Well, dear readers, this week if flying by, like a gazelle in a pickle. Have you ever been in a pickle? If so, how did you fit? In any case, the evening has gotten away from me and now these here notes must be written in a hurry for they should have been posted fifteen minutes ago.
First of all, most of the videos I was expecting to post didn’t come out – they were blown out in terms of contrast and you can’t see anything at all – you can hear, of course, but the video portion was an epic fail. I’m hoping maybe a few of the other parents were taping and I’ll find that out soon. I do have at least one to share, so here it is – adorable nine-year-old Hadley Belle Miller singing I Won’t Grow Up.
Wasn’t that adorable? I’ve asked her dad if he managed to get You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile, because I’d love to share that one. Quintan Craig’s dad posted a couple of his numbers, but they’re not on You Tube so I can’t link to them – I’ve asked him to put them up.
Yesterday was quite a day. I woke up at five and couldn’t get back to sleep until after seven. I did get a few good ideas written down, though, so that was an upside. I finally got up at ten. I had a slew, a veritable slew of e-mails to answer, all benefit-related. Then I futzed and finessed the previous day’s writing, adding about a page of new material, after which I wrote another page or so, before heading off to lunch. I had a turkey sandwich and a small thing of onion rings. After that, I picked up a couple of packages, then came home. I then wrote another couple of pages – it was a tricky few pages but I really enjoyed figuring them out and developing a new character.
Then we began the day’s rehearsals with the musical director showing up forty minutes late because some signals got crossed. But that enabled me to chat with and get to know the delightful Melora Hardin. She finally ran her number, which will be great. Then we had the always-amazing Terri White – she’s the show’s closer and it’s Being Alive like you’ve never heard it. After that, it was Susanne Blakeslee, Marsha Kramer and Lisa Livesay, who are doing our show’s opening number in a way that I do believe is a first – three females doing Fugue for Tinhorns. What fun they are and it’s going to be a really good opener.
Then I had to deal with a lot more benefit stuff, because there have been so many confusing e-mails about our band rehearsal and sound check schedules, that I had to clean all that up and all that took over an hour. Then I wrote another half a page and finally had to sit on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I began to watch a movie I’d TIVO’d, an over three-hour two-part adaptation of Dean Koontz’s book Intensity. I run hot and cold on Mr. Koontz, but Intensity was one of the hot ones, a really good suspense thriller that was quite riveting. I got about twenty-five minutes into the movie, but I don’t like the actors much so far and the direction is not so hot. I’ll probably tough it out, but the dialogue is so badly written and things aren’t being explained enough to make the heroines behavior seem anything but stupid. In the book you never think that. Then I switched to another movie I’d TIVO’d, Comanche Station, another Randolph Scott oater I’m very fond of. I watched the first ten minutes, but I just wasn’t in the mood so I stopped. Then I wrote an additional three pages and finished chapter three. Then the site went down for about forty minutes – some power thing again – so tiresome but they got it up and running quickly enough. While that was happening I took a shower and after that wrote the first page of chapter four. I think I may try to finish that one, too, then give those four chapters to Muse Margaret.
News flash – another video has surfaced and I’m glad we at least captured Sami Staitman’s performance of my song Annie at the rehearsal since it was not captured at the show itself. You don’t get to see her cute red dress or hear the huge laughs she got and there’s annoying talking by the employees of The Federal in the background, but you’ll get the idea just how great she was doing this song – there’s one little edit after the first verse because I had them stop to fix the tempo which was a tad too slow in the first verse.
Wasn’t she great?
Today, I shall finesse and futz in the morning and try to write at least one new page, then we have rehearsals beginning at noon and I think we’re through around two or three and then there’s a brief meeting with our benefit’s host. After that, I think I’m having an early dinner meeting. Then I’ll write some more pages and hopefully try to at least get close to finishing chapter four.
Tomorrow I can’t remember if there are rehearsals – if there are it’s only a couple. Then I have a brush-up rehearsal for the revue. Normally I would let the stage manager handle it, but the cast has been off for two solid weeks so I want to be sure the energy gets back to where it needs to, since I won’t see it again until Saturday night and that’s only IF I can get everything else done in time. Sunday is our intense band rehearsal, where we have to get through twenty numbers in two hours and fifteen minutes. Pray for Rosemary’s Baby. Monday I’m at the theater all day, setting lighting and stage stuff and getting everything ready for sound check.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, rehearse, meet, hopefully pick up packages, eat, and write. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite intense thrillers, whether book or film? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland after which I shall arise and not be in a pickle.