Tonight's the night!

Tonight is the World Premier of the Mighty Ted but there are a few more events that will happen before we get there.  This afternoon the entire cast will storm the recording studio and lay down our tracks for the Original Cast Album!  We hope to sell it next weekend at the theater.  T-Shirts are ready for purchase, programs printed, pre-show music selected, and the audience will arrive expecting a great show.  We do have a rehearsal in the theater before we open....then lights up and it's time for "an Average Guy".to invade your brain.  I have been so blessed with the support I have received from the entire cast, crew, and the awesome, Jay and Stephanie.  Who could ask for anything more?  A sold out house, family from Florida, Texas, Nebraska, South Dakota.  Friends from Atlanta, Cleveland, Peoria, and all over Chicagoland.  They are here!  Now the lights will dim and all this work will pay off.  Please join us any Saturday night in September.  You will laugh, cry, and leave the theater humming the songs.

Back to work!

Vacation is over so I've been absent for two weeks.  The Allure of the Seas called us to cruise again with godson, Evan and his family.  What great times.  Now it's back to business and a big rehearsal this afternoon.  I can't wait to see how the cast has been working while I relaxed.  Everyday on the ship I reviewed my lines.....yes it's tough to memorize something you've written.  Part of the problem is lines have been rewritten so I have to remember which version.  As I worked on the script I am finding other moments to musicalize if the show gets expanded to a full two act verrsion.  as one song starts...you'll never know where the road will take you.

Interview

Rehearsal last week was a blast.  In addition to working some scenes music is being worked on and its great to hear the songs come alive in the voices of our cast.  I was interviewed by Nancy Fast of the Second City Training Center and that interview is available at http://www.secondcity.com/training/chicago/news/.  It will give you an idea to what to expect in The Mighty Ted : an unexpected journey.  Thanks to Michael Vaughn you'll be seeing the Mighty Ted tshirts around town too. 

the invisible Rabbit

There are so many hours in a day and even though I have been busy as Dr. Chumlry in Harvey, the Mighty Ted has not been neglected, just this blog. We have had two awesome Saturday rehearsals and last week our first music rehearsal with Stephanie. What a thrill to hear people work on the songs. The songs give the show an energy and pulse that propel the journey, they are catchy melodic and fun. Thursday Steph and I met to map out the music for the Therapy section, and Cheryl now has a torchy ballad for Michelle that maps out the plight of a woman who has experienced her husbands stroke, concerned about money due to a job loss, and keeping him healthy. I think it will be a highlight of the show and put a human spin to the material. Both Ren and Cheryl have brought their energy to the project with Ren especially adept with the puppret sequence. His improv will make every performance different. You may just have to see more than one show to experience the differences. Tickets are selling so don't delay. There should be more buzz on the show as I will be interviewed for a podcast by the Training Center next week. I will link the blog to the podcast when it's up and posted. Also themightyted.com the easy way to connect to tickets and all things Mighty Ted. I'll push to get more content up on the site soon. Perhaps a song preview. There's only so much time when you've been hanging out with an invisible rabbit named Harvey.

What can you do?

The writing phase is almost over except for what we will discover in rehearsal. I've added two songs one a solo for Michelle that deals with sudden changes in your life and. musical link to the brief therapy sequence sets. The problem with the hour length format is there are more details I want to include. But with any musical you have to paint in broad strokes. Jay also had me write a scene where I come home from the hospital, and scenes in the car with Rick and Mary. They have been integrated into the script. Now I have to concentrate on opening Harvey at the Summer Place theater in Naperville. That happens Friday. We did have Mighty Ted rehearsal last Saturday, the first one with the full cast. Ren and Cheryl have dug right in with enthusiasm and are so much fun. I broke down during one of my speeches and Jaay is fine if that happens in performance. It is what makes this story real. I keep imagining how an audience will receive this story. I hope they can put themselves in my place and picture how they would react to these situations. I saw Dr Parkes Tuesday. My blood pressure was good 118 over 70. She keeps saying I am doing all the right things. I was in a chair for an arm study most of Monday. Didn't get to the gym this week to work with Joey. The holiday and the heat got in the way. We meet at 2 today to rehearse. I love how this show is developing. The audience is going to be surprised.

Who will buy?

The last two Saturdays were fun but consumed with completing the cast. Four cast members were already in place : Wink Stone, Dale Galiniak, Karen Revekant and Alexandra Miller-Vanover. I already knew their talents. Dale worked for me at the Downers Grove Public Library and suggested we start improv together. He will NOT be playing himself. Wink and Alex were in my writing six show, The World Still Looks Bight to Me last March and hit their material out of the park. I met Karen during my days as a member of Duck and Cover, a short lived improv troop that I hope gets resurrected some day. Our newest members are Ren Bautista and Cheryl Scusiys. Ren is often at the music improv jams at Second City on Saturday afternoons and I have done actual scenes with him before. Cheryl came in did some dynamite improv as my wife, Michelle and has a killer voice. More brownie points she sings a medley of songs from Golden Rainbow a short lived 1960's musical comedy which was tailored to the talents of Steve and Edie as brother and sister in law. So the merry band is complete and I am excited for this weeks rehearsal. Tickets are now on sale by phone and through the Second City website. Buy in advance as I just signed the contract and we have to have at leat 25 in the audience to cover rent. Thursday night I saw Jay Sukow perform with a group, Blender, who were fast and funny and my brain is haunted by the strains of a song about an armless man. There are great shows here on the training center stages all yhe time. So be sure and catch ours in September.

A new song!

Work on the show is moving along. We are still looking for two cast members, one to play Michelle, the other to play various male roles. Jay gave me the challenge to write a scene and a duet for Michelle and I to characterize the quirkiness of our marriage. It survives but sometimes I don't know how. The song is called "nobody gets me like you" Wednesday I met with Stephanie again to fine tune the songs and write music for the duet. I had scratched out a melody and there was Steph's talents ready to sketch in rthe rest. This collaboration is just like great improvisation, each one resounding and yes andind to give the full picture. Other great things happened this week. I met with Michael Vaughn this week. He is choreographing for us. he also does silk screening on T shirts so soon there will be t shirts to help promote the show. Now I can see merchandising and an original cast album! I also got an email from Sgbt. Sarah my first physical therapist. I'll be talking to the CEO of Marian Joy, talking to the Board and promoting the show. Tis week I have appointments at the Research Institute of Chicago and Northwestern Research. More opportunities for promoting. We hope to get a couple of scenes on their feet to take out as a teaser. I also found out niece Laura Rehor and hubby Jonathan will be in Chicago opening night. This experience is moving ahead quickly. Tickets are slated to go on sale Monday. I'll be posting reports and pictures from this afternoons rehearsal. Watch for it.

Saturday Afternoons in 302 with Ted

The writing and rehearsing continue for our big opening in September. The Reheasal room is a safe place where we can improvise and bring this story to life. I am appreciating the irony that Dale is being assigned characters the imparted my progress, exactly the opposite of what happened in reality. Wink and I improvised my first time on an accupuncture table and with Wink playing Dale having my first night on the town after being released from Marion Joy. The cast got their first taste of the musical numbers from the show and since there was not a mass exodus the songs were appreciated puns and all. I made the right choice in bringing Jay in on this project. He is guiding us to a point where this show will exceed expectations. Tough writing assignment : write a duet exploring the crazy relationship Michelle have had during twent seven years of marriage and the scene that leads up to it. Tickets may go on sale this week so keep watching the blog and Facebook. You'll be the first to know.

one more time!

another attempt at pictures

Will the pictures post?

If I can figure out how to post pictures from our session Tuesday you will see Steph and Ted in the process of creating four songs for the show.  If not I'll announce we have a drummer for the show!  We've got a choreographer, too.  My friend, Michael Vaughn, another unexpected story in my journey.  Michael and I met briefly before I got sick.  We interviewed him for a director's position at the Summer Place Theater in Naperville.  I barely knew him but while in therapy at Marion Joy he began sending me encouraging positive messages that I would read after being exhausted by the therapy schedule.  He knew exactly what to say to help my motivation.  It turns out he was primary caregiver to his Aunt after she suffered a stroke.  So its only fitting he will be part of this journey to the stage of Donny's Skybox at Second City.
Well I was able to upload pictures but they didn't post.  My laptop is so sloooow these days but I'll keep on plugging away.  Am anticipating a great rehearsal Saturday. 

We write the songs.

Today at Second City I met with Stephanie McCullough Vlcek to set the music for the four songs which will be included in "the Mighty Ted: An unexpected Journey". I knew it would be a great collaboration since we had so much fun with the Writing Six show, "The World Still Looks Bight to Me (sort of)". I came in with lyrics to all four numbers and music for the opening and ideas for the other three. We discussed the styles and two hours later we have some exciting music. I won't spoil the jokes but I will say our songs will be highlights of show. When I figure out how to post the pictures taken at our session today you'll see two musicians at work on a number that is sure to get audience out of their seats dancing along with the cast. Keep reading the blog as I write more about this exciting project. The Mighty Ted.

Welcome! " The Mighty Ted :an unexpected Journey" is set to be performed September 1-29 on Saturday nights at 9pm in Donny's Skybox Theater at the Second City Training Center, Piper's Alley North and Wells Chicago Illinois.  The purpose of this blog is to document the writing and rehearsal process leading up to opening night.  The story of my stroke and recovery has been blogged st themightyted@blogspot.com. Throughout my recovery I have been surrounded by an outpouring of love and support by my friends and family.  That holds true for this project that I am writing and will be perfoming along with Alexandra Miller-Vanover, Karen Revekant, Dale Galiniak, James Frank, Wink Stone and one other cast member to be announced all under the direction of Jay Austin Sukow.  Its going to be quite a trip, so join me on this journey.