Well, dear readers, I have to write these here notes in a hurry because if I’m to do the four-mile jog this day I have to do it at eight in the morning. Therefore, let us not tarry or dally or even dally or tarry – let us not dip our little toe into the notes, let’s jump in whole hog, rather than half hog. I had a long and fruitful day – the fruit part was an apple – there is a particular brand of apple that I have become very fond of – they have it at Gelson’s – it’s called Envy and I buy lots and lots of them and eat them all up. They are very flavorful, always in good shape, and while I’m not a fruit lover, I do love my Envy apples. Where was I? Oh, yes, the long and fruitful day. But first, may I just point out that somehow it is the final day of August. That just makes me want to wail, “Where the HELL has this month gone?” This month has flown by, like a gazelle playing Twister. Well, I for one, am praying that September, which begins tomorrow, will hopefully be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.
I got up after eight hours of sleep, did the four-mile jog, answered e-mails, printed out a few orders, after which I got a turkey sandwich and no fries or onion rings. Then I picked up three count them three packages.
After that, I went to my LA choreographer’s home environment to watch a rehearsal. She’s done her usual splendid job (she choreographed What If) – we have an ensemble of six, three girls, three guys, and Jason Graae. He was there, too, and it’s really funny and I was very happy. I got some ideas how to shoot and cover it, which I’ll discuss with my camera gal. Then I came home and we had our first Gardenia rehearsal.
First up was The Singer, who is covering Shannon Warne – Shannon has been on vocal rest for three weeks and won’t know until Thursday morning whether the doctor will let her do the show. Laura, aka The Singer, sang How To Succeed/I Believe In You, I’ll Know/Somebody Somewhere, and I Wish I Didn’t Love You So. The first two use the arrangements from the Liz Callaway Frank Loesser album – we’re using quite a few of those because it was the easiest thing to do. Then came Kelsey Scott – she’s new to us and she’s great. I’d met her when she was twelve and doing The Robert Guillaume Show on TV. She’s a beautiful young lady now with a terrific voice. She sang Joey, Joey, Joey (ala Burt Bacharach), If I Were A Bell, and Brotherhood of Man – all of which will be wonderful as interpreted by her. Then came Alet and daughter Lucy. Alet began with Standing On The Corner, then did her splendidly splendid rendition of Adelaide’s Lament, and then it was Inchworm, which she’s doing with very talented Lucy.
After that, it was Melody. This is the first show where Melody is not an add-on, but a regular cast member who gets three songs. She began with Hamlet, which she will rock the house with – I gave her a couple of little notes and she did it again and perfectly. The amazing thing about her is that she always shows up at the first rehearsal knowing everything by heart – and if you’ve ever heard Hamlet you know how wordy and nutty that song is. Her second song is The Delicatessen Of My Dreams, a little party song Loesser wrote for him and his wife – we’re doing it as a solo and it’s adorable. Then she did her third song, More I Cannot Wish You. Last up was Kim Huber – I just adore her, and she’s going to be her usual splendid self singing What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve, Never Will I Marry, and My Heart Is So Full Of You.
We finished around seven and then I had a couple of small calorie-friendly snacks, after which I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled The Atomic City – no, it’s not a sci-fi picture, but an efficient little cold-war thriller from 1952, starring Mr. Gene Barry. I’d never seen it, but I always enjoy a good kidnapping film, and I enjoyed this one very much. Much of it was shot on location at Los Alamos and also in Los Angeles, including a very long and terrific sequence at the old Gilmore Field, which was located where The Grove is now. There were some wonderful shots of Beverly Boulevard circa 1952. The film is short and has some very good suspense sequences. The DVD is from Olive Films and the transfer is fine.
After that, I spent two hours working on the commentary for the Gardenia show. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must post these here notes and get as much beauty sleep as I can.
Today, I shall be up early and doing the four-mile jog early. Then my camera gal is coming over and we’ll discuss the shoot for Friday and she’ll look at some of the New York footage. After that, I have a lunch meeting, and then I have several errands and whatnot to do, hopefully packages to pick up, and then I have to finish with the commentary and finish yet another set of liner notes, after which I have to start yet another set of liner notes.
Tomorrow is our second Gardenia rehearsal, Friday is our shoot and will be a somewhat long day, and then it’s the gloriously glorious long weekend, which I’m really looking forward to.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the four-mile jog, have a meeting with a camera person, have a lunch meeting, do errands and whatnot and pick up packages, and finish writing a commentary and liner notes. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s 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, where I shall dream of a lovelier than lovely September, which will hopefully be filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.