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October 27, 2008:

YESTERDAY’S MASHED POTATOES

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, today is Monday. I ask you, where else on all the Internet can you get such information? Nowhere, that’s where. But this is not only Monday, it’s show time Monday, so I will be up bright and early prepping for our really big shew this evening. Yes, tonight Mr. Kevin Spirtas and Mr. Sean McDermott do the LA premiere of their two-person show, Jersey Men at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater. But more about that later, for if I continue to write about today here then I shall have nothing to write about in the next section and that would be heinous (heinous, do you hear me?). Speaking of heinous, yesterday was a fine little day. For example, I woke up. That was fine. I then did the long jog, which was quite enjoyable since the day was so pretty. I then did the lighting script for act one and the beginning of act two, and then I went to our final rehearsal. Rehearsal was fine, not quite as smooth as I wanted it to be, but we worked the rough spots several times, and I think the boys are ready and rarin’ to go. It’s really a fun show, they sound and look great, and there’s comedy, drama, and terrific songs, all in a quick eighty-five minutes. After rehearsal, I came directly home and did the rest of the act two lighting script. Then former dear reader Hisaka stopped by for a little visit. After that, I got a foot-long Subway turkey sandwich, came home and ate it all up. I then had to proof the new CD booklet – I found a few things to fix, my designer fixed them and I approved it. It goes to the printers tomorrow and the master goes to the pressing plant. I then went to Von’s to buy a few needed items, and I got two small chicken tenders for a snack. I then came home and sat on my couch like so much fish and ate my two small chicken tenders. One of these fine days, I shall sit on my couch like so much chicken and eat my two small fish tenders.

Last night, I watched a few episodes of very old TV shows, like Sheriff Of Cochise, Michael Shayne, and Mr. and Mrs. North. They were all okay – no undiscovered masterpieces, I’m afraid. I then watched an episode of a 1960 TV series entitled Checkmate. I do remember watching the show sporadically back in 1960, but for whatever reasons it wasn’t a must-see show for me. Perhaps it was on opposite something I liked better. In any case, I remembered almost nothing about the show. Well, this episode I watched was terrific. The show was created by Eric Ambler, and this particular episode was well directed by Don Weis, with good jazzy music by Johnny Williams. The regulars were quite excellent – Sebastian Cabot, Anthony George, and Doug McClure. This episode’s guest star was the great Peter Lorre. I now want to see more episodes. There’s one more on this set I have, but I see there are two DVDs out, each with fifteen episodes.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because frankly this section is yesterday’s mashed potatoes already.

Today, I shall do the long jog, then shave and shower, after which I shall post a few packages. Then I shall head over to the Barnsdall Gallery Theater to begin a very long and arduous day and evening of work. There will be much to do, with nary a moment’s rest. I have to write the light cues with the lighting guy (after we establish a series of “looks” for the numbers). I’m sure they’ll have to hang and focus some specials, but I’m hoping to keep this part of the day to ninety minutes to two hours. While I’m doing that, our camera crew will be setting up, and the sound person will be miking the band and making sure everything is wired correctly for both the live sound and the recorded sound. I’ll then join the tech director for the shoot and go through certain numbers with him that will require careful shot planning. At three we will begin to do a cue to cue run with the band and the boys. We’ll tape some of that just to see how the clothes look and so the camera crew (four cameras) gets used to the kind of staging on the bigger numbers. We plan to do that for about two-and-a-half hours, at which point we’ll break until the call time. And then it’s all in the hands of the fates. We have built in time after the performance to do any pickups necessary. I’ll be sitting with the tech director for the show, so hopefully I can make sure the cameras are always capturing the shots we’ll need. Please send all your excellent vibes and xylophones for a wonderful and smooth show and for a decent-sized audience.

Tomorrow, I’m back with the other singer for a couple of hours, and we’ll have a few other rehearsals this week before her show on Saturday evening. I also have some meetings and meals and whatnot to attend to, but I shall not have any of yesterday’s mashed potatoes.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog, prep a show, and then it’s show time. I will, of course, have a full report for you. Today’s topic of discussion: What is the finest live show you’ve ever seen – not a play or musical – a live concert, solo show, event. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I have none of yesterday’s mashed potatoes, or even today’s mashed potatoes.

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