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July 20, 2005:

STUFFED TO THE GILLS

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, this phase of Mr. Kevin Spirtas’ show is done. We had an interesting second night at Saddleback. It was a full house – lots of elderly people, and then some younger folk, too. The show started ten minutes late for some reason, which I always find off-putting. The opening number went well. Then Kevin launched into Old Devil Moon, which we do in a playful sort of way with the audience. He played the first verse beautifully to the first person, then noticed the second person, and I could see panic in his eyes, and he completely went up, didn’t know what he was singing, sang some mumbo-jumbo then simply cut the second verse, the bridge, the third verse, and went directly to the second bridge, thereby robbing the number of its point – I suppose that’s one way of shortening the act, but not one I’d recommend. Unfortunately, instead of the mistake making him increase his focus, it clearly threw him, and for the next few numbers he was not on sure footing – fumfering dialogue, missing lines, missing lyrics. Happily, the audience didn’t seem aware of it, and they clearly loved him, so that was good. The rest of the act went okay, but he was pushing a bit, and still forgetting lyrics. The lesson learned, and an important one – when you go up, you must recover and never think about it again, and in fact, you must focus and concentrate even more. The act one closer was perfection, however – the best it’s ever been. Tammy enjoyed the first half very much, and then we shared some cake at intermission. Prior to the show, we had the long drive down. Because traffic was worse than the day before, it took about ninety minutes to get there – we were lucky to be able to use the car pool lane for a lot of it. We had a bite to eat before the show, and then Kevin and I worked on the problematic Jailhouse Rock act two number, and we decided to cut his final encore, which was a gentle little song that I’ve always felt didn’t buy us anything. Nice song, to be sure, and he did it nicely, but it didn’t leave the audience on a high (his first encore is I Go To Rio, which is faboo). He did fix all the buttons on the act one numbers, and his applause doubled because of it.

Act two began really well, and despite a couple of futzed lyrics, Kevin was really on top of things, and most of act two was the best it’s ever been. And then, Jailhouse Rock came up, and he finally delivered it the way I’ve been badgering him to for three weeks, and it brought down the house. Watching it the first night, I finally realized why it wasn’t landing, and I figured out the perfect way to explain it to him – the minute I said what I had to say, he “got” it – we rehearsed it with the new attitude, and he just knocked it out of the park. And leaving the audience with Rio was perfect, too. So, despite the problems, it was a very good show, and the audience was very impressed and pretty much loved every minute of it.

Then Tammy and I took the long drive home, which we made in less than an hour.

My goodness, we just jumped right in and gave you all the news that’s fit to print. Or is it all the news that’s print to fit? Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must soon be on my way to do the remix on Stages, and I’m most anxious to hear what things sound like.

Oy and vey, vat a day I’ve got today. First the remix, then I’m supposed to sup with Mr. Richard Valley and his ever-lovin’ Tom Amorosi, and I’m bringing along a special guest star, Mr. Walter Willison, who is in town. But, I also have to have some CDs shipped, we have to pick up the rest of the After the Ball CDs, and I have to get some contracts ready, as well as check up on the galley, which is now at the publishers. We’re trying to meet an end-of-September deadline. I also have to Xerox some copies of my play. I also have to book a date to record the Stages song – either late this week, or early next week.

Of course, the rest of this week will be devoted to the play reading – we’ll be having a read-through on Thursday night, then two rehearsals over the weekend, and then on we go on Monday evening at eight.

I’m afraid I’m not having much time to watch DVDs these days, and I’m afraid that will continue for another week or so, before some of my nights free up.

I must say we’re getting an awful lot of news in these here notes. Every paragraph is stuffed to the gills with news. Don’t you feel every paragraph is stuffed to the gills with news? I enjoy when things are stuffed to the gills. It makes me feel like a gazelle hurling a shot put. Frankly, I’m stuffed to the gills every time I eat, because my stomach has shrunk.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must drive about in my motor car, I must remix, I must attend to things, and then I must sup with delightfully delightful people. Today’s topic of discussion: What is the worst mishap that’s ever happened to you onstage, or that you’ve ever seen onstage. The worst breakups, the worst blocking mistakes, the funniest problems? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and let’s all be stuffed to the gills, just for the halibut. If we don’t, I may get a splitting haddock. Yes, let’s do all our fish jokes, too.

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