Well, dear readers, there is a heinous (heinous, do you hear me?) rumor flying about that not only is today Friday, but that the month of June is now almost half over, having sped by like a gazelle in a muumuu. And as if that weren’t enough, it is also Friday, the 13th. Yes, today is a day to be on the lookout for masked killers with hatchets and people named Jason. Perhaps we should just write Christmas notes now, since it will be December in no time flat. I gotta tell you. In any case, it’s Friday the 13th and that’s that. Speaking of that’s that, yesterday was quite a long day. I got up a little later than I’ve been getting up, had to do a couple of early errands, and then I had a two-hour work session on the musical I’m mentoring. We went through the script and managed to chop out five pages, which is about five less than I wanted, but it’s a good place to start. I think the next cuts will come when I get it on its feet for the staged reading. After that, I did some more errands, had some telephonic calls, answered some e-mails, and then it was time to go to the memorial service for the late Robert W. Nudelman, which was being held at the Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theater. Mr. Nudelman was a prime mover in the fight to preserve Hollywood’s heritage, architecture and spirit. He was tireless in his efforts, and saved 100s of buildings and landmarks before his very untimely passing. He was responsible for Disney not chopping up the El Capitan into a triplex. A crowd of friends, colleagues, and people who just appreciated his efforts, gathered at what I knew and loved as the Pix Theater. The first hour was spent with people mingling and eating and drinking, and then there was an hour-long tribute to Mr. Nudelman. The manager of the space spoke, and then there was a panel of eleven people who all told anecdotes about Mr. Nudelman. This was followed by a short video, and then the evening was done, with more mingling. It was all very warm and loving and a nice way to remember a special person who cared deeply about Hollywood and its cultural heritage. Mr. Nudelman was only fifty-one. It was fascinating being in the theater, too – I hadn’t been there since it was changed from a movie theater back to a legit house, so it was a bit disorienting to see the theater’s original proscenium arch. When the theater was converted to widescreen movie presentation, they clearly put the new large screen in front of the old small proscenium, completely covering it. When it became the Henry Fonda, the screen was removed, which revealed the original proscenium and stage. The space is completely shorn of its seats (except for the balcony), so it made me a little nauseous to be there (I cannot stand being in a movie theater that I frequented regularly that has been shorn of its seats and which no longer resembles what it was as a movie theater, save for the lobby and the side walls). This theater used to show sneak previews regularly, in the days when no one knew what the preview was going to be. I saw Cat Ballou there, a sneak of Woman Of Straw, Torn Curtain, and the Pix was where Jaws premiered, and later, Rocky. It had one of the great marquees, and you can see it beautifully lit up in The Lights And The Smiles song from The First Nudie Musical.
After the memorial, I came home and sat on my couch like so much fish, and tried to figure out how half of June could already be gone. I began watching a motion picture on DVD entitled Tai-Pan, and I must say I don’t think I’ll be finishing it. I’ve seen thirty minutes of it and I have no idea what’s going on, which is what you get when you try to telescope a 900 page book into a two-hour and seven-minute movie. They should have taken a leaf from Shogun and done it as a mini-series. The big plus of the film is the gorgeous photography of the brilliant Jack Cardiff. The cast is lackluster and the direction by Daryl Duke very ordinary.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because, after all, it’s Friday the 13th and these here notes are getting scary.
Today, I have no real plans, and that’s a good thing. Oh, I have to do a few errands and I have to proof and correct some lead sheets, but other than that I think I shall relax and smell the roses or the coffee or the Greek olives.
This evening I shall be attending a musical entitled Pest Control, with our very own Miss Beth Malone. I shall have a full report for you, plus some of the rather astonishing details of the production.
Tomorrow, I have a few errands to do, and then I’ll be seeing A Very Brady Musical. I have no idea what to expect, frankly.
Sunday, I think, will be mine all mine, to do whatever I feel like.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do errands, proof and correct lead sheets, and then attend a musical. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, Jerry Goldsmith’s brilliant score to Freud, and Malcolm Arnold’s scores for Nine Hours To Rama and The Lion. DVD, Tai-Pan, which will soon be removed and replaced by something else. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we all look out for the boogeyman on Friday the 13th.