Well, dear readers, I have chosen the sections of Kritzerland that I will be reading come Saturday at Bookfellows in Glendale. I have also decided what kind of cake we will be serving. I do hope that some of you dear readers who have friends in the Los Angeles and environs area have told said friends to come on down. I have sent one mass e-mail and I shall send another reminder mass e-mail today just in case the people who got the last mass e-mail have forgotten they got the mass e-mail. In any case, I’m very much looking forward to it and I shall, of course, have a full report for you and perhaps even a photo or two.
As most of you who read the late posts know, I have made a decision about our uncouth interloper and I will reiterate it here for those who missed it. We will not feed the animals. If they wish to roam around the zoo, fine, but if they do their business we will not feed them. So, I ask all you dear readers to not respond to any post which seems designed to be inflammatory to either the site or me. It’s a long and complex story but this really has nothing to do with the site or me, but this person does not seem to be able to stay away or stop, and I’m tired of responding and playing their childish and silly games. If they post, just ignore it, and as soon as I see the post I will simply remove it because I don’t want their childish junk cluttering up our excellent posts. Hopefully they will move on someday and find another zoo in which to do their business. Well, someone told me it’s all happening at the zoo and do you know what – I do believe it, I do believe it’s true.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below so I can do my business and answer all your excellent questions, by gum and by golly.
We had quite a bounty of excellent questions this week, so why don’t I get right to them, lickety-split or, at the very least, split-lickety.
Jrand asks in a musical film who stages the musical numbers, especially ones without dancing, where the actors might just be walking from place to place. Well, I’m sure it depends on the director, the choreographer, and the film. But, even when the choreographer is doing the dances, he’s usually doing them in consultation with the director who has to actually figure out how to shoot the scene (or they collaborate on the camera moves, like Donen and Kelly). But when it’s just the actors moving around, I should think the director and actors would block it and then show it to the cameraman, who then might have some suggestions. But I’m sure there are some directors who do consult the choreographer on how to do scenes like that.
Matthew asks when does one become ours and how does one become someone else’s? Well, I feel this question is the winner of the Samuel Beckett Award for most obtuse question. One becomes ours when we take it and one becomes someone else’s when they take it from you. My goodness, one is awfully popular, in fact, one is a singular sensation, if you ask me. The real question is when does two become theirs and how does two become nine? Two has to roll a seven, that’s how. What the hell am I talking about?
Ron Pulliam has a question about the overture on the album of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. He says it’s a very lushly orchestrated piece with a big chorus. Was the overture done this way exclusively for the album, or did they have a chorus for each performance? Do I think the orchestra was enhanced for the overture or entire recording? And was the overture really this long (over six minutes)? I’ve never seen On a Clear Day on stage, but I do believe the overture is the overture that’s used, and yes, the chorus would have sung their bit from backstage. I’m sure the orchestra was enhanced for the album; that was the practice back then, although not so much with RCA. If it was enhanced, the only enhancement would have been a bigger string section. For example, when I recorded The King and I we brought in six additional violins and a viola or two. Also, why was Sing-Sing prison called Sing-Sing. Well, there was a big brouhaha at the time because the original powers that be wanted to call it Sing-Sing-Sing and Benny Goodman got very upset. The original idea behind Sing-Sing was that only criminals who had done musicals would be sent there. But, as usual with these types of things, that didn’t happen.
William E. Lurie recently read that prior to writing the Smile score with Mr. Howard Ashman, Marvin Hamlisch wrote another score with the late Carolyn Leigh. Am I aware of this and if so have I heard any of the score with the Leigh lyrics. Was any of the music used in both versions? Do I think the show would have been better received if the original lyrics had been used? Yes, I am aware of it and, in fact, I have a tape of the Hamlisch/Leigh score somewhere. The only piece of music that got recycled when Ashman came on board was the title song. I don’t remember much of the Leigh version – I’ll have to try and dig it out. I do remember not liking it as much as the Ashman version. It’s hard to know if it would have been better received, because the problem with Smile wasn’t the lyrics or the music, it was the book and the tone of the show.
S. Woody White says there is a restaurant called the French Laundry, which is located in Yountville, California. The food is supposed to be excellent, but it’s not the sort of place one goes to for a meal as for an experience. An experience can run to over twenty courses (each just a few bites) and can last for three or four hours. Would I feel comfortable having such a dining experience? I recently had such an experience (which I wrote about in these here notes) at a Russian restaurant. There were endless courses, one after another, and the whole thing lasted four hours. That is not my favorite way to dine – I like to go to a nice restaurant, order what I want, and eat a leisurely but not too leisurely meal.
MattH asks if I’ve ever gone to a show that I’d heard wonderful things about, really expected to love it, and then come out disappointed beyond belief. Yes, the revival of The Music Man was that way, even though I enjoyed Rebecca Luker and Craig Bierko. I just thought the production was a big blah. And I’d also heard marvelous things about both Swing and Fosse and I abhorred each of them. And the most disappointing was A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine. Conversely, have I ever gone to a show not expecting much only to have it turn out much better than I could have imagined. Yes, Grand Hotel, which I went in expecting to hate and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Same with The Will Rogers Follies.
Michael Shayne asks when I appeared on any of the sitcoms that were filmed in front of a live studio audience did the audience really go crazy with applause and all that hootering and hollering whenever a major character made an appearance or were these sounds done later in post production sweetening? Also, if a joke bombed was laughter added. Well, I did my two Happy Days episodes pre audience, but I used to visit them quite often and I’m here to tell you that the yelling and screaming was quite genuine. Same with Laverne and Shirley. However, the audience is primed and pumped up by someone before the show ever starts, and they’re basically told to do that sort of thing. I remember on Alice they had to sweeten quite a bit of that show because it was spectacularly unfunny (at least the episode I did). On the other hand, when I did Angie I can tell you that those roaring laughs are all real. When I did the Doris Day Show did I know that I was also shooting a pilot spinoff? I think I realized that when Miss Day paid us a visit. But we always thought of it as a stand-alone pilot that just happened to be airing on The Doris Day Show. And, in fact, the first time it was shown on CBS it was aired alone, not on her show. One scene was added with her, and then the show was ultimately also aired as part of the series. When I worked with Paul Lynde was he as bitter as E! True Hollywood Story made him out to be? That certainly was not my experience with him – he was very nice, a gentleman, and very funny. Was I surprised that Richard Chamberlain came out of the closet? I was surprised that he did it at this late date, but I guess he thought it was finally time to just do it.
AnnaOD asks where the song My Brother Lived in San Fransisco is from. It’s from Elegies – Angels, Punks and Raging Queens. I’ve actually recorded that song three times: on the concert cast album with Emily Skinner, on Emily’s solo album, and a really nice version on Joan Ryan’s album (does anyone even know I produced Joan Ryan’s album?).
Td has his usual impossible to answer question: I’ve been granted the opportunity to record these singers – which one song would I have them do? Bernadette Peters – Somebody, Somewhere. Brian Stokes Mitchell – It’s All in the Game. Nathan Lane – Adelaide’s Lament. Dame Julie Andrews – Long Before I Knew You. Bobby Darin – The Ballad of Sweeney Todd. Billie Holliday – The Party’s Over. Barbra Streisand – Close Enough for Love. Whew.
Maya asks when Bernadette leaves Gypsy, who would I like to see replace her? I would really like to see Patti Lupone, really and truly.
William F. Orr asks if the Bar Mitzvah speech in Kritzerland is close to my own. No, I’m sad to say it isn’t – it’s the speech I wish I’d given. I honestly can’t remember what I said, but everything else in the chapter is exactly the way it was.
MBarnum asks if I could record the cute little Japanese duo Pink Lady, would I and why? I would, because I would record any cute little Japanese duo just because I am partial to cute little Japanese duos. For a minute I thought you were going to ask if I would record Pinky Tuscadero.
Dennis Clancy asks if there was a time that I planned to produce a studio cast recording of the musical Sherry!? I had indeed, and then another producer inserted himself, mesmerized the composer, and got the project. The tracks were recorded over two years ago, closer to three years, and an all-star line-up was cast, and Sony was on board to release it – but somehow it went wrong somewhere, and I don’t think the vocals were ever completed, at least that’s what I’ve heard. And so, it sits in limbo. When a performer is doing a solo show how are the royalties paid for the songs. The performer is not responsible for song royalties in live venues. The venue pays a yearly fee to the publishing houses and that covers whoever sings whatever.
My goodness what a bounty of questions that was and I hope I have answered each and every one to your satisfaction.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must go attend a meeting this morning, and then I must come back, clear my head (no mean feat) and do some writing. Today’s topic of discussion: I think MattH’s question for me is a good one for a discussion – have you ever gone to a show that you’d heard was amazing and been thoroughly disappointed, and have you ever gone to a show that you weren’t looking forward to and that you’d heard was blah and been thoroughly delighted. If so, what were the shows and why were you disappointed or delighted? Post away, my pretties, and I’ll check back in after my meeting. And remember, don’t feed the animals.