"Everybody's Free to Fail"

Last night was a musical rehearsal for Assassins. I was approaching it with some dread, as I was under the impression we were going to be dancing as well. Thankfully, this was not the case. Choreography is not my friend. Not *this show’s* choreography, I mean the stuff in general. Oil and water have a better chance of mixing.

Anyway: We did the group numbers. There were one or two note problems. I had one of ‘em. Repeatedly.

Sam Byck has a character voice. We don’t sound much alike. Singing in that voice has proven difficult, so that voice had to be altered. I think I’ve found a good compromise, but that didn’t help me hit the note I needed, last night.

I haven’t done a musical in 8 years. I haven’t sung in public since my days of Sinfonia (OAS AAS LLS), and even then I had about 40-odd brothers backing me up in harmony. Byck stood alone last night.

For the record? This bar of Byck’s in the finale’ is not particularly high. It’s not in a weird key (for Sondheim). But it does sound completely different from the lines that come immediately before it. Which I think is what threw me for a loop. I hope that’s what it was, some weird mental block, as opposed to “Well, you just kinda suck.”

At least it was funny. The song is picking up steam, I mangle the notes, and hang my head in shame. The first time it happens, Andrea delighted in pointing out that the lyrics I wasn’t singing, “Everybody’s free to fail”, were appropriate. Har dee har har.

Take two: Nope. “F*ck me!” Our music director, Stuart, quietly said, “Well it is Valentine’s day, I’m sure somebody can accommodate you.” Oh, the comedy. I just shake my head, “Not asking, just an expletive.”

Take three: It works!! Get the right notes out, and we are good! Let’s do it a few more times!! Nothing I’d rather do! *Sarcasm detector explodes, flaming pieces rain to earth, those pieces explode*

Take four: Nuh-uh. “Damnation!!”

At this point my face is in my hands, I’m fed up. The notes are of this earth. They are not strange, they fit in the damn song. And I just couldn’t find ‘em. Stuart saw my frustration, and with all the charity of a horse surgeon who’s gonna give the animal a few more days to work out the limp, agreed to move on.

Rest of the night went fine, more or less. Byck has a solo in Another National Anthem, which went well, and Andrea was kind enough to say that it was sounding better.

Kaplahr. Glad to move on. Glad to.