Well, dear readers, do you know what day this is? I do. This day is Sunday. I ask you, where else on all the Internet can you find such information? Nowhere, that’s where. But, and it’s a big BUTT – not only is today Sunday, today is also our annual Tony Awards Do. Yes, Virginia, it is our annual Tony Awards Do here at haineshisway.com and there is simply no place on all the Internet that is as much fun as this place. Of course, we do have to be careful of spoilers, but that doesn’t stop us West Coasters from hearing about fashion do’s and fashion don’ts, and how the numbers are and all that sort of thing. So, be there or be round, because we will laugh and laugh and just when we think we can laugh no more, we shall laugh again. I’m laughing already, just thinking about all the laughing. And, as a special bonus, I will, of course, tell the story of The Randy Vicar and the Little Lamb. It’s a corker, too. Speaking of a corker, yesterday was a day that existed. I got up rather early, did some errands, had a muffin top from Panera, did some more errands, ate a couple of yummilicous tuna fish sandwiches of my own making, and watched some more episodes of Mannix, which I’m really enjoying. The show changed drastically after its first season, jettisoning Mannix’s employers completely. I watched two episodes – of course, there are always interesting guest stars, and in the second episode we had John Marley and a very young Neil Diamond playing Neil Diamond, singing in a coffee bar. And, as usual with these Paramount shows, there’s lots of location lensing – in the case of Mannix, a lot of it was shot up in Los Feliz, Griffith Park, the zoo. In one shot I was able to read a street sign that said 7th Street and I was also able to see an address, which was something like 3580 or something, which means that location was literally right around the block from my father’s restaurant at 3474 8th. I’m hoping subsequent episodes have more location footage – just can’t get enough, frankly. There’s a little interview that’s spread out over all the discs, with Mike “Touch” Connors and Joseph Campenella, who played Mannix’s boss the first season. They reminisce but I grew weary of it and shut it off. Oh, and in this episode with Marley and Neil Diamond (a very well-written and directed episode) the minute I heard the background score’s first few notes I said to myself, “Myself, that sounds just like a George Duning score.” I’m never wrong about these things, and sure enough, the end credits rolled and it was indeed a George Duning score, and a great one at that. Mr. Duning was at Paramount at that time scoring a few Star Trek episodes.
Then I toddled off to see A Very Brady Musical at Theatre West, written and directed by Lloyd Schwartz, whose father Sherwood created the show. His collaborators are Hope and Laurence Juber. According to the program bio, Mr. Juber was the lead guitarist with Paul McCartney’s Wings band. I don’t want to say too much about the show, since I have friends involved, but I’ll say that there are some funny things in it, but that there’s a little too much spoofy smirky material, and I think it’s not a good idea to make fun of The Brady Bunch. What’s fun is to embrace the concept and when it does that, the show works just fine. The cast is very good, but I just don’t like pre-recorded music tracks, especially ones that are so heavily synth-laden. And I would only say this one word to the composer – button. Too many of the numbers lack real arrangements and end abruptly or perfunctorily – a good rideout or intro does wonders. My big criticism of the evening was the way in which the theater handles the audience. Seating is not assigned, so I always get there early so I can get in and get a seat I’ll like. First off, as some theaters are wont to do, they kept the audience in the lobby until almost 7:40. At that point, they let in “premium” ticket holders. I found that off-putting, frankly, but only about seven or eight people went in. But, we were then kept waiting and waiting and by 7:50 I’d about had it – fortunately, before I could make a stink about it, they finally let us in. The show then didn’t begin until almost 8:20. It’s an intermissionless ninety minutes, although I think it ran a little longer than that. After the show, I had a nice chat with writer/director Lloyd Schwartz (he’s a friend of David Wechter and saw The Brain at LACC), schmoozed with stage manager Dale Alan Cooke, my SM of choice (he did What If, Deceit, and last November’s benefit). The gal who played Marcia Brady saw me and remembered me from the reading of the musical I’m mentoring. The Cindy Brady was a gal I’d seen a year or so ago in Tiptoes in Sherman Oaks. And I saw Kathy Garrick, who I’d worked with when I recorded the cast album of The Gay 90s.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I actually have work to do today – lots of music proofing, and then I must figure out what foodstuffs I’ll wish to consume during the Tony Awards.
Today, I shall proof music, do a few errands, prepare foodstuffs for tonight’s Tony Awards broadcast, and perhaps watch more episodes of Mannix, or maybe I’ll dive into The Invaders. Beginning at five, our festivities will commence (or before if there’s pre-show activities), and I’m hoping that we have our usual amazing partay here at haineshisway.com.
Tomorrow, I have a recording session to do with an Australian singer and Mr. Grant Geissman. This singer contacted me wanting to do a demo of six songs – but he didn’t want to do it on his own, he wanted a real producer, so I thought it sounded like it would be fun and I said yes, as did Mr. Geissman. We’ll record vocals tomorrow and Wednesday, and then the singer will return to Australia while Mr. Geissman and I mix the CD.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do errands, proof music, watch episodes, and then attend our annual Tony Awards Do right here at haineshisway.com. Today’s topic fo 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 discuss them – but we’ll also make it all things Tony Awards. What are your all-time favorite Tony moments, and what are your predictions for this evening? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we get gussied up for our do.