Last night was one doozy of a rehearsal. We blocked the first half of Act Two and spent almost half the time just blocking "God That's Good." It really is a beast of a song, and it will probably be the most choreographed piece in the show, so it took us ages to get through it. In addition to Toby and Mrs. Lovett singing a (sort of) duet, you have several interludes between Sweeney and Mrs. L, and the chorus have meanwhile transformed into pie-craving zombies shrieking for "more hot pies" every few measures. Oi.
I really don't want to give too much away about what we're doing with this number, but Ryan's challenge here was to have an ensemble of 11 appear to be hordes of pie-niacs to demonstrate how successful Mrs. Lovett's meat pie shop has become since she started using...er...fresher ingredients. Our movement will be very stylized to hopefully give the impression of rotating customers - a pie eating factory if you will. And yes - there will a pie ballet. Ryan's words, not mine, but it makes me giggle every time I think about it. No, I will not elaborate. You'll just have to see the show.
We also blocked "By The Sea," Mrs. Lovett's "happily ever after" fantasy of her life with Todd someday, "if the business stays as good." We are paying homage to the almost comic-book like sequence in the Tim Burton movie in this number by creating, through tableau and movement, a kind of seaside reverie. Eric and Patrick will create the sea and sand using swatches of fabric. Kate, Lauren, Laura and myself are bathing beauties with parasols, strolling the esplanade, while Reg, Nick and Matt are...um..."the fishies splashin'." Every time the "fishies" entered I just about died laughing as they frolicked and splashed and jumped around in the "sea." How poor Alex sat there as surly Sweeney without even cracking a smile I'll never know, it was just too funny.
So, on we go tonight with our final (eep!) music rehearsal, and continuing to block Act 2. I am painfully aware that the lunatic/City on Fire sequence is approaching - the staging process for this will be time consuming, I'm sure. Did I mention it's two weeks until opening?!
I really don't want to give too much away about what we're doing with this number, but Ryan's challenge here was to have an ensemble of 11 appear to be hordes of pie-niacs to demonstrate how successful Mrs. Lovett's meat pie shop has become since she started using...er...fresher ingredients. Our movement will be very stylized to hopefully give the impression of rotating customers - a pie eating factory if you will. And yes - there will a pie ballet. Ryan's words, not mine, but it makes me giggle every time I think about it. No, I will not elaborate. You'll just have to see the show.
We also blocked "By The Sea," Mrs. Lovett's "happily ever after" fantasy of her life with Todd someday, "if the business stays as good." We are paying homage to the almost comic-book like sequence in the Tim Burton movie in this number by creating, through tableau and movement, a kind of seaside reverie. Eric and Patrick will create the sea and sand using swatches of fabric. Kate, Lauren, Laura and myself are bathing beauties with parasols, strolling the esplanade, while Reg, Nick and Matt are...um..."the fishies splashin'." Every time the "fishies" entered I just about died laughing as they frolicked and splashed and jumped around in the "sea." How poor Alex sat there as surly Sweeney without even cracking a smile I'll never know, it was just too funny.
So, on we go tonight with our final (eep!) music rehearsal, and continuing to block Act 2. I am painfully aware that the lunatic/City on Fire sequence is approaching - the staging process for this will be time consuming, I'm sure. Did I mention it's two weeks until opening?!