Last night was the performance of "Brooklyn Hafla" at Alia Restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I've taken over the organizing of this venue to give Shahrazad a chance to "chill out" a little bit and I am relatively even tempered (har har) and can handle stressful situations. Everything was in place, the talent was booked and contacted and knew when to be there, my friend Zorikh was w`orking the door, Joe and crew from Alia were very helpful in setting things up, we got there early enough to set up the sound, do a sound check, some rehearsal and get a meal at Alia (great, great food) and we were all ready for a mob of people because I had advertised this heavily. I had found out the previous day that Shahrazad had to pull out because she'd hurt her back and was recuperating at home (Elektra filled in for her at our weekly gig at Kemia on 44th Street) and I was terribly disappointed not to have Shahrazad in the show because I love her dancing THAT MUCH.
For a while I was worried because it was 8:25 pm and no audience had shown up (panic time) but by 8:30 pm, the place had filled up nicely and Zorikh was diligently working the door. 9:00 pm rolled around and the place was packed and none of the dancers gad shown up. Samantha had texted me that traffic was a mess and she would be delayed until 10:00 pm. I already knew that Shir-El would arrive late because she was heading over from another gig, and the other dancers were missing in action (it turns out that the subway service that came to Alia area was shut down for repairs and only buses were running, and they were s l o w ). I had to open the show at 9:00 as advertised (and I don't take drugs and I don't drink) so stress was at an all time high.
We opened with a couple of songs we were working on and Jon's pick-up on his instrument went out .............. for a while. Then Delicia and Lily Rosa showed up (they had Delicia's mother bring them by car) and then I suddenly started to calm down a bit.
Shir=El showed up earlier than expected and agreed to go on for two sets instead of the one she was scheduled for later to give Samantha achance to get ready when she arrived. Okay.................... nobody in the audience knew anything like this was going on. I had to throw away the set list and just wing it.
Shahrazad was keeping me up-to-date on where everybody was by cell phone from her sickbed, Samantha, Delicia, Lily Rosa and Shir-El danced their little hearts out and in the finale were able to get a lot of people from the audience on the floor for open dancing and an ad hoc belly dance class. It all worked and worked well. Jon was given plenty of opportunity to step out and shine on some of the "belly dance standards" that he has been rehearsing (Layla, El Ghooria, Misirlou, Slaoces "Two Gypsies" with a Leslie West Mississippi Queen intro) Chrystine was absolutely solid on bass doumbek and anticipated every change that I did in the few ad hoc solos that I cooked up on the spot, and the sound system worked well (and Jon worked out the signal problem coming from his new Rickenbacker......... it wasn't the guitar, it was his effects box)
It is a real pleasure to work with pros like these people that have a good attitude. They make the whole labor of organizing a show like this better and easier.
The owner Joe told me that this was the best show he's ever had there.
I'd like to take the credit for it working out so well, but the credit goes to Shir-El, Shahrazad, Delicia, Lily Rosa. Samantha, Zorikh, Chrystime, Jon and the staff at Alia. Thank you every one of you for watching my back and filling the room with your talent. That's why the show went so well and why I can trust that it will always go well with you folks involved. My thanks and respects to you all.
.................. I have to pay you more................ I hope I can afford to. :)