It’s Opening Night!!!!!!!

What is that song from the musicial The Producers...."it's opening night, it's opening NIGHT!!!!!"

Guess what, it's OPENING NIGHT! Our Tototoo evening of One Act plays opens TONIGHT. So finally Tim’s and my work is done. The show is now Linda’s, our Stage Manager, and we can just sit back and enjoy it with the audience.

Last night was a bit rough for all the actors in The Soldier Dreams - well for them rough is still GREAT - I was secretly hoping it would be. Is that wrong? The curse goes that if you have a smokin’ Dress rehearsal you have a lack lustre opening night. However, if you have the opposite then your opening will rock it! Hopefully that happens but only to the first one act, because Remembering Shanghai has really taken off and was great last night. It was just lovely to watch. At one point I stopped taking notes, held Tim’s arm as he held mine. I had tears in my eyes. The connection between Elyot and Victor was so beautiful to watch.

One thing I hate being a director though…is having the audience for the first time – and something happens that isn't what you directed – you feel helpless, want to yell at the stage….like last night we only had 5 audience members who were invited. Jesse, our young lad, finished his “Her Majesty” scene with Tish, with wine glass in hand, got confused as to what scene was next, proceeded to walk into the bedroom and move the chair and stand beside the bed with a wine glass…something he never does in the show. It took him a minute to clue in “gee why am I standing here with a wine glass in my hand?”…then he walked off. I wanted to calmly yell at the stage, “uh sweetie, you are suppose to exit Stage Right after your speech not Stage left”, but if this happened live I wouldn’t be able to do that. So Tim and I bit our tongues, then giggled to each other once he figured out he wasn’t suppose to be there. I might add Jesse is blonde..and oh so adorable.

I think I am getting better at this “letting go” business as a director though. Perhaps in maturity or experience. I recall directing my first one act play at Ottawa U for directing class. I was nervous as HELL as were my fellow classmates also with shows that night. We all went out before and got tispy to soften the nervous blow..then proceeded to hold each others hands. Tonight I can just hold Tim’s hand and he can hold mine with confidence, not nervousness. No matter what anyone says, we did a good job, we have two fantastic casts of actors who know what they are doing, and we can now sit back and enjoy the show with the audience for the rest of the week!

And tonight after the show is $5 MARTINI’s at THE BUZZ, the official Tototoo sponser! YAHOO!