Wizard of Oz

The cast turn up for the Sitzprobe rehearsal at the New London Theatre on Drury Lane looking super glam. It’s the first time that the orchestra and singers have got together and as the focus of the session is music and singing it’s the first rehearsal for the ensemble that doesn’t involve sweating! Determined to make the most of it, they’ve banished the jogging bottoms, spruced up their hairstyles, and there’s plenty of lipstick and eyeliner all round!

The players take their seats on stage and a hush descends as the orchestra tunes up. Jonathan Gill, our Music Director, lifts his baton and the opening bars of the overture fill the auditorium. It’s pure magic, and the cast is enraptured to hear the music breathe with life.

We all get a chance to run through our numbers, but time flies by all too quickly. At the end of the rehearsal there’s spontaneous applause for the orchestra, the cast and each other! It’s been a great morning.

The orchestra gets a free afternoon but it’s back to the grindstone for the cast with a final rehearsal room session. For this afternoon’s run through we’re joined by some guests. Michael Lynch, Southbank Centre Chief Executive, arrives and is accompanied by other Southbank Centre staff. Also watching are members of the wardrobe, props, lighting and sound departments. It’s nice to have our first proper audience.

The rehearsal kicks off with Danny Whitby, our Associate Music Director, giving us the whole overture on the piano managing to play all the parts of the orchestra magnificently!

The run goes well apart from the odd missed line here and there. Eagle eyed and eager eared Leonie (our deputy stage manager) notes down all the mistakes and they’re given to us after the run with more notes from Jude.

The day ends with a briefing by Simon Ash (our company manager) about the challenges we’ll face from tomorrow on stage at Royal Festival Hall. He enthusiastically informs us that we’ll be working unbelievably hard and putting in long hours – wow he really can crack that whip!

Welcome back to the Land of Oz where we’re hurrying, scurrying and hurtling towards curtain up at an alarming rate. The Land of Oz is certainly busy.

Here I should take a moment to explain that when we refer to the Land of Oz, this isn’t homage to the glorious landscape of Australia but instead descriptive of the fantasy world the cast and company is presently inhabiting.

In fact, we’re so immersed in fantasy that ordinary tasks, like managing to arrive at rehearsal on time, have been proving tricky. Lateness and absences have been put down to trouble with trains, planes, automobiles, illness and the weather (not to mention the wrong type of leaves), but who really knows… Thankfully we have two fabulous swings to cover for missing mortals. To explain, Swings are members of the ensemble who stand in for / cover / understudy the ensemble when they are absent or otherwise disposed. Daniel is our male Swing, and Carly is our female Swing. The ribbon-twirling Daniel and Carly have been saving graces for they have truly have kept the wheels of the rehearsal room in motion.

There has been one individual who has brought rehearsal to a stand still. He goes by the name of Bobby. He’s truly stolen the show’s thunder just be being himself. Bobby is the white, West-Highland Terrier playing Toto and he is fantastic! You cannot help but stare at his gorgeous white locks, his raw talent and his ability to own the stage and make us all sigh. We’re working hard to make sure Bobby doesn’t upstage us all!

Our next obstacles include our final studio run and the sing-along session (Sitzprobe) with the orchestra. Do keep up as we dash for the start of the yellow brick road….

The sun is shining and I’m walking to the rehearsal room with my head tilted to the warm sunshine. As I walk, the work we’ve done so far drifts in and out of my consciousness…..What joy it is coming to work! Confession. This is my dream job. You see, I am a very sad case. I am a Wizard of Oz junkie – a fan that puts those crazies that have seen Les Miz 362 times in the shade. Over the years, as more and more friends and colleagues find out my dark secret, my collection of memorabilia has grown to staggering proportions – and I’m always giddy with anticipation when someone says, ”I found something for you the other day….”. And so, for someone like me, to actually find yourself in The Wizard of Oz, is tantamount to finding the holy grail (or seeing the real ruby slippers)! And then to be playing Glinda – well, my ecstasy is complete. My own dog is even named Billie after Billie Burke who played Glinda in the film (see what I mean?…) The cast are not only wonderful but are, quite simply, perfect. How can I say this without sounding like a total sycophant? I can’t imagine a better cast. Siân Brooke is everything a Dorothy should be- unspoilt, genuine and caring. Gary Wilmot, Adam Cooper and Hilton McRae ARE the three friends…

I better stop now before they have me committed. I’m savouring this wonderful summer as I can’t imagine it can get any better than this. And I get to wear the big pink dress with the crown and the wand… Ah, there’s no place like home…

Girls ensemble aim for soaring heights with their high pitched melodies – not a squawk to be heard (honest!) – and Moyo Omoyini (ensemble) receives compliments on her sensational Carrie Bradshaw inspired handbag, a vintage, plastic oblong resembling
an old fashioned cassette player.  Oh wait, it is a cassette player!
Moyo is bringing back ‘the dictaphone’, the sort that Woolworths stopped selling 10 years ago and that takes a full size cassette and could easily hold the contents of her make up bag as well!

Meanwhile, three grown men begin to cry when Nick Winston
(choreographer) demonstrates what the Crows will be required to do onstage.

Finally, principals and ensemble join forces in the main rehearsal space; the ensemble are still dancing, still singing and most of all still sweating…oh joy!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/jul/02/3?gusrc=rss&feed=fromtheguardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/jun/26/3

Day one. It’s hot, it’s dry and the slight whiff of nervousness hangs in the air and we get the bombshell, courtesy of Jude Kelly (director) that we have to learn over 40 names. Jude introduces us to the phenomenal naming game, where we learn that Jude Kelly permits us to call her Judith but not Judi (unless you want death by stone-throwing) and Susannah Fellows will not answer to Susi but favours the more elegant Sooz. Once Gary Wilmot’s honourable attempt at remembering our names comes to an end and Julian Forsyth has claimed his prize bottle of champagne after naming all 40 of us correctly, we begin the rehearsal process.

Nothing could prepare us for the marathon that Nick Winston (choreographer) had in store and little did we realise when we left the rehearsal room that day that we had only just scratched the surface of “The Merry Old Land of Oz” number. We appeared to resemble the British water polo team after a game in the pool – dripping with sweat and completely exhausted we left for home! A definite sign of things to come – watch this space……

Here are some of our first rehearsal shots…

Photographs by Mattia Reiniger