Well, dear readers, the end of the week is nigh. Yes, you heard it here dear readers, the end of the week is nigh. I love when things are nigh, don’t you? One simply can’t have enough nigh in one’s life, can one? Can two? Did you know that when noon is coming up it is nigh noon? Just asking. In any case, the end of the week is nigh and that is all there is to it. Yesterday, prior to the end of the week being nigh, I had quite a busy day. First, I had a longish meeting at LACC about our upcoming benefit. We discussed casting, structure, and I even had some ideas for some of the musical numbers we’ll be doing (including an original opening number by yours truly, written especially for the occasion). I also borrowed their archive of photographs from the LACC production of Stages – I now have quite a few photographs from both productions, which is lovely. On the way home from LACC, I listened to our new Stages mixes, and I loved them so much, that I’ve decided not to put Grant on two tracks, as I feel it would not be true to the way the show sounded. The little bits of percussion that I added remain true to the sound of the original versions, and, if we could have afforded the percussion, we would have done it back then. Seeing the LACC archives of photographs was interesting – for example, I’d completely forgotten that we had a small ensemble, which we cut when we moved the show to the Matrix Theater. I also realized that several people who were in the LACC production didn’t do the recording – can’t really remember why. I know M’Lisa MacLaren, in addition to singing her own role, sings one of the other roles. I also don’t know why, but Alan Abelew, who starred in the LACC production, and then played another role at the Matrix, is also not on the album. Strange. I also realized, looking at the program, that the song “What A Night This Is Gonna Be” was not in the LACC production, but was written for the move to the Matrix. I can now no longer remember if we ever did it. If we did, it was cut by week two and replaced by “Opposites.” Strange. I’m trying to get in contact with Mr. Abelew to see what he remembers. The gentleman who actually pulled the archive for me, pulled all the other productions I’d been involved with, but I didn’t want to even look through those. But, he did have a succession of head shots of me that were truly horrifying and amusing at the same time. In one rather astonishing photograph, my hair is in bangs, like The Beatles. I’m getting a copy of that one, just so I can post it here at haineshisway.com.
I then picked up some packages, did some mailing, then met with Miss Jessica Rush. We put down “Opposites” on a cassette for her, so she can now go learn the song, which we’re recording next Wednesday. I then made some telephone calls, and then heard from Mr. Kevin Chamberlin that he couldn’t make our read-through, which was disappointing. We still had the read-through, and I read the third role. I was able to give some direction to Kevin S. and Tammy, which was helpful for all of us, since we really only get about six hours of rehearsal. These situations are always difficult, as the actors have to give the best they can give, without the benefit of a proper four-week rehearsal period. We scheduled a read-through with Kevin C. today at four-thirty. Prior to that, I will be at Vinnie’s finishing up Stages and Together Again. Then, after the read-through, Kevin S. and I are going to some weird thing that John Boswell does – some spoofy performance thing.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because, after all, the end of the week is nigh.
I like to eat rye when the end of the week is nigh. Would I lie? Don’t ask me why. Speaking of nigh, I’ve got quite a busy weekend, what with two three-hour rehearsals (which I may do in a real rehearsal space), and a dinner on Sunday night. I’m also hoping to actually watch a DVD or three at some point over the weekend.
If you haven’t heard Donald’s new radio show, the time is nigh. It’s devoted to our new record label, and it was lots of fun to do, so check it out.
I suppose I can make the announcement of the CD that will be released concurrently with Stages/Together Again. I’m very excited to tell you that it’s the wonderful CD that Harvey Schmidt did privately as a Christmas present for his friends – Harvey Schmidt plays Jones and Schmidt. While it is not an optimal recording (it was recorded “live” in Mr. Schmidt’s home, it is so charming, and so uniquely Harvey, that it is a treat from start to finish. Mr. Schmidt designed the packaging, and it has a very large full-color booklet – over twenty pages. His song choices are interesting, and no one plays Schmidt like Schmidt. I think it’s a dynamite double-header release. We’ll start taking preorders for both titles in about five weeks.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, finish Stages/Together Again, I must, for example, have a read-through, I must, for example, see a show. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday (and the end of the week is nigh, in case you hadn’t realized) – what is currently in your CD player, and your DVD/video player. I’ll start – CD, two Anna Maria Alberghetti CDs imported from Japan. The kind that look like mini-LP covers. The first of them, conducted by Nelson Riddle, is merely annoying. The entire recording is dry as a bone, no reverb on anything – therefore, Miss Alberghetti’s voice sounds completely dead and ugly. The second CD is much better (much better song selection, too) because Miss Alberghetti’s voice has reverb and sound much prettier. DVD, Ernst Lubitsch’s film of Noel Coward’s Design for Living – rather racy for its time, I must say. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, for the end of the week is nigh.