PBSspecialObser3 - Page: 1 of 1

I am just back from the restaurant. I decided to go a little earlier than I first planned.
I walked down to a street where there were lots of restaurants, and picked the most
local looking! I had beef stroganov and apple streudel! Both were good, but not
as fine dining as this hotel.

Before I went to the restaurant, I got my boarding passes for tomorrow at the
computers at the front desk. They have a printer and I have none with me. While
I was finishing, I overheard a woman talking to an imposing lady in a fur coat,
about a 4 pm dress rehearsal. I butted in to see if the second lady is the one singing
in Halleluiah Broadway tonight. Yes, she is the soprano, Afreda Burke. She and
I talked for a minute about what she is singing and where I came from. She said
that "they" are checking in to this hotel for today as it is so convenient to the
church. Their hotel is in the center of town, whatever that means.

About 6 pm, I changed my clothes and brushed my hair, windblown from
walking around Prague and my Metro trip to the closed (booooo!) museum, in
preparation for my walk across the street to St. Simon and St. Jude at 6:30 pm.
Anne Heffernan, of Mind the Gap Films, had sent instructions to the audience members
weeks before that we were not to wear jeans or casual tops. There was a red/white
wine reception which was supposed to start at 6:30 pm. As the audience arrived,
we learned that the performers were still rehearsing and we couldn't go into
the church. Anne suggested that everyone go across the street to my hotel
to get out of the cold.

Many of us went back to the hotel and then returned to the church hoping
to be admitted. But, they were still rehearsing. I guess that's SHOW BUSINESS!
Producer Bill Hughes wanted the filming to be perfect, so they wouldn't have
any retakes. Poor Anne kept coming outside to tell us a few more minutes!!!

We finally got inside! The excitement was rising. People who drink wine were
enjoying the refreshment. I was not one of them!! The crew had to return
all the chairs into the church, which had been removed during the set-up
preparations. The event workers there were many.

Bill Hughes, gruff guy that he pretends to be, is really a nice, gentle, and
thoughtful man. He knew that many of the audience were family, friends, or
in my case, fans of the performers, who had traveled great distances. For
example, I traveled from FL to see Anthony Kearns. Bill arranged for all
the family, friends, and fans to sit at the front of the church. The rest
of the audience was from Prague, and had been invited to the taping through
their church choirs or schools, according to some people with whom I talked.
I met a large group of school teachers from the International School Prague,
who were Americans who live in Prague.

When they had finished preparations, we entered the church, in seating
priority order. What a grand spectacle inside!! The lighting was on all levels
even to the rafters, it seemed to me. What a tremendous technical
undertaking this event was . . . .and that doesn't even include the singers,
orchestra,, and chorus!!

After we all were seated, the members of the orchestra filed in from the
back, up the center aisle, onto the stage in the altar area and took
their places. Next, the chorus members filed in to their tiered platform
on the left. The orchestra members wore gray shirts - no jackets or
ties - and the chorus members wore medium/light blue shirts - no jackets
or ties.