Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry for she of the Evil Eye will be here all too soon and I need as much sleep as I can get. So, let’s start with last night’s rehearsal. It was my intention to assemble the disparate parts of our little show into a whole, to see where I needed transitions, to see if I needed to reposition any staging, and to see how it would flow. I have sensed since day one that this revue needed to be in two acts, but from day one it’s been suggested that a one-act version would be best. Every fiber of my being thought that didn’t feel right, but I am very open to everything, so I prepared two different versions – a one act and a two act, with slightly differing orders for the last half of the show. In the spirit of collaboration, I tried the one act version first. About halfway through it was instantly apparent to me and to the cast that it just felt too long for one act – that you need a break in the middle so that the audience doesn’t get twenty-nine disconnected (for the most part) songs all at once. Plus it’s nice to have an interval and I’ve always had a really good act one closer and act two opener – so, come Monday, we’ll do that version and I’m sure it will feel just right. I will say that I think we have the makings of a good show here, and if everyone is on their game I also think we can pull it off in the next couple of weeks, which is what needs to happen. I asked the company to please spend this weekend learning the songs by heart so we can actually do the work we need to do and so that they’re not glued to the music while trying to do the staging. But even last night, when they were on the staging and doing it, it just looked really good. There’s a lot of work ahead, but I think we’re all up to the task. One of the big helps is having our wonderful Lloyd Cooper there – he’s so on top of everything and when something isn’t working or we need to fix a few measures it’s just instant. Poor Jane Noseworthy got a cold since her last rehearsal on Wednesday. She looked so miserable but was such a good egg and even though she couldn’t sing, she stayed and did the staging. She’s hoping she’ll get through the stumble-through and our two-show day okay and I’m sending all the excellent vibes and xylophones I can and please do the same.
Prior to that, I’d had an interesting drive to the theater. I really don’t want to leave at three or four every day – it’s just ridiculous, actually. So, today, on a busy Friday, I left at five using the Beverly Glen route. And it was really good until you hit Wilshire – cars were backed up an entire block there, for no real reason. Once past Wilshire it was easy sailing to Pico and over to Overland. But at that time of day, Overland was a bit more crowded, but still not terrible. Once on Venice it was a bit of a slog and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Venice, which is a hugely wide street with a lot of lanes, crowded like that. But even with those handful of delays I was at the theater just before six, which is still an hour early. So, the new plan is to never leave before five.
Prior to that, I’d had a cup of chicken soup and a cheese quesadilla for my meal o’ the day. And I picked up a couple of packages. Prior to that, we had the Brent Barrett work session – I love Brent to pieces and it’s always such a pleasure to hear him have his way with a song – in this case three songs – the title song from Busker Alley and that show’s She Has a Way. He, of course, co-starred in the Tommy Tune production. His third song is a really fun I Wanna Be Like You from The Jungle Book.
Prior to that, Sandy Bainum and Lanny Meyers came over and we had just enough time for her to do a stumble-through of her new act, which was surprisingly smooth and very entertaining. We’ll spend all next week honing and polishing it. I had a couple of little things to change, but we’ll do those on Monday.
Today, I shall be up at nine, I shall do the first jog in a week and boy do I need to. I just hope I haven’t gone the wrong way, weight-wise, but I don’t think I have. After that, I have some banking to do, hopefully I’ll pick up some packages, then come home. At three, we have our stumble-through and then it’s a birthday dinner for sweet Jenna Lea Rosen – now fifteen. Where does the damn time go? Speaking of time going, please do not forget to set your clocks back an hour. I think that means we gain an hour? I hope so – I need it! After dinner, which will be early, I will relax and rest my voice.
Tomorrow, I have to be up by nine-thirty, I have to jog and be back by eleven, and then to The Federal by noon or so. Once there, we do our sound check and then our matinee audience has brunch at two and our show is at three. That will finish around four-fifteen and the club has to turn everything around and be ready to open the doors at five-thirty for the dinner show – that is completely sold out, and we’re hoping the matinee is fairly full, too. Last I heard we were close to sixty, but I’d really like that to be closer to seventy or eighty. I will, of course, have a full report. I’m just praying that my voice holds for both shows. Next week is insanely busy, with Sandy rehearsals in the day and our show rehearsals in the evening. Plus on Tuesday we’re shooting some video of Sandy in the morning and I think we’re shooting some video for the benefit at some point later in the week, although I’m kind of praying it’s the week after – just can’t remember.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, bank, hopefully pick up some packages, have a stumble-through, and then a birthday dinner for Jenna at The Smoke House. Today’s topic of discussion: Since we’re doing Are We Dancing in our Sherman Brothers show, what are your favorite dances to do? And what was the first dance you ever attended, who did you attend with (if anyone) and how was it? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall hopefully arise feeling really good and with voice in good repair.