Well, dear readers, we had a wonderfully wonderful stumble-through yesterday. I’ve said it before, but since I’m all about repetition I shall say it again – I love our stumble-through days. It’s just the cast, me, Adryan and, if we have kids, the parents – just being supportive and playing to each other. There’s just something very magical about it all. And Stephen Schwartz is all about the magic – there’s magic to do with Stephen Schwartz and do the magic this cast did. Thankfully, we had almost no lyric flubs (we may not have had ANY now that I think about it), and aside from a couple of tempo problems everything just went swimmingly – I was afraid this show would feel very long, but it didn’t at all. This cast doing these songs is really fantastic. Dan Callaway, Chelsea Emma Franko, Kim Huber, Dennis Kyle and Lisa Livesay are just a treat to listen to and watch. The young ‘uns, Jenna Rosen, Sami Staitman and Sarah Staitman are great, and our two guest stars are superb. Adrian Zmed’s Children of Eden song was a real highlight yesterday, and Karen Morrow blew everyone away – this woman still has it in spades and was hilarious and warm and beautiful doing No Time at All. We’re sold out and I think there are even a few people on a waiting list now.
Prior to the rehearsal, I gotten up around nine and just done some stuff on the computer. I picked up the two hard copies of the book at Staples, and then Jenna and Adrian arrived before everyone else to run their numbers. Just before we began the stumble-through one of the kids noticed a bug on the ceiling. I looked up and there were five bugs up there, plus one on one of the window curtains. I killed them all within seconds. After rehearsal we found more and they were identified as termites. I have actually never seen a termite live. Maybe the termites wanted to attend our stumble-through, but it freaked me out. I think overall I killed about twenty of them, but for most of the evening they were in absentia. I don’t know if it was coincidence or not, but the stumble-through was the first time I’ve turned off the heat in two weeks. I turned it back on this evening and as I said ever since then I haven’t seen any – weird. I wrote a strong e-mail to the business manager of the house owner telling him he couldn’t just sit on this – because if they sit on this there will be no house left. I was told about some orange spray that’s used these days – it doesn’t require tenting and you don’t have to leave the house or wrap food or anything. I sent a link about it in the e-mail. One way or another, I will have a pest control company out here tomorrow or Tuesday to deal with this as quickly as possible. If they won’t move quickly, I’ll pay for it and deduct it from the rent.
After the stumble-through, Jenna and her mom and I went to CPK, where we shared the spinach artichoke dip and I had their calorie friendly cedar plank salmon. For dessert I had their small caramel pudding. After that, I came home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled My Name Is Nobody, starring Mr. Henry Fonda and Mr. Terence Hill. The film is produced by Sergio Leone and is directed by Tonino Valerii, who’d been Mr. Leone’s assistant on several films. It’s a slightly schizo film, but one I like very much, especially its score by Ennio Morricone. A lot of it is very much in the style of Leone, and according to many accounts, he directed a lot of it. Mr. Fonda is wonderful and so is Mr. Hill. The transfer, aside from one small weird anomaly that occurs every now and then at the bottom of the frame, is pretty spectacular. The anomaly is a slight “bending” of the image at the bottom, rather like what used to happen if tracking was off on a video tape. It’s very peculiar and probably happened at some point in the transfer food chain. But the color and clarity are gorgeous. The English language is what you want and is included here, and it’s an all region Blu and Ray so anyone can watch it.
After that, I did some work on the computer, printed out the contextual commentary and put everything I need for tonight’s show in the motor car. Also, the new Outside the Box episode – the season finale – went live so if you haven’t seen it, do check it out at Broadway World. 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 hopefully deal with the termite issue swiftly. Then I have some errands and whatnot to do, hopefully I’ll pick up some packages, and then we have our video and sound check, and then it’s the show. I will, of course, have a full report for you.
Tomorrow I think I may have a visit with Dr. Chew for some bonding or something – I really can’t remember, but they always call to remind me. Then I’ll begin choosing the material for the Billy Barnes show and we have two men to cast. Then I’ll gather the sheet music and get it to everyone. Other than that, it’s just meetings and meals and stuff.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, hopefully deal with the termite issue swiftly, I must, if it’s nice out, jog, I must do errands and whatnot, I must hopefully pick up some packages, and then it’s video and sound check and then the show. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your all-time favorite Henry Fonda films? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall think sweetly of our stumble-through and then get ready for magic to do at the Stephen Schwartz Kritzerland show.