Notes 04/28

props notes:
- where are papers the Grace hands to Hannigan when Grace first visits (so annie can spend the holidays)?
- we need the sheets for Annette. Remember the extra sheets that we have for the making of the orphan beds? i think those are the sheets that were meant for this.
- why was there a water glass on the table in wb mansion?
-WB's check has to be a lot bigger

backstage/tech notes:

Your hard work is definitely showing. The scene changes are a lot smoother.

- For the top of the show, the curtain is supposed to open at the top of the show. It was a little late.
-Flies: can you make sure that the Tomorrow backdrops goes in earlier
- why does the light for the barrel on SL in hooverville not work?
-Chanel notes/tech: can someone throw down a fleece (can be annie's sweater) down on the ground to make it easier for Chanel to see where she is supposed to sit? You can just make it a set piece. (either talk to me, or Mrs. spies about it for more details)
- can you take off the Hooverville set when OFFICER yells at everyone to tear down the junk pile?
-Remember to spray hairspray on the plexiglass on hannigan's door to make it less shiny.
-Who is taking off Hannigan's desk before Think I'm gonna like it here?
- Can we get two people to fasten the stairs? It takes too long for one person to do both sides.
-The street light for NYC should come on as soon as WB mentions walking to the Roxy
- Emzy (and ppl. in general) I know you know this, but remember to wear dark clothing. Emzy's light colored jacket was very noticeable.
-can someone fix the garland on the tree? and who is plugging in the Christmas tree lights?

Sound:

We need a sound cue for a siren in Hooverville.


General Notes for Blog:

Good job today! Thank you everyone who have been reading the notes carefully and regularly! It shows. However, there have been multiple repeats of several of the notes, so I would suggest taking a piece of paper and jotting down all the notes that apply to you when you read this. Then look over that piece of paper. If you just read this, most likely it will jog your memory now, but it won't make it onstage.

I know this is long, but everything that we do now just makes the show that much better.

SCHEDULE for Tomorrow (04/29/09):
5:00pm: Dinner
by 6:00pm: ppl get ready, actors in costume etc
by 6:40: actors with mikes need to be in costume and ready for sound check
6:50: warmups

All the notes are in order of the show, so if you know where your scenes are, it should be just a matter of scrolling until you find notes that apply to you.

Just so everyone knows, today we had about HALF of the orchestra for the show, so remember to PROJECT your voices!

Just so everyone knows, there are mikes at the edge of the stage, so whenever you see the note "be open", or "open to the mike" it means facing the audience (and the edge of the stage) more.

REMINDER EVERYONE: no actors are allowed in the house. NONE. This was supposed to go in effect today, but maybe not everyone got the message. We cannot have doors opening and closing. It is extremely distracting to the audience and to the actors. IT CANNOT HAPPEN. I know some of you needed to get personal belongings out of the house. In the future, place personal belongings with you, or in the Green room. Thank you for your understanding and consideration.

NOTE: we are not using the cafeteria anymore as one of the Green rooms. Everyone is going to be in room 169.

Thanks everyone! And here are your note! Read up! :)

Orchestra notes:
Thank you band. You were great today. Here are some general notes.

-Mr. Barnes: Is there any way you can be lower (lower height, aka lower stool or something) and still be able to cue actors onstage?
- we need a sound cue once the Hooverville man starts reading the newspaper
-Can you shorten the intro to Little Girls?
- We need some music to transition from NYC.
- Get a smoother transition on the Easy Street Reprise

Act One:

- GAMBLE TWINS. : Good Interaction with the other street people in the overture.

- Tessie, say your line faster, while JULY and PEPPER are still fighting.

- In general ORPHANS stay open. Face the mikes. We can't pick you.

- ORPHAN goodnights to ANNIE: need to be louder

- ANNIE: after the orphan goodnights don't just lie down. Busy yourself with making the sheets or fluff a pillow or something to fill the time.

- ORPHANS: all the dialogue that happens when Annie tries to escape need to be louder

-MOLLY: in the line: "you must be very sick", open yourself to the mikes. we can't hear you.

ORPHANS: in the beginning of the show, everyone each find their own bucket and put it somewhere where you will know where it is. Then, when Hard Knock starts, you can find your bucket and use that one. There should not be any scrambling around to find a spare bucket. And DO NOT take someone else's bucket if you cannot find yours.

Hard Knock rows (during the dance) were good! Great Job!

Kate: when orphans are in their rows and are saying "I love you ms. Hannigan", move SR, so you are not blocking the audience's view of the other people in the line behind you.

Bundles: LOUDER
And you should have your hair slicked back.

ORPHANS: need to be more confident when singing the HKL reprise

Street people: Where were you before Annie sings Tomorrow?

Apple seller: go onstage earlier.

Dog catcher and assistant dog catcher: where were you?

Annie: good job on looking like "oh look, there's a dog" when Chanel comes on

OFFICER WARD: come onstage right away at the end of the song

ANNIE: project your voice more when bluffing about Sandy. If you make a mistake (when you started singing Tomorrow early, commit to it, and just sing. )

Hooverville: open up and talk towards microphones

we need more acting when saying "hungry, ragged, homeless". It shouldn't just look like you are waiting for the song to start.

The "showing us the way" finger points were good!

Brianna: step back (at the end of Hooverville the song) so Hannah Gold and Sophie can do their rotating thing.

TECH: Can you take off the Hooverville set when OFFICER says : rip this junk pile down.

LITTLE GIRLS:

ORPHANS: look more sneaky when you are following Hannigan into her room. remember, she doesn't know that you are there.

HANNIGAN: don't forget to say "get out" to the orphans for them to leave your office

Hannigan: an idea to play with: when you take the paperclips out of your drawer, maybe you could play up the idea by draping the paperclips across your neck?

more hannigan: maybe take a drink from the flask to fill the time after you sing "...each little bloomer..." just to fill the time

OFFICER: quicker on your entrance and your lines. HANNIGAN: quicker on your lines

ORPHANS AND GRACE: When you are about to enter Hannigan's room, be careful not to bump the backdrop. Also, orphans, remember to look at Grace with a look of: "wow, who is this lady that just came in?"

Hannigan: when you are protesting after Grace brings up the board of orphans association, or whatever it it, the volume is great, but enunciate more.

GRACE: good job on acting charmed with Annie when you first meet her. Just make sure you build more on that feeling.

Did we miss the lines about "Annie is a drunk and a liar" "yeah, I'm sure she's the drunk and a liar" etc?

GRACE: we need to hear the line about WARBUCK's Limousine.

MS PUGH: be louder when listing the menu for WB's dinner.

SERVANTS: when you form the diagonal line across the stage, stretch out a little bit, because the people that are going to be in the left (SR) in the audience will not be able to see a thing.

Amanda and Malia: good smiles!

At the end of Think I'm gonna like it here, the rows (in the ending pose) need to be straight! And ms Pugh, your hands twirled the wrong way.

The painting that the SERVANTs uncover and then uncover for WB: make sure you don't try to hang it any where, you are just walking it off after WB approves because it's going into "another room"

Annie: we can't hear the line" eleven", after WB talks on the phone and you have just "persuaded" him to take you to the movies.

Street People: Get offstage sooner for NYC
NYC: louder!

End of NYC: USHERETTE (HANNAH GOLD) can you go to hair and makeup and do a bun instead of ponytail?

SANDY/JULIET: where were you? Just a note, if Sandy doesn't arrive on time on Wednesday, we are going to cut that sandy scene.

Grace: come in Hannigan's office before radio goes off, so she has a reason to turn it off.

Molly: we need to hear the line "That's mine", referring to the nit.

ROOSTER: good timing in walking in just as GRACE walks out and bumping into her.

Victor: wear black socks please

Lily: open up. we cant see you face.

Easy Street: don't forget the singing. sing louder

Easy street: when Hannigan, Lily and Rooster are all in a row, facing SL, doing lef kicks, you'll have to open up and sing to the mikes, instead of backstage. we can't hear you

WB: project when you are talking on the phone. and lines after wards.

GRACE: When you go to get Annie, exit where Annie will come in next (upstage)

WB: more sly when you are watching Aaron Barnes during your solo. It is good that you are following him, but if you can try to look out of the corner of your eye. If this is too difficult, don't worry about it too much.

ANNIE: the line "sure" after WB suggests a "man-to-man talk", try to make that line more matter of fact. Also the line afterwards, "that's a good idea". The idea there is that you think, yes, it was smart that he wanted to be rich. see if you can incorporate those ideas in

ANNIE: The line "but WB, i just told you...don't take my locket" (or however the line goes...) needs to be louder

ANNIE AND GRACE: Annie, when you are handing your locket and note to WB, how about you have GRACE help you take the necklace off while you pull out your note at the same time. That way, you don't have to try and reach behind your neck to try to get it off at the same time as the note.

ACT TWO:

Bert Healy: tell Jim your shoe size

JULIA PORRAS: please be in sync with everyone else

Gracie: good job with your reactions to Bert Healy

Gracie and TRAVIS: after bert and sound effects man fight, Gracie (I mentioned this idea to you already, and if you are willing), tap bert on the shoulder to remind him that he has to sing, instead of Bert thinking of it himself

Julia Porras: forgot the S-M-I-L-E part

ORPHANS FULLY DRESSED:

all orphan lines in this scene need to be much louder. just shout them out!

Molly, lily, zoey, grace, your smiles are great! Everyone: remember to smile

LIlY AND ROOSTER: good job with the interactions with each other

Rooster: the slitting throat action should be on "for good'.

CABINET SCENE:

Nick Fernandez, do you have time to get your hair cut before Thursday?

and all other males in the cabinet scene: do you have any chance of getting your hair cut or styled? it is still looking to modern. Right now, Brazil is the only one that has the look of the period. If you don't know the look of the time, or have questions, talk to Jim to find out what it means.

FDR AND PERKINS: good job waving and then turning off the radio.

Harold Ickes: have some other reason/motivations to kneel, or sit down (other than the fact that you know you have to be kneeling because FDR tells you to stand up later in the scene)

FDR: say the line "solo for president" earlier so you can make it in time to sing the song

CABINET: SMILE SMILE SMILE!! I don't know how many times we have to say it. You have to build up the atmosphere to the point where Harold Ickes, feels so joyful and happy and hopeful and so wrapped up that he feels like it is so natural to slide down on his knees at the end of that song. You are finding an end to a economic crisis and you just found a way to save all these hungry people (like the ones in hooverville) and to give them jobs to save their families. Please be happier than you were!! The only one that looked happy (well, besides FDR) was Emily Krause. We have told you this note a million times. BE HAPPY!

There should be happiness when you say "by annie's" and you should feel a new hope.

ICKES: move FDR to SR when he says goodbye to Annie.

In each of the "a new...vision, etc, etc" there needs to be a slight hesitation because you are testing out words for this new joy you feel and you each can't quite find the right words until FDR says: A new deal!

Did you remember to applause FDR after that?

CHACONNE (MAID) and costume: your hair should be in a bun, not in a headband.

SUSIE YUNGLER: you did a great job in active listening.

WB: on the lines: a dussenberg is a car...etc, LOUDER! although you are sad, don't be quiet. don't let the sadness affect your voice

Waltz (WB and Annie): Maybe play with the idea of WB bowing to annie, offering her a hand to dance, and have annie gracefully accept it. Some how play up this idea, to fill the time. Practice it together, and if it feels natural, do it. If not, go back to the way it was.

Backstage/actors: who is taking off the settee? right now, Grace is doing it, and it looks awkward.

WB: if you don't have time to get dressed for I don't need anything for you, bring out your bowtie and hand it to Drake to dress you. you have plenty of time before the song starts.

ANNIE: we need to hear the line "and I'm the luckiest kid'

Tareck: what are you doing for shoes?

Servants: we need to hear you come in during i don't need anything but you. Sing louder.

FDR: remember, you can't move your legs! ;) oh, and as we talked about, you are going to get a lap blanket.

ANNIE: you took the wrong suitcases. The suitcases that you take with you down the stairs are bigger. Ask the Alison (props manager) about them. You took Grace's and Warbuck's briefcases today...

WB: talk with annie and FRD needs to be louder.

Grace: good reaction (of covering mouth) when WB and annie say they love each other.

Hannigan: Your hair should be in an updo in such a way that you think it if very stylish, but it actually isn't. Talk to hair and makeup (Maddie and Tovah)

Grace: your hair should be in a nicer bun. also talk to hair and makeup ppl

Orphans: good expressions on your face when you first get into warbucks mansion. Great job.

Rooster: I like how when you make your entrance to WB mansion, it almost looked like you were walking (swaggering) like a rooster. Imitate it the next time you enter, but be careful not to overdo it.

Grace: talk to sophia about the blocking in how to intercept the check from WB to Rooster.

ANNIE: good delivery of the line (to hannigan) "I'm sorry, but you've always told me never tell a lie"

Drake: good job taking Rooster, LIly and Hannigan offstage, it didn't look like they had to follow you out. which is good.

WB and Grace: play up the moment when you hold hands. we need to understand that at that moment in time, you are finally a couple

Grace: be careful not to get caught behind WB during your solo line in New Deal for xmas when you sing "the cupboards are bare..."

WB: thank you for moving suitcases out of the way

FDR: you were right on when singing the "on Farley and ...." for the reindeer (orphans). good job!

ORPHANS: sing "getting a new deal for Christmas, getting a new deal for Christmas" towards end of the song, louder.

Orphans and Street People and Chorus: whenever you are sitting at the edge of the stage, make sure you do not sit on the microphones.

Bows:

Timing was okay. Remember to smile! it isn't a funeral...it's a happy moment!

Remember to quickly bow and the next person should RUN (gracefully), not walk, to replace the people that just bowed.

If you have ANY QUESTIONS whatsoever on any of the notes, I would be more than happy to answer them. If you do not ask questions to confirm something, I'm going to assume you understood the notes and will apply them where applicable. Thank you so much. You guys did a great job today, and see you tomorrow!