Well, dear readers, the first Kritzerland at the Gardenia show seems to have been a rousing success. I knew we were going to have a great crowd when Tom Rolla called me and said that the table where the performers were going to sit was needed for diners – the dinners were completely sold out. So, I quickly changed how entrances and exits would be made. The helper and I arrived at the club at seven and by seven-thirty all but the extreme side tables were filled with diners and the only reason the three extreme side tables were empty was because we had eight no-shows – what else is new? It’s so LA, isn’t it? But it didn’t matter, because by eight-thirty the room was absolutely jammed and completely sold out, with every table taken, every stool at the bar taken, and people standing at the bar and elsewhere. Needless to say, there was great energy in the room. There were lots of fun people there. I won’t remember everyone but our very own occasional dear readers Mark and Amy were there, as was Mr. Sammy Williams, the LA Festival of New Musicals’ Marcia Seligson and Linda Shusset, ASCAP’S Michael Kerker, Cabaret Scenes’ Les Traub, actress Camille Saviola, lots of singers, including the British gal who’d done Parade in London and here at the Mark Taper Forum – she and her mum ended up sitting at our table, the wonderful Susanne Blakeslee, my pal Gary Stockdale, the great Susan Watson, our very own Kritzerland designer Doug Haverty, and scads of other nice folks. I gave the cast their new entrance and exit instructions and then we began the show. I introduced things then brought on our first number, which scored wonderfully. The audience seemed happy with my between-song patter, and the cast was absolutely wonderful. Alet continues to astonish me with her incredible voice and ability to act a lyric. Pam Myers was faboo, Lesli was great, Damon was great, and Jason Graae was his usual brilliant self. The pace seemed fine to me, and best of all everyone commented on the fact that it was great to see a structured show, which was, of course, the entire point. There were no flubs or technical problems, either, which was great. Afterwards, the comments were so wonderful and I hope that the word of mouth is great and that this becomes something that people must go to on the first Wednesday of every month. October’s show is butting heads with one of those Jim Caruso Cast Party things he now thinks he has to do in LA – note to Jim: Don’t do ’em on the first Wednesday of whatever month. Just don’t. I haz spoken. But I think it’s two entirely different audiences, so hopefully we’ll be fine – and perhaps the eight no-shows and all the Facebook no-shows might actually bother to show up for once. It’s so LA. Tom Rolla, the owner of the Gardenia, was over the moon about the attendance and especially the show itself. He was delighted we did the cut song from Applause, as was Sammy Williams, since they were both in that show. Doing this first show was a learning experience for me and I now understand how things have to work for an optimal experience, so a few things will change in terms of the rehearsal schedule from now on, and I now understand how the traffic patterns have to work – so it was great to get this first one under our belt. Basically, I could not have been more pleased – there’s just no other way to really put it other than “a rousing success.”
Prior to the show, I’d spent a somewhat leisurely day – I jogged two miles, had a small sandwich, did some banking and other errands and whatnot, did another mile and a half jog, finessed my patter, called AT&T and got a new home phone plan that cut my monthly bill by 60%, and picked up one package and no mail. It was a very nice day, the weather was very pretty and it was all just too too.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because these here notes should have been up two hours ago and I want to get in bed and dream of our rousing success.
Today is really going to be fun – at noon I have a lunch with two young teenage girls and the father of one of them – they’re huge Adriana Hofstetter fans and I can’t wait to meet with them at one of Adriana’s favorite places, Mel’s Diner on Highland. After that, I have a few things that need doing, and then I got an e-mail from the executive producer of Totally Hidden Video, who I haven’t seen since 1992 – we may try and get together for a drink later in the day. Otherwise, the day and evening are mine all mine.
Tomorrow is a very big shipping day. And we have to get it all done by eleven-thirty because I then have to go all the way to Santa Monica for a lunch meeting at Bubba Gump Shrimp – I have no idea what to expect, food-wise, but I’m always up for a new dining adventure.
The weekend is fairly quiet, I think. Some liner notes to finish, and I have to choose all the material and finish casting the October show – Unsung Musicals.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s dance the Hora or the Box Step because today is the birthday of our very own dear reader Ron Pulliam. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own dear reader Ron Pulliam. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN DEAR READER RON PULLIAM!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, have lunch with teenage fans of Adriana Hofstetter, maybe have a get-together and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite obscure songs from musicals – those off the beaten track great numbers that you’re particularly fond of. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland on the wave of our rousing success.