Well, dear readers, it is quite late and therefore I must write these here notes in a hurry because I’m still fighting the dreaded gunk or allergies or whatever the HELL it is I’m fighting. We had an Abner rehearsal yesterday, just four hours. We got through the entire show save for Barry Pearl’s scenes, as he’s not back with us until tomorrow. It is very difficult not being able to run things in sequence, but the cast has been great about it. I have had to get terse about missed lines and blocking – we’re simply too far into this for it to be happening as much as it is. I’m hoping come Monday’s run-through that we’ll be able to get through the show unscathed and at show speed and with show energy and performance level. That’s the only way I’m going to be able to tell how everything is working and whether I want to make further adjustments. The good news is the cast has adjusted to the set really quickly – I thought it would slow us down, but it hasn’t. All the performances are starting to click now, and that is really fun to watch. And when they land the jokes I laugh out loud every time. So, before we ended, I asked everyone to be sure to review their stuff on their day off.
After the rehearsal, I came home, answered e-mails, and got ready to go to the STAGE benefit. My “date” for the evening was supposed to be Kay Cole, but during rehearsal she got the news that her mom had passed away – not unexpected and coming on for a while, I gather. I couldn’t find anyone to go with, so I just moseyed on over to the Saban and got there around six, found a great free parking space and killed some time playing on the iPhone. At six-thirty I walked over to the theater and got my tickets. I saw a few folks I know and mostly perused the silent auction items, a few of which I bid on, including a big basket filled with nail polish bottles and stuff like that – all the kids I work with love nail polish, so I thought they’d enjoy that. I also bid on two musical window cards from the LA and San Francisco tryout of The Act, starring Liza Minnelli. They’re fun because at that point in time, the director was Martin Scorsese and some of the creative team changed between San Francisco and LA, as did the title. In LA it was The Act. In San Francisco it was Shine It On. And I bid on a restaurant package that included Lawry’s and Ruth’s Chris. In the end, I won the nail polish and the window cards but not the steaks.
The show began about ten minutes late and with the intermission and live auction during the intermission the show clocked in at a whopping four hours, longer than any of the recent way long STAGE shows, which usually clock in at three-and-a-half hours. It’s simply too long. I always jokingly say, what’s the difference between me directing a benefit and others directing a benefit – two hours. In and out – two hours – that’s plenty long.
There was a lot of great talent on that stage. As Kritzerland did several shows ago, the STAGE show was a movie-themed show. Robert Osborne was kind of a host, occasionally interviewing certain people. Betty Buckely opened and closed the show – first with As If We Never Said Goodbye and last with Memory – what the latter has to do with the movies is anyone’s guess. One of the most amazing highlights of the evening was ninety-nine year old Patricia Morison having a high old time doing I Hate Men. Heather MacRae did a beautiful Surrey With the Fringe On Top (after Osborne interviewed Shirley Jones). Helen Reddy did Candle on the Water, Mary Wilson did Here’s to Life (also not from a movie, so one wonders the point), there was some high school kid doing a big solo – I must say she wasn’t as good as any of the Kritzerland kids. My pal Kevin Spirtas did a disco number, Ava Astaire was interviewed while two guys recreated a Fred and Eleanor Powell routine being shown on a screen. Missing in action were any actual movie theme songs, which I found a bit odd. Debby Boone did a nice It Might as Well Be Spring, Jason Gould sang something or other – I’d never seen him before – boy does he look like his mother. Another highlight was the act one ender – Mitzi Gaynor, looking great. She was VERY funny and sang Honey Bun and a bit of I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair complete with suds. Donna McKechnie did a nice Astaire tribute, and I’m just too too tired to remember anything or anyone else right now.
Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep. Then it is my intention to relax and do nothing at all, save eating something at some point. I do hope everyone has a nice Mother’s Day. I read all these lovely things about people who were so close to their moms and I think about my wacky family and the complete lack of closeness – well, it’s all there in the Kritzer books.
Tomorrow, I shall be at LACC for the arrival of our show piano, plus my sound guy is coming to give us his suggestions on which mics we want to hang for the show. Then we have a complete run-through at five – no stopping, no calling for lines, just barreling through start to finish. That should take two hours plus a break, then I’ll spend the remaining time cleaning things up. Tuesday the band will rehearse from noon to four and I’ll be there for some of that, and then we have our run-through at five, with cleanup after. Wednesday is our sitzprobe and whatever time is left we’ll work stuff. Thursday is another run-through, and Friday morning at nine we begin tech. Saturday is a dress rehearsal, Sunday is off, and Monday we have our final dress.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do nothing but relax and eat. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, wishing all you mothers out there in the dark the happiest Mother’s Day of all.