Well, dear readers, once again the notes are late, so I must write them in a hurry and then I must scurry to the bedroom environment. Of course, when one has to write the notes in a hurry then one invariably cannot think of anything to say. Oh, I know – I can talk about who was at the opening night of Can Can. People, that’s who. There was a surprising lack of star wattage, but I knew quite a few people and had nice chats with them. But there was one person there who was so thoroughly obnoxious that I seriously thought about decking him in the forecourt of the Pasadena Playhouse. I have never been less than nice to this person. I have always been cordial. I have always returned his calls (in the days when he might have called with a question). I have always said hello and had a smile. Now, this person had moved to New York a few years ago, where he’s been “working the room” in the specious way that people who are a little too desperate to get ahead do. So, Friday night was the first time I’d seen him since he moved. He was there with a friend, someone I also know. The friend and I had a nice chat and spent quite a bit of time together. This person not only did not say hello, he went out of his way to not even glance in my direction or make eye contact with me. I passed him several times – he knew I was there, saw me, but refused to even acknowledge my presence, which I found insufferably rude. He did manage to chat up anyone who he perceived could do him some good or who’s ASS he wanted to kiss (and this person is a major league ASS-kisser, let me tell you). Finally, after the show, his friend and I were talking again, and this person was standing near by and he finally glanced in my direction and my eyes were so locked on his that he could not turn away. He said hello in an off-handed way, and then asked what I was up to. I got out a half a sentence before he literally turned away and began talking to someone else. I really had to restrain myself, and I think even his friend was appalled. Now, maybe he thinks I’m an insignificant ort, and maybe I am, but, you know, it’s a small town and an even smaller business, and I’ve got to tell you that if anyone anytime ever mentions this creep’s name, I will not be kind, oh, no, I will not be kind. And since I am very much in the world that he inhabits, that’s probably a rather stupid career move on his part, because at this stage of his life he doesn’t really need people out there saying he’s a complete twit, which I will be saying. I’ll be talking to his friend tomorrow, and I’ll probably bring this up, because someone, preferably a friend, should tell him what a jerk he was. End of opening night rant. I did see some NICE people – Stuart Ross, Henry Polic, Sheldon Epps, director David Lee, Mary Jo Catlett, Annette Cardona, Marcia Seligson, Steven Smith, and many others – all of them a hell of a lot more well known than the creep and all of them gracious, sweet, and warm. The creep should learn some tact and manners.
Speaking of tact and manners, I had a very productive day yesterday, most of it spent going through The Brain and doing a polish. There were things that both David and I thought didn’t land the way we wanted and so we addressed those and did some nips and tucks, some redone dialogue, and a complete rewrite for one big speech. We actually did the ideas for everything, and David will do a rough up and I’ll finesse and then he’ll finesse. The good news is we are really happy with the structure of the show and we didn’t change any of that. We watched the DVD as we made our notes and fixes. We cleaned some stuff up, moved a few things around, clarified some things, and reset the location of a scene and song – that was our biggest stroke of inspiration and it’s going to take an already good scene and song and notch it up 100% because the new setting informs the entire idea behind the scene and song, makes everything make perfect sense, and offers some new and really fun ideas for staging. I’m hoping David will get it done quickly, because I’d like to lock the script before sending it to actors for casting. And that was my entire day.
Last night, I attended the opening night of a production of Merrily We Roll Along, the Stephen Sondheim/George Furth musical. The theater was actually located in Kritzer town, about five minutes from where I grew up. The production was very low budget and I’m not going to say anything about it other than our very own Richard Berent did a fine job playing the show and conducting his three-piece band. What I will say something about is the show itself. This is the revised (well, it’s been revised a few times) version that I recorded some years back – the York Theater revival. That was the first time I’d seen the show – I only knew the original version from the Original Cast Recording. I could not believe how clunky and awful the book was in the revised version, and it made me wonder how the original could have been worse. The score, of course, has many wonderful Sondheim songs, and a couple that I think aren’t that good. But that book! The conceit of the show is an anti-conceit – the show runs backwards, from end to beginning. So, we meet all the leading characters at their most awful – one is a drunk, one is a shallow, deceitful jerk, his wife throws acid in the face of someone he’s having an affair with – and this all happens in the first ten minutes. Well, the show’s over folks. There’s no way to like and/or feel anything for these characters because they are so loathsome when we meet them. And two hours later, when they’re young and idealistic, we’re supposed to be moved and touched. Sorry, but there is simply no way Merrily We Roll Along, at least in this version, could ever work. In fact, it’s excruciating, despite the fine score. I’m very fond of the album we made, but that’s because we don’t have to sit through the show – we just get to hear the songs. But, the Sondheads weep – they scream – they cheer, because their master can do no wrong. Well, their master didn’t write the book of Merrily, and anyone who can’t see how wretched that book is, is certainly turning a blind eye just because of their obsessive adulation for the score.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because we’d better merrily we roll along and get these here notes posted in a trice.
Today, I must prep Milla packages for shipping (should the CD actually arrive on time tomorrow), and package up some Brain CDs to send to various peoples of Earth. I hope to have a few hours in the afternoon to relax and smell the coffee or the roses or the dim sum. After that, I’ll be driving the the City of Culver to sup with Miss Liz Larsen and Mr. Sal Viviano – I’m looking forward to a fine dining adventure and to catching up with them.
For those who are keeping tabs (and who isn’t), we only need thirty-eight more shareholders – those who’ve been reading the posts know what this is in reference to.
Tomorrow, I have a very busy day, with many telephonic calls and arrangements to make and e-mails to write and details to attend to. That will be followed by what will hopefully be a well-attended general meeting for our alumni association. After that, I’ll be supping with dear reader Cason and his ever lovin’ Heather, who is in town visiting her paramour.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do all of the above and then some. 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, as merrily we roll along, roll along, posting our posts.