Hey Everyone,
Happy Thursday.
OK, so I need to get one thing off my chest immediately - I OPEN IN GHOST THE MUSICAL TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!
This has come around SO fast. I remember getting the job offer mid November thinking "oh gosh, I wonder how I'll be feeling on the run up to opening night" and all of a sudden the time is here!!! Yikes. Don't get me wrong, Siobhan (who plays Molly opposite me) and I are ready for the challenge and feel prepared enough to open but I am looking forward to that moment when we're settled in and the anxiety settles a little more.
A lot of people ask me "do you have any tips on how to conquer nerves?" and I always reply by saying that the way I look at it, is that I'm not performing brain surgery, there are no lives at stake, it's just a theatre performance, so what's the worst that could happen? That way it really puts things in perspective and makes it much less of a stressful event.
I want to be able to remember every moment of my first time ever to play this role in front of an audience. It's such an INCREDIBLE show and I'm so proud to be a part of it that I really want to cherish that feeling of anxiety and adrenaline that surges through your body moments before the show begins! I'm actually feeling butterflies in my stomach just writing about it! (or maybe I just need the loo?! haha)
So it's been a busy week. Last Thursday we were rehearsing at the studio and then doing some recording work for the 'flashback' vocals for the show and then I finished relatively early and so I headed home to do a lot of preparation work for my weekend in North Wales which I'll chat about in a moment.
Friday I had a later start at the theatre so I headed into the gym for a couple of hours before going to rehearse.
Friday's rehearsal was my time with Paul Kieve who is the creator of all the illusions, to perfect all the clever special effects. I love it. Once you get taught how everything works properly it's like being accepted into a little secret club. I am literally not allowed to tell anyone how anything works. Not even my best friend or my family……and secretly I love that power I have over people. Haha! The great thing is, hearing everyone's ideas of how they think it all actually works (believe me I was one of them people when I watched the show - "it must be done like this…." or "they do it with this, right?……..) but actually I can guarantee that everyone is always wrong! You have to work at Ghost to find out!!! HA.
Friday after my rehearsal and a guitar lesson I jumped on a train to North Wales. I arrived to see my mother on the platform of the train station waiting for me - what a great sight for tired weary eyes that was! My mum's the best!
I headed home, got a few things ready and went straight to bed.
So…….Saturday morning was the first day of Take pART which is an arts festival held at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, North Wales for youngsters of all ages to come along and have a fun day of everything from painting and drawing, to singing, dancing, beatboxing, clog dancing, balloon animals, face painting, acting, poetry, reading, circus skills, and the list goes on.
I was approached by the organisers a few months back asking if I would be their patron and I said yes immediately. To have a completely 'free for all' event like this, celebrating and promoting the arts in today's youth is something I am very proud to put my name to and I am very happy to be their patron and fully support the festival.
My role was to just 'be there' as patron, but I also ran taster session workshops of my summer school (www.westendinwales.com) and sang a few songs from my album too. There were over 3500 people passed through during the Saturday and Sunday and it was great to be a part of it and see some great potential in some of the talent that joined in my workshops!
After we packed up on Sunday I jumped straight on the train back down to London to get back asap as we had more rehearsals the next morning.
Monday morning I got to the theatre and we ran a few bits before doing our first ever run through of the whole show on stage with the set. The thing about the role of Sam is that once you step on that stage at the beginning of the show, it just doesn't stop cos any time off stage your busy doing other things in preparation for the scenes that follow!
Everyone is so helpful there and are really supportive to Siobhan and I and our arrival - especially one of the dressers Murray Lane, who is the most famous West End dresser that ever existed I reckon and who makes me feel honoured to have him rip my clothes off in a costume change that lasts the whole of about 24 seconds - (He didn't ask me to mention him in my blog at all. No really he didn't *cough cough!)
The above statement, though it was said in jest is however very genuine! Murray you are a legend and iI hope you're reading this!
Tuesday was a very exciting day. It was the first time ever for the two of us to sing through all of our stuff from the show with the amazing band. The music is incredible in this show and it makes a HUGE difference singing it with a full on band who are rocking it out instead of just a rehearsal piano! It was a very special moment in our 'journey' to open in Ghost. This whole process has had so many massive 'I love my life right now' moments. I feel very happy to be a proud member of the Ghost cast!
Wednesday (yesterday) was another great day. I got up and went for an early swim before rehearsals and then we had a run through of the show and it was the first time we'd done it with full lighting and smoke and all the special effects. It made a massive difference and the run went really well, leaving Siobhan and I nicely confident and prepared for our opening!
After the rehearsals we had a meet and greet with the entire Broadway cast of Ghost who had been flown over by the producers to see the show and to meet everyone! It was a rather surreal moment, to have both casts together on stage! That's a big old bunch of believers!!!
After that I headed back to the gym, for the second time in one day with a whole 12 hours in between! Crazy dude!!! Then I headed back to the theatre for a drinks reception with the West End/Broadway companies after the show had finished. It was great to chat to some of the American lot - I love New Yorkers. Reminded me why I want to live there for a while! So positive and 'up' all the time!
Then I headed home last night to get a good nights sleep before getting up this morning and heading to rehearsals which is where I am sat now. It's really surreal because today we are rehearsing in the exact same room that I had my Ghost auditions and the room where Siobhan and I met for the very first time to audition together! If only we'd have known then that in 3 months from that moment we'd be back here, rehearsing for the show, the day before our opening night! Good times!
I wanna thank all of you who have messaged or tweeted or sent in something to stage door for opening night and just generally showing your support! It is, as always, greatly appreciated!
Next week's blog will be written having performed in the show for almost a week so I shall indeed be filling you in on how it has all gone!!!
Positive vibes into the universe at 7.30pm tomorrow please!!! I believe!!!
Love your lives.
Sh-boom!!!
Mark
