Three days (only two more rehearsals) until we open “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” I’m ready. Ready to have it out of my hair. Don’t get me wrong. It’s been fun but, due to the complicated nature of the show, it’s been rehearsed for eight weeks. That’s two weeks longer than we normally take for a musical. It’s time. Time to have it over. Yeah. I have hit that state that I always get into when a show is about to open. I always feel like there is more that could have been done. I feel like I didn’t give enough direction. I feel like the show could have been better if someone else had been in charge. I feel that folks will say, “Ah, he directed so that’s why it’s not as good as it could be.” It’s just the way I get. It’ll pass.

It doesn’t help that I am continuing my stalker-esque ways. I really need to drop it. It’s going to net me nothing but further mental instability. I think I continue it so I can have something else to beat myself up about. Grrr.

And I sometimes wonder why I ended up having to be medicated …

I can’t resist that very strong urge to have you dear.
Oh, please come here.
Just let me love you anytime and any place we dare …
We’ll just let them stare.

When in doubt … post a song!
Chic – My Forbidden Lover [4.3 MB]

Buzzwords for a Monday Afternoon:
1. Rainy
2. Wet
3. Chilly
4. Dreary
5. Down

The weekend was pretty good. Got more stuff done for the show … blood, flames, fog, evil green hair tonic. I also treated myself (finally) to the Alfred Hitchock dvd box set that Warner Bros. released earlier in the month. Nine of his films from the 40’s and 50’s. It’s sweet. The rented costumes arrived on Friday, and all I can say is that I am so glad that that I don’t have to wear the sailor suit they sent for “Anthony.” White pants and a white/orange striped shirt. Whoo. That’s gonna look good on stage. You might see some video from the show later in the week. October is around the corner. The trees in the back yard are starting to turn. I heart fall.

And … here comes Jeanne! Hmmm. Who would have thought the mountains could be so hurricane prone. Thankfully, we are not expected to anywhere near as much rain as we got off the last two. Flood watches and high wind warnings have been posted though. Fun!

And for those of you who don’t give a rat’s ass about theater …

Yipee! Turns out that Concrete Blonde is gonna drop back in to A-ville on the 14th of next month. What a great belated birthday present. Whee!

More Sweeeeeeeeneeey! And for the record, I think the show is gonna turn out pretty well (if the damn cast can make all their entrances, that is).

A photo (not taken by me) from last Friday of the collapsed eastbound lane of I-40 through the Pigeon River gorge. You can see lots more photos of the damage from Ivan here (the “related photos” menu gets you even more).

“It’s priest. Have a little priest …”

Nacerá,
Ya verás el sol que calienta nacerá,
Ya verás
Una más,
Como todo un día de repente brillará
Ya verás

Sol na
Sol na
Sol na-nacerá

Luna que va y al día se viste
Cuerda que tira y no se cansa de tirar
Un corazón que nunca está triste
Viento que hace a la alegría respirar
Afro Medusa – Pasilda (Todd Terry’s In House Mix) [11.5 MB]

Hi. I am still alive. Phone (and thus internet/dsl) service has been spotty since last Thursday when Ivan came through for a visit. We are still without a phone at the office I work at. They have no idea how long it’s gonna take to get it fixed since there are so many problems throughout the county. I have relocated to a different office so that I can get some work (and internet playtime) done. Whoo.

Drove around on Saturday to see what kinda damage had been done in various parts of the county. It’s bad. High water marks all over the place. Mobile homes that were just pushed from their foundations and floated down river. Personal belongs littering the sides of the road. A lone laundry basket hanging about five feet up in a tree.

Past that things here are pretty much the same. “Sweeney Todd” is clicking along. We have sets, lights and such. Two more rehearsal this week and then we do the run up to opening night on October 1st. Hopefully in the next few days I can some photos posted of what’s shaking in that arena. I feel like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Whee!

Yow. What a night. “Ivan” dropped into the area about 2:00-ish yesterday afternoon. It started as varying degrees of rain … light, heavy, moderate, heavy, light. Then the winds kicked in early in the evening. A nice warm tropical breeze which would have been great if we didn’t have to worry what was coming with it. By 11:00 p.m. the creek across the road had risen quite a bit and there was a brisk stream of water running down the road. At midnight (and again at 1:00 a.m.) the phone rang with an automated message saying that we should evacuate to one of two shelters or at least get to some higher ground. That was scary. Being told to leave everything behind … not knowing if things would get that bad … if you would come back and find all your stuff destroyed. Being the stubborn folks that we are, the roomie and I decided that we should be ok since my house in near the top of the creek. Things looked pretty good this morning for us at least. The creek was higher but not out of its banks. Some folks on down the road were not as lucky. We hear that Clyde and Canton are back under water. I hate that. The Tinsley’s had just gotten settled after Frances flooded them out. Today a steady rain is still falling and they say it’s gonna last into tomorrow. Flooding is still a big potential. Power is out in various parts of the county, so my work day is being cut short. Whoo. So, ya’ll be good. I’m off to play in the water.