Monday 13th May
Cabaret Rehearsals
Description: Today we carried out a run of our second act.
Initial thoughts
- I was looking forward to running this as a whole, due to this being something we had not covered yet.
- I feel that this was a success.
- I really enjoyed figuring out my placements for the show and gathering the best ideas for the format.
Breaking this down
Good thoughts:
I feel that as an ensemble and members of the ‘Kit Kat Klub’, all of our numbers were performed at a high standard. The opening of ‘Act Two’ and our song with the Emcee was at a very high level, with confidence produced on the harmony lines and movement content of ‘Kickline’.
Bad thoughts:
I feel that we gave a slightly disappointing run of the ‘Finale’ and ‘Cabaret’. However, these were numbers in which uncertainty lied. But, I should have gone away and ran the finale in my own time knowing this was going to occur soon. I feel that I need to be prioritising my character work from now on and have faith that my choreography understanding is very high.
Evaluative Analysis
I am very glad that this run was held today. This meant that as a cast we gathered an understanding for where needs work and what our next steps will be (linking in with our restricted amount of time remaining). Due to the outcome today, which was very much in the middle, it is very important that we are very responsive to our feedback and know how to fix any problems which were unexpected occurrences. On the whole, we had a very smooth run and gathered the strongest idea of where we need to dress the stage and when we will be moving for our next scenes ahead. This means that for any future references, this has been covered for both acts and will be on a recording.
I feel that I remembered a great amount from the previous changes made. However, as a whole our correlations with one another were not accurate or in place. I feel that it is crucial that we are going home and recapping our movements to prevent this needing to be done in rehearsals. We received feedback from our director today which was very helpful:
Action Plan:
- ‘Kickline’ timing needs checking and recapping.
- We need to be thinking constantly about our faces through the opening of act two.
- Our transitions from the show girl arms to the marching needs to be sharper.
- Remember that all table and chairs set for act 1 need to be there for the second act also.
- Our timing needs work in ‘Cabaret’
Tuesday 14th May
Cabaret Rehearsals
Description: In today’s session we looked at how the ensemble would be blocked whilst ‘Dressing the stage’ as well as going over and developing some character work.
Initial thoughts
- I found the character work sessions very helpful.
- I enjoyed finding out about our staging and gathering an understanding for where my placements would be.
- I felt that from lunchtime, my character work was already coming through.
Breaking this down
Good thoughts:
I was very pleased that the character session was useful and that I was putting this into immediate use, meaning I had gathered the most effective way of using this. Additionally, I found it very useful and a fun process to learn where I will be set for the show and what my track will be. It is also clear that when watching others, we have gathered differentiation from one another by carrying this out.
Bad thoughts:
I lost a little energy today, when assuming what we would be doing. However, this planned our very positive as we all learnt what our full track was and how we can use this to benefit our performance.
Action Plan:
- To find a way of remembering my track and when I move any props on or off the stage.
- To write down any character changes I made today in our session.
- To remain focused and up to date with any written work.
Wednesday 15th May
Cabaret Rehearsals
Description: Today we completed our blocking for the ensembles pathway throughout the show.
Initial thoughts
- I was very happy that we finalised any ensemble blocking today.
- I felt happy that I had remembered everything from yesterday.
- I remembered my track off the top of my head which was positive.
Breaking this down
Good thoughts:
I was very glad that we finished the ensemble’s blocking of the whole show in just two sessions. This has saved us a lot of time and means that we can move on and carry on cleaning. Looking back over this process, it is clear that the ensemble are a very vital part of our production. As they will be dressing the stage and there throughout, they are creating an atmosphere for everyone to work around and develop when new circumstances unfold.
Bad thoughts:
I would have liked to gone over my entrances and exits vocally for the ‘Pineapple Song’ and the ‘Finale’ as they were very minor problems occurred today which could have been avoided. However, for myself I know where I went wrong and what approach I will need to take to ensure that I am getting this correct.
Action Plan:
- To write my track down, so that is this is forgotten I have an alternative.
- To hopefully have as many cleaning rehearsals ass possible.
- Continue to recap my routines and harmonies at home.
Thursday 16th May
Cabaret Rehearsals
Description: The understudy run was carried out today.
Initial thoughts
- I was happy that I remembered all my blocking from Act 1.
- I feel that my performance through Act 1 was strong.
- I found the ‘Understudy run’ very interesting to watch.
Breaking this down
Good thoughts:
I feel that the run today was very successful. I believe that all company members managed to work well and adapt themselves to fill any gaps or acquire to those who may have been confused at times. I feel that we all filled the stage where it would have been a little on the empty side and worked even harder than normal to benefit the performance we gave. I found todays run very useful to watch and take notes upon as all understudies performed very well. I also think that as an ensemble a lot of our content was cleaner due to the extra sessions spent on these.
Bad thoughts:
I feel that today was a very positive rehearsal in which we all used our skills of adaptation and development to benefit the performance. Minor issues occurred with staging. However, these were covered up, concealed and then dealt with afterwards to ensure it didn’t happen again. But, I am sure they occurred due to the changes in casting today.
Action Plan:
Feedback from Han:
- Sing on our queue on the first entrance, do not wait for the Emcee.
- Need more fake chatting before ‘Mein Heir’, to incorporate the setting of chairs into the scene
- Make sure the two groups in ‘Mein Heir’ are performing contrastingly.
- Remember to look in at centre stage whenever Han set this.
- Not too loud with our stamping in the party scene.
- Don’t let our concentration slip in ‘Money Money’
Friday 17th May
Cabaret Rehearsals
Description: A dance cleaning session with Han.
Initial thoughts
- I found this most helpful for clarification
- I feel that we made great progress today and worked through a lot
- I am confident with my choices in the dances.
- My characterisation is developing positively in the dance routines.
Breaking this down
Good thoughts:
There was a strong focus and determination in the room today. We worked through a great amount and Han gave us a clear idea of the visual outcome she wanted. We worked through most of our dance sin great detail and worked very hard to have a very precise and accurate outcome. I was very happy that we finally had an in-depth cleaning session where things were covered in detail and with an example (this meant that we progressed a lot).
Bad thoughts:
I feel that we had a very positive rehearsal today and covered a lot of aspects. I had to leave 20 minutes early to catch a bus which was a shame as I could have spent more time ensuring I was on top of what I was doing throughout the next routine covered by Han.
Action Plan:
- To recap any changes made today at home.
- To prepare as much as possible for production week.
- To complete a trial of hair and makeup over the weekend.
Emily Gordon Year 1 