Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry because I am getting to them quite late, oh, yes, I am getting to them quite late. I also have a very busy day today. But before I get to that, why don’t I talk about my very busy day yesterday. I had to make endless telephone calls in the morning, but I got everything done that I needed to. I then had to ship a few things, and then I had to attend rehearsal with Mr. Kevin Spirtas. It was basically a clean-up day, as we didn’t have the musical director with us. I then had to rush home, eat, and then rush off to Pasadena to see the reading of a new musical. But, that doesn’t hold a candle to today’s schedule. First off, I have to go tape hunting for two hours, looking for some tapes I might be interested in doing something with. I then have a very long rehearsal from three to seven. I then have to hie myself to the Dale of Glen to record a radio show with Donald – it’s a show devoted to the launch of Kritzerland, and we’ll be playing several cuts from the new albums. I must then meet up with our very own Miss Tammy Minoff for a late supper meeting. After that, I shall finally wend myself homeward. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
As I’ve mentioned, last night I attended the reading of a new musical entitled Canterville Chase, based on The Canterville Ghost, which, shockingly, I’ve never read or seen. Since it was just a reading for the authors to hear their new draft, I shall refrain from saying much about the work itself, other than that it needs some TLC and some help and a lot less ballads. The cast did a very nice job, led by the excellent Kevin Bailey. I knew several of the attendees, including Mr. Stephen Schwartz. They had a nice little spread afterwards, but I only ate a cheese slice and then beat a hasty retreat. Have you ever beaten a hasty retreat? What did the hasty retreat do to deserve such a beating, that’s what I’d like to know. I was happy to see the very nice Anne Kerry Ford up there singing, too. Has anyone seen the film of The Canterville Ghost? I’d always been under the impression it was a comedy, but that is not what this version stresses.
What am I, Ben Brantley all of a sudden? Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get to sleep and then I must get crackin’.
In the Irony Department, in the ensemble of Canterville Chase was a very young woman of seventeen named Caitlin Airy, whose mother, M’Lisa MacLaren, appeared in my musicals Feast and Stages. Now, as you may or may not know, we’re going to be recording a song as a bonus track – a song that got put in the show after we’d recorded the album. And, that song was sung by Miss MacLaren and the lovely Murphy Cross. I’ve hired Miss Jessica Rush to do Murphy’s part, and tonight I decided it was just too serendipitous to be seeing Caitlin, so I asked her if she’d like to sing her mother’s part, and she was thrilled at the idea of it. So, barring any negatives from mom, that’s what we’ll do. Isn’t that filled with irony? I love irony. In fact, I feel that the rest of these notes should be filled with irony, and then I can title the notes The Irony Department. If one has irony, can one have plasticy?
Well, as usual, you people have astonished me with your ability to solve these dense Unseemly Trivia Contests I come up with. This week’s question was:
In a season filled with hit plays and musicals, two plays were directed by men who were much better known as film directors. Now, there are several interesting things about this – for example, the first play, a drama, was directed by a film director who would go on to create at least two iconic and classic films. The second play, a comedy, was directed by a well-known film director who would, in a strange bit of fate, go on to direct the film version of the first play. The second play was also turned into a film, and that film starred two beloved comic performers. Moving on – the first play was based on a novel. The second play was written by someone who would go on to write several best-selling novels. Finally, the film director of the first play would go on to direct his most famous film, which was based on a book by a writer who, in that same season, had a play adapted from another book of his. That play was a complete flop, despite the presence of a major motion picture star in its lead. And strangest of all, the director of the flop play with the movie star lead was also a well-known film director. With me so far? So, here are the questions:
Name the two film directors.
Name the two plays they directed.
Name the two comic performers who starred in the film version of the second play.
Name the first play’s film director’s most famous film, and the author of the novel it was adapted from (who also had a play adapted from a novel of his that same season), name the flop play, name the movie star of the flop play, and name the film director of the flop play.
And the answers are:
Franklin Schafner and Otto Preminger.
Advise and Consent and Critic’s Choice (Irony Department: Preminger, the director of Critic’s Choice, went on to direct the film of Advise and Consent).
Lucille Ball and Bob Hope.
Planet of the Apes, Pierre Boulle, Face of a Hero, Jack Lemmon, and Alexander Mackendrick (Sweet Smell of Success).
Our winners were: Dan-the-man, MatHough, Steve Gurey, FJL, JMK, RLP, Macchus999, and Robert Armin. Congratulations to them all. We put all the names into our Electronic Hat, which then arbitrarily chose this week’s High Winner: Steve Gurey. If Mr. Gurey will send his handy-dandy address we will send him off a sparkling prize.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must write a bit prior to leaving, I must be on a tape hunt, I must rehearse, I must do a radio show, and I must have a late supper. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite songs of Maltby and Shire, and Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and let’s have some irony whist we’re at it.