The Voice - The Official Linda Eder Newsletter

Thursday, August 14, 2003… weeks of intense rehearsals, rewrites and house preparations were complete. The cast of CAMILLE CLAUDEL and the staff at The Norma Terris Theatre were ready and all were filled with nervous anticipation and excitement. Linda's fans had arrived from far and wide for the eagerly anticipated premiere of CAMILLE CLAUDEL. The stage was set… and then the lights went out!

Soon the reports began filtering in with news no one was prepared for—power was out along much of the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic region. What was the cast, crew and house staff to do?

The cast was faced with a unique and unexpected situation when they arrived at the theatre. Thinking back on the events as they unfolded, Linda Eder shared her thoughts on this evening. “Opening Night was surreal because of the blackout and because of the limited amount of rehearsal we had. In three and a half weeks we had not even gone through the whole show without stopping until Opening Night. Because we had no power for the first half, we had no sound, no lights, no air conditioning and therefore not many costumes. We were all sliding off one another. It was weird, but I will never forget it.”

“Even a major power outage couldn't stop the talents of Frank Wildhorn, Nan Knighton, Linda Eder and Michael Nouri, as well as many other actors and Goodspeed Musicals staffers,” said Mary Miko , House Manager of The Norma Terris Theatre. “ Generally on Opening Night everyone gets all decked out for the party after the show. I did notice that some staff never changed. Due to the number of invitees, the party was scheduled to be at an off-premise location. Since it was not equipped with a generator, staff spent the entire First and Second Acts lugging all the food back to The Norma Terris lobby. In the theatre, you have to remain flexible!”

Lynn Gamerdinger, usherette at the Norma Terris Theatre , shared her memories of the evening. “I listen to the news reports of the remarkable 2003 Blackout on television and I thank goodness it didn't affect my home as I prepare for Opening Night with CAMILLE CLAUDEL at The Norma Terris Theatre,” she reminisced. “It is late afternoon on Thursday, August 14, 2003, and although I don't need to be at the theatre until 7:30 p.m., I leave early—somehow sensing that this Opening Night will be busier than others.

Matt Bogart and Frank Wildhorn

I arrive at The Norma Terris quite early and am surprised to find a great number of people there already. I quickly learn that the power is out in the Chester area and that the theatre is running on generators. Doors are open to produce some kind of airflow, but I am surprised that the lobby and house aren't warmer than they actually are—it is August in New England after all…

Our House Manager, Mary Miko, gives us direction on where to begin our preparations for the evening and we get going. There is a buzz in the air as staff are all over the theatre setting up large fans in the house, dealing with lighting issues and just preparing the overall logistics of another Opening Night. Even with all the buzz, I am relaxed and excited—it will be a busy, fun evening!

The house fills up fairly quickly and all are seated when our Producer, Michael Price, makes an announcement. ‘There may not be lights on Broadway,' (I paraphrase) ‘but Broadway has come to Chester tonight.' With that CAMILLE CLAUDEL began…”

Michael Nouri, Nan Knighton, and Linda Eder

The fans who traveled great distances breathed a collective sigh of relief upon hearing the wonderful news… CAMILLE CLAUDEL would indeed open as expected… almost!

The cast and crew unanimously decided that there would be a performance even though there was no power. There was minimal lighting provided by a generator, but no microphones or air conditioning, and was it hot! Costumes were optional to ease the burden on the cast. Even though the lack of power

inconvenienced the production, it was in some ways a blessing in disguise. The blackout actually helped to relax the atmosphere and allowed Opening Night jitters to melt away. Everyone from the cast and the crew, to the Goodspeed staff was focused on giving the audience a night they would never forget. The show went on and the energy of the cast lit up the stage. And then, just before the end of Act I, to the delight of all, the air conditioning kicked in… THE POWER WAS BACK! Act II was performed with sound, lighting and air conditioning and at its conclusion, the audience leapt to its feet. The opening of CAMILLE CLAUDEL was a rousing success!

Following the performance, many fans (with tears still in their eyes) mingled with the cast and crew in the lobby of The Norma Terris Theatre. It was a night for musical theatre history books, and everyone who was there will never forget the night the lights went out in Chester!