#26
Posted: 10/6/03 at 9:42pm
One of the reasons why I stopped directing high school plays and musicals was the fact that I was "surrounded by idiots" and Pajama's faculty seems to be cut of that cloth. When I directed THE SOUND OF MUSIC (at a Catholic School, no less!) I made a cassette of the Frederika Von Stade recording of the score and gave it to the nun who was the musical director. I chose that recording because it was the most complete. The nun--who was a carbon copy of Miss Hathaway on "The Beverly Hillbillies"--had the whole summer to listen to the score.
When it came time to cast the show, I had one girl who was a very good actress, but I had my reservations about her singing ability. I consulted with Sr. Hathaway who assured me that the girl would have no problem with the role of the Baroness. Fine, I cast her in the role, but I knew that the two songs that character sings were quite difficult. I'd done a summer stock production of the show and the professional actress playing that part had a very rough time with "No Way To Stop It". The final segment of the song with "I, I, I...nothing half as wonderful as I" was really problematic for her. Still, I trusted the nun's judgement.
As it turned out, the girl we'd cast as the Baroness was tone deaf. The nun knew her because she sang in the school's chorus, but Sister Hathaway never bothered to listen to the cassette I made for her. Nor had she opened the score I'd provided her with. Instead, she based her judgement on the movie version of the show. Of course, in the film, the Baroness doesn't sing a note.
This same nun had great trouble conducting the opening "Preluduum" as well. She obviously had a very minimal knowledge of music and had trouble conducting the show. (She told her students that Beethoven wrote "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"!) I was saddled with this same nun for seven musicals and she told the principal that I was picking shows that had too many sharps and flats in the score!
Yes, I was "surrounded by idiots". Sounds like Pajama's production staff is of the same ilk. Good luck, PJ!!!!!
When it came time to cast the show, I had one girl who was a very good actress, but I had my reservations about her singing ability. I consulted with Sr. Hathaway who assured me that the girl would have no problem with the role of the Baroness. Fine, I cast her in the role, but I knew that the two songs that character sings were quite difficult. I'd done a summer stock production of the show and the professional actress playing that part had a very rough time with "No Way To Stop It". The final segment of the song with "I, I, I...nothing half as wonderful as I" was really problematic for her. Still, I trusted the nun's judgement.
As it turned out, the girl we'd cast as the Baroness was tone deaf. The nun knew her because she sang in the school's chorus, but Sister Hathaway never bothered to listen to the cassette I made for her. Nor had she opened the score I'd provided her with. Instead, she based her judgement on the movie version of the show. Of course, in the film, the Baroness doesn't sing a note.
This same nun had great trouble conducting the opening "Preluduum" as well. She obviously had a very minimal knowledge of music and had trouble conducting the show. (She told her students that Beethoven wrote "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"!) I was saddled with this same nun for seven musicals and she told the principal that I was picking shows that had too many sharps and flats in the score!
Yes, I was "surrounded by idiots". Sounds like Pajama's production staff is of the same ilk. Good luck, PJ!!!!!
"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)
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