Lindbergh’s Preview Performance Log
Days of rehearsal: 35
Hours of rehearsal: I’ve lost count, but about 221
Number of preview performances: 5
Days until opening night: 1
Meetings with relatives of Charles Lindbergh: 1
Claybourne Elder and Lars Lindbergh. |
*Note: I’m always happy to walk into the lobby after a show and meet with audience members who have enjoyed the performance and have something to say. A few nights ago a woman came up to me and told me that when she was a little girl she lived in France and her mother took her to see Lindbergh in Paris! Amazing! However, I was even more blown away last night when Adam, who has facilitated these blogs (thank you Adam!), stopped me outside the theatre and told me to head back inside to meet someone. And to my surprise Charles Lindbergh’s grandson was standing there! He was easy to spot in the crowd because he is the spitting-image of his grandfather. The same long face and tall, thin stature. A few people have told me that I look a bit like Lindbergh, but when I got home and looked at the picture of us side by side it sunk in for the first time. I’ll try to include the picture so you can judge for yourself.
*Note: Previews have been amazing; McCarter is a fantastic place to develop new work! Every day since first preview we have spent our days making changes and improvements to the show. If you saw one of the preview performances, you might return to see the show later in the run and find a song or scene missing or new ones surprising you. Every night before the show, I have to walk through all the changes that have been made to make sure I have a handle on them. It makes me a little nervous to walk out on stage and present something that a few hours earlier was just words on a brand new page of script, but the thrill is even better when the audience responds well to it!
Posted by Claybourne Elder, who plays Charles Lindbergh in McCarter Theatre’s Production of Take Flight
