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November 7, 2006:

THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, there are days and there are days. Yes, dear readers, you heard it here, there are days and there are days. For example, yesterday was a day and today is a day, hence there are days and there are days and all the days of late are the same – up early, errands and whatnot to do, rehearsals, late-night eating and home. There is very little variation, or should that be there is vary little veryation? Like sands through an hourglass, so are the days of our lives. What am I, a soap opera all of a sudden? In any case, one such day was yesterday. In other words, yesterday was one such day. In the morning I got up, after another good night’s sleep. I then had to attend to several important things, including listening to our mix of act two of the Emily and Alice CD – very little to fix, just two minor things. After that, I toddled off to rehearsal at LACC. One of our actresses spent the first couple of hours working with our musical director, while I blocked stuff with the ensemble – I blocked all the transitions in the show (and there are a lot), including a couple of small scenes. The kids picked everything up quickly, and we ran everything several times to make sure they had it all. I then sent the ensemble to the musical director and the actress and the actor who plays her boyfriend came to me and we blocked their two big scenes, both of which take place in the front seat of a car, so not much blocking to be done. We came up with some cute stuff, though, and I think it’s going to be fun. We got out of rehearsal earlier than planned, I had a brief meeting with a faculty member, and then finally headed home – I stopped and got some food to go and then arrived at the home environment, turned on the TV and ate whilst sitting on my couch like so much fish. Like sands through an hourglass, so are the days of our lives.

Last night, I watched one count them one motion picture on DVD, entitled Mrs. Harris, one of those HBO movies, this one starring Miss Annette Bening and Mr. Ben Kingsley, along with a whole slew of well-known cameo players. I thought the story was interesting (the Scarsdale Diet Doctor’s murder by Jean Harris), but alas and alack and also alack and alas, the film was dreadful, and I’m afraid that its dreadfulness can all be laid at the feet of its writer/director, Phyllis Nagy, who has no talent for writing or directing. Of course, HBO deemed it acceptable for a person with exactly one other writing credit (the second of two credited writers) and no directing credits to helm their film. The writing is awful, and the direction is competent (she had a good cinematographer) and nothing more, and frequently less. She’s one of these directors who has to underscore many scenes with a song that “complements” the action, i.e. tells you what’s going on in front of your very eyes – like when Jean and the doctor first meet we have to have the song “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” – how subtle and brilliant – not. The structure of the film is silly, and the whole thing borders on unwatchable. Of course, the television academy saw fit to hand it several Emmy nominations, including the infamous Ellen Burstyn supporting actress nomination – if you ever wanted to know how pointless and useless and bankrupt the television academy is, look no further than this nomination for a performance that lasts exactly fourteen seconds and consists of maybe a short paragraph at most (it’s two seven second shots of maybe two sentences each, both incomprehensible). So, how did it happen? Miss Burstyn or someone from HBO put forward her name, and the voters saw the name and nominated her without actually seeing the film. That is the only way it could have happened. In any case, Mrs. Harris, for me, was a complete waste of time and film. Now watch HBO give Miss Nagy another film to write and direct. And so are the days of our lives.

What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because today, after all, is a day and one must get going, mustn’t one?

Today, I must get up early and go to Vinnie’s to do our little fixes, which I’m hoping won’t take more than thirty minutes tops. He’ll then burn me two CDs and I’ll make copies for Emily and Alice to hear, as well as send the files to our mastering engineer up north. We’re working feverishly to get a mockup of the cover done by Friday, and the actual finished booklet done by Monday or Tuesday of next week. After that, I have another long rehearsal, doing almost all of the scenes with the General and other assorted characters. Tomorrow, I have to do three musical numbers, but they’re solos and duets and I’ve got six hours in which to do them, so that’s fine, and if I don’t finish, I can resume on Thursday.

I must also choose which sections of my book to read on Saturday for my book signing. I’ve sent out my mass e-mailing, and, as per usual, all my “friends” are just too busy to make it – I’m always shocked by this, but it happens to every author I know. I have certain “friends” who have never attended a signing in five years. I do hope they never come to me with anything they might need, because I will not be there for them. It’s not as if I do these all the time. But, we’re hoping for a nice turnout anyway.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, do fixes on mixes, rehearse, and eat. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite thrift store finds, and your favorite eBay finds? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, for like sands through an hourglass, so are the days of our lives.

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