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November 16, 2011:

HEAVEN AND HELL

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I am exhausted and therefore shall write these here notes in a hurry so I can scurry to bed in a flurry without a worry. I had a HELL of a day yesterday and so I’m hoping that today I shall have a HEAVEN of a day because I’m a little bored with having a HELL of a day. I got up too early but stayed in bed till nine-thirty or so. I finished dealing with the horse manure of the last few days, which had to do with Melody’s CD cover and two teeny-tiny images within one of the letters of the title treatment – the two images didn’t amount to a half-inch in size. However, they were from a production of Annie and had the dog who played Sandy. Well, the dog’s trainer/owner saw it, called Melody’s mom and was VERY upset that we’d used the image of the dog without his permission and without compensation. She tried to explain to him that a) he didn’t own the photo itself, and b) you could barely even see it, but he demanded to speak with me. She sent me his phone number and I left a message on his machine that I was a little surprised it was an issue given the size and placement and the fact that it was not his photo. He called me right back and it was loathe at first hear – this guy’s ego was unbelievable – and the nonsense he was spouting just made my blood boil. And he basically said if I didn’t pay him the fee he was demanding that he’d go after Melody’s folks. That, of course, did not sit well with me, but to stop the madness, I said okay to his outrageous (at least in my mind) fee for a half-inch image (two images – so not even a quarter inch per). Then, when I actually had time to reflect, I decided there was no way in hell I was paying him what he was asking. By then, I’d already found out that the booklets, although printed, hadn’t been shipped yet. Since the cost for reprinting them was literally the same fee he was asking for I wrote him and told him I’d rather give the money to the printer. I reiterated the size of the photos, that they were merely a part of a photo collage located inside some lettering and that no one photo was given prominence over the other – I then offered him half of what he was asking, just to save us the trouble or reprinting. He turned that down and I told him we were done and the booklets would be reprinted without the dog’s image. Apparently, that’s this guy’s life, providing animals for movies and TV and stage but mainly for productions of Annie. And he feels completely entitled to take money for photographs that he does not own, simply because they contain an image of his dog. But, that’s the world we live in. Thirty years ago, he could have railed to the high heavens and no one would have given a flying Wallenda. In any case, the booklets are being reprinted today and will get to the pressing plant on Friday. What a waste of time and energy. He actually accused us of exploiting his dog to promote sales of the CD. That’s more than a little delusional, if you ask me. I told him that he’d have a point if I’d called the album Sandyland or Annieland or put a nice big photo of Melody as Annie, holding the dog. But two teeny-tiny images (most of which are Melody) among twenty other teeny-tiny images – yeah, that’s gonna sell a lot of CDs.

So, there was that. Dealing with that and then with another silly issue took up my entire morning so I did not get to jog, which was really irritating to me. I went and had some matzo brei and a bagel, then picked up a couple of packages, including an envelope for dear reader Jose, then I came home and wrote almost all of the liner notes. By then, it was time to be on my way to rehearsal.

Last night’s rehearsal was basically to assemble the show – to stumble-through from start to finish, so people could see how all the dots connected. I wish there wasn’t quite so much stumbling, but there was and that was that. I made sure everyone knew that they had to get off book and know their moves – I can’t do any direction or work on the pace of the show until that happens and we’re simply running out of time. Reading through the commentary was interesting – a couple of stories seemed endless and will be pared down and completely re-written. Other set-ups were missing a key piece of information every now and then – I made notes as I went along. But I think there’s a good show there, if everyone will now buckle down, Winsocki and master their material. It was clear that act one will run exactly what I want it to – around fifty minutes. Act two, which was more ragged than act one, will hopefully clock in at forty-five. There are two numbers that I’m finding problematic right now – one of them we changed the key of, and that will hopefully really help, and I also made a change to the routine of the song and hopefully that will help, too. The other song is just laying there right now, but that’s as much to do with the performers just not knowing it and therefore not having any fun at all. So, I’ll keep my eye on it, but I’m prepared to cut it if need be.

It’s a lot of gabbing for me, so I have to make sure the patter is never longer than it should be. In fact, the only sort of long story I want in the show is the Evening Star story. I also have to learn my lyrics for A Wonderful Life – I have half of them down, but there were too many musical problems with that song for me to be able to even sing it let alone remember the words. But there were some very good moments, too, and hopefully we’ll all get there sooner than later.

I was starving when I got home, so I stopped and got two bags of chips – something called Chipotle Ranch and something called cheese and queso. It was stupid food, but took care of my hunger. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must hurry and scurry and get my beauty sleep.

Today, I will hopefully arise after a good night’s sleep. I will try to be out the door jogging by nine-thirty, but if that doesn’t prove possible, I’ll definitely jog at one. At eleven-thirty I go to John Boswell’s to create the little mini-overture for the LACC show. Then, if I haven’t, I’ll do the four-mile jog, finish the liner notes and send them off, hopefully pick up some packages, and then eat something. After that, it’s another rehearsal. From six to seven we’ll drill numbers, and then at seven we’ll begin a run-through.

The rest of the week is more of the same and it will remain more of the same. I do have to prep the announcement of our next title, which will, most likely, happen next Monday or sometime mid-week. I hope to announce the big cast album next week, too, but am not comfortable doing so until the packaging is approved – that’s happening in the next forty-eight hours or so.

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 create a mini-overture with John Boswell, I must finish liner notes, I must hopefully pick up packages, I must eat, and I must rehearse. 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 after this HELL of a day and hopefully I will wake up to a HEAVEN of a day.

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