You want an update? Here, a Jersey Update.

Here we are, 10 shows in, and you're dying to know.

'Madden, how's it going NOW???', you ask.

In a word, Awesome.

The show is still a monster, still a major challenge just to get through in one piece, but now it seems do-able. What's more, it's starting to become enjoyable, rather than terrifying. (He said, half-joking.)

Don't get me wrong, I still screw stuff up, just about every show. I think I had one clean show, but in my books, until you do three or four clean shows in a row, you're still previewing. Which we're not really doing, but we still tell ourselves we are. Makes us feel better. More protected. I think it's fair. (BTW, I heard the major media all coming back to re-review the show mid-January, to compare the Toronto cast to the Touring production.)

Anyhoo, the biggest difference for me between show #1 and show #10 is that I have found places to breathe. Seriously. Those stupid-high falsetto notes come out easier if you actually have air in your lungs. Who knew? Yeah, when you relax just a bit, everything starts to work much better. Strange, that.

Another big difference is knowing how the crowd is going to react (or not react, as the case may be) at any given moment. After 10 shows we've pretty much seen and heard 95% of the probable reactions. (My 2nd year Stats class coming into play there... Parabolic curves, anyone?) This also helps me to relax a bit more, too.

Clearly, repetition helps everybody involved in the show tweak their business to make it better. It seems rather obvious, but the show becomes much more than the sum of its parts.

But, there's one more intangible at work here. Now, after 10 shows, I know I can do it. The show has this fabled split lead part - the Frankie's only do six shows a week, and an alternate does it twice a week. Ever since I heard about the show, I was aware of this. Nobody can do eight a week - it's too demanding. The guys who tried it all died horrible onstage deaths... well, maybe I'm exaggerating.

The point is, they drum it into your head that it's an impossibly difficult role, and that in the words of the original Broadway Frankie (Tony-award winning John Lloyd Young) you have to "live like a Monk" to pull it off night after night. But, the reality for me was, I worked my ass off like never before during my seven weeks of rehearsal, and at the end of the last week - the longest week of all, tech week - I did four shows in 48 hours and lived to tell the story.

With each passing show, everything - the scenes, the steps, the notes - has all sunk further into my body. I have to say, I'm really enjoying working with my incredibly talented cast and crew. And, the crowds have been incredibly enthusiastic - sometimes cheering mid-song, sometimes giving standing O's mid-show, sometimes tears flowing freely at the end.

It's such a great job, and I am so lucky to be doing it.
(*6 times a week)

Thanks to those of you who emailed me, or commented on the last blog. It's really nice to get feedback, especially from those of you who I don't know. Keep sending those post-show comments - I love hearing what you enjoyed most about the show.

Have a great holidays everyone! Raise one for me!