and the physical layout of the theater.

Last night: run-through #2. SO much better, or at least it felt that way. I left feeling very energized and excited. One more run-through tomorrow night before all hell breaks loose. That is what we affectionately call "Hell Week." Saturday, we start a cue-to-cue rehearsal (primarily to set light and sound cues) at 1:00pm. Sunday we rehearse all of the songs with the full band for the first time. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: full run-throughs with lights, sounds, costumes. The Real Deal. Then we have a preview on Thursday and officially open on Friday. So much will happen in such a very short amount of time. It's intimidating but exciting...

My posts might be short and sweet for a while. We're all getting ready to go into hyperspace until we open...

Signing off for now. We're re-shooting some video publicity at the Record Exchange in a few minutes. More to come once that's complete...

Rock on,
Jeff