Xeroxing Makes It Official

Well, my libretto and vocal book are being copied off almost as we speak.

Tomorrow (Saturday) are the second (and hopefully final) auditions for The Poptimists. Some of the performers already cast are showing up for an early dinner afterward and I wanted to be able to give them their materials.

Two months before we start rehearsals. Occasionally, I do prepare ahead of time.

Now, since this is a world premiere, I'm a little more paranoid about giving out the materials in an age of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and MySpace. It was hard enough to keep control over my materials before the internet was even around for the average Joe. Now you send something out there and within twenty seconds it's downloaded by some tribal chief in Chad.

Trust is even more important these days. I've instructed my staff and will instruct my cast that NOTHING from this show is to be posted ANYWHERE, or even duplicated. I am not, though, without heart. So cell phone photos of rehearsals will be allowed ... as long as I'm not in them.

I have no clue as to why I feel that way about the last thing. I just don't like people seeing me working with the actors. I want them to see the final result and then tell me if they like it or not. I suppose it's a little because I assume a lot when watching a rehearsal, and I just don't want others to do the same to my project. Yeah, it's a slight violation of an offshoot of the Golden Rule, but I just don't like showing anything that's not ready to be shown.

Neurotic? A tad.

It's strange not hurrying to fine tune or polish anything these days. Certainly things will change once we start rehearsals, but the material is "set" for now. As a matter of fact I have the extra time to type this entry since I'm not futzing over dialogue, music or lyrics at the moment.

But I am getting to do a few last-minutes things for auditions, so my "stress" jones is getting satisfied -- at least tonight.

I'm hoping to finish the casting tomorrow, but am fairly sure there's one role I won't be able to fill yet. So that means I might have to play it. Think I could be convincing as a 22-year-old, buff-but-slender black male who can sing the shit out of a song?

[insert cricket sounds]

Hmmmm ... I might get letters ... and besides, I want to get laughs where they're supposed to be.