February 3, 2006
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The Daily News
1 Okay, Godspell fanatics out there! There are LOTS of you, because anybody who knows the history of our Theatre knows that Godspell has always been THE Show, always and forever.
2 My very first Show had me cast as the music director, and I had NO idea what the heck I was doing, but I met the best group of guys in the world, and we became a band, and our primary focus was rocking and playing, but Godspell became the center of it all.
3 We became Daffy and the Ducks, and to this day, I think we have been bonded together as a band in this life and on into the next! But that all started in room 703, which is Mr. Russell’s room now, I believe. We had a bunch of beat up guitars, including my wonderful old Yamaha, which we have affectionately named “Scratch” this year, and we jammed every single day, three to four hours, and just perfected Godspell, almost lick-for-lick. That same guitar will be featured in this Show.
4 Anyway, that was my introductory year to YB. Time it was, and what a time it was, it was…
5 Since that first day that we first jammed, Godspell has been THE musical that defines that Theatre. In 1990, I finally directed Godspell, and to this day, it remains my favorite Show of all time.
6 Yesterday we choreographed a large segment of a wonderful old Godspell piece called We Beseech Thee. The years flew by, and once again, another group has been touched by the magic of Godspell.
7 Just three days ago, I found a copy of our 1990 closing night video and showed parts of it to this cast, and they were just amazed! It inspired yesterday’s rehearsal, a rehearsal that was just exhilarating, and fun beyond words.
8 The Theatre once again became magic.
9 It does that; it does that.
10 I think the best voice of how this Show is going came in an e-mail from Kim Nimori, who was in the 1990 cast. She talked about the magic of the Theatre as
…a time when the biggest thing that we had to worry about was what kind of food we were all going to go get after rehearsal! Every time you write about the old shows, it brings me back and puts a smile on my face!
Yep. The Theatre. Rehearsals. Friends, food, singing, laughing. I used to jokingly say to Mr. P that we are in the business of making memories.
11 It’s funny how just listening to the kids singing and enjoying such venerable tunes as We Beseech Thee and All Good Gifts can only bring a smile to the face of this old brown shoe!
12 And to other alumni who have been writing, thanks! I promise I’ll get to each of you, because this Show seems to have connected all of us, all of those out there who ever was there when that Theatre would become magic!
13 It did that once more, yesterday.
14 Anybody who has ever spent an extra moment in there knows exactly what I mean.
15 At the end of the rehearsal of We Beseech Thee, I
popped in this CD that Maggie sent me. It had this wonderful folk/rock cover of Tomorrow from Annie, only it was by an artist named Rivers Cuomo. The kids in the cast joined in, and again, we just bonded and sang, and had fun. You know, just chillin’ in the warmth of the Theatre…
16 It’s late as I compose over this way. I’m listening to another track, Isreael Kamakawiwi’ole’s cover of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and it seems appropriate enough to smile back on yesterday’s rehearsal with that as rolling credits.
17 So it’s time I bowed out for the week.
18 Just thought I’d share the joy!
19 Have a super weekend.
20 Peace.
~h~
