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January 3, 2003:

THE GAY NOTES

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, what is today? For a moment I couldn’t remember. I was going to write, “Well, dear readers, here we are on a Thursday” but that would have been wrong, wrong do you hear me? Then I thought, “Is it Wednesday” and yet that was even more wrong, more wrong do you hear me? Then it hit me. Why is “it” always hitting me? I’m sick of it, sick of it do you hare me? Why did I type “do you hare me” when I clearly meant to type “do you hear me”? What does “do you hare me” have to do with anything? Next I’ll be typing “do you tortoise me”. Where was I? Oh, yes, then it hit me, damn “it’s” eyes. I realized that it was neither Thursday or Wednesday, I realized it was Friday. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too? So, hare we are on a Friday and I have no idea what the hell I’m talking about.

Yesterday I finished the adaptation of The First Nudie Musical. Now I will go through it and do fixes and try to make it readable and then I will have a private reading with actor friends.

Yesterday, someone posted to an older notes (The Retro Notes), so I’m sure they found the site by doing a google search for something which led them to that particular notes. Here is what they posted: “This site is gay.” I wrote them back and said I was glad they found us and that we strive to be gay and carefree with merriment and mirth and laughter and legs. I said, glitter and be gay my new friend. I said get a divorce and be the gay divorcee, my new friend. I said go west young man and be a gay caballero. I haven’t had a response.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because if we do we shall all feel so gay and light and we can glitter, too.

I feel so gay today, and all because our new friend said, “This site is gay.” I feel we should all skip about like mad impetuous imps, oh, yes, like mad impetuous imps. Meanwhile, don’t I have some excellent questions to answer?

George asks if I have many recordings of musicals or movie soundtracks (other than those I’ve produced)? Oh, my, yes. I probably have 4,000 soundtracks and a 1,000 theater-related CDs. Do I have a preference for stage musicals or instrumental soundtracks? I probably listen to soundtracks more often, but I like them both equally well. Do I keep every recording that I get or if I don’t like something do I get rid of it? I would say that in terms of soundtracks and shows I pretty much keep everything – it’s the collector in me, I suppose. I do occasionally thin out vocals, jazz, and classical. If I had to choose between only having a cast recording of a musical and never seeing the show or only being able to see a show once and never having a recording, which would I prefer? Probably the recording, because it would enable me to enjoy it over and over. That said, I would not have wanted to miss the original production of Follies for anything in the world, including the recording.

William E. Lurie asks with the release of Brent sings Lerner, will the only remaining unreleased album that I produced, The Sherman Brothers Album ever see the light of day? Was I far enough along on it? Well, the band was recorded and so were the vocals, but I never did the comps of the vocals and we didn’t even begin the mix. I would not want to offer a guess as to whether it will be completed, and I must say I’d have mixed feelings about it if it was. The arrangements are all mine (although they have refused me that credit should the album come out) and I have asked that my name not appear as producer since I won’t have finished what I began. If the album were to come out my credit would read, Album Conceived by. I, of course, worry for my wonderful cast of singers, because they are not in my hands anymore.

Jrand55 asks what is my favorite Hayley Mills Disney film and my favorite Hayley non-Disney film. Disney, hands down The Parent Trap – non-Disney, The Family Way.

Michael would like one or two sentences about Grant Geissman and Lanny Meyers. I do not have the ability to write only one or two sentences about those gentleman. Grant is a wonderful musician, a wonderful arranger, and a very close friend. He’s a little unfocused sometimes in terms of deadlines, but I think we’ve done some wonderful work together. Lanny is unique – I’ve never known or worked with anyone like him. In a way, we’ve collaborated more than any of my other wonderful conductors, arrangers, orchestrators. We work very closely together and enjoy that process immensely. He is extremely gifted and a bit wacky, but a wonderful fellow. Did I have anything to do with the Latin Broadway album released by Varese Sarabande. If you’ve heard it you would no the answer is “no”. It was done after I left. I have no comment on the quality or lack thereof. On my rereleases of Drood, Sugar Babies and Secret Garden (Barbara Cook version), there was the possibility of including all the material but we didn’t. On Drood, we didn’t include all the endings. What was included was chosen by Rupert Holmes, it’s the album he wanted. I think there were time constraints as well. As to Sugar Babies and Secret Garden, I really have no memory. At the time of those releases our pressing plant would not accept any masters over 74m40s. When I’ve recorded cast albums do I approach the producers or do they approach me? It varies. Most of the off-Broadway stuff, they approach me. I usually approach the producers of Broadway shows. How many times do I see a show before I decide to record it? It depends on the show. Usually I make a decision right away. I made a decision on Hello, Dolly! before seeing the revival. Once I decide, however, I do like to see the show several times because it helps me figure out how to routine the album. Have I ever turned down a show because I didn’t like the score or the performers? I can’t say that I’ve ever turned anything down because of the performers, but I’ve turned down plenty because of the score. How do I decide what to record and what to leave out? It’s my job to figure out how to aurally represent what’s on the stage and how best to give the listener the experience that I have in the theater. I usually go through the script and score and do a first pass of my choices of dialogue and music. Then I’ll normally sit with the writing team (if alive) or the director and producers and we’ll make the final choices. For example, on The King and I, I had a very specific vision of what I wanted that album to be and I never wavered from it. I told the producers exactly what would be on the album and they and the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization were jiggy with it. On the York Merrily We Roll Along, I think I went through the score with Michael Rafter, the musical director, and then told Sondheim what I wanted to do. We only had one disagreement – the dialogue either before or during Our Time – I felt it was absolutely imperative to have it, and he didn’t. I won and he ultimately agreed with me. When I recorded A Grand Night for Singing, Martin Vidnovic was ill and was replaced by Gregg Edelman. Was it not possible to record the show and then track him in later? No, the vocals were all dependent on the group being together. Also, Mr. Vidnovic had told us he had no idea when he might be better. We really had no choice.

Laura asks if my parents saw The First Nudie Musical, and did they tell their friends? My mother had passed away two years before its release, although had she been alive seeing it would have probably killed her. My father did see it (he came to a preview in Westwood with Arthur O’Connell, the actor). I think Arthur was very taken aback by it, but my father, I think, was very proud of me and thought it was funny (it was a great screening – the one that was responsible for Paramount buying the film).

William F. Orr points out that while I have recorded many Alan Menken songs, I haven’t done any from God Bless You, Mrs. Rosewater. Would I ever do an album of it? I honestly don’t remember if I’ve ever heard any of the songs or not. I may have and I might not have known they were from the show. Sure, if I liked it I would do it if Mr. Menken wanted me to. I like him very much.

KT thinks a stage version of Nudie Musical would be perfect for Las Vegas. Have I mused on bringing it there? I would bring it anywhere – it would be great fun in Vegas.

Arnold M. Brockman asks what kind of dog is Luckie. She’s mostly German shepherd, I think. She’s medium sized with fur that ranges from black to light brown to cream.

Dennis mentions that in the old days a cast would gather in a studio on a Sunday and do the recording of a cast album in one long marathon session and for that they were paid one week’s salary, however much they were making at the time. When a recording is made now, Dennis believes that the cast is restricted to eight hours and if they go over they are paid serious overtime wages. Is this true? Not exactly. Cast albums are normally made on Mondays these days. One does have an aggregate eight hours with the cast, but that can be spread over a ten-hour period. If they go over that, then they get AFTRA scale for the overtime. In the old days (well, not so old – the rules changed around three years ago) had they gone over one minute they would have received another week’s salary. If you end up going into another day with a performer, they now receive a half-week’s salary for the second day, but that rarely happens, unless you are Frank Wildhorn, who doesn’t like to record his albums like traditional cast albums. I do like to, even though it is very difficult, because there is a certain electricity you get from everyone, knowing that they have this one shot, this one day to get it done. Does the cast usually share in royalties from the sale of the album? Not really. There is some AFTRA clause that if the thing sells 50,000 or something, then some tiny little percentage kicks in, spread amongst the entire cast. That said, if you have a huge star then they might negotiate a small royalty, but it wouldn’t kick in until after the album recoups, which is usually on the 12th of Never.

Well, that was a fine batch of questions and I hope it was a fine batch of answers as well.

I really must skip about like a mad impetuous imp and I hope you will all join me in said activity. Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must finish reading my novel and making notes, I must work on my little film, I must do errands, but above all I must be gay and carefree and I must glitter and be a divorcee and caballero. Today’s topic of discussion: We’ve done this one before, but we have new folks here and it’s been quite a while – if you are or aren’t a performer, if you could play one role in a musical what would it be and why would you want to play it? Second topic – have you ever gotten into a verbal yelling match with someone in public? If so, what was it about? Post away, my pretties – it was very sparse around these here parts yesterday, so let’s make up for it today, shall we?

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