Well, dear readers, we had us a fun stumble-through yesterday. The kids all did great and it’s going to be a really fun show. We’re basically sold out, I’m told. I did have notes and we ran a bunch of stuff after we finished, but it was all nitpicky things – interpretation, timing, some musical stuff for our MD (tempos and accompaniment are more important than usual when you’re dealing with young performers), and a few staging things.
Prior to that, I was up at nine after almost eight hours of sleep. I managed to do all of my futzing and finessing prior to the stumble-through and there was quite a bit to do. After the stumble-through, a whole slew of us went to Jerry’s Deli for a meal. I had a cup of chili and a chicken salad sandwich on rye bread. There must have been fourteen of us there. It was fun. Then I came right home.
I wrote a couple of new pages, but it really took a long time to get them to where I was happy. Going into this chapter, I thought it would write very easily, but it turned out to be the opposite. I finally had to stop after the two pages because I was getting frustrated about it, so I went and sat on my couch like so much fish.
I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled The Clue of the Twisted Candle, the first in a series of low-budget second features for UK cinemas based on Edgar Wallace mysteries, some forty-seven in all between 1960 and 1965. I’d heard about them but never seen them, but the casts are occasionally interesting and some interesting directors worked on them. The first film was not so hot – no production values, a standard-issue locked room mystery that a five-year-old could figure out. I began the second feature and that one is directed by Clive Donner, so hopefully it will be more interesting visually.
After that, I kept writing and each page was like slogging through molasses, with constant revising. I wrote four pages at that sitting. Then I took a shower, got some really good ideas for later in the book, then started writing again and ended up doing the twelve pages and beginning a new chapter. I do believe I’m in the home stretch of the book now – the final 100 pages or so. The final 100 pages of this series is always daunting in a way, due to the way I write. I like to discover things as Adriana discovers them, it’s one of the things I like best about doing the series. But that means when she gets frustrated I get frustrated, but in the end we both figure it out together.
Today, I’ll hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep. The helper will come by and pick up some invoices, and then I’ll write as much as I can after I futz and finesse, which will probably take a while. But my hope is to do the ten to twelve pages before I leave for sound check, so that when I get home I don’t really have to do anything but relax. Sound check is at four, and then the audience arrives and eats – I’ll have my usual artichoke – and then at seven it’s show time. After, I’m sure some of us will go eat at Little Toni’s. I will, of course, have a full report.
The rest of the week is writing, meetings and meals, and I believe we’re finally cast for the next Kritzerland show, so I’ve got to finish choosing songs and getting everyone their music so they at least have two-and-a-half weeks to learn their songs. We also don’t have a musical director at this point. I’ll get Muse Margaret however many new pages I have by Thursday, and then I have to get my head in gear to start rehearsing Inside Out, which is also almost fully cast now. The Indiegogo campaign has been kind of a bust, so they’re figuring out how we can do the show for much less money. Hopefully it will all go according to Hoyle. The theater is, thankfully, paid for already. The other big expense is the band, but we also have instrumental tracks that could be used – and we may just have to go to that land, even though I’d prefer not. One way or another, we will do the show and open on Valentine’s Day.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, maybe do a jog if the weather permits, futz and finesse, write, have a sound check and do a show. Oh, and we do need a couple of quick miracles and everyone seemed to forget to send those excellent vibes and xylophones, so please do so. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite kinds of casseroles – do people still make casseroles? I used to love any kind of casserole, so list your favorites and even give us some recipes while you’re at it. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy for a good stumble-through and entering the home stretch of the book.