Well, dear readers, it was a little peculiar having our stumble-through so far ahead of the actual show – not something I’m ever going to do again. As expected, more lyric flubs than usual, and some tempo issues and feel issues, all of which would have been better had we been doing this on Sunday, which is when we should have done it. But the songs are amazing, the performers are all winning and they now actually have four days to hone their performances and get their lyrics down perfectly. After we finished, I went over a bunch of stuff, mostly fixing openings. This is a tricky show and everything, tempo-wise, has to be just the way I want it. We have a lot of ballads and some of them need to function a little differently. So I spent quite some time on song openings with Shelly Markham, making sure he understood why I wanted things certain ways. One easy example – the second song in the show is Arthur’s Song. Shelly began it way too slow then singer Dennis Kyle went even slower, singing it as a mournful dirge. I suppose that’s one way to approach the song, and if it were later in the show I might let that stand, but for me a second song has to serve a very specific function and mournful isn’t it. I always believe a second song should be what I call a “smiler” – a charm song. And that’s why I put Arthur’s Song second. Once I explained that, Shelly immediately understood and adjusted the feel and went a bit faster, and then I went through the song with Dennis, who is great at taking direction and notes – I just explained the song was about love and joy and that had to come through right from the top and then become really joyous and magical on the “When you get caught between the moon and New York City” sections. Once he understood, he sang through it and it was a whole different song. And it was just stuff like that – we fixed all the intros, and ran a few things and then we were done.
After that, Brennley Brown, her mom, Dennis and I went to the Studio Café. I had a chopped Eyetalian salad and some drumettes. A little too much, but I was hungry. We all had fun, then I came home. Before I go on, I’ll go back and tell you about the rest o’ the day. But before I do that, can I just point out the rather incredible news that today is the final day of January? How did that happen? So, tomorrow is February, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that February will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.
I was up at eight-thirty and out of bed by nine. I futzed and finessed, wrote only a couple of paragraphs, then headed to Hollywood for a band rehearsal. I got there at eleven. Unfortunately, they’d put the band in much too small a room and it was completely irritating in there, especially as I was sitting behind the trumpet and trombone player. It was just too loud and annoying so I only stayed about forty minutes and I hightailed it out of there. I then went and had some chicken tenders, after which I picked up a couple of packages. For the second day in a row, I never got to the bank, and I must soon, like today. I came home and finally sat down to write. I wrote a couple of pages, then had to shave and shower and get ready for the stumble-through. I think I got one more page done before people began arriving.
After I got home from dinner, I wrote more pages and when I added up what I’d done I was really happy to see it was over seven. So, I didn’t fall behind at all, which is great, as I will most assuredly not get more than five done tomorrow or Saturday. Sunday I can get more done and Monday I should be back to normal.
Today, I shall be up by nine, I shall futz and finesse, then shower and shave, then write at least one or two new pages, then at eleven-twenty I’ll head over to Hollywood for the sitzprobe. I really can’t remember if it’s two-and-a-half or three-and-a-half hours, but I’m only staying two-and-a-half no matter what. Then I’ll meet up with Laura Wolfe at Nate ‘n’ Al’s and we’ll just talk about her solo stuff in the show. Then we’ll go to the theater and work for ninety minutes, and then two more of her cast members show up and we’ll run a bunch of stuff. Last night, they ran all the group numbers with the full cast, and Laura feels very comfortable in them. I’m hoping to be done by eight-thirty at the latest, then I’ll come home and try to write three or four more pages before bedtime.
Tomorrow, I have to be at the studio at nine – I may bet up at around six-thirty and actually try to write a page or two before I leave. Then I’m in the studio till at least seven – that’s supposed to be our wrap time, and the final hour is just some band stuff and if we’re behind at all, I can easily push the four little band pieces into Sunday’s session. IF I can get out of there by seven, then I’ll drive to the theater and attend our re-opening. I’ll go right home after, however, try to write a couple of pages, and then get some sleep. Sunday I don’t have to really get to the studio before 9:45 and we should be done by seven or so, and then I’ll come home and write some more.
Monday, I’ll write, and then we have sound check and the show. I will, of course, have a full report. The rest of the week is all writing – I’m not talking to anyone about anything, I’m just concentrating on the writing. I have under sixty pages to go, I think and when I get to that point in a book, I do tend to write up to fifteen pages a day. There’s no more having to think of things – I have clear and detailed notes about most of what happens from here on in, although it’s not an outline or anything, just notes about things to cover. I’m thinking if things go well, I could be done by Friday. That would make me VERY happy. We shall see.
Why don’t we all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, why don’t we all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, why don’t we all dance the Hora or the old-fashioned waltz, because today is the birthday of dear reader Mike aka Michael Shayne. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to dear reader Mike aka Michael Shayne. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO DEAR READER MIKE AKA MICHAEL SHAYNE!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, attend a sitzprobe, eat and meet, rehearse, and write. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – I haven’t had a minute to watch or hear anything. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall have another long day that will include and actual sitzprobe.