Well, dear readers, may I tell you what just popped into my cranium? What just popped into my cranium for no reason whatsoever was the term Grand Poobah. I mean, here I sat, ready to write these here notes, when all of a sudden, just like that, the term Grand Poobah entered my cranium like a gazelle cracking a walnut. I cannot tell you why the term Grand Poobah entered my cranium like a gazelle cracking a walnut, but it just did. I didn’t even know what a fershluganah Grand Poobah was, or even what a plain old Poobah was. So, I immediately checked, and the term seems to have originated in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. Well, there’s no Grand with the Poobah, and the Poobah is spelled Poo-bah, but that seems to be the first usage of the word Poobah (haboop, spelled backwards). In any case, I shall now be the Grand Poobah of these here notes. What do you think of that? And what does that think of you, while we’re at it. And why are we always at it? What did it ever do to deserve us being at it all the time? Well, we’re off to a fine start on this fine Tuesday morning in the last week of March and the final week of the play. Yesterday, I had a very busy day, mostly filled with addressing the Kritzerland packages. The Kevin Spirtas CD is supposed to be here by one today, and if that’s true, I’m going to attempt to get all the packages out this afternoon. I also have to box up a couple of store orders as well, as I left those for last, and I still have to address the five or six International orders. So, as of today, the new Kritzerland releases will be shipping, so if you’ve been waiting to place your order, now would be a fine time to do it. The most exciting thing I did yesterday was get the manuscript for the short story collection – I printed up five bound copies, and it looks rather splendid to see it all in order. The title is going to be The Book Scout And Other Stories. The other interesting events of the day were dealing with the silly little lie situation, which has been rectified and sorted out, with a nice apology and an assurance it won’t ever happen again, for which I’m much appreciative. And then I attended a nice cocktail party, mostly in honor of the new Hollywood Symphony Orchestra, which will be playing some film music concerts conducted by my pal John Scott. It was a lovely party, with some lovely guests, including Mr. Scott, the widow MacKendrick (sorry, I don’t remember her first name), whose party it was, my friends Jon Burlingame and Marilee Bradford, film composer John Beal and his lovely wife, and, best of all, the still lovely Miss Samantha Eggar. I spent most of my time conversing with her, and she is delightful. We were served miniature bowls of Shepherd’s Pie, which was very good. I then came home and, since all I’d eaten was the miniature Shepherd’s Pie, I had a couple of slices of pizza from my local pizzeria. And then I sat on my couch like so much fish, rather like a Grand Poobah.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Carousel, starring Miss Shirley Jones and Mr. Gordon MacRae. After watching The King and I and South Pacific, I must say that Carousel isn’t as good as either of those. It just sort of plods along, and it’s boringly directed. The actors are all fine, as is the music, but it just never engages me, and I’ve felt that way since the first time I saw it upon its initial release. Interestingly, the transfer on this new DVD is not as good as the other two films. It’s nice to have it enhanced, and the colors are mostly fine, but it’s just not as sharp as the other two transfers. The sound, however, is excellent. There are some nice extras on all three of these new DVDs.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below, because I am, after all, the Grand Poobah of these here notes, and the Grand Poobah gets to say when we click.
This morning I have the musical theater workshop (MTW). We’ll be doing the duets with the accompaniment tape they made last week. These will be brief work-through sessions, with the real performances happening Thursday and next Tuesday. After that, I’ll be coming home to hopefully get the Kevin Spirtas CD, and then get all these packages sealed up and to the post office. I also have some other stuff to attend to, and then I believe Miss Tammy Minoff is coming to have supper and watch a movie – one I’ve recommended – No Way To Treat A Lady.
We’re still trying to work through all the details regarding this weekend’s taping of the play. It’s a very pricey thing, and I want to make certain that the money people are getting what they think they’re getting, otherwise I don’t really want to do it. Matt and I will be having a big discussion about it. It’s very involved – we have to add additional lights, but they have to be put into our existing cues, and unfortunately our stage manager won’t be here the day that’s being done, which is a bit scary to me. Well, we shall see what we shall see – so sayeth the Grand Poobah. Speaking of the play, I did run my lines twice yesterday, without so much as one fumfer.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a class, stuff envelopes, ship CDs, eat, watch a movie, and do various and sundried other tasks. Today’s topic of discussion: Operas and Operettas are not something I know a tremendous lot about – what are your favorite operas and operettas, and which recordings of your favorites do you recommend? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we? So sayeth the Grand Poobah.