More Light
Volume 3 Book 10 Part 2 of
Living in the Bonus Round
Jim Brochu, James Tobey.
More Light
Volume 3 Book 10 Part 2 of
Living in the Bonus Round
Jim Brochu, James Tobey.
June 7, 2004.[ Book 3-9 ] -- [ Pt 1 ] [ Pt 2 ] [ Pt 3 ] [ Pt 4 ] [ Pt 5 ]
[ Pt 6 ] [ Pt 7 ] [ Pt 8 ] [ Pt 9 ] [ Pt 10 ] -- [ Book 4-1 ]
Great Expectations.After the review ran on Saturday morning, the phones down at the theatre were ringing off the hook. Saturday night we played to another sold-out house, and once again, the enthusiasm from the audience was off the chart. However, they made us work for it.Unlike the opening night (which was a benefit for Nebraska AIDS Project), this group wasn't necessarily "family." That is, they came because they read the review in the Omaha World-Herald. (The only downside of a great review is that people come in with high expectations and it takes a bit of time to get them to let down their defenses). Initially, we could tell that they came in expecting "great" and were a bit reserved in their reaction as we started.
But it didn't take long. We went from titters to giggles to outright belly laughs to tears and back to belly laughs (and over and over). And that was only act one! By the time Jimmy walked out in his second act costume, the place totally came apart. It's amazing to have the audience totally in the palm of your hand. I feel so lucky to have this show because it happens almost every night.
Our sign-in board.
Dressing room's in the basement.
Me in dressing room.
Yes, I'm taping a documentary about all this thanks to Bev.
Flowers in the room from an actor friend
who saw our names in the paper. He's here doing the
Omaha Shakespeare Festival.
Scary woman says, "FIVE MINUTES!"
After the show, we hang out in the lobby and laugh.For Sunday's show, we started taking out a few of the new things that didn't work. Left in a change in the opening sequence and a little change for Jimmy describing his childhood. But ultimately, these were merely tweaks for the purposes of story clarification. We're still open to making TBV better but as it's hard to imagine a more enthusiastic audience and critical reaction than the one we're getting.
Sunday evening, after Jimmy and I went back to the apartment and were practically dead with exhaustion, he was in the little kitchen area getting himself some food when he said, "You know, I don't think I've ever been involved with a show that has gotten such uniformly good reviews. Do you realize we have not gotten a single bad review?"
Of course I realized it!
Sunday evening we got back in time for the Tonys and were thrilled to see the recognition of smaller, more personal shows. We both felt that this was good news for us, coming into New York with the same kind of show. Though there is always room for the big, splashy special effect show, what people in this day and age really appreciate are shows of substance and originality. Knock wood, I think we have that with Big Voice.
I'll conclude this diary entry here with people laughing and enjoying themselves.
Coming up: A reunion and staged reading of TLS-Omaha, an Omaha photo album and the sad story of Frankie Pane's.
© 1996-2004 by Steve Schalchlin. You have permission to print from this diary and distribute for use in support groups, schools, or to just give to a friend. You do not have permission to sell it.
