I am so terrible for updating things like this...
Alice is going very very well. We've had good numbers and the CD is selling well. We put a book outside of the theatre for people to write comments and so far everything has been very kind. Normally I use those books to make the actors feel paranoid by writing things like "i didn't like the little guy."
We are playing every day this week.
Monday, 22 February 2010
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
toy piano
Tonight was the final practice for the 30 piece toy piano orchestra. Still I haven't heard it with all the musicians (tonight we had 15 or 16) but it sounded much tighter than usual and so I'm more confident than I was last night.
It seems the mor I sweat, the better it is...
we'll see on Friday.
It seems the mor I sweat, the better it is...
we'll see on Friday.
Monday, 8 February 2010
Alice the 3rd, La Bellevilloise
Goodness gracious me. Last night we did the third show of Alice. We played to a full house, so that was nice. It was a little different to the first 2 shows. This time I didn't miss any cues except for the fucking sea sound effect, which continued in to the trial. Wednesday it will be better.
I had a shave before the show, because after we did photos.
After Alice I had my show at La Bellevilloise. My friend Diego played before me, and I really enjoyed his guitar playing. He's such a lovely man. I got quite annoyed again during my set and finished early, and I asked the audience why they never listen to me, and do they find me boring or what? It's such a hard place to play, and really I have never had a good show there. I'd go so far as to say I hate it.
I had a shave before the show, because after we did photos.
After Alice I had my show at La Bellevilloise. My friend Diego played before me, and I really enjoyed his guitar playing. He's such a lovely man. I got quite annoyed again during my set and finished early, and I asked the audience why they never listen to me, and do they find me boring or what? It's such a hard place to play, and really I have never had a good show there. I'd go so far as to say I hate it.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
Today was another busy day. First we had a toy piano practice with 20 of the players. I think it is going very well now and has really taken form. I'm quite confident about it. All the pieces are ready except for the piece with 5 pianos, which we will organise soon.
Then after that we had the second show of Alice. Today was less good than the first I think. A little slow, and the audience was less reactive. Perhaps the timing was off. Anyway, I only really missed one small cue which wasn't a problem. After the show a few of us went to a gay bar in Chatelet and drank red wine and ate small slices of pizza. It was very chic and very cheap...
I went home and fell asleep in my clothes.
Then after that we had the second show of Alice. Today was less good than the first I think. A little slow, and the audience was less reactive. Perhaps the timing was off. Anyway, I only really missed one small cue which wasn't a problem. After the show a few of us went to a gay bar in Chatelet and drank red wine and ate small slices of pizza. It was very chic and very cheap...
I went home and fell asleep in my clothes.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
ALICE AND TOY PIANOS
Well, today was the premier of Alice.
I've had a tooth ache for a few days, so getting there was hard. I haven't slept well because of the tooth, so everything has been difficult. But anyway, after an annoyingly crowded metro journey, I arrived at the theatre and waited for about 2 hours to set up and play.
The show went well. I missed a couple of cues. I'm using my clockwork metronome to make the noise of a lock, but today it was fully wound, so those sounds were totally missing.
The kids made me laugh because they said a few times "coupe la tete" which means "cut the head." This is a line from the play, but one kid kept saying it.
My sampler was broken today. I had no left channel. But after opening it and dabbing some solder inside, it works again.
The last few nights have been spent desperately trying to finish the Alice CD. It was a rush, but it was finished in time, and I'm really happy with it. The guy who made the posters also made the packaging for the CD, and it looks so great.
Apart from Alice, I have been composing for a concert with 30 toy pianos. It is my job to compose and to be the "chef d'orchestre." We will play this on the 12th February. We're doing 3 pieces that I've composed and one cover that I've arranged especially. It's quite amazing to hear lots of toy pianos at the same time, even though so far we have only practiced with about 10 or so. I'm not sure how 30 will sound... amazing I hope.
We're playing before Margaret Lang Tan. She was a student of John Cage, who wrote a famous suite for toy piano. So it's going to be quite strange. It's the orchestra, then me solo, then her. I hope I will get to meet her and talk about her experiences. Perhaps I will invite her to have a drink with me.
I've had a tooth ache for a few days, so getting there was hard. I haven't slept well because of the tooth, so everything has been difficult. But anyway, after an annoyingly crowded metro journey, I arrived at the theatre and waited for about 2 hours to set up and play.
The show went well. I missed a couple of cues. I'm using my clockwork metronome to make the noise of a lock, but today it was fully wound, so those sounds were totally missing.
The kids made me laugh because they said a few times "coupe la tete" which means "cut the head." This is a line from the play, but one kid kept saying it.
My sampler was broken today. I had no left channel. But after opening it and dabbing some solder inside, it works again.
The last few nights have been spent desperately trying to finish the Alice CD. It was a rush, but it was finished in time, and I'm really happy with it. The guy who made the posters also made the packaging for the CD, and it looks so great.
Apart from Alice, I have been composing for a concert with 30 toy pianos. It is my job to compose and to be the "chef d'orchestre." We will play this on the 12th February. We're doing 3 pieces that I've composed and one cover that I've arranged especially. It's quite amazing to hear lots of toy pianos at the same time, even though so far we have only practiced with about 10 or so. I'm not sure how 30 will sound... amazing I hope.
We're playing before Margaret Lang Tan. She was a student of John Cage, who wrote a famous suite for toy piano. So it's going to be quite strange. It's the orchestra, then me solo, then her. I hope I will get to meet her and talk about her experiences. Perhaps I will invite her to have a drink with me.
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