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May 15, 2011:

RECORDING JASON

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, we had a high old time recording Jason Graae’s wonderful Jerry Herman show at the Colony Theatre. The show, just by being in a beautiful theater, was elevated beyond its cabaret roots. We arrived at the theater at four and figured out where our equipment was going to live (off-stage left). My engineer John got everything set up on his end, and then Jason kind of did a cue-to-cue for the lighting guy. Then we pre-recorded three numbers – doing so gave Jason a comfort zone on those songs, all ballads, so that was good. We had to pre-record one of them, his final number, because he does it sans microphone in the show. At seven Jason went to the dressing room and I listened to the tracks we recorded, which sounded great.

The audience began arriving soon thereafter. Seen were our very own Shelly Markham and his partner in crime, Andrea Marcovicci, Miss Carole Cook and her ever-lovin’ Tom Troupe, choreographer Peggy Hickey, singer/actress Heather Lee, Jane Kean, Eileen Barnett and her ever-lovin’ Bruce French, the divoonly divoon Beth Malone, director Arthur Alan Seidelman, Cabaret West’s Les Traub, and many others, including our very own thirteen-year-old and her family. At 8:05 I came onstage to do my usual live recording spiel, which went very well. We got sound levels on applause and laughs, and then the lady who runs the Colony asked if I’d get everyone to stand up and applaud so they could take a photograph of it for use in their brochures. This I was happy to do and it was fun. I made my exit and the show began.

Jason was in great form. I took notes during the show about the handful of things we’d have to go back and cover after the show, but ninety-eight percent of it was right on the money. This is an interesting show for Jason – less wacky than his other shows, with some really powerful and moving moments that I think will all come across splendidly on the CD. As always, John Boswell is simply the perfect musical director and accompanist. The direction by Lee Tannen moved everything along at a steady pace. Jason got two standing ovations.

After the show, I hung out with various and sundried people, and Arthur Alan Seidelman took me aback with some pretty outrageously gracious and wonderful comments about my recordings. It was very sweet of him. Seeing him again reminded my of a great story – we were both on a screenwriting panel for Sherwood Oaks School, discussing things from the directorial standpoint. After, there was a lunch and we were seated at the same table along with some students. Arthur, who was seemingly a vegetarian, was very strong with the server about his meal and how it could not contain any meat because he did not eat meat, and I turned to him and said, “Oh, Arthur, you’ve eaten more meat than anyone at this table.” It was really one of those great opportunities for a line like that, and it got its desired laugh. After about thirty minutes, we went back into the theater and covered my four notes, then the engineer needed some additional things covered, mostly a word here and there that had peaked and distorted because Jason got louder than he’d been during rehearsal. It only took about fifteen minutes and we were done.

Then a few of us went to PF Chang’s where I had two dishes (I was starving) of their very mediocre food. The conversation was fun and then I came home.

Prior to all that, I’d gotten a GREAT night’s sleep, eaten some really mediocre matzo brei (it’s a really hard dish to make mediocre, but Jerry’s succeeded – I think maybe they have a temporary or perhaps new chef), I picked up one package and no important envelope (second week in a row it didn’t arrive when it should – hopefully it will be here tomorrow), and I did a couple of errands and whatnot, answered e-mails, and decided to make some adjustments to the editing road map of our next release.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I am quite tired now and want and need another good night’s beauty sleep.

Today, my intention is to have a day off, a ME day, a day of relaxation. I may start the new liner notes, but that’s it. And I have to finish casting the Gardenia show today because shockingly half the month of May is over now. I don’t know how that happened, but May is flying by, like a gazelle singing an aria from La Boheme. I shall eat something light but amusing, and I shall watch motion pictures. I may decide to catch the matinee of The Prisoner of Second Avenue at the El Portal – we shall see.

Tomorrow, I have to finish choosing songs, make CDRs and get them to the cast. I hate being behind, but that’s what a trip to New York will do. The rest of the week will be filled with meetings, work sessions, and all sorts o’ stuff.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, start liner notes, finish casting, and 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 topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to know we got a terrific live recording in the can.

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