What a Weekend!

We put on 3 shows this past weekend. The best turnout was Saturday (22 people), but everyone who came really seemed to enjoy it. Especially my mom & dad, who came Sunday. On Saturday before the show, I visited my cousin Dawn & her baby, Gianni at my parents' house for dinner. He's such a cute kid! My sister Keri & her husband Joe were there, too. They plan to come see me on Sunday for the 2pm show. I hope they'll like it! We were going to have the cast party after the last show on Nov. 2, but we figured there would not be enough time, since we have to strike the set immediately afterwards. So we had the party on Sunday evening at a cast member's house. We brought our own boooze, pitched in for the deli spread, and everybody had a good time! There's one last rehearsal tomorrow, then another cast member is planning a Halloween party for Friday! I wasn't sure whether to get a new costume, or go with one I already have.
I'm sure our last performances are going to be the best!

Our First Shows

We had our first 2 performances this weekend....and they rocked! Of course, they would have rocked even more if we had more people in the audience (13 for Friday's show, 17 for Saturday's show). But that's OK. I think maybe it's because we got a little bit of a late start in promotions. I'm getting a feeling that our audiences will multiply for this weekend. Especially since it's the only weekend that were doing 3 performances. But my family is planning to come, as well as some of my co-workers. And some family & friends of my castmates are supposed to be there, too. We'll have another run through this Thursday, just to freshen up our act. It'll be great having my family to see me on stage again.

Getting Closer....

Almost there! We had another full dress rehearsal with lights, props, a complete set (we finally got a sofa), the whole nine yards. The school let us stay a little late to finish, since we got a late start. But for the most part, it went well. At one point, though, the wall phone fell off, but at least it happened then & not during a performance! We got one more rehearsal tonight, then tomorrow, it's showtime!

First Dress Rehearsal!

Last night's dress rehearsal went GREAT. For the first time, we got through the ENTIRE PLAY in chronological order, and we didn't even start on time! We finished just 5 minutes before 11pm, when the staff has to kick us out of the school. And as if that weren't enough to get us psyched, last night was the first time we were not allowed to ask for a line if we forgot one. With a few minor exceptions, WE NAILED IT. Spirits are high, and we also got tickets to sell in advance. We'll see how the attendance will be, but I don't think it willl affect the quality of our performance. Tomorrow, one of my castmates is having a fundraising event for her father, who has been diagnosed with cancer. So I decided to attend & show my support. It should be fun.

Off Book!

This week marks our first off book rehearsals. We can no longer take our scripts onstage with us, and we have to ask what our line is if we forget. This is also the first week that we are rehearsing on our newly constructed set. It tends to throw off our blocking, especially for the third act when all the characters are there. But for the most part, it went well. Everyone was getting the giggles at some awkward situations, and we were able to point out some needed changes. It's hard to grasp that we only have a little over 2 weeks before our first performance!

This Weekend

On Saturday, I'll be joining some of my fellow castmates to help put together the set for "Come Blow Your Horn". We'll probably be there for several hours & might go get something to eat afterwards. Also, the Italian American Festival is happening at Mercer County Park again. There'll be plenty to see, do & even more to eat. So that's a great way to spend the day. I wonder if "Uncle Floyd" Vivino will be there? I have rehearsal again tomorrow with just the guys in the cast. Everything's going really well. As we memorize more of our lines, the show is flowing a lot quicker & smoother. Once we get the set constructed though, it'll really make us feel comfortable. Only about 3 1/2 weeks until the first performance, I'm so psyched!

All is Well

Good news! Turns out that I won't have to quit the play after all. Barry, the director of the TV pilot, sent me an e-mail telling to me to go ahead & do it, since the premiere probably won't be that weekend anyway. I also heard from Jen, the associate director, that the post-production may take a little longer than expected. So, I'm still waiting to find out the details of this event. No telling when, where or how it will shape up. Meanwhile, things are going pretty well for the play rehearsals. We're starting to lock down our blocking and get off book. I'm certainly feeling more relaxed due to the recent news. Next rehearsal is tomorrow, but I won't have to come in until about 8-ish. It'll give me enough time to chill & eat at home. More news as it becomes available. Later!

Quitting the Play?

Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, I may have to drop out of "Come Blow Your Horn". The premiere for the TV Pilot, "The Bullpen" is still tentatively scheduled for the weekend of October 24, which coincides with performances of the play. I thought that Ellen, the director of "Come Blow Your Horn" would be able to get an understudy for at least one performance. But apparently the ads with the show dates already went out, even though I told her about this ahead of time, and they just don't have enough people available to do work as understudies. She's given me until after this weekend to make a decision to either stay in or bow out. If I bow out, they'll find a replacement for me. I e-mailed Barry, the director of "The Bullpen" about this, but he's still heavily into post-production work, so I hope to hear from him soon. In the meantime, I spoke with Jennifer, an associate director. She told me she's not too involved in the post-production work, but she's heard that the final cut may not be ready until a later time. She also said that the premiere date is set based on the date Barry has scheduled with the venue, and once that date is set, it won't be changed. So I guess I just have to see if Barry is able to get in touch with me before the week is out. These are the types of decisions that are really hard to make, but it's not the end of the world. Apparently, these are the types of conflicts that actors and everyone else in show business face all the time. The best case scenario would be for me to be able to do both the premiere & the play, mostly due to a re-scheduling of the premiere at an earlier or later time. I'm sorry if I'm disappointing anyone who wanted to see me in another play, but I still have the TV pilot under my belt, so you'll always have that. I'll keep you up to date on any news about this.

Rehearsal on Stage

Tonight, we will have our first rehearsal of "Come Blow Your Horn" where
the performance will actually take place-Rancoacas Valley Regional High School
in Mount Holly. The school year's just started, so we will finally be able to enjoy
all the extra space to move around and do more accurate blocking (that means
arranging all our movements onstage for those of you not among the theater elite).
We are all settling into a more definitive schedule now. Some days, I can show up
later than the rest of the cast since my scenes come up later in each act. We will
also try to be off-book (yet another theater term which means having our lines
memorized) by the end of this month. Further information will be made known
as it becomes available. Until then, don't let the curtain go down on you!

Bullpen Update

I recently heard from Barry, the director for "Bullpen", that the editing is going well, and he should have all the post-production work done for the premiere on October 24. He said the show is getting a lot of hype, even attracting the attention of a former Phillies pitcher & bullpen coach! They even offered to share some stories in order to help with the development of the show. Things are looking good! By the way, I've got a rehearsal this Thursday at a fellow cast member's house for "Come Blow Your Horn". I can't wait until we are able to start rehearsals at the school. Thanks to all those who leave comments, they mean a lot to me!

Play Ball! (On TV)

I got a role with the TV Pilot! It wasn't the role I read for,
but it's still a regular character. I get to heckle the players
while sitting in the stands! My dream has finally been
realized!! We'll have our first rehearsal this Sunday,
and will film about 2 weeks later. Could this be the first
big step on the road to superstardom?!? Stay tuned....

Yet another gig?

Good news! I just got a call from the director of
a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater show, and
she asked me if I'd be available on weekends
next month! The last show I did, back in December
or January, was the only time I performed with
her company, and I didn't even get paid for it.
I've been with them since last fall, but it finally
looks like I'm getting some where with them.

Update about the "lone gunmen" spotted near
my office. It's possible that this guy didn't even
exist, according to a recent news blurb. Just goes
to show how hysteria & incompetence go
hand-in-hand.

Scary things happening...

There have been reports of a gunmen lurking down
the street from my office. Haven't heard anything
more as of this post, but I'm leaving work in about
half an hour, and I'm a little scared to go outside!
I'll be careful...

The audition

Saturday's audition for the TV pilot about the bullpen
pitchers went pretty well. I was given script for 2 different
characters, but only had to read for one. Afterwards, as I
was walking outside, one of the assistants told me, "I don't
want to get your hopes up, but that was the best reading for
that character so far!" Then I had to go outside and toss a few,
since the role requires that you know how to throw a baseball.
For the basic throw & catch, I did OK. I had a little more
trouble with pitching, but I'd never done that before, anyway.
They will be shooting in less than a month, so hopefully I will
hear from them soon.

TV Star?

I got another audition coming up this Saturday
at Mercer County Community College for a TV
Pilot called "The Bullpen". It's about a group of
major league pitchers & their coaches. You have
to know how to throw a baseball. I haven't thrown
one in a while, but I think I can step up when the
time comes. Even if I don't get a part as one of the
pitchers, I can still get the part of the mascot, or
as an extra. No matter what part I get, I'll be happy.
How many people can say they've been on a TV show,
anyway?

This Bud's for you...Herr Doctor!

I was just watching a video on MSNBC that said
that Budweiser might be bought up by the Belgians.
Since Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' nemesis, is Belgian, does
that mean he might add Budweiser to his evil empire.
Remember, he was head of Starbucks at one point,
so I guess he decided to go from caffeine to alcohol.
Any thoughts?

I hope I get it....wait, I did!!

The director of the Fourth Wall Theater Company
just called...to say...she loves me. Well, sort of. Actually,
she called to say I got the part of the father in Neil
Simon's "Come Blow Your Horn"! She said I seemed
to be more comfortable with the part. I guess that's
because he's the most flustered character. That's the
type I'm drawn to. What I like to call "anger comedy"-
Lewis Black, Denis Leary, etc.-has always held a special
place in the cockles of my heart. I will keep all of you
posted for any further updates on showtimes and such.
So until tomorrow, break a leg!!

Birth of a Blogger

Ladies & Gentlemen, Children of All Ages! Welcome to the birth of
my blog, "Kevboy's Realm"!! Inspired by my big sis & bro-in-law
on the other side of the pond, this blog will be your one & only
resource to everything that's going on in this world. Well, maybe
my world, mostly. But I resolve to scour the globe for any tidbit,
iota or morsel of anything remotely of interest to spew, rant and
rave about. I am also open to any suggestions, ideas, complaints
or greivances any of you out there may have, and I encourage
you to share your deepest, darkest thoughts on my blog.

Well, things are starting to pick up a bit around here...I try to be
a good blogger and make at least one post daily. Thank you for
reading, and keep searching for your goal!

-Kevboy