Well, dear readers, it’s Monday and it’s a busy week ahead, what with meetings, lunches and, above all, the debut of our cabaret series at LACC this Friday and Saturday evening. In fact, it’s full steam ahead this week and there are no two ways about it. We do hope to see some of you hainsies/kimlets this weekend at Miss Susan Egan’s show. Check today’s postings on our discussion board for the flyer with complete show information for the series, along with prices and the phone number for reservations. Also, for those who may not have caught up with the weekend notes (and just what WAS up doing with the weekend notes anyway – I’m sure it was very naughty, whatever it was), the Kevin Spirtas DVD is now up for preorder at kritzerland.com. As with the Deceit DVD, the first one hundred people to preorder will get signed copies. Since Kritzerland survives by its preorders, do place your order sooner rather than later. If you have the CD and you’re not sure if the DVD will be different enough, seeing Mr. Spirtas live and in person is a whole other experience – he’s easy on the eyes, of course, plus he’s pretty electrifying on stage. And you get our very amusing and naughty commentary track as a bonus. So, order away. Yesterday, I got up at nine, went out for an early jog, and then Vinnie came over and cloned the hard drive – my computer is now up and running on its own hard drive and so far everything is hunky-dory and even dory-hunky. After that, I had to leave to attend the dual opening performances of I Do! I Do! and The Last Five Years at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Arriving in the Dena of Pasa it was blisteringly hot. I ran into some friends, such as Mr. David Lee, Mr. Sheldon Epps, our very own Tony-nominated orchestrator, Mr. Steve Orich and his ever-lovin’, and Mr. Brad Ellis and HIS ever-lovin’. First up was I Do! I Do! I will only say that I didn’t love the production, and I will predict that the LA “critics” will all blame the show rather than its staging and performance. In fact, I’ve already read one “review” that has done just that. I, of course, don’t blame the show, because I love the show – with the right staging and cast the show is magical from start to finish. My problem here was that the musical takes place in a certain time period and it is important for everyone to be on the same page in terms of its eras. That didn’t seem to be the case and it makes the show seem peculiar at times. Also, this version of the show has been tinkered with by Mr. Tom Jones, who is notorious for tinkering with his shows after the fact. Well, it wasn’t broke and it didn’t need fixing. I said it back when I recorded the two-piano revival with Karen Ziemba and David Garrison, and I’m saying it again. Moving My Cup Runneth Over to act two is inane (the reasoning behind the move was that it was more emotional later in the show – of course, that’s not really the POINT of the number and it works much, much better in its original early position in act one). The one thing that I will say is that every song in I Do! I Do! is a gem, a gem. We supped between shows at a mediocre Mexican restaurant nearby. Then we returned to see The Last Five Years. Now, I don’t profess to be a fan of its author – I found his first show overrated and really couldn’t comprehend its fanatical fans. I found Parade a strange piece and I just never got with its score. I’d never heard the cast album of The Last Five Years, but had heard Mr. Brown’s solo album, which I didn’t care for all that much. I find his musical language doesn’t have much variety and it’s like hearing the same song over and over again. I didn’t love The Last Five Years and I didn’t hate it. Some of it was pleasing, especially the Shiksa Goddess number, but again, too much of it had a sameness to it. I didn’t mind the conceit of the show (her story runs backwards, his runs forward) but I was never moved or even that involved. I don’t know if I’d have felt differently seeing a different production with different performers. The staging here was better than I Do! I Do! (same director), but I don’t really know how much you can really do with a show like this. I predict that the LA “critics” will fall all over themselves re the staging – in fact, one online “critic” already has. The audience enjoyed it, certainly.
What am I, Ben Brantley all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because how can we be full steam ahead if we’re still in this fershluganah section?
Today I’ll be getting back to writing on what I hope will be the new book, and I’m hoping to try and get the editing on the short story collection finished this week so we can get this thing turned in. I also have to do a little phone interview about Terry Trotter, and I also have a lot of catching up to do vis a vis e-mails and telephonic calls.
Just a head’s up that we’re down to about six signed copies left of the Deceit DVD, so if there’s anyone left who wants one now would be a good time to get it.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, lunch, write, do an interview, and prepare for the upcoming cabaret series launch. Today’s topic of discussion: This came up the other day, so let’s make it an official topic – what are your all-time favorite LP covers? All genres – pop, show, soundtrack, jazz, singers and the weird and the wacky. Post photographs if you have them. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as we move full steam ahead through this busy week.