Well, dear readers, do you know how hard it is to come up with a title for these here notes after all these years and all the titles we’ve used? It’s nigh unto impossible, that’s how hard it is to come up with a title for these here notes. For example, I just came up with a title to these here notes, and then checked and by gum and by golly and buy bonds if I hadn’t already used it. This happens more and more lately and it is nigh unto impossible to come up with a title these days. What the HELL am I talking about? Who cares about a fershluganah title and how hard it is to come up with same? There are important and weighty matters to discuss, however, I can’t remember what they are so let’s discuss non-important and non-weighty matters. Speaking of matters, yesterday was another really long day. I got up at eight, jogged, showered, and then toddled off to an eight-hour rehearsal. We began the day by starting at the beginning of the show. We did a stop and start and by one we’d finally gotten through act one, after which we had a spot of lunch. I was trying to mark it as much as possible, but it’s hard to do, but the problem is when you’re running things two and three times, it really takes its toll on the voice box, at least my voice box. After lunch, we got through act two, then we did a full out run-through. I made it through okay, but my voice was really tired by the end of it. As I said, this character never shuts up in the entire show, so it’s a lot of vocal energy. It’s not that I don’t have it by the end, it’s that my low notes are completely gone, and unfortunately the final song has a lot of said low notes (and a lot of high notes, too – but the low notes precluded us from dropping the key for the high notes). I came directly home after rehearsal and I rested my voice all the livelong evening. I had some nice hot soup for dinner (I did last night, too) and that helps soothe Ye Olde Voice Box. Mostly I just sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Twelve O’Clock High, a film starring Gregory Peck, Gary Merrill, Dean Jagger, Hugh Marlowe, and lots of other actors. I’d never seen it before – I only knew it was a well-respected war film. On the ever-ridiculous imdb, several of their resident nincompoops compared it favorably to Saving Private Ryan, as if the two films had anything to do with each other. In fact, they are polar opposites. Twelve O’Clock High is dialogue-driven and character-driven. Its “battles” all take place off-screen, save for one, during the last fifteen minutes. Otherwise, it’s a lot of talking, and it’s very good talking indeed. Gregory Peck is excellent as the tougher-than-nails-because-he-has-to-be squadron leader. The one battle we see is real – with the exception of cutaways to Peck and a few other cast members, it’s all real footage from US and German bombing raids, and it’s pretty extraordinary. The film is well directed by Henry King, who, I must admit, is not one of my favorite filmmakers. The transfer is excellent at times and at times a little less than excellent. There is a second disc of extras, but I’m sure it’s just the same old, same old talking heads and cinema professors and I cannot watch them anymore because they all make me want to vomit on the ground. And if I see that Professor Drew Casper once more I shall hurl a shoe through the TV. This is a cinema teacher at USC who, because he’s now a fixture on DVD commentaries, has had some really bad facial work done and it’s just too too nauseating for words. And his voice is like fingernails on a skunk.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst I try to come up with a title for these here notes – as you know, it’s nigh unto impossible.
Today, I have to ship some things, and I have to go over to watch a DVD of The Party Animals with its creators, to see if we want to make any adjustments. But, that’s all I have planned and I shall rest and relax and not talk for the rest of the day.
Our call time is six o’clock for an eight o’clock show. I don’t really know why, but I will not rehearse for any great length of time. So, any excellent vibes and xylophones you’d like to send my way for a strong voice would be much appreciated.
Tomorrow, we have a rehearsal for The Party Animals, and I have to be really careful not to talk to much. Other than that, I have nothing else planned for the day. Same thing on Wednesday – I have to get together with the tech people at the space where we’re doing the show, but other than that I’m just resting. On Thursday, I can let go, and I’ll be rehearsing with Joan Ryan. On Friday, we have a complete run-through of The Party Animals at the space, Saturday is mine, all mine, and then Sunday there are two shows. Quite a little week this is.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, watch a DVD, ship, relax, and then do our first performance of the reading. Today’s topic of discussion: In all your years as a child or adult, what has been the single most rewarding class you’ve ever taken, and why? Tell us all about it in detail. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we? And I think even though it’s nigh unto impossible, that I have come up with the title of today’s notes.