Paul Bunyan - The Beginning of the Journey

Today was the day and we are off and away!

We have officially started Paul Bunyan!

The rehearsal started off as the Commentary Meeting where we met the production team and we got to see the general set and costumes for the show!
The amazing team that are building Paul Bunyan consists of:

Michael Albano, our fabulous director, designs by Fred Perruzza and Lisa Magill, and Sandra Horst conducts.

Once the meeting had ended, we went right into Choreography. For those who don't know, Paul Bunyan features a Barn Dance that will be included in U of T's Production! We also have a wonderful choreographer who is in charge of herding us during the barn dance. With a cast of about 100 people, it may take an army to get us to dance!
Doing a mix of ballet, modern and folk dancing, we started learning basic combinations. It was a nice change from our usual singing. Now that we're closer to showtime, the fun part begins!

I was explaining to someone in my building that I find the staging the best part of being in a performance. The early stages of learning music is enjoyable but you aren't 100% sure of what it will all sound like considering you're just working with a pianist and maybe a few others if you are in the chorus. The actual time to perform can be stressful on the mind and body. The early mornings of class and the late nights can be exhausting. Not forgetting to include that you have to be on and focused for an entire 3 hours or else something could go crazy. That can be very physically and mentally exhausting, on top of singing your heart out for 2 weeks straight.

The working process is the part where everyone bonds the most. You learn how each other works and how to deal with it on top of putting all the puzzle pieces together. Trying on your costume for the first time and seeing how you are now transforming into a character can be so exciting. It's where the magic happens. The other moment that is pure magic is when you go out for bows and the crowd is going wild. That moment is unbelievable and the adrenaline that comes with it is addictive, which keeps bringing me back for more.

If you are interested in seeing U of T's Paul Bunyan you can buy tickets here.

The show times:

Thu Mar 10 | 7:30 pm
Fri Mar 11 | 7:30 pm 
Sat Mar 12 | 7:30 pm 
Sun Mar 13 | 2:30 pm 

If you're interested in seeing a bare bones version of the story of Paul Bunyan, check out this 20 minute Disney short here!

Hope to see you all there!


Until next time,


Tessa