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.