Well, dear readers, it is already past midnight and here I am, just beginning these here notes because I just got home ten minutes ago after a very long day and evening. I don’t want to give the notes short or long shrift, but I will try to write them quickly and get them posted. So, without further ado (oda, spelled backwards), let’s cut to the chase. Yesterday, I got up early, waited for Mr. Handy Man to arrive, and then I did the long jog, and my fourth day in a row of jogging. I got home, did some work on the computer, did a few errands and whatnot, took a preliminary look at the packaging for the about to be announced Kritzerland release, suggested a couple of changes, and then got ready to leave.
I then met the creative team at Porto’s in North Hollywood. This was actually the first time I’d ever been in a Porto’s and everything looked quite excellent, but I ate nothing. I basically talked about how I would like the work to proceed from here, and told everyone that from this day on this whole process, no matter how frustrating it gets, should be fun and exciting and that e-mails should be kept to a minimum and should be filtered through me. It was a very nice and necessary meeting, and I asked everyone to save the drama for the page, because there’s been too much of it off the page. Then we headed over to Screenland Studios, where Cason Murphy arrived. We set up the room, and then all the pizza and drinks arrived, as did our company of players, which included the daughter of our very own Mr. Nick Redman, Rebecca Redman (she did great). The pizza slices were like slivers, and I had three, plus a sliver of Parisienne cake. At 6:45 we convened around the table and I introduced the creative team, and then everyone introduced themselves. And then, the show began.
It took me a bit of time, but I eventually convinced the authors to write the opening of the show the way I saw it in my head, and I must say it worked like gangbusters – an instant grabber, with a terrific opening number. After that, the next scene worked very well – the introduction of our young hero and his “I want” song. The next scene introduced our other lead, gangster Louis Lepke, and his song went very well. And so it went. Problems were always immediately obvious and I was making lots of notes all during the reading. At the end of the act I knew there was serious work that had to be done in a whole lot of areas, but the bones were solid, as was the structure. The first act ran one hour and forty-one minutes – way too long. We took a ten-minute break and then began act two. Again, what worked worked really well, and what didn’t was really obvious to all. Again, I took a lot of notes and knew that there were a few serious things to address, and a lot of tightening to be done. One of my big suggestions is going to be the focusing and streamlining of one particular subplot – it’s necessary, but it just goes on too long and doesn’t feel right at all. The second act ran one hour and twenty-one minutes, again, way too long. So, as I knew we would, we currently have a three-hour musical that needs to run two-hours and twenty minutes, tops. So, there will be a lot of trimming, rethinking certain song arrangements, perhaps cutting a song and maybe doing some tightening musically and lyrically, and focusing character relationships. What I thought would happen happened – we’re postponing the staged reading until early January because the show will not be ready by November 1. Instead, we’ll do another table reading on that date, which gives us about six weeks to do the work we have to do. I’ll be sending along my extensive and detailed notes, and everyone else will be sending their notes to me, so I can consolidate and refine everything into one document. It’s going to be a lot of work for them, but I think if we can get it done it will really help the show immeasurably. There is a really good and really interesting musical emerging, and we just have to keep sharpening it and plugging away at it. The book is getting very strong, the writing is excellent, and the score is really tuneful, with terrific lyrics.
After the reading, the creative team went to a local coffee shop, where we all ate and conversed. I had a chicken salad sandwich and fries, and a small salad, probably too much, but I was quite famished.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I’ve got to finish these here notes, pre-announce our new title, and get my beauty sleep.
Thankfully, I’ve kept today almost free, and that’s a good thing after the intensity of yesterday. I’ll jog, I’ll do a few errands and whatnot, I’ll eat something amusing, and proof the liner notes and packaging so that can get sent to the printers. Other than that, I can relax and watch a motion picture or three.
Tomorrow, I have several things to do, and then, if all goes according to Hoyle, I’ll be toddling off to see The Elixir Of Love at the LA Opera, and I’ll probably dine before the show.
Saturday night, I’m quite looking forward to seeing Miss Andrea Marcovicci at the Gardenia – it will be my first time seeing her, and I hear she really shines in person.
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 do some errands and whatnot, I must eat something amusing, I must proof, and that’s about it. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite pastries – and where do you get them? And have you ever made homemade pastries? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland.