To start off this rehearsal practically, we thought it would be best to divide us up into two since two of our group (Celeste and Iz) could tap dance whereas the others (Ell and I) could practice our singing for this. This was an very effective way to work since we could focus on two aspects of this number at the same time. In mine and Ell's practicing of the song we started off by struggling with the key it was in. When we started singing it first, we found it difficult since it was quite a low song since it is traditionally sung by a man. Because of this, it sounded a low quality since we struggled to sing this low. Since this was not working we decided the best thing to do was sing the octave higher from the original song. This was more of an effective way to sing this song since it was easier for us to hit the right notes however the volume lacked. We made the decision to keep this octave since in general we felt more comfortable to sing it like this. After a couple sing throughs of this song, we met up with the other two members of our group to run through this section fully. After figuring out where to stand, we ran through this section quite seamlessly. Overall, I think this was a successful rehearsal since I felt we effectively worked well because each of us worked on what we were most comfortable with and the section worked well.

As a group, we decided we wanted to keep the choreography simple so we could focus more on the acting and keeping the energy high which we felt would be the most effective way to perform this. We started to practically work on this with a sing through since we weren't as familiar with the words or tune for this song than singing in the rain. Because of this we focussed on getting key words in the correct order since we kept on getting them muddled when we would sing the song. The lyrics we struggled on the most were "food, once again food, fabulous food, glorious food". So to help us get this into our heads we would repeatedly say these words out loud with each other. This method was useful since we were able to learn the line in quite a quick amount of time.

With this done we were able to focus on the dancing that we wanted to incorporate into this number. We tried to keep this dance as simple as possible (as seen in the video above). For inspiration for this choreography we started with searching up examples of this song on Broadway. The main video we found was one performed in 2022 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh5VK3iL3jc) where they also used simplistic but effective movements but had plates to add to the number. One way they used the bowls int he video were holding them up high therefore we thought it would be a good idea to do the same. We did this at the timestamp 0:30 where were held these "plates" high for the final line from left to right. We felt this was effective since it was a big move to contrast from the rest of the song since we incorporated higher levels therefore it was a big ending for this song.

Since we wanted this to be a very simple section we decided that we were only going to spend one hour on this section because we felt anymore would be a waste of rehearsal time. We mainly wanted to focus on vocals in this piece. The first course of action was to decided who would take the role of Joseph which I did since we felt I had the lowest vocal range in our group which fits the male vocalist. To start, we decided to sort out our positions inspired by a video we saw of this live performance where Joseph is singing to children who were singing the backing vocals (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wAs3sTAFJ4). After doing this practically, we realised this was not an effective way to do this since it felt weird to do and we did not think it would be entertaining for the audience. We also felt there were plenty of other songs that were a better fit for our set of songs. The song that we have chosen instead is a section of the Into the Woods Prologue.

Considering the size of our group we decided to use the starting section of the song and have no one play the narrator since we felt it wasn't necessary in our piece. Because of this we were left with the four characters. We gave out the roles so that I was Cinderella, Celeste was Jack, Elle was the Baker and Iz was the Bakers wife. Since this song had difficult vocals, we spent more time of figuring out the singing first and keep simplistic actions to try and let the vocals carry the number. The way we did this was to learn the song by singing along with the backing track then splitting the song section by section to be able to learn the song since there were lots of overlapping. This was a very effective way to learn this song since we felt like it was a daunting task at the start but it felt easier to practice/learn this way therefore we were more confident. But even though we were still confident we still struggled when it came to the timing since most the time when we were learning it we wouldn't all be in time. To solve this issue however we sang with the backing vocals to be able to see when we got things mixed up. This was effective since then we were able to figure out what parts we needed to improve on. For my character specifically, I struggled with the key it was in since it is quite high for my vocal range. To be able to help myself out, I allowed myself to sing using head voice therefore it would be easier to sing this but I just had to sacrifice volume. In the video above, it shows the song put together with basic movement that we made up on the spot.

To put the movements to the song, like I said we wanted it to remain simplistic so we could focus (and so the audience can focus) more on the vocals. Our first idea for this was to walk around in a circle and whoever sings step forward to do so. This was not effective though since it looked very messy and not put together. Instead we decided to walk on when we start singing and mainly just sing to ourselves until the very end where we end up in a line and sing to each other for our last lines. This was much more effective than the other idea since it was more organised and less messy than the other option so we decided to keep this one.

For this rehearsal we worked differently in which whilst everyone started working on the choreography, I went in a different room to start focussing on the links and timestamps for the song we were using for the Technical Director (Mya). This was a simple task therefore the idea was if I did this whilst the others were choreographing, they could teach that to me. The notes for the sounds that I made are above.

When I went back to my group, they taught me the choreography which consisted of sweeping the floor and singing to each other keeping these moves simplistic. I think the way we worked was very effective since we were able to do two things at once. I also think the choreography was also very effective since the moves weren't hard to pick up and they were powerful when rehearsing them if we kept them sharp.

To start with we worked on the vocals with Grease Lightnin' where we worked on the song section by section since we struggled with the different words that were said throughout the song. So not all of us had to do every bit, we decided to divide us up so me and Iz would do the main vocals and Celeste and Ell would do the backing vocals. This was effective because then me and Iz would be the ones focusing on getting the words right. Some bits we struggled with were the lines "overhead lifters, and four barrel rods" since they were a bit of a mouthful to say. To try and learn these we just repeated these lines over and over again to each other until they stuck. Putting moves to what we were saying also helped us make sure we were saying the right bit and the right time. However, what we found difficult was the fact that the song was quite low and again didn't fit with our vocal range therefore we started to lack volume. What we should have done is try to find the song in a higher key so it would be easier for us to sing to a high standard.

To start with the choreography, we decided to make up the verse of the song but remake the original dance for the chorus since we felt it was very iconic. This task was quite a smooth one since we didn't really tend to struggle with coming up with ideas for the choreography. The end product in my opinion was quite effective because we were able to come up with more interesting moves for our own dance.

First of all we started with singing the song with the original soundtrack therefore we would be able to get a feel for the words and the melody. This was effective since we were able to learn the song in an efficient amount of time. However, we had some back and forth about how high/ low we should sing the song since it was an extremely difficult key. To solve this we all decided to sing the lower octave. In my opinion, this wasn't a good choice since I felt when we sung it, it lacked the bright sound that the original song had and it felt lazy. To try and help bring the energy up, I tried to just sing louder and more clearer but I still think it lacked overall vocally. In general, I feel like the vocals lacked even less when we put the dance to it since we all were so out of breath especially since it was the final song to our piece and it required such energy throughout the entire thing.

In my opinion, this dance was probably one of the most interesting choreography to make and the most exciting one in general since we all had so many ideas for this dance anyway. To start off we wanted to look at the original Broadway choreography to take some inspiration from. Some dance moves we took from the original dance were moves such as clicking our fingers above us (at the timestamp 0.04) and shimmying (at the timestamp 0.16). This dance was successfully effective since it perfectly captures the Hairspray style and was very entertaining but because it required us to be high energy we were sacrificing our volume when singing. We did think though that with the adrenaline when it would be the performance it would make us sing louder whilst dancing so we weren't too worried about it.

The feedback we got given is below:

Feedback for Performers:

1. Work in Progress:

  - With only one session left, it's crucial to finalize your piece. When do you plan to complete it? Set clear goals and deadlines to ensure timely completion and avoid last-minute rushes.

2. Costume Coordination:

  - Discuss costume choices with Mya and finalize your outfit for the performance. Ensure that your costume aligns with the theme or mood of your piece and enhances the overall presentation.

3. Consider Props:

  - Explore the use of props to add depth and dynamics to your performance. Thoughtfully select props that complement your piece and contribute to its storytelling or visual appeal.

4. Vocal and Choreography Evaluation:

  - While some vocal performances were commendable, there's room for improvement in choreography and familiarity with the piece. Practice diligently to refine choreographed movements and fully understand the material you're performing.

5. Eye Contact and Engagement:

  - Lift your eyeline off the ground and actively engage with the audience during your performance. Establishing eye contact creates a connection and makes your performance more compelling and interactive.

6. Finishing Touch:

  - Plan how you intend to conclude your piece effectively. Consider the desired impact on the audience and devise a suitable ending that wraps up the performance cohesively.

Specific Piece Feedback:

- "Food Glorious Food":

  - The performance was satisfactory. Consider incorporating props for the bowls, which can enhance visual interest and be discarded at the end of the performance.

- "Into the Woods":

  - Maintain stillness or purposeful movement during the performance. Decide on the performance approach and consider rotating to ensure the lead vocalist is prominently positioned.

- "Grease":

  - Maintain professionalism by refraining from laughing at mistakes. Evaluate the language suitability, especially concerning words like "shit" and "tit."

- "Annie":

  - Explore the use of small hand props to enhance the performance and further immerse the audience in the storytelling.

1. Work in progress

   To help us with this piece of feedback we decided to make some specific goals for the last session with the use of the feedback we got from our teacher. This was effective since we were able to succeed with most of the feedback given and improve massively on our piece.

2. Costume Coordination

   With this piece of feedback we had already thought about this nearer the start of our creative process. Therefore this was more of a simpler task with refining our props (since we were supplying black clothes for our costume ourselves) and communicating these ideas with Mya. During our last session we were able to talk to her to get our props together and switch around props that weren't at our disposal with more reasonable ones. This was a relief since this was a quick and easy task that we had been putting off to focus on our practical performance.

3. Consider Props

   Talked about this in the point above and was a case of communicating the ideas we already had with Mya.

4. Vocal and Choreography evaluation

   Since we hadn't practiced our piece through that many times fully, we expected this feedback. To improve on this point, we decided to just run through our whole piece as many times we could before the deadline to make sure we knew the piece back to front. This was effective since we slowly built up our tolerance to perform this fully without getting too out of breath.

5. Eye Contact and Engagement

   This was a piece of feedback that we hadn't put into consideration quite yet therefore it was incredibly useful. At the moment the piece lacked the right energy needed to be able to make it a high standard and we felt this is what was missing. To improve on this we decided the best thing to do was to heighten our eyeline to create more engagement with the audience whilst in rehearsals for it to become habit for the real performance. This is effective since it becomes second nature to be able to do it in rehearsals therefore we are not constantly thinking about it when we should be thinking about keeping up the energy.

6. Finishing Touch

   To take this into considerations we wanted to make a concluding end to our piece to be able to finish it off. To do this we thought the best way would be to all come forward and bow together.

   
   

   From the individual feedback for some of the specific songs, we decided on a couple bigger notes to work on since the other pieces of feedback was about props which had already thought about. One of these was to make sure we focus more on the lead vocalist for the song "Into the Woods". This was because since there are a lot of vocals in this song it is hard to pick up who is singing what when. To solve this issue we made sure that the people singing were more central was possible. The next main piece of specific song feedback that we focussed on was the song Grease Lightnin'. The suggestion here was that we change the song lyrics that were inappropriate for the audience that we were performing in front of. As a group, we decided to just not sing the word "shit" and change the word "tit" to chicks. This therefore meant it would be more appropriate for the audience type we had.

Even though there were lots of things I was happy about with our performance, there are many critiques I would give myself and the group if we had more time on it or we were able to do it again. One main thing was the lack of energy that was in the final performance. I think a main reason for this is the fact that we all were quite tired out already and the whole performance performed fully is a really hard task to set ourselves especially since we had no time to rest in between each song. Because of this we got out of breath extremely quickly and weren't able to keep up with the whole piece. A critique I would give myself is that I hardly acted throughout the entire performance therefore I felt that the story from my end did not communicate that well with the audience. A main reason for this however is that because I was so out of energy I was unable to act as well as sing and dance. If I were to do this again, I would ensure that I practiced acting alongside all of the dancing and singing to bump up the performance to a higher level.