Well, dear readers, yesterday I attended the Hollywood Collector’s Show, now rechristened The Hollywood Show by its new owners. Their first show a few months ago was a bang-up affair with some great celebs and a much bigger turnout than had been coming to the last several shows. Yesterday, there were a lot of people there, but basically to see people connected with the three Back To The Future movies – the lines were huge and consistent. The overflow walked through the main room but didn’t really patronize the other celebs that much. The fact is that this was one of the most lackluster offerings in all the years I’ve gone there, with the exception, of course, of the Back To The Future folks. There were some fun people, to be sure, but many of them were repeats and there were few of the caliber of the last outing. George Kennedy was there, Gil Gerard, Linda Harrison, some younger actors I didn’t know at all, and the usual array of older folks like Richard Erdman, Joe Turkel, Carla Laemmle, and others. There were a few more dealers than usual, so that was fun, but it was really a so-so show, save for the BTTF folks. They would have been better off making it a BTTF convention, frankly. I hung out with some dealer friends, saw a few other folks I knew, and left after about two hours. I came back home and found that the House Of Flowers master had been completed, so I downloaded it and burned it to a CD. I didn’t have time to listen to it, as I had to grab an early lunch, and then do some other work. I then headed off to a hidden camera reunion partay.
I’d originally thought it was just for Totally Hidden Video, the show I’d toiled on for two-and-a-half years. But there were few people from that show and more from other hidden camera shows. When I arrived, there weren’t that many people there. Since my old pal Maura Soden was throwing the partay, I’d assumed it was her house I was in, in Encino. As I walked into the kitchen, there was a really beautiful woman sitting there and we looked at each other, both of us seeming to think we’d met before. I couldn’t remember where we would have met (and believe me, I would have remembered). Maura introduced us – the woman’s name was Charmy. As soon as I heard the name I realized where I knew her from – the same place a gazillion others would have known her from, since I was conversing merrily with The Sound Of Music’s Liesl, Charmian Carr. I told her I’d put out the CD to Evening Primrose, and she realized that’s where she’d heard my name – a mutual friend had told her. I spent most of the evening chatting with her and David Wechter, and she was really delightful. There was a lot of food, but I’d already had a pastrami sandwich and fries, so I didn’t want to eat too much. I had a really tiny sampling of some homemade chili (like a couple of forkfuls), which was yummilicious, and a tiny bit of pulled pork on a tiny bit of a roll, a tiny piece of cornbread (bite-sized), and a few carrots. As it turned out, the house we were in was Charmy’s and Maura has been staying there. Before I left, I looked in the trunk of my car and found I had an Evening Primrose CD, so I gave it to Charmy – she seemed very excited to get it. She told me that they’d begun shooting the show and Sondheim still hadn’t completed her song, which, of course, would be the brilliant I Remember Sky. It was a very nice evening, and I promised Charmy I’d call her and get her a DVD of Evening Primrose. I was at the partay for a couple of hours and then I came home, where I sat at my computer like so much fish, and then listened to the master of House Of Flowers.
The original recording had very problematic sound, with that awful washy reverb that Illya Darling had, plus distortion on some of the vocals and no low end, ugly high end, and no mid-range. Well, my mastering guy really did a fantastic job (he was tearing his hair out trying to get it to sound good) – it has a nice low-end, which makes the high-end less shrill, and he managed to somehow get most of the distortion so it isn’t all that noticeable. It’s the best this recording is ever going to sound.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I have to go sing Sixteen Going On Seventeen in honor of getting to know Charmy.
Today, instead of being a day of rest, I have a two-hour rehearsal with the singer whose act I directed – this is our first time back since she did her show, and we’ve got to get it back in shape for her debut at the Metropolitan Room. After that, I’ll be having a casting meeting and choosing sides for the auditions. After that, I may actually get to watch a motion picture on DVD.
Tomorrow, I have another two-hour rehearsal, and a ton of errands and whatnot to do, plus prepping the casting sessions. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a busy week.
Why don’t we all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, why don’t we all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, why don’t we all dance the Hora or the old-fashioned waltz, because today is the birthday of long-time dear reader Jennifer. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to long-time dear reader Jennifer. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO LONG-TIME DEAR READER JENNIFER!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog, I must rehearse, I must choose sides for our casting sessions, I must eat something amusing and light, and then I must relax. Today’s topic of 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 post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely posts, shall we, whilst we go to the hills for the sound of music.