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October 15, 2009:

CASTING THE CAST

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, the rains continue, but very sporadically, which is what LA rain does. What a boring way to open these here notes. That was just so dry and academic, without personality and oomph (hpmoo, spelled backwards), and it just sat there like so much fish. I like a snappy opening, a grabber, and that just didn’t snap or grab, let alone crackle and pop. But enough about the boring opening, let’s get crackin’. We had a very interesting and very long casting session yesterday for the long musical. The most important order of business was to find a co-leading man for the role of Louis Lepke. In all of our sessions and discussions, for me we’ve never even approached having anyone who was in the ballpark. But the first two people who came in and read and sang were quite good and both could do it. I recommended we go with the slightly older actor, who had a very commanding presence, even though his reading was not quite as good as the first actor. But this guy is a real pro with lots of credits and I know he can deliver just what’s needed. So, he’ll be joining us for our next table reading. We were also casting the young nemesis for our young leading man – the kid who gives our leading man trouble throughout the show. The first person who read for it was quite good – he’d been in 13 on Broadway and he had a look I really liked. Then came a young actor named Patrick Levis. Well, I’d worked with Patrick eleven or twelve years ago, about a year after he’d finished playing Young Josh in the Broadway musical of Big. He did one of the Unsung Musicals CDs and sang a duet called At The Same Time with the then-young (and now just turned thirty) Tammy Minoff. It was quite a funny recording session, because Patrick’s voice had just gone through a child to teen change and it was a shock to hear. But somehow it ended up being perfect for the song. He recognized me but couldn’t remember from where until I reminded him, and then we had a good laugh about it. He read for the nemesis and did a great job. But I knew he was, in fact, perfect for the lead in the show, so we had him read that and he was just perfect. So, we’ll see what happens but everyone in the room was just very taken with him. We were able to cast all the other outstanding roles, so that was good. I left the session promptly at four-thirty and luckily had no traffic on the way home. The roads were very wet, but it was only drizzling. Once back in the Valley, I went to the mail place and picked up a package and some mail, got a foot-long Subway spicy Eyetalian sandwich and came home. I had a ton of e-mails to answer, and then I ate my sandwich whilst watching the AMC Backstory about Miracle on 34th Street that’s included as an extra on the Blu-Ray. Then I did some more work on the computer, and the I went back and sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I’d read several things on the Internet saying, “Well, don’t expect it to look like today’s animated features and don’t expect this and don’t expect that” and I really haven’t a clew as to what the HELL they’re talking about, because this is one of the most beautiful transfers in the history of transfers. In fact, I’d say it’s perfection. The colors are so true and so vivid and so sharp that I can only imagine that Mr. Disney, wherever he may be, is sitting there smiling and happy as a clam. His film was so pioneering and such a leap forward in animation, and why people of today need to have the context of when it was released and how it was made shoveled in their lap I have know idea. The film is a work of art in every way. So what if styles have changed and they eventually could do more detail and fancy stuff. The film is brilliantly done, and the song score is just amazing with one terrific song after another. The characters are endearing and charming and wonderful, and the Queen/Witch is truly one of Disney’s greatest creations of a villain. I haven’t watched any of the extras, but the film’s the thing and this one is more than highly recommended by the likes of me. It’s one of the best releases of the year, and may very well end up being the best.

After the movie, I listened to some CDs, had a conversation with Brent Barrett, made one tiny change in the sequence I’d done, approved the booklet and inlay card, and answered some more e-mails.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because it’s late and these here notes, which began in very boring fashion (go-go boots and hip-huggers, with a shaggy sweater), should already be posted and boy do I need my beauty sleep.

Today, I shall be getting up quite early and then toddling off to a ten o’clock mixing session. I will make any fixes of the mixes that seem right to my ears and then that will be that and we will lock this puppy up and send it off for mastering. I’m anticipating we should be done in three hours, hopefully less.

After that, I’ll come back to the Valley, hopefully get a package or three, and then come home and finish my second set of liner notes (they’re almost done). I’m hoping to hear our new master in the next day or so, too.

Tomorrow, I’m recording our very own Niki Scalera for the Nudie Musical demo. I’d had someone do the Rosie songs, but I wasn’t all that happy with them, and Niki was so great in our reading, so I’m glad the timing worked out.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do some mixing fixing, I must eat something amusing, I must finish liner notes, and I must sit on my couch like so much fish. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your all-time favorite songs from animated films, and that can include Pixar and those types of films. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we toddle off to the bedroom environment for some bedroom sleep time.

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