Well, dear readers, we had a perfectly perfect day yesterday recording the cast album of Noel Coward’s After the Ball. Vinnie and I arrived at eight in the morning – he had to set up his Pro Tools rig, and then had to make sure the set up in the room was working the way we wanted it to. We made a couple of slight adjustments and then, at ten, we were off and running. The day could not have gone more smoothly. The singers were getting their numbers mostly in one take, sometimes two, and sometimes with just a handful of fixes. Mark Hartman, the pianist/music director, did a great job. It’s going to be quite a nice album, I think – and it’s not just solo piano all the time. Some of the cast also played flute, cello, trumpet, accordion, and ukelele. Hearing all these obscure Noel Coward songs was a treat. In addition to the company of players, in attendance were Tony Walton, author Barry Day, assistants Iris and Jonathan, David Levy, and, for short periods, dear readers elmore and Rodzinski. I can say quite simply it was one of the easiest most carefree cast album sessions ever, and also perhaps the fastest we’ve ever done. We got our first take at then-thirty, and the cast was out by six. I had a little contretemps with AFTRA, but handled it with my usual brusque but let’s-get-on-with-it style. I’d actually never met the gentleman I’ve dealt with all these years at AFTRA, and, just before he left the session, I turned to him and smiled and said, “We’ve been dealing with each other for twelve years – I’m your worst nightmare, aren’t I?” His answer? “Absolutely.” That made me feel quite wonderful. We really did have quite a fun old time in the studio, and it felt like I was back where I belong, like Dolly Gallagher Levi. Everyone was completely at ease, even the couple of cast members who hadn’t done any recording. Now that I’m back in the saddle, as it were, I’m looking forward to doing more recordings soon. I’ll have lots of photographs to post upon my return to the home environment. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
After the session, the whole group of us went up to Joe Allen for our wrap party. We were joined there by Tony’s ever-lovin’ and wonderful Gen, two cast members, Jonathan’s ever-lovin’ Kristopher, and Iris’ ever-lovin’ and soon-to-be twenty-year-old daughter, Elyse. It was unbelievably fun – Tony regaled us with anecdotes about Noel Coward, Vinnie and I regaled everyone about our history working together, and I had fun with Iris’ beautiful daughter Elyse – it’s ever so much wicked fun to sit and tease beautiful soon-to-be twenty-year-old girls. Apparently, Elyse is quite the vocalist, and, if she sends me a demo to hear, and I like it, perhaps I’ll even hire her to come sing on one of the albums. The food was marvy, but it was the company and the laughter and the warmth that made the evening. That, and Rip Taylor being at the next table.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below so I can wrap up these here notes and try to get at least four hours of my beauty sleep.
Directly outside my hotel room window is a giant sign that reads: PETA KILLS ANIMALS.COM. This is what I’ve been looking at every night upon my return to said hotel room. I just thought I’d pass that invaluable information along. Excuse me one moment.
There, I have now packed and shall be ready to be on my way bright and early in the morning. Despite the long day, I’m not really all that tired at the moment, but shall still try to be in bed by midnight to get a few hours of my beauty sleep.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be on my way back to the home environment. Once there, I must play catch up or, at the very least, play ketchup, and get a plethora of packages, return a plethora of messages, answer a plethora of e-mails, and sit on my couch like so much fish. Today’s topic of discussion: What was your worst fashion period? What decade was it in which you wore the most awful clothing because it was the style of the day? Let’s have complete descriptions, please, and the worse, the better. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and I shall read your lovely postings upon my lovely return.