I went looking for a framed photograph yesterday, which by the way I did not succeed in finding. But I did find a treasure trove of other photographs, many from my earlier days of touring and teaching. And I found this:
“Back in the day” one of the zillion things I did as a musician was serve as music director for a local theater company. Not to knock anyone, but it did always seem to me that except when we were putting on a musical (and sometimes even then), the music pretty much took back seat to everything else. Especially the sets! So when this Jerry Van Amerongen comic first ran, I kept it as a talisman of working in the theater. It still brings back those times. Good times, really, just a touch frantic and hurried and harassed. (But when it all came together — so wonderful!)
Also, the actors were so scared of me during the first musical we put on. I wanted them to count! I wanted them to warm up! I wanted them to make a good faith effort to actually sing the music as written! They’re actors, they wanted to act. And here was this crazy woman they had to deal with who wanted them to master a second performance art. I was always very sweet with them, unless they talked while I was rehearsing a singer or trio. How can anyone hear what they need to change if there is this constant background of talking? To sing well, we need to hear well. (To play piano well, we need to hear well, too, of course. Our musician’s art is about listening and hearing.)
From that, I earned a reputation for being tough. I was heartbroken at first; then I realized it would help me keep the actors in line during my part of the rehearsal. Thus I became a tough, mean mama. Hah!
It’s comforting to reflect that I gained something from all the time I spent in theater rehearsals.