Well, dear readers, it’s been ages, but for the first time in over a decade, one of my albums is all over the preliminary Grammy ballot – namely This Christmas. But I can’t find the two categories that I submitted our remix of Follies in, but they should be there somewhere and we should be in several of those categories, too. Of course, it’s essentially meaningless as all it means is that I made us eligible for those awards, and anyone NARAS member or producer or artist can do it – getting an actual nomination is something wholly other. Still, it’s fun to see it.
I must tell you that yesterday was Friday. I tell you that because yesterday seemed like Saturday. I kept thinking it was Saturday all the livelong day and evening and every time I realized it was Friday it didn’t seem right because it seemed like Saturday. I did manage to get eight and a half hours of blessed sleep, after which I got up and did my morning ablutions and then answered a huge number of e-mails. Then the Garage Person arrived and as it transpired, the last time he was here (same guy) he replaced the gears and springs – this time it was an almost dead motor, which has given decent service for fifteen years, but which wasn’t actually the right kind for this heavy of a door. So, he installed a new motor whilst I went and had a grilled cheese with bacon sandwich and no fries or onion rings. Then I came right home and he was just finishing up. We had to reprogram the new keypad outside the garage and now there’s a new button thingee inside and he also had to reprogram the opener thingee in the motor car. After that, I picked up no packages. Then I had many telephonic calls, almost all of which were about the upcoming show. I then stared at what is the current song list ideas for the show – I do that a lot, and whilst doing it I got an idea how to do one particular number, so I made note of that. Then I did a three-mile jog, planked and did forty sit-ups.
After all that and more, it was finally time to mosey on over to the Lonny Chapman Theater to see the Clifford Odets play, Awake and Sing. I’d never seen this particular Odets play but I have seen others. I kind of enjoy that style of heightened slightly overblown style of playwriting, so I kind of enjoyed Awake and Sing for that reason. It’s a real talking play, but it moves along – it has a slight plot the keeps you involved, thanks to interesting and well-written characters. The production was fine, albeit with some spotty performances. There was one standout performance by actor Stan Mazin, who’s been to a lot of our Kritzerland shows. Some of the attempts at Bronx accents sounded more like Boston, but that’s the nature of the beast. One can only imagine what the show must have been like in 1935 with a cast that included Stella Adler, Luther Adler, Morris Carnovsky, John Garfield and Sanford Meisner. It’s interesting that two of the most influential acting teachers of all time were in the same show. That original production was directed by Harold Clurman. It’s only been filmed once, for TV, with a really peculiar cast, including Walter Matthau. In any case, I’m glad I finally saw the play. I will also say that I just love three act plays – I just love the form and how they feel and always have. They’ve gone the way of the dodo bird, I’m afraid. Interestingly, when I wrote my play The Good One in 1985, that was the form I used, even though it was completely dead by that time. And I loved using that form and the play really worked in that form.
After the play, I was really hungry, having only eaten the tiny sandwich, so I got a Subway Club on the way home and that hit the spot just fine.
Today, I have a work session at eleven with the musical director of the Kritzerland show – that should run about ninety minutes and then I’m lunching with the Staitman clan. After that, we’re having a quick production meeting at the theater down in Santa Monica, so that’s a drive. After that, I’ll come directly home. I also hope to get my jog in and hopefully I’ll pick up some overdue packages.
Tomorrow, I’m brunching with Kay Cole and we’re going to brainstorm ideas for the revue. That will be very helpful to me – it basically enables me to just yammer and good things always come out of yammering, at least in my experience. After that, I’ll just keep staring at the list and getting ideas for structure. I also have to make the show order and write the commentary so that that’s done and out of the way – it’s my goal to have at least the rough of that finished by the evening. Next week will basically all be devoted to developing and structuring the show, along with some meetings and meals and hopefully meeting a set and lighting and costume person to get that locked up.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a work session, lunch with the Staitman clan, hopefully jog and pick up some packages, then have a production meeting. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite plays of the twentieth century? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall awake and sing, not necessarily in that order.