Well, dear readers, I have a bandage on one finger of my left hand. I ask you, where else on all the Internet can you find such information? Nowhere, that’s where. It is very difficult to type with a bandage on a finger. In case you’re wonderfing (ssee what I mena?) why I have a bandage on my finser it is because I occasionally have my hands full and if I have an open can of Diet Coke I occasionally put a finger in the open hole to carry it. Unfortunately, my finger caught on a sharp piece of metal and got cut – it was really annoying. I shall do my best to type normally, but I make no promishes. Promishes, Promishes – that’s how Liza Minnelli would sing the title song from the musical of the same name. Speaking of promishes, yesterday was a day filled with promish. For example, I got up. When you get up at my age, it’s always promishing and get your minds out of the gutter this very instant (you know who you are). I then jogged, then did some errands, shipped some packages, then head over to rehearsal at LACC. This entire week is devoted only to learning music, so we finished all the ensemble numbers today. I must say, considering it was only our second day and considering we only worked two-and-a-half hours Monday, the kids retained quite a bit. They’re having trouble locking the harmony bits, but they’ll get it. As one of the gals asked me, “How do we remember where our harmony notes are” and my response was, “By singing it over and over and over again until it becomes the melody to you.” I’m very pleased with my musical director’s handling of the kids – he’s very focused, very disciplined, and won’t allow any joking or talking when he’s explaining things. And he’s also very patient and very smart. He said to them, “If you think you can get away with not singing, or singing any old note or not being on pitch, Bruce and I will hear it every time, so don’t bother.” After we finished the ensemble, we ran a trio number and that went very fast and is lots of fun – I added some harmonies for two of the singers and it’s just what it needed. While everyone runs these numbers, I’m on my feet getting ideas for the staging of same. The only annoying part of the entire day and evening was when I got on the freeway at eight-fifteen to come home – traffic totally at a standstill. No one moving. Luckily, there was an offramp right away, and off I got. Apparently, there was an accident at Highland, and it had totally screwed up everything. I drove side streets and got on the Cahuenga off-ramp, which actually puts you on the freeway just after the Highland off-ramp, and from there I was fine. I got home around nine and ate and then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I managed to watch one count them one motion picutere on DVD entitled Billy Wilder Speaks, a film by Volker Schlondorff. Back in the late 80s, Mr. Schlondorff was in the US and interviewed Wilder over a period of two weeks – the caveat being that Wilder would not allow any of the footage to be edited or shown in his lifetime. So, now the film is out and it’s a delight – Wilder, even in his 80s was still sharp as a tack and his stories are priceless (he frequently switches from English to German). The DVD has an additional hour of the interview footage. If you love Mr. Wilder’s films as I do, this is a must-have.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Btoon below because my finger is getting weary of hitting the wrong keys at the wrong time, and besides, I have an early casting session today for the kids show.
As I mentioned, today is the first of two casting sessions this week for the kids show. I’ll be very interested to see how the people are – they’ll be dancing mostly, then singing, then we’ll do a cut, and then they’ll dance and sing some more, then ultimately we’ll put groups together and read them. I’m looking forward to it, but it’s going to be a little nutty doing the session from ten to two then running to LACC for a five-hour rehearsal.
I’m also hoping Vinnie will start doing his pre-mixes today or tomorrow at the latest. I would love to get the whole thing edited and mixed by a week from Friday – then the girls can hear it, give any notes they want, and then I can put it to bed.
Well, dear readers, I msut take the day, I msut do the things I do, I msut, for example, jog, attend a casting session, rehearse, and find time to eat. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings – I know, promishes, promishes.