Well, dear readers, it is late and I must write these here notes in a hurry because I must be up early, jog, and then to Dr. Chew for a teeth-cleaning affair. There’s not all that much to report anyway, yesterday being a Sunday. I can report that I got up around nine-fifteen. I can report that I did a three-mile jog in my new running shoes. The thing about new running shoes is that they are not the old running shoes. One’s feet is used to the old running shoes and therefore the new running shoes and the feet have to get used to each other, which is what happened on the jog. The new running shoes and the feet weren’t sure about each other until almost halfway through the jog, at which point they got more comfy with each other. Still, with new shoes comes new muscle use and I have to say that my calves are quite sore. Hopefully, as I break in these new running shoes they will become completely comfy.
Then I buckled down, Winsocki and spent several hours writing the first half of the upcoming Kritzerland commentary. There are three more songs than we normally have, so I kept certain things short. An hour later, I got to the two-thirds point. I think I will be adding some other details once I’ve read through it all and know that I have the room to do so. But for the first pass, I just wanted to get it all done.
Then I had to mosey on over to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Wilshire Blvd. at Lucerne. The Ebell is a classic and very large LA landmark. It includes a large theater, which used to be a staple of acts touring through LA – things like Victor Borge, or some opera companies, or Jose Iturbi or Jose Greco – those kinds of things. Now it’s mostly used for the odd special event. But there are also other rooms, one with a small stage where I directed a little show for the First Star charity a few years ago. The concert reading of the Adryan Russ and Doug Haverty musical, Inside Out (available on Kritzerland) took place in a large room. A small raised platform with chairs served as the stage. The band consisted of a piano. I knew a few folks in attendance, including director Will Mackenzie and his wonderful wife Patty. This is the second “staged” reading I’ve seen of this show within a year. It’s a show we’ve talked about me directing, so my views are certainly not objective, but I have yet to see either a production of this show or any of these readings that did true justice to it. In the reading situation, that’s almost an impossibility, especially in a space like the one yesterday. If I’d been asked to do yesterday’s reading I would have turned it down, because it was not a situation that would have been to my liking. It all went smoothly enough, but too long at ninety minutes (no intermission – the show is in two acts) because the chairs were really uncomfortable. My back was killing me after fifteen minutes. The cast did the best they could with the limited amount of rehearsal. One day I’ll get my mitts on the show and see how well it can really work. Right now it seems like a play with songs scotch-taped to it. But that’s because it needs a little TLC in terms of arrangements and how one gets into the numbers – it has to be seamless but isn’t now. It also requires a perfect cast, and that can only happen with a proper amount of rehearsal, because the all-woman cast must really bond for the show to really work. The NY cast was excellent, but there I found the direction the culprit – it needed a much stronger hand than it had there. But, all that said, it was fun, and always great to see my pal Heather Lee in anything. The other cast members I knew were Karen Culliver and Terri Bibb.
After the show, they had a light supper in an adjoining room. They served sliders and vegetables and salad – I just had some melon and about three bites of a light salad – the sliders didn’t interest me at all. I chatted with Heather and her hubby Greg and her mom Peggy, and a few others, then took my leave. I stopped at Gelson’s to get my low-cal hamburger patties but they were out of the lowest fat gram ones so I simply drove to Jerry’s Deli and had a turkey sandwich and no fries or onion rings. That wasn’t really enough food, so I had a couple of harmless snacks at home. I also finished the commentary, added a couple of details, and will now read through it at some point this week and I’m sure finesse and make some adjustments.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get as much beauty sleep as possible.
Today, I shall be up early, and if I’m feeling up to it I’ll do an early morning jog before going to see Dr. Chew at 10:15. If I’m not feeling up to it, then I’ll jog after seeing Dr. Chew. I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll start writing some liner notes, and then I may or may not be having a late lunch with a friend.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals and writing, a work session with our musical director, hiring the gal who will do the Hofstetter audio books, hopefully seeing a galley and approving it by the end of the week and lots o’ other stuff.
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 and the Turkey Trot, because today is the birthday of most errant and truant but beloved Floop-loving dear reader Sandra. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to most errant and truant but beloved Floop-loving dear reader Sandra. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO MOST ERRANT AND TRUANT BUT BELOVED FLOOP-LOVING DEAR READER SANDRA!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, have teeth cleaned, hopefully pick up some packages, write, and maybe have a late lunch – if not, I’ll definitely eat something light but amusing. Today’s topic of discussion: Growing up, what was your favorite movie theater – and what was the most opulent movie theater you were in as a kid? And what was your favorite legit house? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I will be on the new running shoes and run.