Well, dear readers, last night’s show was a little bit of wonderful. We really do love doing the shows where most of the songs are new to people, and such was the case with our tribute to off-Broadway shows. I can usually get a feel for the kind of audience we’re going to have in my opening remarks and I knew last night’s crowd (sold out) was going to be a terrific audience. Brennley Brown stopped the show with Born to Entertain right out of the gate. Every performer hit their song out of the park. Our very own Robert Yacko, who is always great (which is why I keep using him over and over again) really had one of his best shows and did Skip Kennon’s two Time and Again songs proud. His voice just sat on those glorious melodies beautifully and his She Dies was exquisite and very touching. And he soared on the second half with the title song – the ovation was huge. Kim Huber has really found her comfort zone with our shows and she was just superb on all her numbers. Maddy Claire Parks, all of eighteen years old, has the most gorgeous, clear soprano and she just shone as she always does, but especially on her first number, Little Mary Sunshine’s Look for a Sky of Blue. I’d given her a couple of little things to do, and like all my favorite performers, she took those, made them her own and they landed beautifully, getting lovely laughs. Jenna Lea Rosen did the sweetest Frank Mills ever – it took us a while to find the exact right feel and approach, but the minute she walked out to do it, it was apparent it would be perfect, which it was. And Sami Staitman – the growth in her in the last two years never stops amazing me, and her ability to take direction and make it work, something we’ve struggled with over the last two years, is so heartening to me. I can give her the most subtle things to do and she nails them – she got wonderful laughs in The Boy From… and did what I call “eye” work, which is my favorite kind of subtle comedy, something I made a career out of doing.
Jason Graae – what else can be said – he’s just a mad genius and his comedy is so effortless and so hilarious, the audience just eats him up. But then he can turn on a dime and have everyone in tears. That’s a brilliant performer. Rita McKenzie closed the show with her wonderful I Hate Musicals, and stopped the show with it as she always does. For our usual sing-a-long we did Day by Day and during it Rita’s skirt literally fell off – it was hilarious. John Boswell is simply one of the greatest accompanists ever – so supportive and so there, which is why performers love to work with him. And I could not do these shows with my co-producer, Adryan Russ. We had some fun folks with us – ASCAP’s Michael Kerker and his ever-lovin’ Gene, Cabaret Scenes’ Les Traub, several Li’l Abner cast members, cousins Dee Dee and Alan and Dee Dee’s mom, along with neighbors Tony Slide and Bob Gitt, our very own Vincent Jan and his beautiful wife, our very own Amy and Mark, agent Martin Gage, Shelly Markham, Maddy’s parents, Karen Culliver Parks and Garrett Parks and Garrett’s brother Andy, and many others. Here are some photographs from last night. First our entire merry troupe backstage just before starting the show.
Here’s madcap Jason Graae with Richard Sherman and Sami. We were thrilled Richard and his beautiful wife Elizabeth decided to celebrate their anniversary with us.
And here’s wonderful Sami, after the show at Little Toni’s, where we’re both ready to fall asleep, although she looks more awake than I do.
After the show, as always, a few of us went to Little Toni’s – I had a salad, one piece of plain pizza, and a salami submarine that was actually really good.
Prior to all that, I’d gotten up at five-thirty in the morning and unable to sleep I watched a little bit of some disgustingly awful teen movie called Dare starring Emmy Rossum. I got back in bed around eight-thirty, fell asleep quickly, and didn’t wake up until one. I really don’t like sleeping that late and it took me a full two hours to feel like I was actually awake. Then we had our sound check, I had my usual artichoke, and then it was show time.
Today, I intend to relax, choose songs for our next show (I think we’re just about cast now), have a meal and meeting with Doug Haverty, and then I’m going to see a screening of a newly restored classic film, which I’m looking forward to. I’ll ask if I can finally reveal what it is.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals, seeing the opening night of Always Patsy Cline, going to a little video shoot for next year’s ALS benefit, and then going directly from there to our pick-up session for And the World Goes Round. Whew! Since we’ll be in the area, I think, I may have to have an Astroburger.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, relax, choose songs, hopefully pick up some packages, have a meeting and meal, then see a motion picture. Today’s topic of discussion: There have been a lot of teen films – musicals, angst, trendy, downbeat – which are your favorites? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall greet the day, happy that our forty-seventh Kritzerland show went so very well.