The Wiz report for Saturday

It was a very different, surreal day for me today. As you may have heard (or read) I will be taking the day off tomorrow for a personal obligation. In preparation for this, I have been training Alternate Wiz. Now, for the first time on the East Coast (including Cambridge), I am not calling the shots. It's very difficult to give this repsonsibility to someone else, no matter how excellent and talented that person is. I feel a very deep personal connection to this show and it's tough to let someone else be a part of that. During the matinee I was backstage with alternate Wiz, making sure that he feels comfortable. It will be the last time he can ask questions, and we chat during our quieter moments to make sure all is going well.

The evening show was the most surreal. I was able to sit in the audience and just watch and laugh. I have only done this a few times - all of them in Los Angeles when another stage manager was in charge. But here, in NYC, I've never been able to do that. It's quite an experience. I could hear everything the audience was saying, watch what they were doing, and be a true part of them. I've seen this show many, many times and I have not laughed (or cried) like I did tonight with all of you.

Perhaps one of the funniest moments was during the Bob routine when Jay needed to clear his throat. Bob stops and says "if you don't clear your throat, I'm out of work." So Jay takes a drink of water and then drops the bottle of water on the stage. He picks it up (not an easy task with Bob at the end of his arm) and all the time I'm sending telepathic messages. I send those messages during the show and Jay always seems to get them. He surely got this one. Meanwhile, we're all laughing and Bob asks a little girl in the front row (who was laughing at everything) "Have you ever seen those Chuckie Movies?" So we all laugh, and just as I think we're going to get back into the routine as written (silly me), Bob says "Don't step in that (water) you'll electrocute yourself". Now we're in hysterics again. My head hurts from laughing so hard.

Tonight's monkey song? Definitley NOT the song from "The WIZard of Oz" as I thought, but "Teddy Bear's Picnic". We use "Teddy Bear's Picnic" several times in the show. I've heard it hundred of times and still, still I cannot get it right. Jay thought it was a dead give away, and laughed when I got it wrong. Don't worry Mr. Johnson - I'll text message my guesses in tomorrow, and I darned well better win!

Until the next one (on Tuesday)
Wiz