Haines Logo Text
Column Archive
October 6, 2002:

THE RETRO NOTES

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, you did yourselves proud yesterday. For any errant and truant dear readers who missed yesterday’s notes and posts, well you’ll just have to use the Unseemly Archive button to find out the fun you missed out on.

I had a lovely flight in, got some writing done on the plane (hooray), and even saw a show, Say Goodnight, Gracie, which was lovely, too. It’s a one man show starring Frank Gorshin as George Burns, reminiscing about Gracie Allen. Lots of laughs, very touching at times and it moves right along. The show is by my pal Rupert Holmes, and through yet another comedy of errors we missed each other for about the fourth time in recent years. He’d originally told me he wouldn’t be able to join me afterwards, as he’d had a problem and was in Boston. However, I did look for him as we left the theater, but didn’t see him. I even checked my cell, but there didn’t appear to be any messages, so I shut it off, and went on to Joe Allen. Well, he was there, looking for me and calling my cell. How disappointing. But, I suppose we’ll try to get together at some point during this trip. Joe Allen was fun, too.

The hotel is something else. It’s very retro but not on purpose. They just haven’t updated anything since 1962. In my little retro suite there are two count them two retro beds which, if put together, might make a full. Not a queen, mind you, but a full, and a retro one at that. In other words, these beds don’t seem to be made for an adult. Still, I got a decent night’s sleep – I just couldn’t turn or move or I would have fallen off the bed. I may try to push them together for tonight. Of course, tonight is our Hainsies/Kimlets get-together here in New York, which I’m really looking forward to. I do hope that some of the attendees will be wearing their pointy party hats and colored tights and pantaloons. By the way (BTW, in Internet lingo) the party will be retro as well.

Well, shall we all click on the Unseemly Button below, because I have answered all your excellent questions from last Wednesday, and said answers are waiting your perusal.

And now, without further delay, shall we answer your excellent questions from long ago? I do believe we shall.

Ron Pulliam asks what my favorite John Raitt role is. Well, I have only seen Mr. Raitt on stage in one show – The Most Happy Fella, for which he was ill suited. I don’t really care for him on screen, but I do like listening to him on disc, especially Carousel.

Laura asks what the holdup is at the Cinegrill. I did not know there was a holdup at the Cinegrill. How much did they get away with? Did they steal and plunder Jason Graae? Did he like it? On another note (Bb), I hear the Grand Reopening will not be until next year.

Jose asks if I’ve ever mistaken a celebrity for another celebrity? Only once and it was quite embarrassing. I was at some event, and there was a gentleman sitting at a table, and I thought it was composer Laurence Rosenthal, who I’ve met several times. I went up to him, clapped him on the shoulder and told him how happy I was that Sherry! was getting recorded. Only it wasn’t Larry Rosenthal, it was Mike Stoller of Lieber and Stoller. We laughed about it, but the truly pathetic thing was that two days earlier I’d been at Mr. Stoller’s house.

Arnold M. Brockman asks what I think of the prospect of seeing and hearing Bernadette Peters in the upcoming revival of Gypsy, and Matthew Broderick in the TV The Music Man. I’m willing to keep an open mind on both, although I don’t think either one of them are suited for those roles.

Philip Crosby asks whatever happened to nationally known Broadway stars, what with the demise of the TV variety show. It’s a whole different world now. I suppose Nathan Lane is nationally known, as is Bernadette Peters and of course Angela Lansbury. But, interestingly, they aren’t necessarily known because of Broadway. It just seems that anyone who becomes a Broadway star (if there even is such a thing these days) automatically does TV and film and only does Broadway sporadically. Not much of an answer but there you are.

S. Woody White asks of all the DVDs I’ve seen in the last six months, which would I list as the top five must-haves in anyone’s collection. Well, if I were answering these questions from home it would be easy to answer. But, I’m in New York, New York and I can’t mosey into the other room to look. So, let’s hold the question in abeyance and we’ll answer it on my return.

William E. Lurie asks what LPs that have never been issued on CD (of any type) would I like to see released as CDs? Also, what films that have never been released on DVD do I think are the most deserving? Well, on DVD, we must have King Kong, the Astaire/Rogers films (especially Swing Time), Stairway to Heaven, The Band Wagon, Ride the High Country (PLEASE), Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, The Girl Can’t Help It, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Repulsion (in a good transfer ala Criterion), That Man From Rio, and a million others. On CD – well, they’ve done so many that I never ever thought I’d see (like the Percy Faith Broadway and Hollywood stuff), but if I had my druthers I really wish they’d do a totally obscure album (one I tried to license way back in the Bay Cities days) called Points on Jazz, written by Dave Brubeck and performed by the marvelous Gold and Fizdale. It was a jazz ballet, and the music is wonderful (it also includes a vocal of the theme, sung by Carmen McCrae, which has been released on one of her compilations, or one of his, I can’t remember).

Jay asks which vocal artists do I believe have been most successful in making the crossover from the world of opera and classical music to the world of musical theater and/or pop. Well, Dawn Upshaw comes to mind, and we’ve already talked about her gorgeous recording of Samuel Barber’s Knoxville. Mario Lanza, who I’ve always enjoyed. Eileen Farrell.

Tom from Oz asks what are my favorite recordings from the late fifties/early sixties where they really played with the stereo soundstage. Well, I loved Ferrante and Teicher, and Dick Schory (ping pong stereo or whatever it was) and of course, Columbia and Capitol used to really have fun with their cast albums in those days. Then some “record producer” would go in and remix and center all the voices, when several were reissued on CD. Hideous.

Hapgood asks if I’ve ever played a Shakespearean role and if so, which. Only one, thank the Lord, Dromio of Syracuse (or was it Ephesus – the one who has the better part with the big speech about Luce) in Comedy of Errors. Are there any Shakespeare plays I love and/or hate? I know it’s heresy but I’m just not that fond of that stuff. I try, oh, yes, I try, and then I fail. Who is producing The First Nudie Musical for the stage. I’ll let them have the glory of their announcement, but they have produced a lot of Broadway and off-Broadway shows, as well as some films. Have I been eating chicken soup. At the height of my illness I did eat a quart of it and it did help.

Michael Shayne recently purchased an album I produced (still on Varese) called Hit TV. His question is this: Most themes are anywhere from 30 seconds to maybe a minute – how did we expand them to an average of three minutes. Well, Grant Geissman, who did the album with me, is very good at that sort of thing. We chose the themes together, and then I made some suggestions and he went off and wrote the arrangements. I’m quite fond of it.

Dlevy (yes, our very own errant and truant dlevy) asks if I’ve heard the new Elvis #1 collection, where all the songs have been remastered to within an inch of their lives and also remixed. I have not, and I will not – my views on remixing the work of the original producer are well known, aren’t they, Mr. Thomas Shepard?

Td asks if I could produce the Barbra Streisand Album 2003, what ten songs would Babs be singing (presuming she would take advice and direction)? Well, I would do a quiet album with her – quiet songs, simple songs, beautiful songs – and I would try to go for a very basic and honest collection. Stuff like Here’s that Rainy Day, When Somebody Loved Me, Close Enough for Love, that sort of thing. And even though I’ve heard all the stories, I would still do it.

Kerry asks how long I’ve lived in my current house. In my current house I’ve lived four years, I think. How many different residences have I lived in thus far? Houses that I’ve owned – three. Way too many apartments to list – when I was in college it seemed like I moved once a month. How many different kinds of cake have been in my current house? In my current house there have been many kinds of cake, but mostly there has been Parsienne Cake.

Sandra asks if I will send her a postal card from New York. I just might do that.

And there you have the answers. Have I mentioned that my hotel is very retro? Have I mentioned that I have a Zenith TV from 1962? Actually, there are two TVs – the one in the bedroom is at least an 18″ TV with an actual remote control. The one in the living room has no remote control and since the channel buttons don’t work, it only gets channel two. Have I mentioned that this hotel still uses keys? Have I mentioned that there is one elevator and that there is one elevator operator who is also the bellman? One simply has to allow ten minutes to leave the hotel. And yet, this hotel remains one of the most popular when stars come in to do plays. Go know. I do like it here and have stayed here many times in the past. Oh, and have I mentioned that it’s very pink?

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must traverse the streets of New York and call old friends and call young friends and call friends of indeterminate age. I must catch up on some more writing, I must relax and then I must attend our little party. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, so let’s have some wonderfully wonderful posts on wonderfully wonderful topics. I shall be checking back regularly. I may even check front, but not regularly. Post away, my pretties.

Search BK's Notes Archive:
 
© 2001 - 2024 by Bruce Kimmel. All Rights Reserved