Notes for Friday May 13 Rehearsal + Chester Playhouse Performance!

Hi everyone!

What an incredible weekend!! Thank you so much for your beautiful energy, expressivity, and dedication. We are so grateful to get to make art with you each week and we were so thrilled with both performances in Halifax. Now we get to hit the road!

We have a tour rehearsal this Friday evening for everyone who is doing the show in Chester this weekend (the only people we have confirmed who will not be doing the Chester show are Paige, Rachael, Carolyn, and Grace). Here's our plan:

Friday May 13 - The Bus Stop Theatre, 2203 Gottingen St.

6:00 Choreo Rehearsal - Servant & Poncia Only
6:30 Physical & Vocal Warmup - FULL COMPANY
6:45 Music
7:15 Transitions
7:45 Running in Sections

Rather than do a full run, we are going to run sections where blocking/music will be affected by the changes in personnel.

Saturday May 14 - Chester Playhouse, 22 Pleasant St., Chester

2:45 pm Call for Singers
3:00 pm Rehearsal - full mark through
5:00 pm Dinner
6:30 pm Call
7:30 pm Show

To Bring:

• music and script
• costume (including footwear)
• all hair/makeup items
• any props you are responsible for (fans, picture, etc)
• gas money for your driver
• snacks for yourself

We will have 1.5 hours for dinner but it would be best to call ahead to a restaurant in the area to book, or bring your own dinner.

We will post a drives spreadsheet on the blog within 24 hours for you to organize drives. Note that it's just under an hour drive from downtown Halifax.

Any questions, please let us know! Looking forward to sharing the show with a whole new audience in Chester!

Tech Week

Hi everyone!

Thank you for your great work on Sunday! We are now into our big week and are so excited to bring all the final elements together to make something powerful for our audience. Please make sure to review both Claire and Christina's vlogs in order to prepare for Tuesday night's rehearsal.

Once again, here's the schedule for this week:

Tuesday May 3 - St Matthew's
Cue to Cue Rehearsal
6-10 pm

Wednesday May 4 - St Matthew's
Dress Rehearsal
6-10 pm

Thursday May 5 - Atlantic School of Theology Chapel
Review Rehearsal
7-9 pm

Friday May 6 - St Matthew's
Show #1
6:00 pm call
8:00 pm show

Saturday May 7 - St Matthew's
Show #2
6:30 pm call
8:00 pm show

For the Tuesday & Wednesday rehearsals, the church will be open at approx 5pm for you to come in and get ready/eat/do what you need. We will be starting at 6pm sharp each night.

The Atlantic School of Theology is located at 660 Francklyn St., Halifax.

Hair/Makeup

Please see Dan's post on the blog about hair and makeup. Please make sure your hair/makeup is ready to go by our 6pm start on both Tuesday and Wednesday. No makeup is needed for Thursday.

Costumes

All costume elements must be brought and worn each night (except Thursday), including footwear.

Tickets

All ticket money must be in to Erin no later than Wednesday. Tickets will still be available at the door and online after that date.

Notes for Sunday May 1 + Tech Week Schedule

Hi everyone!

Thanks again for your wonderful work yesterday at rehearsal. You really champed it and I was so grateful that you were so focused. I think we got a lot done despite being conductor-less!! Here's our plan for this coming Sunday:

Sunday May 11:15 Physical Warmup
1:25 Vocal Warmup
1:35 Music Fixes
2:35 Gallery Interlude Soundscapes - Music + Running w/ Blocking
3:05 End of the Show Soundscape
3:35 Break + Costumes
3:55 Curtain Call
4:05 Run

5:00 Notes & Fixes

Reminder to bring all your costumes elements including shoes to rehearsal. Reminder that Alto 2s are on snack!

Tickets

Reminder that you can bring in money for tickets to Erin at any time. She will accept ticket money up until Wednesday, May 4. Tickets are also available online: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2537816

Tech Week

Just a reminder of the schedule for tech week (all is on the Google Calendar but just so you have it here too):

Tuesday May 3 - St Matthew's

Cue to Cue Rehearsal

6-10 pm

Wednesday May 4 - St Matthew's 

Dress Rehearsal

6-10 pm

Thursday May 5 - TBA

Review Rehearsal

7-9 pm

Friday May 6 - St Matthew's

Show #1

6:00 pm call

8:00 pm show

Saturday May 7 - St Matthew's

Show #2

6:30 pm call

8:00 pm show

For the Tuesday & Wednesday rehearsals, the church will be open at approx 5pm for you to come in and get ready/eat/do what you need. We will be starting at 6pm sharp each night.

Any questions, let Claire know!

Notes for Sunday Apr 24

Hi everyone!

Great work this past weekend - we are getting one step closer to performance ready every week! Here's the plan for Sunday:

1:00 Adela Team Choreo Review // Stool Felt Application Party

1:15 Physical Warmup
1:25 Vocal Warmup
1:35 Music Fixes
2:35 Gallery Music & Blocking
3:05 BREAK + change into costumes
3:20 End of the show - Blocking & Scene Rehearsal
3:50 Blocking Fixes
4:35 Run

Note that Adela team will meet 15 mins ahead of rehearsal to review their blocking for La luna asoma with Claire.

We need to put felt on the bottom of the stools! We will bring the felt - if anyone who is there for 1pm on Sunday can help, we can make it a team effort and get it done very quickly!

Please review all changes that we made this past week at rehearsal and make sure that you are super solid on everything - especially the transitions!!!!

Tickets

You can bring ticket money for Erin at any time! She will have additional tickets with her this weekend.  Christina and I have posted some text on the Facebook group that you can use when promoting the show - let us know if you need anything else to help you spread the word!

Notes for Sunday April 17

Hi everyone!

Once again another big and challenging rehearsal, but you all rose to the occasion! We are making significant progress each week, and each rehearsal brings us closer to having the show performance ready. As you know there are some areas of the show that are still lagging further behind in terms of preparation and this week we need to make some big progress on these places.

In terms of music please make sure the following pieces are rock solid come this Sunday: Cancion de jinete, O Vos Omnes, VC3 (in particular the key change). 

Claire will be providing movement notes in a vlog post this week.

Here's the plan for Sunday:

1:15 Physical Warmup
1:25 Vocal Warmup
1:35 Music Fixes
2:50 Transitions
3:40 Break + Costumes
4:00 Run
5:00 Notes & Fixes

Reminder that you need to be bringing your costumes to rehearsal every week for the run, including footwear.

Ticket money can be brought in to Erin at any rehearsal between now and show week! If you need more tickets, just let her know! Tenille has created the Facebook event, please keep sharing and circulating!

ECMAs

This weekend is the big weekend! Keep an eye on our social media mid-afternoon on Saturday as we will be launching the video right after the Classical Recording Showcase! Send lots of positive Xara love vibes out into the universe on Saturday and we will keep our fingers crossed for a win!! No matter what happens, we are SO proud of all of you and so thrilled to be nominated among other extremely well known classical artists on the East Coast!

Notes for Sunday April 10

Hi everyone!

Thanks for your wonderful work and loving supportive energy on Sunday. We are making amazing progress on this show and it is because each one of you is valuing the process and being honest and open about your feelings and thoughts. Thank you!!

Here's the plan for this Sunday:

1:15 By-Call: Daughters + Poncia (VC2 Blocking)
1:45 Physical Warmup - FULL COMPANY ARRIVES
1:55 Vocal Warmup
2:05 Record Virita Criosa 1-5
2:30 Music
3:00 Transitions
3:50 Break + Costumes
4:10 Run
5:00 Break + Notes

5:10 Fixes

Please note that for all rehearsals from here on out, we'd like you to be in costume so you can get used to moving in your clothing. Please take good care of your costume during and in between rehearsals. 

Reminder that this Sunday is the off book date for EVERYTHING - music, choreography, spoken text. The only major thing we have left to refine are the transitions, which we will be working on this Sunday.

We will be ordering two more stools to make it an even twenty but if anyone has a stool of comparable height that they could bring to rehearsal this Sunday, that would be so helpful. Leave us a comment on the Facebook post for this blog to let us know if you can bring one. Reminder that soprano 1s (plus special alto guests) are on snack this week!

2016-17 Season

If you haven't yet had a chance, check out our blog post detailing our plans for next season. Our first round of auditions for next season is on Tuesday April 12. If you know anyone who might be interested, please get them to email us at info@xara.ca

As we begin the audition process, we need to know who will be returning from our existing ensemble. Please take a quick minute to fill out this poll: http://goo.gl/forms/Owyx0GfYfD

There is an option for "I'm not sure yet" and space for you to fill details for us. We really hope that all of you will be returning to magical Xara land next year :) Any questions about the season or anything else, feel free to contact us at any time.

Rehearsal Notes - April 3

El Grito - Video

El Grito - same pitch as the last note of VC4

Mm 1 SCREAM Adela & Martirio choreography, Gallery enrapt attention on them

Mm 2 - 4 Back row stands up and leans over the front row, front row leans in toward the centre, upstage foot forward.

Mm 5 Back row place hands on the backs and shoulders of the people in the front row.

Mm 6 & 7 Full body circle first to the right (counter clockwise), then to the left (clockwise). Rearticulate on the start of measure 7 and switch direction.

Mm 8 Re-intensify the lean in toward the centre

Mm 9 SCREAM  Adela attempts to hug Martirio. Gallery returns to sitting and standing upright

Mm 10 Front row press the backs of your hands together with your neighbours and stand up all at the same. As you stand, let hands float down to your sides.

Mm 11 Hold hands with your neighbour, people on the ends hold hands between the front and back row

Mm 12 Continue holding hands. Lean in toward the centre.

Mm 13 SCREAM Martirio threatens Adela. Gallery return to standing upright, drop hands to sides.

Mm 14 - 18 Walk to form a double U (meet in the centre). Threateningly surrounding Adela and Martirio.

Mm 19 SCREAM Adela threatens Martirio.

Mm 20 - 21 Gallery stand and sing (for now)

Gallery splits in the centre when Martirio says “Mother! Mother!” And Adela says “Let me pass!”

Virita Criosa 5

Virita Criosa 5 - D spreads (Nikki) + rapid crescendo under BERNARDA: Behave! Behave! Quiet! If only I ad a thunderbolt between my fingers! MARTIRIO: She was with him! Look at her petticoat, full of straw!

Mm 160 - 167 File back to positions in the Gallery

Mm 188 People in back row get up on benches (Talisa & Leah)

Mm 191 People in front row get up on benches (Sydney & Kallie)