Annie, get your fun!

I've gone back to high school this week to do a musical. Far in the west and south of Kansas City, so far it's almost in the proper dustbowl of Kansas, there's a relatively new Catholic high school. They've got a fledgling music department and the money to hire ringers, so yay!

The show they're performing is "Annie", which is on the short list of regularly performed musicals. Despite its common nature, almost none of the orchestra has ever played it or even HEARD it. I recall watching bits of the movie at points in my life. Tim Curry's in it, and I think Telly Savalas was in there, too. Maybe not.

Anyway, I had no idea how any of the songs went. Neither does our esteemed leader, who's from England: "Annie" isn't in vogue over there. The trumpet player next to me had to be informed by his girlfriend how great the show was. Needless to say there was a lot of fishing for tempos and feels in the first rehearsal.

It's also rather timely. It's the Depression, President Roosevelt makes an appearance and comes up with the New Deal (complete with people shouting, "Let's get people to build infrastructure!"). And into all this walks Mr. Warbucks with his billions and rescues a cute little 16... err... 11 year-old kid.

Rehearsals have been a blast, so far. We're trying hard to make each other laugh, and the jokes have been flying fast and furious. Everything from crashing computers to Neville Chamberlain, brother to Wilt. The orchestra is thin (we're covering one out of four reed parts), but our little chamber orchestra will suffice.

Basically, they just need trombone to gliss around a little and act tromboney. Which is about all I can manage, since I'm playing all the high stuff.