Eighteen Rolling Stones

I’ve helped to stage several musicals in local amphitheaters, like Scarlet Pimpernel, Guys and Dolls, Brigadoon, Peter Pan, Sound of Music, Once Upon a Mattress, Drowsy Chaperone, Seussical, and Into the Woods. My very favorites have all been Disneys: Beauty and the Beast, Aida, Hunchback of Notre Dame and Little Mermaid. Outdoor productions come with unique problems. The weather can (and frequently does) shut everything down on a moment’s notice. The sun beating down on concrete walls can turn the orchestra pit into an oven. And then there’s the wild life. Mosquitoes and gnats take an interest in my stand light and music. Every time I open my score, I find more “notes” stuck between pages. Last summer, a huge beetle landed in my hair during act two, and wouldn’t let go. But I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Tomorrow is closing night for Something Rotten!, and Monday we start rehearsals for Hairspray.