Well, dear readers, Kritzerland at Sterling’s number 32 was a resounding success – I really don’t see how it could have been any better, actually. We had a fantastic, appreciative sold-out crowd, and our cast hit every song straight out of the park. It was our one-year anniversary of doing shows at The Federal. We began by showing the Animal Farm episode of Outside the Box, which went over well. Then I began the contextual commentary and there were some big laughs right away and I just warmed up to the crowd instantly and even went off the page for some stuff. We began with Fireworks from Damon Kirsche and it was one great number after another right through to the end of the show. Damon was his usual stellar self in all three songs. Lisa Livesay continues to be one of my favorites – she’s got such a great voice and a really sly sense of comedy – and her The Party’s Over was heartbreaking. Robert Yacko was great on his three songs, and I especially liked his readings of How Can You Describe a Face and Comes Once in a Lifetime. Cynthia Ferrer is not used to doing this kind of show, but she took to it so quickly and the audience ate her up – just a wonderful performer. Madison Claire Parks was also new to us – she’s been struggling with sinus problems, but you would never have known it – she stepped up to the plate and delivered a beautiful performance. She was, I think, concerned that one of her numbers was comic, and I think it’s out of her comfort zone, but I’m all about that. I worked with her and gave her notes, and she embraced them, committed to the song (Never – from On the Twentieth Century) and stopped the show with it. As I said repeatedly to the audience: “Let me just say this – seventeen-years-old.” My number (Just in Time) went over well and I was so pleased with the way our musical director, Lloyd Cooper, did his part of it – lots of laughs and the song is just the perfect range of notes for me and I adore it to boot. Jenna Rosen, who closed the show, did maybe the most magical version of Never Never Land I’ve ever heard – this girl is something else – fourteen, by the way (BTW, in Internet lingo). And then there was Jason Graae, who did Wrong Note Rag like it’s never been done, complete with oboe solo. The laughs were continuous from the moment he began until the huge ovation that greeted him as he finished. There simply is no one like him. Lloyd Cooper was his usual great self at the keyboard.
We had some grand people in the audience: Karen Morrow, Richard and Elizabeth Sherman, Jason’s agent, Martin Gage, actor Andy Parks (Betty Garrett’s son), Maddy’s parents, Garrett Parks (Betty’s other son) and singer/actress Karen Culliver, our wonderful co-producer Adryan Russ, Outside the Box assistant Amy and her family, cousin Dee Dee and Alan and Dee Dee’s mother, Paula, and neighbors Tony Slide and Bob Gitt, our very own Amy and Mark and VinTek and his lovely wife, and many, many others. So many wonderful compliments after for our cast and Lloyd and Adryan and even me. I have to say that doing these shows every month has revitalized the performing side of me in ways that are very surprising to me.
After the show, a few of us went to Little Toni’s and I had my first real food of the day (I had only the artichoke at The Federal) – one slice of pizza, two medium-size meat balls, and a small salad.
Prior to all that, I’d gotten up after eight hours of glorious sleep, I did a three-mile jog, and then I basically relaxed until show time. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I really need a good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I shall do a jog, choose songs for our next show and gather up the sheet music, finish casting (we’ve only set two people so far), write liner notes, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, and then relax.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals, lots of writing and planning, and then I’m attending the opening night of Grease, directed by our very own Mr. Barry Pearl.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, choose songs and gather up music, finish casting, write, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: I changed next month’s show, so what are your favorite songs of Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse – together and apart? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, beaming over the terrific show that everyone delivered.