Last night we had a full dress rehearsal. It went pretty well and there were a few people invited in to be our audience. I can't hear thr audience very well in this show because of the in-ear monitors I'm using.
They're custom molds. A doctor came a few weeks ago and filled my ear canal with some goop which hardens. Then they use that impression to make the custom ear molds.
It's a little difficult to get them in your ear but they really isolate the mix.
Most of the really hard work of rehearsals is done. And in some ways I think I can actually work on what I'm playing now.
There's been a lot of pressure to design sound effects and program special sounds on the keyboards. Also the show requires me to playback pre-recorded dialog. So I haven't been really working on the actual playing of the music much.
Today they're taking pictures of the cast and then tomorrow they're moving the show into the venue we're opening in. As soon as we're opened I'll be able to put some photos up here.
We have a beautiful "Portal". That's the entrance to the stage. It has classic, old style circus curtains that part in the middle and swoop up and away to allow performers to enter.

Last night Mike, the drummer from Smirkus, came by to visit me. It was good to catch up with him and talk to someone not on this show.
Every morning at 7:30 the circus bus takes me in from the train (yes, we live on a train)to the building where we rehearse. Our bus has been in the shop for a few days so there's been a rented bus.
This morning the rented bus was a hot pink one. The driver also was wearing a hot pink shirt.
Then I Saw a guy carrying a huge box and he asked me to remove his sunglasses for him because he couldn't see where he was going.

On Christmas eve I went to a party with some of the band and show dancers and other show folks. It went way to late.
On Christmas day I went out to get some coffee and read a book but everything was closed. It was raining and I got soaked. Finally I found a gas station/ 24 hour "Kwik Mart" with some coffee.
When I got to the counter to pay for it I spilled it all over myself. At least the sun came out on the walk back home.
I little while later I went to Sarasota to attend the anual Christmas celebration at the home of an old friend. This friend was the dean of Clown College 18 years ago when I was a student there. This was a good trip.
We were greeted by bubble machines and holliday music. In the house old timers from the circus world were there and out by the pool in large wooden letters the word "DREAM" was spelled out and occaisionally getting knocked down one letter at a time by the wind.
My old improv instructor Robin was there and it was good to talk to someone who hasn't talked to me since I was 18 years old. I think some people back then had hopes for me.
The day went by quickly, catching up with the old circus folks and the new ones. Some people were surprized I was back in the show as a musician this time. The clowns invited me into a big picture of the twenty or so former and current clowns who were present.
Before I left I took a peek at my friends office. With Emmys for his television shows, pictures from his days as dean of clown college, programs from the big circuses he's directed and nostalgia from clowns all over the room it was like a museum. One notes that high above all of it is a squashed pie tin. It was owned by Otto Greiblling.

Ever since lunch break today we've been here on the bandstand doing a lot of waiting around. They're doing a cue-to-cue rehearsal to get the lights sorted out. Not much for us to do but we have to be on hand. It's dark and pretty quiet here.
Tomorrow is Christams eve and we'll be working. We should have Christmas day off.
I'll be going over to the home of the former dean of clown college for a party. I'm looking forward to seeing him.

Tired, overworked.

I'm the only one from the music department working today. The only other people here are lighting and pyro people who are creating a lot of smoke and fog and noise while I try to produce sound effects. Sheesh.

It was a very long day but we ran the entire show once through. I got a little cought up on my work. The band leader gave me a plastic Mozart action figure.

My old circus friend Doug came by last night for a visit with his dog. Today we rehearsed some big chunks of the show. It's coming along pretty good. I'm very tired and I need more sleep and food.

I went with a couple of the guys last night to see Cirque du Soleil. It was inspirational. The performance was great. It gave me some new ideas for my own music and renewed interest in my work on this show. The drummer of their show greeted us and gave us a little tour and introduced us to some of the performers.

I forgot to mention that on Saturday we had a moment of silence for Richard Pryor when we got news of his passing.
Then there was a company barbecue that night at which I met a couple of new poeple.
I bought a satelite radio so I can hear NPR and Howard Stern no mater where I am. That's the kind of thing I never would have thought about buying a few years ago but more and more I think of little things that I could buy to make my life more comfortable.
The band sounded good today and the acts are coming along too. I like the production numbers so far.
There have been two doves flying about who aren't interested in performing anymore. I keep seeing the same guy sneaking up on them quietly trying to catch them.

I was talking to one of the guys in the band last night and he said before he got here is was working in finance. It's very interesting to see where people come from and where they go. I also met the singer of the show today.
You can get your entire circus paycheck handed to you in cash.
I got a nice care package today including coffee, a can of tuna, nail clippers, some odds and ends, Barnum's Animals crackers which I ate right away, and some Boston newspapers to read.
Last night Ellie Bindlestiff called to check in. It's always good to hear from other people in the circus family.
Tonight there is a company barbecue which is starting in a few minutes.

It's very quiet at the circus tonight, no animals practicing, no performers. Just the music department is here. I'm on the bandstand editing sound effects, the music director is below editing music, the bandleader is watching over his shoulder and the orchestrator is keying notes into his computer.

Last night I watched the DVD I bought at Best Buy. It was Vanilla Sky starring Tom Cruise. That was good but now I don't have anything to watch when I get home. If you have any old DVDs around send them my way. Maybe I'll ask the other guys in the band if they have any to loan.
This morning there was an ear doctor here who made a mold of my ear canal in order to make special in-ear monitors for me. He squirted some foamy stuff right into my ear and filled it up. The stuff expanded a little and I couldn't hear anything. It was very relaxing.
There was a very loud noise on stage that I could hear. I can't wait to tell you about it but everything is very top secret right now.
There's another musician in the band who gave some pizza tonight becuase we're both here late programming our electronic instrument sounds. He is called Pie. Some people call him Moon Pie.
On the second day of work I asked why they call him Pie. He said, "Because Fatso was taken."

Sheesh! I think I'm allergic to these horses.
I was talking to the composer today. He has scored 3 shows for this circus but has never seen the train, I invited him over for a tour.
I got a call last night from Amity who was the cook at Smirkus, she just landed a job on Big Apple Circus. Congrats to you, Am!

I'm up on the bandstand right now and 35 feet below me the horses are trotting around with guys on the their backs, standing, riding upside down, flipping, etc. It's very classic. And one horse threw his rider tonight and ran out the back door. That was a lot of excitment. No one got hurt.

Two of the other musicians are up here programming our midi gear. We stay late at night do this extra work. The horn players don't have to stay and do any extra work but they're down below surfing th internet on their laptops since there is no net access back at the circus train.

I bought a DVD set of the After School Specials which I've been watching at night. That's only thing I have to do to kill the boredom back at the train. I don't know many people yet.

last night when I got home the musicians were having a BBQ outside the train with the Brazilian dancing girls. I was introduced to some people there but I can't remember their names. Then a girl in a wedding dress drove up in a car, rolled down the window and said "How come you're not at my wedding?"

This morning when I entered the circus the elephants were practicing swaying their trunks, skipping, and standing on their heads. One elephant trainer warned me not to walk to close so I had to take a detour through the seats.

Right now that dog act is getting ready to practice again, perhaps I'll call it a night so I can go watch. I'd like to describe it but I think it's best if I don't mention any details about the show right now.

Last night I stayed at work late to program sound effects for the clown acts. While I was working the only other people in the circus were the arranger who is a cool guy and the dog/cat/bird act which is my favorite in the world. I have a lot of respect for the trainer and like watching her work.

I'm in rehearsals now for the show. I'll not be able to reveal any details about the show itself here. Things are going well, I like what I've seen of the show.
I have to learn a bunch of music yet and do a lot of programming the keyboard I'm playing. I'm also responsible for the sound effects that the clowns need.
Last night I went to a mall to get some things. Mostly, I left empty handed. It's amazing that malls sell so much stuff but not really anything I need.