Well, dear readers, it is Sunday, and the beginning of the second week of 2007. I tell you, this year is already flying by, like a gazelle doing One Grecian Urn. I’m quite late in writing these here notes, so we may as well dive right in. But first – One Grecian Urn. Speaking of One Grecian Urn, yesterday was a really fun little day. For example, I woke up. That was fun. I jogged. Even that was fun. I then toddled off to rehearsal and that was most definitely fun. I will reveal a little-known secret: I’ve been directing for over thirty years, yet every time I begin to block a new project, when I walk in the room to begin, I feel like I’ve never done it before. Yesterday was no exception. I just looked around the room, looked at my actors, and thought, “What am I supposed to do now?” But, I just got them on their feet and two minutes later we were having a blast and off we went. I blocked two scenes today, including the first scene of the show, which is quite long and involved. The cast picked up the blocking very quickly and I’m pleased with them because they build on what I’m giving them. We have a ways to go to find the proper tone and the characters, but it was a very good start. By three o’clock, we were able to run from the beginning of the show through the third musical number – not bad. I hadn’t seen a lot of the choreography, and it’s really good – high energy, fun, and clever. After rehearsal, I ate a nice late lunch at Casa Vega, and then came home, accompanied by Miss Adriana Patti who, of course, is assisting me on the show. She wanted to continue her film education, so we sat on my couch like so much fish.
We managed to watch two count them two motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled The Music Man, which Adriana had only seen in a faded pan-and-scan TV print. I must say, the DVD transfer, which I remembered being excellent, isn’t up to today’s standards and they will hopefully redo this. The DVD came out in 1999 and the technology is just much better today. That said, The Music Man remains one of the best Broadway to screen translations – almost perfectly true to its Broadway roots (My White Knight is gone, replaced by a sweet song, Being In Love). I must say I find it a flawless film – filled with huge laughs, great musical numbers, and a whole lot of heart. There will never be another Harold Hill like Robert Preston. Shirley Jones is a lovely Marian Paroo, and Buddy Hackett is amusing as Marcellus Washburn. Paul Ford and Hermione Gingold almost walk away with the film – their performances are priceless and there is no one working today, and I mean no one, who could do what they did and be as funny as they were (all one need do is watch the Matthew Broderick version to see just how UNFUNNY those roles can be without Mr. Ford and Miss Gingold). Mr. Ford was one of the great comic character actors and Miss Gingold was unique, brilliant, and had impeccable comic timing. Our very own Miss Monique Vermont was an adorable Amaryllis, Ronny Howard was great as Winthrop, and everyone else in the film was stellar. People never give enough credit to the book of the show and film – it’s a great yarn, beautifully told, and has some of the most memorable dialogue ever written for a musical. Mr. Willson’s score is a treasure. And Onna White’s choreography is spectacularly spectacular. The entire concoction is well directed by the show’s original director, Morton da Costa. After that, we watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled Tootsie, starring Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Bill Murray, and a host of others. The more I think about it, I think Tootsie is the last great American comedy – I can’t think of any film made since that has its kind of classic structure, its beautifully conceived characters, its endless stream of laughs, its assured pacing, and its cast of expert players. One of the reasons it works so well is, in fact, the cast. Every person in the film is believable, yet really funny, warm, quirky, and its just one of those film soufflés that rises perfectly. Hoffman is at his best, Teri Garr is hilariously neurotic, Miss Lange, an actress I don’t care for all that much, is the best she’s ever been, Mr. Murray is droll, and on it goes. Charles Durning is sweet and endearing, George Gaynes is a hoot, Dabney Coleman is at his smarmiest, Geena Davis is cute as a button, and the film’s director, Sidney Pollack, walks away with all his scenes as Hoffman’s agent. The screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal is as good as it gets. One suspects that the best of it is by Gelbart and that Schisgal was brought in by Hoffman to add some things for Hoffman (they had a long-time friendship). Special props to Dave Grusin’s score, especially its song, It Might Be You. The transfer is very nice.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst we all do One Grecian Urn.
Two Grecian Urns. Today, I shall be working with Miss Joan Ryan for a couple of hours, just playing through material we’re thinking about doing. I also have to finish the Brain synopsis, but that should be it – otherwise, I have the day and evening to myself.
Tomorrow, it’s back to blocking, and I’m also hoping to finish the mix in the next day or two. I’ll then live with it for a day, then make any last-minute fixes. I’ll also send elmore a copy to listen to.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, have a work session, write, relax, and watch a DVD or three. 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 now – One Grecian Urn.