I am happy to report that Xerxes opened last Saturday and went extremely well. Maestro Wedow led a superb performance! As incredibly as the cast did at final dress, they out did themselves on Saturday night. The dramatic arcs of each character became so clear, and the ensemble acting moments were quite moving.

I hope that the cast is able to relax a bit over these days off, and recharge for the second performance this Wednesday evening. While some downtime is absolutely needed at this point in the process, three full days off present a scary situation to a director. Leading up to opening night, the cast is able to constantly fine tune their performances, as well as use the momentum of tech week to propel them to opening. The schedule of the second and third performances, by contrast, allow the singers to take a break from Xerxes. Like I said, while this rest is extremely beneficial, one can only hope that the cast doesn't put Xerxes too far from their minds. I guess that is what the brush-up rehearsals before the other shows are there for.

All that aside, though, the show came off very well, and the audience seemed to enjoy it. I consider myself very lucky to have worked with such a fine ensemble of artists. Any praise they garner is well-deserved after five weeks of incredible collaboration and performance.