Slllllluuuuuurrrrrrpppp!

That slurping sound you hear is our amazing cast, sucking in the juicy drops of musical wisdom that Juri Panda Jones –our unparalleled Musical Director— has been pouring out for them! The first week of rehearsals has been so exhilarating! This cast is super-talented, bringing so much beauty and passion to their roles.

The songs that Melissa has written for this show (like 26 of them or something crazy like that!) are utterly gorgeous and hearing the cast work with them has me more excited than ever.

Juri is a master at getting right to the point and getting everyone to do their very best work, but at the same time she’s FUN! All that and she even made a scrumptious noodle dish for everyone to eat at rehearsal today. I first met her through our beloved fellow artist Tommy DeFrantz a few years ago. The moment we were introduced, she was in the act of giving someone else a gift (which is typical, so if you’re smart, make friends with her!). I don’t want to say exactly what the gift was, but… okay, its kind of like traditional herbal Viagra! Wait, snake venom isn’t really an herb, is it?

On Tuesday they start the staging rehearsals with our boy genius director Patrick Wang! I know, Patrick is not officially a boy anymore, youthful as he does appear. He’s a tremendously accomplished artist who’s made a big name for himself in theater and film. But I’m proud to say that I first met him when he WAS still a schoolboy! Well, at MIT.

Patrick is on my mind because he has played such a great role in the development of the show, giving deep and smart feedback and suggestions about the script and really pushing to make this the most spectacular production The Theater Offensive has ever put on! Starting Tuesday, the whole cast will get the pleasure of plugging into his creativity.

Valencia Imani Hughes, the Production Stage Manager, keeps the whole show running! When Valencia is in charge, everyone is well taken care of. We also know we better deliver, because as a mother of four (!) Valencia knows a thing or two about being in charge. Actually, she’s now a proud grandmother! In fact, her daughter Marina was helping Valencia at a production meeting for our last show when she went into labor. I’ll never forget, Valencia was so devoted to the production, she was like: “Sweetheart, just hold tight. I’ll finish my meeting in just a few minutes, then I’ll drive you to the hospital. One cool cucumber!

So it’s not a surprise that with this terrific cast and crew, rehearsals are going strong. This is destined to be one of our most spectacular productions EVER!

Abe March 13