Well, dear readers, I was about to write that it’s Wednesday when I realized that it is, in fact, Tuesday. Even more confusing is that it is, in fact Monday, but WILL be Tuesday by the time I post these here fershluganah notes. My goodness, we used to use the word fershluganah all the time around these here parts but we haven’t used it in a ‘coon’s age. I’m glad to see it’s return, aren’t you? So, it’s Tuesday, even though I thought it was Wednesday and even though it’s still Monday. Confusion runs rampant in the windmills of my mind, and, conversely, rampant runs confusion, just for the HELL of it. I’ve got to get in a Tuesday frame of mind or I’ll start writing about tomorrow and that won’t be any good because I haven’t a clew as to what’s happening tomorrow. Now that I think of it, I haven’t a clew as to what’s happening today either. I do, however, have a clew as to what happened yesterday, and that, dear readers, is what’s known as a segue. Before I segue, may I just ask what word person that that a word spelled segue should be pronounced segg-way? Shouldn’t it be segg-you? But nooooo, that would be too easy. In any case, segg-way is what we’re doing right about now.
Yesterday was neither Wednesday or Tuesday. I was up at six in the morning to announce our new Kritzerland release. Once announced, I went back to bed, fell asleep around seven-thirty, and slept until around eleven. I then answered e-mails, was happy to see that one of our dear reader prying eyes lurkers posted my diatribe to one of those Blu and Ray message boards, where I was, of course, derided (although not too much). But then their own reviewer, who is a former dear reader of this here site, wrote a review of The Blue Max, and his comments on the transfer mirror mine exactly right down to the George Peppard has blue eyes second only to Paul Newman stuff. He gave it a well deserved five stars and that seems to have shut people up about the “teal and orange” push. And that’s a good thing. I had a couple of telephonic conversations, got my second blurb, which I have to spend some time with – it’s really lovely, from author Mickey Rapkin, but I have to decide whether it’s giving away too much of the book. Blurbs are very tricky and shouldn’t be too long. So, I’ll live with it then figure out if we should make some excisions – we had to do that with Nick’s blurb, too, as it gave away just a bit too much of the plot.
Then I had a ham and Swiss on rye and a side of mac-and-cheese – I’d never tried it at Jerry’s Deli and I must say it was pretty bad. So, I only ate a few bites of it. Then I came back home.
A little while later, we had our first Kritzerland rehearsal and I must say it was one of the smoothest first rehearsals we’ve ever had. All the songs are, of course, from musicals either produced or directed by Harold Prince. First up was our very own Sami Staitman. She’s doing two numbers in the show. First she ran You’ve Got Possibilities, which she’s singing to – ME. It’s really funny, and I’ve personalized some of the lyrics. She’s VERY funny and I just get to stand there and basically be Jack Benny. Then she ran her second number, which is Don’t Tell Mama from Cabaret. She wanted to do it, and I thought we could make it fun. Again, I’ve adjusted some of the lyrics and they work well for her. My favorite of the adjusted lyrics is:
Mama, thinks I’m at the Galleria
With a couple of my school chums
And that everything’s okay
Mama, doesn’t even have an inkling
That I’m upstairs at The Fed’ral
Singing songs from Cabaret
She then ran off to an audition at CBS nearby. Next up was Robert Yacko and we ran his three songs: a put-together of Hey There and Not a Day Goes By (it works REALLY well), Pretty Women, and finally Why Should I Wake Up. Next up was Josh Grisetti. I worked with Josh way back in 2005 when I produced the cast album of After the Ball. He’s only doing two songs, but both are great – I Rise Again (from On the Twentieth Century), and Being Alive. Then it was Ashley Fox Linton. Ashley, in case I haven’t mentioned it, will be playing Daisy Mae in my production of Li’l Abner. She ran her three songs – a put-together of There’s a Room in My House (from A Family Affair) and A Quiet Thing, then Another Hundred People, then Lovely (from Funny Thing). Then came the lovelier than lovely Jean Louisa Kelly, who, as I told her, is becoming one of my favorite people to work with. She did her three numbers – a put-together of Dear Friend and Ice Cream (from She Loves Me), Not While I’m Around, and then Cabaret. Finally it was Jenna Lea Rosen. We did our duet, which is my arrangement of Two Lost Souls that I did with Susan Egan on the first Guy Haines album, then she did her two solos, the movie version of The Glamorous Life and Life Is. The good news is – the show is sold out with a waiting list.
After, Jenna, her mom and I grabbed a quick bite – I had a few chicken tenders. After that, I came back home. I then got all my duplicate rare books together so they’re all at hand to show the book dealer this morning. All during the evening, every hour or so, I got progress e-mails for the cover art for Red Gold – it’s been a really fun journey and the artist, James C. Mulligan, has really done a splendid job. It’s very evocative and the colors are gorgeous. I had only a central image in mind, but what he’s done with it is wonderful, I think. As I’m writing these here notes, he’s just sent me what is within moments of being finished. I’m very pleased with it and can’t wait to share it with you – maybe by Friday. He has to get it to a place that scans large art, so that that file can then go to Grant, who will place the title and author name on it. Very exciting, I must say.
Today, I shall be up by nine and the book dealer will be here by ten. I’m sure that won’t take more than ninety minutes and then I’ll go eat something. I have to make an appointment with Teddy for a haircut, then I’ll finish up some liner notes, hopefully pick up some packages, and hopefully see the final corrected book design. Grant is also revising the flap copy and will be shortening the blurbs if he feels it’s necessary – some of that having to do with how much room we’ll actually have on the back cover. In the evening, I’ll try to watch a motion picture.
Tomorrow, I have to do a Costco run, as I’m out of everything, then it’s some meetings and then a meal with a singer I may be helping with an act. Thursday is our second Kritzerland rehearsal, and I have a meal/meeting after it. Friday is another meeting and meal. I may go down to the theater to see our show, and I’ll do that on Saturday for sure, since that’s the last time I’ll see it, at least in this venue. Sunday is our stumble-through and Monday is sound check and show.
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 rhumba because today is the birthday of our newest dear reader, Dan M. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our newest dear reader, Dan M. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR NEWEST DEAR READER, DAN M!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a visit from a book dealer, eat, write, hopefully pick up some packages, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What people have had the most profound influence (positive) on your life – outside of family – those who’ve really made a difference, whether you’ve known them or whether through their work. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall hopefully have figured out the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Conundrum.