Well, dear readers, I am still overtired but one must do what one must and what one must do is write these here notes is what one must do. And so, without further ado, the notes.
First of all, I promised some photographs from the event and so here are a few. Last night I posted the one of me and Petula Clark. Here’s one with the wonderful and gifted Kerry O’Malley, who stopped the show with Don’t Rain on My Parade.
Here’s a good-looking foursome – well threesome and one old Jewish fellow. That is, of course, our very own Robert Yacko on the left, Adrienne Visnic next to him, Brittney Bertier next to her and li’l ol me.
On the left we have one of the co-producers of the show, Jonathan White, I’m on the right and between us is the delightfully delightful Renee Zellweger.
And here I am Monkeying around with Micky Dolenz.
Here I am with our choreographer Cheryl Baxter-Ratliff (she also choreographed What If and several Outside the Box episodes).
Yesterday I only got six hours of sleep, then I got up and a little while later was on my way to have breakfast with Petula Clark. Also there was her musical director, Grant Sturiale and Jim Pierson, who produces a lot of CD compilations of classic vocalists and who helped getting Petula here happen. It was the best time – we yakked for almost two hours, catching up, talking about this and that, discussing the state of songwriting today and just laughing a lot. Then she had to be on her way and I came home after picking up a couple of packages.
Then I had lots of wonderful e-mails and messages about the ALS show, which was so nice. Then we had our Sami rehearsal. She’s getting more at home with the monologues and she’s really singing the songs beautifully, and we just somehow have to get those honest, fun, and heartfelt performances into the monologues – but it was definitely a major step in the right direction. This is a toughie, this private reading – I feel it’s important to do, but just having to stand and be glued to the script is hard and unnatural. So, I’m being a little tougher than I would normally be, just because we have to get the rhythm and intentions right for each of the monologues, some of which are very long. But we laughed at stuff and I think we may just have something very special here. We had our MD, Alby Potts, here and he’s doing a great job and the fun of this is that he’s really integral to the show, he’s onstage and the character occasionally even talks to him. We’d talked about drums at one point, but it’s kind of feeling to me like just piano is the right way to go.
Then Sami and mom and I went for some food. I had my chopped salad with oil and vinegar and a small fries. We chatted some more about the show, and then they went on their merry way and I came home. I then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched the first thirty minutes of Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace on a new Blu and Ray. So far I’m thinking it looks very good and I’ll finish it up tonight. After that, I just zoned out in front of the computer.
Today, I really hope to awaken after a good night’s beauty sleep. Then I’ll eat, hopefully pick up packages and then we have another Sami rehearsal and the last one that Alby will be at until the reading next Monday. I’ll also do the show order and begin writing the commentary, and then I’ll relax.
Tomorrow is more of the same, including another Sami rehearsal, Friday I have a work session with John Boswell for the Kritzerland show, after which I’m seeing Mary Poppins in Thousand Oaks, Saturday and Sunday are both Sami rehearsal days, and then Monday is our first Kritzerland rehearsal and then our private reading – I think we’ll have about fifteen people there – just friendly folks.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, eat, hopefully pick up packages, rehearse, do a show order, write a commentary 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, happy to have had such a wonderful breakfast with such a wonderful person as Petula.