Upping the Ante

[written by Karen]

Every time I think it just can't get any bigger, more various and spectacular, something unthinkably fabulous arrives on the scene. This morning's rehearsal was at Duarte Pavilions, the site where the Venetian float was actually fabricated. When we arrived, they had pulled the float into the yard for photos with the costumed float-riders. I was stunned, and then stunned again. I guess you read about how the Rose Parade floats are decorated with live flowers and all-natural ingredients, but I don't think anyone could feel the significance of that unless they stand a few feet from a 30 foot replica of the campanile in Venice, entirely colored by a thick coating of seeds. The gondola is covered with millet and some kind of black seed, and the hull is tiled sheets of nori.

As we set-up the pods, sound system, and instruments once again, Mia and some of the staff tested the on-float dancers' choreography. One section of the dance involves waving scarves back and forth, and they had to make sure the motion wouldn't destroy any of the flower features, including yanking the seed-covered pigeons roosting on the bridge balustrade.

Nowhere is the professionalism of the UWP staff, cast, the marching band and scout flag corps more evident than in their ability to make last minute changes without a hitch. The producers have had to change the position and angle of the flags corps, create breaks in the marching band line so that people could pass through, and the speed of their marching. The dancers have had to adapt choreography, take new positions entirely, and, day after day, hour after hour, they pull out those smiles in performances and give it their all. Then they wave, and dash as fast as they can around the long line of marching band members to throw everything on top of the pods, kick the brakes off, and roll it as fast as possible out of the way. 45 seconds is not much time, and the pods roll at quite a clip. (We have 45 seconds to strike everything so the parade can start.) We almost took out the back end of the cymbals group today! I have to give them credit: they didn't break pace or position as our 8'x8' rolling stage bore down upon their heels. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

Rome and I have to ride the pod and steady the odaiko since we don't have time to strike it from the stand. For my part, I finish the song and wave in full character. Then I take the shime off and lay it and its stand down, jump from the pod, undo two of the brakes, jump back on the pod and stand in the midst of what is now a pile of scarves, instruments, removable stairs and a large lion's head costume, to hold the odaiko in place as we barrel down the street at a jog.

The run-throughs in the huge indoor Pavilion were deafening; it's not a large as yesterday's hall. They asked marching band to fake play the first few runs, but we ran the last two in full performances mode. The front row of dancers was practically singing right into the wall or stepping on the toes of the few people pressed up against the wall who had come to watch. That's show biz, folks.

The eve of the eve

[written by Karen]

A grueling but utterly fun-tabulous day: 9 hours of intense spectacle coordination in one of the vast, empty exhibition halls of the Pomona Fairplex. Rome and I are beat beyond measure... but happy. I am amazed at the professionalism of the producers and directors. They managed to integrate three very disparate, very large groups of performers into one tightly knit, and slightly tightly packed extravaganza. After several hours of practice with the UWP cast, the hundred girl and boy scout flag troupe arrived. We worked in small groups to perfect small movements or just rested while the scouts were positioned and drilled, then returned to run the piece a couple of times.

On the last run, we struck directly to the outdoor staging area, cast members guiding the rolling pods of drums at a clip down the Fairplex runways to the back lot. It began to get cold. A few more runs, and then the Missouri State Marching Band arrived. This band had already done three gigs today. The cast and scouts took a short break inside to warm-up and snack a little as the band paced through their parts and places.

It was truly inspiring, when the cast and scouts returned to the stage area, to see the band execute their precision moves. They showed such energy and skill, after what must have been a much more grueling day than even ours. Then the entire crew--UWP cast, scouts, marching band and all, a couple hundred performers strong--hurried into their places for two dry runs before the pyro run. A fairly large crowd of host families, friends and fans had gathered now so that we had a decent sized audience. When the fireworks went off, I think I finally understood just how big a deal this is, and how much work, over many months has been packed into this 3 minutes.

Karen & Rome & the Rose Parade

[written by Rome & Karen]

Saturday, Dec. 29, 12:45pm
We decided Odaiko Sonora needs a blog.It's an idea we've had for awhile now, but the recent 13 gig months have rendered it impossible (it's eat sleep taiko, not eat blog taiko).

Fortunately, we have road trip. Even more conducive to blogging is the fact that we're now at a standstill on I-10, between Casa Grande and Phoenix. Two cars have just "busted a move" using the shoulder to drive past the thousands of cars waiting patiently (in most cases) for the accident to be cleared up ahead. If this weren't a semi-professional blogging situation, we'd have some choice words to add right here. AH, and there go about 6 more... it's not a LANE people....

Okay, so we'll stop watching because it's lowering our vibration.

We, Rome and Karen, are on our way to the Rose Parade. The rest of the group is back at the dojo, having Community Group practice. We dropped Bugsy the Dog off on our way out of town, so she can spend New Year's with Auntie Linda.

The first half hour of our highway time was spent discussing Richard Kurin's Talk Story essay on cultural diplomacy. Kurin is Director of the Smithsonian Institution.His ideas are quite evocative, and we feel the new attitude he suggests will shape discourse about arts and culture for years to come. [link to article] In short, he details how our country can begin to repair its rather sullied international reputation by learning more about the arts and cultures of other nations. This "mutuality" will engender greater respect by and for our citizens, and help everyone and their mothers appreciate how America has become a more nuanced and complex place than we ever imagined possible.

5:17pm
We a couple of hours behind schedule now, near Chiriaco, CA. Rome's sleepy, I'm sleepy, and the sun is nearing the horizon. We have listened to Ella Fitzgerald, and had several startling revelations about jazz and her voice, and rhythm... and stuff like that. We've reset the mpg monitor to compare gas mileage at 75mph vs 55mph, we've eaten homemade Mexican wedding cookies, a lavender truffle and turkey jerky. We had an actual lunch at the rest stop just north of the I-8 exit, waiting for the traffic to ease up. The vibration at the rest stop was very high, because it was entirely populated by people who were smart enough to get out of the stop and go traffic. Obviously, they were not in a hurry and were quite comfortable going around the problem, rather than butting their heads up against it repeatedly. Rome believes there must have been a high percentage of water signs.... Even the ladies in the long lines at the bathroom were cheerful. We took a picture of the "poisonous snakes and insect inhabit the area" sign.

The Mojave is much bleaker than the Sonoran Desert. Apart from some cool sand dunes at Wiley's Well and prison road, there's been nothing by scrub and rock for miles and miles. But I guess a lot of people would say that about the Sonoran Desert, too.

9:42pm
Entering the Los Angeles area is one of the longest landings known to man: small burg after small burg, engulfed like stones in the mudslide. It took us 9 hours to get here--2 longer than Google had predicted--because of the accident (that caused the slow down between Tucson and Phoenix). We had been swapping drivers every few hours and I (Karen) ended up doing the last leg. We decided to pull off to get water, and found ourselves in this huge complex of restaurants and cinemas and big box stores. It went on and on for blocks and blocks, but not a single grocery; not a Target, Wal-Mart either, surprisingly. It felt like pretty much any other city in America of that size and cost of living.

We found the Sheraton Fairplex and checked in. The room is a fabulous king suite, with a separate living room, two TVs, a full sized desk, couch and wet bar. Sweet. We moved in for real, taking all of our stuff out of our bags and putting it neatly into the closet and dressers. Four days is worth moving in properly for.