Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:29 am
Sitting in the Mark Taper Forum, watching the 3rd preview of Parade, 26 September 2009.
[Most of what I’m paying attention to on this particular night is music and sound stuff, so the majority of the notes are marked “T” (for Tom Murray, my stalwart musical director) or “JW” (for Jon Weston, the sound designer). “R” is for Rob Ashford, the director. I realize that much of this will be inscrutable to anyone other than me, but I’ve decided just to post it as is without any further explication.]
JW Opening again – much faster pull down of volume
JW No vln in mm 9-16?
T Vln [illegible] before Chatahoochie
T I’m hearing a funny note in “Fathers of Atlanta” in the echo
T “Jews were Jews but I was wrong” – wrong will get a laugh if it’s short
JW Curt not cutting through in Picture Show
T They could use a little conducting after “forevermore” in the Funeral
JW Maybe a little more in the monitors for Watson’s Lull
T Stgs rhythm after “I saw this little kid”
T “molasses or mud”
R David – “girls in his office?”
T Accordion at top of YDKTM in wrong registry (8va)
T Accordion – don’t swell after decent/honest
T Lara’s accent really shows up around “could” and “right to know”
T After “and he smiles,” take all swells and dims out of the strings
JW After “Who’s gonna swing that hammer of justice,” big bump (when Iola sits down)
Tech Can we move the scroller change from the beginning of Leo’s “Come up to my office” to the next verse?
T Doubling Leo in Come up and come on’s?
JW/T Bigger cresc building to Mrs. P’s entrance (end of Minnie)
T “she’s acting like she’s sick“
T I let the moment
R Please please please please make him look at her.
==
T All right, Bernie, maybe the toms are a little loud in Rumblin and Rollin
T All right, the key for “Pretty Music”
JW In The Glory, accordion is overpowering vln.
T Great end of No It Isn’t Over Yet
T “Tell him to talk to those Factory Girls”
T “I’m gonna set down on her”
JW Reverb on the claps
R flowers all over the meadow
TECH light in Leo’s office during change
T Did you miss the last chime?
T Isn’t the violin harm[onic] supposed to be a C, not G?
T Blues orchestration
3 comments
That accordion player couldn’t catch a break…
This was really interesting! I feel like I can picture this production a lot more clearly now than before. It’s great to read some of your thoughts on this show (one of my all-time favorites). Thank you so much for posting. 🙂
I recently saw two productions of Parade in London. Both final year productions, one at the Brit school, and the other at Mountview.
Have to say both productions had their weak points, however this seemed to be down to direction, rather than ability. (The hangings were particularly poor in each production.)
A great musical, and its lovely to get little snippets from the creation process from time to time. Thanks!
Actually, since I’m here, and I mentioned it, How is the hanging meant to be done? I’ve seen one version where a screen was put up, and a silhouette of a dummy with a noose round its neck, was projected onto the screen, and a second, where a winch pulled Leo up into the celling, both completely (in my opinion) distracted and a ruined the final scene, and I was wondering how it was envisioned?
Thanks Again, Calum
[FROM JRB: Hey Calum: The hanging is extraordinarily difficult to pull off; a good hanging is a very expensive effect. But in the original production on Broadway, there was no hanging at all. After Leo sang the Sh’ma, Frankie yelled, “Mary, this is for you!”, and all the lights blacked out on stage except for a sharp spot on Leo’s face; his head jerked slightly upwards, the light went out, and that was the whole effect. Very powerful.]
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