Well, opening night was a resounding success. Thanks to all my Finkville Fiends for the emails and for the encouraging comments here on the blog; they do mean the world, and I will get back to you on the double, once we close.

I have some pictures that were taken during the last dress rehearsal on Wednesday night. Have a looksee if you like…I think it’s a great cast.

Stars Frank & Annie, going at it in “Anything You Can Do”:

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Sitting Bull (very cool that George is part Native American) & squaws:

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Sitting Bull, Annie, Buffalo Bill, Charlie Davenport:

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Dolly Tate (our Dolly is delightfully bratty):

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The 4 kids are perfect:

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Pawnee Bill, Dolly, Buffalo Bill:

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Annie:

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Frank & Annie, going at it again:

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The cast:

Looking forward to doing it all again tonight. But for now…off to the grocery. Jakey’s coming for lunch with his mama & daddy, and Grammie doesn’t have to be at the school until 6 p.m.

Happy Finkday indeed!

Another show. It seems like we just started rehearsals (around Labor Day was when it all began). To others, it probably seems like we’ve been going at it for a hundred years. It’s gone by fast for me.

Last week I researched some historical information on Annie Oakley to include in the program notes. What I found was quite interesting…

Her real name was Phoebe Ann Mosey. She was born in Darke County, Ohio, 13 August 1860. It is said that she changed her name to “Oakley” in honor of the Ohio town of the same name.

Frank Butler – the sharpshooter Annie would eventually marry and live happily ever after with – was only too glad to become Annie’s assistant and manager after she consistently outshot him in the Wild West Show performances. (The movie and Broadway versions depict Frank as more of an arrogant chauvinist.)

The Butlers were happily married all of their years together. (In fact, off stage, Annie always referred to herself as Mrs. Frank Butler.) They retired back to her hometown in Ohio after their careers in show business were over, even though, at age 62, Annie could still nail 100 clay targets in a row without missing.

Always together in life, it makes beautiful sense that they died together. Annie passed away on 3 November, 1926, and Frank died 3 weeks later, on the 21st — both of natural causes.

Great story, great show. Or at least I’m hoping it will be….

See you on the other side of it all.

Fink out.

Image and story credit: Buffalo Bill Historical Society; Lakewood Public Library

Production week has arrived, my fiends. For you thespian types, you know what that involves. For those of you who possess more stable minds and choose not to involve yourself in musical theater, this means:

• I leave for school at 6:50 a.m., and drag back through the door at 10 p.m.
• I think about many things:
  • Do I have everything set up for the orchestra?
  • Do all my stand lights work?
  • Are there enough batteries for the mics?
  • Where’s my friggin’ BATON!?!?
  • Do I have all the tempo changes marked in the overture?
  • When are the Chameleon headsets going to arrive?
  • Whose name did I leave out of the program?
  • DANGIT I forgot to give the payroll information to Shirley.
  • It’s 5:57 a.m. and I haven’t made lunch or dinner for tonight for me and #1 Son.
  • Why do I feel like I’m going to vomit?
  • There are three rehearsals left (which answers the previous question).
• I think we have a fine show, with solid singing and talented young people who have learned volumes about acting.
• I don’t know how I’m going to squeeze Jakey into my schedule this week, which makes me sad.
• I have very little time for parent-teacher conferences this week (not altogether a bad thing, since very few people sign up to conference with the choir director — also not altogether a bad thing).

Yikes it’s 5:59 and I have to get going. Have a delightful Monday, and I’ll see a great many of you this night…

Fink out.

….followed by another beginning.

Today marks the beginning of my last doctoral class. It’s been a long haul: eleven courses in all, 44 semester hours, nonstop through weekends, musical and dinner theater rehearsals and performances, weddings and the birth of a grandchild, holidays and summer break, since January of 2007. I’m glad this is the last one, but by no means is it the end. And I’m not talking about writing the dissertation (which I’m actually looking forward to).

Unlike many degree programs, this doctorate doesn’t end by way of completing classes and graduating. If only…

Rather, it ends with my taking three huge exams. If I pass, I collect (or, more likely, pay) my $200 and advance to the residency stage, where I will defend my dissertation proposal to a panel of professors. If I don’t pass, I can test again for a total of three times. If I don’t pass after the third round, it’s sayonara. Do a curriculum project and we’ll give you a second masters degree. Nice knowing you. Have a nice life. Thanks for the fifty grand, and please go away now.

That’s a bit unnerving for me. My family and friends, who are wonderful and very supportive, have all assured me that I will pass the Qualifying Exams I will take in the spring. But, as I’ve told them, other (and very smart) people have tried and failed. It’s an exceptionally difficult program to get through. Out of the last group of 70 students who took the QEs, only 7 passed. That’s an eight percent pass rate.

Things don’t look good for the home team.

I’m not trying to be all doom-and-gloom and woe-is-me, but I am trying to be realistic. If a Tanglewood scholar can’t pass, what are the chances for a jazz and rock and roll singer? I have no answers. I don’t know…it’s good for me to “verbalize” my fears, I suppose. Maybe the planets will align properly on testing day and I’ll be magnificent. Maybe I’ll go down in flames. No way to tell. I can only prepare and do my best.

But if the worst does happen, I’m not going to just fall on my sword. I will keep fighting the fight (although what that means, I’m not entirely sure). I know that there are many more important things in life than having “Dr.” in front of your name. And I’ve learned a ton of great stuff in this journey. It will undoubtedly help me in the future, whatever that will be, no matter what the test grades are.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Fink out.