Well, dear readers, this here computer has been acting very erratically lately – very touchy, lugubrious, slow, glitchy – it makes me very nervous and I may call Apple in a day or so. It’s been acting like this for a couple of months and it’s just become very irritatingly irritating, especially when it just starts singing Come Rain Or Come Shine. I hate when computers just start singing, don’t you? I’m doing a disk permissions repair now, so maybe that will help. Although when I started that up it asked for my password, which it’s never done before, and then it suddenly put two little disk icons over on the left – have no idea what that means or why it did that, since it’s never done that before.
But enough about my computer. I had a rather long day yesterday. I was awakened by the ringing of a telephonic device. After a brief conversation that ended when the caller had to go and asked if he could call back in a little bit, I answered e-mails and was getting in the mood to jog when the caller called back. That conversation lasted about forty-five minutes, and so I missed my jog window of opportunity, as I then had to go to John Boswell’s home environment to routine a mini-overture for the LACC show. As I knew it would, we did the whole layout in fifteen minutes. I then left and went to Tom’s to have a bacon cheeseburger and fries, both yummilicious. Then I picked up a couple of packages and came home. The chart and mp3 of the overture was waiting for me via You Send It. I then spent several hours going through my LACC script, rewriting, cutting, finessing – I got all that done, printed out all the changed pages and got them inserted into my script. Then I changed the order of the second act a little and printed out a few copies of that. Our very own Mr. Nick Redman stopped by and we visited for a short while. After all that, it was time to be on my way to LACC for our rehearsal.
We spent the first hour of rehearsal just running things and doing some cleanups. At seven-fifteen we began our run-through. It was much better than the night before, with some excellent work being done by everyone, but still too much fumfering (me included) and a couple of folks still on book. Hopefully, some of this stuff will get locked down quickly because we’re running out of time. The number I was contemplating cutting played better, partially because I rewrote its set-up to make it stronger, and partially because the playing of it was better, albeit still book-bound. So, for now it stays. The other song that was bothering me now plays well, thanks to a big change of key – a fifth higher than it was – and the album ending for the song, which was a fadeout but a really funny one – it works great to end it like that, with a light fade as the guy continues to list things.
Each act ran exactly 56 minutes, but there were several stops in each, so I really still think each act will ultimately come in at 50 minutes. It’s all in the pacing. After rehearsal, I asked Melody to stay, as I had an idea for the opening number of act two, which is the title song from Smile. I’d staged it with Damon doing his bit, then our three LACC gals came on, posed, sang their bit, and then it was over. I felt it was just kind of laying there like so much fish – cute, but needed some little bit of magic or fun. At one point in watching the number I’d whispered to Melody, who was sitting next to me, that she should just get up and parade back and forth during the entire number. That was the spark – and we added her in, not parading, but just trying to hog Damon’s picture taking in the girls’ section. It was hilarious and we figured out all the bits and it was just the sort of lift the number needed. I love when stuff like that happens.
After that, I bought some apples, some low-fat cottage cheese, and a cucumber roll, just to have something to nibble on. I caught up with everything on the computer and then it was time to write these here notes. I never did get around to finishing the liner notes, so that needs to get done today – just have to find the time. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I shall get up, definitely do the four-mile jog no matter what, come rain or come shine, come hell or come high or even low water – the four-mile jog will get done. Then I’ll try to finish the liner notes and get them to the designer, then I have errands and whatnot to do, hopefully some packages to pick up, and then must go to a production meeting. After that, I’ll grab some lunch, then come back to hopefully spend thirty minutes with Alet so we can really set stuff for our Wonderful Life number, which just feels awkward right now. We have the blocking and all, but it’s too lazy and unfocused in the playing and we have to sharpen it all up and figure out exactly what we’re doing. Then our rehearsal begins at six and we’ll do cleanups for the first hour, then we’ll run the show.
Tomorrow, I have a ton of stuff to do, then we have another rehearsal. Saturday is also a rehearsal and our final day with Damon until he returns for tech. So, we’ll be working his numbers a lot, just to make sure he’s totally perfect on everything and hopefully he’ll drill while he’s away. I’m also hopeful that he’ll come in early on tech day and run his duets with Alet, just to get the staging sharp again.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the four-mile jog, I must finish liner notes, I must hopefully pick up packages, I must attend a production meeting, I must eat something light but amusing, I must rehearse, and I must come home and try to relax for an hour or so. Today’s topic of discussion: When you snack, what do you like to snack on? What are your favorite little snacky things? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, which I shall do come rain or come shine.