"The Show Must Go On": Not Just A Cliché! [View All]

Yesterday afternoon, as I had posted elsewhere, it was snowing like hell here in northern Arizona.

However, no phone call was extended to cancel our Saturday evening performance of "A Christmas Story", and so on I trudged over ice and through slow and heavy traffic to make a 5 mile trip which normally takes 10 minutes, take nearly 45 minutes.

Problem: The actor who plays the adult Ralph, as narrator (think of Jean Shepherd's part in the movie), was stuck behind an accident on I-40 25 miles east of town.

The Ralph part is actually an onstage role, narrating and playing multiple small roles (xmas tree salesman, fra-jee-lee crate deliveryman, etc), a la "Our Town". He is almost always onstage throughout the play.

But there was no cancellation. About 80% of the audience showed up, and The Show. Must. Go. On.

How?

Well, the director did the narration and small role lines from a mic in the sound booth, and as for me buying the tree or signing for the crate, I just talked to an invisible man. :D

But everything went well, considering. The fantastic actress who plays my wife, and NEVER loses character on stage, nearly lost it in a kitchen scene where I come in complaining about the Bumpus hounds, and she accidentally dumped oatmeal and milk down the sink (in order to make sure a glass stayed clean for Ralphie's soap scene, but was only aiming to pour things in the bowls), which dripped all over the young actor playing Randy, in his place under the sink. Luckily, her back was to the audience, and I kept my composure SOMEHOW. She uttered her lines just barely keeping control from laughing. Randy was trying to escape from under the sink and she was forcing the door shut with her legs. :o :D

Ah, show biz!

We did okay considering the absence of the adult Ralph.

8 inches of snow on the ground, and more forecast today. We only have a 2PM matinee for each Sunday of this production, and so...

The show must go on!