Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle singing all three parts of Fugue for Tinhorns. I’m a little tired from having arisen at six in the morning after only four hours of sleep. I got our two new titles announced and then went back to bed, knowing the tree trimmers would be there at eight and making all kinds of noise. I got up at eleven, and couldn’t figure it out – they were there, but they were really quiet tree trimmers, apparently. They didn’t do much in the back yard, but concentrated on the side of the house, cutting back bushes and shrubs and all manner of branches that were drooping on the roof, but that was barely scratching the surface. That will happen this morning when they begin the big work in the yard and then the front of the house. When all of that is done, then they’ll plant some pretty and colorful flowers.
One surprise when I got up was an e-mail from Mr. Grant Geissman, which contained a PDF of the new book, all laid out and designed. I could see right away he hadn’t converted all of the hyphens that needed to be changed to em dashes and I let him know that and a few other things I saw immediately. So, I went and had a sandwich and no fries or onion rings, then had the book printed out – I should have waited because when I got home he’d sent me a new PDF with the em dashes corrected, along with a few other things. I began proofing on the printed out copy and so far in the first four chapters there really isn’t much wrong. Then I checked all the em dashes against the new PDF and they’d all been fixed up to the point I stopped, which was chapter four. So, in the morning I’ll print a new copy and enter the few things from the first three chapters because the page numbers are two pages off in the new PDF and it will just be easier to enter in that and then continue on from chapter four – that way our copies will match when I go over there to spend the hour doing our final corrections. I also printed out a LOT of orders for the two new titles, so that was good.
I then did a three-mile jog – I don’t usually enjoy doing that in the mid-afternoon but I did it anyway. I never got to the mail place so I have no idea what awaits me there, but hopefully there will be a couple of packages. Then it was time to mosey on over to the Dale of Glen to see A Catered Affair.
Last night, I saw A Catered Affair as done by Musical Theatre Guild. I knew nothing of this musical other than it was adapted from the television play and then the film of the same name. I only knew it was a flop on Broadway. The minute the show began, it was very apparent why it was a flop on Broadway. It’s not a real musical, it’s a play with some songs, mostly recitative type things, scotch-taped onto scenes. I’m not a fan of the composer, so I found it to be his typical kind of thing – an occasional nice melody buried in a lot of noodling chords, all very Sondheim-esque, especially as orchestrated by Sondheim’s usual orchestrator, Jonathan Tunick. The show is ninety minutes with no intermission – that was the best part. It’s fairly dreary, with few laughs, little joy, and music that is all basically one tempo and the same thing time and again.
That said, I found it to be a successful evening for the theater company, because they got some new blood in there to direct and he was a good choice, never trying to be more than a staged reading, and keeping the show flowing from one scene to the next. And it was well cast, especially my pal Marsha Kramer, who finally was given a role worthy of her wonderful talents. She was terrific, but everyone did a nice job. I was happy to see John Sloman in it (The Heinz Guy from Mad Men and star of the Chinatown episode of Outside the Box), and only wish he’d had more to do. But I cornered him after the show and he’s agreed to be in the Kritzerland show – he loves Newley and Bricusse and knows all those songs, and has done Stop the World before. So, that’s great news, and we only need one more guy and we’re done casting. We have our guest star, too. As soon as we lock down our final guy, hopefully today, I’ll let you know the full cast.
I came home, answered e-mails and that was that. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep before the sound of the tree trimmers begins at eight.
Today, I’m sure I’ll wake up when the noise begins at eight in the morning. I’ll do a jog right away, then go over to Staples and get a new book printed out from the new PDF, then I’ll go right to Jerry’s Deli and eat and proof. I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, but the rest of the day and evening will be spent proofing until I’m finished. At some point, we’ll do a Costco run.
The rest of the week is finalizing song choices, getting everyone their music, setting up a work session with the musical director, finalizing whatever fixes there are in the book so it can go directly to the publisher, and I also have to finish doing the dust jacket flap copy. I’ve done the dedication page, and just have to fix up the acknowledgments at the end of the book.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, print out a book, eat, proof, hopefully pick up some packages, do a Costco run, and proof until I’m finished. Today’s topic of discussion: We haven’t done this in quite a while, and since we have several new dear readers now is a good time – what are your favorite things to collect and what are your most prized collectibles that you own, the ones you love to look at and to share with others? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we (and photographs, too), whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I will arise and proof all the livelong day and evening.