Haines Logo Text
Column Archive
October 12, 2012:

THE LATE, LATE NOTES

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, it is quite late and I am quite tired and yet I really must write these here notes because to not do so would wreak havoc with the universe and a havocked universe is not a pretty thing, which I think we’ve all seen this week, what with Pluto in Uranus or Mars in Pluto or whatever the HELL was going on. That actually seemed to have abated somewhat yesterday and I had a very pleasantly pleasant day. I got up at nine thanks to the sound of rain falling. It was a classic City of Studio rainfall – bright sunshine and the rain lasting exactly two-and-a-half minutes. Brilliant. I stayed in bed till ten, then got up. I had two visitors in a row, and then I went and had a sandwich and no fries or onion rings. After that, I did some banking, then came home. Thankfully I got the news that we’re fully cast in terms of our core cast, with only a guest star to come. We have a call into an agent and if it were to work out it would be something truly special. Then I did some work on the computer, had some telephonic conversations, and sat on my couch like so much fish.

Yesterday, I finished watching Dial M For Murder – what a wonderful film. Hitchcock really understood how unnecessary it really is to open up a play for the screen to make it “cinematic.” As he said, if you buy the play you’re buying it for a reason, so just shoot the play as it is. And a director as ingenious as Hitchcock makes the shooting of what is basically a one-set show into high art, because he knows exactly where to put the camera, how to heighten the tension through his chosen angles, and it’s just brilliantly done. I wonder why the play is so rarely done. It’s one I’d love to see on stage.

After that, it was time to mosey on over to see the musical that Alet Taylor is in. It’s playing at the Celebration Theater in Hollywood. The musical is, well, it doesn’t quite know WHAT it is, but it’s the story of a movie star whose secretly gay, his marriage, the man he falls for, and all that kind of stuff. Alet plays his very loud publicist and she’s hilarious – she really deserves the kudos she’s gotten for the show, because she makes even some of the lesser material she’s given shine like the top of the Chrysler building. I’m sure she had a lot of input in shaping the character, too. The rest of the show isn’t quite as sure-footed. It’s entertaining and has fun stuff, but one minute it wants to be a cartoon, lampooning Hollywood and its “types” and the next it wants you to not think it’s a cartoon and to take things seriously. That is a very difficult tightrope to walk and they’re not entirely successful walking it. The cast is excellent, though, and the audience in the tiny sixty-something seat theater was very enthusiastic. The gay humor in the show plays well to the gays in the audience, but that’s easy to do – the trick is to have it play well for everyone. I’m sure they’re still tweaking and working and I’m sure they’ll solve some of the stuff that’s clearly not working. The score is fine, albeit repetitious musically. And the show is a good twenty minutes too long, so some judicious trimming would be a good thing. I have no doubt that next awards season Miss Alet Taylor will win something for this show. She does the almost impossible – plays a “type” but makes it real, never strains for the laughs, and you believe her. That’s the problem with some of the secondary characters – they’re just types and cartoonish and not believable. It’s a little schizo for the show.

After the show, Alet and I went over to the Formosa to chat, but there were way too many others there to really do so. I also had to leave fifteen minutes later to meet a singer, one of our cast members from the last Kritzerland show, Angel Reda, who wanted to chat about an act she’s really wanting to do. She’s very smart, very strong, and we had a good conversation and we’ll start meeting regularly now to see if we can figure out how to make this particular dream of hers come true.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I really must get some semblance of beauty sleep.

Today, I have errands and whatnot to do, hopefully I’ll pick up some packages and an important envelope, I’ll eat something light but amusing, and then I go to the engineer’s to finesse the final seven mixes.

Tomorrow and Sunday I have no idea what’s happening. I do have a few things to do, I do have to finish the little tiny bit of busywork that’s left, I do have a few bills to pay, and I would like to have a nice dinner out at some point, and I think I may be seeing a show on Sunday. Next week is very busy.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, eat, and finesse. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start: CD, many Kritzerland projects. Blu and Ray – Strangers on a Train and many Bond films. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland after the late, late notes.

Search BK's Notes Archive:
 
© 2001 - 2024 by Bruce Kimmel. All Rights Reserved