Well, dear readers, it is late and I must write these here notes because I am tired and need my beauty sleep. It was quite a long day yesterday, despite not getting up until ten-thirty due to not going to be until two-thirty due to writing the dreaded “Director’s Note” for our program. I do not like the dreaded Director’s Note and try never to do it, but they insisted. I don’t think a director telling you anything about what you’re going to see is ever of any interest, but I did my best and kept it short and sweet, while also keeping it sweet and short.
Once up, I had a lot of e-mails to answer, had a couple of telephonic conversations and a brief visit from a local CD dealer. After that, I went and had a Cobb salad and no bread. Then I went to the mail place and picked up a couple of packages, after which I came home. There was not really any time to work on liner notes (I’m really close to being finished) but I did take the forty-five minutes to finish the Kritzerland show commentary, so that’s done and out of the way. Then we had our first Kritzerland rehearsal.
First up was Kelsey Scott – it’s been quite some time since she did her one and only Kritzerland show and it’s nice to have her back. She sang her three songs – Santa Baby, The Christmas Song and The Gift (by Brad Ellis and Adryan Russ, originally introduced by Guy Haines). Then came Dan Callaway, who ran his two solo numbers, Count Your Blessings and O, Holy Night (first time we’ve ever done a classic Christmas carol), then Ashley Fox Linton arrived and they did their duet, Be a Santa. Then Ashley did her two solos, Winter Was Warm and Merry Christmas, Darling. After that, Lisa Livesay arrived – she’s been in New York for three months and we’ve missed her terribly, so it’s great to have her back with us. She did her three numbers – This Christmas (by yours truly), What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve and Sleigh Ride. Then it was Robert Yacko doing his three – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas put together with The Man With the Bag, and Penny by Penny. Then two of our three kids arrived. First up was Jenna Lea Rosen, singing Happy Holidays/White Christmas, which she does beautifully. Then adorable nine-year-old Hadley Miller did That’s What I Want for Christmas – she will stop the show cold. What a powerhouse she is and just too cute for words. On Monday, we’ll have Sarah Staitman, who’s doing a put-together of Jingle Bells and Jingle Bell Rock, and our wonderful guest star, Terri White, who’s doing a put-together of The Christmas Waltz and I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Richard Allen is our musical director – his first time for us, which is always kind of a baptism of fire for anyone, but he’s keeping up just fine. I think it will be a very entertaining show, and the good news is we’re almost sold out.
After that, Adryan Russ and I had to leave immediately for the theater for our final dress rehearsal. We had about fourteen people there and the show went very well for the most part. The pace was good, the performances are shaping up nicely and many of the numbers got really good response from our small group. I was especially heartened that all the humor landed well. There were some flubs, some staging flubs, and some lighting flubs, so I’ll get there early tonight to run three or four things. But mostly, I think this cast is ready to play this show for an audience. I also have to call out Lloyd Cooper, who is doing an amazing job of keeping it all together. There are still things to smooth out and hone, and hopefully some of that will happen tonight and tomorrow night. Then we have this complete week off and I’m hoping that everyone will be diligent and run their material every day, both singing and walking the staging, so that when they return a week from Tuesday we’re not going backwards – because we only have Tuesday and Wednesday to get everyone back up to performance level, then our final two previews and then we open. I gave only a handful of notes, and the artistic director of the theater gave me her handful of notes, which were all similar to my handful of notes.
Then Sami, her mom, and Adryan and I went to some nearby Mexican jernt for a bite to eat. We had some guacamole for the table and it was some of the best guacamole I’ve ever had. I wish I could say the same for the two beef tacos I ordered – they were just about the worst tacos I’ve ever eaten – I got one of them down and just picked at the other. But it was nice to sit and relax. Then I came home and caught up on stuff.
Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep, and then I’ll have an early bite to eat, which I’ll keep very light, then I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll hopefully jog, and then I’m relaxing until I have to be on my way to the theater around six or so. Then we have our first preview, which I’m told will be for a full house, a full house being all of forty people. I will, of course, have a full report.
Tomorrow, I’ll finish the damn liner notes, try to do two edit road maps for our final two projects of the year, and then we have our second preview – normally Sundays are matinees, but they’ve got another show closing that day, so ours is in the evening. Then Monday is our second Kritzerland rehearsal, and the rest of the week is some meetings and meals, Thanksgiving with Barry Pearl and his ever-lovin’ Cindy Dellinger. But mostly I’m going to get as much relaxing in as I can, and I really hope to catch up on my viewing. I’ve got a bunch of screeners here, including Gravity, Prisoners, and Blue Jasmine, not to mention the piles of Blu-rays that need watching.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, try to do a jog, eat, hopefully pick up some packages and then attend our first preview – Kay Cole will be with me. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Mexican food dishes and what are the most memorable Mexican meals you’ve eaten? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall do things and then attend our first preview.