Rehearsals are now in full swing for Pa’Tina Miller: Live in Concert. James Sampliner (below, conferring with Pa'Tina), Billy’s regular musical director, arrives from the U.S. in the morning and heads straight to rehearsal, double-fisting cans of Red Bull.
Billy is an outstanding musician, and a passionate, larger-than-life personality in the rehearsal room. He knows every lyric and every melodic part of every song on the set list, including each individual melodic line for the three back-up singers. This is the equivalent of coming into rehearsal on a straight play with every line memorized.
He coaches Pa'Tina through her solos, and immediately launches into teaching "the Black-Ups" their parts. I notice immediately that he is incredibly nuanced with his use of the back-up singers. This has the effect of really heightening specific moments in specific songs. There is a clear dramatic journey being built.
Landy, Asya and Kerry are all in the nun ensemble of Sister Act the Musical, so they are all rehearsing for the cabaret in their free time while running the show in the evening. Since Pa’Tina will be taking a week off the show, this means that Landy (on the left) will also be appearing on stage in the lead role while rushing back and forth to rehearsals to sing back-up for the cabaret. On the day of the show itself, she will have sung Sister Deloris for two shows before singing the cabaret!
I am just in awe of how energetic and passionate they are. Brits are known for being reserved and self-deprecating (a generalization, I know, but this was quite true of what I experienced during my own schooling here!), but the love and admiration that these girls have for Pa’Tina is immediately obvious. They - along with Billy and James - are totally in this to make Pa’Tina’s debut cabaret the very best experience and quality it can be.
By the end of the day, the leading lady is exhilarated, exhausted and excited. And I am alliterating!
(posted by Ed)
No comments:
Post a Comment