The Rent Welcome Wagon — Page 38

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#926

re: The Rent Welcome Wagon

Posted: 11/27/04 at 11:18am

haha fredi, my mom does that -- my dishes have been found in the strangest places around my house...

#927

I'm a clostet Star Wars FREAK and I have to say... the newer movies are bad. They're even cornier than the originals, but not in the same charming way. (I loved the cheesy special effects for some reason)

I was hoping to see Harrison Ford as Robert Langdon, speaking of which. He just fits the part in my mind.

Tiff, what's going on in the world of Harry Potter? (another closet fandom of mine) Movie or book news?

#928

Hello Fredi and all

Posted: 11/27/04 at 3:13pm

Hi Fredi and everyone--finally decided to introduce myself. My name's Amanda, I've been lurking on this board for about a month--been reading the Fredi and Anthony and lots of other threads. Anywayz, I think this is an awesome site and Fredi I just wanted to say how great it is of you to chat with everyone and answer questions. I've also really been appreciating your responses-very intelligent and warm. With that in mind, I thought of a couple of questions I wanted to ask and a little story that goes with the questions as a further way to introduce myself to everyone. Sorry everyone if this ends up being a pretty long post.

I've always enjoyed shows, and Rent was probably the first show I got really obsessed with, but I didn't really get completely into and obsessed with musical theatre until I participated in the pit orchestra in my high school for 4 years. It was my favorite part of high school, and I was the first to hold the title as pit geek(I would stay late to further practice music, ask friends to come over and practice music, it was fun though). I was so into it, I was the first person ever in my high school to hold title as Pit President-a position created especially for me. Anywayz, my very first rehearsal, my pit director, who ended up becoming a great friend of mine, gave us a message about pit that he said we should remember for the res of our pit experience. He said 2 things to keep in mind: we are the cast's bitch and 2) our job is to go completley unnoticed. Usually, the only way a pit gets noticed is if they are bad. He said first mistake, and the audience says oh look there's a pit. Second mistake, and the audience says oh look it's a student pit. The most perfect you play, the most unnoticed you go. I accepted that though, and I still thoroughly enjoyed pit.

Before I ask my questions, now I just have to tell this great story. So keep in mind for 4 years I've lived by this theory and accepted it. My junior year, when we did the Music Man, which was a pretty difficult score, our director got us pit shirts, so a couple of people did come up to me after the show to say that the pit was great. But the highlight came my senior year when we undertook West Side Story, which I honestly swear must be the hardest score in all of Broadway. We worked and rehearsed harder than ever and the result was great. I cannot believe I had the honor to play West Side Story. At the end of the dress rehearsal which was performed for our 9th graders(horrible experience) the entire cast ran out on stage to applaud us(the pit) and to scream thank you--they understood what a hard score it was. But the BEST moment came on the first night, we played the show, it went fairly well, so I was sitting in my pit seat, packing up my clarinet...now keep in mind we have a huge pit of about 26 people, I had my own part but not really a solo, it was a group effort so it was all good...anyway as I'm packing up a complete stranger comes up to me and he said "I have to tell you...I heard your clarinet all night, you were absolutely magnificent." I was speechless, I couldn't believe I had gotten such a huge compliment from being in the pit. What a fitting end to a great High School run.

So anyway, I apologize for the long story, I just love it though, anywayz Fredi, I was wondering if you could comment on the pit orchestra on the professional level. In your experience, what is the relationship between the musicans the cast? Have you yourself ever befriended a musician working on a show? Do they tend to be friends or is it much more professional, the pit rehearses together, the cast rehearses together, and then they come together to make the show, but usually remain separate? I've always wondered about that.

And the other part, I was wondering if you or I suppose anyone could comment about the theory that a good orchestra never gets noticed on the professional level. Of course every show I go to I scream and give the orchestra a standing ovation(if everyone's ever gone to a Broadway show where a short girl's done that, it's probably me), but I dunno I just wondered if Fredi or anyone had thoughts on that. I guess me going through the whole process and knowing how much hard work it takes to be in the orchestra, I wish they could just be a bit more acknowledged and given a bit more credit. Oh well.

BTW Fredi, I never got a chance to see you in the show, I only got to see Wilson of the OBCers, but I listen to the CD all the time and you're absolutely amazing on the CD! I love your voice!

And sorry to make this long post now, I know this thread is usually more active at night, I just wasn't sure if I could make it at night and I really wanted to make this post. I'll try to be on a bit later, I've really enjoyed all the conversation and I look forward to finally speaking with you all!

~Amanda~

"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli

#929

Hello Fredi and all

Posted: 11/27/04 at 4:40pm

You know what the problem with the new star wars movies is? Lucas is actually directing them himself. The first three were done by other directors, I think Speilberg did one of them. I'm not saying that Lucas is a bad director, it's just maybe he's too close to the project. I agree that he should hyave left well enough alone and not done the "pre-trilogy" The original three were the best.. Thankfully from what I have heard he has no plans to do the final 3, from what I understand it was originally going to be a set of nine.. Too bad he had to go and
"update" the originals and add additional special effects.. I guess part of me is a purist.. Leave well enough alone..

"All work and no smut makes Cammy lose her edge." ~DG

"Someday I'm going to have a baby and I'm gonna name her L'il Mimi Marquez and I and will sing to her every day and when she's a toddler I will say "L'il Mimi Marquez, clad only in a bubble diaper, will perform her famous play pen handcuff dance to the sounds of breast milk being pumped!" ~Kringas

#930

Hello Fredi and all

Posted: 11/27/04 at 4:56pm

Oh, I hear ya on the purist thing. What's this crap about a digital Yoda on the DVDs? *shakes head* Disgraceful. Anyway, one of my big problems with the newer movies was the crappy dialogue. I was cringing the whole time. Not that the originals had genius writing, but you know... meh. The whole thing was just not good and too full of special effects.

It's kinda disapointing that there will not be three more... they would be based on the books and I liked them... What? Don't you snicker at me for reading Star Wars books! Some of them were pretty good!

#931

Hello Fredi and all

Posted: 11/27/04 at 5:17pm

Okay don't get me started on Star Wars. That would take days. Anwyays wickedrentq I think it's great you had such a wonderful time playing in the pit. I've never been in a musical, but whenever I go to live theatre(especially when it's a musical) I play both really close attention to both what's on stage and the musical instruments behind them. I have to say I'm like you in the sense that whenever the show ends orchestra gets standing ovation from me. For me it's the first thing that gears me up into the show once it starts. I love hearing just the people playing instruments just before the curtain rises. That's how I feel.

Racetrack.

"The weight of this sad time we must obey, Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. The oldest hath borne most; we that are young Shall never see so much, nor live so long"-Edgar in King Lear

#932

Hello Fredi and all

Posted: 11/27/04 at 6:34pm

Oo, I have a great random story about the pit.

First a disclaimer though. Being a musician myself, I have every bit of respect in the world for people who do this for a living. They are amazing and I could never be that good. This is not meant to bash all pit musicians, just to tell a funny story that happens to be related.

When I saw the closing cast of Aida last summer, there were these two flies flying around in the spotlights for the entire second act. They kept landing on people's faces when they were standing still. Everyone tried really hard to keep a straight face, but it just didn't work. Everyone ended up giggling through most of the second act...interesting, seeing as how that's the tragic part. As we got up to leave at the end (we were all the way in the front), I walked by the pit and heard this guy say, very loudly "Ohhh, so *that's* where the flies came from!" He then proceeded to hold up a bag of food at least a week old. It made my day.

"A little humility wouldn't hurt." --Ellie, Constantine-Hellblazer, "Dangerous Habits"

#933

Hello Fredi and all

Posted: 11/27/04 at 8:01pm

hi...

i'm on - catching up..

definitely have stuff on the pit thing...

"Stupidity should be PAINFUL!" - Cam "Yeah - painful for the STUPID not the rest of us!" OMDB

#934

Hello Fredi and all

Posted: 11/27/04 at 8:08pm

Hi Fredi.

"A little humility wouldn't hurt." --Ellie, Constantine-Hellblazer, "Dangerous Habits"

#935