Well, dear readers, the seventh Kritzerland at the Gardenia – Unsung Irving Berlin, went splendidly, a really memorable evening. Getting there wasn’t so much fun, and none, literally none of our show-only reservations showed up, which is a big pain in the butt cheek. Had those twelve people shown, the room would have been completely full. As it was, we had a terrific crowd and it was fun. But the getting there was one of the most horrendously horrendous misadventures that I’ve ever had. It was drizzling. DRIZZLING. Of course, that means that every driver in LA loses their sanity. We got on the freeway at 6:40 – normally we would have arrived at the club no later than 6:55, a fifteen-minute ride, tops. It took ten minutes to go from Vineland to the next off-ramp at Lankershim. Traffic was literally at a standstill, the likes of which I have never EVER seen at that time of night going that direction. I finally got off the freeway and took Nichols Canyon, which was out of the way, but which had no traffic at all. Still, we didn’t get to the club until seven-thirty, a fifty-minute nightmare. When we entered the club there were only about eight people there. We knew then that the traffic situation was going to be horrendous for people and that was the case. People with seven-thirty reservations arrived at eight-thirty. Why? Because our wonderful, insane, stupid LA driver cannot drive in a drizzle and there were – wait for it – FIVE accidents between Lankershim and Cahuenga, a three-mile stretch. FIVE accidents. That is just completely pathetic. I was not a happy driver, but was fine once I entered the club. They had something new on the menu and I had that – swordfish. Small piece but very tasty. We had a few cancellations but other people arrived and took their places. It was a wonderful crowd and in attendance was Adryan Russ (my co-producer), The Singer, my new helper, Heather (the interim helper, the friend of the old helper’s boyfriend did not show up – instead she left a box of stuff at my house, stuff that has been sitting in her car for EIGHT WEEKS – invoices that were not shipped – no wonder I’ve gotten so many e-mails. Some we’ve already sent out, and some we’ll have to send out on Friday. I will write all these people with huge apologies. How this gal could have done this to us is just shocking and stupid and beyond belief), Shelly Markham, Zachary Ford and his lovely wife (Zach was in our Sondheim evening), ASCAP’s Michael Kerker, Cabaret Scenes’ Les Traub, the wonderful Ruth Williamson, writer Lissa Levin and her ever-lovin’ Dan, our very own Doug Haverty, and the lovelier than lovely Bonnie Franklin. And many others, too. The show went very smoothly and for the first time ever, there were no flubbed lyrics. Our MD did a fine job and the reaction was fantastic to all the songs. Jonelle Allen killed with Suppertime – no one was breathing during the song and it was a devastatingly emotional peformance. Little Melody Hollis did wonderfully, and the other singers, Juliana Hansen, Dan Callaway, Kevin Symons, Jessica Keenan Wynn, and Jane Noseworthy all did superbly. It was a wonderful night, and yes, photographs were taken afterwards, so I’ll post them as soon as they’re sent to me. Afterwards, a few of us went out for a snack.
Prior to that, I’d had an okay day – just did stuff on the computer, did some errands and whatnot, picked up no packages and a bill, and had a nice sound check.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I’m exhausted and need my beauty sleep.
Today, I have errands and whatnot to do, bills to pay, and a radio show to tape, as well as having something light but amusing to eat at some point.
Tomorrow, we start working on The Singer’s show and we also have a lot of shipping to do and old orders to finally get out. The weekend is light and airy and I may have a meal at Genghis Cohen at some point, since I haven’t been there in a ‘coon’s age. Monday, Audrey Rose arrives so we have that big shipping day, and, of course, I have to cast and prep the next Gardenia show of April 6.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do errands and whatnot, pay bills, and tape a radio show. Today’s topic of discussion: Yesterday was supposed to be Ask BK Day but I forgot, so today is a belated Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland humming wonderful Unsung Irving Berlin songs.