[This is a guest post by technical director David Feheley, who is travelling with the cast and crew of The Nightingale and Other Short Fables to the Brooklyn Academy of Music in NYC, where the work will receive its U.S. premiere on March 1. This post was written Feb. 26]  

We have been quite busy here in Brooklyn.

We now have the pool full of water and the temperature up to 24 C. The water has been tested and we have added pool chemicals to make sure the water stays clean and safe. This morning was the first time the crew got into the water. They needed to get all the props into the pool and set for the rehearsal tonight. Our two crew in the pool (Pat and John) are wearing wetsuits during the show to keep them warm. Pat got a rather abrupt introduction to the pool when he was pushed into water by Bill, the head of props here at BAM. We are tired but we are still having fun.

The acrobats came onstage yesterday afternoon to meet the crew and spend some time walking through the space.  We got to rehearse the first half of the show last night. The snow in Toronto and the wind in New York delayed and cancelled some of the flights for our people but we managed the rehearsal just fine.

We continue to work on the lighting and the show is really starting to look good. The acrobats will get into the pool for the first time this afternoon and we have a rehearsal tonight with singers, acrobats and crew in the pool.

 

 

Tomorrow is the big travel day for the chorus and orchestra. Instruments will be shipping to us tonight.  For those of us who are already onstage in New York we have tomorrow as a day off.  Everyone is making plans on what they will do tomorrow, however everyone’s plan seems to start with sleeping in.

All photos © Canadian Opera Company