Well, dear readers, some days are just fun and yesterday was one of those days. I didn’t get to bed until two in the morning, which was suddenly three in the morning without any warning. Just like that, an hour disappeared into the ether. I got up at ten but had slept really well – a very comfy bed here at the hotel. Then I met Mr. Kevin Spirtas at some café or other and we had a very nice chat. After that, I came back to the hotel, did some work, and then got ready for our get-together. It was a small gathering (no elmore, of course, but he’d tried to cook a bag of chips or something and lit his kitchen on fire, although I wasn’t really expecting him to attend – he’s just not in that mode, unfortunately), but a really fun one – FJL, Skip, dear reader Kevin, and a lovely surprise of dear reader Jose. And then my wonderful friend Todd Ellison stopped by and brought he and his partner’s new baby, who was adorable and who I got to hold for a while. Todd will be musical directing the new James Lapine production of Annie. Todd’s partner also stopped by after his show (he’s in Priscilla) and he was very nice. At some point, Stephen Schwartz came in with a friend, and we had a really nice chat – he told me he’d been thinking about me lately, so it was nice to see him, and we’ll be talking soon. I ate a small Caesar and a chicken sandwich with a few potato chips (I’d had a teeny-tiny English muffin for breakfast). Then I walked Kevin to the theater he was going to, and I moseyed on over to Shetler Studios to meet Lanny. The East Coast singer had missed her train so we had an hour to kill – we discussed the act and the work I’d be doing in our two brief rehearsals.
Then we went back to Shetler and the singer arrived, as did the bass player, the great Jay Leonhart. We began at the top of the show. I stopped almost every number, gave notes, changed some patter, gave a few staging things, and worked as much as I could on interpretation. I also made large cuts in two numbers, probably taking out three minutes between them – that really helped those sections of the show. I changed a few arrangement things, too. I do love working in intense situations like this and everyone was really wonderful about just going with the flow. I gave Jay and the singer a really nice bit at the end of one number and it was all fun and energetic and positive. We still will have a lot of work to do, but I think she finally got a taste of how detail oriented I am and how I like to work and create.
We worked for about two and a half hours. Then we all went to Joe Allen (we were going elsewhere, but they were closing at eleven and we wouldn’t have made it). I had a shrimp cocktail and some guacamole and a few bites of two desserts. Dear reader Iris, who looked very beautiful, came and as it turned out she and the singer’s stage manager had a large number of things in common – then again, dear reader Iris always seems to have six degrees of something with someone. Lanny came, too, and so did the cute niece of the singer – she’s nineteen, smart, and fun. So, the whole day and evening, other than my eating more than I wanted to, was really entertaining and fun.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must try to get as much beauty sleep as possible, as I must be at the morning rehearsal at ten-thirty.
Today, I must be up by nine and to rehearsal by ten-thirty. We’ll work for a couple of hours, then I’ll come back here, write and do stuff, print out my boarding pass, and then go to Don’t Tell Mama – it’s fascinating to me that almost no dear readers want to take me up on seeing the singer as our guest. But, what do I know? I’m getting used to it. After the show, some of us will go out to eat, as I won’t have had a chance to prior to that. I may switch it up and go to Angus McIndoe or the Broadway Diner. We shall see.
Tomorrow, I must be up early and on my way to the airport, and then on my way home. So, please start sending your excellent vibes and xylophones for a safe, secure, and on-time flight home.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, rehearse, write and finish one set of liner notes, do a sound check, do the show, and then eat. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite seafood dishes? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland happy to have had a fun day.