Well, dear readers, we are hurtling toward July, like a gazelle eating a knish. Was it really a year ago that I was preparing to go to New York to do The Brain From Planet X? That seems unreal to me or, to put it another way, to me that seems unreal. In any case, we are hurtling toward July and there is nothing we can do about it except be caught up in the vortex as we hurtle away. Have you ever caught up in the vortex? If so, what was up doing in the vortex in the first place? Did up have an excuse or was up just being uppity? Speaking of uppity, yesterday was slightly off day. I woke up early, and she of the Evil Eye arrived soon thereafter. I’d completely forgotten she was coming of Friday instead of her usual Saturday. That was slightly off. So, I gathered myself up and went to Panera with Ye Olde Computer. I had a Diet Coke and did some work on the computer, including an e-mail interview for an upcoming review of Evening Primrose. I then drove a couple of blocks, parked, and took a two-mile walk up in the hills of Studio City. The view from up there is rather breathtaking and it’s amazing how much of the San Fernando Valley is still flat. I walked and walked, looking at the oversized monstrosities that are called new homes that have replaced the decent-sized nice homes that once were there. There were a couple of these awful places that must have had six or seven bedrooms, along with about twenty other rooms. Who needs that much space? What you usually find in those homes are youngsters who write and/or produce for television – usually married with one or two kids. They tear down the nice house and build the eyesore with thousands of square feet more than necessary and for what? I wouldn’t know what to do with a house that size, nor would I be comfortable living in such a place. After the walk, I returned home, sent more music fixes, booked a couple more cast members for our upcoming staged reading, and did some errands that needed doing. Then it was time to toddle off to the Pacific Palisades to have dinner with Mr. Barry Pearl, his ever-lovin’ Cindy, and a bunch of their friends. The director of the show we were to see was there, along with an actor friend of Barry and Cindy’s (along with a very nice guy), a writer friend of Barry’s, and our surprise guest, Mr. Donald Petrie, who I hadn’t seen in years. We had a lot of fun chatting, the food was really excellent (Eyetalian – I had the spaghetti and meatballs), and then it was time to go to the theater to see I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at Theatre Palisades.
Last night, I saw I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at Theatre Palisades. I gather Theatre Palisades has been doing shows for close to forty-five years. It’s a very nice space, with about 135 seats. It’s basically a community theater, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about their shows from Barry. As most of you know, I produced the cast recording of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, but I hadn’t seen the show since doing it back in 1996. No one wanted to touch recording it, but they came to me, I saw the show, and said yes. It was a fairly inexpensive show to record, and we had a good deal of fun doing it. No one could have predicted that twelve years later it would finally be closing in the same theater in which it opened. Funnily, looking at the CD, I don’t think I’ve listened to it since I finished mixing it – I can see that I did end up losing a fiercely-fought battle to include the Rose Ritz monologue that Jennifer Simard so brilliantly did. We recorded it for sure, mixed it, and I know it got very heated. However, it was, I think, before I was doing hidden tracks, or I most certainly would have included it as a bonus and/or hidden track. The Theatre Palisades production was a lot of fun, very well produced by Sherry Coon and Barry’s ever-lovin’ Cindy Dellinger. The director did a nice job, and the cast was very good indeed – in certain ways, I enjoyed this production more than I did the original. The original was very slick, this was a little rawer, but I think that worked in the show’s favor, frankly. I think I’m going to ask one of the gals in the cast if she’d like to do the staged reading. If she says yes, then I’ll have the three girls and I’ll only have to find two ensemble guys and we’ll be fully cast. It was a nice, enjoyable evening, and afterwards I came home and sat on my chair like so much fish.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because frankly I’m caught up in the vortex and I’m hurtling to the next section.
Caught Up In The Vortex – that’s the title of my next novel, a story of wanton lust between two people hurtling toward July whilst doing the Virginia Reel.
Today, I have almost no plans, other than to finish sending music fixes, and recording the final song of the musical I’m mentoring, and also sending some mp3s to a couple of the actors who’ve requested them. I hope to catch up with some DVD watching and some TIVO watching, too.
Tomorrow is more of the same, and I may mosey on over to the DGA to see The Love Guru and then Get Smart, which are playing back to back. Then, starting on Monday, it’s a very busy week of doing very busy things.
Quick, let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora and the Virginia Reel, for today is the birthday of Mr. Mark Bakalor, the fellow who designed this here site. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to Mr. Mark Bakalor, the fellow who designed this site. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO MR. MARK BAKALOR, THE FELLOW WHO DESIGNED THIS SITE!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, finish sending musical fixes, record a song, eat something reasonable but fun, and then watch a DVD or three. Today’s topic of discussion: What’s the absolute most memorable Eyetalian meal you’ve ever eaten – where was it, what exactly did you eat – you know, make our mouths water so we all want to immediately go eat more Eyetalian food. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we are caught up in the vortex hurtling toward July.