The big unveiling...

So, no progress pics today. Two years ago today, I was VERY nervous. Night of the Living Dead was about to open, my first show with New Line. I wanted it to be just right. When all was said and done, the attention to detail paid off and the show was a success.

 Today I feel the same way but not about the show. The show is pretty much ready. I have a few touch-ups to do sometime tomorrow before curtain, but basically, Heathers will go up with or without me. It is in the hands of the cast and Gabe.

 This time, my nerves are about the new theater. The Marcelle is mostly ready. There are some LED lights in the lobby that have not yet come in and will have to be installed halfway thru the run. Mine will have to substitute until they come in. Oh well...is what it is.

So, what do I have to talk about or to worry about? Tomorrow is a REALLY big day for me. Tomorrow, the doors of the Marcelle open to our patrons for the first time. The people who have seen it over the past few weeks have been very complimentary. But, tomorrow evening, I intend to just hang out in the lobby before the house opens and listen to what people say. Just before the house opens, I will slip inside and hang out somewhere in the back. Tomorrow is also the first night in this new black box.

 There are undoubtedly still a few bugs in the facility, but this is like its first test flight...how will it perform in front of a house full of paying customers? We already know that there are a few quirks. The house lights are lamped with very expensive LED lamps that are not playing nicely with the dimmer pack, so they flicker as they dim. :/ The seating risers are rented because the new ones were not able to be delivered in time to set up the house. The seating is unconventional for a theater. I suggested church chairs because of cost and flexibility. They are a type of a stack chair that hook together to create rows. Will the audience really be comfortable sitting in them for two hours?

 Then there is my design for Heathers. This is my first set in a black box and it was a paradigm shift for me. Typically, I am designing a "background" for the show. We have had maskings and backstage space. Not here. This set is an object in the space...very different for me. Will it work? Will I get ripped by the critics because it is not a typical "Rob" set?

Well, there is little that I can do to change things now. 24 hours from now, I will have a better handle on whether my big experiment is a success or not.

This weekend's performances are mostly sold out.  I cannot wait to see and hear the reactions to my work. I have poured my heart and soul into this. We have gotten a lot of press this past week.  Now comes the real test...will I pass?

R