Stage Manager’s Log
M.S. Prinsendam
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Geiranger, Norway
Today started pretty well. I had to get up early to come up and turn on the video screens for the shore excursions people, but when I got to the lounge one of the broadcast techs had done it already so I went back to sleep. That was at 0630. I got up again at 0900 thinking that I would catch the scenic cruising into Geiranger, but we were already there and about to drop anchor. So I had breakfast and got ready for the rehearsal for the production show.
We are doing a second performance of Jazz-a-ma-tazz today, so we had rehearsal at 1130. I thought rehearsal went fine, Peter thought that the band and the cast were goofing off. Whatever. After rehearsal I had to change the pickups on the piano because the old ones died and were a mess. Now it sounds better, but it was kind of a pain in the neck. After that I went up for lunch before getting off the ship.
Geiranger is a very small town. So small that people didn’t believe that it was the town. It is very beautiful though. The walls of the fjord are tall and steep and there are waterfalls everywhere. One of the big waterfalls goes right through the town, and we climbed up it vor a great view over the town and out up the fjord. There was also a trampoline up there at the top of the trail we climbed, so we took turns bouncing, it was fun.
After walking around and seeing the wonderful views we headed back to town and sat at one of the few cafes and had some coffee. I had a café mocha for 36 nkr. The Norwegian Kroner is about 5.7 to the dollar. So it was about what you would pay at starbucks maybe.
After getting back on the ship I went up for dinner and sailaway. It was very pretty, and the light was better than the morning, so the views that I misses I got to see. The gameshow tonight was the Millionaire show, kinda funny, cheesey ship prizes. Then we had the shows. Now I think that the show was a lot better than the first time that I did it, Peter though always has something to say. He can’t hear this or that, or something is inconsistent, I wish I knew what that meant. I wish that someone with a more qualified ear would listen and give feedback that was useful. I mena the recorded tracks are not consistent in terms of volume and what is on what track, I am working with a poorly designed system compared to others I have worked with, and on top of that there are at least 100 cues in a show that I have seen all of 6 times now. It isn’t like doing 4 different shows is going to make any one of those shows better. Which is besides the fact that I am a lighting person primarily. I like to believe that I have a good ear, and most people that say anything to me about the shows think that they are good, so I don’t know what the deal is. If anything I think they are getting better. I know that Peter is worried about ratings, and he felt like when the last ratings came in when people got off a few days ago that he was being personally attacked when his superiors questioned him on the ratings for entertainment, but it happens.
I just don’t get it. I mean Peter will say something like “Well all of a sudden xyz changed and then it was great for the rest of the show,” but I didn’t change whatever he was talking about. Then If I say “Well I didn’t change anything,” he will say “but you always say you don’t change anything.” And then something like “you can’t just set up the show each time and be done with it.” I don’t do that, you can’t do that, it just doesn’t work that way. I know that. I mean I don’t know if it is where he sits or if he moves around the house or what. I hear a good mix of the show, I know that I do. Peter says he is civing constructive criticism, but it is mostly useless. If someone who knew something about sound listened to the show and could say specifically what the problem spots are and not be general, like “the voices are inconsistent” then maybe I could do something. It just makes me frustrated. And I feel like sometimes I am being compared to people who came before me who had six months experience on this ship compared to my four weeks. If Peter thinks he knows what is needed and how to get there, then by all means he can take over the sound, that is fine by me.
I think bed is in my future, I am tired and we are at sea tomorrow so we have early lectures.
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