Well, dear readers, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and that is because Christmas is getting close. I’m beginning to feel the Christmas spirit. Have you ever felt the Christmas spirit and if so how did the Christmas spirit react to being felt? We’re finally over summer, apparently, and it’s actually raining outside as I write these here notes. And at 11:40 a surprising number of cars travel by my house. I’ve already said, “Ho, ho, ho” to no one in particular so I’m definitely in the swing of things, holidays-wise. It’s a mere ten days until Christmas and my true love has already has already left a partridge in a pear tree and two turtle doves. I’ve eaten two pears off the pear tree and they were quite good. I also ate the two turtledoves, which were quite a delicacy. I no longer have a CLEW as to what the HELL I’m talking about, but that’s never stopped me before.
Yesterday was a day. I got up around nine, turned on the heat, and got back in bed for thirty minutes until the home environment heated up. Then the helper came over and we got all the SAG paperwork from all six episodes of Outside the Box in order and they’ve all been sent to SAG, so we’re all currently current. I’d already decided to stay in for most of the day, so I made myself two tuna sandwiches (on onion bagels, actually), ate them all up, answered e-mails, and then sent all our singers their music and mp3s – we’re all cast now and it’s quite a wonderful group: Dan Callaway, Damon Kirsche, Heather Lee, Lisa Livesay, Jane Noseworthy and our very special guest, Hal Linden, as well as our mighty young ‘uns trio of Sami Staitman, Sarah Staitman, and Jenna Rosen, who’ll be doing a number together. Ace musical director Lloyd Cooper is back for his third show in a row with us. Then I picked up two packages and an important envelope, did some banking, had some more e-mail volleys, and then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday I watched all sorts of motion pictures. First up was the screener of Silver Linings Playbook. Like the socially conscious film of every year, we also get a film like Silver Linings Playbook, a film about two misfits who suffer from some sort of bi-polar problems. I won’t say more than that about the plot, other than we’ve seen this kind of thing many times, but it’s very well done here and the actors make it all charming and easy to watch. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are excellent, and Robert De Niro is terrific as Cooper’s father. But everyone is good and it all moves along and is very enjoyable. Yes, it’s predictable, but these kinds of films always pop up and audiences usually respond well to them. I then watched the first half of Zero Dark Thirty, a two-and-a-half hour film about finding Bin Laden and doing away with him. Other than knowing he’d been done away with, I knew nothing of the how and so Zero Dark Thirty is compelling and interesting. Director Kathryn Bigelow is very good at this sort of thing, and the writing is fine as are the actors, especially leading lady Jessica Chastain. The first half certainly didn’t bore me – a few of the early sequences are tough to watch, but once past them then it’s basically a suspense thriller.
I then went to a friend’s screening room where I saw The Sessions. I’m sure we’ll get a screener at some point, but it was one of the only movies I had an interest in seeing, so see it I did. I really liked it quite a bit. It’s funny, affecting, moving, and beautifully acted. Helen Hunt has always been a favorite and she’s just wonderful in this as a sex surrogate. John Hawkes should certainly be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar because he’s just fantastic, especially considering his entire performance is basically immobile – done only with his face, eyes, and voice. It’s a real-life story and I’d even see it again.
Then I came back home and finished Zero Dark Thirty. The last half really moves along at a good pace and even though you know the outcome, it’s the how they did it of it that’s fascinating. It’s a very good film and worth seeing if you are interested in the subject at all. The score is very good, too, by Alexandre Desplat.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I really must get some semblance of beauty sleep since she of the Evil Eye will be here all too soon.
Today, I shall jog if it’s not raining, then I’ll eat an early lunch, then my pal Jon Burlingame is coming over to get some CDs and I’m sure we’ll have a nice visit. After that, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, and then it’s more motion pictures. I’m loving watching all this stuff, even if I don’t love some of the films.
Tomorrow will be a ME day except for a Face Time rehearsal watching the East Coast Singer run her show. Monday I have a meeting with a singer who wants to talk about doing an act, and then the rest of the week is just trying to get approvals before everyone goes on vacation, prepping announcements for three new releases, and making more book notes.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the samba for today is the birthday of ChasSmith, our newest member here at haineshisway and one I’m dearly glad found us. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our wonderful ChasSmith. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR WONDERFUL CHASSMITH!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, maybe jog, eat, have a visit, hopefully pick up some packages, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What were your favorite theater experiences of 2012? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall sing a lovely rendition of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.