The Backdrop Falls Into Place

I don't even know what to say but to just post that picture. Despite all of our woes up to this point with this monster of a musical, this is one thing that I can look at and feel a resounding sense of pride. Just the sight of this beautiful backdrop gives me hope for the rest of this project. (And yes, that is me Hamilton-ing at center stage.)

Now for how this was accomplished; Patrick and Jess were able to secure all of the boxes you see along the back of the stage, which they stacked to look like shelves...? While the desired effect was not achieved, it does look stunning as just boxes. I went back before school started one day this week to move some of the boxes around to create a more visually appealing vision, and the magic was in action. Then, for the past few days, I've been cutting letters from some kind of styrofoam material. While measuring, drawing, and cutting each letter along a straight-edge took multiple days, the time put in to get it right was absolutely worth it.

I then took those letters, and with the help of some fishing line, strung them up to a bar controlled by the curtain system. By lowering the bar down to attach the letters and then hoisting them up, I was able to achieve the desired effect you see above. Our set looks stunning by some miracle, and I couldn't be any happier or more in awe.

Until next time...

Working on Music

With Once Upon A Mattress behind us, it became clear that now was the time to crack down and get to work on the real meat of this musical. That being said, the actual "musical" aspect of this musical has proven more difficult than we had hoped. I have no doubts that at this point we have the opportunity to put on a really entertaining play, however, "Wallmart the Play" this is not. Still, we packed the cast into the chorus room and got down to business anyway.

Here we see the cast working in the chorus room on some of the music for the show, which we may or may not have come up with right there on the spot, at least as far as the harmonies go. Though initially I was fearful of how things would go, the cast showed surprising dedication and were actually able to learn a whole new song and sing it with relative ease. Now the only issue is whether or not they'll be able to remember what they've learned. We had them record their parts on their phones but who knows whether or not they'll actually go back and listen to the parts. Still, I remain hopeful. Below is a video of the cast performing something they learned this week.

Until next time...

A Herculean Effort

Although things have slowed to a near halt with the Penn-Trafford musical, Once Upon A Mattress taking place, that doesn't mean that work can stop completely. That being said, with the cast too busy to rehearse, it was time to start working on some of the set pieces for the show. But where to find props and set pieces that would suit Wallmart the Musical....?

Behind Giant Eagle in Harrison City we were able to find a cashier stand that was no longer in use. However, getting this stand to the high school would prove to be an adventure. First of all, the stand was completely filthy, and the wood inside was almost all completely rotting. Then, with only myself and Emily Jones there to move the behemoth, we were only able to get it into the bed of the truck through a series of tips and backing Jones' truck directly up into it. After pushing with all the strength of Atlas holding the world on his shoulders, the monster was finally into the truck.

This was not the end, however.

Once at the high school, we had to tackle the Herculean task of getting the thing out of the truck and into the school. This was only accomplished with the help of a construction dolly, and, by some act of divine intervention, Andre Guest, who just happened to be walking down the hallway at just the right time. 

With the mammoth stand finally in the PT props room, I started laying down a coat of blue paint after scrubbing it down. Using white tape, I was able to cover up the edges where the wood was rotting away and give the thing a clean finish. 

There's still work to be done, but I think things are off to a good start!

Until next time....