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Las Vegas

Nutcracker on Ice rehearsals
November 23-27
P. Rod. Ucer reporting ***

 

Here we all are. Principal Skater, Ms. Pasha Grishuk with ten cast members,

Producer, Director, Stage manager, Choreographer and Costume Master. It's

cold on this ice! Welcome to showbiz!, LOL ***

 

Full size rink. Because of difficulty in booking ice time we have to

rehearse in the 'twilight zone', 11:00am-8:00pm!. Only problem is that

'some' people have to work during the nights too, and sleep only three/four

hours per day. Grrrrrr....Day (err, night!) one.......Cast is disoriented

and tired already from travelling. Our 'intrepid'  Head Choreographer

(Yuliana Malkhaissants from the Bolshoi Theatre) doesn't care! - the show

must go on - and we finish nine hours later.....a few of our younger, less

travelled skaters wondered what they had signed up for! (LOL.) Pasha's

'Prince' has been chosen. A Russian 'gentleman' 26 years old and a great

skater! They break off and begin to rehearse separately from the others.

Pasha is given the job of choreographing ALL their  routines!! Together they

skate a wonderful  'adagio' that will bring tears to your eyes - very

romantic!!! Pashenka's extention on her 'spiral' is something amazing to

behold - her own Bolshoi Ballet training is soooo obvious to see. ***

 

Day (well night) two and the 'cast' is beginning to resemble a 'touring

troupe'.  Every scene has been meticulously choreographed down to the NOTE,

and progress is seen to be made. (Aside: Some of the younger ensemble cast

had NO idea in the beginning WHO the 'beautiful, wonderful female skater'

was and were IN AWE when they discovered that it is indeed 'THE' Pasha

Grishuk,  Two-time (and current) Olympic Champion.......they gave her a

standing ovation at the end of one of her routines!!!) ***

 

Day (er, night) three and Our Pashenka is given 'the news' that due to time

constraints she must choreograph two solo numbers for herself also! She goes

at it with a vengeance..........soon she has it down, throwing in two double

sal's one after the other - with amazing spins, spirals and the fastest and

most agile footwork I have ever seen - she truly flies over the

surface............... looking VERY happy and content!!!. The ice IS her

element after all! ***.The cast is now learning how to act like 'rats' for

one scene, LOL,  and it's pretty funny to watch :))) Our Choreographer

decides (at the last minute!) that she wants to change some music - so we

dash to the sound studio *** The hotel computer decides NOT to verify our

charge account for food  - so your fearless Producer has to sort out the

mess..........Oh well, who ever said it was going to be easy??? EVERY day

there is some fire to put out! ***

 

Day (whatever!) four. Time has no meaning now. Just eat (food is good!),

sleep, skate and......repeat the process all over again. Costumes are fitted

during the day. Of course some alterations have to be made - we have over

FORTY outfits! Pashenka has three magnificent dresses!!! One a silver

sequensed top ballgown, another a long, slinky white gown with feathers at

the bottom (ideal for an 'ICE' Princess!!!) and the third was a custom made

'young girl dress' in pink by one of the top designers in Vegas! (He has

designed for every top performer ever to play here.) Rehearsals are a little

shorter this evening......fatigue is setting in, and there is a 'night out'

planned 'on the town'! ***

 

Day five.......Three hours of rehearsing only. We have to leave at the

'ungodly' hour of 4:00 am!!!, to catch a 6:15am flight to New Orleans, then

by bus to Biloxi, about an hour away. A 24 seat coach is booked to carry us

with luggage and ten cartons of outfits to the airport, en route to our

final destination - for 17 performances, Dec. 1st thru 17th!!!***  The

Beaurivage in Biloxi is an 18oo room 5 star resort on the Gulf Coast *** Our

public (and local TV/newspapers/radio await!) - Pashenka will be appearing

thursday 30th. on WLOX TV for a LIVE interview, 4:15-4:30pm CST, and

interviewed by the Sun Herald newspaper too! J. Barry Mittan will be taking

photographs for publication. At fridays 'dress rehearsal' ALL the skaters

will be shown on WLOX TV - so look your best guys!*** Report from the

'showroom' next!!!.............***

Version Sonntag, 26. August 2001