Well, dear readers, I was hoping for a Fabulous Friday and I must say it wasn’t much less than Fabulous, with no drama and just fun stuff. I got up at six and announced the new Kritzerland release, printed out some orders, and went back to bed and got another three hours of sleep. Then I got up, answered e-mails, printed out more orders, did some errands and whatnot, and picked up two packages and no important envelope, which will hopefully arrive today. Then I came home and buckled down Winsocki and did the edit road map for our next project. This one wasn’t too hard and took about three hours. Mostly it was figuring out which tracks to combine – there were a total of about forty-five tracks, which then, through combining the shorter tracks, I got down to seventeen tracks. I was hoping for fifteen, but until I hear it edited this way I won’t know if I want to consolidate further. I then have to decide whether to throw in some of the source cues – the actual score runs close to an hour. The source cues are small, mostly percussion, and I think a couple of them will probably work in the presentation, but I’ll add them after I hear the score proper edited together.
Then I got ready and was soon joined by The Singer and Juliana Hansen and we moseyed on over to Musso and Frank for our supper. I had my beloved combo Louis – the shrimps and crab were, as always, great, but the lobster really wasn’t too hot, which was a first. I was happy that I did not use an entire bowl of dressing, but just half a bowl. And the three of us split bread pudding for dessert, so that was good. Then we toddled over to the Lyric Theater to see a new musical entitled iGhost, with a book by Doug Haverty, lyrics by Haverty and Adryan Russ, and music by Adryan Russ.
This show has been kicking around for nine years or so and I’ve seen several readings of it – it’s gone through many changes and this is the best its been. For me, it still needs work, but that work is mostly in the beginning twenty minutes and moving some stuff that happens later in the show earlier. The show struggles finding its footing early on because there is a LOT of exposition and there’s an easy way around that – and then it just needs a little focus on its main character, which can be solved by moving some of that character’s later scenes up to an earlier position. Musical director Richard Berent (he did The Brain) has created some nice orchestrations – those are on pre-recorded tracks and he plays piano live with those tracks. The leads are Zach Ford and Rebecca Johnson, both of whom I worked with on The Roxy and both of whom were very good. The rest of the cast was fine.
Some fun folks were in attendance, including my pal Michael Orland (he’s on American Idol), Brad Ellis (he’s on Glee), the ever-beautiful Nancy Dussault – she is our preferred guest star for the Gardenia show, but we won’t know about her until a few days before – she’s having some eye surgery and thinks she’ll be okay to do it and I think we’re just going to wait it out and hope for the best – and if she can’t do it, we won’t have a guest for this show. Also, Miss Sharon McNight, Miss Peisha McPhee (a coach on American Idol), and several others. After the show, there was a small reception, but then Doug and his ever-lovin’ Dorothy, Adryan, Juliana, The Singer, and I went to Little Toni’s where we had a very good pepperoni pizza, which I am ashamed to say I ate three slices of. So, not exactly a light food day, but a fun one.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get as much beauty sleep as I can before she of the Evil Eye arrives.
Today, I shall be up early and out of the house. I may go over to Vivian’s Café, since I have a hankerin’ for a good waffle. Then it’s errands and whatnot, hopefully picking up a package and an important envelope, a work session, and I’m sure some movie watching at some point, if there’s time.
Tomorrow, I have a work session/lunch with David Wechter – that will probably take two hours, and then I’ll come home and do some writing on our project and also on this other project I’m working on, which I may talk about a little this week.
Next week is endlessly busy – a work session on Monday with the MD of the Gardenia show, the Tuesday and Friday rehearsals (and a short rehearsal on Thursday for two people who can’t make the Friday rehearsal), meetings, meals, writing liner notes, and a bunch of other stuff.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up early, eat a waffle, do errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up a package and an important envelope, have a work session, and whatever else needs doing. Today’s topic of discussion: I love when we talk about pizza – one of my favorite foods ever. What was the first pizza you ever had – how old were you, where was it, and did you love it, and what was on it. And now, what is your current favorite pizza? Whilst I loathe exotic, trendy pizza things, if you like them, what toppings do you do? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland hoping for a Scintillating Saturday.