Another Op'ning - The Immigrant, Pt.3

Opening night. Yes, we're there. What an exhilarating ride its been getting to this point!

The final process has been a little backwards, but the results are wonderful. The exploration/blocking phases took us right up to tech rehearsals, so our first dress rehearsal (the first time actors appear in full costume) was also our first run-through (a straight-through performance of the entire show). Generally, the hope is that you'll get a few run-throughs under your belt before you get to tech so that the added elements of lights, props, sets, and costumes are not an overwhelming addition, but in our case the elegant simplicity of these elements did not add any major obstacles.

There's been a huge amount of growth during the previews (the performances of a show prior to its official opening night). The actors have taken tremendous leaps in development of their characters; one of the most promising comments heard from a number of audience members is that they found themselves forgetting they were watching actors, that they were voyeuristically observing the lives of these four people.

We have to say that this growth was in a great way aided by the return of our collaborator, bookwriter Mark Harelik, who had to take off for about ten days to fly to Hawaii to act in the shooting of Jurassic Park 3. His astute observations and inspired notes to the entire team -- not to mention his subtle revisions -- helped us take the big steps towards this sound production.

CAP21, our producer, has truly gone overboard in its backing of the show. This small group has lavished so much attention, devotion, and, yes, money on this, their first full production. On things you'd not expect in this level (off-Broadway) of production: everything from real food props to the hiring of a dialect coach (K.C. Ligon) and top-notch hair/make-up designer (Mitch Ely) to hiring The Russian Tea Room for the opening night party. They've gone all out and the creators cannot thank them enough nor imagine a more generous production.

So now our souls are bared for praise or condemnation. The audience response has been overwhelmingly positive. We've had sell-out crowds for most of our previews and they've been very vocal in their appreciation. It's wait and see time for the future of The Immigrant.

To read more about the production, see actor, staff, and creative team bios, and etc., here are a few links.

The Immigrant, A New Musical
CAP21's website
The Knapp-Alper Pages

C U @ the Theatre!

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