Well, dear readers, it is late and I am tired but here I am to write these here notes and I shall write them with great dear reader elan and joie de vivre and they shall be piquant and pert as all get out, and I think we all know how piquant and pert all get out is. The day was long, the evening was long, unlike these here notes, which will not be all that long.
Yesterday began with me getting up thirty minutes prior to my alarm going off at nine-thirty. I got right up, did my morning ablutions, and then futzed and finessed the previous day’s writing, and wrote just a couple of paragraphs to finish the little section I was on. I then printed out fifty-something pages (I always go back three or four pages to give Muse Margaret a run at the new pages – but she did get fifty-two new pages this time around), after which I took them for Xeroxing. Then I went to Jerry’s Deli, knowing it was going to be the only time I’d have to eat anything until well into the evening hours. I had some ham and eggs and rye toast and tomatoes, ate them all up, then moseyed on over to Muse Margaret’s and gave her the new pages.
Then I came right home and managed to write about a page-and-a-half before showering and getting ready for the work session with Jason Graae. Just prior to that, I went to the mail place, where I was more than a little astonished to pick up no packages. Then I came home and we had the work session with Jason. He and I have way too much fun and poor Joshua Eli Kranz, our musical director, just kind of has to sit there and giggle. But he ran the first two of his solos, and he sounds great. I made just a couple of tempo adjustments and one little interpretive note that he was fine with. Just before he was about to run his third song, Muse Margaret called, so I let them do that while I went and had a conversation with her. No disrespect to Jason and Joshua, but there was no way I was waiting to have that conversation. As she has for every batch of pages on this particular book, she just loved it – loves the characters and the dialogue and the plot and the whole feel of it, which made me very happy. She just had a couple of typos, a couple of minor word change suggestions (made them, of course) and one bit of confusion that, when I looked at it, she was absolutely right about. I could not have been happier with the call. Right after that, Jason left and we began our Kritzerland rehearsal. I did manage to fix the one little bit of confusion for Muse Margaret, and in the fixing I was able to add about a half a page of fun stuff – I called her and read it to her and she loved that and then my mind was free for Kritzerland.
Our second rehearsal was much smoother than the first. A few of our singers still don’t have their lyrics down, but it’s completely understandable on this show, because our rehearsal schedule is so screwy. Normally our first rehearsal is on a Monday, then they have till Thursday to practice and then till Saturday to finalize for our stumble-through. But because of the recording this weekend and our show being on a Monday night, we had to consolidate everything into three days – Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, so they simply didn’t have all the learning days in between, but they do have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to get it in their bones, so we’ll be fine by Monday. We also had Andrea Marcovicci with us and she’s always a treat.
After that, Joshua came back and we played and talked through some stuff for about thirty minutes, and I had reached my threshold for one day’s stuff. He left and I sat down and wrote a couple of pages. Then I realized I’d only had ham and eggs at ten-thirty, so I went and had a cup of chicken corn chowder and a small ham and Swiss on rye for my light meal. I had a cookie for dessert. Then I wrote more pages, took a shower and wrote a little more. Considering all I did today, I found it very gratifying that I actually managed to write almost eight pages. So, I didn’t fall behind at all. And since I was a little over ten pages ahead of where I thought I’d be, even if I only wrote three pages a day on Saturday and Sunday, I’d still be where I want to be.
Today, I shall be up by nine, I hope, then I will futz and finesse and try to write a couple of pages at least, then I’ll go attend a band rehearsal for a couple of hours, after which I’ll hopefully pick up some packages. Then I have some banking to do, then I’ll hopefully write at least three or four more pages, finish a chapter, and head into what probably are the last four to five chapters of the book, maybe less depending on how long I make these final chapters. Then we have our stumble-through, then some of us will get a bite to eat, then it’s more writing.
Tomorrow, we have our sitzprobe starting at noon, which goes until three-thirty. So, I’ll try to be up by eight so I can do at least three pages before I go. Then, from the sitzprobe I get something to eat (maybe Nate ‘n’ Al’s), then I go to the theater to work with Laura Wolfe on her songs for a couple of hours, after which some of her cast mates arrive and we walk her through stuff and I see how it’s all working in the new space. I’m hoping we’ll be done with that no later than nice. I’ll then come home and write at least two more pages.
Saturday is our first day of recording and I have to be there at nine, so doubtful any writing prior to that. And we wrap at seven or so and then I have to go to the theater for our re-opening and to support our new cast member. As soon as the show is done, I’ll hurry home and try to write no less than three pages. Sunday is our second day of recording, and when we wrap, I’ll be able to go right home and write five pages or so. Then I’m back to my usual writing routine first thing Monday and have the whole day to myself until sound check at five. Then it’s the show at eight, a meal afterwards, and beginning the next day, all I do for the rest of the week is write until I am finished.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the samba, because today is the birthday of new dear reader Kate. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to new dear reader Kate. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO NEW DEAR READER KATE!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, futz and finesse and write, attend a band rehearsal, write, hopefully pick up some packages, write, have a stumble-through, eat and write. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite songs from musicals produced and/or directed by Harold Prince? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall have another busy day that will be both piquant and pert.