Well, dear readers, I am home quite late and thus must write these here notes in a hurry. I must just barrel through these here notes because they are late, late, late (that is three lates – or a triple late like they serve at Starbuck’s). I might as well cut right to the chase because frankly yesterday was a lazy day (I think I wrote all of three lines of dialogue), which I needed to spend, just to get my head together. My head has been apart for a few days, and it was time for it to be together.
Last night, I attended the opening of Curtains at the Ahmanson Theatre. I arrived early, picked up my tickets, and then supped at the outdoor version of Pinot, having a Caesar Salad and a Chicken Quesadilla, both of which were very good. I took my former occasional New York assistant, Miss Jessica Kiernan, who occasionally helps out with Kritzerland things. Sitting nearby was Mr. Tom Hatten, and sitting at a table very close to us was Mr. Jason Robert Brown and his ever-lovin’ Georgia Stitt. Also dining was Miss Randy Graff and I was pleasantly surprised to see our very own Miss Penny Peyser dining with her ever-lovin’ Doug MacIntyre. After dinner, we wandered around the courtyard and immediately ran into someone I hadn’t seen in three or four years, one of my favorite folks, Miss Alice Ripley. We had a great time catching up, and we’ll be getting together for lunch very soon. Sitting next to her was another recording alumni, Miss Shauna Hicks, whose husband, Michael X. Martin is in Curtains. We then walted over to the theater. We then WALTED? What in tarnation is THAT? I meant to type “walked” but was probably thinking of “waltzed” and out popped “walted.” Go know. In any case, I said hey to several folks I know like manager Scott Stander (there with his client, the lovely Miss Freda Payne), Mr. Bruce Vilanch, TV casting director and Nudie Musical cast member, Jeff Greenberg and a few other folks. As I went into the theater, directly in front of me was Miss Kristin Chenoweth, but she was conversing and didn’t see me and it was too hard to get her attention. The Ahmanson folk got me terrific third row mezzanine seats (really good location in that theater).
Because I know so many of the players in this particular show, I’ll only say that there are very entertaining things in it, some terrific laughs, but the buzz that’s greeted this show by the usual LA theatre suspects has been way over the top. I do think it will get very good reviews, probably raves knowing the LA critics as I do. I think there’s still work to be done, and knowing the creators, I think they’ll do it. The second act goes on a bit long, and there are some things that are falling flat in both acts. One wishes that a couple of the characters were more fully fleshed out. Edward Hibbard as the director gets the evening’s funniest lines and he’s terrific. Karen Ziemba, whom I adore, doesn’t get enough interesting things to do, nor does Jason Daniely, but they both do what they can with what they have. Debra Monk is very good as are all the other actors. David Hyde Pierce is doing really good work – some of his material is great, some less than great. I loved that Robert Walden, one of my favorite actors from the 70s, is in the show, although he doesn’t have much to do. I’m going to go back towards the end of the run to check out whatever changes have gone in. The choreography has its moments, but two of the biggest numbers are show-within-a-show numbers and because they have nothing really to do with the actual plot of the show I sort of tuned out. The audience, however, seemed to love them. And I’m really weary of lighting and sound doing the job that the choreographer should be doing – the lights continually try to build the number, and the soundman works overtime bumping up the choral sound until it’s so in your face that you want to scream. Mr. Gower Champion and Mr. Bob Fosse didn’t resort to that sort of thing, nor does Mr. Tommy Tune – they really knew/know how to build a number and they don’t/didn’t have to rely on technical means to do it – their staging did it, and their dancers did it, not the lighting and soundman. There’s some funny stuff for conductor David Loud, too. Rupert Holmes has done a great job so far, working with a very difficult concept. So, an entertaining evening of a new musical that still is finding its way. I wish everyone involved the best of luck for the show’s future.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below so I can tell you all about the opening night partay.
After the show, we toddled off to the cast party, which was held in the same area that houses the outdoor Pinot. It was jam-packed with folks and I found it dizzying. There were some interesting people in attendance – we saw Mr. Ron Rifkin, Mr. Victor Garber, Mr. Joel Grey, Miss Marissa Jaret Winokur, Mr. John Kander, Miss Betty White, Miss Doris Roberts, Mr. Stuart Ross (director of Forever Plaid), lawyer to the stars, Mark Sendroff, and tons of others. I spoke to Michael X. Martin for a bit, as well as percussionist Bruce Doctor, whose done a few albums for me. I saw one of my LA bass players, Kenny Wild (several members of the band are amongst my regular LA session players), I had a nice chat with Randy Graff, said hello to director David Lee, saw Paul McKibbins, who used to run the Sondheim publishing empire and who now does the same for Kander and Ebb, composer Michelle Brourman (whom I’d seen at Heather MacRae’s show), and just cruised around. Just before I was going to be on my way, Mr. Rupert Holmes arrived, so I got to have a brief conversation with him before he was deluged by fans. I think we’ll try to get together before he goes back to New York in a couple of weeks. The biggest surprise was to learn that both Randy Graff and Alice Ripley are now living full time in LA.
Today I am meeting with Miss Joan Ryan for whom I’ll be creating a new show. And I most certainly will write, too. Then tonight I may or may not attend a play at the Hudson Theater – my former stage manager is stage managing it and there’s a whole little theater party going.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, write, meet, eat, and do some other things that need doing. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Kander and Ebb songs. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we?