By Michelle Gao

Gargoyle assistant editor

Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2007, The OG, features

[Note: Junior Michelle Gao is a cast member of Uni High's spring musical, Cole Porter's “Anything Goes.” For the rest of this week she'll give us a firsthand look at what goes on behind the scenes as cast and crew work to put on the best show they can. Click here for Sunday's entry and here for Monday's.]

OK. SO I DIDN'T wear all black today. I didn't feel like finding my nice black dress pants, because I felt groggy and messy this morning. So I threw on a black shirt (that people continuously inform me has light blue stripes — yes, it does, so sue me) with a pair of jeans, and that is that. I have some black on.

The reasoning behind an all-black dress-up day is, of course, in honor of our techies (the people who work backstage during the show with lights and props).

We happen to have some really cool ones this production: freshman Tianna Pittenger, who's a pro by now; subfreshmen Kahlilah Cooke and Adam Joseph; and sophomore Jeremy Kemball. They've been doing an awesome job with lights and props and stuff. So yay.

Yesterday was our first 5 to 10 p.m. rehearsal. If I had to describe it in one word, I would say that it was fun.

4 p.m. — School is out, and I run out of Steve Rayburn's (extremely fun!) Asian American English class, and I bolt to my locker, grab my purse, and find Hannah Lake-Rayburn. We tell a few other people that we're going to get dinner at Za's, and leave.

4:15 p.m. — Hannah and I are walking arm-in-arm down the street when we hear shrieks of “HANNAH! MICHELLE!” behind us. Sarah Lake-Rayburn and Lauren Piester are racing toward us. “SARAH! LAUREN!” Hannah and I call back. Several college students stare at us like we're crazy.

4:20 p.m. — We have successfully made it to Za's and are trying to decide what names to put on our order forms. Chastity, I write. It's my character name for the show.

4:21 p.m. — “Buck, I can't believe you turn 14 today!” I say to subfreshman Buck Walsh.

“Oh, my God, it's your birthday?”

There are about 10 cast members in line to order at Za's. There are only two college students eating by the window. We proceed to sing “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” at the top of our lungs (in tune and everything, of course — we are in a musical).

4:30 p.m. — We eat, talk, and make fun of each other in general. We discover that some of us are a little slow (Buck). We discover that my sister does not enjoy it when I yell across the room at her when she's trying to pretend that she doesn't know me. And like true theater geeks, we discover that Za's has tables that would be so cool for La Vie Boheme from “Rent.”

5 p.m. — We've finally made it back to school. We're not the first ones back; in fact, we're one of the last ones. Like good little children, though, we're not late.

5:15 p.m. — We begin to move the risers from the South Attic to the North Attic. We make a mess of the orchestra chairs. People are also beginning to get in costume, and there are multiple camera flashes signifying pictures documenting the utter silliness.

(I would like to say very quickly that my first dress has butt ruffles. It is ridiculous.)

6 p.m. — The members of the pit orchestra start to arrive. Lucy Zhang laughs and laughs and laughs when she sees my costume. She demonstrates to me by plucking her violin string a sound wave theory that we're learning in physics.

7 p.m. — We start running the show. Many people are gathered backstage, communicating in whispers and listening intently. It sounds different with an actual pit orchestra. Will their playing overwhelm our voices? Oh dear.

And so it went on for a while. It was cool to see everyone in costume last night, although we still haven't done any makeup. But it gets us one step closer.

It was also nice to see the members of the pit orchestra's reactions when they heard the jokes for the first time. It seemed like they really thought some of the things were funny, which felt really rewarding. Performing for any audience, no matter how small, always is. So that was good.

9ish p.m. — The pit orchestra stays in the North Attic, and the cast gathers in the South Attic, where director Barbara Ridenour gives us notes that she's been taking throughout the run-through. Everyone has something to fix; she has lots of suggestions on how to make things better. Some people's eyes are falling closed …. It's been an exhausting night.

10 p.m. — Notes are finally over, and we pack up to leave. Sleepy grumbles of “I have to go home and finish my calculus homework” or “I have to start on my homework” are heard between good-byes.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Ridenour told us last night during notes. “We need to pull it together.”

We will.

RELATED

— Gargoyle countdown: It's Monday, and the clock is running

— Gargoyle countdown: Time to put everything together

— Gargoyle photo slideshow: Getting ready for “Anything Goes”

— Gargoyle coverage: Spring musical cast members selected, rehearsals begin

— Gargoyle coverage: Auditions for spring musical to be held Monday, Tuesday

— StageAgent.com: Overview of “Anything Goes”

— Internet Broadway Database: Original Broadway run (420 performances) of “Anything Goes”