A new Symphony of Science music video is up today. As with all of them, it takes a couple watches for it to grow on you. I hope this guy puts out a full album someday.
Chess – Dress Rehearsal
“Remember, it’s only a game! Muahahaha”
Dress rehearsal tonight went very very well, minus a very fixable glitch or two. The pit and singers are working really well with each other now. It should be a great show. I’ll be running through my book to fix a thing or two, but aside from that I feel it’ll be a great weekend performance.
Below are two videos and more photos from the rehearsals to give you an idea what the show will be like. This musical is rarely put on stage (it only lasted 8 weeks on Broadway), so if you want to catch it, now would be the best opportunity. It’s enormously underrated.
The Arbiter’s Song, which is not released as a song on any existing Chess recording. One of my favorites that opens Act II:
The song everyone knows, “One Night in Bangkok”:
Photos from Wednesday and Thursday rehearsal:
Chess – One Night in Bangkok
Okay, this is the final ‘Chess’ related video I’ll post. I saved the best for last! The song most people know from the musical: One Night in Bangkok.
Thank You, Arcadia…
Thank you Arcadia, WI and your giant hill for providing a beautiful overlook of the Trempealeau River Valley. Thank you, also, for not judging my singing ability as I pulled over and sang a song while doing a little stargazing on a clear night like tonight.
Also, a great thank you to the Arcadia Kwik Trip convenience store and gas station. You have made these long drives back and forth from La Crosse so much more tolerable, by promising me a can of soda and a $2 slice of whatever pizza type you offer that day. Plus, your store layout is simply visually appeasing, and I appreciate that! Did I mention your staff is always courteous? Man, I love you folks!
I don’t have much to say about your Ashley Home Furniture…I’m sure it’s great and all. Perhaps I’ll consider purchase when I have settled down somewhere.
I left my camera at Viterbo. I’ll post the final rehearsal pictures tomorrow night.
UPDATE: Photos below from the top of the Arcadia hill. Gorgeous. I wish I had a camera good enough to take night shots as well, the stars were shining bright both Wednesday and Thursday night.
We Go On Pretending…
New song of the day from Chess. I think this fits my feelings perfectly, lyrically.
“You and I, we’ve seen it all, chasing our hearts’ desire. But we go on pretending stories like ours have happy endings.”
Unfortunately I cannot embed this one, but it’s a beautiful piece of music, and a tragic way to end a musical. As quoted from Wikipedia:
As the curtain closes, Florence has left Freddie, been lost by Anatoly, and lost the father she never had, and she realizes that like Anatoly, her “only borders lie around her heart.”
I’m afraid I’ll open up my soul far too much come performance weekend.
Chess Rehearsal, Day 2
Today was the first day our pit worked with the cast and crew of the show. Despite having only read through the first third of the book, we sightread the rest and made it all the way through! There were the typical miscues between the singers and the orchestra, as we were trying to adjust back and forth to each other.
Due to the tightness of the pit, I wasn’t able to get up and move around to take shots during rehearsal itself. Hopefully when I go to rehearsal on Wednesday I can take a few more. The set is impressive, although I really wish they did not decide to build into the musical pit, when we already have an 18-member crew in that tiny space.
A few more half-decent photos from the show. I have symphonic choir rehearsal for Tuesday, so I have to skip out on pit rehearsal then. I’ll be back Wednesday.
Chess Rehearsal, Day 1
I got back from La Crosse not too long ago after the pit-only rehearsal of “Chess” at Viterbo University. Unfortunately the contract was wrong, so we got through less than half of the book before we had to call it. We were contracted until 8, however we were SUPPOSED to rehearse until 10. I would have stayed, had I not been talked into leaving due to impending snow…which has yet to show up.
I’m reminded once again the simple power of music to help deal with any range of emotions a person may be feeling, simply emoting something you can’t even express with words. As cliche as that is, it is exactly why music exists and why it remains so powerful and influential, despite music education cuts (save for another post).
These rehearsals couldn’t come at a better point for me, personally. Either this music is the most fun I have had performing in a long time, or I am pouring out quite a bit through my performance. I don’t mind either way.
This week I’ll probably throw in some Chess-related videos up. I was belting the song “Pity the Child” at the top of my lungs on the way back to Eau Claire. Something about the music itself just really resonated with me, not even the lyrics in particular.
Enjoy, if you can move past the obvious 80s-era quality. It’s really a powerful song, and from what it seems like, enormously difficult to sing.
Rocky Horror Picture Show
I ended up going to the Rocky Horror Picture Show event on campus last night. In all honesty, I couldn’t remember a single thing from the movie since the last time I saw it…except for the fact there are transvestites and such.
As silly as the movie is, I felt like there was a lot more that I “got” this time around, aside from the fact it’s absolutely chaotic and creepy as hell. I guess you could get really intellectual with it and analyze it for its themes, or you could just go to the event and throw rice and toilet paper all over and dance the Time Warp.
Doing the latter is much more fun!
Thanks for everyone who took me out, it was quite the experience!
Greg Ellis Trombone & Piano Recital
Congratulations to Brother Greg Ellis for a great trombone/piano recital today! Loved the mix of classical trombone with jazz piano in the program. The latter was a lot of fun, especially the arrangement of “Just Friends”. Just be sure to work out the bowing procedure when you have a quartet up on stage next time! 
I’ve Seen Better Days
I’ve seen better days, however I think our friend Conan O’Brien can put things into perspective.
I’ve been very fortunate in my own right for so many reasons, and even though things may not be going exactly as I hoped thus far, I am enormously optimistic that there are brighter days ahead.