There is a lot to be said for a nice long rehearsal, the kind where you can really get your teeth stuck in. The thing is they are impossible during term time unless you go on into the evening or get a day off timetable. We do get one day off timetable in the final run up to the show, but I find that the best rehearsals are the ones in half term.
Now you might think it mad to give up two days of this precious week off to rehearse, but I just find them so rewarding. Ultimately I want the show to be a huge success and I want the students to have a great show. Today we rehearsed and tomorrow we are meeting again. I am feeling really happy with how today went and there are just so many benefits to giving over a whole day to a show.
- It really brings the cast together. They get to hang out a bit, eat lunch together and chat in-between scenes. It is nice to have a good chunk of time for bonding.
- The work ethic is fantastic because there is that element of sacrifice. Here we all are on a Sunday in half term and if we are going to give up our holiday we may as well make it count. The work rate is faster and the overall attitude to the show is amazing.
- We get a lot more done because we gain some momentum and we have clear goals. There is a “crescendo” throughout the day and then when we get to the end we look back on an excellent rehearsal. We have the time to really get our teeth into the dance routines and the songs and everyone just gives their all. Today in particular we worked on Be Our Guest. A 7 minute long number like that takes time and it was nice to have the time to really focus on that.
- Commitment is key and days like today really solidify that commitment and show it as its best. It is so nice to watch the students working hard.
It isn’t easy though and there is a sacrifice. Families are at home and friends are out doing other things. But I guess what you see is that the show really matters to the students. They wouldn’t be there if it didn’t and you get that nice feeling and reassurance that what you are doing is worthwhile. Doing a show is lovely, but when you know that it matters enough to the students for them to give up their time then you know it is worth doing. I really enjoyed watching groups go off today to work on scenes and get stuff done. It was a great atmosphere and it reminds me why I love my job and love working on a musical.
So there is a sacrifice, but I think it is worth it and today was a great day. We got loads done, and it felt like we bonded well as a cast. Our little Beauty & The Beast community is now really strong and we are exciting to really get things polished tomorrow. Having that second long day gives us a chance to go home, think through what we need to do and then come back tomorrow pumped with energy. Tomorrow is crucial for our show as we want to get Be Our Guest really polished and ready and we want to secure the top and tail of the show. The ending is quite complicated in some ways, but we have a good idea what we are doing. And tomorrow we hopefully launch our ticket sales online which is always really exciting.
A great day, a great show and a wonderful bunch of hard working and committed young people! What more could you want.
