Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry because shortly I will be on my way back to Los Angeles, California, USA after six count them six weeks here in New York. I will have much to say about this experience that has heretofore remained unsaid. The tale will be told. Nothing will be held back or even held front. It will be an honest assessment of, as I said yesterday, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Of course, I would probably have to say that at the end of the day The Good will probably outweigh The Bad and The Ugly, The Good being working with a great cast, seeing all our East Coast people and supping and hanging out with some of the nicest people ever. Speaking of the nicest people ever, yesterday was a nice day and the evening had its moments, too. For example, I woke up. That was nice. I then joined a few of our hainsies/kimlets at the original Brooklyn Diner on 57th for a light brunch. After that, I came back home and packed everything that could be packed, then shaved and showered and finished inscribing books and writing a batch o’ checks. After that, it was time to toddle over to the Acorn for the final NYMF performance of a little show I like to call The Brain From Planet X. I was surprised by how many folks I knew – first our hainsies/kimlets contingent, but also lovely folks like Alex Rybeck and Jeff Harner, the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization’s Ted Chapin and daughter, my old pal Rick Waln (one of the stars of Together Again), pianist Michael Lavine, Craig Brockman, Paul Kreppel and several others. I even had a note from my pal Marsha Kramer who was in town, but who got to the theater too late. I was praying we’d get through the show with no technical mishaps, but those hopes were dashed with the very first light cue, which came up but didn’t come up because a moving light was not working. The poor actor (BJ) sat there in low blue light doing the opening of the play – ridiculous, and I guess the stage manager was so flustered that it didn’t occur to her to actually use an emergency dimmer to get some light on the stage. Once the second cue hit, then we had some light. The sound was okay but not great, but through all of it the audience seemed with the show, even though, for my tastes, the show was not as tight as I like it to be. At intermission I went to the light booth to find out what had gone wrong, and was told the light was out and that it had been out since yesterday, and that the company had tried to fix it, but hadn’t. Now, wouldn’t you think that someone, anyone would MENTION there was a key moving light out so that, armed with such knowledge, we might actually have been able to do something about it, like putting some other lights into the cue? But, nooooo, it apparently never occurred to anyone to tell us, so we found out when the audience found out. Bravo, NYMF, for your usual brilliant support and help. The second act was a bit tighter than the first, and hence landed better, with several outstanding sequences. Dear reader Ginny’s husband Richard was our Brain Tap victim and he couldn’t have been more fun up there. A couple of actors changed things that have always worked, and changed them in a way that rendered them completely unfunny – I just scratch my head. The cast received a wonderful ovation at the end and I got a lot of nice comments from various and sundried folk. A few actors rushed out of the theater so fast that one never even had a chance to say goodbye – I don’t understand that, either. All us hainsies/kimlets went over to John’s Pizza, where we had a fine old time, and then I hurried home so I could write these here notes like so much fish.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I’ve got to get to bed and try and get a small amount of sleep.
Early this morning I shall rise and shine and be on my way to the airport and then on my way home to LA, LA. Once I arrive, I will dive right in to the fundraiser show, book more talent, set keys and finish choosing songs, and get together with our musical director to start setting any new arrangements and to lock the arrangement of the big opening number so that it’s completely set for Adam Cates to choreograph. It’s an overwhelming amount of stuff to attend to but we’ll get it all done no matter how many hours I have to put in. I also have to deal with the disaster I became aware of on late Friday – how to deal with it will be the trick, as there are no easy answers. But deal with it I must, and swiftly, or there will be hell toupee.
I will try to finish whatever I’m doing tomorrow by five or so so I can spend the rest of the evening relaxing on my couch like so much fish. It will be so grand to sleep in my own bed again and shower in my own shower again.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, wake up, go to the airport, fly home, do fundraiser things, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: Most popular songs were made famous by the first person to sing them (there are, of course, exceptions) or are associated with one person more than others. But some of my favorite versions of songs are cover versions, both by other singers and even instrumentals. So, what are your favorite cover versions of hit songs – the great, the outré, and the downright terrible. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as I will soon be on my way from New York, New York to LA, LA.