Lindbergh’s Rehearsal Log
Day: 6
Weather: Perfectly sunny for finding Easter eggs
Hours of rehearsal: 42
Days until first preview: 25
Numbers of full read/sing throughs of the show: priceless.

*Note: After a week of working hard to learn all our music, today we put the script and score together and read through the show for the first time. You could cut the excitement with a propeller (get it?) as the cast, artistic staff, writers and some theater staff gathered to hear the first sketch of what this beautiful show is going to be. I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous. It was mostly nervous-excitement though as there was no pressure to make it any sort of performance, just a first, broad stroke. All the nervousness melted away when as a cast we sang the first number. There’s something very magical that happens when a cast unites in purpose. I felt immediately like part of a larger whole and the energy of the cast lifted me up and supported me and before I knew it we were at the end of the show. I don’t want to ruin any surprises for you when you come to the show, but let me just say that there are moments that are going to blow you away. I feel so lucky to be in the company of such a talented group!

Posted by Claybourne Elder, who plays Charles Lindbergh in McCarter Theatre’s Production of  Take Flight.

Lindbergh’s Rehearsal Log

One section of the Take Flight historical image board in the rehearsal room, complied by McCarter Literary Department

Posted by Claybourne Elder, who plays Charles Lindbergh in McCarter Theatre’s Production of Take Flight.

Lindbergh’s Rehearsal Log

Day: 4, Table Work Sessions
Weather: Light fog in the morning, not a cloud in the sky during the day
Hours of rehearsal: 28
Days until first preview: 27
Number of cast field trips to visit the stage: 1
Crazy cats waiting for me outside the theatre: 1

*Note: I love pets. I grew up with dogs, horses, fish, turtles, hamsters, etc… I say this so you’ll know that I generally have a good rapport with domesticated animals. However, today I met my match. I finished rehearsal a bit before everyone else and so I left the theatre alone. As I walked out the stage door, I stopped to check my cell phone and noticed a cat intently watching me from a bench about 3 yards away. It was perked up, back slightly arched, staring me down in that way that cats do as though you’ve just interrupted them in the middle of something important. Like the cat was curled up with the latest Harry Potter and a glass of milk and I came outside screaming and waving my arms. As I started to walk again, I expected the cat to bound away like jittery cats do when interrupted. But to my shock, the cat jumped down from the bench and took two strides toward me, eyes locked with mine the entire time. “Its on,” the cat’s beady little eyes gleamed.

What stuck me most—as I was contemplating what it would be like to get rabies—was something I had just read about Lindbergh. Just before he took his great flight, he spent 8 days waiting for weather to clear to take off from Curtiss Field in New York. He kept the plane ready so at any moment he could jump in and fly. During that time a kitten took up residence near the plane and kind of became their little mascot. They named her Patsy. Up until the day before he left, Lindbergh spent a lot of time playing with the kitten in the plane and had decided to fly her across the ocean with him. There are some great photos of them together in the hangar. Ultimately he decided not to take Patsy, but for a moment newspapers reported Patsy was going to be the co-pilot. Apparently even cats get 15 minutes of fame.

It seems that the crazy cat outside the theatre decided I deserved to live because it finally took off in another direction. But it stands to question: If cats have nine lives, could Patsy still be wandering somewhere around the Northeast waiting for Lindbergh to take her on the promised flight? Probably not. So I’ve decided to call my crazy cat Sally.

Posted by Claybourne Elder, who plays Charles Lindbergh in McCarter Theatre’s Production of Take Flight.

Lindbergh’s Rehearsal Log
Day: 3
Weather: Gorgeous blue skies
Hours of rehearsal: 21
Days until first preview: 28
Number of cast members with pink socks: 1

*Notes: Lindbergh Facts learned today: In his life he flew an estimated 280,000 miles in 8,400 flights. He spent 3,150 hours in airplanes according to his meticulously organized flight book which included flight number, mileage, cities traveled to, passengers and mechanical data of every flight ever flown. He flew over 8,600 passengers.

*Notes: During music rehearsal today, two actors were asked on the fly to improvise some Italian dialogue and flawlessly spewed forth in actual Italian (or what miraculously resembled it.)

Posted by Claybourne Elder, who plays Charles Lindbergh in McCarter Theatre’s Production of Take Flight.

Lindbergh’s Rehearsal Log

A NJ-shaped tattoo on Claybourne’s arm

Day: 2
Weather: Beautifully sunny, Spring is near
Hours of Rehearsal: 14
Days until 1st Preview: 29
Dialect Sessions: 8
Number of New Jersey-shaped temporary tattoos on members of the company: 5

*Note: After a long day of rehearsals, I decided to pick up some mini-cupcakes at the Bent Spoon and lo and behold found New Jersey-shaped temporary tattoos for sale. Included is a photo of mine—proudly displayed on my arm.

*Note: Special thanks to the nice women at J. Crew who lent me an umbrella yesterday when it was very rainy. They only had umbrellas in the women’s section and I couldn’t bring myself to show up with a pink flowery umbrella.

Posted by Claybourne Elder, who plays Charles Lindbergh in McCarter Theatre’s Production of Take Flight.

I was that kid on the first day of school who was so excited and nervous that he packed two lunches, just in case, and had his clothing options lined up four days ahead of schedule. Obsessive? Maybe a little. But it all grew out of excitement for the unknown and the exploration of something new. What will my teachers be like? Will the other kids like me? Will they make fun of my Thunder Cats trapper keeper?

Claybourne Elder

Now as an actor, I get to have the first day of school about every three months as I begin work on a play. But rarely do I get the extra-exciting thrill of working on a new musical. I couldn’t hide my grin as I walked into the Berlind Rehearsal Hall today, having John Weidman, Richard Maltby Jr., and David Shire in the room casually sipping coffee. Three men whose work I admire so much, and here we are about to embark on a new adventure together: Take Flight. Plus an outstanding director, crew, cast and company on the runway, just waiting to take off. We all milled around and ate delicious bagels (and macaroons and matzo in honor of Passover) then took our seats to start our day.

So much preparation has gone into the weeks and months before our arrival that I couldn’t even begin to describe. What I can tell you about, however, is my preparation for playing Charles Lindbergh. It’s always tricky playing a historical figure because you can study and research to your heart’s content, but the story told within the script is the most important piece of reference material. There are countless books on Lindbergh and each paints him such a different light, I wasn’t sure where to begin. Lost in a sea of Lindbergh biographies at the Strand Bookstore in New York, I emailed John Weidman to ask for advice. He recommended a few books that he felt gave a good unbiased overview and a great piece of advice: Be careful, Lindbergh wasn’t necessary the heroic man you picture in your head standing next to his plane, scarf waving in the wind. Well, maybe that’s not exactly what he said, but that’s what I took away.

The month prior to starting rehearsals, I did a lot of traveling, perfect time to get some reading done. I spend so much time on planes that I ended up reading The Spirit of St. Louis, Lindbergh’s account of his transcontinental flight, entirely in the air. Learning so much about flying makes your senses heighten when you’re on a commercial flight. How amazing is it that we can get into a big metal tube and 5 hours later be on the opposite coast? We’re long past the days of Lindbergh when planes had an open cockpit and were made out of a metal frame covered in cloth and painted with dope. Before the jet engine, cargo weight was a very important issue pilots had to deal with. Lindbergh was so concerned about weight that he used a wicker chair as his pilots seat in the Spirit of St. Louis. And he probably would have charged you a lot more than $25 a bag to check your luggage.

Reading The Spirit of St. Louis gave me an idea, which leads me to the real purpose of this blog entry. In the book, every hour Lindbergh notates in his flight log. So, I bought myself a little notebook for my back pocket and decided that I would make a rehearsal log, just as an exercise and a way to connect my experience. And on our first day when it was mentioned that cast members sometimes contribute to the blog, I thought this might be a great addition. Every few days, hopefully, I’ll post Lindbergh’s Rehearsal Log Blog with some stats, info and maybe a photo or two about our journey into this piece. This first entry will be pretty short, but as the days go on I’ll have more to include!

On behalf of the cast and crew, we’re all so thrilled to be here at the McCarter and in this fantastic community to create this piece AND we’re so excited to share it with you!

Lindbergh’s Rehearsal Log Blog

Day: 1, Cast of Take Flight descends on Princeton
Weather: Heavy Rain
Hours of Rehearsal: 7
Cast Members: 12
Bagels Consumed: roughly 24
Cast members with mustaches: 1

Posted by Claybourne Elder, who plays Charles Lindbergh in McCarter Theatre’s Production of Take Flight.