I'm taking back a lot of the negative things I've said about Red White and Swing. True, the dialogue was left quite a bit to be desired. True, some of the characters, scenarios, and setups could have been better thought out. But seeing Mr. Blaydes before us all, giving us a pep-talk, blinking back tears, was enough to make nearly everyone in the cast reconsider all the derogatory comments we had made over the past few months. I felt especially moved, because his reaction was almost exactly how I envisioned myself on the opening night of Men At Arms, should it ever be staged. I wouldn't care if it was bad or good or what anyone thought of it at that moment. Years of work would come together on a single point in time, from the opening of the curtains to the final bows. And the world would experience something never before seen -- something original, fresh, and new.

Red White and Swing has come quite a long way since the preview readthrough last spring. It's become integrated, which is my most important criterion in a musical. And the music is upbeat, memorable, and a fitting representation of the time. True, he didn't write it, but heck, you could say the same about Moulin Rouge (though to be frank, there's no comparing the two). Though I still wish some things could have gone differently, I was glad to be a part of it. Two more performances, and the world premiere of Red White and Swing will come to a close. Who knows if and when it will be resurrected? For all we know, this could be the last performance.

In the meantime, I'll be working on Men at Arms.