Spamalot v2.0

Since I joined the tour, nearly 19 months ago, we've made several small changes to the show here and there.  During our week in West Point, we were set to make some larger changes.  The main thrust of the week was to make the show travel lighter, more easily and in fewer trucks.  (We arrived in West Point in 8 semi-trucks and hoped to leave in 6.)  It also afforded the creative staff a chance to brush-up with the cast and make some small directorial and choreographic changes.

The week began early on Monday.  Since West Point is only 50 miles north of the George Washington Bridge, I elected to spend the week at home.  I booked myself a train ticket on the earliest train from Syracuse back home to NYC.  The train ride was painless.  Watching the Mohawk River and then the Hudson slide by on the right-hand side of the train, I read and just enjoyed the scenery as I got closer and closer to home. 

Another tour sunrise - this one from the window of the Empire Service somewhere East of Syracuse

So much nicer than an airplane!

The autumn colors of the Hudson River outside the train window

Just after lunchtime, I was home in NYC!  Spending the week at home, with my beautiful wife, helped keep the whole project in perspective.  Spamalot v2.0 felt more like a job than a lifestyle when I could get in the car and go home each night.

The drive back and forth to West Point each day was amazing.  Once I crossed the GWB, the majority of the trip was through State Parks.  The fall colors were at their most vivid that first week in October and the drive was beautiful.  The West Point campus is, itself, quite beautiful.  Originally founded as a military base shortly after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, West Point became the United States Military Academy in 1802.  It's one of the largest college campuses in the country (at more than 16,000 acres) and home to 4,000 cadets.  The base sits on a cliff overlooking a bend in the Hudson River. While this commanding view was meant for military purposes, it is no less impressive just for the aesthetic purposes.

The view North up the Hudson from Eisenhower Hall

I stole this photo of Eisenhower Hall from their website...

Spamalot's home during the reworking of the show was Eisenhower Hall.  While the crew loaded-in and worked on stage, the cast rehearsed in the ballroom.  Often, rehearsal studios are windowless places.  That can be great for keeping the focus on the work, but not so good for my human spirit.  The ballroom at Eisenhower hall, however, had two walls of floor to ceiling windows overlooking the river and a balcony we could step out onto during breaks.  I even caught sight of a bald eagle soaring above the river just outside our rehearsal!

Jamie and Jonathan relax near the windows during rehearsal

We didn't have as much work to do in the studio as was initially anticipated.  The whole idea of the re-tech, as I mentioned, was not to re-work the performance, but to make the show travel more easily.  Some of the scenery was redesigned to be lighter or easier to assemble, but very little changed for the actors.  This meant that our Assistant Director and Choreographer could focus more on just tightening and cleaning the performances.

BT (Assistant Director) & Scott (Assistant Choreographer) pow-wow during rehearsal

The boys run through Brightside

Graham (Dance Captain) takes note of the adjustments

(Thanks to Francesca for some of these snaps)

While the cast was in the Ballroom, Ken and the crew worked in the auditorium.  The new set pieces had to be installed and worked into the cuing of the show, while the retiring pieces had to be packed up and sent to storage.  The new lighting package had to be focused and cued.  Our projections designer worked on new cues while the Sound Department reprogramed their equipment.  Everyone worked on cutting down the amount of extra stuff we travel.

The usual chaos of load-in was intensified as room had to be found for new things

Meanwhile, the orchestra had to rehearse as well.  The show's score was re-orchestrated to use fewer musicians.  As with all the other changes, this one was meant to make the show leaner, without sacrificing the original vision.  We'll still travel our five musicians, but will pick up less local players in each city.  The cast rehearsed with the new orchestra (and gave the Sound Department a chance to rehearse mixing the new arrangements) on-stage on Friday. 

On Saturday, we had a dress rehearsal in the afternoon and then our "one night only" performance of Spamalot in the evening.  Immediately after the performance, the crew set to work disassembling it all and loading-out.  The crew really worked hard all week.  They were in at 8AM and worked long days and mostly kept their sense of humor about the whole project.  In the end, I understand that they did get everything packed into just 6 trucks!

The performance went smoothly and the audience sounded like they really enjoyed themselves.  (The audience included both cadets and members of the Hudson Valley community.  Weird to have row upon row of audience members in uniform, though!)  The show still looks and sounds great.  The audiences who will see our show in the the upcoming engagements won't be missing a thing.

With our closing in West Point, the company was sent home on a two week lay-off.  I returned to NYC for the two weeks.  I've been catching up on my honey-do list, entertaining my in-laws, cheering the MSU Spartans to victory over the hated Wolverines, serving my much-delayed jury duty and visiting with my friends as much as possible.  Sheila Marie and I even found time to go on our annual apple picking adventure!  The time has absolutely flown by. 

SME, Donn & Rhoda take a break from picking apples for a family portrait

Next week, the tour reconvenes in Ottawa, Ontario.  I hope that we all remember the changes that were made in West Point!

JV