Well, dear readers, I think the Rave in the Nave event can be categorized as a success. I love doing these things, and I think that’s half the battle. We had a wonderful crowd – a lot of older people and I love playing to the older folks – they’re great laughers. JMK began the evening by telling a fun story and then the acting clip reel started. It played really well and there were lots of laughs. Then JMK introduced me and out I came and we were off and running. He asked all the right questions, which allowed me to veer off into a whole slew of anecdotes. We had some really big laughs during the evening, as I told the Don Bachardy and Groucho stories, Nudie stories, and all sorts of other stories, including at least one that didn’t make the book. The time just flew by, I must say. Then we talked about my cabaret act, and I told the story about writing Opening Numbers to combat my nerves. We then performed the number and it got great reaction and a great hand at the end. Then it was more stories and we never got to the second song (Chinese Food In Bed) or the Q&A. JMK did a great job of keeping it going and when I’m that comfortable I can just keep ’em coming a mile a minute. Afterwards, I went to the lobby and sold and signed books, and a lot of them – much more than I thought I would, actually. In fact, I think we sold two-thirds of what I brought and that was not a small amount. I think I brought about twenty-five books and there were only four or five left in the box, I think. All in all, a perfect evening.
Prior to that, I’d had a restless night’s sleep, got up, jogged over to the Rite-Aid (quickly – it was raining) and got a toothbrush and some Ricolas. Then JMK, Betsy, and Jane arrived. JMK and I went off to Powell’s while the gals met a friend of Jane’s at Nordstrom’s. I made a little purchase at Powell’s and JMK made a little purchase at a nearby music store, then we met Jane and Betsy and Jane’s friend (and adorable child, Ellie) in the tea room at Nordstrom’s. Of course, I had some tea, what with being in the tea room. Then I bought two sweaters – just the kind I’d been looking for in LA but couldn’t find. I came back to the hotel and relaxed for a while, and then at four-fifteen JMK picked me up and we drove to a restaurant near the event location – I think it was called Sherry’s – like a Marie Callender-type place. I knew I had to eat lightly, so despite the menu being loaded with the kinds of outrageously fattening meals I love, I held it to a BLTA, a small portion of fries, and then (I shouldn’t have done it but couldn’t resist) a piece of peanut butter pie.
After the show, about eight or ten of us returned to Sherry’s because I wanted one the big breakfast dishes – so, I ordered the Farmer’s Breakfast – biscuits and gravy (great), bacon (great), two eggs (great), and these stuffed hash brown potatoes (with sour cream and cheese – great). And I finished everything on the plate and felt like an utter pig. I met a very nice fifteen-year-old girl and her mum – the girl wants to be a Broadway singer and apparently she’s really good. They’ll send me an mp3 of her doing her thing soon. I saw an old LACC theater alum I haven’t seen since 1966 and that was fun. MBarnum, George, Jane, and Betsy were there, and others. It was grand fun. MBarnum got me back to the hotel, and that was that.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must be up at six in the morning to be on my way to the airport.
Today, I shall be on my way back to LA. So, please send all excellent vibes and xylophones for a safe, secure, on-time flight. When I get home, it’s right to work for me. I’ll hopefully have our new master to listen to, and I have to Xerox a lot of music and burn five CDs. And then I have to get to bed early because if we announce tomorrow morning, then I have to be up at six again.
Tomorrow, we will hopefully announce our new title and then I will hopefully be printing out a LOT of orders. Then hopefully all my singers can come by and pick up their CDs and music. I think I’ve finally figured out the show, so that’s a good thing. Then I’ll have errands and whatnot to do. The rest of the week is hugely busy with work sessions, meetings, and lots of other stuff, plus prepping for Saturday’s LACCTAA event.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be on my way home to LA, I must work, listen to our new master, send audio samples, Xerox music and burn CDs and then hopefully have a few minutes to relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as I hit the road to dreamland happy that the Rave In The Nave went so very well.