Well, dear readers, we had our stumble-through and it was pretty swell. The stumble-through day is always very special and it’s almost my favorite part of our process. It’s the first time the cast comes together as a unit and they perform for each other, and it’s just so much fun because everyone in these casts is supportive and giving. But this stumble-through was something else. No one has any idea of what the others are doing with their numbers, so everything is a complete surprise in terms of performance. I do have to say that the three girls opening the show with Matchmaker, Matchmaker is probably the best opening we’ve ever done. They’re just delightful, and it’s funny, and I even put in a joke about me that Sami Staitman delivers so deadpan and hilariously – it got a great laugh today. When Jenna’s doing the Yenta section of the number, she sings, “Sami, oh Sami, have I got a man for you – he’s handsome, he’s young – all right, he’s sixty-two…” We stop the music and Sami says, “Who, Bruce? He’s sixty-five.” And then the song continues. But every song is a high point, and it’s just so much fun to watch our performers as they grow into the songs at their private rehearsals, and then deliver the goods. This is one of the best casts we’ve ever had in terms of matching songs to singers, and I cannot say enough about them: Dan Callaway, Michael G. Hawkins, Heather Lee, Lisa Livesay, and Jane Noseworthy, our killer kid trio of Jenna Rosen, Sami Staitman, and Sarah Staitman, and our amazing guest star, Hal Linden. Hearing him do The Fair from The Rothschilds is incredible – it’s like forty years ago and he sounds great, is charming and funny, and there’s no question why he won the Tony Award for his performance. When Dan Callaway did In My Own Lifetime towards the end of the show, watching Hal was so delightful – mouthing the words, and clearly loving what Dan was doing with it. The show, without my commentary, clocked in about sixty-five to seventy minutes, so it’s going to be about eight-five with the commentary, maybe a little less. Normally, I like to come in at seventy-five total, but this is such a fun show I just don’t care that it’s a bit longer.
After the stumble-through, the Staitman clan, and Jenna and mom, Heather, and I all went over to Hugo’s. I hadn’t been there in at least three months. I had my usual small Caesar and pasta papa – it was great, although the portions of each were smaller than they normally are, and I was fine with that. And I shared some of my pasta papa with Jenna – she was only having soup (they were going out to eat later), but she went nutty over how good it was. Then I came home.
Prior to all that, I’d had a really good night’s sleep with some really weird dreams, some of which stem from the book I’m writing. I got up at ten, turned the heat on, and stayed in bed and played on the iPad until it warmed up. Then I got up, had a couple of telephonic conversations, and then began finessing the previous day’s twelve pages. That always takes at least an hour to ninety minutes, because I don’t like to move forward until I’m really happy with everything. And because I write quickly, there are always things to smooth out, rewrite, add to, subtract from, and move around. I went to the mail place and picked up two count them two packages, then came home and finally began the day’s new writing. I only got two pages in before Hal arrived early to run his number a couple of times.
After I got home, I buckled down, Winsocki, and wrote another four pages or so. I was in a sequence that required careful handling in terms of its pacing, and I think I finally got it so it’s okay. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I dove into the newly released DVD of The Killing III. I was so happy they were doing a season three and I could not wait until the DVD came out – I’d put it on pre-order last June. As with the first two seasons, episode one takes about thirty minutes to get going but once it does, it moves like a house afire and I was sucked in just as I was with the first two seasons. The first half of season one was fantastic, but then, after episode ten, the seams began to show and it just went on way too long and couldn’t sustain it’s twenty episodes. Season two was much better with only ten episodes and a bit less of the political stuff that the writer likes. I ended up watching two episodes. This new season (and its last) has the political stuff back, but it’s good, and the plot is already compelling, with a murder and then a kidnapping of a child. Once again, this series belongs to the wonderful Sofie Grabol as Sarah Lund. She’s just a brilliant actor and the role fits her like a glove. The supporting cast is excellent and I recognize a few of them from other Danish shows I’ve watched.
After that, I buckled down, Winsocki again – I really hadn’t intended to write any more than the six pages I’d written, but I felt I had to mush on to get into a new chapter and then introduce some characters I needed to introduce, so I ended up doing another six pages. So, it seems like twelve pages a day is this book’s routine so far. I’m not sure I need to keep up THAT kind of pace, but I’m really happy I’ve done that much this first few days because it’s really propelled me into the story. Normally by this point after five days I’d be around page thirty-five, but I’m over sixty pages right now, which feels great. Hopefully, when I give Muse Margaret the first batch – probably the first eighty pages of the book, she’ll think they’re okay. She’ll know right away if the tone is right and if the story grabs her attention.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I shall write, I may try to jog, and then it’s sound and video check, then the show. I will, of course, have a full report. It’s going to be a little crazy figuring out the seating so that everyone’s happy. I’ve basically taken the first row of tables (eighteen seats) and I think the second and third rows are also pretty much taken. I’m sure it will all work out fine.
Tomorrow, I write, then I go to the editing room at noon to cut down episode five to a reasonable length. It’s at least two minutes too long right now, so we’ve got our work cut out for us. I think it will be very obvious where we have to make cuts in the first scene – it’s the musical numbers that will be tricky, should we need to remove time from them. The rest of the week is writing – Tuesday I give Muse Margaret the first batch of pages and I shall anxiously await word and hopefully she will like them. I’ve also got some meetings and meals, and we dive right into the February Kritzerland show – I’ve only cast two of the three girls and no guys and we’re not sure about the guest star yet.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, maybe jog, do a sound and video check, and then do the Kritzerland show. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after another fun stumble-through.