Well, dear readers, it’s officially official – The Brain From Planet X will be part of this year’s NYMF festival of new musicals. I don’t have the theater details yet (we’re in one of two spaces, and I’m lobbying for the larger of them, stage-wise), nor our specific dates, but I’ll post all that as the information comes in. Because all this happened very quickly, we’re about a month behind other shows and have to catch up, which is better than having to ketchup. It’s really just paperwork right now, but I’m doing everything I can to find a line producer/general manager as quickly as possible so that he/she can deal with all that directly in New York. Meanwhile, the beginning paperwork is all on its way for me to sign – the Equity agreement, and the NYMF agreement. I’ve spent hours on the phone putting out the word for stage managers, set and costume people, musical director, choreographer, and all that stuff. I will, most likely, be coming to NY in a few weeks to hold casting sessions – that is, if I can figure out a casting director (I met someone last year when I was doing The Last Starfighter, but I cannot find his card) who can handle all the appointments. I will now start blocking out my schedule for the rest of the summer, which is going to be fun, but intense or, at the very least, intense, but fun. I’m so thrilled that The Brain is coming back and it’s my first ever show in New York, which is triply thrilling. I’m still trying to lock down just who from my LA cast will be making the trip – the only definites thus far are Cason and Alet. I’ve been making lists of actors for all the other roles, but I’m still hopeful that BJ and Lauren will end up making it. If not, I have a lot to cast. But, some great names have come up, and I’m hoping at least a few of them will be available. I also have to talk to Mr. Barry Pearl a little more about whether having him do The Brain will work for all of us. I really like him, but it’s a deceptively hard role for a whole slew of reasons. I do know he’d be a little closer to the way we conceived the part, but I also got used to the way our LA Brain did the role. In any case, we shall see what we shall see. Again, the most urgent thing right now is finding a reasonably priced sublet or room to stay in, so if anyone, dear reader or lurker, has a clew, let me know. So much to do, but what fun it shall be. Speaking of what fun it shall be, yesterday was not all fun, but enough of it was fun that the part that was not fun can just go take a hike. I got up, made many telephonic calls, did many errands, got the news about NYMF, got the news that proofer number two finished my book, so that I may now get those corrections and enter them (she loved the book, so that was very nice to hear), ate some lunch, and then did more telephonic calls right up until I had to leave for the LACC Foundation meeting. That meeting was fascinating, just to hear how they go after huge sponsors for their fundraiser. Everyone loved my idea for the entertainment portion, so today I have to make a call and try to book the conductor I want (they have the Young Musician’s Foundation Orchestra and my idea was to do a tribute to Jerry Goldsmith – who was an LACC graduate). After the meeting, I came home to many e-mails, and then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
I’m in the middle of watching The Colossus of Rhodes on DVD, and all I can tell you at this point is that there is a Colossus and it resides in Rhodes. Have you ever resided in Rhodes. It’s a lovely island, and why they didn’t call it Rhodes Island is anyone’s guess. On the island of Rhodes are many beefy men in short micro-skirts. The women are big of bosom and it’s all very merry and gay. I will, of course, have a full report upon finishing said motion picture on DVD.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I’ve about had it with this section. This section has too many beefy men in micro-skirts and too many women who are big of bosom, and too much ephemera and detritus, and I am FED UP. What the HELL am I talking about?
Buried in the ephemera and detritus of Saturday’s postings was an Unseemly Trivia Contest question. Ephemera and Detritus. That sounds like a sword and sandal film, doesn’t it? Here is the question (in several parts):
This theatrical season produced only a few hits and a lot of flops. Our first play, even though a mild hit, was a not-well-thought-of play, and it was turned into a not-well-thought-of flop film, despite being written by a popular playwright. Its cast included one actor who was known for playing an iconic film role. Another actor would go onto film stardom and a directing career. An actress in the show was better-known for her work in a TV series. The director of the show was not known as a director but as a playwright and screen writer.
Another play (a major flop) was written by an author who would go on to write the book for at least two classic musicals. It was adapted from a well-known novel by an interesting author. It was directed by someone who was more well thought of as a writer. Its cast included a cast member of a successful screen musical, an actress who would go on to give several memorable screen performances and who now has a daughter currently working in theater, and a male cast member who would go on to work with someone on this here site.
Our third theatrical event (another major flop) was put together and directed by one of its ensemble cast members – this person gave many excellent supporting performances on stage but mostly on screen. In the cast were two future Academy Award-nominees for Best leading performance in a film – one of them was also a multiple-Tony Award-winner, and one of them would also star in a truly iconic role on television.
So…
Play one – name the play and playwright, name the actor and his iconic role, name the actor who would go on to a screen acting and directing career, name the actress and her TV series, and name the director who was better-known for writing.
Play two – name the play, the playwright, the author of the novel the play was based on, the cast member who’d been in a successful screen musical, the cast member who went on to give several memorable performances on screen and also name their currently-working daughter, and name the director better known for writing.
Show three – name the person who put together and directed (and acted in) this show, name the show, name the cast member who won multiple Tony Awards and an Academy Award nomination, name the cast member who would also get an Academy Award nomination and who played in iconic role on television.
And the answers are:
Play one – The Star-Spangled Girl, Neil Simon, Anthony Perkins/Norman Bates, Richard Benjamin, Connie Stevens/Hawaiian Eye, and George Axelrod.
Play two – We Have Always Lived In The Castle/Hugh Wheeler, Shirley Jackson, Heather Menzies/The Sound Of Music, Shirley Knight, Kaitlin Hopkins, and Garson Kanin.
Show three – Roscoe Lee Browne/A Hand Is On The Gate, James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson.
And there you have it. We had only two guesses and both of them were correct. Our winners were FJL and Dan-the-Man. I put their names into our handy-dandy Electronic Hat, which randomly chose FJL as our High Winner. Congratulations, and FJL will be receiving a sparkling prize.
Today, I have a work session with Boswell and Ryan, followed by a rehearsal with Ryan, followed by a trek to pick up my book corrections, followed by lots of work entering them, followed by many telephonic calls, followed by exhaustion.
Tomorrow there will be more of the same, not necessarily in that order.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a work session, rehearse, get corrections, enter corrections and do a whole lotta whatnot. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your all-time favorite films featuring beefy men in micro-skirts and women who are big of bosom – those sword and sandal epics but also just plain old historical films of olden times, too. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and let it be filled with ephemera and detritus and beefy men in micro-skirts and women who are big of bosom.