Take Flight at the Library: The Nature of Collaboration

Take Flight at the Library: The Three Stories

Take Flight at the Library: The 2007 London Production

Take Flight at the Library: On Director Sam Buntrock

Posted by Lauren Medici, Marketing Intern at McCarter Theatre

Posted by Lauren Medici, Marketing Intern at McCarter Theatre.

In this video, shot during rehearsals for Take Flight, Jenn Colella (Amelia Earhart), Michael Cumpsty (George Putnam), Claybourne Elder (Charles Lindbergh), Stanton Nash (Wilbur Wright), Benjamin Schrader (Orville Wright) and director Sam Buntrock discuss the process of creating a new musical.

Posted by Lauren Medici, Marketing Intern at McCarter Theatre.

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

In this video, shot during rehearsals for Take Flight, Jenn Colella (Amelia Earhart), Michael Cumpsty (George Putnam), and director Sam Buntrock discuss Amelia Earhart’s role in history and the production.

Posted by Lauren Medici, Marketing Intern at McCarter Theatre.

What did you think?

Love it, hate it, somewhere in-between? We want to know!

Did you have a favorite moment or song? Were their parts you particularly liked, or disliked? Would you recommend the show to others?

Post an “audience response” or read what other people are saying by clicking on the “comments” link below.

We can’t wait to hear what you think.

Posted by Lauren Medici, Marketing Intern at McCarter.

In this video, shot during rehearsals for Take Flight, Claybourne Elder, who plays Charles Lindbergh, discusses Lindbergh’s role in history and his role in the production.

Posted by Lauren Medici, Marketing Intern at McCarter Theatre.

In this video, shot during rehearsals for Take Flight, Stanton Nash (Wilbur Wright), Benjamin Schrader (Orville Wright), and director Sam Buntrock discuss The Wright Brothers’ role in history and in the production.

Posted by Lauren Medici, Marketing Intern at McCarter Theatre.

So a few weeks ago, we asked a photographer to come shoot a full day of Take Flight rehearsal, documenting everything from scene work to staging to musical sessions. We ended up with over 700 images from the day.

Here are just a few of our favorites; head over to our Facebook page for more!

http://www.facebook.com/mccartertheatre

Stanton Nash (Wilbur Wright) and Benjamin Schrader (Orville Wright) rehearse a scene from Take Flight. Photo ©John Baer

Jenn Colella (Amelia Earhart) rehearses a scene with Michael Cumpsty (George Putnam). Photo ©John Baer

Director Sam Buntrock with Claybourne Elder (Charles Lindbergh) and Bobby Daye (Ray Page).Photo ©John Baer

Director Sam Buntrock with composer David Shire, lyricist Richard Maltby, Jr., and book writer John Weidman. Photo ©John Baer

Posted by Lauren Medici, Marketing Intern at McCarter Theatre.

*Note: I have fallen off the rehearsal log blog wagon! This week has definitely been the thickest so far as we worked hard to finish blocking the show so that we could have our first “stumble through.” We call the first run through of a show on its feet a “stumble through,” mostly so that we will feel safe to make mistakes and won’t feel pressured to make it perfect. Language is very important in these circumstances. Terms like “run through” make actors jittery. It would be like your boss calling you in for a “meeting” rather than a “chat.”

*Note: We also had second costume fittings this week and the looks in this show are going to be incredible! They had a custom leather flight jacket made for me that I never want to take off.

*Note: Sally the cat finally reappeared! A few cast members questioned my sanity when they read the story about the cat that stalked toward me one day after rehearsal. But the cat finally returned and this time I snapped a photo of it in the bushes. Its difficult to see her, but think of it as a “Where’s Waldo.” Do you know this cat?

*Note: I don’t want to ruin any surprises about the show, but we’ve had some special rehearsal sessions this week to work with set pieces that may or may not leave the ground. I’ll leave it at that.

The Cat hiding in the bushes outside the Berlind. Can you see him?

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