Well, dear readers, it is Sunday, and I, for one, intend to keep it that way. First of all, neither Kevin Spirtas nor Matthew Ashford nor I are returning to the celebrity show. As those who read yesterday’s posts know, the show was a complete and utter travesty, and we bailed after two hours. So, I have the entire day all to myself and I, for one, intend to keep it that way. I need a day to myself and by gum and by golly and buy bonds I’m going to have it. Actually, once we bailed yesterday, the rest of the day was quite relaxing. Oh, I did a few things, but mostly I just sat on my couch like so much fish. I did have to proof the sheet music a little, for the rewrite of The Brain song, and it looked fine, although today we have to fix a few miswritten notes. Once we do that, and an added key change in another song, this phase of the score is complete and elmore will have everything he needs to being his orchestration. I also got Mr. David Wechter’s polish for the dialogue of one character – we gave him a wonderful running gag and it adds quite a bit to his scenes. I have one more little idea for another character, and hopefully we can just do a quick fifteen-minute polish session on a handful of that character’s lines and be done with it.
Yesterday, I managed to watch two count them two motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled Who’s Got The Black Box, un film de Claude Chabrol, made in 1967. Only an American studio could come up with a title so ridiculous as Who’s Got The Black Box – the original French title translates to The Road To Corinthe. Only an American studio would call this film a “spy spoof.” What it really is is yet another Chabrol homage to Mr. Hitchcock, this time in the vein of Notorious or North By Northwest. While it may be in the vein of, it’s actually rather inept and inert, not necessarily in that order. The one thing it has going for it is the beautiful Jean Seberg, who is quite wonderful. Otherwise, it just sort of lays there like a dead herring in the moonlight. A completely wretched transfer with yellow color and an almost out-of-focus image does not help the viewing experience. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled Black Widow. I remembered really liking this film, one of the few films of the late 80s that I thought was good. Well, given the load of merde we’re served up these days, Black Widow now looks like a classic. It’s a beautifully directed and photographed motion picture entertainment (Bob Raphelson and Conrad Hall, respectively), the script is very good, and the performances of Theresa Russell and Debra Winger are top-notch all the way. The film gets excellent support from Sami Frey, Dennis Hopper, Nicol Williamson, and a great supporting turn by James Hong. Also featured in a cameo role, playwright David Mamet. There’s no fancy cutting, no loud door slams or whooshing noises should the camera pan, and there’s a brilliant and, more importantly, original musical score by Michael Small. I’m afraid the days for this type of score are gone. Happily, the score is now available on CD, courtesy of our very own Mr. Nick Redman. Since the DVD can be had for less than eight bucks, I recommend it highly. The transfer is excellent.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because today is Sunday and I, for one, intend to keep it that way.
I must tell you, I’ve a hankerin’ for some salami, so I will probably have to pay a visit to Art’s or Jerry’s Deli to get me a salami sandwich on rye bread (maybe with some swiss cheese). I don’t eat salami very often, maybe once every few years, but when I get a craving for salami then only salami will satisfy said craving.
Today, other than dealing with the note changes for the Brain song, and adding the little modulation in one song, I don’t think I have to do anything today other than sit around in my lounging pyjamas, my smoking jacket, me leopard-spotted dickie, and my bunny slippers. I shall try to watch at least two DVDs, and I do have to transfer the little Brain fixes into the master script, so that we can make fresh copies for everyone.
This coming week is going to be ever so crazy. Tomorrow, I have a ton of errands, and then PennyO is coming over to work on the play before Wednesday’s reading, and then Miss Alet Taylor will be over to make sure the key to her big number is fine. Tuesday is equally busy with appointments and such, Wednesday I have to set keys for other singers, plus do the PennyO reading, Thursday I have to go over all my music and lines for The Last Starfighter, Friday is insane, and Saturday I have to pack and get ready for next Sunday’s trip to New York, New York. Add to all that that I have to proof and approve the cover for the book and then order copies, I probably have to have one more session on Cissy Wechter’s books and also start to find out information about the upcoming Emily and Alice concert as well as pulling charts for them. I’ve also got to arrange the recording for Susan Egan’s show, at the end of this month. And tend to the Simply Sondheim release party details, although that doesn’t happen until the end of October – in fact, the party is on a Monday, and I’ll have to rush from our first rehearsal for The Brain directly to The Colony Theatre, where the party will be held. My head is swimming just thinking about all this stuff.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, fix notes, and that’s about it – oh, and eat a salami sandwich, unless the craving dissipates before lunchtime. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics, and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, and I, for one, intend to keep it that way.