Well, dear readers, last night’s Kritzerland show was way too much fun and it certainly goes down in my book as one of the five best that we’ve done – that’s mostly because I love the material so much. But our cast really shone through last night and our audience was very vocal and just terrific. The patter really landed well, I thought, and that’s always pleasing to me. I kept the opening patter purposely short and I opened the show with Ya Got Trouble, a number I learned when I was fourteen and have never forgotten. When I decided to do this show I was out jogging and said to myself, “Myself, I wonder how much of this thing I actually remember?” And so I began running it and I pretty much remembered it all. Muscle memory. So, I’ve run it twice a day for two months. But it’s nerve-wracking opening the show and there were two tiny little fumfers, interestingly both on the same line – well, musically the same line – I just fumfered on the first word of it each time – don’t even know why, frankly. Once I’d fumfered the first time, I kind of went back to that lyric’s first word when I did the second version (the first is “Gotta figure out a way to keep the young ones moral after school” and the second is “Remember the Maine, Plymouth Rock, and the golden rule”) – I recovered quickly in both instances and while I’m sure some noticed I think most didn’t. But boy did I have fun doing it – it’s one of my favorite numbers ever. And I have to say, the reaction at the end may be the biggest reaction I have ever gotten to anything I’ve ever performed. It took me aback, quite frankly. Then I told a long story about how I first saw The Music Man film and how I learned the number. The song, of course, was by heart, but I have never done any patter in these shows without benefit of reading from my paper, but the long story was completely by heart.
Each and every member of the cast did a great job. Allen Everman, who was new to us, really stepped up to the plate and nailed a really difficult patter song from 1491 – it got a great ovation. His other numbers went very well. Chelsea Emma Franko, with only three days to learn four songs she didn’t know at all, hit it right out of the park. Her “brothers” on I Ain’t Down Yet (Justin Jones, Bruce Merkle and David Zack) were great, too. Jane Noseworthy I just adore and for me she can do no wrong. Her three songs were just fantastic. Charlotte Mary Wen also stepped up to the plate – she’s just starting out and was the winner of the LA’s Next Great Stage Star contest that our host Michael Sterling does ever year. She was cute as a button and sang her little heart out. And Robert Yacko is just a pro and so dependable and our audiences really love him – it’s always a treat to have him with us. Sue Raney, our guest star, was like a master class in how to quietly and simply stop a show cold – you could hear a pin drop as she delivered her beautiful Till There Was You. She got a huge ovation. Tom Griep accompanied everyone perfectly, and our co-producer Adryan Russ always keeps it all together and running smoothly.
We were sold out and had lots of fun folks in attendance – cousins Dee Dee and Alan and Dee Dee’s lovely mum, Paula – neighbors Tony Slide and Bob Gitt, our very own Mr. Nick Redman and his stunningly beautiful daughter, Rebecca, my pal David Wechter and his beautiful wife Barbara, my beautiful darling daughter and her beautiful friend Skye, the amazing Kay Cole and her ever-lovin’ Michael Lamont, Karen Staitman (without the Staitman girls, who are away at camp), Jenna Lea Rosen and mom Heather, our very own Doug Haverty, Tom Griep’s wife Evelyn Halus and daughter Oliviana (who has become a huge Adriana Hofstetter fan), ASCAP’s Michael Kerker, the wonderful Mary Jo Catlett (we’re hoping she’ll do one of our shows), Dancing Dildo Artie Shafer, former assistant Amy Ennis and family, and, of course, my pals Richard M. Sherman and his lovelier than lovely wife, Elizabeth. What a night!
After, some of us went to Little Toni’s – I had only eaten a half an artichoke all day, so I had the side of meatballs, a small salad, and two pieces of cheese pizza – probably too much, but I’m allowed to splurge every now and then and even every then and now. Prior to all that, I’d had a horrible night’s sleep (always the case before the show), not falling asleep till after four in the morning and thankfully sleeping through till eleven. I got up, answered e-mails, and then did a three-mile jog. Then I just relaxed until it was time for sound check. I must say, The Federal’s sound and lighting guys are the best in LA, so it’s always a pleasure working with them. And that was that.
Today, I have some errands and whatnot to do, I may see the darling daughter at some point during the day, and then it’s our final vocal comping session tonight. It will be good to have that out of the way.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals, seeing a show or two, choosing the rest of the songs for the Kritzerland anniversary show, finishing casting said show, assigning songs and getting everyone their music, writing liner notes, attending a book fair and then doing the final mix on Sandy’s album.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, eat, do errands and whatnot, maybe see the darling daughter, hopefully pick up some errant and truant packages and then do a vocal comp session. Today’s topic of discussion: Our anniversary shows are called The Songs That Got Away – and they’re comprised of songs I haven’t been able to fit in any shows we’ve done – you know, things I’ve recorded, whether cast albums, singers or concept albums. So, for those who know my output, what would you like to hear in the anniversary show? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that our Kritzerland show was the berries.