Jennifer and Rachel visit the pit in Sacramento

New Year's Eve --- Jennifer and Rachel came to the show!

Michael and Cathy

This is Michael Anderson, the concertmaster for the show, and Cathy. Tonight was New Year's Eve, so she ended the show by singing "Auld Lang Syne." Also notable: at one point, Captain Hook and Smee discover the smoking toadstool chimney of the Lost Boys' hideout. But tonight the smoke didn't come out. So "Hook" ad-libbed, "It's a chimney --- a smokeless one."

Julie misses the matinee

This is Stan Lunetta, our contractor/percussionist in Sacramento, standing in front of his house. On matinee days, I often park my car at his house and ride in with him so I won't have to worry about where to park downtown.
It was about ten minutes before two today when we realized that Julie Homi (Key 2) still hadn't shown up. We called her home in Vallejo (at least an hour's drive away). She was at home and very surprised that there was a matinee. Somehow, the schedule she got from the company didn't have today's matinee on it. She drove like a maniac and arrived in the middle of Act 2 only to find that her computer wasn't working right...
This show has cured me of any desire to perform live with computers again.

Beverly

Beverly on harp. She told me a lot about harp history tonight. Ravel's "Sacred and Profane Dances" was actually written for the chromatic harp, a variant without pedals that has the "white" strings on one side and the "black" strings on the other. Hardly any chromatic harps are around today, and very few people are adept at it. Although Ravel's piece is still popular, it is almost impossible to play it as written on a standard harp.

Julie

Julie Homi, playing Keyboard 2. Her Open Labs rackmounted PC wasn't working tonight, so in the second half of the show, she wasn't getting all her sounds. After the show Stan was gossiping about how the orchestration was too dependent on keyboards.

Peter Pan coloring book pages

These coloring book pages are on the side of a wardrobe box backstage.

Opening night, Sacramento

Yesterday was the first day for the show in Sacramento. The rehearsal was five hours instead of the usual three or four, and we used every minute of it without even a lunch break. Keith was there to help us learn to set up the keyboards, which we needed, because Keyboard 2's computer was acting up. Keyboard 2 was played by Julie Homi, who I know from Cats in summer 2003. Keith was running around like a maniac trying to make everything work, when he wasn't on his cell phone.
Cellist Lena bragged that her daughter was playing with Cathy Rigby's granddaughter. (Rigby is not that much older than Lena!)
I finally met the company manager in person. He asked me, "Do you know how they do contracts?" I thought that was a wierd question for him to be asking me! We asked the assistant conductor, who didn't know either.
I sat next to Beverly, a harpist that I know from Producers this spring. At first I had thought her a little stuck-up, but we hit it off this time. Opening night went fine. Bob and Alison were in the audience with their two adopted Chinese daughters, and came up to the pit to say hello. I ran into them again in the parking lot.

Packing issues

I have to decide what to do with the 49-key keyboard I want to bring. It barely fits in the suitcase, and Jennifer says that the baggage guys will open up the case and break it during "inspection." But a proper flight case would cost many times what the keyboard is worth. I think I'm just going to take my chances with the suitcase.
I looked up the hotel in Denver and found out they have a gym, racquetball (I'll have to see if anyone in the company wants to play) and DSL in a room on the 3rd floor. The theater is across the street, there's a Starbucks 2 blocks away and a Kinko's 3 blocks away.
My flight is 3:47 on January 10th.
And tomorrow is the orchestra read-through. Keith will be there early to help with setup. That's a great idea. Because of the rack-mounted PCs, the setup is more complicated than usual.

Final travel plans

The day after Christmas... we went to Macy's and got some Samsonite bags on sale. I got a 30 in ch bag, just big enough for my little travel keyboard to fit inside. My only other bag, the carry-on, will have the laptop and all the other electronic toys in it. I also got my travel confirmation by email today from the company manager.
For Christmas, Jennifer gave me two fleece sweaters. They are as soft as cashmere. With that and the L.L.Bean jacket, I should be toasty warm.
I leave on January 10 at 3:47 pm.