Well, dear readers, this month is flying by, like a gazelle with an enlarged goiter. What exactly is an enlarged goiter if you don’t mind me asking? Why would anyone make up a word like goiter, anyway? Well, a goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland. So, if you have an enlarged goiter does that mean you have an enlarged enlarged thyroid gland? If anyone knows what the HELL I’m talking about, please keep it under your hat. Does anyone still wear a hat? And speaking of wearing a hat, what is this damn dearth of postings over the last five or six days? Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, there has been a damn dearth of postings, pretty much every day for the last five or six days. Every day a little dearth, if you get my meaning and I know you do.
I hope everyone had a nice holiday yesterday. I managed to get nine hours of blessed sleep, so that was very nice. But I got no holiday. I did work on the computer, then had a quick bite to eat – bacon, eggs and toast – after which I came directly home. Soon thereafter, it was time for our first Kritzerland rehearsal. First to arrive was the wonderful Kerry O’Malley. She ran through her two songs – first Knowing When to Leave (she did Promises, Promises at Encores with Martin Short) and then a Berlin put-together of Love, You Didn’t Do Right By Me from White Christmas (which she did on Broadway) and How About Me. Always a treat to have Kerry with us. Then came Maddy Claire Parks. She ran her solo, a put-together of Somebody Somewhere and My Heart Is So Full of You – breathtaking and beautifully played by John Boswell. Then her duet partner arrived, Evan Buckley Harris (they were, of course, Daisy Mae and Abner Yokum) and they ran Namely You – as sweet as ever. Then Maddy left and Evan ran his solo, On Your Toes, one of my all-time favorite songs, one that I’m completely addicted to.
After Evan it was nine-year-old Hadley Belle Miller and we ran our duet, You’re Just in Love – it was really fun and boy is this kid talented. Then came Jenna Lea Rosen and Sami Staitman. First Jenna ran her solo, You There in the Back Row, which she is already knocking out of the park, and then she and Sami ran their duet, a song of mine called Pals. I love their voices together on it. Then Sami ran her solo, a put-together of How Lovely To Be a Woman and One Boy. Then they all left and Robert Yacko was next.
He ran his two solos, Joey, Joey, Joey (from The Most Happy Fella) and Finishing the Hat. Then our mighty ensemble arrived – Kimberly Hessler, Travis Leland, Bruce Merkle and Adrienne Visnic and we ran their three numbers, all from the What If revue. Robert does the first one with them, and then they do the final two by themselves. They’re doing a great job on them and we’ll add just a hint of staging to them. Still to come on Thursday is Bruce Vilanch. And John Boswell has his own moment in the spotlight with a bit he does, and that will be fun but is completely improvised with the audience.
After rehearsal, I went to Gelson’s and bought a few items, including some shrimp cocktail shrimp, which was my evening snack. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Man Hunt. No, this was not a bubbly musical comedy film starring Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable – this was a wonderful film directed by one of my all-time favorites, Fritz Lang. The film has never really gotten its due, but I really like it a lot and find it one of Mr. Lang’s greats. Walter Pidgeon is excellent as is George Sanders. There’s also a nice score by Alfred Newman. The transfer is terrific – luscious and velvety black-and-white photography beautifully rendered to high definition. This comes very highly recommended by the likes of me and is another home run release from Twilight Time.
After that, I just did stuff on the computer and got the good news that John Kander was very happy with our new recording of And The World Goes Round. So, that’s going to the printers and the pressing plant this week.
Today, I have a lunch meeting with a lady who worked on Scent of Mystery – on the set every day, so she’ll be doing the commentary with me. Also at the meeting will be the producer of the Blu-ray, Dave Strohmaier. After that, I will come right home, jog and relax until it’s time to go do evening one of Sandy’s final vocals.
Tomorrow we do evening two of Sandy’s final vocals. Thursday is the second Kritzerland rehearsal, Friday I really need to just relax, and then Saturday is the stumble-through, Sunday is sound check then our matinee and evening performances.
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, for today is the birthday of dear reader Ron Pulliam. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to dear reader Ron Pulliam. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO DEAR READER RON PULLIAM!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a lunch meeting, jog, hopefully pick up some packages and then do evening one of final vocals. Today’s topic of discussion: If you could take the haineshisway.com Time Machine and go back in time to dine at any restaurant of your choice, which would it be and why that choice? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall arise and hope that we do not have another day of a deadly dearth of postings.