Well, dear readers, you won’t believe it. I could barely believe it myself but then I saw it with my very own two eyes. Dear reader, Mr. Michael Shayne, is finally ready to unveil the rather amazing project he’s been working on for quite some time – a website of me. Yes, Virginia, Michael Shayne has created a website of me. When he contacted me and told me he wanted to do it, I thought, fine, why not. I thought it would just be a list of my recordings and such, with details about each. What he has, in fact, done, is so much more than that it is simply mind-boggling. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, it is simply mind-boggling. He has uncovered things about me even I’d forgotten. There are things about the recordings, about my film and television work, about my theater work, there are testimonials, there are photos (some which I’ve never even seen), it is simply chockfull of me. There are still some gaps in various sections, given the vagaries of my memory, but he’ll add things as they come back to me. In any case, I invite each and every one of you to visit this mind-boggling site he’s created at www.brucekimmel.com. Congratulations, Michael, on a job more than well done.
Yesterday, I attended a play reading of a musical which was done in the 70s and which was not successful. It has been revamped with a mostly-new book by its original author. The show as called Act II and is based on The Act by George Furth and Kander and Ebb. Most of the songs are still there, although The Money Tree isn’t. I saw The Act here in Los Angeles, at the Music Center. It starred, Miss Liza Minelli, and was directed by Mr. Martin Scorsese. At some point, Mr. Scorsese realized he was in over his head, and Mr. Gower Champion took over the show (sans credit, if I remember correctly). I thought then that it was a pretty interesting concept for a musical, but it just didn’t work. In this new version, the heroine seems to be a bit older, but the idea is basically the same: She’s doing her first “Act” and it’s very autobiographical. Then, the action goes back and forth between the actual act and her memories. It’s still an interesting concept and it still doesn’t quite work yet. I’m sure they’ll be fine-tuning and smoothing and it’s way too early to “review” it. The performers were an interesting bunch – Miss Gloria Loring, who I’ve always enjoyed, played the leading lady, Peter Strauss played her husband, and singing backup was our very own wonderful Tammi Tappan. Tammi came up to me in the lobby before the show and said “hi” and I must tell you I didn’t even know who she was. She’s always had really short hair, like Peter Pan, ever since I’ve known her. Well it’s grown out and straight and she looks amazing but totally different. The show was directed and choreographed by Walter Painter, who’s done many variety shows on television. Considering he probably had three days to put this thing up, he did a very good job. I saw lots of people I knew, including director John Bowab, who told me all about the upcoming workshop of The Night of the Hunter in New York. They’ve assembled a rather amazing cast (including several but not all people from the album) and I’m very excited that I will most likely be there to see it.
Well, dear readers, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below, because don’t I have excellent questions to answer and don’t you have a website of me to go visit?
Has anyone noticed that my mind is currently boggled? Before it gets any more boggled, here are the answers to your excellent questions.
Jrand52 asks what automobile of the 50s, brand, model and year, do I think had the best design. Well, I did love the ’56 and ’57 Thunderbirds, and I really liked the ’58 Austin Healy (I think it was an Austin Healy), but I must say I was very partial to the Edsel, personally.
Steveg asks when the next trivia question will be. Perhaps in the next couple of weeks.
Pam asks if the prospect of an abrasive, edgy Guys and Dolls with a new script and score, starring Vin Diesel and Nicole Kidman scare me. No, because it’s all a load of hooey. Vin Diesel and Kidman were a press agent’s doing and have no basis in reality. The Loesser estate would not allow any new songs by anyone in Guys and Dolls. I did have to laugh when the comedy team of Zadan and Meron said that Guys and Dolls was a good followup to Chicago because it was set in New York long ago and was tough and gritty. That does not bode well for one of our greatest musicals.
Sandra has to pick a film and write a paper on symbolism and all that. She then gave a list which includes many of my favorite films. I don’t know from symbolism with a few of these, but you can’t go wrong with Citizen Kane, The Best Years of Our Lives (out of fashion now, for reasons which make no sense to me – it’s brilliant, but I don’t know if it has “symbolism”), Touch of Evil, Vertigo, Once Upon a Time in America, Casablanca, It’s a Wonderful Life (probably a good bet, actually), Laura, The Maltese Falcon or The Great Dictator. I’m sorry I cannot narrow it down any further – she’ll simply have to watch all of them.
Matt H., a new Hainsie/Kimlet asks if I have a single favorite song sung by Guy Haines (he likes What Can You Lose?). I like mostly everything he’s sung because I mostly choose the material, but I do have a very special place in my heart for You Must Believe in Spring from Haines His Way.
Laura asks what one should do with a Chia Pet after it has grown its full coat of sprouts? Well, one could light it on fire, one could hurl it against one’s wall, one could speak to it as one might speak to the elderly, or one could simply ignore it.
William E. Lurie asks with the recent closing of Oklahoma and Flower Drum Song, both with shorter runs than anticipated, if that bodes well for future Rodgers and Hammerstein revivals. And, do I think these revivals would have done better if Oklahoma hadn’t dumped the Agnes de Mille dances and Flower Drum Song hadn’t jettisoned the entire libretto. Or, do I think these shows are so out of date today that they cannot be revived. First off, I think there will always be Rodgers and Hammerstein revivals because their shows are solid and well-built, with good stories and scores. I had and have no problem whatsoever with dumping the Agnes de Mille dances – I think there is always room for new and interesting takes on choreography. I’ve only seen the London DVD, and it is so badly shot I wouldn’t be able to tell you if Stroman’s work is really good or not. I do think Flower Drum Song was and is perfectly revivable without its original book. It just needs to stay set in its proper period. I’m not saying it would have been a hit, but I’m saying it would have had an equal shot. I don’t think either show is out of date, even though I’ve never been all that partial to Oklahoma!
Ron Pulliam asks if I have my crystal ball ready and if I can predict who will win the Academy Award for Best Score. Well, yes, I predict it will be a win for Elmer Bernstein.
Lulu asks if this tastes funny to me. This never tastes funny to me. That sometimes tastes funny to me, but this never does. Funny that.
Jay asks when I travel for pleasure what kinds of places do I like to go and what sorts of things do I like to do. I hate to admit this, but I have never really traveled for pleasure, not real pleasure. Work yes, visits yes, but never really just pleasure pleasure. I intend to rectify that situation in the next few years.
Hapgood asks if my dentist is a nice person. Yes, Dr. Chew (I kid you not) is a very nice person. What was the first album on which Guy Haines sung? Unsung Musicals. What is my opinion of Kevin Kline. I’ve always liked him. Who is the best cook that I personally know. My friend Margaret. Do I still own a record player? I do, although it just stopped working, so I will have to replace it. Do I still own a VHS player? Yes, and a Beta, too. Are there any political causes to which I regularly give money? No. Did I do anything for today’s nation-wide anti-war protest? No. What was the last novel I read? Well, as I’ve said, I haven’t read any fiction since I began Benjamin Kritzer almost two years ago. The last novel I read was Dreamcatcher by Stephen King. I liked it okay, but didn’t feel it was up there with his greats. Is there any kind of flower that I particularly love? Roses, always.
George asks if I’ve ever seen Hal Holbrook perform Mark Twain Tonight live or if I’ve ever met him or his wife, Miss Dixie Carter. Sadly, no to all questions, although I have seen him many times in the parking lot at Gelson’s.
Sigerson Holmes asks if there’s any way of posting an audio recording or transcript of the radio interview I did yesterday. I’m sure there is if I’d bothered to record it, but that would require Mr. Mark Bakalor to do it, and he’s so busy being a young auditioning actor that it would take forever.
Donna notes that when I describe films it’s apparent from a technical standpoint that I know whereof I speak. How did I acquire this knowledge? Basically from making The First Nudie Musical, which was a crash course in filmmaking for me. And I’ve read a lot of film books over the years.
Jose asks if there’s any songs that I’m tired of hearing at auditions? Well, I suppose I’ll have to deal with that whenever we begin casting Nudie, but in the days when I was auditioning I couldn’t stand it if anyone started singing a Rodgers and Hammerstein warhorse. And I think On My Own has been done to death. Are there any songs I’d like to hear more at auditions? I like material that isn’t necessarily well-known to me. Is there a song out of the standard canon that I have yet to grow tired of hearing at auditions? Quite a few I should think. Is there a song that I heard for the first time during an audition that I fell in love with? Just a Housewife. Have I ever been so impressed with an audition that I’ve asked the person to sing the same song again? I’ve been impressed, but never done that. What is the most number of people I’ve heard in one day. Probably fifty, maybe more. Will I need an audition pianist for The First Nudie Musical? No doubt.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must work, I must eat, I must drive about the city known as Los Angeles and I must do stuff. Don’t forget to visit Mr. Shayne’s brand spanking new website of me. Today’s topic of discussion: How do you like Mr. Michael Shayne’s website of me? What were your favorite things, what would you like more of (the guestbook feature will be working soon, if it isn’t already), etc. He deserves many kudos so please, kudo away.