Last night was the second performance of The King and I and by all accounts it was the best yet of the series! And I’m happy to report that there were no costume mishaps this time. Not even my ninja pants for the ballet scene, which I went in extra early to work on. If they can stay that way for today’s show, I will leave this production a happy actor 🙂

Final performance is this afternoon at 2:30, at Rockingham County High School. What better way to celebrate Father’s Day than with a performance of The King and I? So bring dear ol’ Dad along too! Click here for more information....

In spite of the technical gaffes, strange occurrences and – dare we say it? – “wardrobe malfunctions” that manifested both off stage and on it, the first night of Theatre Guild of Rockingham County‘s production of The King and I was a smashing success that wowed a nearly sold-out house!

(By the way, if you were at last night’s show, I was not supposed to have banged my forehead that hard into the stage when I came running on in Act II, Scene 1. But if the real-life Phra Alack had to demonstrate such fealty on a routine basis then it was probably something he had to regularly endure… and hey the audience thought it was funny 🙂

Second performance is tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Rockingham County High School in Wentworth, North Carolina. Third and final show is tomorrow afternoon, same place at 2:30 p.m. Mash here ...

We spent seven hours almost nonstop (braking only for a dinner break) on the technical rehearsal for The King and I this afternoon and evening! Considering that we had been told this could have gone into 10 p.m. and beyond, it went better than expected. This was sort of a “rough cut” of the full performance: with the exception of costumes and makeup, we go through everything in the show with all the props and set pieces etc. It’s mostly to get the lighting and sound all right, but also to make fine adjustments on actors’ blocking and such. So we scheduled for plenty of time today to get it all straightened out.

One thing that was a new experience for me is that today was the first time in four shows that I was fitted for a wireless microphone. Feels like I’m in the real big leagues now!

And ...

Another rehearsal this evening. This one focused on the “Small House of Uncle Thomas” scene early in Act II. I keep thinking that the Uncle Thomas mask looks exactly like Chief Wiggum from The Simpsons and the mask for Simon of Legree resembles Gollum from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies.

“Wiggum and Gollum”. Sounds like a law firm, aye?

I have to say, it’s so weird doing this show at Rockingham County Senior High where I was once a student. We’re using the J. Allan Lewis Auditorium (named after my late friend Allan “Doc” Lewis), on the same stage where I used to have drama class with Gene Saunders. Everything backstage even still looks exactly the same as it did all those years ago. It’s almost enough to make me feel like a high school kid again 🙂

The rehearsals will start to ramp up ...

Having now rehearsed the “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” scene for the first time, my mind is far more at rest about being a “ballet ninja” in that part of the show.

(I could also say something about how it turns out that Phra Alack – the character that I’m playing – was in real life a eunuch. Seems that was a common requirement for employment in a royal household in the Far East up ’til the early twentieth century. The things some people will do for a paycheck…)

The disparate parts of the show are coming together into a cohesive unit. It’s really something: one group will be practicing dance while another is going over singing, and still another at the same time could be the principles going over lines. And they’re not necessarily at the same location either: our rehearsals have been at Rockingham County Senior High School (where the ...

Rose Cutuli Wray, our abundantly effervescent director for Theatre Guild of Rockingham County‘s production of The King and I, has just informed me that in addition to playing Phra Alack (the King’s secretary), that I have been given another role as well.

From her e-mail…

Also you have been chosen to be one of our 5 ballet ninja’s for Small House of Uncle Thomas. No dancing is necessary, but you will be doing numerous things in the ballet.

A “ballet ninja”.

A “ballet ninja”?!

What the…?!?!?

I have no idea what this means exactly, and with a name like “ballet ninja” I’m rather scared to contemplate upon it.

But hey, this is art. The potential silliness is temporary but the show is forever!...

I have been explicitly commanded by the director and head costumer that I shall not get that haircut that I had planned for next week. And that I am not to get it until perhaps after the show is finished in mid June.

Other than that (which I can live with, I suppose) it was a great first meeting for the full cast and crew of Theatre Guild of Rockingham County‘s production of The King and I. There’s something like nearly sixty people in this cast, a huge technical crew, over 400 costumes (or costume pieces, one or the other, either way it’s pretty darned big for a community theatre production), few more stats about this show that blew some minds. It’s gonna be positivalutely gigantic! Maybe one of the biggest productions ever in these parts.

And oh yeah, this is one neat cast and crew. ...

After a weekend of what one cast member has called “the most fun audition experience I’ve ever had” the Theatre Guild of Rockingham County has got the cast for its production of The King and I a little more than two months from now.

And… I’m playing Phra Alack! He’s the secretary to the King, and gets to throw his authority around a lot. Unless the King is in the room, and then Phra Alack throws himself down on the floor a lot. Gonna be a fun lil’ role! That’s also a terrific cast playing the characters… and given that I personally know many of the cast are complete characters, is gonna make it that much more of a hoot of a show 🙂

The King and I runs from June 18th through June 20th at Rockingham County Senior High School. Click on the Theatre Guild’s website for more information. ...