Well, dear readers, let me just say that Kritzerland at Sterling’s number twenty-seven was a fantastic show and evening. It simply could not have gone better. We were a complete sellout, despite some no-shows. The evening began, as always, with me welcoming everyone. Then we premiered the first episode of the new season of Outside The Box. One never knows how an audience will react to something, but from the first shot (Hal Linden’s daughter is reading Album Produced By) the laughs were pretty huge. All of Hal’s stuff in the set-up scene got big laughs, and then the musical numbers played beautifully. They roared at some of Jenna Rosen’s antics, and after the final shot it got a great applause. It makes me want to show all these there. Then we began the show. Despite the fact that I read everything, I was fumfering a little more than I care for and I lost my place completely a couple of times. I’m able to get my way out of it, thankfully. But the shows are really about the songs and the singers and they all delivered beautifully. Stuart Ambrose, Dennis Kyle, Lisa Livesay, Jane Noseworthy and Shannon Warne – it just doesn’t get any better. And Alvin Ing was delightful and touching. Stuart hit it out of the park with his Soliloquy, but every number was kind of a highlight. Jane’s Mr. Snow is the best I’ve ever seen the song done, and Shannon Warne was thrilling on You’ll Never Walk Alone and Climb Ev’ry Mountain. Lisa is just too adorable and she did a grand Do I Hear a Waltz. And Dennis’ The Man I Used to Be from Pipe Dream was great. We had a few more lyric flubs than usual but the cast handled them very well. Our musical director, Lloyd Cooper, did a great job.
There were so many fun people in attendance, including Hal Linden and his daughter Nora (I think Hal was VERY pleased with the episode), our editor, Marshall Harvey, my engineer, John Adams, singer Heather Lee (who’ll be joining us for the January show), Jenna Rosen and her parents, the adorable Staitman gals, Sami and Sarah and their mom, Shelly Markham, Susanne Blakeslee, my pal Ashley Palmer, our very own VinTek and his ever-lovin’ Janet, our very own Amy and Mark (I never get to see them after the show – they must run out), Will Collyer (he’ll be in the Kritzerland Christmas show), my new agent, Martin Gage, several reviewers, cousins Alan and Dee Dee and Dee Dee’s beautiful mom, Paula, and lots and lots of others. After the show, a few of us went over to Little Toni’s – I had one piece o’ pizza, and a little spaghetti. Just a wonderful, sweet evening any way you look at it.
Prior to that, I’d have a rough night’s sleep, but I think I managed to get seven or eight hours ultimately. Then I just relaxed right up until it was time to leave for sound and video check. I did manage to watch almost all of the utterly weird and captivating Mon Oncle, a film by Jacques Tati – I’ll finish that today.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must be up at six in the morning to announce the new Kritzerland title.
Today, I’ll be up at six to announce the new Kritzerland title, then I’ll probably go back to bed. Then I’ll hopefully print out a LOT of orders, I’ll eat, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll do some banking, and then I have a meeting with my agent, Jason Graae, and a couple of others about a potential project. I think I’ll be able to relax in the evening.
The rest of the week is meetings, meals, choosing songs, getting music to singers, writing liner notes (three sets!) and finishing casting the last of the roles for our upcoming shoot for Outside The Box. In other words, a busy little week.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, announce a new title, hopefully print out a LOT of orders, jog, eat, write, have a meeting, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Christmas songs or just plain old holiday songs – especially interested in obscure stuff. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, extremely thankful and happy that everything, screening and show, went so well.