Well, dear readers, I could not have asked for a better start to December. Last night’s Kritzerland at the Gardenia show was our best ever, and happily it was completely oversold with more people than I’ve ever seen in that club – it’s really full with fifty people there – we had over seventy. I was very at ease with my stuff and scored a couple of big laughs right away, thankfully – one of them was when I said, “‘Tis the season to be jolly and say ho, ho, ho, – although you might not want to say that outside on Santa Monica Blvd. and La Brea.” The show started with a bang with Juliana and Dan singing a rousing Be A Santa (Juliana brought in sleigh bells, which were really fun). In fact, the show sequence worked like gangbusters. Juliana did great on her other two songs – she was doing way too much at the rehearsals, and I just got her to really simplify everything and she was terrific. In fact, more than a few people commented on how much she sounded like Michelle Nicastro, high praise indeed. Michelle Duffy asked late in the afternoon if we could make Winter Was Warm a few keys lower, so I got in touch with Lanny and he made that happen and she sang it beautifully, direct from the heart. She also did a great job with It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas/I Thank You For Your Love (our second number) and Happy Holidays/White Christmas. Lucy Taylor got a huge ovation for That’s What I Want For Christmas. She got through the first verse and went up on the second – she looked at me with panic and said, “I messed up.” I smiled at her and said, “It’s fine – want to go from the top?” She nodded, and that’s what we did. One of the tiny little problems was that Lanny never puts lyrics in his piano charts, so he can’t help anyone out, unfortunately. So, Lucy, like a total pro, started over and by verse two she was on solid ground again and just socked home her song and the audience went nuts. And the look on her eight-year-old face was so priceless when she heard that applause. Amazing. She also got one of the biggest laughs of the evening – just before the instrumental, I had her turn to Lanny and say, “Hit it, Lanny!” and she just did it so brilliantly they went nuts. Her mom, Alet, did her usual fantastic job. But she, too, went up on the lyric to Hard Candy Christmas, but the way in which she covered was really good, just making an acting beat out of the silence and then coming back in at the chorus. It almost seemed like a choice we’d made. Dan brought the house down with You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch. Jason did his usual incredible job – his two ballads were gorgeous and I think it always surprises people who just know his funny side – he has one of the most beautiful voices ever. And then came Baby, It’s Cold Outside, the duet with Bruce Vilanch. Before they even opened their mouths to sing, they were hilarious, doing a little patter up front. Then they got past the first verse, and Lanny began the vamp and they must have gone on for five full minutes of absolutely hilarious patter, basically making it up on the spot. Vilanch is unbelievably funny and their timing was priceless. Another huge ovation. And then I did my little bit – I set it up with “You know, there are some lyrics that are just so poetic, so touching, so beautiful that they stand on their own when divorced from their musical setting. This next lyric is one of those and I’d like to recite it for you now.” I then began: “It’s turkey lurkey time” – and proceeded to recite the entire lyric – it was really fun and the audience was great and very responsive. The laugh after the first line was my favorite kind of laugh ever – I spoke the line, it got a really nice laugh, which enabled me to just do looks around the room, which built the laugh. Michelle ended the evening with Happy Holidays and White Christmas, and then I brought everyone back on and we all, along with the audience, sang White Christmas again. It was a fabulous night, and the comments were wonderful and I couldn’t have been happier.
Prior to the show, I’d had a great night of eleven hours of sleep, which was exactly what I needed. I just relaxed and then finally did an errand and whatnot, then attended our sound check, which went well (the version of Baby, It’s Cold Outside at the sound check ran about fifteen minutes – we were all on the floor howling with laughter). I then came home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I watched a new documentary on DVD entitled The Boys, the story of the Sherman Brothers. I never met Bob Sherman, which I thought was odd, since I produced a Sherman Brothers album and worked solely with Richard, with whom I’d become very friendly. Richard had called me after the Cinderella album came out, because he was completely entranced with the arrangements and vocals we’d done on his Slipper and the Rose songs. He was so sweet and complimentary and that ultimately led to doing the Sherman Brothers album. He’s a great guy. I never asked him about his brother – I always assumed his brother was too ill to take part. But that wasn’t the case, as you’ll learn from the terrific and very touching documentary. I don’t want to say too much about it or give too much away – I’ll just say that you will have a lump in your throat and the anecdotes are wonderful. Our very own Mr. Tony Walton takes part, too. It’s wonderfully done, directed by the song of Robert B. and the son of Richard M. I cannot recommend it highly enough – it’s a winner all the way.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because holy moley on rye it’s almost two in the morning and I’ve got to get some semblance of a beauty sleep.
In the crowd last night was our very own Vincent Jan and his lovelier than lovely wife, and our very own Mark and Amy, who I hope will be back on the board soon. Also seen were Cabaret Scenes’ Les Traub, our associate producer Adryan Russ and her ever-lovin’ Dale, Stacey Sullivan and her ever-lovin’ Jeff, Doug Haverty (the Kritzerland designer), Laura Wolfe (The Singer), writer Lissa Levin and her ever-lovin, Dan, Marcia Seligson and Linda Shusset of the Festival of New American Musicals, and we had a lot of AMDA students in the audience (Alet now teaches there). Also seen, pianist Todd Schroeder, Bukowsical’s Gary Stockdale, Jason Graae’s lovelier than lovely mother, singer Linden Waddell, cousin Dee Dee, Ilona Simon (one of the original pit singers from Promises, Promises – she got a big kick out of the Turkey Lurkey recitation), singers Zachary Ford and Rebecca Johnson, both of whom I’ve worked with before, and many others. It really was a grand night for singing.
Today, I have a meeting at one, otherwise the day and evening are mine all mine and I’m really looking forward to some ME time and relaxing. Tomorrow I have errands and whatnot and I have to begin choosing the material for the January Sondheim show. I think the weekend is pretty free, and I might just mosey on over to the Gardenia to see my pal Sharon McNight. We shall see.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do very little, hopefully pick up some very overdue packages, have a meeting, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your all-time favorite Christmas songs? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as I hit the road to dreamland.