Consistency

They key to success is consistency. It's a prinicipal that the Disney company harps on and emphasizes, and one of the first things I learned there in that lovely "Traditions" class. Consistency can accomplish so many things: rapport with customers, a loyal base, and a good ending product. Which brings me to the reason that I am preaching on this: Bye Bye Birdie. Those poor, poor dears at Theatre Bristol do not get this principal in the least! A coreographer cannot change movements, timing, or rythms everytime that one runs a dance! Directors cannot change blocking or even switch character parts on a whim! And music directors cannot ever, EVER chang the music! Especially when they do it soley because they don't think the group can "get it." Things are written a certain way because they sound better that way and are meant to be done so. Changing notes and beats OR THE SOUNDS OF WORDS annoys people and will irritate an audience who has come to see a show they love and know but ends up seeing something totally different in a bad way, not to mention the legal ramifications with the publishing companies and authors! It's a bit insulting to the creators as well to change something that has had substantial success because you simply don't see it fit.
And when coreographers, music directors, and directors are changing crap right and left it confuses and frustrates everyone involved and makes the ENTIRE process muddled and messy and the end product will not be of quality and no one will be happy. I understand small changes are nessecary, as the work is a living and evolving thing, but small changes are completely acceptable. SO NOTE TO THE CREATIVE TEAM OF ANY PRODUCTION: Please, for everyones sake, go into a production with a clear focus and idea of what you want; not just a frame work, but a clear, well thought out idea. Execute this cleanly and efficiently, don't waste people's time (especially if they're there voluntarily). By simply doing this you will have a result better than you would imagine! You will have an eager, ready to work cast who knows what they're supposed to do! Imagine that! And it's simple too, I've done it before.

So that's that and all I have to say about it, although I'm sure that will be the pitfall of the current Bye Bye Birdie that I'm in. But I perservere on! I am beginning to miss Disneyworld a little, the freedom I had living down there and the insane amounts of fun getting into the parks for free! Today in the mail I recieved a few free tickets for friends or whoever to get into the parks. So I think I may pay a visit back down there in January, when it's not crowded. I can take an overnight Amtrak from DC to Orlando and it's not too expensive then I get 50% off hotels and free admission for me and my guests, so it should be nice. I hope so! I'd like to get back down there in the near future though. But for now I'm off to this wonderful rehearsal again! Hooray. Until next post!