Whew!! First week is over, and man, was it incredible. I learned so much, my brain in on overload! It's been a week of watching, learning, dancing, hurting, and loving the whole thing. My body feels like it's being whipped into shape, and I have been sore since day one. The whole process started with learning all my ensemble music with Jared and then Ben had me and PJ for the next three days to teach us all the dances and steps. The steps are very intricate and everything is extremely specific, which is why it was so much on the brain last week. Not to mention that most of it is very rub-your-belly-and- pat-your-head-at-the-same-time kind of thing, so it takes repetition times a million to get it down. By Friday, Lorin came in and taught me my last few things, Favorite Son and Letterbomb, and then by Sunday, we ran the show from top to bottom! It was such a productive week! And mixed in there I did some flying which was just the funnest thing ever. For the first few days, it was about getting used to being in the harness and understanding how my body moved in the air. They would only take me about ten feet up, and I would flip and move and such. Nothing too scary. Until yesterday. Jim was like, "alright, lets get you all the way up there". So I stood on the X and got ready for the EG exit cue which is the one where she shoots straight up at the end of the number. I'm talking 70 feet people. So I held my breath and waited...and Jim said go...and it was SO FAST!! What a rush! Yeah it was scary, and I may have let out a tiny yelp of oh-my-gosh-im-gonna-die fear, but mostly, it was freaking amazing! This week, I'll be learning the entire sequence in the air, so I'm glad I got the scariest part out of the way.This week is gonna be pretty crazy, but in the best possible way. We have rehearsal Tuesday-Thursday and then Friday is the big put-in rehearsal for all of us newbies. A put-in for those of you who don't know is kind of like a final dress rehearsal for replacements or understudies. Full lights, sound, costume, cast, and band. It will really be me, and Davey, and Justin, and PJ's first time doing American Idiot. It gives us a chance to really see how everything feels, sounds, and looks before putting it in front of an audience.
Today however, is my day off, which I am enjoying tremendously. As I tweeted earlier today, I spent a good deal of my day grocery shopping and cleaning my apartment. Who knew that those two "chores" as some call them could me so relaxing. As I was growing up, never did I think that I would say chores were nice lol. But really, isn't it so calming to walk around a grocery store, listening to your iPod or reorganizing your room? Maybe I'm just weird haha.
I also spent some much needed time laying on my futon being a bum watching TV. Oh how I have missed my TV. I caught up on Gossip Girl and Shameless (which by the way is a great show! Pretty out there, but great) and spent some quality time with my knitting needles. As some of you know, I love knitting. I know, I'm such a grandma. I got addicted to it on the Spring Awakening tour. I was a swing, so I had a lot of down time, which was filled with knitting and reading. Anyway, I started a new scarf that is this wheat cream color. It is going to be a normal scarf that can be converted to a circle scarf which I did by knitting button holes on one side! I'll post a pic when it's done!
All in all, my first week at A.I. was unforgettable to say the least. Everyone at the theatre, cast and crew and all, are the most welcoming, nicest people. I have never felt more supported and welcomed, which makes this process that much better. I feel like everyone has my back already, which will make me feel very safe my first show, cause as you know, this show is pretty nuts. Knowing that people are there for me and won't let me fall (literally and figuratively) is very comforting.
Until next time!
Krystina :)
