A Speaking Part

[The "band" rehearsing Minuet in G. Dude in yellow T-Shirt with flute.]

Well – it’s certainly not a “role” but I’ve been assigned a few words – and I do mean a few words. If you are familiar with the Music Man, it’s the 4th of July ceremonies, and Harold Hill begins stirring up the crowd prior to the 76 Trombones song/dance scene.

Harold: I heard there’s a pool table in town.

Me: Yeah, that’s what I heard!

That’s it – 5 words. Notice the exclamation point (!) – that means I get to yell my lines – so it should be a bit more dramatic.

I neglected to update after Monday’s Shipoopi dancing scene. Long story short – better than I imagined – but I’m no Fred Astaire. For the record, I was not originally cast as a Shipoopi dancer – I was only brought in after-the-fact for gender balance (they needed more adult men). With that in mind, we should all adjust our expectations accordingly.

Monday night’s practice – the second time for the Shipoopi dance scene – went well. At least no one got hurt. We danced with a partner. Yikes – I don’t think I’ve danced with anyone in 10 years – when was the last wedding I attended? The steps weren’t too difficult, but when dancing with a partner there is always the risk of stepping on your partner’s feet. Luckily I did not do that. It may have helped that I was paired with a real dancer.

Jeez – the qualifications of some of these folks put me to shame. I just hope I don’t fall off the stage or sing (noticeably) off-key.