Well, dear readers, we’ve survived the first read-through of The Brain From Planet X, Chance Theater-style. I’m actually very happy with our company of players, and will be even happier when we settle on our General Mills and get our final male ensemble member. Did you see what I did there? I just dove right into these here notes without so much as a preamble. I just jumped right into the meat of these here notes – no appetizer, no first course, right to the main meal. That is most unseemly and now I shall have to backtrack because one simply must have a preamble. I mean, I’ve already talked about a male member here – that’s not good. You must never talk about a male member (ensemble or otherwise) before its time. I gotta tell you. So, let’s start at the very beginning, which is, after all, a very good place to start. Yesterday was another completely odd day. For example, I got up early. That was odd. I then made an important phone call and took care of an annoyance that happened on Friday, and that’s all fine now. Then I had to go run an annoying errand that turned out to be not so annoying, so that was fine, too. Then I got home, shaved and showered, played through The Brain score (boy, when you’ve laid off playing something for as long as I have with this music, it’s really a shock how much has left Ye Olde Fingers and cranium), and did some work on the computer. Then Mr. Rothman came over, we picked up assistant Miss Patti and got on the freeway about ten minutes earlier than usual. That actually seemed to make a difference and other than some unusual slowing a little earlier than normal, we actually got through downtown pretty quickly, and then the 5 was surprisingly fast. It looked like we were actually going to cut a half-hour off the drive – and then the little sign that says how long it takes to the 91 freeway said eighty-five minutes instead of the usual rush hour twenty minutes. We thought it must have been an error until two minutes later, when the traffic just stopped, just like that, stopped dead. We literally did not move for ten minutes. And then when we did move, we inched and I do mean inched. I went to the traffic radio station and sure enough, about six miles ahead of us there was a four-car accident blocking the two left lanes. So, even on a day when you’re making good time, you simply cannot win in this city. Some fool driver is going to ram into some other fool driver and just wreak havoc. Not only did we not cut a half hour off our drive, we added fifteen minutes beyone the ninety that it’s taken in the worst rush hour. We still got there in time to have a bite to eat, but boy was it frustrating. I did learn that leaving fifteen minutes earlier is probably a good thing, good if the idiot drivers can keep from smacking into each other like a bunch of brain-dead twits.
We arrived at the theater about fifteen minutes ahead of our start time. At seven, the company had to fill out contracts and such, and then it was time to begin. I made a little speech about the history of the show and my usual spiel about not making fun of the characters. We then read the show. I do find doing these readings a necessity, but for me they are no fun because I have to sit and play the score, which I hate doing, and then on top of that I had to read General Mills, which I really hated doing, especially as my script that I was using hadn’t been updated in a year (everyone else’s was correct, but me reading from this outdated script was ridiculous – I didn’t have their proper cue lines, there were old, long-ago cut lines, etc.), plus having to read the stage direction, which you have to do, takes all the energy out of everything. Putting my discomfort aside, the reading was lots of fun. Most people were reading totally cold, but still there were lots of laughs, and, as mentioned earlier, I’m very happy with our merry troupe of players. They all have very good instincts already, and a couple of things that happened are very interesting and we’ll pursue those things. And I have to say, that my instinct in giving Mr. Mark Rothman The Brain was perfect – the minute he opened his mouth he got a laugh, and he continued to get them throughout. He’s going to be wonderful, and I think everyone else is going to be wonderful, as well. I’m looking forward to beginning the blocking process and for everyone to learn their music. I have the feeling that of all our casts, this one is going to be the hardest working.
There, that was more like it. We had a preamble, we had a first course, and now we’re in the midst of the main meal, which will be followed by dessert if we all click on the Unseemly Button below.
The drive home from rehearsal was very quick, which is always pleasant. I picked up some pistachio nuts and Milk Duds to have as a snack since I only had a BLT-A for dinner (with some very good chili cheese fries). I am now feeling like a large fetid pistachio nut and a Milk Dud.
Today, I will attempt to record the remaining musical numbers into the computer (for the musical I’m mentoring), plus I’m still hoping for a happy resolution re good news, and I have some errands to do as well. The evening is mine all mine, and I’m absolutely going to use it to relax, same thing for tomorrow, because I’d like to look at least halfway human for Friday’s shoot.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, record songs into the computer, do errands and whatnot, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, now that we are finished with the main meal.