Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle in an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini. I was going to try and get these here notes written early and scheduled, but it’s already eleven, so that won’t be happening. I did finally get eight hours of sleep, though, so that was nice. We had a very good rehearsal, most of which was spent doing the number I didn’t really want to do until the end of the week. But we had our full cast so the time seemed right. It took two-and-a-half hours to do, but I think it came out really well, and I do like that everyone is contributing to everything. After that, we did another five or six pages of script, so we have about fifteen pages to go, but that includes three big musical numbers, so we have our work cut out for us. I’m still hoping to be through by Friday, even if it’s rough. That way, come Monday, we can start assembling everything and working through moments and getting everything sharp and solidified. The entirety of next week will be doing that so that by Thursday we should be doing full out run-throughs at least once a day from then until opening on Valentine’s Day.
After the rehearsal, I had to come right home and have the Kritzerland rehearsal. Two of our singers had scheduling problems so we only had three with us today. First up was Damon Kirsche. He began with the delightful A Bungalow in Quogue, then did a put-together of All the Things You Are and Long Ago and Far Away, which was just beautiful. Then he did his final number, a put-together of I Won’t Dance and Never Gonna Dance – he’s just great all the way around. Then it was Kimberly Hessler, who was in our April Fool’s Kritzerland show doing the What Ifs. This is her first solo outing with us and she will be back because she’s terrific. First she sang I’m Old Fashioned, then In Love In Vain, and finally I Dream Too Much – I had not a single thing to say to her, such was her musicianship and understanding of each song. Then came Maddy Claire Parks who, with her lilting soprano, sang a put-together of Look for the Silver Lining and I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star, then a put-together of Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man of Mine (which we do as it is done in the show – uptempo) and Make Believe and then the great Up With the Lark. It all went smoothly and effortlessly, which rarely happens at our first rehearsals. Of course, John Boswell is so calm and so good that there’s just little that can go awry.
After that, I was starving so I went and had a cup o’ chili and a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich. Then I came home and proofed another twenty-five pages, then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night I watched a wacky ultra grade Z movie on Netflix called The Day of the Nightmare, made in 1965. It’s Barbara Bain’s first movie and John Ireland is also in it as well as Elena Verdugo. It’s amazingly awful but somehow fun in a William Castle/Ed Wood kind of way. Yes, we have a cross-dressing killer, a scared wife, a stoic cop and some lurid scenes, all shot in cheap black-and-white by Ted Mikels, who would become a shlock director himself.
Then I did some work on the computer, had some telephonic calls, and even relaxed a bit.
Today, we start rehearsals at eleven, but I have to be there at ten-thirty for some costume discussion. Then we rehearse till three and I hope to get at least one or two of the remaining three big numbers out of the way. Then we have a walk-through at our real theater. Then I’ll finally eat, hopefully pick up some packages, and then relax.
Tomorrow is a slightly longer rehearsal, then I have a lunch, then one of the two Kritzerland singers who weren’t with us yesterday comes at five. Friday is more of the same and then our second Kritzerland rehearsal with all singers present and accounted for. Saturday, if I’m feeling up to it, I’ll go to the book fair in Pasadena. Saturday night I may be seeing a show. Sunday is our stumble-through, Monday is rehearsal (in our real theater), then sound check and show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, rehearse, have a walk-through, eat, hopefully pick up packages, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall dream I am wearing my itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini. Rated R for Revolting.