To My Readers:

March 26, 2013

To my Readers,

For those of you who don't know, today was the last day of school before spring break.  Although it is Easter for most of the world, it is not Easter for the Orthodox.  Therefore, this is merely time off school.  Personally, I feel that it couldn't have come at a worse time, with the musical in the state it's in, but that's the way things are, and that's the way things shall be.

My family and I will be going on vacation during this time.  I'm not going to say where online, but we're going to the same place that we have gone many times before.  We're sure to have a wonderful time together, away from the worries of musical and school and work.

However, this year takes on a very different feel than years past.  Since the last time when we vacationed, I have become more engrossed in technology than ever before.  I now blog, and I actually text my friends now.

I am making a resolution, and I would like you, my readers, to hear it.  I want to keep my contact with the outside world at a minimum.  I will not be blogging while I am away, though I will post about events that will have taken place upon my return.  As far as texting goes, I would prefer it if I was not contacted except in the case of an emergency.  I would like to spend time with my family, and enjoy my vacation as I have enjoyed previous vacations.

Your obedient servant,

NM

PMEA Regional Chorus Days 2/3

Sorry for the delay in posting.  I've spent most of my free time getting caught up on homework.

I came in Friday anxious.  This is not unlike most people.  They would be announcing who got into states that morning.  We started with rehearsal.  Every time somebody new came up to the stage during that rehearsal, everybody got their hopes up.  We got a lot done, but everybody was starting to get annoyed that they hadn't announced it yet.

Finally, at around 11:00, the announcement came.  They started with the Soprano 1s and went down.  The first leap of joy came when they announced that RH would be going as an Alto 1, which was needed after the disappointment of none of QV's three sopranos making it (though CK did).

Then came the tenor 1s.  I was the first one called.  I couldn't believe it.  This not only meant that I was going to states, but also that I had gotten first chair among tenor 1s!  I had had a better audition than anyone else I was sitting with at that moment!

Then came the disappointment of JR not getting in (after the last person they called had the same first name).  JD also made it, and he will be traveling with us.  RH, JD, RS (for orchestra), and I are going to be heading to states in about a month.  It's too good to be true.

The rest of rehearsal became a very interesting experience after that.  Now I had something to live up to.  More than once throughout the rehearsal, whenever I screwed up, I thought to myself, "They're probably thinking 'We lost to this guy?'" I realized that I was struggling to hit the A that I had hit so well in the audition.  If the auditions had been on the last day, I never would have advanced.

However, there were a few pieces where I kept getting good reactions from the rest of my section.  On "Singet dem Herrn", one of the other tenors complimented me on knowing the piece so well.  On the last day, after talking to the guy who was one spot out from advancing, he said he was hoping someone would drop out, but he didn't want it to be me.  Those were both uplifting.

And, the rehearsal started to really come along well.  All the work that I doubted would get done actually got done.  Dr. L started to get nicer and nicer as the pieces got better and better.  By the end of Friday, I was really excited.

When I got home, more good things happened.  First, I got a very nice reception from my family (I had texted them as soon as I found out), and you could tell they were pleased.  I found out that J and my dad would be able to make the concert, and then when we called Baba and Jedo to tell them the news, we invited them to the concert as well.  In addition, by text communication I learned that KR and KD would be attending as well.  It couldn't get any better.

The next day began with a run through and it couldn't have gone any better.  The banquet that followed was a lot better done than it had been at QV.  Before the concert, Dr. L had everyone come together, introduce themselves, and then we discussed some of our favorite pieces.  Then we lined up to take our places.

The concert went amazingly.  Everything was perfect.  The audience loved it, and were on their feet in 30 seconds at the end of it.  It felt so good to be up on that stage, doing one of the greatest performances of my life.  You have no idea.  Afterwards, I got congratulated by my family, KR KD and MC (who RH was dying to be introduced to), AF (who had also come), and various others.

I would like to take this moment to thank all who came, especially KR, KD and MC, who had to be among the only people in the entire audience who weren't family of one of the performers.  For those of you who weren't there, I completely understand you not being able to attend.

And then, today, Sunday, I blew out what was left of my voice in church choir.

-NM

PMEA Regional Chorus Day 1

This is the day that, two months ago, I never imagined would have come.

I never would have imagined that I would have made it to regionals at all.  Not only that, it never even crossed my mind that I would be auditioning for the PMEA All-State Choir, and actually stand a legitimate chance of making it.

When we arrived at around 8:00, the day started off on a good note.  I was singing with a few other QV people, when someone came up to me and asked me if I had gotten first chair at districts.  I said no, and he complemented me on how well I sang.  I was not expecting that, but it made me feel good.

The auditions went well.  We sang two selections: A relatively low section from "A House is not a Home", and a section from "O Vos Omnes" that hit a high Ab.  I performed both pretty well, including the high note, though I found out later that I had pronounced some of the Latin text in O Vos Omnes wrong.  Considering my seat at Districts, and how everybody else seemed to think they did terrible, I'd honestly put my odds around 50-50.

Then came the real rehearsal.  Mr. L, from PSU, was a lot harsher than Mr. C was.  However, he did seem to know what he was doing very well.  He is one of those directors that you have to look at, and he is playing with the timing and phrasing of things more than any other director I have ever worked with.  But he's also intimidating, and gets what he wants out of the choir.

The choir sounds really good.  The pieces definitely are a lot harder than those at Districts, and are going to require more work at the festival itself, but I think we can pull it off.  Like last time, we could have put on a good show tonight.  We are going to put on a phenomenal show this Saturday.

We find out the results of the auditions tomorrow.  I want to be optimistic, but I don't want to keep telling myself that I'm going to get in.  When you assume you're going to achieve something, you can't get excited when you actually achieve it, and there's nowhere to go except disappointment.

-NM

First WDA Spring Recital Rehearsal

So, this is the big day when we find out what the actual songs are that we're going to be in.  You know what types of numbers in advance, but yesterday we found out the actual music.  And, we got a sense of what the number's going to look like.

I had found out the previous week that I would be in a ballet, jazz and tap number.  This was great!  Last year, I hadn't gotten the opportunity to do ballet, and was glad that I could this year.  But the thing that surprised me was that they were asking me to be in the hip hop number.  I don't take hip hop class. Miss L and Miss B said it was okay, but neither of them are choreographing it.

So, yesterday (Sunday), the first number to be rehearsed was the hip hop number.  I talked to the choreographer in advance, and told her that I might not want to be in the number, but I would try a littler rehearsal and see how it went.  After 10 minutes, I dropped out, and got ready for PMEA Regionals (This Thursday!)

Ballet was next.  We're doing a replication of what a ballet audition would be like.  I'm not a fan, because it seems like a chance for Miss L to give her favorites extra time without making it too too obvious.  As for audience reception, it could either go on forever and bore the audience, or actually be pretty cool.

Jazz excites me.  "One", from Chorus Line.  We did this number my first year of dance, and it really worked well.  Now, they've decided to bring it back.  From the choreography we did, it looks like it's going to be really fun to do, and should work well!

Tap is interesting.  We're doing some weird rhythmic routine, with only a drum set accompanying.  It's going to be hard, and could really bore the audience if it's not choreographed well.  And, rehearsals could really move slowly.

The thing is, that I might not even be in the Spring Show.  I'm still waiting to hear on the PCLO auditions (which should be soon).  It would conflict, and I would much rather be in 42nd Street than in the WDA Spring Show.

-NM

FC High School's Guys and Dolls

I've been in this show twice.  I knew every line, and I knew which one's they changed (it wasn't that many).

I went to this show because I knew someone in it: CM.  When the ensemble went to FCHS last year, I blanked for a moment on who she was, and didn't leave that trip feeling great.  We saw each other around Christmas time this year, and I decided to go out and see her in Guys and Dolls.

As to the quality of their show, it was really good!  You can tell that the show was very well directed, and that the actors took the advice of the directors.  It was very different from QV's.

Specifically, it was faster.  The pace of every scene was sped up, and it worked very well.  When we did it, you could tell at times that Mr. V wanted us to pick up the pace, but we never really did.  They did.  However, they were able to slow down the pace when they needed to, and that really worked too.

If I had to pick my favorite actor, I would have to say it was the guy who played Arvide (yes, it was a guy).  He brought character to the role, more than both ET and VS.  The other people you could tell didn't have as much raw talent as our people (except their Adelaide), but were well-directed and it led to a better show.

As for my always choreography review:

The Crapshooters Ballet was at least twice as good as ours.  The guys had a ton of talent, and were doing pirouettes and jumping over people like it was no problem.  As an audience member, I really got into the number.

The Hot Box Girls were pathetic.  They weren't together, and the choreographer didn't seem to embrace the whole setting of The Hot Box.  It looked bad.

But I will hold to the fact that the Guys and Dolls at FCHS was better than both productions that I was in.

-NM

SA High School's Mame

Sorry for the delay in my review.  Normally I like to get these things up sooner.

So, I walked into the auditorium not knowing what to expect.  I knew practically nothing about the show except that it had the song "We Need a Little Christmas".  Not the plot, not any other songs, nothing.  I only knew that JG, AR, MP, and KB were in it.

I can't say that I was surprised for the better.  I am not a fan of Mame.  The plot glorifies a free lance lifestyle, makes fun of people who actually do work, and practically says that it's better to not get a real job than it is to work and be successful.  I do not like the message.

Also, there aren't really any good songs.  "We Need a Little Christmas" is the best song in that show, as annoying as it can get.  There are times when the songs are awkwardly placed in the plot, and none of the songs are that impressive even vocally.

As for the SA production, it was good, but not great.  The casting was not great, and it appeared that there could have been better shows for that cast to do.  Vocally, it was hard to tell whether or not the cast was supposed to sing in unison, or whether they had forgotten their harmony.

Now, if you've read my previous reviews, I always seem to criticize the choreography.  This is no different.  The dancers were not very together, and needed to rehearse more.  When the cast broke off into small groups, I noticed that the people I knew could dance were frequently paired up with people I knew had very little dance training whatsoever, and this clearly limited the options of the choreographer.  Also, the choreography itself was not very complex, and seemed to contain kick lines in every number.

The question I know you're going to ask is how does it compare to Anything Goes.  I'm going to say this:  Our show isn't better yet, but it could be, and most QV shows have been better than this.

-NM

Cabaret 2013

I didn't do it this year.  There was nothing I really wanted to do.  We did talk about doing "The Hairbrush Song", but we didn't have time to practice it.  Maybe next year.

Having to sell four tickets was difficult, because I wasn't actually in it.  A and my mom were down at the PBT show.  J had baseball practice.  That left V and my dad, but we had one more ticket to sell.  I invited KR.  It was the thing to do.

The show itself was good.  I had no regrets about participating in it though.  It was the usual Cabaret: most of the best acts were the comedies, though there were a few exceptions.  Some of my favorites (forgive me if the names aren't exactly correct.  They ran out of programs):

RS and RS's Flute Lament
JF and GA's duet
JD, KD, and JR's trio
RS's solo
Honey Bun
MF and JN's duet
KM's solo

Though all the numbers were good.  There wasn't really a down point to the show, and someone else's list of favorites could be completely different.

And...that's all I really have to say about the cabaret this year.

-NM

My 17th Birthday

It was not nearly as good of a birthday as last year.

I did wear the cape to school, but it was only a half day, and it didn't produce nearly the same effect it did last year, Halloween even.  Though at least the two tests that were supposed to be taken yesterday were moved to Monday.

Rehearsal afterwards was rough.  This show is hardly making any progress whatsoever.  Both Mr. V and MG are making the same corrections over and over, and nobody seems to remember anything from the music rehearsals at all.  Nobody was happy, and 5 hours of rehearsal was the last place I wanted to be on my birthday.

Also, MG heard back from the PCLO during the rehearsal.  He's in their shows.  I should be hearing soon, if at all, but I haven't heard anything yet.

Then something happened.  I asked a girl to prom.  I won't say who, because I don't want to embarrass her online.  Though if you want details ask me in person.  But it didn't leave me in a great mood the rest of the day.

After rehearsal, I barely had enough time to eat and go to dance.  No free time.  It's a Thursday.

At dance, they forgot to give me a birthday circle.

Now for the good stuff.

A lot of people remembered it was my birthday.  I was getting texts like crazy, and the people who didn't know figured it out the moment they saw my cape.

At acting, even though I wanted to go home after dance, we did fencing.  That was fun, though my partner couldn't stay focused.

And then was when I came home.  The people in my family are the best people on the face of the earth.    When I arrived at 10:00, they had mini cake pops set up, a candle in one, a glass of milk, and a few small presents waiting for me to open.  They all sang to me happy birthday (except V, who had gone to bed), and then I sat down and opened the presents.  I got an iPod Touch.  I have never asked for an iPod Touch.  But my family got me one anyway.  The other two presents were a screen and a case for it, and at least my day ended on a happy note.

-NM

Response to Advice 3/5/13

I'm feeling bad backstage at musical rehearsal.  OS tries to ask me why.  I can't pinpoint it at first, but then I realize that it wasn't one thing.  It was everything.

The fact that I was backstage for a musical that I wasn't really enjoying being in.
The fact that nothing had come up about costumes, the choreography wasn't finished, and we're getting the same notes week after week after week.
The fact that prom asking season was coming, and the stress associated with that.
The fact that the entire ensemble had played a practical joke on the entire tenor section this morning, but it was clearly pointed at me.
The fact that I would rather be at dance now than there, but I'm gradually becoming rejected at dance because I'm always at rehearsals of some kind.
Just everything.

And she told me to relax.  I needed to do what she did:

Live in the moment.  Don't worry about anything that's happening any more than one week away.  Everything else will either work itself out, or you can worry about it then.

Also, don't worry about things that aren't your problem.  Let other people deal with them.  If you can't do anything about it, it's not of your concern.

I have never lived by either of these philosophies.  Never.  I'm always one to try and get involved, and to look ahead.  I'm always taking charge when necessary, not waiting for someone else to do it.  I'm always on top of things, making sure I meet the necessary deadlines and such.

And I don't plan on changing.  I'm sorry OS, but some things just have to be.  You can't make me change my way of life.  Even you gave indications that you were failing.  You said you were living in the moment, but you managed to give me a list of the things you "weren't thinking about" at that time.  And you remember quotes that people said a year, two years ago.

I'm sorry.  But this is just advice I'm not ready to take.

-NM