Well, dear readers, may I just say this: It is February. Can you believe it? It seems like only yesterday it was January. Of course, it WAS only yesterday that it was January, so there’s that. But let me just say that 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.
So, yesterday we had our little sitzprobe. Prior to it, I was up by eight and managed to not only futz and finesse but to write five count them five pages before leaving. The sitzprobe began promptly at noon. I really had to keep things moving or they would have bogged down horribly and I was determined that they get through every vocal number before the session was over. But it was great hearing our rather mighty company of players – Brent Barrett, Kyra Da Costa, Jason Graae, Christiane Noll and Kristin Towers Rowles. Our MD is Joshua Eli Kranz and he did a fine job of keeping things together, but when things were moving too slowly, I just took charge and moved them along. But I had to leave about forty minutes before they finished, but happily I’d gotten them far enough along that they did finish going through all the songs.
Directly from there, I went to Nate ‘n’ Al’s for an early meal with the singer who is covering Dana Dewes and performing the next six shows – Laura Wolfe. I had a yummilicious New York – pastrami on rye with cole slaw and Russian dressing. And I ordered a side of kishka and was extremely dismayed to see they don’t have the kind they used to – what they used to have was the best kishka anywhere, but this new kishka was not a patch on the butt cheeks of the old kishka. We talked through each of her songs and discussed the point of how we were doing them – she took notes and understood it all.
Then she followed me to the theater. Because we were in the Hills of Beverly we were able to take my super secret route down to Venice Blvd., which avoids all traffic. Once on Venice we actually got to the theater twenty minutes early. I was happy to see our set looks great in the larger space and actually there’s a bit more room there and things just look very well laid out. For the next hour, Laura sang through her songs and I worked with her on the nuances and kind of walked her through where she moved when. Then two of our cast members arrived and we began in earnest. The two other cast members, despite knowing this was the rehearsal I could attend, couldn’t be there – but Laura had been with them the night before and run all the group numbers many times. But the problem is, Kay Cole and I weren’t there and so we couldn’t adjust things for the new space. We did that very thing last night, and those two errant and truant cast members will just have to figure it out in front of an audience or before the show tonight. It all has to do with spacing and angles, but if they pay attention to the spike marks on the floor, they’ll be fine. Most importantly, the person that Laura has most of her stuff with was there, so we ran their duet and their other stuff. She’s getting used to the vibe of the show and her track in it, and after doing things a few times, she was getting it down very well. We worked until about eight and that was that.
Then I came right home – thankfully there was no traffic at all. I had to stop and put gas in the motor car. Once home, I answered some e-mails, futzed and finessed what I’d written in the morning, and then wrote almost three new pages for a total of eight.
Today, I will be up by seven, I’ll finish the chapter I’m on and begin the new chapter and the climax of the book, which will cover the next forty pages or so. I’ll be happy if I get two pages done before I have to leave for the studio. I’ll be at the studio by nine and our downbeat is ten. Since I have learned over the years how it’s best to schedule the first hour of a cast album, we’re starting with the three easiest numbers. When you can get three in the can in an hour it give everyone the right kind of spirit and confidence, and that’s what you want. The original schedule had one really difficult number in that first hour and one medium difficult number, and I moved both to much later in the day. Confidence is everything. It’s a jam-packed day, but if we can stay on schedule the singers should wrap by six. But even if they don’t, they can stay till seven to do stuff – I do have to make certain that Christiane is completely finished because she’s on a red-eye home at ten tonight. The final hour is devoted to four short band-only pieces, but those can slide easily into tomorrow’s session. So, my goal is to leave the studio by seven and drive directly to the theater to attend our re-opening and to support Laura. As soon as the show is over, I’ll come right home, try to write two or three more pages, and that will have been a day.
Tomorrow is our second session. The singers are scheduled to wrap out by three, but again, if they have to stay an extra hour, it’s fine. And I think everyone will wrap out by seven at the latest, then I can come home and write to my heart’s content. Monday I will relax and write, then it’s sound check and our show. Starting on Tuesday, I write all week until I’m finished, then I print out the final batch of pages, Xerox them and get them to Muse Margaret. I do have stuff to do on the weekend, including going to the big book fair in Pasadena. I’ll probably go on Friday afternoon, and also on Saturday. Saturday night, I’ll see our show and then I’m taking Sami out for her fourteenth birthday – a visit to Ruth’s Chris may just be in order.
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 Lambada (The Forbidden Dance) for today is the birthday of our very own brilliant haineshisway.com disc jockey, Mr. Donald Feltham. I do believe Mr. Donald Feltham may well just have one of the longest running disc jockeyed shows on the Internet. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own brilliant haineshisway.com disc jockey, Mr. Donald Feltham. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN BRILLIANT HAINESHISWAY.COM DISC JOCKEY, MR. DONALD FELTHAM!!!
But wait! Let’s also give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own wonderful dear reader Kerry, whose birthday it also is. On the count of three: One, two, three: A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN WONDERFUL DEAR READER KERRY!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, do a recording session, and attend the re-opening of Pure Imagination. Today’s topic of discussion: You’re on your own. Got to sleep now. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall lament the passing of the old-fashioned kishka at Nate ‘n’ Al’s and welcome in 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.