Well, dear readers, after a year, we finally begin rehearsals for the “staged” reading of the long musical. It’s been a long journey and I’m looking forward to seeing how all the work has paid off. A year ago, this was a show in search of itself, musically, lyrically, and bookally. At the beginning there was great resistance to change, but over the course of the year the resistance began to erode and things began evolving, as all musicals must. Especially in the last four months, major changes have gone into the show in all departments and all for the better, I think. I think we head into this step of the journey in far better shape than most shows doing their first staged reading. In any case, we have a wonderful cast of players and I’m looking forward to doing this very simply staged reading. Yesterday, I had little time for relaxing, not that the day was taxing and certainly I did no faxing, or even waxing. What I did do was get up. What I did do was a two-mile jog. I answered a slew of e-mails, was told that the publisher downloaded all our files successfully, sent them the dust jacket flap copy, and then went for some bacon and eggs, where I continued my paper blocking for entrances and exits. I’m really only two-thirds of the way through act one, but it’s really basic stuff and I’ll get through more today. After that, I went to the mail place and picked up mail, one package containing one CD, and one package containing lots o’ boxes. I then came home, attached labels to the boxes, and then my new helper came over. I gave her the ins and outs of addressing, doing the postage, and doing the customs slips. She got with it pretty quickly and did a very good job. She’s a very smart young gal and she may finally get me into the 21st century by creating a database of addresses on the computer from which we’ll be able to print labels rather than hand-addressing them. There are a few kinks to work out in terms of doing that, but this is one of her fields of expertise and I think I’m just going to let her go and do it. All that work ended around six. I then went to Gelson’s and got some chopped liver, gefilte fish, and matzoh so I could have a pretend Passover, since I never get invited to Passover dinners anymore. I set a place for Elijah, who never showed up. I ate his matzoh. During our addressing, I got some wonderful news about an upcoming project that has finally been approved after six months – another Paramount project that we’re very excited about. At around seven, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. I’d only seen it once before, on DVD, and I thought it was okay and not as fall-down hilarious as most people found it. A second viewing found me barely able to keep my eyes open. The jokes get old very fast in this film – oh, there are times I smiled and a few times I laughed, but I guess I just don’t find this the laugh riot that I’m told by everyone it is. The transfer seems excellent, although the sound seemed odd to me – mastered a little low with the orchestra way back in the mix. The previous evening I finished watching The Eddie Cantor Story. It’s not nearly as good as The Jolson Story, and the last thirty minutes is just endless bathos. The director is the same as The Jolson Story, so he does his thing very well. The music sounds good, but the script is just not very entertaining. Keefe Brasselle does fine as Cantor. I don’t know Marilyn Erskine’s work at all – she’s okay as Ida, but there’s not much there there. I did enjoy Gerald Mohr as the Lepke character – Mr. Mohr has always been a favorite of mine and I never understood why he didn’t have more of a career. The Warner Archive DVD transfer is barely passable.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below, because I must get me some beauty sleep so that I’m alive, energetic, and ready to go.
Today, I shall do a bit more paper blocking and some organizing, some errands and whatnot, and hopefully I’ll pick up a package or three. And then at five I’ll head over to the rehearsal place and park, after which my assistant and I will go sup, do more paper blocking, and then attend our very first rehearsal, during which a lot of work must get done. It’s a three-hour rehearsal, so I should be home around ten-thirty.
The rest of the week will obviously be more of the same, and Thursday we’ll be shipping out all the Cuba CDs. I have a couple of meetings to attend, and the odd errand and whatnot, so it’s a busy little week.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, do more paper blocking, do errands and whatnot, and then attend our first rehearsal. Today’s topic of discussion: Yesterday we did ice cream. Today we’re doing hamburgers. What is your very first memory of the very first hamburger you ever ate? Was it homemade or at a restaurant or fast-food chain? What was on it? Did you love it? What is the best hamburger you’ve ever had at a restaurant (which restaurant) and what made it so good. And what is your favorite fast-food burger and what kind do you get? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland and ready myself for rehearsals. I’m wondering whether Elijah will show up. I’ll have a matzoh there, just in case.