Well, dear readers, how can it already be Friday when it was just Monday? This week has flown by, like a gazelle in a leisure suit. I, of course, am completely exhausted from another very long day and evening. I, of course, was up at seven-fifteen, did a two-mile jog rather than a four-mile jog, toddled over to the mail place to pick up the mail from the day before, and then was on my way to LACC. By the time I arrived our stage manager Dale had already taped out the floor so we’d all know what we were dealing with in terms of playing areas, heights, and space. I bitched and moaned, then, when the cast arrived, made a little humorous speech about it, and let it all go. We began with act two and I got everything in act two blocked that didn’t involve Alet, as she was not arriving until two. When she arrived, I jumped to the end of act one and did that ten-page sequence, which is very complicated, but it came out very well and then I finished the rest of act two, and by four the entire show was blocked, at least in a perfunctory way. While it’s not going to look like I’d like it to, due to the wacky set, it won’t be an embarrassment either. Of course, blocking a how in eight hours and especially on a set like the one we have to use is insanity, which is also the name of the musical they’ll be performing on that set. Insanity is the perfect title for a musical performing on that set, let me tell you that. I look at that set and think they should be doing Antigone. Adam adjusted his choreography, and took the rest of the day to work on his three numbers. I left about five-thirty and came back to the Valley, picked up the mail, grabbed a bite to eat, then came home and spent the next hour packaging up a LOT of dealer orders, which I then drove to the post office. The rest of the boxes go out via UPS in the morning, and then we’re completely caught up on the Kritzerland orders. I then had to read through forty-some e-mails and respond to a few of them, and then around nine-fifteen I finally sat on my couch like so much fish and managed to watch a motion picture on Blu-Ray.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu-Ray entitled Gran Torino, starring and directed by Mr. Clint Eastwood. After the disappointment of Changeling, I was wary of Gran Torino, but am happy to report that, for me, it’s one of Clint’s best films – beautifully directed and acted, and Clint’s performance is one of his greats and he really should have been nominated for it and actually it’s shocking that he wasn’t. I was especially taken by the film’s ending, as the script cleverly leads you to expect one thing and then delivers something wholly other but very satisfying. I will probably watch it again in a few days. I must say, however, the only time the film falters is in its music by Clint’s son, which sounds suspiciously like the pluckings that Clint himself has been doing for his films. It’s too bad Clint doesn’t trust real film composers anymore and he does his films a disservice with the music he’s using. The Blu-Ray is gorgeous.
I’m happy to say that we are now overbooked for Tuesday night’s show, and Monday is within ten people of being sold out. We’re sending out e-mails Saturday morning to everyone who’s reserved making sure they’re all actually intending to come, and asking them to cancel if there’s any chance they won’t make it, because I’m sick to death of people who book things and then just don’t show up.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because it’s already after midnight, and frankly it’s all hanging out and I need to gather it up and put it to bed.
Today’s rehearsal starts at noon, so I probably will try to do the long jog. Then I have to do a couple of quick errands and whatnot. I’ll spend the first two hours of rehearsal going over act one scenes and songs and running the more complicated of them and adjusting them to the new floor plan. At two, we’ll begin our stumble-through, which will go till five or six, and then I go directly to the Gardenia for a sound check and then I’ll eat there and see Jan Abram’s Friday night show. She and the MD have run it a couple of times, but unfortunately I had no time at all to rehearse with her – so, we’ll go over some things before the show and I’m sure she’ll be fine.
Saturday, we start very early at ten and will do a full run-through until noon, and then, if we’re ready, a second run immediately thereafter. At two we lose our leading man, so from two to four or five we’ll work problem areas, music, and dancing stuff. On Sunday, we begin at noon with some music cleanups, then at one-thirty we start a run-through and then more cleanup after that. Monday we do a walk-through at noon at the theater and then Monday night we do the first of our two shows. I’m really liking some of our cast a lot, most especially our leading lady, who’s a really hard worker with terrific comedy sense, my kind of voice, and just a wonderfully nice demeanor.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog (if possible), do some errands and whatnot, have a rehearsal, attend a show, and then come home and hopefully zone out for an hour. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player, and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, four two-fers of Johnny Mathis CDs, all from the early to late 60s. DVD (well, Blu-Ray), next up is The International, which I know nothing about but it’s directed by the guy who did Run, Lola, Run, so I’m interested to see it. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland.